GB2053341A - Combination lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A combination lock has setting discs (17) which are keyed to blocking sleeves (11) on a spindle (3). When the opening combination is set fingers (13) on a pivoted locking member move into recesses (12) in the blocking sleeves, this rocking movement of the locking member moving an abutment out of the path of a push button (36) which can then be pushed in to rock a paw (k) and hence release a hasp (37). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Combination lock The invention relates to a combination lock having setting discs which are arranged independently rotatable, side by side on a spindle and project through slots in a front panel of a lock case, the setting discs being coupled with respective blocking sleeves which are also mounted on the spindle and which exhibit peripheral recesses; a locking member having fingers which, when the opening combination has been set, can enter the recesses to allow the locking member to move to a release position; and an actuator handpiece arranged on the front panel for the release of a hasp which engages in the interior of the lock through an opening in the front panel. Such a lock is hereinafter referred to as the kind described.

A combination lock of this kind is known from, e.g. the West German Patent Specification No.

1,678,066. The displacement of the locking member is effected in that case by means of an actuator handle mounted on the front panel and sliding longitudinally against the force of a return spring. The actuator handle is, like the lock housing itself, dimensioned to be as small as possible. This protects the actuator handle against undesirable mechanical loading. Actuator handles which are designed to be correspondingly flat and moreover even rounded off at their edges can only be seized with difficulty. In practice only the narrow rear region is available as a pressure area.

If moreover, as is frequently the case, the force of the return spring is very strong, actuation is even painful.

The object of the invention is to create a remedy in this respect, and to improve known combination locks of the kind described in such a way as to be simple to produce and favourable in use, particularly in that in spite of small actuation areas a facilitated method of operation is nevertheless achieved.

According to the invention, a combination lock of the kind described is characterized in that the actuator handpiece is formed as a push button which is arranged between the setting discs and the hasp so as to be displaceable transversely to the spindle and which, upon actuation, when the locking member is in its release position acts upon a latch pawl which then rocks in the longitudinal direction of the lock to disengage the hasp.

A combination lock of this construction is of increased serviceability. The actuator handpiece is designed as a push button which is far more convenient to operate. Without enlarging the actuation area, or even with a reduction in it, a system of operation is realised which is better adapted to the dimensions of the locks. The actual actuator section of the push button moreover lies protected in the "trough region" between the adjacent setting discs and the hasp which usually extends beyond the push button.The lock fittings are adapted in an optimum way, taking into consideration the operative displacement of the push button which has to be kept short, specifically by the push button being displaceable transversely to the spindle and arranged to be pressed into the lock housing and acting, after corresponding release by the locking member, upon a latch pawl which rocks in the longitudinal direction of the lock.

The means of guidance for the push button may be formed of parts of the lock fittings which are needed anyway. Thus the push button is conveniently guided simply on the free end of the spindle. The shank of the push button will exhibit for that purpose an appropriately aligned guide slot. For the facilitated plug-in assembly of the push button the guide slot may be open at its free end, whereby the push button can easily be slipped on after the manner of a simple snap connection.

The latch pawl itself may have a rocking bearing in a recess in the bottom of the lock housing. Preferably the latch pawl has three arms of which the one shortest arm forms at its end a bearing for the rocking and the two other arms diverge away from the one arm in such a way that the free end of a first one of these two arms is urged from below by a spring against the underside of the push button and the second one of these two arms engages the hasp and has a latching face to be overridden by the hasp. The push button and the latch pawl may be formed of wear-resistant self-lubricating plastics whereby a smooth-running, silent and also maintenance-free construction results.

The engagement of the push button from below as explained leads to a compact construction such that preferably between the push button and the first setting disc of the row of setting discs enough room remains for the accommodation of a release slide which allows changing of the opening combination (recording). Thus a release slide may be provided, which can be displaced from the front panel and/or the lock case, against the sliding movement of the push button, and which via a control bevel acts upon the wedge face of an uncoupling bush to shift the blocking sleeves into an uncoupled position with respect to the setting discs. Consequently for the release slide too a push button system favourable to operation may be used. Naturally this recoding means does not need the actuation area corresponding with the man push button. A relatively small cross-section of slide is sufficient.The section of slide on its exposed face for actuation may exhibit a hollow, this being for the introduction of an actuator tool like the tip of a ball point pen or the like.

