The invention relates to security anchors.

A security anchor is used to provide an attachment point carried on a mounting and for locating a movable object. For example, a cable or chain can be used to connect a motorcycle to a security anchor fixed to a mounting in the form of a wall or provided by the ground, which forms the mounting, to mitigate against theft. It is necessary that the anchor is firmly fixed to the mounting and so a known such anchor comprises a body and a bolt that extends through the body and is screwed into the mounting using a socket. The body carries an attachment point in the form of a loop to which a cable or chain, for example can be secured. An example of such an anchor is shown in US patent specification no. 6,935,602.

It is a problem with such an anchor that the bolt may be unscrewed by simple use of a socket. In US 6,935, 602 that is attempted to be overcome by including a cap that fits into the body and that covers the end of the bolt, but such a cap can still be levered off the body. In GB 2,306,154, a lifting eye has a body that carries an eye and a stud. The body includes a bore for receiving a tool that can be used to rotate the body to screw the stud to a mounting. The tool then snaps and a residual section of the tool partially fills part the bore. This residual part could, however, be knocked out of the bore, or a tool could be inserted into the remainder of the bore, to allow the body to be unscrewed.

According to the invention, there is provided a security anchor for connection to a mounting comprising a body including a cover and an attachment point carried by the cover, a threaded connector being carried by and connected to the body such that rotation of the body rotates the connector to allow threaded engagement between the connector and a mounting to secure the anchor to the mounting, the cover overlying the connector so that, when the anchor is connected to a mounting, the cover prevents access to the connector. In this way, the anchor can be secured to a mounting without the need for a socket and the end of the connector cannot be accessed once so secured.

The following is a more detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of a security anchor, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view from beneath of the assembled anchor of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the security anchor comprises a cover 10, an attachment point 11, a one- piece plastics moulding 12, a bolt 13 and a back plate 14.

The cover 10 is in the form of a generally circular disc 16 having on an inner face a peripheral rib 17 that is interrupted by diametrically opposed open trunnions 18a, 18b. Each trunnion 18a, 18b is formed with two screw holes 19a, 19b for a purpose to be described below. A wall 20 extends around the centre of the inner face of the disc 16 and is of closed hexagonal shape.

The attachment point 11 is a generally C-shaped part with each end of the point 11 including a respective inwardly directed pin 21a, 21b. The pins 21a, 21b are co-axial and are designed to fit into respective open trunnions 18a, 18b to mount the attachment point 11 on the cover 10 for rotational movement, as described in more detail below. The one-piece plastics moulding 12 includes a hexagonal outer member 22 that is sized to be a close fit within the wall 20 on the cover and includes a hexagonal socket 23 within the outer member 22 and connected to the outer member 22 by four arms 24. The bolt 13 is of conventional form with a hexagonal head 25 and a cylindrical shank 26 whose distal end is threaded.

The back plate 14 is formed from a sheet of thin metal and is generally circular in shape with opposed projecting ears 27 and opposed pairs of screw holes 28a, 28b. The back plate 15 has a circular central hole 29.

The security anchor is assembled as follows. The pins 21a, 21b on the attachment point 11 are inserted into respective open trunnions 18a, 18b. The moulding 12 is inserted into the wall 20 and the head 25 of the bolt 13 is inserted into the socket 23 on the moulding 12. The hole 30 on the back plate 14 is passed along the shank 26 of the bolt 13 until the back plate 14 covers the inner face of cover 10 and the two pairs of screw holes 28a, 28b are in register with the screw holes 19a, 19b on the trunnions 18a, 18b. In this position, the back plate 14 engages the head 25 of the bolt 13 and the moulding 12. Screws 31 are then passed through the holes 28a, 28b in the back plate 14 and are screwed into engagement with the screw holes 19a, 19b on the trunnions 18a, 18b to connect the back plate 14 to the cover 10 to form the body of the anchor. The assembled anchor is shown from beneath in Figure 2.

The back plate 14 in this position also closes the open trunnions 18a, 18b so that the attachment point 11 is mounted on the body for rotation relative to the body about an axis defined by the pins 21a, 21b between a position in which the attachment point 11 is co-planar with the body and a position in which it is normal to the body. The ears 27 on the back plate 14 provide springs that engage respective ends of the attachment point 11 to provide a resistance against rotation of the attachment point 11 from the co-planar position and for this purpose the pins 21a, 21b may be non- circular. In use, the anchor is connected to a wall or the ground or a similar suitable mounting in the following way. A hole is drilled in the mounting and a masonry plug 33 of conventional type inserted into the hole with a cylindrical sleeve 34. The threaded shank 26 of the bolt 13 is then inserted into the hole and the attachment point 11 rotated relative to the body until it is normal to the body. The attachment point 11 is then used to rotate the body, and hence, via the moulding 12, rotate the bolt 13 to screw the bolt 13 into the plug 33. When the bolt 13 is fully screwed into the plug 33 and cannot be rotated any further, so that the anchor is connected to the mounting, the rotational force transmitted from the outer member 22 of the moulding 12 to the socket 23 via the arms 24 increases on continued rotation of the body. The arms 24 are designed so that, under this increased force but not before, the arms 24 break their connection with either the outer member 22 and/or the socket 23. Accordingly, further rotation of the bolt 13 via the body is not possible either to tighten the bolt 13 or to loosen it. The body will simply rotate about the head 25 of the bolt 13.

The attachment point 11 can then be used to fasten something to the anchor. For example, a bicycle or motorcycle could be fastened using a chain or cable that passes through the aperture formed between the attachment point 11 and the body. A boat could be fastened using a rope that passes through this aperture.

In this way, an anchor can be provided that is quick and easy to fix on a mounting. No socket is needed to turn the bolt 13. The anchor cannot be easily removed since the cover 10 overlies the head 25 of the bolt 13 and the rotary connection between the cover 10 and the bolt 13 has been broken. There are a number of ways in which the anchor described above with reference to the drawings could be varied. Although not preferred, frangible connection of the moulding 12 could be omitted. This would allow the easy connection of the anchor to a mounting but allow the bolt 13 to be unscrewed. This might be possible where high security is not a problem - although even in this case, the end of the bolt 13 would be inaccessible beneath the cover 10. In this case, there could be means, such as barbs, on the under surface of the cover 10 that allow rotation of the cover 10 to tighten the bolt 13 but bite into the mounting to prevent reverse rotation. The bolt 13 could be replaced by a screw where the anchor is to be fixed on a wooden mounting. The connection between the bolt 13 and the moulding 12 need not be hexagonal - it could be any suitable shape that allows the transmission of rotational forces between the parts. The attachment point 11 need not be pivotable relative to the cover 10. It could be fixed to the cover 10 or formed in one-piece with the cover 10. The attachment point 11 could itself define a hole. Where the mounting is not masonry or a similar material in which a masonry plug can be used, another form of connection may be used. For example, where the mounting is of wood, the bolt 10 could be replaced by a threaded connector such as a screw that is screwed directly into the wood.