US2087914A - Combination lock - Google Patents

Description

July 27,1937. LRGKETNER 2,087,914

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1935 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 Fig.1. .20 Fig.3.

. I Inventor Lou/s flUl. GEO/76 KETNER July 27, 1937. P. G. KETNER COMBINATION LOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' Fig.6.

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hzlzr /3 4 2 Inventor Lou/s PHUL GEORGE KE TNEH B W 2 n 2 2 July 27, 1937. L. P. G. KETNER 2,087,914

' -}COMBINATION LOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet s Lou/s PHUL. 6509s KETNER 'WFW/gf rk Patented July 27, 1937 Application November 15, 1935, Serial No. 49,890 In Denmark July 13, 1935 i 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in combination locks of the kind in which a number of locking members, shaped as cylinders, balls or other suitable shape, and, prior to the lock being opened, have been moved by adjustable units,

the adjustment of which must be previously known by the person opening the lock.

The distinguishing-feature of the present invention consists mainly in that the units, which serve to move the locking members in their bearings, when it is attempted after such adjustment to approach the said units to the locking members or, vice versa, for the purpose of moving the locking members in their bearings and to open the lock, are blocked and held in their position during the further motion of the lock parts, no matter whether the adjustment of the units serving to move the locking members in their bearings be correct or not. By this blocking of the adjustable units the advantage is attained in that the lock is rendered insensitive, i. e. that it will be impossible, during the motion of the parts, when it is attempted to open the lock, to feel what adjustable units are actuating the corresponding locking members and what units are not doing so.

The invention relates further to various details of the lock, such as the connection between the locking members and the latch bolt proper of the lock, and arrangements causing the blocking of the adjustable units, the displacement of the locking members and the opening of the lock to be effected by the manipulation of one and the same handle or key.

The lock may be used as a bicycle lock as well as for locking of doors, closets, drawers and the like.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which embody two constructions of a lock used as a bicycle lock,

Figure 1 showing a lock viewed from the rear with the rearmost cover plate of the lock casing removed,

Figure 2 a section along the line IIII in Figure 1,

Figure 3 a section along the line III-III in Figure 1,

Figure 4 a detail of the lock, in top view,

Figure 5 the same in rear elevation,

Figure 6 another construction of the lock, viewed from behind, in the locked position,

Figure 7 the same in open position with a cover plate removed containing a spring case, and

Figure 8 a section along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detached perspective of two assembled-rails and related parts.

Figure 10 is a perspective View of a detached blocking member.

Figure 11 is an elevation of a blocking member shown in assembled relation with reference to the rails illustrated in Figure 9, and shown also in Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 12 is a broken perspective view illustrating the cooperating ends of a latch bolt and locking bolt.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of certain of the operating parts of the mechanism shown in Figures 6 to 8.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of part of the lock operating mechanism illustrated in Figures 6 to 8, and viewed from the right hand side of Figure 8.

Figure 15 is a perspective View of a detached plate forming part of the mechanism of the second modification of the invention, and

Figure 16 is a sectional view of a bicycle lock, partly in section, the latch of which may be controlled by the mechanism of either form of the combination lock illustrated in the preceding figures.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, l is a U-shaped rail, supporting spring-loaded locking members 3 in holes 2, which rail, when the locking members are raised somewhat against the spring pressure, 0

slides in its longitudinal direction in another U- shaped rail 4, the lower flange of which is fitted with holes corresponding to the holes 2 for the locking members 3, which project into these holes when the lock is in its locking position, as shown in the drawings. The rail 4 can slide in the vertical direction of the lock in a couple of incisions 5 on two side members i fixed in the lock casing, and during such motion the rail 6 will take along the rail 5 which, as mentioned above, is so guided in the rail 4 that it can slide sideways therein, but on the contrary will be prevented from sliding in the vertical direction of the lock. In Figs. 9 and 11, the rail i is shown as provided with lugs la which project into elongated slots to of the rail '3, which enable the rail l to move longitudinally but not vertically with respect to rail 4-. One of the lugs to may be connected to a spring a: Which tends to move the rail l to the right as viewed in Fig. 11.

