WO2001066891A1

WO2001066891A1 - Improvements in or relating to locking systems

Info

Publication number: WO2001066891A1
Application number: PCT/GB2001/000987
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ian Ernest Over
Original assignee: Ian Ernest Over
Priority date: 2000-03-10
Filing date: 2001-03-07
Publication date: 2001-09-13
Also published as: GB2376716B; GB0005669D0; AU2001237584A1; GB0223518D0; GB2376716A

Abstract

A locking system for a door comprises a fastening mechanism (1) mountable on the door and having two locking members in the form of elongate flat blades (4, 5) for co-opering with a keeper on the door frame to secure the door closed. Each blade (4, 5) is movable parallel to the plane of the door under the control of an operating mechanism (15) between an inoperative position and an operative position in which the blades (4, 5) project from a side edge of the door to engage the keeper. The operating mechanism (15) includes a slide member (17) connected to each blade (4, 5) by a respective coupling member (18, 19) for converting rotation of a cam member (24) associated with a key-operated lock into translational movement of the blades (4, 5) between the inoperative position and the operative position.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO LOCKING SYSTEMS

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to locking systems for fastening an opening wing in a closed condition. The invention has particular, but not exclusive application to locking systems for fastening doors or the like.

Many types of locking systems are known for securing doors in the closed position. Doors are normally mounted for hinging movement about a vertical axis at one side of the door by hinges and a locking system is provided at the opposite side of the door for securing the door when closed.

A traditional type of locking system commonly used for external or final exit doors from a property such as a house has consisted of a bolt movable from an inoperative position in which the bolt is housed in a casing inset into the edge of the door to an operative position in which the bolt projects from the casing and co-operates with a keeper mounted on a surrounding fixed door frame to fasten and secure the door in the closed position.

The bolt is typically actuated by a removable key to prevent unauthorised release and the locking system may be combined with a latch for holding the door closed with the bolt in the inoperative position. The latch is normally operated by a handle which allows the door to be opened and closed without having to lock the door, for example when the property is occupied and access through the door is required.

This type of locking system fastens and secures the door at a single point only and it is possible to force the door open by inserting a tool such as a crowbar into the gap between the door and frame adjacent the bolt to lever the door and frame apart so as to release the engagement between the bolt and keeper. Alternatively or additionally, in the case of timber doors and frames especially, the door and/or frame may split releasing the engagement of the bolt and keeper.

For increasing security, it has been proposed to provide locking systems in which a plurality of bolts are actuated simultaneously to engage corresponding keepers to fasten and secure the door at several points spaced apart along the edge of the door.

Locking systems of this type are commonly known and referred to as espagnolettes or cremonnes. In an espagnolette, the bolts are often in the form of mushroom headed members mounted on a bar that is slidable lengthwise of the edge of the door for co-operating with slotted keepers on the surrounding frame. In a cremonne, two bars are often provided slidable in opposite directions and the bolts are provided at the ends of the bars to project from the top and bottom of the door for co-operating with aligned keepers. Various combinations of both types are also known. In general, these types of locking systems- are characterised by providing a multi-point fastening such that, in any attempt to force entry, all the bolts have to be released. This is considerably more difficult and time consuming compared to the traditional single bolt system and reduces the risk of break-ins where quick and easy entry is often a prime consideration of any thief.

A disadvantage of known multi-point locking systems is the installation of the system with sliding bars. Often these are surface mounted and exposed to weathering and fouling with dirt etc. Also in the case of espagnolettes, the mushroom headed members are exposed and can be broken or damaged.

The present invention has been made from a consideration of the problems and disadvantages aforementioned.

Thus, it is a primary aim of the present invention to provide a locking system which provides security against forced entry and which can be installed in a simple manner using conventional techniques.

It is a preferred aim of the present invention to provide a locking system for a door in which the fastening mechanism is concealed in the edge of the door in an unfastened condition.

It is a further preferred aim of the present invention to provide a locking system for a door in which the door can be latched in the closed position with the fastening mechanism in the unfastened condition.

These and other aims and objectives of the invention will be better understood from the description of the invention hereinafter.

