US1587757A - Automobile lock - Google Patents

Description

E. B. CARLSON AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed NOV. l5 7 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l gwuantoz l June 8, 1926.

June 8 1926.

E. B. CARLSON AUTOMOBI LE LOCK I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. l5 1921 June 8, 1926.

1,587,757 E. B. CARLSON AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 @amm Patented June 8, 1926. i

PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND B. CARLSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

Application filed November 15, 1921. Serial No. 515,256.

This invention relates to a device for preventing` thefts ot automobiles. It relates more specil'ically to a device that can be easily and rapidly manipulated by the owner, or one who has been properly instructed, so as to lock and unlock the same without requiring the use of a key or other external appliance. At the same time it is practically impossible for an unauthorized person to nd out how to release the locking mechanism or steal the car. Provision is also made by which an alarm will be sounded when an improper attempt is made to unlock a car that has been locked with this device. The device can be applied, for eX- ainple, to a driving or revolving part of the machine, such as a gear, to securely lock the same against rotation, or in places where it is forbidden by law to lock a car so that it cannot be moved even a short distance, this device can be used to lock the steering post in suoli a position that the car can proceed only on a fixed course preferably in a curved or circular direction, thereby preventing any thief from moving it a long distance from where it was left stationed, but permitting it to be moved a short dis tance in case oit tire or other emergency.

An important feature of this invention is the provision of means by which a car can be easily locked with certainty and also the provision of a certain number ot electrical contacts that must be closed in a predetermined manner in order to unlock the car. A suiciently large number of other similar electrical contacts are provided so as to make it practically ilnpossible for an unauthorized person to find the proper sequence of' the correct ones to be closed and so as to render it practically certain that he will set olli' the alarm in his attempt to unlock the car. In case he should succeed in getting a portion oiE the sequence correct a subsequent mistake will not only set off,

the alarm but will also render the preliminary success abortive and make it necessary to repeat the sequence in proper order. The sounding of the alarm can be caused to cease by the owner properly manipulating the contacts.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention, in which the same reference characters refer to the same parts in the different views.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the locking device.

1a is a detail of one. of the parts.

Figs. 2, 2a and 2b are details of a switch.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the operating mechanism. y

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

5 is a sectional end view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagram of the electrical connections.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of a modiication of the locking mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of Fig. 7.

In the drawings reference character 1 indicates a gear of the transmission system of an automobile. The locking bolt of this device comprises two portions, the upper one 2 ot which consists of a hollow sleeve, and the lower portion 3 of which is a rod. The upper portion 9. of the locking bolt is provided with a head 4 for the operators hand or toot, and near the upper end the hollow portion 2 is enlarged for the reception of a spiral compression spring 5, one end of the spring 5 bearing against the'stop 6 which is securely ixed in the sleeve 2, while the other end of the spring 5 bears against the upper end of the. head 7 oi the rod 3. The lower end of the rod 3 screws into a plug 8 having a V-shaped portion 9 to engage between the teeth of the gear 1 and flanges 10 to engage the ends of the teeth to prevent the gear :troni revolving or being shifted longitudinally when the plug 8 is in its locking position.

The locking bolt is mounted in a casing 12 which may extend slightly above the floor 13 of the automobile and has a tight Fitting closure 14 to prevent the ingress of dirt. The lower end of the spiral compression spring 15 bears against a shoulder 16 of the casing 12 and its upper end bears against a shoulder 17 of the portion 2. The lower' end of the rod 3 is preferably made square to lit the square opening 18 of the casing 12, thus holding the plug 8 in proper position to cooperate with the teeth of the gear 1 for locking the same. The casing 12 is provided with a slot 19 on one side,

through which slot the lug rigidly attached to the portion 2 ot the locking bolt extends.

The housing 23 contains the operating mechanism tor releasing; the lock and also contains an alarm. ln the housing,` Q3 a catch 2t is pivotally mounted at 121i, and carries extensions and 26 rigidly connected so as to turn with the catch Qd. A spring' 27 is attached to the extension 25 and tends to turn tnecatch 2l in a counterclockwise direction, Back of the catch 24 is an armature 28 tor the magnets 29.

A. spring 30 is mounted softhat the detent 3l thereof will catch below the extension S25 when the catch is turned to the proper position. The spring 30 is also provided with an armature for the magnet A spring 34 provided with detent- 35, is adapted to catch the spring 30 when it is pulled to the right by the magnet 33. The end 36 ot the spring 34 may be pressed downwardly by the arm 3'1" of the bell-crank shown in Fig. la pivoted at `38, the end 39 ot which is provided with an armature L.t0 that may be attracted by the magnet al. The extension also bears upon lug on the spring 34:, thereby pressing the detent 35 below the end oit the spring; when the catch 24k is in the position shown in Fig. l.