The rail 4 also supports, besides the rail I, a blocking device 8 for a number of slidingunits or keys 9 hereafter referred to. The blocking device is shown in detached relation in Fig. 10. In the construction described, the blocking device is formed as a plate extending throughout the entire width of the lock and guided on the rail 2 by a lug 3a or the like which projects into a recess 3b in the rail (see Figs. 9 and 11) so that it can be raised slightly against the pressure from a V- shaped spring it, in such a. manner that the rail 5, when lowered, will carry the plate 8 along, but only until this plate meets a resistance, after which the rail is lowered against the pressure from the spring IE3, while the plate 8 is maintained in position. If desired, the blocking plate 8 may have end projections or ears 80 as shown in Figs. 2 and 11, which are guided in slots 81) in side pieces '5. In the lock casing B, a plurality of sliding units or keys 9 are provided, one below each locking member, each unit 9 being fitted with a tooth H and a finger grip i2. When the units a, by means of the finger grips l2, are moved into position all the teeth ll come opposite the corresponding locking members, and the teeth II will move the said members in their bearings, when the keys 9 andthe rail #3 supporting the rail l with the locking members 3 are moved towards one another. .In the drawings six keys are shown, but may of course be varied as desired, and the teeth ii are displaced relatively to one another on their keys so that a predetermined number of the teeth ll, when these keys are moved to their normal position, i. e. the position in which all the finger grips 12 are on a straight line, must be moved in order that all the teeth ll provided on the keys 9 come opposite their corresponding locking members 3.

The keys 9 are fitted, at the bottom, with notches or incisions it, the sides of which co-operate with inclined edges i on a rail it adapted to slide in the lateral direction of the lock.

The sliding keys 9 are further fitted with notch- 7 es or incisions it, the number of which is the same for all the keys, and corresponds to the number of positions the keys occupy when all the teeth It are opposite the locking members. Three positions are provided for the keys, as shown by Figure 3, and consequently each key is fitted with three incisions it. These incisions co-operate with the plate-shaped blocking device 8, and serve thereby to maintain the sliding keys in the pcsition given them when an attempt is made to open the lock.

Between the side pieces 1 a rail l! is provided in which a cam disc 68 is journalled, which can be rotated by means of a handle or a key E9. The disc l8 co-operates with the top'surface of the rail 4- in such a manner that by a rotation of the handle or key it in the direction indicated by the arrow 2% in Figure 1, the said disc will depress this rail against the pressure of the springs Z, (see Fig. l), which are adapted to constantly maintain the rail i pressed against the lower edge of the disc l8, and also with a lug 2! on a. locking bolt 22, which is adapted to slide in the vertical direction of the lock, and is depressed by a spring, such as a spring 25 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 disposed between the hook 2l of the latch bolt 22 and the adjacent upper flange of the casing cover 6w whereby the hook 2i is constantly pressed against the top edge of the disc It. If desired, the spring Y shown in Figure 9 may be substituted for springs Z, illustrated in Fig. l. The locking bolt 22 is fitted, at the bottom, with a lug 23 cooperating with a lug or the like on a latch bolt 24 of the lock (See Fig. 12) In the construction of the lock shown in the drawings, this lug is formed by one side of a flange or bend on the latch bolt, and the other side of this bend co-operates with a lug 25 on a rail 26 adapted to slide in the lateral direction of the lock and pulled towards the left side of the look by means of a, spring 21 (see Fig. 5).

The rail 26 is connected, by means of a spring 28, to the notched rail H5, in such a manner that the rail 26, when movedtothe right against the resistance from the spring 2'! will take the notched rail [5 along, although this rail can constantly be pushed to the left against the resistance from the spring 28.

