US1240854A - Permutation-lock. - Google Patents

Description

F. W. JONES & L. GLASS,

PERMUTATION LOCK. APPLlcATloN man SEN-11,1916."

Patented sept. 25, 1917.

S) @KMS/Ow (7; Jd/Amf .in the county FREDERICK W. JONES AND LUTHER. GLASS, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

IPERMUTATION-LOGK.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented sept. 25, 1917.

Application led September 11, 1916. Serial No. 119,420.

To aZZwLom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK W. JONES and LUTHER' GLASS, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Milwaukee, of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certainvnew and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks;

and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in permutation llocks, more particularly of that type having an electrical switch associated therewith.

It is primarily the object of the invention to provide an exceedingly simple and ei'ricient strncture of this nature, and it is more particularly an object to provide a permutation lock means for the switch.

In the present arrangement it is contemplated to indicate the actuation of the permutation lock elements by a spring member engageable with a series of peripheral recesses in one of the elements, and it is further an object to utilize this spring member as 'a means for holding the contact members of the switch in engaging relation.

A still further object resides in the provision of an actuating arm for the movable contact member which is resilient in nature to normally procure a spaced relation of the contact members when the lock means does not operatively engage therewith.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, arrangement and formation of parts more particularly hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a permutation lock embodying the present invention, this view being indicated by the line 1--1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view the permutation lock on a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1, as shown by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view of the spindle connected' tumbler wheel, as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the improvedpermutation lock comprises a casing 5 having a removable front wall 6 and having a wheel tumbler arbor 7 projecting inwardly from its rear wall 8. The front wall 6 carries an through outwardly projected Isleeve 9 in axial aline-l ment with the arbor 7, and rotatably mounted in this sleeve is the actuating shaft 10 of the tumbler wheel, which is provided at its inner end-with an enlarged head p0rtion having an annular series of pins .11 projecting inwardly therefrom and engageable in corresponding sockets of an end tumbler y wheel 12 journaled on the arbor 7, the bore of this tumbler wheel being reduced at its outer end to engage the head of a bolt 13 which is passed longitudinally through the shaft 10` and threadedly engaged in a handle knob 14. The outer portion of the shaft 10 is reduced, to. space it from the sleeve 9 and the knob 14 is provided with a sleeve 15 embracing the outer end of the shaft and pro'- vided with a spline connection 16 therewith. Rotatably mounted on the arbor 7 are a plurality of inner tumbler wheels 17 which are spaced from each other and from the `end tumbler wheel 12 by washers 18 having a spline or other non-rotatable connection with the arbor. In the usual manner of permutation locks, the adjacent ,faces of the tumbler wheels are provided with pairs of projections 19 adapted to'successively abut the wheels upon rotating the actuating shaft 10. The inner tumbler wheels 17 are provided with transverse peripheral recesses 2O and the outer tumbler wheel 12 is provided with a transverse peripheral recess 21, all adapted to aline by reason of such turning movements of the tumbler wheels, the recess 21 of the outer wheel 12 being provided with one wall extending radially of the wheel,

and with one wall eXtending substantially at a right angle to this radial wall, whereby to procure respective labutting and cam actions on the member engaged thereby.

Slidably mounted on the rear wall 8 of the casing, by reason of engagement of its upper portion with guide ribs 22 on said wall is a plate 23 and this plate is provided with a vertical slot 24 through which the arbor 7 extends. Secured to the bottom edge of this wall is an insulation block 25 and this block carries a spring' contact switch 26 which is secured thereto at its intermediate portion by the screws 27 and which has -its end portion downwardly offset for engagement with c ontact members 28 carried by the casing. These Contact members preferably comprise cylindrical portions into which are inserted screws 29 passed through insulated bushings 'to procure successive turning movement ofy 30 in the easing wall, and these screws eX- tend outwardly of the casing and have threaded thereon inner securing nuts 31 and wire clamping nuts 32.

For operating the sliding switch plate 23 by the lock structure described, a spring arm 33 is secured to outstanding lugs 34 at the lower portion of the plate, and extends upwardly to a point above the horizontal axial plane of the tumbler wheels and terminates in a lateral portion 35 resiliently urged against said tumbler portions. As will be readily apparent, the tendency of spring' arm 33 is to ride around the tumbler wheels and thus normally retain the plate 23 upwardly from engagement with members 28.

