US1229731A - Lock. - Google Patents

Description

L. EHRLICH.

LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED Dic. 15. 191s.

Patented 11111912, 1917.

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Patented June 12, 1917.

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L. EHRLICH.

LocK. v APPLICATION FILED DEC. I5. |916.

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L. EHRLICH.

LOCK.

APPucATloN man nc.15, |916.

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Pate-nted J une 12, 1917.

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UNT SS AFT Lne EHRLICII, or ST. LoUIS; MISSOURI, AssIGNoR" To LYMAN T. HAY, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 12, 1917.

Application filed December 15, 1916. Serial No. 137,111.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Lno EHRLICH, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, andl exact description7 such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, ref ercnce being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevationalV view of my improved lock;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the bolt retracted;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the bolt partially projected; l

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the bolt fully projected;

Fig. (i is a front elevational view with the front lid or cover removed;`

Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the tumblers;

Fig. S Fig. G;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view through the lock showing one of the tumblers in position; l

Fig. 10 is a detail view of one of the tumbler operating keys or levers;

Fig. 11 is a Side elevational view showing an auxiliary latching means operated .by the lock when used in connection with the coil. boxes of automobiles;

Fig. 12 is a front elevational view of the coil box of an automobile showing my improved lock in position thereon;

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of a coil box partly in section showing my improved lock and showing a modified arrangement of the auxiliary latching hook which is opis a Sectional view on line S-S of erated' by the lock and engages a part of the coilbox;

Fig. 14C is a modified form of lock showing a different method of application;

Fig. 15 is an elevational view of a padlock involving the principles of my invention.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in locks wherein there are a number of tumblers or locking dogs operable by keys or levers, said locking dogs releasing the spring-pressed bolt when properly operated. One of the features of my invention is a locking element which coperate's with the bolt to relieve the bolt from spring pressure whereby, in the manual operation of the keys or levers which control the tumblers or locking dogs, the operator cannot feel the difference in pressure between those dogs which are operated in the proper combination and those which might be operated by one not knowing the right combination. This locking element may be operated by a cover for the manually operated keys or levers, and this cover may also be employed to restore the keys or levers to normal position as will hereinafter appear. Another feature of my invention is the control by the locking bolt and its connections of an auxiliary latch when the lock is used in connection with coil boxes of automobiles. l 1

In the drawings, 1 indicates a housing or casing having a removable Vlid or cover :2. 3 is a bolt which is mounted for sliding movement in suitable openings in the top and bottom" walls of the housing or casing. 41 is a keeper plate, in this instance shownas being attached to the underside of casing 1, and provided with an opening to receive the bolt 3. In Figs. 12 and 13, the casing 1 is Shown as being attached to the lid or cover a of a coil box A. B isv the switch lever which controlsthe ignition circuit. Then the switch lever B is moved to the vertical position Shown in the drawings, the operator depresses the bolt 3 to lock the Switch lever against movement. As the lid or cover a. is hinged to the main portion or body of the coil box, it is obvious that the easing 1 is secured, by suitable fastening means, such as rivets, to thelid cz.- Vhen the lever B is in the position shown in Figs. 12 and .13 and bolt 3 is depressed, this locking of the lever B will also effect the locking of the lid a. When it is desired to release the switchlever, and at the same time unlock the lid a, the operator lifts the guard plate,