Alternatively the section at the exposed end may be designed as a pull handle if actuation from the bottom of the lock, that is, from the inside of the trunk or bag is not intended. Such a pull handle may exhibit recesses at the side for gripping, e.g., in the form of an annular groove. The release slide is held in its normal position simply by the usual spring which acts upon the blocking sleeves.

The bolt member may have two arms lying in a V-shape with respect to one another, one of these arms providing the fingers; and the other being directed in the direction opposite to that in which the push button is pushed to disengage the hasp, and, when the opening combination is set, being movable from a position in confrontation with a locking shoulder on the push button blocking the push button to a position in which the push button is free to be pushed inwards. In that case only a small rocking travel is necessary for the locking bar. The locking member may be urged to rock to its release position by a hairpin spring which is seated against a longitudinal wall of the lock case and a free leg of which acts upon one of the locking fingers.

In order to provide a foolproof operation, the locking (other) arm of the locking member may, in the case of a wrongly set combination, engage with a hook-shaped projection over a locking shoulder on the release slide to prevent the blocking sleeves from being uncoupled from the setting discs.

For the assembly of the combination lock it is of advantage if the push button and the release slide are designed with lateral symmetry.

An example of a lock constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa plan of the lock with the front panel removed as well as on a considerably enlarged scale, in the closed position; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the combination lock; Figure 3 is a further enlarged cross-section in the region of the push button; and, Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3 but taken in the region of the release slide.

The lock illustrated consists of a combination lock part proper I and a hasp II forming the counterlocking part.

The combination lock part exhibits an elongate lock case 1 enclosing lock fittings The lock case is closed on the top by a front panel 2 fastened to it and projecting beyond the edge of the lock case on all sides. A spindle 3 passes through the interior of the lock case 1 in the longitudinal direction. It is pushed into bearing recesses 4 in a frame-shape insert 5. The insert 5 is plugged into the lock case 1. The bearing recesses 4 lie in the cross walls 6 of the insert 5. It is held by means of a snap connection. For this purpose its longitudinal walls 7 which exhibit only a low height form catch projections 8 which cooperate with corresponding catch recesses 9 in the longitudinal walls 10 of the lock case 1.

The insert may be made as an injectionmoulded plastics part.

The lock is equipped with a locking and code resetting mechanism. This mechanism consists inter alia of a number of blocking sleeves 11 which are slipped onto the spindle 3 in a row one behind the other and can slide along it.

The blocking sleeves 11 each has a peripheral recess 12 which in the case of a correctly set secret combination, lie in alignment with locking fingers 13 on a spring-loaded locking member 14.

The blocking sleeve recess 12 in the case of the illustrated example, is designed in the form of a Vnotch (cf. Figure 4), the length of which is determined by the sliding travel.

A hairpin spring 1 5 loads the locking member in the direction of engagement. One leg of the spring is seated against the longitudinal wall 10 of the lock case and is clamped therebetween the inside of the wall and the longitudinal wall 7 of the insert 5 extending in front of it. For the avoidance of a lateral displacement the longitudinal wall 7 at that point may also exhibit a plug-in socket extending vertically.

The free leg 1 5" of the locking member spring 1 5 comes against an extension 1 6 from one of the locking fingers 13.

The locking member 14 is supported in the direction transversely to the lock case so as to be able to rock about an axis x close to the bottom of the lock case. The corresponding axis of rock lies on the one side of the vertical plane E-E passing through the axis of the spindle 3 (cf. Figure 4).

The blocking sleeves 11 are, inthe normal position, coupled each to a respective setting disc 1 7. For accessibility for actuation the latter pass through slots 1 8 in the front panel 2. The setting discs 1 7 are slipped onto the blocking sleeves 11.

