GB2150204A - Permutation locks - Google Patents

Abstract

In a safe in which bolts 24 are locked by a sliding element 16''' engaging a slot 5 in a bolt bar 4, the element 16''' being retractible when the correct combination is set on a permutation lock 16, the lock tumblers 17 are scrambled when the bolts are shot and locked, by a spring loaded pawl 14 engageable with a pin 18 on tumbler 17. To open the safe the tumblers 17 are set with notches 17' aligned to receive rod 16'''' carrying element 16''', whereupon the bolts 24 may be retracted. On moving the bolts to the engaged position, a spring loaded linkage comprising pin 7, spring 11, lever 9 and slider 13 will first be primed, with pawl 14 bearing against pin 18, and then, as element 16''' moves into slot 5, spring 11 will actuate the linkage causing pawl 14 to scramble the tumblers 17. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locking device for a door on safe or the like apparatus The present invention relates to a locking device for adoorturnably mounted on a safe orthe like apparatus and more particularly to improvement of or relating to a locking device of the type including a numbering lock and a movable plate adapted to carry outlocking activity wherein the movable plate is fitted with a locking bar at its fore end from which at least one lucking rod extends to be inserted into corresponding hole on the safe or the like apparatus.

As iswell known, a safe or the like apparatus is usually equipped with a so-called numbering lock.

Locking ofthe numbering lock is normally effected by way ofthesteps of closing a door, causing locking rods fixedly secured to a movable plate to enter corresponding holes on the housing ofthe safe and then rotating tumblers designed to determine unlocking numbersforthe numbering lock by rotating a dial by a number of revolutions more than specified one.

However, it has been found with respectto the conventional locking deviceofthetype including a numbering lock that complete and locking operations often fail to be carried out for a safe in the event when an emergencytakes place and the leastthing that has been achieved is merely closure of the door. Further, another problem is that the numbering lock is kept unlocked after daily locking operation is completed, because an operator unintentionally forgets to rotate a dial bya number of revolutions more than specified one. This means thatthe safe does not guarantee completely safe locking function.

Thus, the present invention has been made with the foregoing problems in mind and its object resides in providing an improved locking device for doorturnably mounted on a safe or the like apparatus of the type including a numbering lock and a movable plate adapted to carry out locking activity wherein it is assured thatthe movable plate and the locking bar are simultaneously actuated by operating a handle while a plurality of tumblers designed to determine unlocking numbersforthe numbering lock are automatically rotated so thatthe latter is brought in the locked state under any operative conditions.

Other object ofthe present invention is to provide an improved locking device which is simple in structure and can be manufactured at an inexpensive cost.

To accomplish the above objects there is proposed in accordance with the present invention a locking devicefora doorturnably mounted on a safe orthe like apparatus ofthetype including a numbering lock and a movable plate adapted to carry out locking activity wherein the movable plate is fitted with a locking bar at its fore end from which at least one locking rod extends to be inserted into corresponding hoteonthe safe or the like apparatus, characterized in thatthe movable plate is formed with an engagement recess on the lower edge thereof to which a locking bar is adapted to come in engagement when locking is effected,thatthe movable plate is operatively con nected to a lever plate byway of a slidable pin and a coil spring compressively disposed on the latter and the lever plate in turn is operatively connected to an actuating plate adapted to move within a certain extent as defined by elongated holes together with a ratch memberturnably supported by the side ofthe actuating plate and that a part ofthe lock case is cut out for allowing the ratch member to be projected thereinto and one oftumblers designed to determine unlocking numbersforthe numbering lock is provided with an engagement means in the form of a pin to which the ratch member comes in abutment.

In the locking device ofthe invention the movable place constituting one of the most important components may be disposed in any direction along the inner wall ofthe door but in general it is disposed in the horizontal posture. At the one end part of the movable plate a locking bar is secured to the latter, whereas at the other end part of the same a handle is turnably provided for operating the locking device.

The lever plate is supported on a support rod at the middle partthereofso astoturn about it. To define an extent of movement of both the movable plate and the actuating plate a pair of elongated holes are formed on each of them. The engagement means fitted to the lower part of one ofthe tumblers is preferably a pin which projects on it.

