US2442688A - Combination lock - Google Patents

Description

June 1, 1948. H, M HENDLlN v 2,442,688

COMBINATION LOCK Filed NOV. 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l 44 INVENTOR HERBERT M. HENDLIN I 42 n MWL ATTORN EY .Pune l, w48. H. M.. x-lr-:NDLIN ,2,442,538

` COMBINATION LGK Filed Nov. 29, 194e 2 sheets-sheet 2 F/'G- 5- Fm. 6.

INVENTOR mi HERBERT M.HENDL|N ATTORNEY Patented .fune 1, 1948 The present invention relates to thev'art fincluding keyless or combination locks, and more particularly to the type using a single rotary tumbler, which may also be slidableto serve asa latch release; in themanner described Vinmy copending application Serial`No.'648,2r'77 lfiled February 18,

1946, upon which the present invention constitutes an improvement. y'Combination locks using but a single tumbler are peculiarly susceptible to lunauthorized tarnpr ering becauseof the relatively restricted number of different'combinations which are possible in a practical lock. Hence itis especiallyimportant in such locks to provideeffective means for pre-t venting (or atleast rendering very difficult) open;- ing the lock without knowledge ofits proper setting. or combination. Inapractical lock, such anti-tampering provision must be highly effective without beingso complicated as to materially increase the complexity or cost' of manufacture, or the difliculty'of operation. c Y According to the present invention, a very sim? plyr operable and inexpensive combination lock is provided having but a single tumbler and yet re-` markably effective against unauthorized' tamper-4 ing. This lockusesV veryfew parts, which are easily manufactured n large quantities by standard inexpensive manufacturing techniques, such as stamping,l drilling and turning, the partsbeing also readily assembled. t t 'n Accordingly to a rprincipal feature of. the ,invention, any attempt to retract the latch of the lock while the proper combination is not set automatically conditions the lock sothat it'cannt be opened at all, even though later adjusted to the proper combination', untill the lock is.recondi tioned or'reset to a state perniittingopening. Suchv resetting is accomplished simply, according to another featureof the present invention, merely by rotatingthe Aco'n'trolknobv through a large angle. In this waytampering is inhibited,` with; out ,complicating the ordinary authorized operation of the device. Y A Otherobjects, advantages andv features of the presentinvention will become apparent ,fromel consideration of the following descriptionof an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken togetherwith the accompanying drawings, inr which; f Fig. 1 is a top view of a piece of luggage carry-I ing the improved lock of the present invention;l t

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the lock of Fig.` 1, Vtaken along line 2--2 thereof `fand showing the lock with the tamper-proofv mechanism eiective toprevent opening thereof; I l `3 is a view similar'tov that Q,f Fig. 2.7but

`s claims; (cmo-e117) @cette mantenuti-lea te bestemd upon sa! ting, i :the ninrcmbineiion;

jig.A 4 isalviewjsimila'tc those of Figs. 2 and 3, showing thejockdin: the cpcnedposition after the proper lcembinaticn has ,been set and the vlatch retracted;v f1" f Fig, VHis" a tp'v'iewjof thelockof the present invention, partly incrossfsectiom'lvicwed along 1.111815-5 cf wFig. 3;,

l Y fGs anvendview of the device of Figs. 3 and''viewed V'alngline 6 6 of Fig. 3; and l fFgLQ'Jisar'i explddl pespjectivevew of the present invention, showingthe shapes of the various prts'thereof-.- f

Thelock `I I of Ythelkliresentfinventon is shown in Fig; 1 as'niounted',as'by rivets I5, upon the lbody I 2f'of Val piecfo'flug'gage, jewelcase, box, v0r like article,` and 'cooperates' withv "a haspv arml I 3 suitably pivc'tallymountedin ahaspfbox I4 similarly fixed to'tle'cover'fl of the luggage, etc., as by rivetsf'ITgto keep the cover'IE fastened to body l2. Hasjp armqla 'andinasp bex I4 may be of the type described 'and claimed in my'abvev-mentioned copendirigjiplicticn .Serial No; 648,277, or may be OfrIy/cnvetnl type, having 'a' latch-retaining loop I8 cooperating. with a sliding latch I9 forl'ningpartoflock II and serving thereby'to keepcvefrs fasteneqtoiboay I2 unless man Is is retracted. lA's will be seen below, latch I9V can be retractedronly'when lock I I isset to the proper combination.

