EP0311660B1 - Device for scrambling combinations of disk locks - Google Patents

Abstract

The device is intended for scrambling combinations of disk locks controlled by a wheel and mounted in a casing in a door of a safe or of a safe room provided with an opening and closing bar. The device comprises an energy accumulation spring (21) corresponding to the formation of the combination. This spring is set under tension by an assembly of toothed wheels (15, 23, 25) and pawls (34) controlled by the axis (10) of the handwheel of the lock. The bar (3) has a piece (14) which controls the pawl retaining the spring. When the spring is released, it transmits its energy to the handwheel which rotatingly drives it so that the combination is scrambled.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for jamming a combination of disc locks, and to safes and strong rooms provided with this device.

The doors of the safes or strong rooms are closed by linkages controlled by one or more locks. These locks are generally a combination of coded keys or rotary knobs with display of numbers.

The rotary knobs generally drive a disc with a positioning mark. When all the marks are properly positioned, the opening combination is obtained and the lock is opened and the door opening linkage can be actuated.

There are locks with a single rotary or handwheel, with combination discs. This type of lock has several parallel coaxial discs controlled in rotation by the steering wheel. The discs themselves have a positioning mark, which can be a slot or any other equivalent mark. The positioning of the marks relative to a fixed mark of the lock constitutes the opening combination. It is obtained by successive alternating rotations of the steering wheel in a predetermined order and for a predetermined rotation value.

When the opening combination is obtained, the corresponding door can be opened; but when said door is closed the combination must still be scrambled otherwise the door could be reopened without further manipulation.

The jamming of the combination is obtained by performing several rotations on the steering wheel to the left in the usual way.

However, it turns out to be necessary to carry out at least as many complete turns as there are disks in the lock because, for example, it is possible to find the combination of a lock with four disks even after three jamming turns .

• 1°) l'utilisateur ne connaît pas le nombre de tours de brouillage à effectuer
• 2°) même en le connaissant, le risque d'oublier cette manoeuvre ou de l'accomplir partiellement persiste.

This need for full scrambling presents a problem because:

• 1 °) the user does not know the number of interference turns to perform
• 2 °) even knowing it, the risk of forgetting this maneuver or performing it partially persists.

Document FR-A-892 735 already discloses a device for jamming a combination lock with discs, controlled by a steering wheel and mounted in a housing.

This device comprises a heavy element which, during the movement of the bolt for the opening of the lock, is brought into a high position and is held in this position until the lock is actuated on closing, the heavy element released then driving one or more of the discs by means of a pawl, during its displacement towards its rest position.

However, this known device is directly integrated into the lock housing and requires a specific arrangement of the organs of the latter, necessarily involving the manufacture of suitable component parts and the production of a complex and bulky lock.

In addition, in order to try to obtain a relatively effective interference, each disc must be driven separately by a corresponding heavy element, resulting in a construction all the more complex as the number of discs is high, the energy accumulative not being a function of the length of the combination of said lock.

In addition, such a device can in no case be mounted on an already existing lock.

Furthermore, said heavy element cannot drive the bolt into the locked position when the corresponding door is closed.

The present invention aims in particular to overcome all of the aforementioned drawbacks.

It has, in fact, for its object a device for jamming a combination lock with discs, controlled by a steering wheel and mounted in a box, in a door to a strong room or a safe provided with an opening linkage and closure, characterized in that it is mainly constituted, on the one hand, by a connecting pin controlled in rotation by the handwheel of the lock and cooperating with at least one transmission member, so as to transmit, during production of the combination, at least certain rotational movements of said flywheel with energy storage means of the elastic deformation type, provided with means for retaining the accumulated energy and, on the other hand, by means of energy return control, comprising at least one upper finger secured to a plate carrying the retaining means and a lower disengaging finger from said retaining means, actuated successively by an actuating member secured to the rod erie, allowing, when closing the latter, to release the energy accumulated during the making of the combination and to transmit it, notably through the connecting pin, to the disks of the lock in view from their jamming and, if necessary, to the bolt with a view to engaging it.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the accumulation means are constituted by a spiral spring mounted on a ratchet wheel, provided with a retaining pawl.

In addition, said spiral spring can be connected, on the one hand, to the oscillating plate and, on the other hand, to the ratchet wheel, one of the ends of the spiral spring being secured by engagement in a corresponding housing.

