US2162442A - Delayed control time lock - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1939. w. c. MILLER DELAYED CONTROL TIME LOCK s sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1934 June 13, 1939. w. c. M'ILLER 2,162,442

DELAYED CONTROL TIME LOCK Fild Nov. 24, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 1939. w. c. MILLER DELAYED CONTROL TIME LOCK Filed Nov. 24, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J Gil/era??? June 13, 1939. w c M L R 2,162,442

DELAYED CONTROL TIME LOCK Filed Nov. 24, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 13, 1939. w. c. MILLER DELAYED CQNTROL TIME LOCK Filed Nov. 24, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE bold Safe & Lock Co.,

tion of Ohio Canton, Ohio, a corpora- Application November 24, 1934, Serial No. 754,673

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a delayed control timelock and more particularly to such a timelock equipped with means for sending in an alarm under certain conditions.

An object of the invention is to provide a de layed control timelock which may be manipulated in such a way as to send in an alarm to a remote point, such as a police station, and which may be manipulated in another way so as to bring about a delayed opening of the lock without send-- ing in an alarm. A further object is to provide a delayed control timelock adapted to send in an alarm under certain conditions, the timing mechanism being employed to automatically reset the alarm mechanism for the next operation. A further object is to provide means whereby tampering with the time mechanism sets off the alarm. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a top plan view of mechanism embodying my invention, the lock mechanism being shown applied to a portion of the door of a safe; Fig. 2, a rear view in elevation; Fig. 3, a view taken as indicated by the line 3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a view taken as indicated by the line 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a detailed view in elevation of the switch mechanism employed, the switch plate being removed; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the switch in alarm position; Fig. 7, a side broken view showing means for setting the alarm when the timing mechanism is driven rearwardly; Fig. 8, a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified form of mechanism for automatically resetting the alarm switch for the next operation; Fig. 9, a rear view of the clock-mechanism employed; and Fig. 10, a plan view of the same.

In the illustration given, A designates a combination lock; B, delayed control timing mechanism; C, alarm switch mechanism; D, means for sending in an alarm when the timing mechanism is tampered with; and E, alarm switch resetting 45 mechanism.

The combination lock mechanism A may be of any suitable construction. Aside from a few minor differences, the lock differs but slightly from locks of well known construction. For this 50 reason, it is believed unnecessary to describe the lock in detail except with respect to such differences. The lock is housed within the usual casing A. It is provided on one side with a slot through which the bolt l0 extends, and at its upper side with a slot H through which mechanism for controlling the switch C may extend, as will be later set forth. Pivotally secured to the bolt I0 is a bolt-retracting arm I2 which is of well known construction, and which is provided with a beam l3 adapted to extend across the tumblers, The tumblers H are provided each with a pair of slots or notches I5 and I6. Secured to the inner end of the operating spindle of the lock is a drive disk l1. Pivotally secured to disk I! is a winding pawl l8, urged toward the position shown in Fig. 3, by a fiat spring IS. The winding mechanism on the drive disk I! cooperates with the timing mechanism B in the manner shown in the patent of William C. Miller and Paul M. Hawkins, No. 2,036,767, patented April 7, 1936, for delayed control time lock.

That is, when the knob of the combinationlock (Fig. 1) is turned clockwise in setting the combination to unlocking position, the projecting end of the pawl l8 (Fig. 6) will engage a stud on a winding gear (described later) to effect winding of the clock spring of the time-mechanism.

A switch trigger 20 is supported in the upper portion of the casing A and is adapted to extend through opening I I of the casing to engage switch mechanism C. The trigger 20 is, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 6, provided with a slot 2| engaging pin 22. The head of the trigger is equipped with a pair of spaced pins 23 and 24, the upper pin 23 resting upon the plate-retract ing lever l2, and the lower pin 24 resting upon the tumblers I4. When the tumblers are aligned, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to bring the notches l6 into registration, the pin 24 drops into the notches, as shown in Fig. 6, thus permitting the trigger 20 to drop to the position shown in Fig. 6.