To inhibit excessive turning movement of the ratch member a pin is provided on the actuating plate and the ratch member is adapted to turn in the direction toward the lever plate underthe influence of resilient force of a leaf spring.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from reading ofthefollowing specification which has been prepared in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings will be briefly described below.

Fig. lisa perspective view of a safe with a door turnably mounted thereon, shown in the opened state, wherein a locking device according to a preferred embodiment isfitted to the inside wall of the door.

Fig. 2 is a front view of an essential part of the locking device, shown in an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the locking device taken in line I-I I in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is another vertical sectional view of the locking device taken in line Il-Il in Fig. 2.

Now, the present invention will be described in a greater detail hereunderwith referencetotheaccom- panying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment ofthe invention.

A safe 1 has a door 2 turnably supported thereon to which inner walk a pairof support rods 3 arefixedly secured. Each of the support rods 3 is fitted through an elongated guide hole 3' on a movable plate 4so that the latter is displaced leftward or rightward within an extent which is defined by the length of the elongated guide holes 3'. Further, the movable plate 4 is formed with an engagement recess 5 at a predetermined position located on the lower edge and moreover it has a L-shaped bracket 6fixedly attached to the upper edge thereof. A pin 7 is inserted through a hole on the bracketssothat itslidestherethrough.

A lever plate 9 isturnable supported on a support rod 8 fixedly secured to the innnerwall of the door 2 and ithasa L-shaped bracket lOfixedly attached to the upper end part thereof so that the pin 7 isslidably fitted through a hole on said bracket 10. A coil spring 11 is compressively disposed on the pin 7 between both the L-shaped brackets 6 and 10.

On the other hand, the lever plate 9 is operatively connected to an actuating plate 13 at the lower end partthereof, said actuating plate 13 being displaceably supported by means ofa pairofsupport rods 12 which are inserted through elongated holes 13'. A ratch member 14 isturnably supported on the actuating plate 13 in such a manner as to normallyturn in the anticlockwise direction as seen in Fig. 2 under the influence of resilient force given by a leaf spring 15' andto inhibit excessive turning movementofthe ratch member 14 in the anticlockwise direction a pin 15 is projected on the actuating plate 13.

Incidentally, operative connection of the lever plate to the actuating plate 13 is effected by means of a combination of a projection 9' on the lever plate 9 and an elongated guide hole 13"on the actuating plate 13 through which said projection 9' is inserted. The leaf spring 15' is disposed by the actuating plate 13 in such a manner that the central part is wound about a pin 13"', the righthand end partas seen in the drawing is anchored at a pin 13"" and the lefthand end part is engaged to the rear surface of the ratch member 14.

To allowthe ratch member 14turnably supported by the actuating plate 13 to projectfreely a part 16" of the side wall constituting a lock box 16' is cut out and a numbering lock 16 is housed in the lock box 16'. The numbering lock 16 includes a plurality of tumblers 17 by means ofwhich unlocking numbers are deter mined forthe locking device and among them the tumbler having a numberto be first set is fitted with a pin 18 at the lower end partwhich is adapted to serve as an engagement projection.In the drawing reference numeral 1 6"'designates a locking barforthe numbering lock 16 and reference numeral 16"" does an engagement rod adapted to be vertically displaced to come in engagement to or out of engagement from an engagement recess 17' formed on the tumbler 17.

Further, reference numeral 19 designates a dial for rotating the tumblers 17, said dial being disposed outwardly ofthe door 2.

On the other hand, the movable plate 4 has a connecting member 4' fixedly secured thereto and a joint pin 4" is projected on said connecting member 4' so that it is fitted through an elongate guide hole 20' on a connecting plate 20. a rotary shaft 21 is fixed to the lower end part ofthe connecting plate 20 and extends outwardlyofthe door2 so that a handle 22 is attached to the outermost end part of said rotary shaft 21.

At the lefthand end part ofthe movable plate 4 is disposed a locking bar 23 fixedly secured thereto and a pair of locking rods 24 extends in the lefthand direction from said locking bar23to enter into locking holes 25 on the safe 1 so that locking or unlocking is effected by lefthand or rightward movement of the movable plate 4.