The operating member is advantageously a pin, fixed on the linkage and disposed between said fingers in order to cooperate with the latter during movements of said linkage.

In accordance with characteristics of the invention, the members for transmitting the movements of the connecting axis consist of at least one toothed wheel, at least one axis of rotation of said toothed wheels, at least one retaining means with its means of release and at least one tilting means, the assembly being mounted on a support.

In addition, said transmission members may include a means of disengaging the transmission of the rotation of the flywheel, in order to accumulate energy in a direction of rotation of said flywheel and to disengage the device in the opposite direction of rotation.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the declutching means comprises a cam wheel and a retaining pawl and is preferably carried by the connecting pin.

Furthermore, the jamming device according to the invention is advantageously arranged in an independent box of reduced dimensions, close to those of the lock box, in order to allow its installation in the door of a safe or a strong room.

• figure 1 : une vue partielle d'un coffre-fort selon l'invention,
• figure 2 : une vue en éclatée des éléments constituant le dispositif de brouillage selon l'invention,
• figure 3 : une vue en perspective du dispositif selon l'invention
• figure 4 à 9 : des vues successives en plan du dispositif de la figure 3 dans chacune des étapes de fonctionnement.

By way of example and to better understand the invention, the accompanying drawing shows:

• FIG. 1: a partial view of a safe according to the invention,
• FIG. 2: an exploded view of the elements constituting the jamming device according to the invention,
• Figure 3: a perspective view of the device according to the invention
• Figure 4 to 9: successive plan views of the device of Figure 3 in each of the operating steps.

Figure 1 shows schematically a safe 1 whose open door 2 has internally a closing linkage 3, conventional and maneuverable using a handle or any other member fitted to the safe.

The linkage 3 is locked in closing and can be released by a lock 4: when the lock is in the closed position, a pin 5 extends towards the linkage and blocks it. When the lock is in the open position as is the case in Figure 1 the bolt is returned to the lock and the linkage released.

The lock 4 used is a disc lock comprising, outside the door 2, an operating handwheel 6 shown in dashes and in the door, a box 7 containing discs and the operating mechanism of the opening combination of the bolt 5.

On this lock is installed a jamming device according to the invention. It is in the form of a housing 8 comprising a support 9 disposed on the housing 7 of the lock. The support 9 is crossed by an axis 10̸ called the link which transmits rotational movements of the steering wheel 6 to the jamming device. In the embodiment, the connecting axis 10̸ is the extension of the axis of the steering wheel 6 and it is controlled in rotation by the steering wheel.

• 1°) montés sur l'axe de liaison 10̸, successivement depuis le support 9, une première roue dentée 15, une roue a cames 16, et une seconde roue dentée 18.
  La roue à cames 16 et la seconde roue dentée 18 sont solidaires : la première roue dentée 15 porte sur sa face supérieure en périphérie un cliquet 17 qui coopère avec la roue à cames 16, de sorte que lorsque l'axe de liaison 10̸ tourne vers la droite (par exemple) toutes les roues 15, 16, 18 sont entraînees, la roue à cames entraînant le cliquet 17 et la roue dentée 15, et lorsque l'axe de liaison 10̸ tourne dans le sens opposé, seules les roues 16 et 18 sont entraînées, le cliquet 17 échappant aux cames ;
• 2°) un plateau 19 parallèle au support 9, monte à pivotement sur le support autour d'un second axe 20̸, parallèle à l'axe de liaison 10̸. Il comporte :
  • un doigt supérieur 12 qui s'étend dans le plan du plateau au-dessus de la tringlerie. Ce doigt est rigidement lié au plateau et se déplace avec le pivotement dudit plateau.
  • un troisième axe 30̸, parallèle a l'axe de liaison 10̸, sur lequel sont montés successivement depuis le plateau : un ressort spiral 21, une roue à rochets 22, une troisième roue dentée 23. Le ressort est maintenu d'une part sur le plateau 19 et d'autre part sur la roue à rochets 22 par une tige 39 qui solidarise également la roue dentée 23 et la roue a rochets 22. Ainsi la rotation de la troisième roue dentée 23 vers la gauche (dans l'exemple de réalisation) tend le ressort 21.
  • un cliquet 24, coopérant avec la roue à rochets 22 de façon à empêcher la rotation de la troisième roue dentée 23 et la détente du ressort 21.
    Le ressort 21, la roue à rochets 22 et le cliquet 24 constituent dans cet exemple de réalisation le moyen d'accumulation d'énergie.
  • une quatrième roue dentée 25, portée par un quatrième axe 40̸, parallèle à l'axe de liaison 10̸, laquelle engrène avec la troisème roue dentée 23.
  