A magnet 4.5 is provided to attract the Switch @ne and' of the switch 4:16 is pvcted `at Llr', as more plainly indicated in lli. s. L? and 2", and it is provided with an armature Vfor the magnet 4:55, and a portion thereof is adapted to engage in the spring contact 49. lllhe end ot the switch t6 rests behind the extension 26 so that the switch will be opened when the catch 24 turned to the position indicated in Fig', l,

The contact closing mechanism is shown in Figs. l and 5 consisting,V o the plug 60 mounted in a sleeve 6l which can be made to slide horizontally along the rod 62 and be pushed inwardly into any of the sockets if-y. The end 63 ot the plug 60 is biturcated to insuii'e bet-ter Contact, Only one of the sockets avv j (namely the socket 7L, as indicated in i5) is electrically connected to the plate (Si which carries a metal rod 65. 'llhe rod 65 is surrounded by a metal sleeve G6 which terminates in a, knob 67 tor the operator and carries a pointer 68 which can be turned to point to the letters lid-li shown in F 3. rl weight G9 depends from the sleeve G6 and normally holds it in the position indicated. 'lhe sleeve 63 carries yan extension T() at the upper end ot which is pivotally mounted Contact member Tl which is normally vheld by the spring T2 in an upright position. lfletal contacts 5, corre )ending in number and position to the, letters lvl-l, 3) are insulated trom each other and mounted in such posin tions that the contact 7l can be turned and drawn into contact with the channel portions 76 ot the same, while the spring 72 yields to prevent binding. All of the contacts 'r' 5 corresponding to the letters M-K except two, namely those corresponding to the letters G and K, are electrically connect- .ed to the distributor 50 (Fg- 6), WbCb iS in turn connected to the two magnets 4l and l5 in parallel. The contact 7 5 corresponding to the letter G is connected to the magnets 29 and the contact 75 corresponding to the letter K is connected to the magnet 33. l battery 8l has one 01"' its terminals electrically connected to the Contact plate 82, which can in ,turn be electrically connected by the plug Vto any one of the sockets i-j, One terminal ot the battery 8l is also connected, when the switch 46 is closed, to the horn or alarm 83.

The operation is as follows:

ll/When an automobile stops, the operator presse-s the head ,t downward a suliicient distance tO cause the lug 2O to move downwardly tar enough to Vcause the catch 2st to snap over the upper edge .of the same. At the Ysaine time the detent 3l snaps below the lower edoe ot the extension 25, thereby securely holding the catch 24 in its locking,I position. ln Case a tooth ot the gear 1 is in the way s0 that the plug 8 rides on the top of the tooth, the springs 5 and l5 will both be compressed and retained in their com` pressed position. fis soon as the gear l moves slightly in either direction the plug 8 drops into position, being :forced therein by the spring '5 expanding, and the car is locked. soon as the catch 24 releases the lug 2.0the spring l5 withdraws the plug 8 from between the teeth, thus `unlocking the device.

The catch 24tis withdrawn troni behind the lug 2O by the operator stablis'hingr a series of electrical connections in a prescribed way. lle rst inserts the plug SO into the socket [t thereby establishing electrical connection from the battery 8l through the plate 82 and socket 7i (Fig. 6) to the contact 66. elle then turns the knob 67 until the pointer 68 is opposite the letter K and then pulls the knob G7 outwardly, thu-s establishing electrical connection by means oi the contact ll with the .contact 7 5 corresponding' to the letter l, thereby coinpleting the circuit to energize the magnet 33. rlhe energization of the magnet '33 attracts the armature 32 (Fig. l), thus withdrawing the detent 3l from under the extension of the catch 24, the armature snapping behind the spring-pressed detent 35 and beingheld in this position The operator then pushes the knob G7 invmrdly until it ceases to contact with the contact 7 and then turns the knob G7 until the pointer 68 comes opposite ythe let-ter G and then pulls the knob outwardly, thus establishing electrical contact between the electrical contact 66 and the contact 75 corresponding to the letter G, thus energizing the magnets 29 which attract their armature 28 to withdraw the catch 24 from the lug 2O to permit the spring t0 raise the plug 8 away from the gear teeth. The turning of the catch 24 by the armature 28 being attracted by the magnets 29 causes the extension 26 to open the switch 46, if the same had previously been closed, and at the same time the extension presses the spring S4 downwardly, thus permitting the spring 31 to snap back to normal position, ready to engage under the extension 25 when the device is again locked.