In the illustrated embodimentthe locking holes 25 are located on the righthand innerwall ofthe safe 1 as seen in Fig. 1 butthe present invention should not be limited onlytothis. Alternatively,they may be located on the lefthand innerwall,the ceil orthe bottom ofthe safe and it should of cource be understoodthatthe direction of extension of the locking rods 24 are determined in dependence on as to where the locking holes are located.

Next, operation of the locking mechanism according to the present invention will be described below.

When the door 2 is opened away from the safe 1, the dial 19 is rotated in the specified direction buy a predetermined number of revolutions until each of the tumblers 17 assumes the position corresponding to the predetermined locking number so that the locking bar 16"' ofthe numbering lock 16 is drawn downward with the engagement rod 16"' coming in engagement to the engagement recess 17' on the tumbler. As the handle 22 is actuated in the direction as identified with reference letter B in Fig. 2, the movable plate 4 is caused to move rightward (in the direction as identified with reference letter C) whereby the locking rods 24 are disconnected from the locking holes 25. Now, the door 2 is ready to be opened.Atthis time the locking bar 16"' of the numbering lock 16 is kept disconnected from the engagement recess 5 on the movable plate 4 and there is no operative connection between the locking bar 16"' of the numbering lock 16 and the movable plate 4so thatthe latter is ready to move. Thus, by rotating the handle 22 to turn the connecting plate 20 in the clockwise or anticlockwise direction the movable plate 4 is caused to move in the rightward or leftward direction within the extent as defined bythe length ofthe elongated holes 3' and 3'.

When it is required to unlockthe door 2, the handle 22 is rotated and thereby the movable plate4 operatively connected thereto via the connecting plate 20 is displaced in the rightward direction whereby the lever plate 9 operatively connected to the movable plate 4 is caused to turn in the clockwise direction and the actuating plate operatively connected to the lever plate 9 is then displaced in the lefthand direction.This causes the ratch member 14turnablysupported bythe side ofthe actuating plate 1 3to normally turn in the anticlockwise direction underthe influence of resilient force ofthe leaf spring 15' to come in engagement to the pin 18 on the lower part of the tumbler 17 which is adapted to be first set, one of a plurality oftumblers 17 by means ofwhich unlocking numbers are determined forthe numbering lock 16. As described above, the ratch member 14isturnablysupported bytheside ofthe actuating plate 13to normallyturn in the anticlockwise direction under the influence of resilient force ofthe leaf spring 15' and therefore after it comes in engagementto the pin 18, it is caused to turn in the clockwise direction. When it assumes the position located above the pin 18, it is turned in the anticlockwise direction until it abuts againstthe pin 15 on the actuating plate 15.

Next, description will be made below as to howthe numbering lock 16 is brought in the locked state while the door 2 is closed.

The door2 is closed by means of the handle 22 and then by turning the latter in the anticlockwise direction (in the direction as identified with reference letter A) the movable plate 4 with the locking bar 23 fixedly securedthereto is displaced in the leftward direction (in the direction as identified with reference letter C') with the aid of the connecting plate 20 whereby the lever plate 9 operatively connected to the movable plate 4 is caused to turn in the anticlockwise direction under the influence of resilient force ofthe coil spring 11 and the actuating plate 13 operatively connected to tlae'everplate9 is displaced in the rightward direction (in tha dicection as identified with reference letter D).

Atthisrrlomentthe ratch member 14turnably supportedibytheside ofthe actuating plate 13 is brought in engagement to the pin 18 at the lower part ofthetumbleri7 adapted to be first set, one of the plural tumblers 17, while it is inhibited from excessive turning movemantintheanticlockwisedirectionwith the aid of a pin 15 on the actuating plate 13. Thus, as the tumbler 17 isthrusted by means of the ratch member 14, ittendsto rotate in the anticlockwise direction. However, due to the factthatthe locking bar 16"' ofthe numbering lock 16 abuts against the lower edge of the movable plate4 it results that the tumbler 17 cannot be rotated in the anticlockwise direction any more.Since the movable plate 4 is operatively associated with the lever plate 9 by way ofthe slidable pin 7 and the coil spring 11 disposed on the latter, the movable plate 4 can be displaced in the leftward direction while compressing the coil spring 11 irrespective of how movement ofthe actuating plate 13 andturning movement of the lever plate 9 are inhibited. Whenthe engagement recess 5formed on the lower edge of the movable plate 4 is located in vertical alignmentwith the locking bar 16"' of the numbering lock 16 duringthe leftward movement of the movable plate4,the locking bar 16"' is ready to enter the engagement recess 5.