  Le plateau oscille entre deux positions extrêmes déterminées d'une part par l'engrenage simultané de la quatrième roue dentée 25 avec la première roue dentée 15, et avec la troisième roue 23, cette position dite d'accumulation d'énergie étant obtenue sous l'action d'un moyen de rappel 26, du type ressort a boudin reliant le plateau 19 au support 9, d'autre part par l'engrenage de la troisième roue dentée avec la seconde roue dentée 18 cette position dite de restitution d'énergie étant obtenue par le déplacement vers le haut du doigt supérieur 12;
• 3°) un bras 27 muni à son extrémité d'un crochet de verrouillage ou de retenue du plateau 19 en position de restitution d'énergie. Dans le mode de réalisation représenté, le bras vient se crocheter sur l'axe de pivotement du cliquet 24 mais toute autre disposition équivalente peut être utilisée.

The housing internally comprises the means for accumulating the energy necessary for jamming the combination of the lock, that is to say:

• 1) mounted on the connecting axis 10̸, successively from the support 9, a first toothed wheel 15, a cam wheel 16, and a second toothed wheel 18.
  The cam wheel 16 and the second toothed wheel 18 are integral: the first toothed wheel 15 carries on its upper face at the periphery a pawl 17 which cooperates with the cam wheel 16, so that when the connecting axis 10̸ turns towards the right (for example) all the wheels 15, 16, 18 are driven, the cam wheel driving the pawl 17 and the toothed wheel 15, and when the connecting axis 10̸ rotates in the opposite direction, only the wheels 16 and 18 are driven, the pawl 17 escaping from the cams;
• 2) a plate 19 parallel to the support 9, mounts pivotally on the support around a second axis 20̸, parallel to the connecting axis 10̸. It comprises :
  • an upper finger 12 which extends in the plane of the plate above the linkage. This finger is rigidly linked to the plate and moves with the pivoting of said plate.
  • a third axis 30̸, parallel to the connecting axis 10̸, on which are successively mounted from the plate: a spiral spring 21, a ratchet wheel 22, a third toothed wheel 23. The spring is held on the one hand on the plate 19 and on the other hand on the ratchet wheel 22 by a rod 39 which also secures the toothed wheel 23 and the ratchet wheel 22. Thus the rotation of the third toothed wheel 23 to the left (in the exemplary embodiment ) tightens the spring 21.
  • a pawl 24, cooperating with the ratchet wheel 22 so as to prevent the rotation of the third toothed wheel 23 and the relaxation of the spring 21.
    The spring 21, the ratchet wheel 22 and the pawl 24 constitute in this embodiment the means of energy accumulation.
  • a fourth toothed wheel 25, carried by a fourth axis 40̸, parallel to the connecting axis 10̸, which meshes with the third toothed wheel 23.
  
  The plate oscillates between two extreme positions determined on the one hand by the simultaneous gear of the fourth toothed wheel 25 with the first toothed wheel 15, and with the third wheel 23, this so-called energy accumulation position being obtained under the action of a return means 26, of the coil spring type connecting the plate 19 to the support 9, on the other hand by the gear of the third toothed wheel with the second toothed wheel 18 this position called energy restitution being obtained by the upward movement of the upper finger 12;
• 3) an arm 27 provided at its end with a hook for locking or retaining the plate 19 in the energy return position. In the embodiment shown, the arm is hooked on the axis of pivoting of the pawl 24 but any other equivalent arrangement can be used.

The plate is unlocked from its energy restoring position by pivoting the arm 27 which releases the locking hook. The pivoting of the arm is obtained by a retractable cam 28 mounted on the second toothed wheel 18: in a direction of rotation the cam 28, in abutment on a pin 29 comes to raise the arm, in the opposite direction the cam 28 disappears and leave your arm still. This arm comprises a return spring, not shown, which permanently flaps it towards the connecting axis 10̸, and a stop pin 31 is provided to limit its stroke.