The delayed control time mechanism B is substantially the same as that shown in Patent No. 2,036,767, referred to above, the only difference being that the winding gear 25 is provided with a series of spaced openings 26 adapted to threadedly receive the screw pin 21. In other words, the winding pin 21 may be adjustably positioned on gear 25. As described more clearly in the above-mentioned patent, the gear 25 is equipped with a winding pin 21 which is engaged by the winding pawl I8 of drive disk I! when the combination is being set. As the winding gear 25 is thus rotated, the intermediate gear 28 engages the spring gear 29, and places the spring (not shown) under tension. At the same time, the shaft 30 is rotated so as to drop the dog 3| into the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position, the dog 3| blocks the inward movement of stud which is fixed to the bolt retracting arm l2. A er the winding operation, the spring causes the various gears to turn in an opposite direction and shaft 3 is turned so as to raise the dog 3| to a non-obstructing position. The bolt l6 may then be retracted. The mechanism described is enclosed within a casing B, which is bolted to the casing A.

Referring to Figs. 4, 9 and 10, the rock-shaft 36 is equipped at its front end with an arm 3 which engages a notch in the dogging-device 3|. At its rear end, the rock-shaft 35 is equipped with an arm 33 which controls the movements of the rock-shaft. As shown in Fig. 4, the winding of the clock-spring is effected through the medium of the pinion 29 when said pinion is turned clockwise. When the clock operates under the action of its spring, it serves to turn a pinion 26 (Fig. 9) clockwise as viewed in that figure, and this pinion turns a gear 29 counter-clockwise to lift the arm 36 and thus remove the dog 35 from the path of the stud 32, thus enabling the bolt it to be retracted, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 4:. In the winding of the clockspring, the gear 26 as viewed in Fig. 9, turns clockwise, thus permitting the arm 36 to drop, and this, in turn, causes the dog 3| to be dropped to obstructing position with reference to the pin 32. The gear 29 carries a stud 29 which serves as a cam for actuating the arm 36 and it carries, also, a stud 29 which, at the end of the operation of the clock, engages a stud 29 carried by the rear member of the clock-frame 29 As viewed in Fig. 4, the gear 25 rotates clockwise when the clock-spring is being wound; and since the turning of the gear 25 is effected through the medium of the pawl l8 (Fig. 3) engaging the stud Z'l, it follows that the clock-spring is wound to a greater extent when the stud Z'l is mounted at or near the left-hand end of the series of openings 26 shown in Fig. 4. It is to be understood that Fig. l shows the condition of the parts at the end of the winding operation. At such time, the gear 25 (Fig. 9) has been rotated clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 9, thus permitting the arm 36 to drop, which, in turn, permits the dog 3| to drop to the position shown in Fig. 4.

Since the clock-mechanism, including the escapement-device and the gear-train through which the escapement-device controls the operation of the clock, may be of any usual or desired construction, it is unnecessary to describe the clock-mechanism in detail.

The alarm switch mechanism C is housed within a casing C bolted to the top wall of casing A, a communication between the casings being established by the opening II in the top wall of the casing A. As stated heretofore, the trigger or switch support 2!] has a portion extending through the opening II and into the interior of casing C. The upper end of the trigger, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, abuts and supports a pivoted platform 33, provided with a fixed upright support 34 as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. The upright 34 engages a pin 35 which is fixed to the switch plate 36. The switch plate is pivotally supported on pivot 31 and is normally urged toward the position shown in Fig. 6, by a spring 38 which engages a pin 39 carried by plate 36, and a fixed pin 43 secured to casing C. Attached to the switch plate 36 by means of flanges 4! is a mercury switch tube 42 which contains mercury, as indicated at 42 in Figs. 6 and 8, and which is of well known construction. At one end, the tube is provided with a pair of terminals 43 which extend into the interior of the tube. Communicating with the terminals are the two wires 44 which lead through a connector 45 on the top of easing C and away to a remote point where the wires form a circuit with an alarm bell or the like. When the switch plate 36 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 6, the mercury within the tube flows to the terminal end of the switch and connects the terminals, thus establishing a closed circuit which actuates the electric bell. It will be noted that the pivoted platform 33 engages a fiat bottom portion 46 of the switch plate 36, and tends to support the switch plate in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the trigger 20 is raised.