which thereby locks the bolt against movement and at the same time exposes the keys or levers, which may be lettered or numbered, and which, when operated to actuate proper dogs or tumblers, will release the bolt and permit the saine to be lifted under the impelling action of its spring 5. The bolt 3 carries a universal bar (i under which the spring 5 bears, the latter being preferably an expansive coil spring mounted upon bolt 3. This bar 6 is preferably U- shaped and has its top and bottom walls or legs formed with openings to coperate with the hooked ends o1 tumblers or dogs 8, the shape of which will be best seen in Figs. 7 and 9. Each tumbler or dog has a slotted lower end whereby it may be pivotally mounted on a plate 9 secured to the housing or casing 1. The dogs are arranged in pairs and each pair of dogs coperates with a spring 10. The lower end of spring 10 serves to center the dogs to prevent rattling thereof, while the upper end of the spring tends to force the dogs outwardly from the housing or casing 1. The dogs may be swung on their pivotal point and reversed in order to change the combination of the look. One dog of each pair, as shown in Fig. 7, has its hook located near its end, while the other dog of the pair has its hook located at the end, as shown in Fig. 9. The result is that when the dogs are assembled in pairs they present locking projections in diiierent horizontal planes as shown in Figs. 3, L1 and 5. 11 indicates keys or levers bearing numbers or symbols, there being one key for each pair of dogs. These keys or levers may be pivotally mounted, as shown, or may be in the form of push buttons. 12 indicates a plate which is carried by and depends from the central portion of bar G, said plate having slots or openings formed therein as shown in Fig. G. 13 indi cates a guard plate preferably mounted on the shaft which carries the keys 11. This guard plate when in closed position serves as a shutter or blind to prevent access being had to the keys 11 as shown in Fig. 3. A spring 11 tends to open the shutter so as to give access to the levers 11. A tongue 13u is preferably carried by the shutter, and this tongue is designed to enter either one of the openings in the plate 12 when the bolt 3 is in proper position. Assuming that the bolt is forced downwardly to its locking position, as shown in Fig. 5, it will be observed that the tongue 13 is in position to register with the upper opening in plate 12, and when operated will lock the bolt against movement. The tongue 13a may be made slightly eccentric so that when it is operated to lock the bolt 3 against movement, it will slightly depress the bolt and its carried universal bar to relieve the dogs of all pressure.

In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 5, the stress of the spring 5 is carried by the tongue 13a. Vhere the tongue is carried by the shutter, the keys or levers 11 are exposed when the shutter is raised, but unless a person knows the proper combination, he canthe proper levers 11 are swung on their pivots, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9, the corresponding dogs will be swung rearwardly and the bolt and universal bar will be free to move upwardly and would so move were they not prevented by tongue 13a. It is, therefore, necessary to retract the tongue, and where, as in this instance, it is connected to the shutter, to close the shutter to permit the spring 5 to act,-this closing of the shutter being incident to the opening or' the lock. lVhen the tongue 13a is withdrawn to release the bolt after the proper dogs of the combination have been operated to permit movement of the universal bar, spring 5 will operate to retract the bolt. While the tongue 13a may be operated independently of the shutter, I iind it convenient to connect it with the shutter, as I am thus enabled by the operation of the shutter in moving` the tongue to restore the keys or levers 11 by the useof a bar 13b carried by the shutter. This bar 13b, when the shutter is closed, will restore all of the keys or levers 11 to their normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, and will hold them against accidental displacement while the closed shutter will prevent experimental manipulation of the keys or levers. In this connection I might say that if desired the openings in the plate 12 may be so arranged with respect to the tongue 13a that they will not exactly regis ter with the tongue, but by being located slightly above the plane of registration, will prevent the operation of the shutter when the bolt is in its normal locking position. This will require a slight depression of the bolt before the shutter will be operated. lVhen the shutter is operated, as shown in Fig. 4, it will lock the bolt 3 and expose the keys or levers 11 so that by further manipulation ot said keys or levers, it is possible to release the lid or cover 2 of the lock for purposes ott repair, changing the combination, etc.

The lid or cover 2 has a flange 2a (see Fig. 8) which is engaged by an overhanging projection on the universal bar and in the position of the parts shown in both Figs. 4: and 5, this flange is engaged by the universal bar. However, it is desirable at times to release thek lid or cover andto do this the levers 11 are operatedv to permit a further upward movement of the bolt, such for instance as illustrated in Fig. 3. In thus unlocking the lid, it is preferable to use a different combination, such for instance as one requiring the use of different levers 11. To illustrate: if levers marked 1-, 3,V 5` and 7 form the irst combination and are to be operated in permitting the initial retractile movement of the bolt, levers 2, 4l, 6, and 8 might be selected as constituting the second combination for unlocking the lid. The hooks at the extremities of the tumblers form stops for the universal bar after its initial release in its position shown in Fig. 4L and as the hooks controlled by levers 2, 4l, 6, and 8 are presented outwardly, it follows that when these levers are operated, these hooks will be moved rearwardly so as to again release the bar. The operation of any other lever will cause its controlled dog having a rearwardly presented hook to lock the bar against movement, and this also Yapplies to the dogs which control the first release.