The lock operates in the following manner:

When the lock is closed, the parts are occupying the positions shown in Figures 1 to 5, and the keys standing opposite the notches in the rail IS, the said rail being moved out to its extreme position, to the right on the drawings, by the latch bolt 2d, the lug 25, the rail 26 and the spring 28. The keys are now moved into the positions desired. Subsequently, the handle or the key I9 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow 26, whereby the rail 4 with the rail I and the blocking device 8 are moved downward, and the blocking plate 3 will then move down into one set of the notches H6 in the keys i2 and block these keys. If the key 19 is turned further, the rail 4 will be moved towards the teeth H, and if the keys have been adjusted properly so that all the teeth are opposite the locking members, then the teeth I i will lift the said members up from their holes in the rail 4, and consequently the rail I Will then be moved in this position. The disc is circular on part of its upper edge corresponding to this rotation, in such a manner that the lug 2| will not yet be actuated. But owing to the further shape of the disc, the further rotation of the disc against the pressure from the spring 2| causes the lug 2i and, consequently, the locking bolt 22 to be lifted, and an oblique edge 30 of an incision 29' provided in the locking bolt 22 will actuate; a lug 31 provided on the rail l and move the latter, in such a manner that the looking bolt can be raised to an extent that the lug 23 atthe bottom of the bolt will become free of the latch bolt 2% of the lock, and by the action of a spring (not shown) the latch will be withdrawn in known manner, and thereby the lock will be opened. At the same time, the lug 25 on the rail 26 will be released from the latch bolt,

and by means of the spring 21 the rail 26 will be withdrawn, 1. e. towards the left on the drawings, and will take the notched rail l5 along, the oblique edges M of the latter co-ope-rating with the edges it on the keys 9 and returning the said keys to their normal position, and maintaining them in this position, until the lock is closed again. As long as the lock is open, the bolt 22 will be resting on the latch bolt under pressure exerted by the spring 2 l mentioned above. The lock is closed in known manner by moving the latch bolt forward by means of a handle 24a (see Fig. 16) or the like provided on the latch bolt. The latch bolt is moved forward to an extent that the'above mentioned bend or flange on the latch has reached beyond the bolt 22, the lug 23 of which will then engage the rear side of the bend and maintain the. latch in position until the lock is opened again.

If the keys are not adjusted correctly, and when it is attempted to open the lock, the blocking device 8 will engage the notches, but a further rotation of the handle or key will merely have the effect that the teeth on the incorrectly adjusted'keys will press against the bottomsid'e of the rail 4, and the blocking of the keys will 'render it impossible to feel what keys have their teeth. ll standing opposite the corresponding locln'ng members, and what keys have their teeth ll resting on the rail 4.

The lock may be assembled in various manners. In the above described construction shown in Figures 1 to 5, the above mentioned parts, except the lock casing 6, are assembled and .then held together by means of two pairs of pins or split pins 32 and 33, the rail I! being fitted at the ends with lugs 34 adapted to be inserted through corresponding holesat the top of the side pieces 1, and with holes corresponding to the, parts 32, in which holes the said parts can be fastened. At the bottom the lock may be assembled in similarmanner, an assembling rail 36 being provided between the lower parts of the side pieces 'land fitted with lugs corresponding to the lugs 34 and passing through corresponding holes in the bottom part of the side pieces and being fitted with holes for the pins or'split pins 33. After the parts have been brought into their proper mutual positions, the pins or split pins 32 and 33 are placed in their holes in the lugs 34 and 35, respectively, and the parts thus assembled are then pressed down into a hollow portion So of the lock casing 6, which for this reason is divided into a hollow portion 6a and a cover 6b; which latter after the lock parts have been inserted into the hollow portion is attached thereto by means of screws or the like provided at suitable points, and serves to fix the parts in the lock casing by fitting tightly about'the same by means of guide strips or guide lugs.

As shown in Figure 3,therail 33 may be made U-shaped, and may serve to guide the sliding rail 26. The flange of the latter in this case is fitted with an incision 31 for the lug 25 provided on the rail 26 and projecting out through the said incision. The sliding notched rail I5 may similarly be guided in a U-shaped rail 38, the upper flange of which has incisions for the lugs l3.

s The lock may be built in the so-called Meccano style, in such a manner that a set of coordinate parts can be bought and assembled by the buyer so as to form difierent locks, the latter being varied by an interchange of the parts 9, as any combination of these parts will correspond to a new look.

