US2016687A - Lock - Google Patents

Description

@ct-8, 1935, l A, L. SPRECKER 296%,687

LOCK

Filed Deo. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l xllll @et 8, 1935. A l SPRECKER Y Zfm? LOCK Filed Deo. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 FIG4 25 l l l *z` {il} W Z7 'W 'y l 8 l 35 u 39/"| IT.

A'll'l'oRNEY Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCK Application December 28, 1932, Serial No. 649,123

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in recording locks such as shown in the patent to Bush, 1,611,579.

Recording locks of various kinds are old in the art and with the advent of the chain store systems wherein widely scattered units are operated under the direction of local managers, it has been necessary to formulate various methods of supervision from the general headquarters, partv of which is the problem of supervising the operating or working hours of the store. For this purpose recording locks have been widely used. Experience and changing conditions have found that the mere recording of unlocking and locking a door has not provided adequate safeguards to satisfy the users of such devices. Numerous instances have occurred in which the person closing the store has been waylaid on his way home, held prisoner for an hour or two, and dispossessed of his keys for that period while his assailants have entered the store and rifled it at their leisure. To further obstruct such practices, it has been found desirable to provide the person who closes the store with a key which will only lock the door but which is incapable of unlocking it. The unlocking function is entrusted to another person responsible for opening the store in the morning. By further making it impossible to lock the door with the key which can unlock it and by placing the responsibility attending the stewardship of said keys in the hands of two separate persons, the risk of unauthorized entry by the employees themselves is greatly lessened. In this case, such practice could only be brought about by collusion between two people, which increases the risk between the persons contemplating such vaction and accordingly decreases the risk to the employer.

The general object, accordingly, is the provision of a lock having different keys to throw the bolt into locking position only, whereas otherkeys may Withdraw the bolt from locking position only.

Another object is the provision of electrical contacts manipulable by keys for preventing the locking or the unlocking of the lock under certain conditions.v

Further objects and advantages will be hereinafter pointed out in more detail in the accompanying specification and claims and shown in the drawings, which by way of exemplification show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of the lower part or bolt section of the lock.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the interlocking mechanism and is similar to the part shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detailed View of a section taken on line ll-d of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section of the key cylinder and interlocking contacts with the key extended clear into the cylinder.

Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram of the interlocking circuit.

In view of the complete disclosure of the recording and timing mechanism shown in the patent to Bush, 1,611,579, dated December 21, 1926, it is believed unnecessary for the sake of simplicity to show or describe further this part of the lock as it plays no part in the present lnvention. The lower or bolt section and interlocking section of the lock shown in Fig. 1 is substantially the` same as that shown in the prior patent to Bush with slight changes in the shape of some of the parts and with additional improvements which constitute the present invention.

The bolt and lock mechanism is of conventional form including a tumblerl barrel 2U (Figs. 4 and 5) with provision for receiving key 2l of the Yale lock type, and having a bolt 35 that is actuated in the usual manner such that by turning the key in the barrel clockwise the bolt 35 can be withdrawn to unlocked position and locking may be eiected by turning the key reversely. Slidably fitted. in the barrel 26, but xed against rotation therewith, is a key 22 which, in operation, is fixedly secured in a combination bolt actuating barrel and key-bolt selecting device 23. Different keys 2| have shank portions 2la of different lengths, and in this way are adapted to differentially displace the part 22 and therethrough displace the bolt selector barrel 23 inward when diiferent keys are inserted in the lock. 'I'he barrel 23 is normally urged toward the key section by means of a blade spring 24'. Mounted on an insulating block 2l, which is mounted on the member 21a suitably iiXed to the base of the machine, are blade spring contacts 25 and 26 (Fig. l). This set of blade spring contacts comprises three blade springs each carrying contacts. The blade spring contacts 25 comprise contacts 28 and 29 on each of the two outer blade springs and contacts 36 on the middle blade spring (Figs. 2 and 5). Contacts 28 and 30 are normally closed as shown'in Fig. 2 with the contacts 28 and 29 open. Upon the insertion of certain keys, to be explained later, the contacts 28 and 3D are opened and 29 and 30 are closed as shown in Fig. 5. Fixed to the middle blade spring carrying the contact 3|! is an extended member 3|a of suitable insulating material disposed in the path of deflection of the blade spring 24. The contact blades 23 comprise twoy contacts 3| and 32 on the two outer blades (see Fig. 4) and contacts 33 on the middle blade. The middle blade is extended at an angle beyond the contacts and has fixed at its end an insulated block 34 which rests against one side of the bolt 35 and which has one end chamfered toact as a camming surface.

When the bolt is thrown in locked position as shown in Fig. 4 contacts 3| and 33 are closed. When the bolt 35 is thrown to the right as viewed in Fig. 4, namely to its unlocked position, the insulating member 34 rides up over the wide section of the bolt 35 causing contacts 3| and 33 to open and contacts 33 and 32 to close.