Then the bolt is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lid is locked and as long as the shutter is down, it prevents access to the levers. Then the shutter is open to give access to the levers 11, the tongue 13El on the shutter engages in one of the slots in the plate 12 carried by the universal bar such engagement relieving the bolt from its spring tension so that the operator cannot tell by the feel of the levers 11 which one or ones must be operated; thus, following the example under consideration, if levers 2, 4, 6, and 8 are operated to open the lid, no movement of the bolt can result until the shutter is closed and the tongue con-` nected thereto releases the bolt. When the bolt is released the spring will carry it to the positionl shown in Fig. 3 in which the flange on the lid is released by the universal bar and the cover may be removed. This double combination, one to release the bolt from its locking position, and the other to release the bolt whereby it may continue its retracting movement to release the lid or cover, enables the use of two-combinations, one which may be known to several persons, such as the combination necessary to initially release the bolt, and the other of which may be known only to the owner of the lock or the machine to which it is attached, and who alone can gain accessV to the tumblers to change or modify the combination controlling the release of the bolt.

The universal bar may be utilized for operating an auxiliary latch, as shown in Figs. 11 and 18, in which 15 indicates a lever having an outwardly projecting hook on its free end and a double inclined or anticlinal inner face on its inner edge, the

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latter projecting through an opening in the housing 1 and cooperating with the universal bar. In this connection, it will be understood that the universal bar in moving vertically with the locking bolt 3 will engage one or the other of the inclined faces on the inner edge of the latch 15, thereby forcing the same outwardly with respect to the housing 1. Then the lock housing 1 is secured to the cover of the coil box, as shown in Fig. 18, and the lever B controlling the ignition circuit is mounted upon the box and cooperates with the keeper plate for the lock, it follows that when the ignition lever is locked the box cannot be opened. Then the ignition lever B is released to complete the circuit, the universal bar G is moved to the position shown in Fig. t, in which position the universal bar 6 bears directly against the rear side of the auxiliary latch 15, thereby forcing the hook on the outer end thereof outwardly or rearwardly into a suitably located aperture in the coil box A, thus preventing the lid of the coil box from being opened. 1t is immaterial whether the auxiliary latch 15 is held in its locked position when bolt 3 is fully depressed or when partially depressed, as the operation of the auxiliary latch may be left to the desire of the user, depending upon the relation of that portion of the latch which is engaged by the universal bar.

In Fig. lil l have shown the bolt 3 cooperating with a sliding member P which latter serves as apart of a switch and mounted on said sliding member is a collar p, with which the bolt cooperates when in its depressed position. There there are several of these sliding members, the bolt 3 may have a plate or bar which will engage and lock two or more of said members.

In Fig. 15 where l have shown my invention applied to a padlock the upper end of the bolt 3 is cut away to form a shoulder 3a and carried by said bolt is a fiat spring 20, the upper end of which carries a pin 21, the same passing transversely through the bolt 3 at a point above the shoulder 3a. The shoulder 3 and the recess above same are adapted to receive the free end of a shackle 22, the latter being pivotally connected at 28 to the housing of the device, and formed through the free end of said shackle is an aperture 24 which receives the end of the pin 21 when the parts are in locked position. 7hen unlocked, the bolt 3 is elevated as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 15, and when the shackle is moved downwardly into locking position, its free end forces the pin 21V outwardly and when the end of said shackle rests on shoulder 3a, the pin engages in aperture 21 and as the parts move into locking position, the pin 21 which connects the free end of the shackle and the bolt occupies a position below the top of the housing of the device.

While I have shown my lock as being adapted for use in connection with automobile coil boXes, it is obvious that there are many other adaptations to which my improved lock is capable, such as desks, vaults, safes, padlocks, etc., and I do not wish to be understood, therefore, as being limited to the specific forms shown.