According to a the present invention there is provided a locking system for fastening and securing an opening wing in a closed position relative to a wing frame comprising a fastening mechanism mountable on one of the wing and wing frame and a keeper mountable on the other of the wing and wing frame, the fastening mechanism including at least one elongate locking member adapted to extend lengthwise of a side edge of said one of the wing and wing frame, said locking member being movable in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said one of the wing and wing frame between an inoperative position and an operative position in which the locking member is co-operable with the keeper for fastening and securing the wing in the closed position, and an operating mechanism for moving the locking member between the inoperative and operative positions.

By this invention, the co-operation of the locking member with the keeper is resistant to forcing by a tool inserted between the wing and wing frame, and the locking member can be installed in the side edge of the wing or wing frame so as to be concealed in the inoperative position.

Preferably, the locking member is in the form of a flat blade and the keeper has an elongate slot to receive the longitudinal edge of the blade in the operative position. The edges of the slot may be bevelled to assist reception of the longitudinal edge of the blade by acting as a guide for the longitudinal edge. In this way, any small misalignment between the blade and slot is accommodated.

Advantageously, the operating mechanism is responsive to rotation of a user operable input for moving the locking member between the fastened and unfastened conditions. Preferably, the operating mechanism includes a linkage for converting rotation of the input into translational movement of the locking member.

In a preferred arrangement, the operating mechanism comprises a slide member and a coupling member pivotal in response to displacement of the slide member under control of the input for moving the locking member between the fastened and unfastened conditions.

The input may be a rotatable cam member associated with a lock operable from the inside and the outside of the door for locking and unlocking the door from both sides. The lock may be key operated from both sides. Alternatively a knob or the like may be provided on the inside for rotating the cam member. The knob may be lockable to prevent unauthorised release.

Advantageously, a pair of locking members are provided for simultaneous movement between the fastened and unfastened conditions. The use of two locking members provides greater security.

Preferably, the fastening mechanism includes a latch for holding the door closed with the locking member (s) in the unfastened condition.

The latch may be biased to an operative extended position and be adapted to engage automatically a keeper when the door is moved from an open position to the closed position. In a preferred arrangement, the latch can be reversed according to whether the door is hinged on the right or left hand side and/or whether the door is mounted for inward or outward opening movement.

The latch member may be released by rotation of a cam member connected to a user operable input. The cam member and input may be provided by the operating mechanism for the locking member(s) . Alternatively, or additionally, the latch member may be released by a separate cam member connected to a handle. Preferably the handle is provided on the inside of the door only.

Advantageously, the operating mechanism for the locking member(s) is adapted or retain the latch in the extended operative position when the locking member (s) is in the fastened condition. Preferably, a hold back mechanism is provided for securing the latch in the withdrawn inoperative position. The hold back mechanism may be operated by rotation of the cam member for moving the locking member (s) between the fastened and unfastened conditions.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein :-

Figure 1 is a side view of a fastening mechanism embodying the invention with parts removed to show the internal components, the mechanism being shown in the unfastened condition;

Figure 2 is a front view of the face plate of the fastening mechanism shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view showing the latch in the hold back position;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the unfastened condition in full lines and the fastened condition in outline broken lines; and

Figure 5 is a side view showing an alternative spring device for holding back the upper locking member in the unfastened condition.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a fastening mechanism 1 for a door or like closure (not shown) supported at one side of the door by hinges (not shown) for hinging movement about a vertical axis relative to a surrounding fixed frame (not shown) between open and closed positions. The fastening mechanism 1 is intended to be inset in the edge of the door on the side remote from the hinges so that a face plate 2 is flush with the edge.

The mechanism 1 has a latch 3 for holding the door in the closed position and a pair of locking members 4, 5 for securing the door in the closed position.

The latch 3 is biased by a spring (not shown) to an extended operative position projecting through a hole 6 in the face plate 2 for engagement with an opening in a keeper (not shown) mounted on the opposed side edge of the fixed frame. The latch 3 has a bevelled cam face (not shown) for automatically engaging the keeper as the door moves from an open position to the closed position.

In this embodiment, the cam face is provided on a front end 3a of the latch 3 which is releasably secured to a rear end 3b allowing the latch 3 to be reversed for different mounted positions of the door, for example hinged on the right or left hand side and/or opening inwards or outwards. In this way, the latch 3 is non-handed and the fastening mechanism 1 can be adapted according to the position of the hinges and the direction of movement of the door.