As previously explained diierent keys having different length shanks displace the barrel 23 inwardly to diierential extents, the barrel 23 (Figs. 2 and 4) is cut away or enlarged at one side as shown at 38 and is also provided with a plurality of peripheral semi-circular shoulder stops 39. The purpose of these stops is to differentially move a member i9 in accordancev with the particular stop that the member is coacting with at the time the barrel 23 is turned, to displace a type sector not shown which bears the identifying parts of the key. The key is identified by the length of the shank which determines the displacement of the cylinder and thereby selects by such displacement the particular stop 39 that is to engage the member 63. This is all fully disclosed and described in the patent to Bush previously mentioned. On the end of the barrel 23 is a cylindrical extension 4i which is journaled in a member 32 to permit both rotational and axial movement. The spring blade 24 presses against its member 4| and therefore biases the cylinder 23 toward the key section or toward the right as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, always leaving the cylinder 23 in the home position as shown in Fig. 2 when no key is inserted or when the shank on the key 2| is not suiiciently long to press the key 22 to the left and move cylinder 23 to the left as previously described. In the present embodiment it is contemplated that four keys will be used which keys Will be designated A, B, C, and D. The shank on each of the keys differ in length from each other as previously described to correctly identify the key which is being used. The insulated member 3a attached to the spring blade carrying contact 30 is so positioned relatively to the spring blade 24| that the `displacement of the cylinder 23 by either of the. keys A or B is not sucient to displace the contacts 33 and therefore cause the contacts 3i! and 28 to be opened.

The length of the Shanks 2id on the keys C and D, however, are sufficient when inserted to displace the cylinder 23 so that the member 4| displaces the spring blade 2li sufficiently to abut the insulated member 3|a and move the contact 33 into contact with the contact 29, thus closing contacts 29 and 30 and opening contacts 28 and 30. The. contacts 28, 29, 30, 3|, 32, and 33 are interrelated in a circuit shown in Fig. 6 in such manner that keys A and B will move the bolt into locking position, but will not withdraw it, whereas keys C and D will move the bolt from the locked position into the unlocked position but will not move it in the reverse direction. The circuit for effecting this condition will be described later.

To prevent the movement of the bolt in one direction or another according to the selection of the keys requires an interlocking arrangement which will now be described.

To actuate the bolt 35, the barrel 23 has keyed to it a member 45 (Figs. 2 and 5) having a lug 46 integral with it Which is adapted to engage a notch in an aperture 4l of the bolt 35, so that when the cylinder 23 is turned and therefore the member 45 the bolt 35 is found to be slid in accordance with the movement of the lug 4l. For the purpose of locking this bolt from operation by certain selected keys, the member l5 is provided with a locking ratchet disk 48 carrying shoulders or teeth 49 (see Fig. 3). Arranged to operate with these teeth but normally out of cooperation therewith there is an interlocking pawl 5i] which is suitably connected to the armature of an interlocking magnet 5 Upon the energize.- tion of this magnet, as shown in Fig. 3, the pawl 53 is rocked into such position that it will be adapted to engage the teeth 49 and thereby prevent the complete rotation of member 45, otherwise stated, said interlocking device permits partial rotation of the member 55, but prevents such extent of rotation as is necessary to advance or retract the bolt 35.

The initial rotation of the member 45 is utilized for eiecting the closure of a pair of contacts 52 which are in circuit with the contacts controlled by the selective keys and by the sliding bolt to thereby supply the magnet 5| with energy under the proper selective set-up only upon actuation of the said member 45. In'this way, the current is utilized only at such times when there is an attempted manipulation of the bolt.

For effecting closure of the contacts 52, a cam member 53 is provided on member 45 (see Figs. 2 and 3). This cam is provided with two indentations 32 and 54. Cooperating with said cam 53 is a pivoted contact actuating lever 54, the upper end of which bears against the cam, being normally so urged in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot by the natural spring action of one of the blade springs of the contact 52 which bears against an insulated member fixed to the lower end of said lever (see Fig. 3), In its normal position, the indentation 52 of the cam 53 is adjacent the upper end of lever 54 so that the contacts 52 remain normally open as shown in Fig. 1. The contacts 52 also open when the indentation 64 passes the end of lever 54 to prevent locking the cylinder in a partially turned position as will be explained later.

Referring now to the circuit diagram, 6B designates a suitable source of current. The selective interlocking circuit 6| includes the contacts 23, 29, 30, 3|, 32, and 33, which are the selective contacts, the interlocking contacts 52, and interlocking magnet 5|. The selective contacts 28 and 30 are normally in the position shown in the diagram, the selective contacts 3| and 33, shown closed in the diagram, are in the positions which these contacts take when the bolt 35 is in its locked position. When the bolt is in the unlocked position, contacts 32 and 33 are closed and contacts 33 and 3| are open.