Thus, as the lever plate 9 isturned in the anticlockwise direction underthe influence of resilient force of the coil spring 11, the actuating plate 13 operatively connected to the lever plate9 is caused to move in the rightward direction wherebythe pin 18 on the tumbler 17 is thrusted by means ofthe ratch member 14 on the actuating plate 13 so as to rotatethetumbler 17 in the anticlockwise direction and the locking bar 16"' is displaced awayfrom the engagement recess 17'. As a resultthe locking bar 16"' ofthe numbering lock 16 is projected above the lock box 16' until it is brought in engagement to the engagement recess 5 on the movable plate 4. Thus, the door 2 of the safe becomes locked.

Since the tumblers 17 designed to determine unlocking numbersforthe numbering lock 16 have been rotated inthatwayandtherebythe predetermined unlocking numbersforthe numbering lock 16 have been already bspught out of order, it results that the numbering lock iis kept in the locked state.

As will be readily understood from the above description, the locking device according to the present invention assuresthata numbering lock is automatically brought in the locked state merely by projecting a belting bar with the aid of a handle after the door is closed on the safe 1. Accordingly, there is no necessittyforbringingthe numbering lock in the lockedstatebyrotating a dial on the numbering lock by;arruraberof revolutions more than specified one that is case with the conventional locking device. As a result a period of time required for closing and locking a door on a safe or the like apparatus can be substantially reduced.

Other advantageous feature ofthe locking device of the invention isthatthere is reliably prevented an occurrence of such a trouble as the case where the numbering lockfailsto be locked because an operator unintentionally forgets rotation of the dial by a number of revolutions more than specified one after the door is closed. Thus, high safety is assured for a safe orthe like apparatus. Anotheradvantageous feature ofthe locking device ofthe invention is that the numbering lock can be brought in the locked state merely by operating an handle even in case where an emergencytakes place.

While the present invention has been described above onlywith respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should of cource be understood that it should not be limited only to this but various changes or modifications may be made without any departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

1. In a locking device for a doorturnably mounted on a safe or the like apparatus of the type including a numbering lock and a movable plate adapted to carry out locking activity, said movable plate being fitted with a locking bar at its fore end from which at least one locking rod extends to be inserted into corresponding hole on the safe orthe like apparatus, the improvement consisting in that the movable plate is formed with an engagement recess to which a locking bar is adapted to come in engagement when locking is effected, that the movable plate is operatively connected to a lever plate byway of a combination of a slidable pin and a spring means disposed on the latter and said lever plate in turn is operatively connected to an actuating plate adapted to move within a specified extenttogetherwith a ratch memberturnablysup- ported on said actuating plate and that a part of the lock case is cut outfor allowing said ratch member to be projectedthereinto and one oftumblersfor determining unlocking numbersforthe numbering lock is provided with an engagement means to which the ratch member comes in engagement.

2. A locking device as defined in claim 1, wherein the movable plate is movably disposed along the innerwall ofthe door in the horizontal posture.

3. A locking device as defined in claim 1, wherein the lever plate is supported turnably about a support rod which is located atthe middle part of the lever plate.

4. A locking device as defined in claim 1, wherein an extent of movement of both the movable plate and the actuating plate is defined by means of elongated holes.

5. A locking device as defined in claim 1, wherein the engagement means on the tumbler is a pin projecting on the latter.

6. A locking device as defined in claim 1, wherein a pin is provided on the actuating plate so as to inhibit excessive turning movement of the ratch member.

7. A locking device as defined in claim 1, wherein the ratch member is turnable in the direction toward the lever plate under the influence of resilient force of e leaf spring.