Lcc'k I l has a.v biaisepVIEttk-z*'2.1apeitliredv at 22 to receive tlfieivets"I5 afxng the lock II to the luggage body l2. vBaseplate ZIl yis ypreferably stamped' 'outdflit single sheet'I ofimetal, such as Mesagne` 'carries certain; integral 'formations formed during thefstampingoperation, each such fdrinationfhaving a' denite function, as described belowfjj'rhujs, base piane 2| has'V a; pair of prje'cticn's'23-frming; an 1open loop, which serves as a guide for the latch I9, permitting sliding motion thereof, but retaining latch IS close' and par-A aueltfbsbplat-zL. A' i "i K* BaSepvlt't-i'll als'ofha'slapcst 24 Struck out of it aridi` extending' substantially perpendicularly th'eret Asl'willfbseen',Y post 24`serves as a guide for "per rigr'ffth'eslidingfpartsfand also has a reducdjendl which ccopeates. to hold a cover 26.b`y passing;Y through' an opening 3 I andthen -beingrpeenedoerte retain the ,.'ver 2,6,- Cover 25 mechas @regir .6i fiewardlrextending ears .32 which vtheol;ever theflateral earsr2 8 of a projecf i 121011.'21from.rasechte-'21; andinereby Vretain cover 26 more rigidlydinjplae. f l

Latch I9 is. formed. integrally onta slider 33 whose sides 34 are bent up at right angles to form bearing surfaces sliding against the underside of base plate 2|' and thereby guiding the latch I9 for motion parallel to base plate 2 I. Slider 33 also has an opening 38 with parallel sides which bear against the edges of post 24 and thereby restrain slider 33 for motion only in a straight line toward and away from. the hasp loop I8. Slider 33 also has a circular opening .31 whic rotatably receives the main body 39 and a tumbler pin 38. In this way tumbler pin 38 and slider 33 may move rectilinearly together, while tumbler pin 38 may rotate with respect to slider 33. Tumbler pin 38 also passes through an opening 41| in Y base plate 2 I, which is just wide enough to receive pin 38 but long enough to permit translationof the tumbler pin and slider unit. It willilbe `11nderstood that when tumbler pin 38 is at therightmost end of opening 4I, latch I9 engages hasp loop I8, while motion of pin 38 to the left also moves slider 33 and latch I9 to release Vhasp loop I8, whereby the hasp arm I3 is permittedto'swing back, unlocking the luggage device. Normally slider 33 and latch I9 are retained' in the rightmost (closed) position by a tension latchspringA 42 looped at one end around a projection43'and at the other end around a projection 44 struck out of the bottom of cover '26.

As will be apparent from the above description, the present lock is of the type'wherein the tumbler pin 38 is kept from translational movement eX- cept in one predetermined'angular position, so that the latch I9 can release hasp arm 13 only when tumbler pin 38 is properlyV adjusted to its predetermined position. Toindicate this proper position, a combination disc '48 is fixed to the end 49 of tumbler pin 38 `passing through base plate 2I. Disc 48 is provided with a ngerknob 5I and indicia 52 which cooperate with similar indicia 53 formed on base plate ZI, so Vthata plurality of different positions of tumbler pin 38 are denoted by the various alignments of one of the indicia 52 with one of indicia 53,'in themanner described and claimed in my above-mentioned copencling application.

To release hasp arm I3, tumbler pin 38 has an opening 46 formed therein` (as by boring) and extending substantiallyalong Va diameter of the pin. This opening 48 cooperates with a key 41 to permit translation of 'tumbler pin 38 and slider 33 only when key 41 is in register with opening 46, and to prevent such translation when fout of register.

It will be seen that lock II might be opened by tactile manipulation and without knowledge of the proper combination, by Ymerely feeling when key 41 slips into opening 46, `unless special provision is made to prevent such unauthorized tampering. Such an anti-tampering means forms an important and novel feature of the present invention.

For this purpose, key 41 is made as an integral part of a locker plate 54 which'has a large central aperture 56 adapted to surround tumbler pin38 without interfering withits motion, and also having a second aperture 51 freely 'surrounding post 24. Locker plate 54 is kept betweenbase plate 2 I and slider 33, the tumbler pin 38 and combination disc 48 serving also as a fastening device to retain the vformer elements together; However, the sides 34 of slider 33 space the slider 33`suiciently from base plate 2I to permit locker plate 54 to have a limited Vertical movement, Afor reasons which will appear below.

Also struck out from base plate 2l are a pair 4 of projections 58 having respective ledges or shoulders 59 upon which the left end of locker plate 54 is adapted to be seated, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. Locker plate 54 is normally urged upward by the action of a leaf spring 6I which is xedly held around the small end 29 of post 24, -between post 24 and cover 26, when the cover 26 is put in place. Spring 6I has a portion 62 bearing against the left end of locker plate 54, the spring `II being cut away at 63 to clear the slider 33. A further portion 64 of spring 6I bears against the enlarged head 66 of tumbler pin 38 and urges it upwardly also, thereby keeping combination-disc 48 above base plate 2I and minimizing -friction therebetween. Opening 51 in locker plate 54 is made suciently wide so that locker plate t54 can freely move from a position in which it is seated upon ledges 59 of base plate projections 58, vas shown in Figs. 3 to 6, to a position in which the locker plate y54 is off the ledges 59, as shown in Fig. 2. Since spring BI constantly urges locker plate 54 upwards, it will be seen that `the locker plate 54 vcan be vmoved from the Aseated position as in Figs, 3 to 6 to the unseated position as in Fig. 2 merely by being moved vleftward slightly. In so doing, the left portion of locker plate 54 is moved by spring''l to a position touching the underside of base plate 2| ,y by pivoting around a pair of upwardly extending, integrally formed rounded ears 61 formed on locker plate 54 and which serve as fulcrums by rolling on the underside of base plate 2 I.

