Patents by Inventor Brian E. Walls

Brian E. Walls has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11913249
    Abstract: An exemplary lock apparatus includes a housing and a plug assembly rotatably mounted in the housing. The plug assembly includes a tumbler assembly operable to selectively prevent rotation of the plug assembly relative to the housing and a retention mechanism operable to selectively prevent removal of the plug assembly from the housing. A system including the lock apparatus may include a change key configured to actuate the tumbler assembly without actuating the retention mechanism and/or a control key configured to actuate both the tumbler assembly and the retention mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: James Nye, Brian E. Walls
  • Publication number: 20240011332
    Abstract: An exemplary portable lock apparatus generally includes a shackle and a crossbar. The crossbar includes a lock mechanism operable to selectively secure the shackle to the crossbar in a closed condition. The shackle includes a rigid shackle core and a cover layer covering at least a portion of the shackle core. The cover layer includes a ceramic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Carter Kemper, Brian E. Walls
  • Patent number: 11713595
    Abstract: A door lock chassis has a gauge insert that defines different dimensions corresponding to different door thicknesses. The gauge insert is positionable in the lock chassis in different orientations corresponding to the different dimensions used to align the lock chassis for different door thicknesses. Additionally, a door lock may include an anti-rotation assembly for preventing rotation of the lock chassis. The anti-rotation assembly may include a retention member that is secured to an inside hub of a lock chassis. As an anti-rotation member is displaced in a first axial direction along the inside hub to a mount position, the anti-rotational member may deflect resilient members of the retention member. With the anti-rotation member at the mounted position, the anti-rotation member may be in a frictional engagement with the previously deflected resilient members so that anti-rotation member is retained at the mount position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Rich D. Shelinbarger, Scott D. Welsby, Peter Malenkovic
  • Patent number: 11702862
    Abstract: A plug assembly including a plug, a sidebar movably mounted on the plug, and a plurality of rack pins seated in the plug. The sidebar is biased to an outer position in which the sidebar extends beyond an outer surface of the plug. Each rack pin includes a key-following leg and a sidebar-engaging leg. The sidebar-engaging leg includes at least one true gate. When a true gate of each rack pin is aligned with the sidebar, the sidebar is free to move radially inward to an inner position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Jason C. Clifford, Scott D. Welsby
  • Publication number: 20230035220
    Abstract: An exemplary lock apparatus includes a housing and a plug assembly rotatably mounted in the housing. The plug assembly includes a tumbler assembly operable to selectively prevent rotation of the plug assembly relative to the housing and a retention mechanism operable to selectively prevent removal of the plug assembly from the housing. A system including the lock apparatus may include a change key configured to actuate the tumbler assembly without actuating the retention mechanism and/or a control key configured to actuate both the tumbler assembly and the retention mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: James Nye, Brian E. Walls
  • Patent number: 11274468
    Abstract: An exemplary lock apparatus includes a housing and a plug assembly rotatably mounted in the housing. The plug assembly includes a tumbler assembly operable to selectively prevent rotation of the plug assembly relative to the housing and a retention mechanism operable to selectively prevent removal of the plug assembly from the housing. A system including the lock apparatus may include a change key configured to actuate the tumbler assembly without actuating the retention mechanism and/or a control key configured to actuate both the tumbler assembly and the retention mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: James Nye, Brian E. Walls
  • Publication number: 20210172199
    Abstract: An exemplary lock apparatus includes a housing and a plug assembly rotatably mounted in the housing. The plug assembly includes a tumbler assembly operable to selectively prevent rotation of the plug assembly relative to the housing and a retention mechanism operable to selectively prevent removal of the plug assembly from the housing. A system including the lock apparatus may include a change key configured to actuate the tumbler assembly without actuating the retention mechanism and/or a control key configured to actuate both the tumbler assembly and the retention mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: James Nye, Brian E. Walls
  • Publication number: 20210172200
    Abstract: A plug assembly including a plug, a sidebar movably mounted on the plug, and a plurality of rack pins seated in the plug. The sidebar is biased to an outer position in which the sidebar extends beyond an outer surface of the plug. Each rack pin includes a key-following leg and a sidebar-engaging leg. The sidebar-engaging leg includes at least one true gate. When a true gate of each rack pin is aligned with the sidebar, the sidebar is free to move radially inward to an inner position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Jason C. Clifford, Scott D. Welsby
  • Publication number: 20210115706
