Locking mechanism for multi-compartment facility

Abstract

A locking arrangement for a multi-compartment facility, a mailbox for example, used for locking and unlocking the mail delivery flaps provided on the compartment sub-doors through the use of vertical rods extending through the array of compartments where the same vertical rods are utilized for hingedly mounting the sub-doors of the mailing compartments.

1 . A locking arrangement comprising a manual operating member which can be turned so as to turn a gear and wherein at least one rack member is engaged with the gear so as to be linearly moveable when the gear is turned, the rack member including cam means and a cam following actuator being provided for engagement with a locking member for determining the status, locked or unlocked, of the locking member in dependence upon the position of said rack member.  
   
   
       2 . A locking arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the manual operating member has an associated releasable locking means enabling its status, operable or inoperable, to be selectively determined.  
   
   
       3 . A locking arrangement as in  claim 1  wherein the manual operating member can be turned between two positions angularly spaced apart from each other, one of said positions corresponding to said locking member being locked and the other corresponding to said locking member being unlocked.  
   
   
       4 . A locking arrangement as in  claim 1  wherein said locking member comprises a plurality of collectively operable locking elements.  
   
   
       5 . A locking arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the gear determines the positions of a plurality of said rack members.  
   
   
       6 . A locking arrangement as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the manual operating member can be turned between two positions angularly spaced apart from each other, one of said positions corresponding to said locking member being locked and the other corresponding to said locking member being unlocked.  
   
   
       7 . A locking arrangement as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said locking member comprises a plurality of collectively operable locking elements.  
   
   
       8 . A locking arrangement as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said locking member comprises a plurality of collectively operable locking elements.  
   
   
       9 . A locking arrangement as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the gear determines the positions of a plurality of said rack members.  
   
   
       10 . A locking arrangement as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the gear determines the positions of a plurality of said rack members.  
   
   
       11 . A locking arrangement as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the gear determines the positions of a plurality of said rack members.