I claim:

l. In a lock, a spring-pressed bolt, means including tumblers associated with said bolt for holding the same in different locking positions, and coperating means for moving the bolt against the tension of its spring away from the engaging tumblers so as to remove the same from the stress of the spring while the bolt is in locking position.

2. In a lock, a spring-pressed bolt, means including tumblers associated with said bolt for holding the same in different locking positions, coperating means for moving the bolt against the tension of its spring away from the engaging tumblers so as to re` move the same from the stress of the spring while the bolt is in locking position, and

y manually manipulative means for actuating the tumblers.

3. In a lock, a spring-pressed bolt, springpressed tumblers for controlling the movement thereo-f and to retain said bolt in different locking positions, and means for holding the bolt .in position so that the pressure of its spring is removed from the bolt engaging tumblers, which last mentioned means is adapted to retain the bolt in locking position after the engaging tumblers have been released.

Ll-. A lock comprising a movable bolt in combination with tumblers arranged in pairs for controlling the movement of the bolt, manually operable means for actuating the tumblers, and a shutter or guard coperating with the bolt for giving access to said manually operable means.

5. A lock comprising a retractile bolt in combination with spring-pressed tumblers for controlling the movement of the bolt, and means operable independently of said tumblers for locking the bolt against movement in different locking positions when the proper tumblers have been operated to release the bolt.

6. A lock comprising a retractile bolt in combination with tumblers for controlling the movement of the bolt, means operable independently of said tumblers for locking the bolt against movement when the proper tumblers have been operated to release the bolt, and a guard connected to said last mentioned means whereby, when the tumblers are accessible to operation, the bolt is locked against movement and when the bolt is released said guard is moved to prevent operation of the tumblers.

7. In a lock, the combination of a bolt, a removable lid or cover for the lock which is held against displacement in the opened and closed position of the bolt, tumblers for controlling the movement of the bolt in its releasing and locking positions above mentioned, and an additional set of tumblers for controlling an excessive movement of the bolt whereby the lid or cover may be released.

8. A lock comprising a movable bolt which is normally under stress of yielding pressure in combination with tumblers for controlling the movement of said bolt, and means for relieving the tumblers of stress transmitted from the bolt whereby the latter cannot be released by the difference in the feel of the tumblers.

9. In a lock, the combination of a bolt, tumblers therefor, manually operable means for controlling the tumblers, means for locking the bolt against movement when the tumblers are positioned to release the bolt, and means connected to said last mentioned means for restoring the manually operable devices to normal position when the bolt is released.

10. In a lock the combination of a bolt, tumblers for controlling the release of the bolt, manually operable means for positioning said tumblers, a blind or shutter for concealing and giving access to said manually operable means, and means connected to and operated by said blind or shutter for restoring said manually operable means when said blind or shutter is being moved to its closed position.

11. In a lock of the class described, a

spring actuated locking bolt, tumblers for holding said bolt in different locking positions, manually operable means for releasing said tumblers, and means for holding the bolt in position so that the pressure of its spring is relieved from the said tumblers. 12. In a lock of the class described, a bolt, means including manually operable devices for controlling movement of said bolt, and independent means for holding the bolt against movement, a portion of which means is adapted to be shifted into position to form a cover for the manually operable means.

13. In a lock of the class described, a spring-pressed bolt, tumblers for controlling the movement of the bolt, and independent means for holding the bolt, said means be ing adapted to isolate the tumblers from the bolt while the tumblers are being operated.

14. In a lock of the class described, a spring-pressed bolt, tumblers which engage and prevent movement of the bolt in response to its spring, and means Jfor Withdravving the bolt from engagement with the tumblers and maintaining said disengagement While the tumblers are being operated to release the bolt.

15. In a lock of the Class described, a spring-pressed bolt, manually actuated tumblers, some of which are adapted when actuated to lock the bolt and prevent its movement in response to its spring, the remaining tumblers normally preventing movement of the bolt in response to its spring and being withdrawn from suoli service by said manual actuation, and means for isolating the bolt from said tumblers While they are being manually actuated so that the operator cannot detect by sense of touch the group to which the several tumblers belong.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 11th day of December, 11916.

LEO EHRLICH.

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

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