The latch 3 can be released to open the door with the locking members 4, 5 in the unfastened condition shown in Figure 1 by rotation of a cam member 7 having a square bore 8 for reception of a complementary shaft or spindle (not shown) carrying a user operable handle (not shown) to retract the latch 3 against the biasing of the spring to a withdrawn inoperative position. In this embodiment, the handle is provided on the inside only of the door and the face plate 2 may be provided with a hand pull (not shown) to assist closing the door from the outside. The fastening mechanism is for an external or final exit door and the provision of the handle for operating the latch 3 from the inside of the door only provides added security against unauthorised entry when the door is closed and the locking members 4, 5 are in the unfastened condition. It will be understood, however, that handles may be provided for operating the latch 3 from both sides of the door if desired.

The locking members 4, 5 take the form of elongate flat blades and are movable from the unfastened condition to a fastened condition shown in outline broken lines in Figure 4 in which the members 4, 5 project through elongate apertures 9, 10 respectively in the face plate 2 for reception in aligned slots (not shown) of the keeper (not shown) mounted on the opposed side edge of the fixed frame (not shown) to secure the door in the closed position.

Each locking member 4, 5 is mounted between a pair of plates 11 secured together by screws or the like (not shown) and is guided at each end for movement between the unfastened and fastened conditions by a pair of fixed pins 12 extending between the plates 11 through arcuate slots 13 in each member 4, 5.

The latch 3 is mounted for reciprocating movement in a casing 14 located between the locking members 4, 5 and which houses the operating mechanism 15 for moving the locking members 4, 5 between the unfastened and fastened conditions. Each pair of plates 11 is connected to the casing 14 by screws or the like (not shown) and has longitudinal flanges 16 co-planar with the front of the casing 14 to which the face plate 2 is retained by screws or the like (not shown) .

The operating mechanism 15 includes a linkage connecting the locking members 4, 5 for simultaneous movement between the unfastened and fastened conditions. The linkage includes a slide member 17 extending between and pivotally connected at opposite ends to a pair of coupling members 18, 19 respectively connected to the locking members 4, 5 by ball and socket type joints 20.

The coupling members 18, 19 are mounted for rotation about pivot pins 21 , 22 respectively and the slide member 17 is linearly displaceable by a rotatable cam member 24 associated with a cylinder lock (not shown) mounted in a key-hole opening 23 in the casing 14.

In this embodiment, the lock is rotatable from the inside of the door by a knob (not shown) or the like and from the outside of the door by a removable key (not shown) . Alternatively, the lock may be key-operated from both sides of the door. The lock is operable to rotate the cam member 24 in one direction to move the locking members 4, 5 from the unfastened condition to the fastened condition, and rotation of the cam member 24 in the opposite direction moves the locking members 4, 5 from the fastened condition to the unfastened condition.

Operation of the fastening mechanism will now be described.

Starting from the unfastened condition shown in Figure 1, rotation of the cam member 24 in an anti-clockwise direction displaces the slide member

17 in the direction of arrow A. This causes simultaneous pivotal movement of the coupling member 18 in an anti-clockwise direction and of the coupling member 19 in a clockwise direction. This in turn is transmitted to the locking members 4, 5 which are caused to slide outwards through the openings 9, 10 in the face plate 2 guided by the engagement of the pins 12 in the slots 13 to the fastened condition shown in outline in Figure 4.

Anticlockwise rotation of the coupling member 18 causes nose 25 to engage upper surface 26 of an abutment member 27 pivotally mounted on a fixed peg 28 on the inside of the casing 15 and pivot the abutment member 27 in a clockwise direction to a position providing clearance for rotation of the cam member 24 through 360° back to its original position. In this way, where the door is locked from the outside, the key can be removed.

Clockwise rotation of the coupling member 19 causes a part (not shown) to locate behind a shoulder 29 on the latch 3 to hold the latch 3 in the extended operative position and prevent the latch 3 being released with the locking means 4, 5 in the fastened condition.

To return the locking members 4, 5 to the unfastened condition, the cam member 24 is rotatable in a clockwise direction to displace the slide member 17 in the direction of arrow B causing simultaneous pivotal movement of the coupling member 18 in a clockwise direction and of coupling member 19 in an anti-clockwise direction. This in turn is transmitted to the locking members 4, 5 which are caused to slide inwards through the openings 9, 10 in the face plate 2 guided by the engagement of the pins 12 in the slots 13 to return to the unfastened condition shown in Figure 1. Anticlockwise rotation of the coupling member 19 causes it to return to its original position clear of the shoulder 29 on the latch 3 allowing the latch 3 to be released for opening the door in the unfastened condition, for example by rotation of the cam member 7 from the inside of the door by a handle mounted on a spindle received in the bore 8.