For keying the setting discs in rotation or respectively carrying them along, with them the blocking sleeves, projections 1 9 which engage internal teeth in recesses 20 in the setting discs 17, are used.

The setting discs 1 7 exhibit on their periphery symbols, e.g., in the form of numbers, with which is associated an index line on the front panel 2 (not shown).

The respective angular positions of the blocking sleeves 11 or discs 17 respectively are secured in position by special catch springs 21. Their catch heads 21' enter notchlike catch recesses 22 distributed at equal angles around the end faces of the setting discs 1 7 (cf. Figure 1). The catch springs are provided in the form of horizontal webs 23 projecting from the insert 5 between the setting discs. Catch engagement at one side is sufficient. In that case the horizontal webs coming between the setting discs 1 7 on the right hand side are provided as a forked projection, with the catch heads 21' there pointing in the opposite direction. On the left hand side a similar design is encountered but in that case only the one horizontal web 23 exhibits a corresponding catch head 21'.

The coupling position between the blocking sleeves 11 and the setting discs 1 7 is maintained by a hairpin spring 25. The latter bears by its one leg against the cross wall 6 of the insert 5. The spring 25 is accommodated in a space 24 lying underneath the spindle 3, which is bounded in the vertical direction by a section 5' of the bottom of the insert 5 and the spindle 3 extending over it, but in the horizontal direction by the cross wall 6 and the end face 11' of the end blocking sleeve 11, against which end face 11' the free leg 25' of the spring bears. The other boundary is provided by the longitudinal wall 7 of the insert 5.

The uncoupling of the blocking sleeves 11 for the purpose of recoding is effected by means of a release slide 26. The latter can be displaced transversely to the spindle 3 towards the front panel 2, that is, in the vertical plane E-E.

The release slide 26 exhibits for that purpose an elongate hole 27 extending in the direction of slide (cf. Figure 4). The slide is slipped onto the spindle 3 from the free end 3'. For the uncoupling of the engagement projections 10 on the axially displaceable blocking sleeves 11 from the recesses 20 in the setting discs 17, which are not themselves axially displaceable, the release slide 26 is provided with a control bevel 28. The angle of bevel amounts to about 45 degrees. The control bevel 28 cooperates with a wedge face 29 having a corresponding inclination on an uncoupling bush 30 which shifts the blocking sleeves 11 into the uncoupling position (to the left in Figure 1) and which is slidable along the spindle 3. The release slide 26 continues adjacent to the bottom of the lock case into an actuator projection 31.This remains accessible because of an opening 32 lying congruently in the bottom of the lock case.

The actuating face is designed in the form of a hollow so that as an aid to shifting, e.g., a writing appliance such as a pencil or the like may be employed. The release slide 26 is moreover guided in a hole 33 drilled in the insert 5 and also again in a hole 34 drilled in the front panel 2. The actuator projection 31' from the release slide 26 next to the front panel is designed of smaller cross-section and continues into a head-shaped end piece projecting above the front panel 2. This may serve as an indicator or else as the actuator handle if release displacement from the bottom of the case is not provided for.

The insert 5 is designed symmetrically to the extent that it exhibits a drilled hole 33 likewise at the end of the combination lock part I lying opposite from the hasp II. This is above all of advantage in the case of automatic assembly.

The release of the hasp II is effected via the spring-loaded push button 36. The latter passes through an opening 0 in the front panel 2 and is displaced in the opposite direction to the release slide 26, that is, likewise transversely to the spindle 3 in the vertical plane E-E. The push button 36 lies between the swinging stirrup 37 of the hasp II, which projects a little beyond it in height, and the setting discs 1 7. The push button 36 acts by its end 36' directed inwards into the lock case upon a latch pawl K which rocks in the longitudinal direction of the lock. The direction of rocking lying in the sense of the release of the counter-locking part, is made clear by the arrow y (cf. Figure 2).