Figures 6 to 8 show a modified construction of the lock described above. In this construction, a rail 56 does not support the locking members but, on the contrary a rail 59corresponding to rail 4 encloses the rail 56 and is adapted to slide in the lateral direction of the lock. The rail 56 has not a U-shaped but a quadratic or rectangular cross-section. The rail 59 is fitted with holes 51 for the locking-members 58, shaped as balls, which by springs 60 are pressed up against the central bars of a grid forming in this construction of the lock, the blocking device 8' for the sliding keys 9a, the locking members 58 projecting through holes, corresponding to the holes 2, in the rail 59 which in this construction of the lock is adapted to slide in the lateral direction of the lock. Likewise as in the construction described in connection with Figures 1 to 5, the keys 9a are fitted with teeth Ila co-operat1ng with the locking members 58. The rail 56 as well as the bars forming the grid constituting the blocking device 8' are disposed as fixed connecting links between two rails 39 adapted to slide in the vertical direction of the look, so that at the bottom they connect these rails, which at the top are connected'by a plate 40 and are lifted,

while taking along the rails 56 and 59, by the ro tation of a cam disc 4| corresponding to the disc I8 and co-operating with a lug 42 provided on the plate 49.

By means of a lug 43, disposed on the plate 40 and adapted to slide in a slot 44 in the bolt 22a, and a lug 45 provided on the bolt and adapted to slide in a slot 46 in the plate 40, the plate 49 and the bolt 22a are guided relatively to one another in such a manner that the plate 40, from the position shown in Figures '7 and 8 in which the lock is closed, can slide downwardly against the pressure from a spring 47 provided between the lugs 43 .and 45. At their upper side, the, keys 9a are fitted with projecting parts 48 which have oblique parts 49 co-operating with the plate 49, so that the said keys, when the plate 49 is moved to the bottom of the space formed between the oblique edges 49, will move all the keys into the normal position, i. e. the position in which the handles of all the keys are standing in line. The plate 40 is moved further from this position by a rotation of the disc 4| in the direction of the arrow a, efiected by means of the handle or the key I9, the said disc 41 being fitted with an incision, the outer edge 50 of which, during the rotation of the disc in this direction, co-operates with the lug 42 provided on the plate 49 and moves the plate 49 downwardly in the vertical direction of the lock, whereby the said plate, as mentioned above, returns to normal position any keys 9a which might have been displaced by an unauthorized person attempting to open thelock.

By devices not shown on the drawings and not forming any part of the invention, the bolt 22a is connected in such a manner to the latch that when the lock is closed, it will be in its uppermost position, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, but when the lock is open it will be lowered into the position shown in Figure 6 and, during this lowering will have carried along the plate 40, which con- I sequently rests on the bottom of the notch formed by the oblique notches 49. Y

As mentioned at the beginning of the description of this second construction of the lock, the blocking device 8' for the sliding keys 9a is shaped as a grid consisting of rods disposed between the two rails 39 which are free to slide in the vertical direction of the look. When the grid is moved up towards the keys, or vice versa, the teeth Ila will be forced into the spaces between the grid bars, in such a manner that the latter will take hold of the teeth, thereby preventing the keys 911 being displaced.

The rail 59 is connected, in suitable manner, to the bolt 2200 or to the latch of the lock so that the vertical motion of thebolt or, respectively, the motion of the latch from the closed to the open position of the lock will be prevented as long as the rail 59 is not displaced from the position shown in Figure '7. This displacement is effected by an oblique edge 5! on a rail 52 adapted to slide in the vertical direction of the lock and fitted with a lug 53, which by the rotation of the key [9 in the direction indicated by the arrow 1)- through an arm 54, is moved downward and by simultaneously lowering the rail 52 the oblique edge will actuate a lug 55 (see Fig. 14) provided on the rail 59, whereby the rail 59 is moved side.- ways (to the right in Figure 7), which motion releases the latch which now, while actuated by a spring or in some other suitable manner, is moved into such a position that the lock is opened.