In case a thief or unauthorized person attempts to unlock the device, the chances are that he will first insert the plug into the wrong socket a-j, thus establishing electrical contact between the post 82 and the distributor 80, thereby energizing the magnets 41 and 45. The energization of the magnet 45 will close the switch 46, thereby connecting the alarm 83 to the battery 81, which alarm will Continue to sound until the switch 46 is opened by a correct manipulation of the mechanism. Even if the thief accidentally inserts the plug into the correct socket, namely the socket k, the chances are that in his attempt to complete the unlocking operation he would turn the knob 67 so as to establish contact with a contact other than the correct one of those corresponding to the letters MK. In such a case electrical connection would also be made to the distributor 80, thereby energizing the magnets 41 and 45, thus causing the alarm 83 to sound by the. closing of the switch 46 and also nullifying the preliminary correct switch closing, due to the fact that this energization of the magnet 41 would cause the arm 37 to press downwardly on the end 36 of spring 34 (see Fig. 1a), thus permitting the spring to snap into position so that the detent 31 would catch below the extension 25 and prevent the device from being operated even if the magnets 29 should be subsequently energized.

Even if the thief could succeed in the meager chances of first plugging the plug 60 into the correct socket a-j, and should then succeed in closing the proper contact K, he would be foiled if he subsequently closed any contact other than that corresponding to the letter G. It is thus practically impossible for anyone unfamiliar with the combination to unlock the device.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 7 and 8. the locking device is so arranged that the locking bolt 3 is caused to project in its locking position into a socket in the steering post 86. This socket 85 is preferablyv in such a position that when the bolt 3 projects into the same, the steering post is in such a position that the automobile will travel in a circular path, thus permitting it to be moved a short distance but preventing it from being carried away very far. The parts in Figs. 7 and 8 correspond somewhat closely to those in Fig. 1 and are designated by the same reference characters with primes. The portion 2 of the locking bolt is pressed upwardly by the spring 15. The portion 2 is provided with a ratchet 87, the teeth of which mesh with teeth 88 of a gear mounted in the bearings 89. r he teeth 88 also mesh with a ratchet 90 on the sleeve 91 which carries a spring 92, one cnd of which bears against the stop fr* 93 screwed into the sleeve 91, and the other end of which bears against a shoulder 94 carried by the rod The catch 24 is adapted to snap behind the shoulder 20 when the device is in the locked position as shown. The springs 30 tend to draw the catch 24 into its locked position. The armature 28 of the magnets 29 is attached to the catch 24. The spring pressed detent 31 holds the catch 24 in locked position and the spring pressed detent 35 is adapted to hold the detent 31 in its lower position when caught thereby. The magnets 33 and 41 perform functions very similar to the correspondingly numbered magnets in Fig. 1, and it is thought unnecessary t0 describe the same more in detail. The armature 28 carries a rod 26 for open-- ing the switch 46 in a manner similar to that already described, the magnet 45 serving to close the switch 46 to set offl the alarm when incorrect electrical connections are made.

It is evident that by slightly changing the wiring as indicated in Fig. 6, one can readily change the combination for unlocking the device. The device can also be provided with a larger or smaller number of plugs L 7' and also with a larger or smaller number of contacts 75, thus providing a wide choice of combinations which would render it practically impossible for an unauthorized person t0 unlock the device without setting off the alarm.

I claim:

1. In an automobile lock, a bolt for locking an operating part of an automobile against turning, a catch for holding said bolt in locking position, a detent for retaining said catch in holding position, and means for releasing said detent and catching it in its released position.

2. In an automobile lock. a bolt, a catch therefor. a detent for retaining said catch in holding position, and a spring actuated detent for catching said first named detent in its inoperative position and parallel electrical circuits for operating said retaining detent and said catch in succession. i

3. In an automobile lock. a bolt, a catch llt) detent 'for cate-hing seid F11-St neine'd detent in its inojpe'ijetie position,l aid 'Catch' being provided with en Li-ni for wittidi'ewi'ngf seid Spring 'actnlted detent fronibehind Seid re'- taining'detent. i 1 i 4. n Aethiek, L boit, a` catch therefor, a Spring detent for seid Catch, mgnets" for operatii'igseid catch :and: detent, seid detent op:ereting magnet'being` energized by Closing' two'electriel Contents in sei-ies, and Seid Ycatch operating magnet being energized by'current pzissng'through one of seid Yretnained Contacte :ind another Con- '\pxi"`--;l

Vtact in `seri'esl 5. In e lock, av boit, 21` catch therefor, a springt detentforffseid ftoatelnw magnets yfor operating( f Said" 'catch' and `det-entr: :seid 1detent"`operzrting inx'grnetibeng energizedby closing tivo electrical contacts in se1ies,;sai'd c'ziteir ioperatingj magnet being energized@ by Current vp'aeen'g ^thiiougir:4 one ofn said first named Contacts and another Centactzinose ries,` a Second* detentrlforlholding Said rst nn'ne'd detent in in'operatiw.-l position,` f endif-n 'magneti-'capable ofi' being' energizedtthrough ii' plurality rof 'Contacts 11nd, f when energized, releasing' seid' second" named'detent.Y` z f Ifnl testimony Whereejf -niix 'my signature.

EDMUND oeeileo'NQ

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