GB1215291A - Selector devices for electrical combination locks, electrical circuits or other installations - Google Patents

Abstract

1,215,291. Combination locks. C. G. DOUGLAS and G. H. G. GUTTRIDGE. 19 Oct., 1967 [21 Oct., 1966], No. 47139/66. Heading E2A. A selector device for an electrical combination lock comprises a manual control A Fig. 1 settable to any one of a plurality of positions, a driven member B also moveable to any one of a plurality of positions, electrical contacts 10 associated with the manual control and with the driven member, an electrical circuit completed by the contacts 10 when the control and the driven member are in predetermined relative positions, drive-coupling means 16, 17, 18 between the control and the driven member engageable to provide simultaneous rotation of the driven member by 'the control and means for disengaging the drive coupling means to permit movement of the manual control independently of the driven member. As shown, the control and driven member are rotary switches the fixed contacts 10, 12 of which are interconnected and the rotary contacts of which are mechanically coupled through gearing 16, 17, 18, the gear 18 being spring loaded into engagement with the gears 16, 17 and disengageable therefrom by a manual control 22. In the fully disengaged position, the gear 18 is retained by a latch 20 which is operable to release the gear 18 and operate a lock by energisation of a solenoid 25 in an electrical circuit which includes contacts 10 and 12 and a switch 24, the arrangement being such that when, in use, the control is set to a chosen position, the member B is driven to a corresponding position and the gear 18 is disengaged. The control may then be moved to another position, but the gear 18 cannot be engaged until the control is returned to its original position. In the arrangement according to Fig. 2 four pairs of rotary switches 26-29 are provided, each pair having a disc like stator 31 with pairs of interconnected contacts 32, engageable by rotary contacts on gears 33, 34 driven by drums 36, the gears 'being coupled by a gear 37 which is disengageable by a push button 39 operating on a pair of gears 37. A solenoid 43 energised by operation of a switch 47 is common to a latch 41 for each pair and the electrical circuit includes an alarm 48 which is held off by the switch 47 and by a switch 51 when the switch 47 is operated to unlock the lock. In a modification Fig. 3 (not shown) for coupling the control and driven members, the control includes a pin (64) carried on a rotatable disc (63), the pin being engageable with a hole 62 and a spring loaded disc (61) associated with the driven member, the disc (61) being disengageable from the pin (64) by a push-button (67) which then engages the disc (61) with a solenoid release latch (68). As applied to a lock for a safe or strongroom, Fig. 4, a slidable bolt 71 is movable through gears 75, 78, 76 by a handle on the gear wheel 76. A selector device according to Fig. 2 includes a coupling gear 82 mounted on the bolt such that in the locking position of the bolt the control and driven members of the device are disengaged, A solenoid 79 is energised by a generator 77 geared to the gear wheel 76, the arrangement being such that movement of the handle in a direction to retract the bolt and with the selector device set to the correct combination, the generator 77 energises the solenoid 79 which engages the gear wheel 78 with gearing 75, 76. As the bolt retracts, it closes contacts 83 and opens contacts 86 in the solenoid circuit. Switch 91 may be temporarily closed to enable further retraction of the bolt to disengage the gearwheel 82 to allow the combination to be scattered. The bolt is moved to the shot position by movement of the handle in the opposite direction. (For Figures see next page)