US1174011A - Dial for combination-locks. - Google Patents

Description

W. T. BENHAM.

DIAL FOR COMBINATION LOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 1913.

, 1,174,o 1 1, Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

ITNESSES:

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH .60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

ran STATES PATENT OFFICE. Y

WILLIAM T. BENHAM, OF RISING SUN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NYDIA BANK LOCK COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A COR ?ORA'IEION OF OHIO.

DIAL FOR COMBINATION-LOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed February 28, 1913. Serial No. 751,248.

Locks, of which the following is a specificati on.

My improvements relate to dials for combinat on locks, such as are ordinarily used on safes, file cases and the like. These improvements are inexpensive, may be attached to combination locks already in use,

and make it so easy for any one who knows the combination to run it, with or without light, that it will prove a great advantage and convenience in all places where combination locks are now used, and will greatly extend their field of usefulness. Doors for buildings or special rooms therein of all sorts may be fitted with such combination locks to great advantage.

My improvements consist fundamentally of a rotatable dial having suitable gage notches, which notches may be either on the front or the back of. the dial, and a plurality of indicators adapted to contact with these notches as they pass the indicators in the rotation of the dial atthe will of the operator. These indicators are so constructed as to be normally out of operative contact with the dial but held in contact by manual pressure and indicate by the sense of touch the passage over gage marks, in running the combination. These improvements may be so constructed and applied to the ordinary dial as not to interfere with the running of the combination by sight, as at present.

The indicators are mounted upon or in connection with the stationary dial rim. and have nothing to do with the rotation of the dial, nor have they any'other function than to enable the operator to read the gage by touch or hearing, or both, according to the way the indicator and gage may be constructed. If the dial is numbered at all, I prefer to number the gage marks each way from zero, as this is the method of counting .and running any given combination used with my improvements. Letters Patent Number 1,113,865, issued to me October 18, 1914, sets forth the details of this system of numbering dials. It will be understood that a system of elevations corresponding with the depressions may be used m lieu of the latter, if preferred.

My invention is illustrated in the accom- I panving drawings, in which, p

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lock dial, with my improvements applied tothe under side of the dial, and a separate indi 'cator each for zero, units and groups of ten units respectively. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation sectioned on the line ww of Fig. 3,"through the rim. showing an under plan View of the dial and indicators. 1 Fig. 3 is a partial cross section ofthe dial and rim showing one of the indicating levers in side elevation.

Referring now to the drawings, A, designates a rotatable lock dial having the usual knob, a, and peripheral gage, a consisting of notches, a for given units of measure of a complete rotation'being hundredths in the present instance. The notches, a occupy corresponding and equi-distant radial positions, arranged in consecutive series concentric with the axis of the dial plate, so as to be capable of contacting with a contact piece of a-relatively fixed indicator, as presentlyto be explained. Each successive tenth notch is extended radially inward into a corresponding annular space adjacent to that occupied by the hundredths notches, said ex tended notches thus constituting a new 0on centric series of graduations representing groups of units 10, 20, 30, &c., of the orig nal,

series, and the zero mark is further extended into a corresponding annular space adjacent to the latter. annular spaces is of such size and contour as to cause the contact piece of the appropriate indicator (hereafter to be described) to jump into and out of the notches'as the dial plate rotates, and thus indicate by the movement of the indicator the increments of rotation appropriate to each indicator.

In the form of my-improvement shown in Figs. 1 and'2, three indicators, U, T, Z, are employed, being levers of the first class extending laterally through'a suitable recess, 20, in the rim, B,'and mounted adjacent upon a common pivot, :27, secured to the fixed rim, B, beneath the dial plate, A, so that their inner ends are held in a common radial relation facing respectively the annular series of notches formed as above described, at the underside of the dial plate corresponding with those upon the face. The

Each of the notches in these.

indicators are provided respectively with leaf springs, u 25 .2 bearing against the fixed rim, whereby the'inner ends of the indicators are normally held out of contact with the dial. Each indicator is provided at its inner end with a contact piece, u, t, 2, V

respectively, adapted by its contour when the indicator is depressed at its outer extremity, tocontact with the dial and jump in and out of the notches of its appropriate series against the force of the spring and thus indicate to the sense of touch each such 1 turns to left and to 50,would be worked 20 as follows: (1) press indicator Z and rotate the disk to right until the jump of the indicator contact piece into the notch, 0, is indicated; then continue the rotation until three passing jumps are thus indicated and stop at the fourth; (2) then release indicator Z and press indicator T, and continue,

rotation of dial until two jumps of the indicator indicate 20- 80, stopping at the lat-v ter; (3) release indicator, T, and again press indicator Z and rotate dial to left to 0 four times; (4) release indicator Z and again press indicator T, and continue left rotation until the indicator has contacted with the 10-90 notch; (5) then release indicator T and press indicator U and continue rotation until the indicator indicates three notches, stopping at third,being 18, on the left hand count; (6) then release indicator U,

press indicator Z and turn the dial back to 0,

and turn the dial back to 0 three times, etc.

ranged in line respectively with the graduations and adapted by manipulation to project an indicating point into contactwith either set of graduations at will.

2. In a combination look, a rotatable dial provided with graduations upon its surface, arranged in concentric annular spaces, and a corresponding series of indicating devices in line respectively with said graduations, and adapted by manipulation to project an indicating point into contact with either set of graduations at the will of the operator.

3. In a combination look, a rotatable dial having graduations on its underside, a chambered dial-seat having a correspondingly elevated rim and an indicating lever projected radially through said rim into the chamber and adapted by externalmanipulation to project a contact point against the graduations.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM T. BEN HAM. iVitnesses:

ALICE L. TILDERLEY, LEWIS M. HOSEA.

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

7 Washington, D. G. i

Images