US414261A

US414261A - smith

Info

Publication number: US414261A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1906-11-05

Description

(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. 0. SMITH.

PERMUTATION LOOK. No. 414,261. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.

INVENTOH A T TORNEYS (ModeL) s sheets-sheet 2.

E. 0. SMITH. A

PERMUTATION LOCK.

No. 414,261. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.v

BY I M 8%? a ATTO ys.

(ModeL) 8 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. 0. SMITH.

PERMUTATION LOCK.

No. 414,261. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.

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WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIcE.

EUGENE C. SMITH, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO CHARLES F. FROTHINGHAM, OF SAME PLACE.

PERM UTATLON-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,261, dated November 5, 1889.

Application filed November 14, 1888. $erial No. 90,804- (MOdBL) To all whom, it may concern: with myimproved coinbinatioirlock. Figs. 3

Be it known that I, EUGENE C. SMITH, of and 3 show, respectively, a perspective View the city, county, and State of New York, have of the locking-bar and the relative position invented certain new and useful Improveof the same to the shifted tumblers. Figs. 4,

5 ments in Combination-Locks, of which the 5, and 6 are bottom views and horizontal sec- 55 following is a specification. tions of the lock on line 00 00, Fig. 1, said This invention relates to an improved comfigures showing the lock respectively before bination-lock of that class which can be opthe slide-bolt is thrown and the tumblers erated and locked by any one of a series of shifted, after the bolt is drawn, and after both 10 keys that are arranged to be used with the the bolt and tumblers are moved. Figs. 7, 8, 6o lock, but which can be opened only by that 9, and 10 are different views showing my key by which the locking action has been accombination-lock applied as a box-lock, and complished, the construction being applicable Fig. 11 is a modified construction of my cointo padlocks, door-locks, box-locks, and to all 'bination-lock, in which sliding tumblers are I 5 other uses to which the locks can be applied, used in place of rotary tumblers. 65 and is designed as an improvement on the Similar letters of reference indicate correlocks for freight-cars for which Letters Patent sponding parts. i were granted to me heretofore under date of Referring to the drawings, A represents the August 7, 1888, and Nos. 387,371 and 387,372. casing of my improved combination lock.