In order to prevent tampering with the timing mechanism, and to start the alarm when the timing mechanism is driven rearwardly, I provide a metal strap 41, as shown more clearly in Fig. '7, which is secured to the top wall of easing B and has an inner end 48 received between the hinges 46 of the hinged platform 33. When a burglar tool is employed to drive the casing B rearwardly, the hinges 49 are drawn forwardly along their pivot to permit the upright 34 to slip out of contact with the pin 35 of the switch plate 36. This permits switch plate 36 to turn to the position shown in Fig. 6 and sends in an alarm.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, I provide modified means E for automatically resetting the switch plate for the next operation, the timing mechanism being employed to bring about such resetting. Pivotally secured to the dog 3| is a vertical link 50 which engages the pivoted angle plate 5|. The link 52, which is secured to an opposite end of the plate 5|, engages one end of a bell crank 53 which, in turn, is pivotally supported by bracket 54. The free arm 55 of the bell crank is preferably turned inwardly at 56 to allow it to clear the plate 5| and to bring it into contact with the pin 51 carried by the switch plate 36.

Turning now to the operation of the mechanism, the action of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 to 7 will be first described. The apparatus in normal locked position is shown in Fig. 3. In this position, the operator may turn the knob of the combination to set the combination. In so doing, he brings the winding pawl |8 on the disk against the winding pin 2'! of winding gear 25, and thereby winds the spring through intermediate gears 28 and 29. He continues the movement of the tumblers until the slots I6 of the tumblers are brought into alignment with the cross bar |3 of the bolt-retracting arm l2. This causes the depending finger of the bolt arm to engage the recess of disk so that the bolt may be retracted. However, in the winding of the clockwork the shaft 3!] is turned so as to bring the dog 3| into lowered position as shown in Fig. 4 so as to obstruct the inward movement of pin or stud 32 carried by the bolt-retracting arm |2. Retraction of the bolt is thus prevented by the auxiliary dog 3| until the time mechanism has operated through a predetermined period of, say, twenty or thirty minutes. After the lapse of this time, the rotation of shaft 3 causes its finger to raise the dog 3| to non-obstructing position, and the bolt l may then be retracted. The operation just described is substantially the same as that described in greater detail in said Patent No. 2,036,767.

Instead of setting the combination as described above, the operator may give a different setting of the combination which will bring the slots I together and simultaneously, the slots IE together, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6. In this position, the cross bar I3enters recess l5 while pin 24, which was held in its upper position by the tumblers in the first described operation, now drops within recess I6. At the same time, the trigger 20 drops to its lower position, and the platform 33 swings down as shown in Fig. 6, thus releasing the switch plate 36. Switch plate 36 being released is moved through the action of spring 38 to the position shown in Fig. 6 in which the mercury moves to the opposite end of the tubes and connects the terminals, thus closing the circuit in which the alarm bell lies. The alarm to the police station at a remote point is thus sent in immediately upon the dialing of the second combination. Simultaneously, the auxiliary guard 3| is dropped into obstructing position with respect to stud 32 of the bolt-retracting arm l2, and thus prevents unlocking of the bolt until a predetermined time has elapsed. The period of delay may be so adjusted by the shifting of the pin 21 on the winding gear 25 as to allow just sufiicient time for the police to reach the spot before the lock is released by the auxiliary guard. The operation of the delayed timelock mechanism is the same in case of the dialing of either com bination, so that a repetition of description is not necessary.

To reset the alarm switch, the plate may be swung to its upper position and the platform 33 raised so that the upright 34 engages pin 35. The dialing knob may then be operated to free the bolt-retracting arm I2 from engagement with the tumblers, in the usual manner. As the bolt-retracting arm I! rises, it engages pin 23 and elevates trigger 20 to the position shown in Fig. 3, where it engages and supports platform 33.

The resetting of the alarm switch is accomplished automatically through the medium of the time-mechanism by the mechanism shown in Fig. 8. As the guard or dog 3| rises, it elevates link 50 and swings the plate 5| on its pivot. Link 52 is thus pressed against the short arm of the bell crank 53, and the long arm 55 is swung downwardly, moving the switch plate 36 to the position shown in Fig. 3. It will be observed that while the guard 3| moves but a short distance, the link arms cause the switch plate 36 to be moved a relatively long distance to its original set position. If the combination lock is set in its first position so as not to set off the alarm, it will be observed that the raising of the link 50 and the other associated arms does not effect a movement of the switch plate 36 because it is already in set position. With the construction described, the alarm switch is always maintained in position for operation upon the throwing of the bolt to locked position, the trigger 20 being moved upwardly to engage and support the hinged platform 33.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific form of locking mechanism, it will be understood that the invention is applicable to other forms of locks and other forms of alarm mechanism.