Clockwise rotation of the coupling member 18 causes the nose 25 to lift clear from upper surface 26 of the abutment member 27 which returns to the position shown in Figure 1 under the biasing of a spring (not shown) mounted on the peg 28. In this position, the lower surface 30 of the abutment member 27 lies in the path of the cam member 24. As a result, if the cam member 24 is rotated in a clockwise direction from the unfastened condition shown in Figure 1, the cam member 24 engages the lower surface 30 of the abutment member 27 and pivots the abutment member 27 in an anticlockwise direction on the peg 28.

The anticlockwise rotation of the abutment member 27 is transmitted to a lever member 31 pivotally mounted on the peg 28 so that the lever member 31 also pivots in an anticlockwise direction. The lever member 31 has a finger 32 co-operable with a shoulder 33 on the latch 3 so that anticlockwise rotation of the lever member 31 moves the latch 3 to the withdrawn inoperative position.

In this way, the latch 3 can be released either by actuation of the cam member 7 or by actuation of the cam member 24 of the cylinder lock. As a result, the door can be opened from the outside by rotation of the cam member 24 with a key inserted in the cylinder lock. The door can also be opened from the inside, either by rotation of the handle connected to the cam member 7 or by rotation of the cam member 24 of the cylinder lock with the knob. A further feature of the fastening mechanism is the provision of a hold back mechanism for retaining the latch 3 in the withdrawn inoperative position to prevent the door being automatically latched in the closed position. In this way, the risk of being inadvertently locked out if the door closes unexpectedly is avoided.

The hold-back mechanism for the latch 3 includes a snib member 34 mounted on a post 35 on the inside of the casing 15. The snib member 24 is vertically movable and can also swivel to a limited extent on the post 35.

In the unfastened condition shown in Figure 1 , the snib member 34 is clear of the cam member 24 and the latch 3 for operation of the fastening mechanism as described above.

The snib member 34 is actuated by the lever member 31 which has a prong 36 that causes the snib member 34 to tilt and fall on the post 35 when the lever member 31 is jrotated in an anticlockwise direction by engagement of the cam member 24 with the abutment member 27 as described above. Such operation of the cam member 24 also retracts the latch 3 unless it has already been manually retracted by pushing the latch 3 inwards or by actuating the handle connected to the cam member 7.

If the latch 3 is held in the withdrawn inoperative position, either manually or by the cam member 7, the cam member 24 can be rotated in an anticlockwise direction away from the abutment member 27 so that the cam member 24 engages a stop 37 on the snib member 34 causing the snib member 34 to engage the latch 3 to hold the latch 3 in the retracted inoperative position. The latch 3 is released from the hold-back retracted position by rotation of the cam member 24 in an anti-clockwise direction to engage abutment member 27 and pivot lever member 31 to cause prong 36 to engage the snib member 34 and disengage the snib member 34 from the latch 3 which returns to the extended operative position under its spring biasing. In this condition, the snib member 34 is clear of the cam member 24 and the fastening mechanism returns to the position shown in Figure 1.

As will be appreciated, the use of locking members 4, 5 in the form of elongate blades co-operable with a keeper on the surrounding fixed frame is particularly resistant to forcing. Thus, the locking members 4, 5 are effective to prevent the door being levered open by a tool inserted in the gap between the door and frame. More particularly, localised separation of the door and frame at any point along the length of the locking members 4, 5 will not be sufficient to disengage the locking members 4, 5 from the keeper, to release the door. In this embodiment, each locking member 4, 5 is approximately 17" long providing an engagement length of nearly 3 feet when both locking members 4, 5 are extended to engage the keepers in the fastened condition. This produces a significantly greater contact area than is provided by existing forms of locking devices including multi-point locking devices such as espagnolettes and cremonnes.

The linkage including slide member 17 and coupling members 18, 19 converts rotation of the cam member 24 about an axis normal to the plane of the door into translational movement of the locking members 4, 5 parallel to the plane of the door between the unfastened and fastened conditions. For such translational movement, the locking members 4, 5 are guided by the co-operation of the guide pins 12 in the slots 13. This results in translational movement of the locking members in two mutually perpendicular directions parallel to the plane of the door. In this way, the longitudinal outer or leading edge of the locking members 4, 5 remain parallel to the side edge of the door as it moves between the unfastened and fastened positions. This produces a smooth, positive operating action so that the locking members 4, 5 can be easily moved between the unfastened and fastened conditions despite being of elongate form.