• dans le boîtier un doigt inférieur 13 qui s'étend parallèlement au plan du plateau 19 au-dessus de la tringlerie, et qui est monté en rotation sur le support 9 autour d'un pivot 34. Le doigt 13 est un doigt de débrayage du ressort spiral en ce sens que sa fonction est de dégager, par pivotement autour de son pivot 34, le cliquet 24 des dents de la roue à rochets 22.
  Dans la variante de réalisation représentée une biellette 32 est articulée à l'extrémité 33 du doigt 13 et renvoie le mouvement du doigt, mais cette disposition n'est pas limitative et peut dépendre des configurations de coffre-fort, notamment de la situation de la serrure 4 par rapport à la tringlerie 3,
• sur la tringlerie au moins un pion 14 de déplacement des doigts 12 et 13. Selon l'écartement de ces doigts et le débattement de la tringlerie 3 entre ses positions extrêmes d'ouverture et fermeture on utilisera un pion ou deux pions superposés, le pion supérieur coopérant avec le doigt supérieur 12 et le pion inférieur coopérant avec le doigt inférieur 13.

To restore the energy accumulated by the spiral spring 21, provision is made:

• in the housing a lower finger 13 which extends parallel to the plane of the plate 19 above the linkage, and which is rotatably mounted on the support 9 around a pivot 34. The finger 13 is a clutch release finger of the spiral spring in the sense that its function is to release, by pivoting around its pivot 34, the pawl 24 from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22.
  In the alternative embodiment shown a link 32 is articulated at the end 33 of the finger 13 and returns the movement of the finger, but this arrangement is not limiting and may depend on the configurations of safe, in particular the situation of the lock 4 with respect to the linkage 3,
• on the linkage at least one pin 14 for moving the fingers 12 and 13. Depending on the spacing of these fingers and the movement of the linkage 3 between its extreme open and closed positions, use a pin or two superimposed pins, the pin upper cooperating with the upper finger 12 and the lower pin cooperating with the lower finger 13.

The operation of the device is as follows:

I- Rest (figure 4)

When the trunk door is closed, linkage closed and bolt 5 with the lock pulled out, the device is in the so-called rest position: plate 19 in the disengaged position maintained in position by the pin 14 of the linkage. In this position the toothed wheels 18 and 23 mesh.

II- Clutch of the energy accumulator (figure 5)

The rotation of the connecting axis 10̸ to the left (in the figure) drives the cam 28 which spreads the locking arm 27. The plate 19, thus unlocked, rocks to the right under the action of the spring 26, until the fourth gear 25 meshes with the first gear 15.

During the rocking movement, the pawl 24 disengages from the lever 32 and engages in the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22.

III- Energy accumulation (figure 6)

The energy is accumulated by performing the combination of the lock 4, that is to say by rotation of the flywheel 6 on one or more turns in alternating directions.

The energy is accumulated in the spiral spring 21 with each rotation of the ratchet wheel 22 to the right, the latter being successively driven by the toothed wheels 23, 25 and 15, the latter being controlled by the rotation to the right of the axis 10̸ and the cam 16. The spring tension is maintained by the pawl 24.

When the axis 10̸ rotates in the opposite direction, to the left in the figure, the pawl 17 escapes from the cam 16 and the first toothed wheel 15 does not rotate. Thus, depending on the direction of rotation of the steering wheel, the rotation energy may or may not be accumulated.

According to an alternative embodiment, the spring is connected with one of its ends 35 either with the support or with the ratchet wheel by engaging the end 35 of the spring in a housing 36. When the tension of the spring exceeds a limit value, the end 35 goes out of its housing 36 and the spring partially relaxes. In the event of a handling error, it is therefore always possible to turn the steering wheel to the left and start the combination again.

• 1°- de quatre tours vers la gauche : accumulation de quatre tours de ressort 21
• 2°- de trois tours vers la droite : rotation libre sans accumulation d'énergie
• 3°- de deux tours vers la gauche
• 4°- un tour sur la droite : la combinaison s'achève par le retrait du pène 5 de la serrure, ce qui libère la tringlerie (figure 7)

In the embodiment, the combination is obtained by turning the steering wheel successively:

• 1 ° - four turns to the left: accumulation of four spring turns 21
• 2 ° - three turns to the right: free rotation without energy accumulation
• 3 ° - two turns to the left
• 4 ° - a turn on the right: the combination ends by removing the bolt 5 from the lock, which frees the linkage (figure 7)

IV- Disengaging and jamming (Figures 8 and 9)

• 1°) libère le doigt inférieur 13 et sous l'action d'un ressort non représenté fait descendre la biellette 32,
• 2°) vient en butée contre le doigt supérieur 12 et le déplace pour faire basculer le plateau 19 en position de débrayage ou de restitution d'énergie. Cette position est maintenue par le bras 27.