While a single switch (controlling an alarmcircuit) is shown, obviously the invention is not to be understood as limited thereto.

It should also be understood that while, in the particular mechanism illustrated, the auxiliary guard member is employed to operate the switch resetting mechanism, obviously, many other means may be employed whereby operation of the timing mechanism may be employed to reset the switch.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom.

I claim:

1. Lock mechanism comprising: a casing, a locking bolt, tumbler mechanism having actuating means and having a plurality of settings each of which controls the withdrawal of said bolt from its locking position, auxiliary guard means preventing the withdrawal of said bolt, timing mechanism adapted to render said guard means inoperative after a predetermined time, means actuated by said tubular mechanism in either one of said settings for starting said timing mechanism, a switch operable when said tum-- bler mechanism is in one only of said settings, and means driven by the timing mechanism for resetting the switch for another operation.

2. Combination lock mechanism comprising: a casing, a plurality of tumblers in said casing, means for moving said tumblers into either one of two predetermined positions, a locking bolt adapted to be released when said tumblers are moved into either of said positions, a switch actuated when said tumblers are set in one only of said positions, an auxiliary guard adapted to prevent the release of said locking bolt, timing mechanism adapted to move said guard to inoperative position after a predetermined time, means for actuating said timing mechanism, and means actuated by said timing-mechanism for restoring said switch to its original position.

3. In combination: a bolt; a combination-lock equipped with a bolt-actuating member, said combination-lock being equipped with tumblers having two sets of slots and said bolt-actuating member having a bar adapted to drop into either set of slots when the combination is set for use thereof; and a switch-actuating member associated with said bolt-actuating member, said switch-actuating member having a stud adapted to register with one of said sets of slots when the bar registers with the other set of slots and said switch-actuating member having a shoulder supported on said bolt-actuating member.

4. In combination: a door-locking bolt; a combination-lock equipped with a bolt-actuating member and equipped with tumblers having two sets of notches, either one of which sets may serve to permit the bolt-actuating member to become operatively connected with the operating spindle of said combination-lock; an auxiliary guard controlling the withdrawal of said locking-bolt; time-mechanism including a clock adapted to be energized in the operation of manipulating the tumblers of the combination-lock, said time-mechanism serving to withdraw said auxiliary guard after a pre-determined period; and a switch-actuating member actuated through the medium of said bolt-actuating member, said switch-actuating member having a stud coacting with one set only of said notches.

5. In a lock of the character set forth: a casing; a door-locking bolt mounted therein; a combination lock equipped with a bolt-actuating member and provided with tumblers having two sets of notches, said bolt-actuating member equipped with a bar adapted to enter either one of said sets of notches and thereby operatively connect the bolt-actuating member with the operating spindle of the combination-lock; and a switch-actuating member mounted in said casing having one stud coacting with one set only of said notches and having another stud coacting with said bolt-actuating member.

6. In a device of the character set forth: a combination lock having a spindle equipped with tumblers provided with two sets of notches and having a bolt-actuating disk secured on the spindle; a bolt; a bolt-actuating member equipped with a bar adapted to register with either one of said sets of notches and equipped with means for operatively connecting the bolt-actuating member with said actuating disk when said bar engages either one of said sets of notches; and a switch-actuating member actuated and controlled by said bolt-actuating member having a stud adapted to drop into one of said sets of notches when said bar drops into the other set of notches.

WILLIAM C. MILLER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent N00 2,l62,b,LL2. June 15, 1959.

WILLIAM C. MILLER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line 1h, claim 1, for the word "tubular" read tumbler;and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of August, Aa D, 1959.

Leslie Frazer, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent N00 2,162,L L 2. Y June 1 1959 WILLIAM C. MILLER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, sec-- ond column,'line l) claiml, for the Word "tubular" read tumb1er;an d that the said Letters Patent should be read with. thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office,

Signed and sealed this 8th day of August, Ao Do 1959.

Leslie Frazer, '(Seai) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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