The return movement of the lower locking member 5 to the unfastened condition is assisted by the weight of the locking member 5 which, together with the arcuate path of the slots 13, ensures that the outer, free end of the locking member 5 remote from the coupling member 19 is fully retracted and does not project from the opening 10 in the face plate 2 in the unfastened position.

The weight of the locking member 4 and the arcuate path of the slots 13, however, is such that the outer, free end of the locking member 4 remote from the coupling member 18 may not be fully retracted in the unfastened condition. Any tendency for the free end to project from the opening 9 in the face plate 2 in the unfastened condition may foul the fixed frame and result in damage to the fastening mechanism. Accordingly, a setting device is provided comprising a member 38 connected to the free end of the locking member 4 by a ball and socket type joint 39. The setting member 38 is pivotal and slidable about a pin 40 received in a slot 41 and a spring 42 acting between the pin 40 and the inner end of the slot 41 biases the setting member 38 to apply a restoring force to the outer free end of the locking member 4 to ensure that it is fully retracted in the unfastened condition. The restoring force of the spring 42 is relatively small and does not interfere with movement of the locking member 4 to the fastened position.

The operating mechanism 15 is latched in the fastened and unfastened conditions to prevent accidental or unauthorised release of the locking members 4, 5 by a spring loaded detent 43 mounted on the slide member 17 which is engageable with respective notches (not shown) in the casing 14 in each condition to prevent sliding movement of the slide member 17. The detent 43 is released by the cam member 24 to allow the slide member 17 to be displaced for moving the locking members 4, 5 between the fastened and unfastened conditions.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown an alternative setting device 44 for holding back the outer free end of the locking member 4 in the unfastened condition. The device 44 comprises a leaf spring 45 received in a recess 46 in the locking member 4. The spring 45 has a spring leg 47 co-operable with a fixed pin 48 extending between the plates 11. In the unfastened condition, the spring leg 47 engages the pin 48 to ensure the outer free end of the locking member 4 is fully retracted. When the operating mechanism is actuated to advance the locking member 4, the spring leg 47 rides over and is disengaged from the pin 48. As a result, the biasing of the spring leg 47 to hold back the free end of the locking member 4 is overcome as the locking member 4 is advanced. When the operating mechanism is actuated to retract the locking member 4, the spring leg 47 again rides over and re-engages the pin 48. As a result, the biasing of the spring leg 47 is re-applied as the locking member 4 is retracted to ensure the free end of the locking member 4 is fully retracted and held back until the operating mechanism is next actuated to advance the locking member 4. It will be understood from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a fastening mechanism operable to secure a door closed which is strong and effective to resist attempts to force open the door.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment above-described, for example a single locking member may be sufficient for certain applications. The or each locking member may be of any suitable length.

Alternatively or additionally, displacement of the or each locking member may be coupled to one or more additional locking members to provide additional fastening for the door in the closed position. For example, locking members may be provided along the top and/or bottom edges of the door for additional security.

The fastening mechanism is particularly suitable for timber doors where a slot can be machined or cut in the side edge if the door to receive the casing 14 and plates 11 and transverse holes drilled or cut to connect the lock and handle. However, it will be understood the fastening mechanism may be employed in doors made of other materials. For example plastics with appropriate means for fixing the mechanism in the hollow section of the door.

As will be understood from the description of the exemplary embodiment herein, in the unfastened condition of the locking members 4,5, rotation of the cam member 24 in one direction releases the latch 3, and rotation in the opposite direction moves the locking members 4,5 to the fastened condition. In the fastened condition of the locking members 4,5, rotation of the cam member 24 in one direction moves the locking members 4,5 to the unfastened condition and continued rotation in the same direction releases the latch 3. In this way, the door can be opened and closed and locked and unlocked from the inside and the outside by appropriate rotation of the cam member 24.

Finally, while the invention has been described for securing doors, it will be appreciated that the fastening mechanism has general application to all types of opening wings mounted in a surrounding frame, for example hinged windows.

