US1743225A - Automobile locking mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1930. E. J. MARTEL AUTOMOBILE LOCKING MECHANISM Filed April 29, 1926 fizz/610601".- Fdyarfflarid. 7 W 7 v dwgw.

Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES EDGAR J. MARTEL, OF LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE AUTOMOBILE LOCKING MECHANISM Application filed April, 29,

This invention relates to automobile locking devices designed to prevent the operation of automobiles by unauthorized persons. An object of the invention is to provide a locking v system which will secure the automobile in several different ways "against unauthorized operation, all the various locking devices being controlled from a single point. Another object of the invention is to provide a locking m system such that when the key is removed from the lock, the locking members are all in looking position, the key being so related to the lock that it cannot be removed while the car is unlocked and capable of being operated. Another object of my invention is to provide means for automatically breaking the ignition circuit to the motor when the key is withdrawn from the lock.

These and other advantages will be appar- 29 cut from the disclosure of the invention in the description which follows and on the drawing, of which,

Figure 1 represents partly in longitudinal section a form of my locking mechanism applied to a portion of the mechanism of a typical automobile including a somewhat conventional showing of the clutch and transmission mechanisms.

Figure 2 is a detail section of the housing fora portion of the device shown in Figu re 1.

Figure 3 shows a modified form of my invention in the unlocked position. H

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3. V

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4:, but shows a modified form of ignition switch in the locked position.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 3.

Figures 7 8, 9 and 1-0 illustrate the various positions in which the shifter rods may be locked in addition to the position illustrated in Figure 6. p

Referring to the drawing in detail, a casing 10 houses the transmission mechanism conventionally shown in Figure 1. On the upper portion of the casing 10 IS mOUIItQCl a smaller casing or housing 11 which may be cast integrally with the casing 10 or may be secured thereto as by bolts extending through 1926. Serial no. 105,343.

the casing 10 and secured from within to prevent tampering. Near the casing 11 a second casing or housing 12 may be formed which preferably is designed to extend upwardly above the flooring of the automobile and to house means for operating the locking devices to be described. Within the housing 1-2 is positioned a locking member 13 compris ing an upper portion fitted to slide in-the bore of the housing 12 and to be pushed down as by a rod 14, the lower end of which normally rests on a shoulder 15 formed on the member 13. The member 13 is designed to be held down in locking position by a locking device of any suitable type contained within the housing 12, the particular device indie cated being fully described and illustrated in my copending application Serial N 0. 709322 filed April 28, 192d, upon which application L ters Patent No. 1,603,089 were granted October 12, 1926. The lower portion of the locking member 13 is suitably shaped to have a lug 16 in a position to be moved downward-' ly with the locking member 13 into selected recesses .17 formed in the shifter rods 18 which constitute a portion of the gear-shifting mechanism, As is customary in many makes of automobiles, two shifter rods 18 are provided which are selectively actuated by the lower end 19 of a gear shift lever 20, this construction being well known in the art. As will appear from Figures 6 to 10, the lug 16 may engage in recesses 17 so as to lock the transmission selectively in any desired position, that is, neutral, reverse, or any speed forward.

Contained within the housing. 11 is a switch which is connected into the ignition circuit for the motor. This switch comprises a contact 21 preferably fixed within the cas ing and insulated therefrom and a pivotally mounted blade 22 adapted to make or break the circuit with the contact 21. The blade 22 is normally held in contact with the mem ber 21 as by a spring 23, but when the locking member 13 is depressed in order to lock the slide bars 18, the blade 22 is swung clear of the contact 21 as by a wire or other suitable connection 2 L extending from blade 22 through a small aperture 101 in the casing to the lower portion of the locking memher 13. l/Vhen the member 13 is allowed to rise, the spring 23 pulls the blade 22 into contact with the member 21, thus closing the ignition circuit. In order to permit access to the inside of the'housing 11 for repairing or replacing the parts contained therein, a removable plate is preferably mounted in its side. This plate is indicated clearly in Figure 2, but is omitted from Figure 1 in order 7 to avoid congestion of details on a small scale. As shown in Figure, 2, the swinging end 26 of the blade 22 is made in a hook shape and is adapted to act as a latch to engage a catch 27 on the plate 25, thus preventing the opening of the plate 25 while the transmission is locked. The plate 25 may be mounted in its place in any suitable manner. As shown it is hinged as at 28 so as to swing outwardly; I

Another embodiment of my invention is illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and =6. In this form, the locking lug 16 is formed on a lever 29 which is pivotally mounted as at 30. A spring 31 may be provided to hold the lever 29 normally in unlocked position. As shown in Figure 3, the major portion of the lever 29 is so shapedas to be inclined with respect to the horizontal whenin unlocked position.