The opening of the linkage is accompanied by an upward movement of the pin 14 which

• 1) releases the lower finger 13 and, under the action of a spring not shown, lowers the link 32,
• 2) comes into abutment against the upper finger 12 and moves it to tilt the plate 19 in the declutching or energy restoring position. This position is maintained by the arm 27.

In this position the energy accumulated by the spring 21 is always maintained by the pawl 24 and the door can be opened.

The closing of the linkage is accompanied by the reverse downward movement of the pin 14 which abuts against the lower finger 13 and causes the link 32 to rise. This raises the pawl 24 and releases the spring, which then rotates the third gear 23 which drives the second gear 18. The latter being in engagement with the connecting axis 10 l'axe, its rotation under the effect of the spring drives the flywheel, brings out the bolt from the lock and scrambles the combination.

Of course, the above description is not limited to this embodiment, and in particular the arrangement of the parts, the number of wheels and axes of rotation could be different, the means of accumulation being able to be replaced by another elastic means. The important thing in the sense of the invention is to link the tension of the energy storage means to the rotation of the lock wheel, and the return of energy to the manipulation of the opening-closing linkage of the door.

Claims (9)

1. Device for scrambling combinations of disk locks, controlled by a wheel and mounted in a casing, in a strongroom or safe door equipped with an opening and closure rod assembly, characterised in that it consists mainly, on the one hand, of a connecting shaft (10) set into rotation by the wheel (6) of the lock (4) and co-operating with at least one transmission member (15, 18, 23, 25) so as to transmit, when the combination is produced, at least some rotational movements of said wheel (6) to energy accumulating means (21, 22) of the elastic deformation type provided with a means (24) for retaining the accumulated energy and, on the other hand, of control means (12, 13, 32) for restoration of energy, comprising at least one upper finger (12) integral with a plate (19) carrying the retention means (24) and a lower finger (13) for releasing said retention means (24) which are actuated in succession by a control member integral with the rod assembly (3) allowing, during the closure of the rod assembly (3), the energy accumulated during the production of the combination to be released and to be transmitted in particular via the connecting shaft (10) to the disks of the lock (4) in order to scramble them and, if applicable, to the sliding bolt (11) in order to lock it.
2. Scrambling device according to claim 1, characterised in that the accumulating means (21, 22) consist of a spiral spring (21) mounted on a rachet wheel (22) provided with a pawl (24) for retention.
3. Scrambling device according to claim 2, characterised in that the spiral spring (21) is connected, on the one hand, to the oscillating plate (19) and, on the other hand, to the rachet wheel (22), one of the ends (35) of the spiral spring (21) being connected by engaging in a corresponding receiver (36).
4. Scrambling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the control member is a pin (14) fixed on the rod assembly (3) and arranged between said fingers (12, 13) in order to co-operate with them during movements of said rod assembly (3).
5. Scrambling device according to claim 1, characterised in that the members for transmitting the movements of the connecting shaft (10) consist of at least one toothed wheel (15, 18, 23, 25), at least one shaft (10, 20, 30, 40) for rotation of said toothed wheels, at least one retention means (27) with its release means (28, 29) and at least one rocker means (26), the assembly being mounted on a support (9).
6. Scrambling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the transmission members comprise a means for disengaging the transmission of the rotation of the wheel (6) in order to accumulate energy in one direction of rotation of said wheel (6) and to disengage the device in the opposite direction of rotation.
7. Scrambling device according to claim 6, characterised in that the disengaging means comprises a cam wheel (16) and a retention pawl (17).
8. Scrambling device according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterised in that the disengaging meas (16, 17) is carried by the connecting shaft (10).
9. Scrambling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it is arranged in an independent casing (8) having small dimensions close to those of the casing (7) of the lock (4) to allow its installation in a safe or strongroom door.

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