    Abstract: A door lock chassis has a gauge insert that defines different dimensions corresponding to different door thicknesses. The gauge insert is positionable in the lock chassis in different orientations corresponding to the different dimensions used to align the lock chassis for different door thicknesses. Additionally, a door lock may include an anti-rotation assembly for preventing rotation of the lock chassis. The anti-rotation assembly may include a retention member that is secured to an inside hub of a lock chassis. As an anti-rotation member is displaced in a first axial direction along the inside hub to a mount position, the anti-rotational member may deflect resilient members of the retention member. With the anti-rotation member at the mounted position, the anti-rotation member may be in a frictional engagement with the previously deflected resilient members so that anti-rotation member is retained at the mount position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Rich D. Shelinbarger, Scott D. Welsby, Peter Malenkovic
  • Patent number: 10876323
    Abstract: A door lock chassis has a gauge insert that defines different dimensions corresponding to different door thicknesses. The gauge insert is positionable in the lock chassis in different orientations corresponding to the different dimensions used to align the lock chassis for different door thicknesses. Additionally, a door lock may include an anti-rotation assembly for preventing rotation of the lock chassis. The anti-rotation assembly may include a retention member that is secured to an inside hub of a lock chassis. As an anti-rotation member is displaced in a first axial direction along the inside hub to a mount position, the anti-rotational member may deflect resilient members of the retention member. With the anti-rotation member at the mounted position, the anti-rotation member may be in a frictional engagement with the previously deflected resilient members so that anti-rotation member is retained at the mount position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Rich D. Shelinbarger, Scott D. Welsby, Peter Malenkovic
  • Patent number: 10745937
    Abstract: A plug assembly including a plug, a sidebar movably mounted on the plug, and a plurality of rack pins seated in the plug. The sidebar is biased to an outer position in which the sidebar extends beyond an outer surface of the plug. Each rack pin includes a key-following leg and a sidebar-engaging leg. The sidebar-engaging leg includes at least one true gate. When a true gate of each rack pin is aligned with the sidebar, the sidebar is free to move radially inward to an inner position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Jason C. Clifford, Scott D. Welsby
  • Publication number: 20180305954
    Abstract: A plug assembly including a plug, a sidebar movably mounted on the plug, and a plurality of rack pins seated in the plug. The sidebar is biased to an outer position in which the sidebar extends beyond an outer surface of the plug. Each rack pin is a single-piece unitary structure including a key-following leg and a sidebar-engaging leg. The sidebar-engaging leg includes at least one true gate and a plurality of false gates. When a true gate of each rack pin is aligned with the sidebar, the sidebar is free to move radially inward to an inner position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Jason C. Clifford, Scott D. Welsby
  • Patent number: 10024079
    Abstract: A plug assembly including a plug, a sidebar movably mounted on the plug, and a plurality rack pins seated in the plug. The sidebar is biased to an outer position in which the sidebar extends beyond an outer surface, of the plug. Each rack pin is a single-piece unitary structure including a key-following leg and a sidebar-engaging leg. The sidebar engaging leg includes at least one true, gate and a plurality of false gates. When a true gate of each rack pin is aligned with the sidebar, the sidebar is free to move radially inward to an inner position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Jason C. Clifford, Scott D. Welsby
  • Publication number: 20180119453
    Abstract: A door lock chassis has a gauge insert that defines different dimensions corresponding to different door thicknesses. The gauge insert is positionable in the lock chassis in different orientations corresponding to the different dimensions used to align the lock chassis for different door thicknesses. Additionally, a door lock may include an anti-rotation assembly for preventing rotation of the lock chassis. The anti-rotation assembly may include a retention member that is secured to an inside hub of a lock chassis. As an anti-rotation member is displaced in a first axial direction along the inside hub to a mount position, the anti-rotational member may deflect resilient members of the retention member. With the anti-rotation member at the mounted position, the anti-rotation member may be in a frictional engagement with the previously deflected resilient members so that anti-rotation member is retained at the mount position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Rich D. Shelinbarger, Scott D. Welsby, Peter Malenkovic
  • Publication number: 20160376814
    Abstract: A plug assembly including a plug, a sidebar movably mounted on the plug, and a plurality rack pins seated in the plug. The sidebar is biased to an outer position in which the sidebar extends beyond an outer surface, of the plug. Each rack pin is a single-piece unitary structure including a key-following leg and a sidebar-engaging leg. The sidebar engaging leg includes at least one true, gate and a plurality of Use gates. When a true gate of each rack pin is aligned with the sidebar, the sidebar is free to move radially inward to an inner position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Brian E. Walls, Jason C. Clifford, Scott D. Welsby