US1166883A - Dial for combination-locks. - Google Patents

Description

I w. T. BENHAM. DIAL FOR COMBINATION LOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1915.

Patented Jail. 4,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAFH 60.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

W. T. BENHAM.

DIAL FOR COMBINATION LOCKS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.19I5.

1,166,883, 1 Patented Jan.4, 1916.

I I I I 2VSHEETS-SHEET2.A

WITNESSES r I 11v VEN TOR.

LA Tvuiflj I flaw, a. X

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH cc., WASHINGTON. n 64 specification.

; W LLIAM 1r; BENnA'M, ornonwoon; oriIoi 1 man EonicoMBInA'rIon-Loons. I

1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IXVILLIAMVT. Bn aHAM, a' citizen of the United States,'resid1ng at Norwood, in the county of 'Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Dials for Combinaf tion-Locks, of which the I following a My improvements relate to dials {oncombination locks, such as. are used on safes, cabinets and the like; and maybe employed I I to the sen'seiof sight, if desired.

-with such dials already in use; and any combination look so equipped can easily be run, in dim light 'or absolute darkness,;byone who knows the combination. The addi-" tional cost will be moderate, and thescope. of use for combination looks with their mani- I test advantages, willbe greatly GXlSBl'ld d,-j-

as for example, to doors of garages, storeroom s, file-roo1ns,.etc. V

My lnventlon,

prefer, will have the appearance of an ordi nary combination lock dial, except that at andcanbe varied so as to present great difone point the dial rim willbe extendedlaterally to receive the ends of indicator levers and the buttons usedin' operating, same.

-When the two buttons are semi-circular in form and placed together in'a circular opening, they have the appearance. of a screw head In this form, tor-operating mechanism. is underneath the and meddlesome persons." "The ber madein a number [of forms,

ference in appearance, soI don'ot limit'myj- "self to-any particular form to carry-my my I show one al venti'on nto use; however, ternatlveform 1n'th1s apphcat on.

My improvements embody :Iundamentally a rotatable dial-havingsuitable gage notches (whichmay' be either on the-fro'ntor the back of. the I dial, or. on the back wall of the dial-casing), an indicatoradapted I the zero-notch. at each revolution of the dial inelther dlrectlon; an indicator normally on to contact withthe 1 units gage notches, fbut a-dapted' toi be pressed into contact I therewith; a correspending indicator normally out .of contact with the, group gage notches (a's'ojf tenslof units), but adapted to-be pressed into con;

.5 tact therewiithy and separate: means for i pressing either, the; un ts or group gage indicators into position! to I contact with-its V fygage, at thewillottheoperaton'fl'prefer- 'rromi zero, as I when made; in the forni l1.

the-rest of the indicatating dial an t of contact with dial and taken on,

to-so a eale-anathem the wer I Specification of Letters rateml V fatgnt eidg 4, 1916,

"Application filed June 26, 1915; seriainbfse549. i

may slide'his fiageror ,thunibfrom' one to the otheig 'or jmerely'roclr'his finger to one slde or the other,lmaking it practically impossible for any one to watch himfwhile ran, 7

n ne the, m i a an la -1. h 1 1: b1nat1on. r I

a The fun'ctionjofi the improvements being .to enable, the operator to read thegage by the sense of touch or hearing, the 'c'ombina tio'n maylbe,,made"and used-without resort Y it, again; is visibly 'numbered at hi, I prefer .to' numberthe gage markseach fway provements. 1 I

.70 setforth in LettersPatentiNo'. 1,118,865, issued a e.0ctoberj 1a1914, as -.this is the methojdof counting and running any given combination. used "With my im 1 Y :Elevations.or ,ribs, instead of depresa 'sions, maybe used as gage marks.

y ei oni'isillustrated inthe acgofn.

panyin; drawings,"the preferred formbeing shown, 1n Figures 1 to 6, incluslveaand an structure, 1n which all-Qtheispecialimechanism of my invention eXCept-the buttons" the" operator .pre'sses on,;1s'located under the r0 showing thejpivotedf levers: in' positione to act upon the underside of .thedial' plate;

Fig. leis a cross section,shown" in elevation,

ofthe dial structure, ncluding the dial plate g a owing h but o and;

alternatlve forminnFigs; T to l0 inclusive. 1 r Fig. l 1s a plan; or ffiCQVlGW of the-dial 86 I hidiroin view Fig. 2 is aplan or face .view' of. the underside of the" rotatin'gdial plate removed; Fig. 3.=is a tace View,' corfesponding with Fig.1, of the 6, a detail, is elevation of the z'ero indica-ui 1' tor; 1n position contacting withigthfe under sidefof the-rotating diaLf ,F ig. 7. 'isa) plan "or face view I of alternati,v'e form of the dial 5 structure,inwh1ch all the special mechanism of my;inventionexceptthe buttons the'ioperf' sectiomshown elevatiomiot' theidial struc .tur'e, including-the :dial plate 'andf'ga'ge l te the 'd t a va 219i la ja'tor' -presses on,"i s located un'derfthe rotatingFif ihld' from y ew; Fig, 8 1s *a-yc'rossi at I " way from Zero upward, as already indicated.

