US2001601A - Lock key - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1935. 1.. E. DEUTSCH 501 LOCK KEY Filed June 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 14, 1935. 1.. DEUTSCH 2,001,601

LOCK KEY I Filed June 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .60 Zffleuisciv ATTOR N EY Patented May 14, 1935 2,001,601

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 2,001,601 'Lo'oK KEY Leo E. Deutsch, Hammond, Ind.- Application June 25, 1934, Serial No. 732,345 6 Claims. (Cl. 70---9) The invention relates to a lock key and more automatic in its working under the permutatio especially to a permutation key for locks of permechanism thereof, and inexpensive to manufacmutation kind. ture. I

The primary object of the invention is the pro- With these and other objects in view, the invenvision of a key of this character, wherein the tionconsists in the features of construction, come 5 permutation parts are confined within the body bination and arrangement of parts as will be of the key and are automatically operated for hereinafter more fully described in detail, illusthe setting of the permutation mechanism to eftrated in the accompanying drawings, whi h feet the locking and unlocking of a permutation close the preferred embodiment of the invention,

lock of a construction forming the subject matter and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended. 10

of an application for United States Letters Pat- In the accompanying drawings: ent filed June 25, 1934 and serially numbered Figure 1 is a perspective view of a permutation 7 3 4; key constructed in accordance with the invention.

Another object of theinvention is the provi- Figure 2 is a top plan view. sion of a key of this character, wherein the per- Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of 15 mutation mechanism is readily changeable Figure 2. v V I through the use of an implement manually ac- Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through tuated and without requiring the removal of the key.

any parts of the mechanism from the key, so that Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of said mechanism can be set in conformity with Figure 3. 20

the permutation mechanism of the lock for the Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view actuation thereof in the use of the key, it being through a lock constituting the subject matter of obvious that in the event of the loss of a key of this an application for United States Letters Patent kind, another key of the same type may be borserially numbered 732,344 and showing the key rowed from its possessor and the permutation inserted within the lock for its actuation. mechanism thereof alteredorchangedinconform- Figure '7 is an enlarged end view of the key. ity with the setting of the lost key and. thus ena- Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical transverse secbling alock to be operated as controlled by the lost tional View through the key, taken on the line key and thereafter such borrowed key can be 8--8 of Figure 4.

' further altered or changed before return to the Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9 -9 30 rightful owner thereof. and thereby avoiding any of Figure 4. possibility of recognition of the true combination Figure 10 is a perspective View of the actuator of the lock operable by such lost key. slide of the key. v

A still further object of the invention is the pro- Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view vision of a key of this character, wherein an unof one of the tumblers of the permutation mechalimited variation of combinations can be had and nism of the key. the changing from one combination to the other Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view is obtainable with dispatch and without dismanof the operating plunger for the automatic action tling the key and its mechanism contained within of the permutation mechanism of the key.

40 the'body thereof, the permutation mechanism of Similar reference characters indicate correthe key being automatically set to the combinasponding parts throughout the-several views in tion of a lock for the operation of the latter in the drawings. the use of the key. Referring to the drawings in detail, the key A still further obj ect of the invention is the procomprises a two-part body I0, preferably longi- 4 5 vision of a key of this kind, wherein the permutudinally separable, and these two parts are tation mechanism includes parts which are silent interfitted with each other and held connected by in movement and are slidably arranged within the a rivet or fastener l I passed transversely through body of the key, thus there being no liability of the head end ll of said key. The bit end l3 of derangement or irregularity in the working of the the key body has a pair of rows of spaced holes key, that is to say, in the actuation of its permutal4 communicating with a chamber l5 within the 50 tion mechanism. I t Y body Ill and adapted to be projected through A still further object of the invention is the prothese holes 14 is a series of tumblers [6, these vision of a key of this character which is extremebeing arrangedin groups at opposite sides of 1y simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and an actuator slide l1 working within the cham effective in its purpose, compact, strong, durable, ber 15 in the body In. Each tumbler It carries a segment l8 alternately engageable by the turning of the tumbler with notches l9 and 20, respectively, in the said slide and inner faces of the body l0.

Each tumbler, at its outer end, is formed with a wrench-engaging socket or an implement-receiving socket 2| for the turning of said tumbler to change the position of the segment I8 either engaged with the slide l1 or with the body I 0 of the key and thus controlling the actuation of such tumbler. A suitable wrench or implement is engaged in the socket 2| for the turning of the respective tumblers in the key and thereby altering the permutation or combination of the key.

The slide I! has connected with it a coiled rectractile spring 22 which is also attached internally of the body l0 and this spring functions to normally hold the slide retracted within the body ID of the key for maintaining said slide under tension.