The invention consists of a combination- The casing A is provided in the case of apad- 7o lock in which a series of shiftable tumblers lock with a shackle B, one leg of which is proare arranged, said tumblers being provided vided with a longitudinal recess Z), that is enwith recesses for being acted upon by the gaged by a fixed screw 1) of the casing, so as wards of a key that is inserted into an axto prevent the withdrawing of the shackle B 2 5 ially-turning and longitudinally-slotted keyfrom the casing A. The leg of the shackle B 75 cylinder. The tumblers are further provided has another recess 11 at the inner side, which with projections in line with each other, is adapted to be engaged by a sliding bolt 0, which are engaged by a fulcrumed and springthat is guided by suitable slots on fixed pins pressed locking-bar whenever the tumblers of the casing A. The shackle B can be drawn 0 are shifted, the motion of the tumblers and out of the casing A when itis not engaged by So locking-bar being limited by suitable stopthe sliding bolt 0, it turning then on its longer pins. The tumblers are further provided leg I), so that the shorter leg 12 swings clear with auxiliary recesses at each side of the reof the casing into open position, and can then cesses engaged by the wards of the actuatingbe applied to the staples of a door and door- 3 5 key, said auxiliary recesses serving as guards jainb or to any other part of a structure with 85 or blinds for preventing, in connection with which the lock is to be used. hen the comfixed side guard-plates or shields, the introbination-lock is made in the shape of a rim duction of keys or wires for picking or tamor flush lock, the sliding bolt Oforms also the pering with'the look. A slide-bolt is arranged locking-bolt, and is in this case projected into 40 at one end of the tumblers and thrown by a keeper of the door, box, or other article, as 0 the key before the same shifts the tumblers, shown in Figs. '7 to 10. The sliding bolt 0 is a cam-shaped portion of the shifted tumblers provided at its opposite end with a recess to, engagin a projecting bar or stump of the that is engaged by award a at the outer end slide-bolt, so as to ri idly hold the bolt in of a flat key D, which is inserted into a lonlocked position. gitudinally-slotted and axiallyiurning key- 5 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 cylinder D. The shape of the keys used is represents a vertical longitudinal section of shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 2, each key bemy improved combination -lock arranged in ing provided, in addition to the ward at, with a the form of a padlock. Figs. 2 and 2 are number of wards a for shifting the tumblers side elevations of the keys used in connection E of the lock, and with a longitudinal end re- I00 cess a for engaging the key-cylinder D and turning the same on its axis in opening or closing the lock. Any suitable combination and arrangement of the wards a maybe used, the number of the wards corresponding with agiven number of tumblers E. The tumblers E are supported on a fixed center pivot- (Z, on which they are rotated when shifted by the key, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, while sliding tumblers are shown in Fig. 11, which latter are guided by longitudinal slots (Z on fixed pins 0Z The rotary as well as the sliding tumblers are retained in position by means of springs f, which engage recesses f of the tumblers, said springs holding the tumblers in position before and after they are shifted. The tumblers E are further provided with a series of recesses f which are engaged by the wards a of the key, and with two series of auxiliary recesses f f which are located at opposite sides of the recesses f and which serve as blind recesses for aligning with the primary series of recesses 0 When some of the tumblers are shifted by the action of the key, the auxiliary recesses f are moved thereby into proper alignment with the primary recesses of the unshifted tumblers, so as to prevent the feeling for the tumblers by means of va wire, skeleton, or blank key. The auxiliary recesses f form thereby a safeguard for the primary recesses and a protection against tampering with the lock, which is assisted by fixed guard-plates or shields D which are arranged radially to the tumbler-pivot at opposite sides of the key-cylinder D, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The side guard-plates or shields D may also be connected. so as to form a shield D concentric to the key-cylinder, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. A closed shield has the advantage of guiding the key in its axial motion in the lock, and has, like the side guardplates,the additional advantage of barring access to the auxiliary recesses and preventing the picking of the lock by the introduction of implements or skeleton-keys. The tumblers E are provided at a point diametrically opposite to the primary key-recesses with radial recesses g for engaging a projecting bar or stump O of the sliding'bolt C, which stump enters the recesses g of the tumblers when the slide-bolt is withdrawn, so as to hold them firmly in position. A camshaped portion 9' of the tumblers E adjoining the recessesg is moved across the path of the stump C when the bolt is thrown and the tumblers are shifted, said portion g abutting against the stump and preventing the drawing back of the bolt until the tumblers are returned into their normal position. The tumblers E are locked in position after being shifted by means of an angular locking-bar Z, which is fulcrumed to the casing A, and which serves to engage projections c of the tumblers E, said locking-bar being acted upon by a fiat spring 91', which engages a flat heel d of the locking-bar Z, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and retains the locking-bar at either end of its motion. In this position the larger cam-shaped arm of the angular locking-barZ enters between the projection of the unshifted and shifted tumblers,while the shorter arm of the bar Z bears by its beveled edge on the outer ends of the projections of the shifted tumblers. The flat spring 41' holds the locking-bar rigidly in position by pressing on one of the flat sides of the heel The joint action of the arms of the locking-bar Z on the projections of the shifted and unshifted tumblers not only holds the tumblers rigidly in position, but also prevents any displacement of the unshifted tumblers when attempting to shift the tumblers either by the accidental use of a wrong key or by endeavors to pick the lock. The larger camshaped arm of the locking-bar serves by its size to prevent the unshifted or shifting tumblers from moving from their position and block them against shifting, except when the shifted tumblers are moved by the wards of the proper key. When the tumblers are shifted by the key, the locking-bar Z is actuated by the projections q; of the tumblers and moved in a position so as to rigidly lock the same in connection with a stop-pin 2'. The locking-bar Z is thereby prevented from being returned into its normal position except by means of the same key by which the sliding bolt and the tumblers have been shifted. In withdrawing the bolt and shifting the tumblers in opening the lock, the locking-bar is also returned into normal position until stopped by one of the pins 2' to which the spring t" is attached, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