The casing of rim A has a projection a with a circular opening through the rim, undercut and enlarged below to receive and hold in position the buttons hereafter described. j

The underside of the dial A has three separate series of gage notches concentrically arranged in circles one within the other. The outer one of these, 00, indicates single units; those in the next circle, indicate groups of tens of units; and the innerv one is a single notch 2,.wh1ch indicates zero, or

the starting point in the count; but, because of the placing of the indicator intended to contact with it below the center of the dial, said notch z is placed on the same radius extended as the unit indication- 50 on the face of the dial.

The zero indicator comprises a small wheel 5 journaled in the fork of the lever B which is pivoted to the bottom of the dial casing at 6 The wheel end of the lever B is held outward so as to constantly contact with the underside of the dial by the spring 6 and the lever B is located in'such a position that the wheel Z) contacts with the dial, on the inner gage circle 2, in which the zero depression 2 is formed. V

The units indicator comprises a small Wheel 0 j ournaled in the forks of the curved lever C which is pivoted at c to the dial seat. The wheel end of the lever C is held inward normally out of contact with the underside of the-dial by the spring 0 The opposite end 0 of the lever C (Figs. 3 and 5) is extended outwardly under the projection cf of the dial casing or rim, so as to pass under .and in contact with the button C so that downward pressure on said button will shift said lever O, depressing its end 0 and throwingthe wheel 0 outward against the under surface of the dial-A The lever C 1s p voted to the bottom of the dial-casing in such a positionas to makethe wheel 0 contact with the under surface of the dial on the outer circlein which the unit's notches 00 are cut.

The. tens indicator, with its" wheel d,

curved lever D pivoted at (Z to thebottom of the dial-casing, its spring (Z opposite lever end, (Z and button D are all similar to like .parts on the units indicator mechanism arranged for the opposite semi-circle of the invention.

of the dial; but the lever itself is so shaped and placed as to make the indicator wheel (Z contact with the under surface of the dial on the intermediate circle in which the tens notches 11 are cut.

The buttons J and D are so formed as together to loosely fill the undercut circular opening, in the projection 64 of the rim, and have their outer surfaces hollowed so the finger or thumo can be easily slid from one to theother or the finger rocked back and forth, first pressing inwardly on one, then on the other as found convenient in making the count. The spring 0 holds the lever end 0* and the button in their outward position and spring (Z operates in like manner on lever endrZ and button D Upon rotation of the dial under these conditions, the click and slight jump of the wheel as it passes over the notches indicates each one to the ear and touch without the aid of *ight; thus enabling the operator to run the combination with ease and certainty; while the click and jum of the Zero indicator always independently indicates when the beginning mark is reached or passed. The indicators 5, 0 and (5 may be made of rawhide or fiber to prevent clicking if the sense of touch only is to he relied upon. The indicator wheels may be re placed by metal points if it is desired to make the clicks louder and sharoer.

The mode of operation is si aple and will further illustrate the function .l advantages Entire revolutions 111 y be made in the usual way by using the cen tral knob a, exactitude being indicated. by the slight check of movement and the sound produced by the indicator B; but the handle o may be employed to assist in rotating the dial because its vertlcal position, which coincideswith the indicator sound and check of movement, renders the aid of sight quite unnecessary. l

In the alternative form, the gage notches, :0, y and 2' are not cut in the undersurface of the dial, but in the dial casing A or a plate fastened thereto.

its position in re lation to the rotatable dial is shown in Fig. 8. The indicators 5, 0 and [cl are fastened to the under surface of the dial instead of to the dial casing. The Zero indicator is the same in this form as the other shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive. Units indicator 0 (shown asa metal point instead of wheel) is secured to the lever C, which is a spring plate normally fitting close to the under side of the dial, to which it is fastened at 0 In like manner, the tens indicator (Z is se cured to the lever D, a similar spring plate fastened to A} atcfi. The lever C is depressed 'so'as to cause the indicator 0 to contact with the notches bytilting the button C either' way, and in like manner the lever D is depressedso as to cause the in- I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. In a combination lock, a rotatable dial having gage notches arranged in concentric circles, representing respectively, single units, uniform groups of units, and the starting point at each revolution of the dial in either direction; an indicator for thestarting point notch, constantly in contact with the circle on which said notch is; an indicator normally out of contact with the units gage notch circle; an indicator normally out of contact with the group gage notch circle; and a separate lever and operating button for each of said two last mentioned indicators for pressing said indicators into position to contact with their respective notches.

2. In a combination look, a rotatable dial having gage notches arranged in concentric circles, representing, respectively, single units, uniform groups of units, and the starting point at each revolution of the dial in either direction; an indicator for the starting point notch, constantly in contact with the circle on which said notch is; an indicator normally out of contact with the units gage notch circle; an indicator normall y out of contact with the group gage notchcircle, and a separate lever for the units indicator and the group indicator, with an operating button for each of said levers placed in close proximity to each other, for pressing either the units or group indicators into position to contact with .their respective notches at the will of the operator.

3. In acombination lock, a chambered dial-casing, a rotatable dial constituting a face plate for the casing chamber, 'a gage having notches arranged in concentric circles, representing respectively, single units, uniform groups of units, and the starting point at each revolution of the dial in either direction; an indicator within the dial chamber for the starting point notch, constantly capable of contacting with said notch; separate indicators Within said dial chamber for the units and group notches, respectively, normally out of contact therewith, but each capable by manipulation of its button of being brought into contact with the circle on which its notches are, and a button for manipulating each of said two last named indicators.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence'of two subscribing witnesses.

A. L. TILDESLEQY, HENRY B. STRIEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' 7 Washington, I). G. i

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