US2183792A - Permutation lock - Google Patents

Description

Dee. 19,- 1939. J. A. EDEN ET AL PERMUTATI ON LO CK Fil ed Oct. 14, 1957 R 55 MM Patented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f PERMUTATION LOOK James A. Eden, Springfield, Mass, anni Porter Chase, West Hartford,fonn., tssignors, by mesne assignmen'ts, to Bemis & Call Compahy,

Springfield, setts MaSs., a corporation of Massachu-' Application October 14, 1937, Serial No. 168,878 6 Claims. (01.70-25) provements of the present nvention may be applied, reference may be had to padlooks, as our improvements are peoularly applicable thereto, but it s to be understood that the disclosure of ths applicaton of our mprovements sby way of illustration only, certan of the mprove'ments being of general application tolocks of thetype A. mentioned irrespective of their intended use. A11 objeot of the present nvention is to provde an mproved look of ths sort in which the operatng meohansm may be oompletely assembled and tested and then nserted as a untary structure inside the lock whereby once the members are set to a. prevailing combnation they cannot be ohanged without destroying the look.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved. arrangement whereby when. force is exerted on the shackle in an effort to force the casing of the look and, therefore, no: njury wll result to the workng me'chanism.

A further object of the invention s to provide a.n improved shaokle retaning means which may ho assembled With the other operatng meohanism of the look and. the shaQckle subsequently inserted into the casing.

Another am of the invention is to provide a.n improved permuta,tion look of the oha,racter described. which s characterzed by its smplicity in construction, by its eoonomy in manufacture, by its strength a.nd ruggedness, by the securty With which the securng element is held in looked position, and by the esse end faoilty With which t may be manipulatecl. Other objects Will be in pari: obvious and. in

pari: pointed out more in detal hereinafter.

The nvention accordingly consists in the features of constructio-n, combination of elements and arrangement of parts 'which Will be exemplfied in the oonstruction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indcated in the appended claims.

In the aooompanying drawing, wherein is shown, for illustrative purposes, one of the many embodiments which the present invention ma y take:

Figure 1 s a view of the look completely assembled;

Fig. 2 s a view with the casing in seotion bolt the strain thereon Will be absorbd by the showing the operating parts in ther assembled postions;

Fig. 3 is a. sectional vew on the line 3--3 of Fig. 4 s a seotional vew on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig, 5 s a sectional vew on the line 5 5 of 2; V

Fig. 6 is a. sectional detail view of the permutaton members;

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the bolt biasing assemblt; and

Fig. 8 1's a fra;gmentary detail view of the bolt and cam assembly.

Referrng to the dra.vving in detail, the look comprises, in general, a casing which is preferably an open-ended dra.wn steel shell l0, which is without any nterior lugs or finish. The closed or top end of the shell is provided With a, pair of alignejd eyes or openings Il to aocommodate the securngelement or shackle l2. There is provdecl a, base plate or closure M for the open end, which base plate supports the entre operative mechanism of the look and' 1's secured in place by bevelling the periphery of the oasing IO o-ver the perphery of the closure'to form an inturnecl The securing element or shackle I 2 s shown as hav ing a, long leg, l6 and a short leg H; the long leg ha.viriga grooved po'rtior1 I 8 below which a. segmental section is out awa.y to fo-rm a collar or stop l9. Both legs are provided With parallel slots 20 adapted to receve a locking bolt, as herena'fter described.

The operating parts are carred on a frame or chassis which comprises, generally, a par of side members or platee 2| and 22 and a conneoting cross wall member 23; the cross wall member being of suoh length that the upper edge thereof is adapted to ab1'1t the inner side of the closed end'of the oasing to positon the chassis in position. Each' side member is provided with outwardly xtending portions 24 o-ver which the tongues |3 of the base plate |4 may be secureol to hold the chassis in plaoe.