Taking up now the general operation of the device, the tumbler shaft 10 is rotated alternately in opposite directions to successively aline the recesses of the tumbler wheels 12 and 17, and upon said recesses coming into alinement, the portion 35 of the spring arm will engage therein. and subsequent movement of the shaftA will engagev the abuttin wall of the recess 21 with the arm, to sli` e the switch plate downwardly whereby the Contact strip 26 will engage the Contact members 28, whereby the switch is closed. To hold the switch in this closed position, the end tumbler' wheel 12 is provided at its outer'peripheral portion with an annular notched flange 36 which is engageable by one coiled end of a leaf spring 37 which is secured at its other end to the lcasing, it being noted that the switch plate is normally urged to a raised or open position by the inward pressure of the spring arm 33,

plane of the tumbler wheel.

As will be readilypunderstood the arm 33 at all times tends to draw the member 23,v upwardly as before stated, and to prevent the upward movement of said member when "1 the arm33 is engaged in the alined recesses, a spring 37 exerts af rclati vely greater spring action than that of the spring arm to prevent the same from revolving-the tumbler wheels by means of this above mentioned spring action of the arm.

To open the switch, the shaft 10 is actuated to turn the end tumbler wheel whereby the cam face of its recess 2l will engage the laterally turned portion 35 ol' the arm 53, to l'orr-e said portion out of the tumbler wheel recesses, continued movement of the end tumbler" wheel being transmitted to the inner tumbler wheels 1.7 whereby a registerine' relation of the tumbler wheel recesses may nol be again procured without a knowledge of the con'ibination of the lock. It is noted that when the arm Iii-i is disengaged 'from the recesses, the spring' 37 has no operative connection with the switch plate in that the arm 33 will be free to slide upon the curved surface. ol' the wheel 21, and the l ment in the notches of the flange exerted above the horizontal aXial plate will move by the resiliency of the arm 33 to a raised or open position.

The springI 37. by reason of its engage- 36, posdetermining thus obviating of providing indicating symbols of visual nature. It is noted that the handle knob 14. is splined on the operating shaft 10, and to provide for procuring a delinite initial position of the tumbler wheels 12 and 17, in the operation of alining the reccsses of said wheels, the knob sleeve 15 is provided with a projection 538 ,engageable in a recess 39 in the end of the sleeve 9 when the knob is moved inwardly, and the knob is normally urged against such movement by sesses the further function of the combination of the lock, the necessity ya spring 40 disposed in the sleeve l) and bearing against the knob sleeve l5 and against the shoulder formed by reducine the outer' portion ofthe shaft 10. Thus the knob may be rotated in one direction a mimber of times, and thenbypressing it inwardly during the latter portion of its rotation, interlocked with the sleeve 9 to rocure the initial position' of the tumbler wheels. By reason of the securcment of the end tumbler wheel 12 to the shaft 10 by the bolt 13 and series of pins 11, it is noted that the combination of the lock structure may be changed as desired.

An' exceedingly simple permutation lock has thus been provided.4 which may be 'manipulated without the provision of a key. inasmuch as the present invention is designed for general application no specific use thereofl need be described, although it finds particular application in connection with automobile circuits, and thc circuits of store frontlights.

lVhatY is claimed is:

1. .I device of the character described including a. plurality of tumbler wheels provided with recesscs adapted lo aline. a slidable member, a resilient arm carried bythe slidable member and engaging the tumbler wheels .above the, axis thereof to normally urge the said slidable member upwardly, said resilient arm being engageable in said recesses when alined, aml means engaging" one of the tumbler wheels for overcoming` the tendency of the resilient arm to move the slidable member upwardly.

2. A' device of the character described including a. plurality of tumbler wheels proeluding a plurality of tumbler wheels provided with recesses adapted to aline, a slid- `able member, a resilient arm carried by the s .'slidable member and engaging the tumbler wheels above the axis thereof to normally urge the said slidable memberl upwardly, said resilient arm being 'engageable in said recesses when alined, a notched disk carried by one of the tumbler wheels, and spring means engageable with said disk for overcoming the tendency of the resilient arm to move the slid'able member upwardly to4 retain said slidable member in operative position.

i 4'. A device of thecharacter described including a plurality 'of tumbler wheels provided with recesses 'adapteditb aline, a slidable member, a resilient arm'carriedby the slidable member` and lengaging the tumbler wheels above the axis thereof to normally urge'the said slid'able member upwardly, said resilient arm being engageable in said recesses when alined, a notched disk carried by one of the tumbler Wheels, and spring means having a relatively greater spring 25 action than said resilient arm and engaging l said disk and retaining said movable mem- FREDERICK w. JoNEs- LUTHER GLASS.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. RATGLIFFE, M. EpDowNEY.

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