The combination-lock is operated as follows: Any one of a series of keys, of which as many may be used as combinations can be formed with a given number of tumblers, is introduced into the key-cylinder and turned in the direction of the arrows shown in the drawings, by which the ward at the outer end of the key first throws the sliding bolt forward, so as to engage either the recesses of the shackle-leg or the retaining keeper in the jamb of the door, box, or other article. By continuing the motion of the key-cylinder the remaining wards of the key engage the primary series of recesses f and imparta shifting motion to as many tumblers as there are tumbler-wards on the key. The shifting motion of the tumblers E is limited by the action of the retaining-springs f and the action of the locking-bar Z, which is turned on its axis by the projections t'. The motion of the lockingbar is limited by the stop-pin 2', against which the projections 11 abut, as shown in Figs. 6 and 10. The shifting motion of the tumblers places the cam-shaped portion g at the circumference of the same across the stump of the slide-bolt and holds the bolt rigidly in thrown position until by the return of the tumblers into their normal posi tion the bolt can be withdrawn. For open ing the lock the same key which has been used for closing is introduced in the keycylinder and turned in the reverse direct-ion, so as to engage first the shifted tumblers, return them with their locking-bar into normal position, and release thereby the sliding bolt, and engage next the sliding bolt and return it into the aligned recessesg of the tumblers, as shown in Figs. 4 and 9. A Very effective and reliable construction for safetylocks of all kinds is thus obtained, which accomplishes by a comparatively few and simple elements a number of good results-as, for instance, the easy changing of the combination without any setting of tumblers or other parts by a simple change of keys, which change may be accomplished from time to time, and thereby an important safeguard obtained against the opening of the look by means of false or imitation keys. This is of considerable importance in the case of letter-boxes, locks for mail-pouches, safe-deposit boxes, door-locks. for hotels and boarding-houses, &c., in which a frequent change of keys is advisable in order to prevent the opening of the locks by unauthorized persons.

Another advantage consists in the nonpickable features of the lock, as the safeguards employed for preventing picking are very effective and reliable, so that short of forcibly opening the look no tampering with the same is possible.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a sliding bolt, a longitudinally-recessed and axially-turning keycylinder, a key having wards, a series of shiftable tumblers, provided with recesses engaged, respectively, by said bolt and wards and with projections, and an angular spring-pressed locking-bar engaging the projections of said tumblers, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a series of shiftable tumblers provided with recesses for the actuating-key and projections at its circumference with a fulcrumed and spring-pressed angular locking-bar and stop-pins for limiting the motion of the tumblers and lockingbar, substantially as set forth.

3. In a combination-lock, a series of shiftable tumblers having a series of primary recesses for the Wards of the actuating-key and auxiliary or blind recesses at each side of said primary recesses, so as to prevent tampering with the tumblers, substantially as set forth.

4. In a combination-lock, a series of shiftable tumblers provided with primary recesses for the wards of the actuatingkey, auxiliary or blind recesses at each side of the primary recesses, additional recesses for the slide-bolt, and projections at each side of said additional recesses respectively for the lockingbar and slide-bolt, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a series of shiftable tumblers having a series of primary recesses for the wards of the actuating-key and a series of auxiliary recesses at each side of the primary recesses, said auxiliary recesses serving as blind recesses, With a shield or shields arranged close to the tumblers at both sides of said primary recesses, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, With a sliding bolt having a projecting bar or stump, of a series of shiftable tumblers having recesses for the wards of the actuating-key and additional recesses for engaging said projecting bar or stump, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a sliding bolt having at one end a recess for the actuating key and a projecting bar or stump at the opposite end, of a series of shiftable tumblers having recesses for the Wards of the actuating key, additional recesses for the projecting bar or stump, and cam-shaped portions adjoining the recesses for said stump, substantially as set forth.

8. In a combination-lock, the combination, With a series of shiftable tumblers, of an angular locking-bar fulcrumed to the case of the lock and a spring engaging a flat portion or heel of the lock-bar, so as to retain the locking-bar in its normal or shifted position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE 0. SMITH. \Vi t-n esses:

CARL KARI, MARTIN PETRY.