Claims

1. A locking system for fastening and securing an opening wing in a closed position relative to a wing frame, the system comprising a fastening mechanism mountable on one of the wing and wing frame and a keeper mountable on the other of the wing and wing frame, the fastening mechanism including at least one elongate locking member adapted to extend lengthwise of a side edge of said one of the wing and wing frame, said locking member being movable in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said one of the wing and wing frame between an inoperative position and an operative position in which the locking member is co- operable with the keeper for fastening and securing the wing in the closed position, and an operating mechanism for moving the locking member between the inoperative and operative positions.

2. A locking system according to claim 1 wherein, the locking member is in the form of a flat blade and the keeper has an elongate slot to receive the longitudinal edge of the blade in the operative position.

3. A locking system according to claim 2 wherein, the slot has bevelled edges acting as a guide to assist reception of the longitudinal edge of the blade.

4. A locking system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, the operating mechanism is responsive to rotation of a user operable input for moving the locking member between the operative and inoperative positions.

5. A locking system according to claim 4 wherein, the operating mechanism includes a linkage for converting rotation of the input into translational movement of the locking member.

6. A locking system according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein, the operating mechanism comprises a slide member and a coupling member pivotal in response to displacement of the slide member under control of the input for moving the locking member between the operative and inoperative positions.

7. A locking system according to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein, the input includes a rotatable cam member associated with a lock operable from the inside and the outside of the wing for locking and unlocking the wing from both sides.

8. A locking system according to claim 7 wherein the lock is key operated from both sides.

9. A locking system according to claim7 wherein, a knob is provided on the inside for rotating the cam member.

10. A locking system according to claim 9 wherein, the knob is lockable.

11. A locking system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, a pair of locking members are provided for simultaneous movement between the operative and inoperative positions.

12. A locking system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, the fastening mechanism includes a latch for holding the wing closed with the or each locking member in the inoperative position.

13. A locking system according to claim 12 wherein, the latch is biased to an operative extended position and is adapted to engage automatically a keeper when the wing is moved from an open position to the closed position.

14. A locking system according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein, the latch can be reversed according to whether the wing is hinged on the right or left hand side and/or whether the wing is mounted for inward or outward opening movement.

15. A locking system according to any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein, the latch member is releasable by rotation of a cam member connected to a user operable input.

16. A locking system according to claim 15 wherein, the cam member and input are provided by the operating mechanism for the or each locking member.

17. A locking system according to any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein, the latch member is releasable by a separate cam member connected to a handle.

18. A locking system according to claim 17 wherein, the handle is provided on the inside of the wing only.

19. A locking system according to claim 13 wherein, the operating mechanism for the or each locking member is adapted to retain the latch in the extended operative position when the or each locking member is in the operative position.

20. A locking system according to any one of claims 12 to 19 wherein, a hold back mechanism is provided for securing the latch in a withdrawn inoperative position.

21. A locking system according to claim 20 wherein, the hold back mechanism is operated by actuation of the operating mechanism for moving the or each locking member between the operative and inoperative conditions.

22. A locking system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a biasing force is applied to hold back an outer free end of at least one locking member in the inoperative position.

23. A locking system according to claim 22 wherein the biasing force assists to return the outer free end of the locking member to the inoperative position.

24. A locking system according to claim 23 wherein the biasing force is overcome during movement of the locking member from the inoperative position to the operative position.

25. A locking system for fastening and securing an opening wing in a closed position relative to a wing frame, the system comprising a fastening mechanism mountable on one of the wing and wing frame and a keeper mountable on the other of the wing and wing frame, the fastening mechanism including at least one locking member comprising an elongate substantially, flat blade adapted to extend lengthwise of a side edge of said one of the wing and wing frame, the blade having a leading edge and side faces substantially parallel to the plane of said one of the wing and wing frame, an operating mechanism for moving the blade in a direction transverse to the side edge of said one of the wing and wing frame between an inoperative retracted position and an operative extended position projecting from said side edge of said one of the wing and wing frame, and the keeper having an elongate slot adapted to extend lengthwise of a side edge of said other of the wing and wing frame for reception of the blade in the operative extended position for fastening and securing the wing in the closed position.

26. A locking system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

27. A door and door frame assembly fitted with a locking system according to any one of the preceding claims for fastening and securing the door closed relative to the door frame.

28. The assembly according to claim 27, wherein the fastening mechanism is mounted on the door and the keeper is mounted on the door frame.