This arrangement acts in the following manner:

By the rotation of the key I9 in the direction indicated by the arrow 0., the keys 9a. are moved into normal position. Then the keys are pushed into the positions desired, and the lock is opened by a rotation of the handle or key IS in the direction given by the arrow b. By this rotation of the handle or key I9, the periphery of the disc 41 will actuate the lug 42 provided on the plate 40 so as to lift the plate 40 and consequently the rails 39, whereby the grid 8 as well as the rail 56 with the locking members 58 and the rail 59 will be moved upward towards the keys. During the lifting of the grid, the keys 9ozv will first be.

blocked, in that the teeth I la enter into the spaces between the grid bars, and during the continued lifting the teeth Hal situated above the locking members 58 will cause the locking members situated below to slide vertically in their bearings. If

the keys So have not been properly adjusted, the

locking'members will be displaced, and conse-' quently the rail 59 cannot slide in the horizontal direction. Owing to the keys 9a blocking the grid 8 it will be impossible to ascertain by feeling what keys are striking the locking members, and what keys are free. If all the keys are properly adjusted, all the locking members will be moved downward and, consequently, the rail 52 when depressed by the arm 54, during the further rotation of the key, will be able to move the rail 59, and the lock will thereby be opened.

It appears from the above that in both constructions of the block a blocking of the keys will at once be effected when it is attempted to open the look after an adjustment of the keys, and only after the keys have been blocked in the positions given to them will the locking members and keys come into contact with one another, so that it will be impossible to feel What key teeth are in contact with the locking members, and what are free.

The construction of the lock may be varied in different ways, without deviation from the principle underlying the invention, which principle is that the units causing the displacement of the locking members should be blocked, so that they are held in the position given them, during this displacement, and maybe before the same takes place.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising a plurality of movable locking members for retaining the bolt normally in looking position, mechanism for moving said locking members to bolt releasing position comprising a plurality of members, and blocking means cooperating with said adjustable members for retaining the latter in previously adjusted position during the operation of said mechanism.

2. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising a plurality of movable looking members for retaining the bolt normally in a locking position, mechanism for moving said individually manually adjustable locking members to bolt releasing position com-- prisinga plurality of individually manually ad-' justable members, and blocking means cooperat-,

ing with said adjustable members, and arranged for operation by said mechanism for retaining the latter in previously adjusted position during the operation of said mechanism.

3. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising a plurality of movable looking members for retaining the bolt normally in locking position, mechanism for moving said locking members to bolt releasing position comprising a plurality of individually manually adjustable members, and blocking means cooperating with said adjustable members and arranged for operation by said mechanism during the initial portion of the operation thereof for retaining the latter in previously adjusted position during the operation of said mechanism.

4. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, I

means comprising a. plurality of movable locking members comprising spring pressed pins for retaining the bolt normally in looking position, mechanism for moving said locking members to bolt releasing position comprising a plurality of individually manually adjustable members, and blocking means cooperating with said adjustable members for retaining the latter in previously adjusted position during the operation of said mechanism.

5. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising a plurality of movable looking members comprising spring pressed balls for retaining the bolt normally in locking position, mechanism for moving said locking members to 'bolt releasing position comprising a plurality of individually manually adjustable members, and blocking means cooperating with said adjustable members for retaining the latter in previously adjusted position during the operation of said mechanismn 6. A combination lock having a casing, a manually movable cam member therein, a reciprocable lock member actuatable by said cam in one direction to unlocking position, a transversely disposed rail movable by said cam in the opposite direction, a plurality of locking members carried by said rail, a laterally shiftable rail carried by said first rail and normally retained against relative shifting movement by said locking members, .means carried by said second mentioned rail for obstructing movement of said loo-k member to unlocking position, a plurality of manually adjustable members adapted to be adjusted in predetermined positions and arranged when in such positions to cooperate with said locking members during movement of said first rail to release said second rail to en-- LOUIS PAUL GEORG KETNER.

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