The permutation membrs or wheels 26 are rotata,bly mounted upon a shaft 21 which in turn is supported by the side members of the frame or Chassis. Each permutaton wheel s proVideol With a pluralty of holes oropenings 28 in the side wa,lls thereof, the axes of said openngs being parallel to the a.xs of the shaft 21. Assocated in cooperating relatonshp with eaoh wheel is a bolt operatng element or cam 29 which is also rotatably mounted on the shaft 21; each prevaiiing combinations may be multiplied, de-

pendng upon the number of openings in each wheel and the manner in which the wheels and cams are arranged in cooperating relationship. The peripheries of the permutation wheels are provided With suitable indicia, 31; onthe wheels shown this indicia. being in the fortn of equally spaced markings running from 0 to 9, there being an opening 28 in the side of the wheel for each number designated on the periphery thereof. Thus, With ten openings in each permutation wheel, it is possible to vary the combinations in the embodiment disclosed up to ten thousand. For the purpose of retaining the permutation wheeis in the various positions in which they may be set, the wheels are provided on their peripheries with spaced notches 33 Which cooperate With the end of spring fingers 34. These spring fingers may be supported in any s'utable way; in the present instance passing through openings 35 provided therein in the cross member 23 of the chassis end clamped between the chassis and the casing. The notch at the 0 indicia is provided with a straight fece 36 to stop the turning of the wheels, whereupon it is possible to set the combination without reading the indicia by merely setting 9.11 the wheeis to 0 and then counting the clicks therefrom. T0 reset the combination, it is necessary to shift the wheeis 26 transversely suficiently te release the 1ugs 30 from the associated opening in the permutation wheels and, after the cam lug 30 has been re-aligned with the proper opening, to close them again. It is apparent that once the prevailing combination is set and the operating parts inserted within the chassis, it is impossible to reset the combination.

The sha.ckle securing element or locking bo1t 31 comprises a generally flat p1ate having a body portion of less width than the spacing between the opposite sides of the chessis and is provided et its upper end with a pair of outwardly extend ing 1ugs which constitute dogs 38 adapted to enter the recesses 26 in the shackle i2 when the bolt is in locking position. Positioned intermediate of the top and bottom edges of the body piatte of bo1t 31 are a pair of outwardly extending trunnions 39 of generaily rectangular shape, end depending from the lower edge of the body portion of the plate are a plurality of fingers or tangs 40. In the present embodiment, on1y two tangs are required as each tang cooperates With two di the cams 29. The rear faces of the tangs are further provided near their lower end with a recess M which cooperates With the locking elements or cams 29 for purposes hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the manner in which the locking pia/te or bo1t is carried, it Will be seen that each of the side members of the chassis is provided a,t its forward edge with an upwardly facing sho'ulder 43 above which there is a notch or cut away portion 44; the step intermediate of the notch and the upwardly facing shoulder forming a fulcrum 45 for the rear faces 45 of the trunnions of the locking bo1t or piate. The relation of these parts s such that When the bo1t is loosely placed on the chassis the base of the trunnions 39 are disposed above the upwardly facing shoulders 43, and when the rear fece of the trunnion pivots on the steps 45 the upper edges of the trunnions Will be free to enter into the notches or out avvay portions 44. For the purpose of pivoting the iocking plate 31 about the fulcrum or step 45, there 'is provided, intermediate" of the 'trunnions 39 and the permutation cams 29, a suitable spring 41; the spring being so arranged that it will bias the bo1t 31 to inefiectve position. In the embodiment shown, spring 41 comprises a central U-shapedportiori end a pair of legs which extend outvvardly rom one another in opposite directions. The bolt 3'! is provided with a. narrow opening"8 therethrough. The spring 41 is positioned by inserting the central U-shaped portion through said opening With the extending legs of the spring bearing against the front wall of the casing. As the opening 48 is substantially narrow, the spring 47 is positioned against turning, end, because of the tension pa.ced thereon by the 1eg's being compressed against the sde wa11 of the casing, the Spring cannot be jarred from position.

Thus mounted, the spring M normaliy tends to bias the locking bo1t 3'! to ineffective positon Wherein the rear face of the trunnions 38 Wi11 1ie parallel With the front fece of the step or fulcrum 45. When the preve.iiing combination has been set on the permutation wheeis, the flat faces 50 of the cams 29 Will align With the rear faces of.the tangs 49, and the bolt Wii1 assume the above position With the 1ocking dogs 38 out of alignment with the receiving grooves 20 of the shackle 22. However, if the prevailing combination is changed, the cams 29 Will pivot the bolt about the fulcrum 45 to compress the spring 41, causing the iockng dogs 38 to move to the securing positon;. If the shackle |2 shouid be open after the prevailing combination is disturbed, a downward force thereon will cause the bevelled lower end 5| of the shackle to carn dogs 38 forwardly tofurther compress the spring 41, whereupon the dogs Wi11 ride over the prevailing combination. Due to the free mounting of the bolt if the shackle is pu1led outwardly when in eiective positon, the dogs 38 and upper edge of the bo1t 3? Will come into direct contact with the casing and the strain taken up thereby.