Pivoted within the chamber l5 inwardly of the Slide I! when in normal retracted position is an actuator cam 23, it being operated upon by an actuator plunger 24 slidablyfitted within the body l0 and exposed throughthe opening 25 in the bit end of the key. This plunger is operated upon by an abutment 26 within the keyway 21 in the turning barrel 28 of the lock 29, the latter constituting the subject matter of an application for United States Letters Patent serially V numbered 732,344, so that the said plunger 24 will be shifted to operate the 'slide I! which controls the projecting of selected tumblers l6 beyond the bit end I 3* of the key and these projected tumblers cooperate with actuators 300i the permutation mechanism of the lock 29 for the operation of said lock.

Arranged between the rows of tumblers l6 and active upon flat faced portions 3| of said tumblers are retainers 32 to hold the respective tumblers l6 when turned to change the position of the segments l8 upon the tumblers and these retainers are tensioned through a zigzag-shaped spring 33 interposed between the retainers, as is clearly shown in Figure 9 of the drawings. Thus it should be apparent that the tumblers l6 cannot become 1 accidentally deranged when the same have been turned manually for the alteration or changing of the permutation of the key.

The spring 22 connected with the slide I'I operates to return the permutation parts of the key to normalcy when the said key is removed from the lock 29 and this should be apparent. The key, by reason of the arrangement and construction of the permutation mechanism therof, assures easy alteration or changing of the permutation of said key and the combination or permutation parts can be readily actuated manually for the changing feature without requiring a disassembling of the parts or the separation'of the two sections of the body ID of the key.

The permutation mechanism operates silently within the body ID of the key and it is impossible to detect by sound the action characteristics of the permutation mechanism, so that an unauthorized user of the key can gain knowledge audibly of the set-up of the combination of th key.

It will be noted that when the tumblers l6 of the groups or rows have been selectively turned to engage with the slide l1, these selected tumblers are the actuating ones for the permutation said means to normalcy on mechanism of the lock 29 for the operation of the same.

The plunger 24 is in the prime mover of the permutation mechanism of the key and the same is automatically moved by the abutment 26 within the lock 29, this abutment being disposed in the path of the plunger 24 when the key is inserted in the keyway 21 in said lock.

What is claimed is:

1. A lock key comprising a body having a bit portion provided with end openings, a plurality of permutation tumblers aranged within the bit portion and adapted for projection through the end openings, means automatically operated on r the insertion of the key in a lock to selectively project certain of the tumblers for operation of the lock, and means for eiiecting the changing of the permutation action of the tumblers.

2. A key of the kind described comprising a body, permutation mechanism confined Within the body and alterable at one end of said body without disassembling the body, and an actuator plunger for automatically setting the permuta tion mechanism within the body on the insertion of the key in a lock.

3. A key of the kind described comprising a body, slidabletumblers fitting within the body, an actuating slide within the body, means on the tumblers for selectively engaging the same with the slide and the body to render certain of the tumblers active and the others passive, and means automatically actuating the slide to move the selected tumblers when the body is inserted in a lock for the operation of the look by said selected tumblers; V

.4. A key of the kind described comprising a body, s idable tumblers fitting within the body, an actuating slide within the body, means on the tumblers for selectively engaging the same with the slide and the body to render certain of the tumblers active and the others passive, means automatically actuating the slide to move the selected tumblers when the body is inserted in a lock for the operation of the lock by said selected tumblers, and means within the body and connected with the slide to return said slide and extracting the key from a lock.

5. A key of the kind described comprising a body, slidable tumblers fitting within the body, an actuating slide within the body, means on the tumblers for selectively engaging the same with the slide and the body to render certain of the tumblers active and the others passive, means automatically actuating the slide to move the selected tumblers when the body is inserted in a lock for theoperation of the look by said selected tumblers, means within the body and connected with the slide to return said slide and said means to normalcy on extracting the key from a lock, and means within the body to hold the tumblers when adjusted in their selected positions.

6. A key of the kind described comprising a body, slidable tumblers fitting within the body, an actuating slide within the body, means on the tumblers for selectively engaging the same with the slide and the body to render certain of the tumblers active and the others passive, and a within a lock.

LEO .E, DEUTSCH.

70 M CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,001,601. May 1h, 1955.

LEO E. DEU'I'SCH- It is hereby certified that the above numbered patent was erroneously issued to the inventor, said "Deutsch" whereas said patent should have been issued to Marshall William Deutsch, of Hammond, Indiana, as assignee 0f the entire interest in said invention, as shown by the record of assignments in this office; ani that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with this correction therein that the same' may confonn to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of July, A.D. 1958.

I Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Connnissioner of Patents.

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