US1194286A

US1194286A - Pebmutation-lock

Info

Publication number: US1194286A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1916-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1933-08-08

Description

1.F.GORHAM.

'PERMUTATlON LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 35. 9M.

1,194,286. Patented Aug. 8,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l. F. GORHAM.

PERMUTATION LOCK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-[5.191%

1 1 94,286 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- m: Nolnls runs ca, PHOTO-LUNG" wAsnmcmm n c.

SMAWAMII OL jmj'orm IRA F. GORHAM, OF ENSLEY, ALABAMA.

PERMUTATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 15, 1914. Serial No. 861,864.

To all w ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA F. GORHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ensley, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to looks, and more particularly to the class of permutation car door locks.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a permutation lock wherein the same is operated through the medium of gears which are controlled by permutation knobs so that the lock can be manipulated only by a person having knowledge of the combination, thereby avoiding the possibility of fraudulent entry to the car or other inclosure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a permutation lock of this character wherein the permutation mechanism can be changed or altered so as to change the combination for the working of the lock, thereby rendering the same safe and practically burglar-proof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a permutation lock of this character wherein the permutation mechanism will have to be accurately adjusted before the locking mechanism will operate for permitting the opening of a door.

-A still further object of the invention is the provision of a permutation lock of this character which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in its purpose, strong, durable and inexpensive of manufacture.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter set forth.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a freight car door frame and door, with a lock constructed in accordance with the invention applied; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the lock looking toward the inner side of the door frame and door; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. l is a view taken approximately on the line 2P4: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lock with one facing plate removed; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary verti cal sectional view showing the lock engaged with the keeper for securing the door closed; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view through the handle showing in detail the car seal and handle lock; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the gears; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail plan view of'the slide.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates a portion of the door frame in the side wall of a freight car or the like, and B a portion of the sliding door which is mounted for opening and closing movement as usual. Mounted on the inner face of the door frame at one side thereof is a keeper C, while mounted on the door B is the permutation lock D, both the keeper and the lock being hereinafter fully described.

Secured to the outer face of the door B is a rectangular shaped escutcheon or face plate 10, preferably made from metal, while disposed against the inner face of the said door is a base plate 11 supporting the lock D, which comprises a slide 12 formed with a series of spaced large and small circular openings 13 and 1-1 respectively, arranged alternately with respect to each other centrally of the slide. Formed centrally of the slide 12, longitudinally thereof, are straight slots 15 which connect the openings 13 and lt with each other, and this slide is disposed between spaced

parallel walls

16 and 16 of a housing 17 which is secured in place by means of bolts 17 passed through spacer collars 18 interposed between the rear walls 16 of the housing and the base plate 11, the

bolts 17 being also passed through the door B and both the escutcheon or face plate 10 and base plate 11, as shown. Journaled transversely of the housing 17 in the front and

rear walls

16 and 16. are spaced stud axles 19, each supporting thereon a pair of

juxtapositioned gears

20 and 20 each formed with a hub 21 provided with diametrically opposed flat or straight faces Patented Aug.8,1916.

and these hubs 21 are of a size corresponding to the small openings 1 1 so that when the same register therewith the

gears

20 and 20 are free for rotation, whereby the straight or fiat faces 22 on the hubs 21 can be brought into a plane with the planes of the edges of the straight slots to free the slide 12 for movement in contra-distinction to the locking thereof when the hubs 21 are in the openings 1% and have been turned to dispose the fiat faces 22 thereof out of the plane of the edges of the straight slots 15 in the slide.

Arranged at one side of each pair of gears and 20 is a pair of

operating gears

23 and 23 which mesh therewith, the gears 23 being supported upon the squared portions 2st of turning axles 2 1, while the gears 23 are mounted upon squared portions of sleeves 25 for sliding movement thereon, and to rotate therewith, the sleeves surrounding the axles 21 which, together with the sleeves, extend through the door B and plates 10 and 11, the gears and 23 being formed with circular hubs 26 which are journaled in the walls of the housing 17, while the axles 21 and sleeves 25 extend through the larger openings 13 in the slide 12, as shown.

Interposed between the

gears

23 and 23 and surrounding the axles 24 are compression springs 27 which serve to normally hold the gears in meshing engagement with the

gears

20 and 20 so that on the rotation of the said

gears

23 and 23 similar movement will be imparted to the

gears

20 and 20 for the working of the lock is a manner presently described.

Fixed to the outer ends of the sleeves 25 are turning knobs 28 and likewise fixed to the outer ends of the axles 2-1 are turning knobs 29, the said

knobs

28 and 29 being formed with dial surfaces 30 on which are arranged series of numerals and letters employed to indicate certain combinations to be worked for permitting the locking and unlocking of the lock.

Pivotally supported on the base plate 11 is a series of levers 31, each provided with a fork 32 at one end which works against the hub 26 of each gear 23, and these levers permit the disengagement of the gears 23 with the gears 20 so that the

knobs

28 and 29 can be turned for changing or altering the combination to permit the working of the lock, the combination being effected by the numerals and letters on the respective dial faces by the matching of certain combinations of letters or numerals in the ordinary well known manner.