The push button 36 is slipped onto the free end 3' of the spindle 3, projecting beyond the cross wall 6 of the insert 5. It exhibits an elongate hole 38 serving from restricted sliding displacement. In addition to the guidance at the spindle, this is also provided by the front panel 2 which forms the opening 0. The latter also secures the push button against axial shifting so that without the conventional fastening components it is simple held by means of the locked plug-in assembly. For the plug-in association the free end 36' is slit and provided with leading bevels ?6"..

The normal position of the push button 36 is maintained by the latch springing.

The latch pawl K is designed with three arms.

The one shortest arm 40 forms by its rounded end the tilting bearing. The bottom of the lock case exhibits in the corner region or a little way in front of it a recess or opening 41. In addition both front ends of the arm 40 continue into spindle ends 40' projecting beyond the general width of the pawl.

These are snapped into bearing hollows (cf. Figure 1). The bearing hollows may be formed by indentations which engage over the spindle ends.

Since the case walls 10 are designed to be relatively thin they easily spring out at the time of the corresponding plug-in assembly. But their position near the bottom on the other hand guarantees the necessary retention.

The two other arms of the latch pawl K are designated by 42 and 43. They adopt a diverging trend with the arm 43 which forms the nose 44 of the latch running the direction extending the arm 40. The fork shape is stabilized by a web 45 extending into the apex between the arms 42 and 43 and moulded together with them at the same time. This web extends as far as the back of the nose 44 of the latch but is retracted with respect to the free end of the arm 42 which engages under the push button 36.

The arm 42 is loaded by the latch spring 46 which is again a hairpin spring, one leg of which rests against the bottom of the lock case 1 and the other leg 46' of which lies in a pocket 47 lying underneath the arm 42 and moulded onto it. This pocket is formed by side ribs running in the direction of extension of the arm 42, which at the same time stiffen the arm.

A hook-shaped nose 44 of the latch forms a rounded leading face 44' reaching into the closure path and cooperates with a cross-rounding 48 of the eye 49 in the hasp 11. The arm-43 extends normally in the direction to load the hasp II in tension. In the case of higher loading the nose 44 bears against the front panel.

In the release position of the latch pawl K the arm 43 lies directly in front of the end face of the end of the spindle 3'. The corresponding release position is illustrated by dash-dot lines. This tilting displacement is achieved by depression of the push button 36, which depression is only possible when the locking fingers 1 3 of the locking member 14 can enter into into the peripheral recesses 12 in the blocking sleeves, that is, the correct secret opening combination exists. If this is not the case the locking member 14 adopts the blocked locking position illustrated in dash-dot line in Figure 3.As may be seen, the locking member 1 4 for that purpose exhibits besides an arm 50 providing the locking fingers 13, by an appropriately V-shaped design, a locking arm 51 which in the case of the secret code being correctly set moves out of its normal position in front of a locking shoulder 52 on the push button.

Extending in front of this the push button 36 exhibits a free space 53 which makes possible the unimpeded release displacement of the push button 36. In the locking position, on the contrary, the end face 51' of the locking arm 51 is thus lying directly underneath the locking shoulder 52.

The end face is somewhat deepened by sideways bulging of the end of the locking arm so that the locking member 14 may be produced from a thin walled stamped sheet metal part which, extending from a continuous bar 54, continues at one side into the arm 50 forming the locking fingers 13, leading to the individual blocking sleeves, and on the other side into the locking arm 51. The appropriately V-shaped form follows from Figures 3 and 4. The locking member is held in the insert 5.

Recoding can be carried out only in the case of a correctly set opening combination, for which purpose the locking arm 51, by means of a hook shape projection 55 (cf. Figure 4), engages over a locking shoulder 56 lying on the side of the release slide 26. The locking shoulder is formed of a moulded-on rib 57 which tapers continuously down to the bottom of the lock case 1. There is such a rib also on the opposite side of the release slide. This symmetrical construction is of advantage as regards the assembly of locks closing from left and right. Besides the release slide 26 the push button 36 also exhibits a correspondingly symmetrical construction.

