US1558615A - Permutation lock - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27,1925. F. HomKN/f- PERHUTATION LOCK F1169* May 2. 1921 CJD Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT lorrici's.

FRANK HORAK, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO MAX` HIRSCH, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

PERMUTATION Loox.

viippiicaumi aiea'iviay e, 1921. serial No. 466,289.

To all fio/0m 'it amg/ concern.' K

Be it known that l., F RANK Hoi'iiin, a cit1- zen ot the United States, residing at Val` paraiso, in the county ot' Porter and State `of Indiana, have invented certainneiv and useful Improvements in Permut-ation Locks,

ot which the 'following'is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in permutation .locks and it more A,especially comprises the teaturespoiiited out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my.1`nventio n 1s toV provide a non-pickable lock .in Which. tliekey is per#` manently enclosed in the lock; that can be lockedthrough the pressure ot a single but ton; that is a true permutation lock, the` combination of Which is only known to the owner that. provides an unlocking member havingl no notches, grooves or special torina'- tions, of any kind Whatever, thereon; and that can be applied to automobiles, steering Wheels, vaults, .door-locks etc., as may be desired,

lVith these and other purposesin view, I illustrate in the accompayning.drawing such instances of adaptation as Will disclose the broad underlying features Without limiting myself to the specilic details shown Ithereon or describedlierein.

F igure 1 is a longitudinal elevation in sec-` tion showing the parts still locked, With the key in permissive position and the unlocking` member ready to complete the unlocking' operation. Fig. 2 is aview similar' to Fig. 1 showing` the key in its obstructing position, the lockingY parts locked and thevtuniblers dispersed. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3 3 ot Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detachable ypla-n view ofthej lockingI part. y

Fig. 5 is an elevation in section ofthe locking parts unlocked.

Fig. is a cross sectional elevation ot enclosed indicatino' notches, used as analterna.`

tire to the visib e graduations of the dial.

'lhe exemplilication shown in the drawingv is suggestive of an applica-tion that can be made ot the invention, as a safety `feature on automobiles to prevent theft, butthis special feature ot adaptation is subject to inoditica-- tion according` to the exigencies of various practical requirements.

in its broadest aspect this invention is not limited to the speci lieembodiment instanced in the'ydrawing, but maybe applied to any purpose to which it can be adapted. For instance `the housing or casting `1 may beot any desired form dependent on the special use to which the lock is toy be applied. In any suitable housing a cylindrical or other shaped casing 2 is seated, wherein it is heldv bya'liardened pin`3, instead 'of aneasily'removable screw. @ver sucha pin aycertification -platea may be placedtocover theloca tion fot the pin. Thepin 3 is placed inposition so "as to tit tightly and it is then smoothed' ott flush with the 'liousi'ngt At vthe outer endof'the casing; 2 a tumbler manipulating cap 11 is placed, and the inner end ot the casing,` has Vformed thereon aupillar 5 that meets a shoulder which becomes a distancing stop serving to determine the inward position ot the casing 2 inthe housing 1. ik cross bolt lconstitutes the secondary locking feature. It is actuated at right angles to theA casing 2" and is controlled `by a push button .58 so as `to lock, Aand by the mechanism within thecasing to unlock the primaryboltfl by tliesimple `pressure of a button 5001i the outside of the cap 11 after the interior mechanismhas beenplaced in a permissive relation through the manipulation of the cap or dial.

The casing 2 hasalarge chamber' 7 which terminatesin a shoulder 9, and a shallmvref cess 6" at the other end. 'Asma-ller' diameter opening 8 joins the recessG and the chamber 7, between the recess shoulder 1()` and the chamber `shoulder 9. The chamber 7 is closed by the cap 1l that has a tubular tension 15 Which surrounds a recess 33 that ends in a shoulder against Whichthe large end Stof the key spindle abuts. A flange 12 is a part of the cap 11. It contains the" graduations 13 by meansof which the sucrcessive positions of the permutation t-ui'i'iblers are determined` when the cap is moved to and 'ro by the knurledhead 14,-. This cap is held `in place Lbyan are shaped latch 1G inserted in a slot of the casing,` as shown in F igs. 1 and 3. Tlie'latch 16 projects through the casing' so as to enter the circumferential groove 17 formedin the tubular part 15 ot the cap and it thus holds the cap `in place in the casing against endwise displacement, but free to be rotated-in the chamber T.