Fixed to one end of the slide 12 is a substantially sphere shaped locking head 3% which cooperates with pivotally supported outwardly bowed clamping jaws 35, the pivots 36 therefor being mounted in the door B and adapted to engage stop pins 37 mounted in a frame 38 which constitutes the keeper C. The head 3% is formed with cam surfaces 39 which engage the concave portions of the jaws to automaticaly move the same to clamping or unclamping position. Spaced from the end of the slide 12 opposite the head 34 thereon is a turning stem 10 which is passed through the door B and is journaled in the respective face and base plates 10 and 11 thereon, the stem being formed at its outer end with a handle 412, while its inner end has fixed thereto a crank 43 pivotally connected to a link 1 1 which is also pivoted to the end adjacent thereto of the slide 12 and on the unlocking of the said slide upon turning the stem 40 it can be shifted to locking or unlocking position relative to the keeper C on the door frame.

At one side of the stem 10 and mounted exteriorly of the door B is a stationary keeper 1-5 with which cooperates the handle 42 for the locking thereof. The handle 12 is formed in its free end with a slot 16 providing a clearance for a beveled nose 46 on the keeper a5, and rearwardly of this nose 46 on said keeper is a notch 47, while formed in the handle 12 and intersecting the slot -16 is a socket 18 in which is adapted to be placed a disk constituting a seal which, on the swinging of the handle in one direction, is moved upwardly in the slot 48 by the nose 16 and thereafter drops into the notch 47, thus locking the handle against turning movement. In the turning of the handle 42 the disk or seal is broken, which permits the free turning of the handle.

lVhen the slide 12 is in position for locking the door the small openings 11 will be in registration with the hubs of the

gears

20 and 20 which have been turned on operating the

knobs

28 and 29 so that the flat surfaces 22 are out of alinement or in the plane of the edges of the straight slots 15, thereby locking the said slide 12 against movement. Now when the

knobs

28 and 29 have been turned for the matching of certain letters and numerals selected for the combination to effect the unlocking of the look by an operator the

gears

23 and 23 will rotate the

gears

20 and 20 so as to turn the straight portions or faces 22 of the hubs of said latter gears into alinement with the slots 15 in the slide 12 so that the latter is free for movement when manipulating the handle +12 to unlock the door.

On moving any one of the levers 31 the gear 23 controlled thereby can be thrown out of mesh with the gear 20 adjacent thereto and thereafter either

knob

28 and 29 can be turned for altering the combination for the looking or unlocking of the lock.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of operation of the lock will be readily apparent, and

a more extended explanation has, therefore, been omitted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circular large and small openings and also straight slots therebetween and communicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged in series independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing with each other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the larger circular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both series engageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in correspondence with the slots to be received therein, and mechanism for rotating alternate gears of each series.

2. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circular large and small openings and also straight slots therebetween and communicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged in series independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing with each other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the larger circular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both series engageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in correspondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism for rotating alternate gears of each series, and permutation dials included in said mechanism.

3. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circular large and small openings and also straight slots therebetween and communicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged in series inde pendent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing with each other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the larger circular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both series engageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in. correspondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism for rotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included in said mechanism, and means for shifting certain of the gears with relation to the other gears to vary the combination of the permutation dials.

4. I11 a look of the class described, a slide having spaced circular large and small open ings and also straight slot-s therebetween and CODUHI'IIllCfltlDg therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged in series inde pendent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing with each other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the larger circular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both series engageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in correspondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism for rotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included in said mechanism, means for shifting certain of the gears with relation to the other gears to vary the combination of the permutation dials, and manually operable means for shifting the slide when released by the hubs.

5. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circular large and small openings and straight slots therebetween and communicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged in series independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing with each other, alternate hubs of one series being movable into the larger circular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both series engageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in correspondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism for rotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included in said mechanism, means for shifting certain of the gears with relation to the other gears to vary the combination of the permutation dials, manually operable means for shifting the slide when released by the hubs, a keeper, and means on the slide for engagement in the keeper.

6. In a lock of: the class described, a slide having spaced circular large and small openings and also straight slots therebetween and communicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged in series independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing with each other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the larger circular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both series engageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in correspondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism for rotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included in said mechanism, means for shifting certain of the ears with relation to the other gears to vary the combination of the permutation dials, manually operable means for shifting the slide when released by the hubs, a keeper, means on the slide for engagement in the keeper, and means acting upon the gears for normally sustaining the same in meshing engagement with each other.

7 In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circular large and small openings and also straight slots therebetween and communicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged in series independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing with each other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the larger circular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both series engageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in correspondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism for rotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included in said mechanism, means with each other, and a keeper for coiipera- 10 for shifting certain of the gears with relation with the manually operable means.

tion to the other gears to vary the combina- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature tion of the permutation dials, manually in presence of two witnesses.

operable means for shifting the slide when released by the hubs, alzeeper, means on IRA F. GORHAM. the slide for engagement in the keeper, Witnesses:

means acting upon the gears for normally A. V. SMITH,

sustaining the same in meshing engagement J. A. DUPUY.

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