The method of opperation of the combination lock is summarized briefly as follows: After setting of the correct opening combination which is effected by the use of the setting discs, the locking member 14, subjected to spring loading, rocks about its axis x so that the locking fingers 13 enter into the corresponding recesses 12 in the blocking sleeves. The end face 51 ' of the locking arm 51 has in that case moved out of the range of action of the locking shoulder 52 which accepts completely the opening loadings because of correspondingly favourable direction of extension and holds them away from the blocking sleeves, so that the push button may be depressed against the force of the latch spring 46. In this case the latch pawl rocks out of the normal position illustrated in solid line into the opening position reproduced in dash-dot line so that the hasp II is released.

Upon closing the lock the latch pawl moves back. It then snaps by spring loading over the eye 49. The closed position, because of the form of the latch, can be brought about even with the secret code not correctly set.

For recoding the combination lock the release slide 26 is depressed. Via the control bevel 28, by displacement of the locking collars 11, it uncouples the engagement projections 1 9 from the recesses 20 in the setting discs 1 7. This happens against the force of the spring 25 which normally secures the coupled position. After carrying out the desired recoding the release slide is released. The row of blocking sleeves becoming coupled again forces the release slide again into its normal position in accordance with Figure 2. In order not to have to hold the release slide 26 firmly during the recoding, the elongate hole 27 may be so dimensioned that the non-bevelled section next to the blocking sleeves comes to lie against the likewise non-bevelled end face of the release bush 30. The catch position achieved in this way can be actively removed by deliberate pushing back of the actuator projection 31'. The slide 26 exhibits for this purpose a catch rib 58 which cooperates with a recess 59 in the release bush.

Because of the locking shoulder 56 the recoding can only be carried out when the locking fingers 1 3 by optical setting of the previous combination, have entered the recesses 12.

The arm 50 is stiffened by a rib 50'.

Claims (10)

1. A combination lock having setting discs which are arranged independently rotatable, side by side on a spindle and project through slots in a front panel of a lock case, the setting discs being coupled with respective blocking sleeves which are also mounted on the spindle, and which exhibit peripheral recesses; a locking member having fingers which when the opening combination has been set, can enter the recesses to allow the locking member to move to a release position; and an actuator handpiece arranged on the front panel for the release of a hasp which engages in the interior of the lock through an opening in the front panel, characterized in that the actuator handpiece is formed as a push button which is arranged between the setting discs and the hasp so as to be displaceable transversely to the spindle and which upon actuation, when the locking member is in its release position acts upon a latch pawl which then rocks in the longitudinal direction of the lock to disengage the hasp.

2. A lock according to claim 1, characterized in that the push button is guided for limited displacement on a free end of the spindle.

3. A lock according to claim 2, characterized in that the push button is snapped over the end of the spindle.

4. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latch pawl has a rocking bearing in a recess in the bottom of the lock case.

5. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latch pawl has three arms of which the one shortest arm forms at its end a bearing for the rocking and the two other arms diverge away from the one arm in such a way that the free end of a first one of these two arms is urged from below by a spring against the underside of the push button and the second one of these two arms engages the hasp and has a latching face to be overridden by the hasp.

6. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, parallel to the sliding movement of the push button, there is a release slide which can be actuated from the front panel and/or the lock case and which via a control bevel acts upon a wedge face of an uncoupling bush to shift the blocking sleeves into an uncoupled position with respect to the setting discs for changing the opening combination.

7. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking member has two arms lying in a V-shape with respect to one another, one of these arms providing the fingers; and the other being directed in the direction opposite to that in which the push button is pushed to disengage the hasp, and, when the opening combination is set, being movable from a position in confrontation with a locking shoulder on the push button blocking the push button to a position in which the push button is free to be pushed inwards.

8. A lock according to claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the other arm of the locking member, in the case of a wrong combination, engages with a hook-shaped projection over a locking shoulder on the release slide to prevent the blocking sleeves from being uncoupled from the setting discs.

9. A lock according to claim 6 or claim 8, characterized in that the push button and the release slide are designed with lateral symmetry.

10. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking member is urged to rock to its release position by a hairpin spring which is seated against a longitudinal wall of the lock case and a free leg of which acts upon one of the locking fingers.

1 A lock according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.