The lengths of the shank 2|a on the keys 2| are such that keys A and B will not affect contacts 39 and 28, but leave them closed in their normal position as shown, Whereas the lengths of the shanks on the keys C and D are such that they will move the contacts 30 to the left as viewed in Fig. 6, opening contacts 28 and 30 and closing contacts 29 and 33. Now for example, let it be supposed that the bolt is thrown in its locking position, contacts 33 and 3| are closed. Let it be CIK further supposed that the holder of keys A or B endeavor to unlock or withdraw the bolt. When either of these keys are inserted in the lock, the position of the contacts 28 and 30 remain as shown in Fig. 6. The key is now turned in an effort to Withdraw the bolt and the member 45 therefore is turned, turning with it the cam member 53 which cams the pivoted contact member 54 in a clockwise 'direction closing contacts 52. As soon as contact 52 closes current flows from the source of supply 6B through line 6|, contacts 33 and 3|, contacts 28 and 30, contact 52, interlock magnet 5|, back to the source of supply. The magnet 5| now being energized, attracts its armature and throws the interlocking pawl into cooperation with the locking disk 48 so that upon a slight further turning of the barrel the shoulders 49 abut the interlocking pawl and prevent further rotation of the key which in turn prevents the withdrawal of the bolt.

Let it now be assumed that keys' C or D are utilized for the purpose of withdrawing the bolt from the locking position. Upon the insertion of either of these keys, contacts 28 and 30 are opened, thus breaking the circuit, as contacts 33 and 3| do not change. Thus, when the key cylinder is turned and the interlockingr contact 52 closes as previously described, no circuit will be completed through the magnets 5i due to the opening of contacts: 23 and Sii and therefore the interlocking pawl will not be brought into cooperation with the interlock disk 48 or the locking shoulders 45 to prevent the completion of the rotation of the cylinder, thus permitting the bolt to be withdrawn.

During the last portion of the travel of the bolt 35 inwardly, the insulating member 34 is cammed up on the broad part of the bolt closing contacts 32 and 33 but at this time the indentation 54 of the cam 53 is opposite the end of the contact lever 54 so that the contact 52 opens and prevents the energization of magnet 5| until the second shoulder 49 has past the locking pawl 5i). As the member 45 continues to turn the contacts 52 again close and now complete a circuit to energize magnet 5|, but the locking of the bolt will not now be effected as both shoulders 49 have past the locking pawl. When the full 360 rotation of member 45 has been completed, said member is again in home position and contact 52' opened rby its natural spring tension. When the keys C or D are Withdrawn, contacts 28 and 35 will resume their normally closed condition, as shown in Fig. 6 with contacts 32 and 33 now remaining closed.

It will now be seen that if the keys C or D are used in an attempt to now throw the bolt 35 into locking position, they will close contacts 29 and 3!) and with contacts 32 and 33 already closed, the turning of the key barrel effecting closure of the nterlocked contacts 52 will immediately energize the interlock magnets 5| and close the interlocking pawl 52 against the locking ratchet 48 in the path of the locking shoulders 49 to prevent a complete turning of the key cylinder, whereas if the key A or B is used contacts 29 and 35 will not be closed and the circuit will not be established through the interlock magnets 5| as before. Thus, permitting keys A and B to throw the bolt into locking position only and the keys C and D to throw the bolt from the locked position to the unlocked position only.

While the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modication have been shown and described and pointed out, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend to be limited therefore only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A lock comprising a bolt structure, key receiving means for operating said bolt structure and means operable by the insertion of a certain key in the key receiving means for rendering the operation of the bolt in one direction only by the vkey receiving means.

2. A lock comprising a bolt, key operated means for operating said bolt, selective means positioned in accordance with the position of the bolt, other selective means positioned by insertion of a key in the look, and interlocking means controlled by the conjoint position of both selectedmeans for rendering the bolt operable under control of certain keys and inoperable under control of other keys.

3. A lock comprising a bolt, key operated means foroperating said bolt, a plurality of contacts positioned in accordance with the position of the bolt, a plurality of other contacts positioned in accordance with a key inserted into the key operated means and interlocking means operated in accordance with the conjoint position of all contacts for determining whether an inserted key shall control the operation of the lock.

4. A lock comprising a bolt movable under control of certain keys to locked position only and under control of certain other keys to unlocked position only, and means other than the lock itself controlled by the position of the bolt for determining which of the two mentioned types of keys may effect operation of the bolt.

5. A lock comprising a locking element, means operated by said element, key operated means and means controlled conjointly by the operation o1 both the previously mentioned means for determining the operation of the lock.

ALFRED L. SPRECKER.

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