`A key notch 19 is termed at the inner end of the part 15, into which a projection e?) ot the key 3T may'pass to lock the cap during the time the key is in permissive position to admit an unlocking pin 47 to be moved alongside the unnotched edge of the key 37 so as to actuate the primary bolt 61 whenever the thumb button 50 of pin 47 is pressed as far as the flange 49 permits it to movek until this liange engages the head 14. The tube-end has a pin 20, which serves to pick up the iirst tumbler 21 during the working of the combination. Flange 12 may be seated in a recess 18 ot the housing and a Zero or starting line may be marked on the housing adjacent the dial 13, in any well known manner.

The key-holding spindle has a large diameter end 34, that seats in the recess 33 of the cap; and a small diameter end which rests in the bore 8. At this portion of the spindle, a pin 36 is .placed to hold it permanently connected to the casing 2. The spindle has a slight shoulder 31 that forms an abutment, against which the tumbler separating washer 28 is ixed by pressure or otherwise; a second shoulder 32 is formed by the large end-34 of the spindle. On the portion of the spindle between the washer; 28 and the shoulder 32, the first tumbler 21 has free movement; and between the washer 28 and the shoulder 9, the second tumbler, 24, also has Free movement.

A key 37 is permanently venclosed within the look as shown in Fig. 1. It is a flat key and straight along one edge. On the other edge, there is a notch 39 against which 7 springs 40 abut between the'curved front end 38, engaged by the rounded end 48 of the pin 47, and the side projection 43 adapted to enter the notch 19 as the key is pressed sidewise against the pressure of springs whenever the smooth pin 47 is moved past the key. Beyond the projection 43, at 44 within range of the tumblers 21 and 24, the key has no notches whatever until the end is reached. Here a notch y45 is formed leaving a toe 46 at the inner extremity of the key. The key has a radial and slight lengthwise movement in the slot 35 `formed from end to end of the spindle. This slot extends radially Jfrom a hole formed in the center o1' the spindle, which is approximately of the same diameter as that of the pin 47, the bottom of the slot being one side or' such hole which is permanently aligned with an entrance hole formed through the cap 11. Half round recesses 42 are formed in the side walls of slot 35 for springs 40, and a spring plate 41 is placed between the springs and the inside of the cap 11.

Each of the tumblers 21 and 24, and the washer 28, have openings into which the spindle is placed. The first tumbler 21 has a key notch 22 which opens into its central hole, and the second tumbler 24 has a similar notch 27, while the washer 28 also has a lrey notch 29 that is permanently aligned with the key slot 35 of the spindle. The second tumbler may have a hub 25 it found desirable. Both of the tumblers have pick up pins, on tumbler 21 a pin 23 projects from both faces, and on tumbler 24 a pin '26 is placed, facing the first tumbler. The

action of tumblers and pins is well known, nevertheless it is well to describe their interaction. The pin 2() of cap 11 engages the pin 23 and this in turn acts against pin 245, thus through a series of right and kleft movements all the key slots 19, 22 and 27 will be brought opposite the key slot 35 olf the spindle, ready to have the key 37 moved radially into them so as to permit the unlocking pin 47 to pass through the spindle into engagement with the pin 63 of the primary bolt 61.

The first thing to do in setting the lock so that the primary bolt 61 can be undone, 1s to bring all the key slots into line, then insert the pin 47 into the small hole of the cap until its rounded end 48 engages the curved end 38 of the key, at which time the key will be pushed endwise a slight amount to more easily let the pin pass under it.4

The notch 45 at the end of the key, may engage shoulder 9 and prevent the key pro'- jection 43 moving out of notch 19 and into too close engagement with the first tumbler 21. This endwise movenrent pushesV the primary bolt a short distance in its course as shown in Fig. 1. On the withdrawal of the pin 47 and a pressure on the secondary bolt 51, the bolt 61 is again pushed into its full locking position by the spring 62 at which time the short pin 63, projecting from the bodyv 59 of the bolt, pushes the key 37 to the end of the slot 35, until its curved end 38 engages the inside of the cap 11 against the spindle recess 33 ready for a repeat operation.

The secondary bolt 51 has a locking end 52 that may enter an opening that needs to be locked, the instance in Fig. 1 shows a steering wheel tube but this may be any other object. This bolt 51 slides in an opening 54 of the housing. It is cut away at 55 on one side to form shoulders. The locking end 52 is smaller in diameter than the body of the bolt so as to pass through a coil spring 53 which pushes the secondary bolt into its unlocked position as soon as the primary bolt 61 has been moved endwise by the pin 47 So that the neck 60 will permit the narrow slot 57 to engage it. Vhen this occurs the upper edge of the head ot the primary bolt 61 willenga-ge the under flartened side 68 of the narrow slot where it remains subject to the tension or' the spring 62 until it is desired to lock the car, or whatever object to which the device is applied. by simply pressing on the end 58 of the bolt 51 to cause the end 52 to complete the locking operation. This permits the spring iistegei's 62 to move the'primary bolt' toward the key and bring the head '611 into the' larger slot 56, effectively holding the secondary bolt 5I against movement until such time as the primary bolt is again pressed against the spring 62 by the unlocking key` 37.