There is further provided means for holding the shackle in position Within the casing. in the embodiment shown, this comprises a substantially flat spring 55 which is arranged with one end positioned in a. slot in spacer 56 and positioned. transversely in a groove 51 in the top of the chassis side wal1 2| and passing benea,th an arm 58 which projects inwardly from the chassis cross member 23. As the bottom of groove 51 and the bottom of arm 58 are para11e1, spring 55 Will always be under slight tension to position the spacer 56. With the spring so mounted, the free end may be biased downwardly With the chassis wal1s 2| as a fulcrum, bui; is prevented from upward bias by arm 58.

shackle stop and in the groove 18; the stop 49 limiting the downwar-d movement of the shackle by abutting aganst the upper face of the side wa1l 22 of the chassis. T0 prevent wobbling of I the shackle, thre is provicied. a retainer 59 having oppositely turned fingers 53 which fit into openings therefor in the chassis and abut the wall of the casing. With the spring in the position shown in Fig. 2, when shaokle B2 is re leased spring 55 Will immediately forse the long leg of the shackle upwardly to move same out of the easing. However, should an attempt be made to remove the shackle, the spring Will be lifted against the under surface of the arm 58, whereupon it Will ha in the path of the top face of the collar H9 and prevent the removai of the shackle.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made wthout departing'from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accom panying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to oover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, mght be said to fall therebetween.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a look, a casing having a closed end and an open end, the closed end having a par of aligned openings therein, a shackle receivable in said opening and having an eifective and an ineffective position, a chassis wthin said casng,

said chassis having side Wa1ls and a cross wall,

said cross Wall being adapted 1:0 abut the front end of the casing to postion the chassis therein, an outwardly projecting 1ug formed integral with each of the side walls at the base thereof, means carried by the chassis for controlling the position of said shackle, a closure member for the open end of the casing, said closure member having outwardly extending tongues adapted to be bevelled over and secured to said outwardly extending lugs for securing the chassis to the closure member, and an inturned flange on the lower end of the casing for securing said closure member and chassis inside the casing.

2. In a look, a. shack1e having a long 1eg and a short 1eg, said 1ong Ieg beingprovided With a groove near its lower end, a casing adapted to receive said shackle, a retaining member for said shackle Within said casing, said member comprising a spring disposed generally at right angles to the 1eg of the shackle and having a fixed end and a free end, and a fulcrum positioned intermediate of the ends of the spring, the free end of the spring lying in the path of the end of the shackle and being free to bias doWnwardly, whereby when said shackle is inserted the free end of the spring Wll ride over the end of the shackle and into said groove, and a stop for preventing upward bias of said spring whereby the shackle may not be removed from the casing after the spring is set into the groove.

3. In a look, a chassis, a shaft supported on said chassis, a plurality of permutation Wheels oarried on said shaft, a cam associated With each of said wheels, said wheels having horzontally arrangecl openings in the side walls thereof, .an outwardly projecting lug integral With said carn and adapted to enter one of said openings whereby said Wheels and cams may be arranged in a plurality of selective combinations when said wheelsand cams are separated transversely, the Walls of said chassis being so spaoed that when the proper number of cams and wheels are mounted therebetween such transverse opening is prevented. f

4. In a look, a shackle having an effective position and an ineifective position, a locking bo1t having depending tangs, a plurality of permutation wheels adapted to be set to a prevailing com bination, a cam associated with each of said wheels, said cams having a flat surface and a curved surface, spring means for biasing said tangs into position against the flat surface of the tzarns when the prevailing combination is set,

said tangs having a recess adjacent said cams the curved section of the cams, whereby said permutation wheels may be maintained. in position.

5. In a permutation look, a casing having an end wa11 provided With openings for accommodatng a shackle and having a side wall, a shackle having an effective and an inefiective position, a locking element for said shackle and located in said casing andextending generally in the direction of said side wall, and means for biasing said element into ineffective position and comprising a spring having a central U-shaped portion extending through an opening in said locking element and having legs extending in opposite directions and bearing against said side Wa1l of said casing.

6. In a permutation look, a casing having an end Wa1l provided with openings for accommodating a shackle and having a side Wa1l, a shack1e having an effective and an ineifective position, a locking element for said shackle located in said casing and extending generally in the direction of said side wa1l, said locking element having a narrow opening therethrough, and means for biasing said element into ineifective position com-

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