Positioned closely above this inclined portion is a similarly inclined disk 32, the lower 7 faceof which exerts a cam action by engaging the vupper surface of the member 29 directly, or engaging a roller 33 set into its face to minimize friction. Tho inclined disk 32 is secured to or made integral with a vertical stem. 34 which extends upwardly through the guide member 12 and may be turned by a key 35.. As will be seen from Figure 3, turning'the stem 34 and the attached disk 32 from the angular position there shown will result in the depression of the member 29 and the locking lug 16 carried thereby, so as to cause the lug 1G to enter into recesses 17 and to lock the slide bars 18 in any of the positions illustrated in Figures 6 to 10. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that many other shapes and types of cams or equivalent mechanismcan be employed topress the lever 29into locking position, the structure shown in Figure 3 being merely by way of illustration.

Enclosed in the guide or casing 12 are two contact points 36, 37, forming part of the ignition circuit of the motor and suitably insulated from the housing. When this mechanism is used, the usual dashboard ignition switch may be dispensed with altogether, the ignition being controlled from the switch comprising the contacts 36 and 37. The upper contact 36 is preferably made of a spring material and is normally separated from the contact member 37 unless pressed thereagainst by the lower end of'the' key 35. By this construction, the removal of the key 35 automatically allows the contact member 36 to separate from the contact 37 and open the ignition circuit, thus stopping the motor. Instead of the contacts 36 and 37, which are held together by the key 35, I may secure one contact 370 to the housing 12 as shown in Figure 5,and mount anotherv contact 360 to turn with thestem 34,'so that the contacts 360 and 37 0 will engage when the lever 29 is in unlocked position,=and will be separated when the lever 29 is in looking position. Thus the turning of the key to lock the transmission also opens the ignition circuit, and

- the motor cannot thereafter be started until the transmission has been unlocked.

The key 35 is preferably provided with a notch 38 which engages a complementary flange in a manner well known in the lock making art, so as to prevent the removal of the key from the lock unless it is in such a position that the lugs 16 are in lockingengagement with recesses 17. The construction of the lock is not shown in detail, except for three plungers 39 which prevent the rotation of the movable portion 40 unless the proper key is inserted therein. Any suitable variety of lock may be used. The position illustrated in Figure 3 shows the key in place,

the transmission mechanism unlocked, and e the ignition circuit closed. Turning the key 180 degrees from this position will cause the lug 16 to enter into locking engagement with recesses 17 and will place the key in a position to be removed from the lock. Removal therefrom will open the ignition circuit. This construction therefore automatically necessitates the stopping of the motor when the transmission is locked and also prevents the operation of the motor until the trans mission slide rods are released. By this con? struction also it isimpossible to take an automobile out leaving the key behind since the key must be in position when the car is operated.

In order to permit access to the interior of the housing 12 for repairs or adjustments of the ignition switch, I may provide-a removable plate 41 as indicated in Figures 4 and 5. This plate may be locked in position as by a catch 42 which is engaged by a latch 43 mounted on the stem 34 tov be turned therewith so that when the car is locked, the latch 43 is engaged with the catch 42, thus preventing the removal of the plate 41.

As shown in Figure 3, the housing, 12 opens into the casing 10 with a large aperture. In order to avoid slashing if oil from the transmission case 10 into the housing 12, I provide a closure 44 which may be in the form of a disk adjustably secured to the stem 34 and of a size to lap, over the opening into the housing 12, or the disk may be smaller to fit closely within the housing 12, in which case it will be secured higher up on the stem 34. Instead ofa disk to turn with the stem 34, I may provide a partition forming a part of the casing 10, as in Figures 1 and 2, with an aperture just large enough to permit the stem 34 to pass therethrough and turn freely.

Having thus described embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and further modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an automobile ignition circuit and transmission mechanism having gear shifter rods, a lock adapted to receive a key, means actuable by the insertion of said key in said lock to close the ignition circuit, and means actuable by turning said key in said lock to secure the shifter rods selectively in any position.

2. In an automobile, an ignition circuit and a gear-shifting mechanism including shifter rods, in combination, a device movable to lock said shifter rods selectively in any of their positions, means actuable to move said locking device into locking position, and a switch engageable by said means to close said ignition circuit.

3. In an automobile, a housing, a transmission mechanism therein including gear shifter rods, a lever pivotally mounted within said housing and movable to lock said shifter rods selectively in any of their positions, a spring normally holding said lever out of engagement with said shifter rods, and cam means engaging said lever and manually actuable to move said lever positively into locking position.

4:. In an automobile having an ignition circuit and a transmission mechanism including gear shifter rods, in combination, a housing over said shifter rods having a hollow extension projecting upwardly, a shaft extending upwardly within said housing extension, a lock-barrel having a recess for a key extending therethrough secured to the upper end of said shaft, a splash-plate secured to said shaft at the lower end of said housing extension, a circular cam plate secured on the lower end of said shaft, a lever within said housing movable by said cam plate to lock said shifter rods selectively in any of their positions, a spring attached to said lever normally holding the lever out of locking position, and a pair of spring contact points connected in said ignition circuit and located within said housing extension in line with the recess in said lock-barrel and adjacent thereto, whereby the end of a key inserted in said lock-barrel connects said contact points and closes the ignition circuit.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my sig nature.

EDGAR J. MARTEL.

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