It Will be noted that the actual unlocking is done by means of the small diameter pin 47 which has no notches, grooves or contigurations of any kind whatever. This makes it impossible to pick the lock as the peiinanently enclosed key 37 iills the slot 35 of the spindle, completely hiding the tuinblers so that they cannot be manipulated by bent wires, etc. Then the tuinblers are dispersed the key cannot be moved from its obstructive into a permissive position until the proper combination has been executed.

Should it be desirable to utilize audible clicks, instead of depending on the visual graduations 13, the expedient instaiiced in Fig. 6 may be employed. At any available part of the cap tube 15 a series of circuniterential V-shaped notches 6a may be cut. A zero or starting notch 67 may be made deeper so as to, in this or any other way, indicate the starting point for the cap ll. The audible or digital indications are given by the spring pressed detent 65 which is suitably secured in a recess or groove 66 o'll the casing. This deteiit may be oil very simple Well-known construction comprising only al narrow flat spring with a V-shaped bend at its free end or a similar V-shaped block G5 secured to such end, both ot which are well understood.expedients.

IVhat I claim is:

l. In permutation locks, a suitable housing, a plu ality of revolvable disks therein, each disk having a central opening therethrough and a radial notch formed in the periphery of the opening, a slotted spindle within the housing passing through the openings, a .rotatable dialed cap secured in the housing to enclose the spindle, a spring pressed key pern'ianently located in the slot ot' the spindle, means for actuating the disks through a movement oi the cap to bring the internal notches ot' all the disks in line opposite the key, and means for moving the key radially into said notches and thereby perform an unlocking operation by said means.

2. In permutation locks1 a self-contained housing, a spindle having an opening therethrough lengthwise thereof and a continuous radial slot connected with the opening, a notched key permanently located in the slot, and inea-ns external of the housing for selectively holding the key in a permissive or obstructive position within the spindle opening.

Il. In pern'iutation locks, a cylindrical housing having a large chamber therein, a smaller bore outlet from the chamber, a rotatable ca "closing the chamber, a stationary spindle wit-hin the cap and the bore, a radial slotthrou'ghout the length. of tliespindle one or more permutable and interdependent tumblers withiiitlie chamber `said tumblers and capi having internal notches ali'gnable with the slot in the` spindle, means onfth'ei cap to actuate the tuinblers, a spring pressed passing through the spindle slot in contact.

with the key.

l. In permutation locks, a plurality of intei-dependent permutable members enclosed in a suitable housing, means accessible from the exterior of the housing for actuating the members, a slotted spindle having a lengthwise opening located within the members, a permanently enclosed notched key within the spindle slot, and means for automatically moving the key radially into a changed position in the slot and said openingthrough a selective positional change of said members.

5. In permutation locks, a. self contained housing, a radially movable notched key, a spindle provided with a continuous radially positioned slot for the key and having an opening lengthwise thereof in communication with said slot, and external means for selectively controlling the movement of the key at will to thereby change its position with the spindle slot from an obstructive to a permissive position in the opening.

6. In permutation locks, a casing, a cap therefor, a spindle therein, a lengthwise slot of thev spindle, one or more members having internal notches rotatable on thespindle, a key permanently enclosed in the casing and adapted to normally keep said slot closed, means external of the casing for selectively actuating the members in sequential relation so as toV permit a movement ot' the key to clear a part of the slot, and cxternal means adapted to lill such cleared space and have free passage therethrough while the key is positioned to hold all the members against movement until such eX- ternal means is removed and the key is automatically withdrawn from engagement with the members and replaced within the slot of the spindle.

F.In permutation locks, a self-contained housing, a plurality oit' permutation members in the housing, a spindle within said members, a lengthwise opening through the spindle, a radial continuous slot in the spindle communicating with the opening, a notched key slidable in the slot adapted to normally close the opening, and cooperating .means betweenthe key and the permutation members adapted to perinissively clear the spindle opening or obstruct the same as desired. i

8. In permutation locks, a self-contained housing, a rotatable spindle placed Within the housing and terminating exterior thereof, a permanently positioned key located in the spindle, a bolt adjacent the interior end or' the spindle, Iexternal'means for selectively controlling the movement of the key to permit or obstruct the operation of the bolt 10 from the exterior of the spindle through a change in position of the key enclosed in the spindle.

In testimony Whereol I alix my signature.

FRANK I'IORAK.`

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