Locker plate 54 provides the anti-tampering feature mentioned above, since key 41 carried by locker plate 54 can never be in register with the tumbler 'opening 46 when locker rplate 54 is unseated from ledges 59. This will be apparent from Fig. 2, which shows the lock in this state; thus, with locker plate 54 unseated, key 41 is displaced vertically with respect to opening 46 of tumbler pin 38 so that key 41 cannot possibly register with opening 45. In this state, any pressure on combination disc 48 in a leftward direction (as is necessary to retract latch I9 and release hasp arm I3) is blocked, since such pressure merely causes the right end 68 of locker plate 54 to abut post 24, thus stopping any movement, except for possibly a small Vclearance which is' made too small to permit latch I9 to release hasp loop I8, and the lock remains closed. To further assure this condition, tumbler pin 38 vis made tapered opposite key 41 when in the unseated position, as shown at B9. By this means, any Aleftward pressure causes key 41 to ride upward on taper 69 and away from opening 46, thus making certain that key 41 will not register with opening 46 leven by accident.

When locker plateA 54 is in the seated position and when key 41 and opening 46 are inregister by setting V,theproper combination on indicia 52 and 53 as shown in Fig. 5, tumbler pin38 can freellr move leftward, since then opening 45 freely surrounds key 41. In this way,'slider 33 is moved leftward to release hasp loop I8 from latch I9, and to permit hasp arm I3 to disengagejlockV II, thereby unlocking the luggage device asdesired. In this position, the apparatus may be retained on latch, since latch spring 42 retains latch I9 normally in the closedposition. Latch I9 is tapered as at'1I, so that by pushing hasp arm I3 downward, latch I9 and slider 33 are forcedv left- Ward by wedge action until hasp loop I8 descends below latch I9, whereupon spring 42 snaps latch I9 back into loop I8, retaining the apparatus closed. A slight leftward pressure on combination disc ,48 will serve to release hasp arm I3 to open the apparatus, when desired.

However, when the proper combination is .no set, ,andzeven though locker plate 54 may be in the seated position, as shown in Fig. 3, any left# ward pressure on combination disc 4B, such as an unauthorized attempt to open the lock, .will merely serve to unseat locker plate 54 from ledges 59, since any leftward motion of combination disc 43 and tumbler pin 58 fixed theretois communicated to key 41 and thence to locker plate 54, to put it into the unseated position shown in Fig. 2, in which. position it is impossible toopen the lock at all. Thus any tampering `with the apparatus immediately results-in putting it into a condition where opening is impossible, whereby such unauthorized attempts to open thedevice are at once frustrated.

To reset the locker plate 54 to the seated posi'- tion shown in Figs. 3.and4 so as to permit opening the lock when the proper com'bination is set, key 41 is formed `with a rounded tip as seen most clearly in Fig. 6. A resetting pin 12 is xed -to tumbler pin 38 lsubstantially l-at the lower edge of the taper 69 thereof. AResetting pin- 12 is preferably press-tted into a hole drilled through tumbler pin 38 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of tumbler pin 38 but extending outwardly from tumbler 38 at a slightV angle to the radius thereof. Pin 12 is spaced circumferentiallyfrom the opening 46 by a substantial angle, such as of the order of 105 degrees. `Inv this way,`by rotating combination disc 48 andtumbler pin 38, resetting pinv12strikes the rounded tip-of key 41 and forces key` 41 and the left end Yof lockerplate 54 downward to clear ledges 59.4 The cross-bar 13 of locker plate 54 is located so that when locker plate 54 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, spring 42 is stretched slightly and is under tension. Therefore, wh-en key 41 has been depressed by resetting pin 12 until locker plate 54 clears ledges 59, the spring 42 moves the slider 33 tumbler 38 and locker plate 54 to the right to assure seating of locker plate 54 on ledges 59, and to retain the seated condition until leftward pressure is applied to tumbler 38, as discussed above.

By having pin 12 angularly displaced from the opening 46 by a substantial angl-e, any unauthorized person tampering with the lock (and not knowing its combination) would have to give the combination disc 48 practically a complete turn each time he tried to release latch I9. In this way, unless the exact proper combination is known, it is rendered very dimcult to open the lock, mere tactile manipulation being frustrated by the action of locker plate 54.

From the above description the method of operating the present lock will be apparent. The user each time should preliminarily turn combination disc 48 through at least one complete revolution, so that resetting pin 12 Will insure that locker plate 54 is seated on ledges A59. Then the disc 48 is rotated to the known combination, and thereafter a leftward movement of disc 48 will retract latch i9 and release hasp I3. So long as disc 48 is kept set at the proper combination, the lock will remain on latch as already described.

It will be clear from the above that the lock of the present invention is extremely easy to fabricate in large quantities, since practically all the parts are merely stamped, turned or drilled, all of which yare very simple manufacturing steps. Thus a simple and inexpensive lock is provided,

whilevstill providing very effective anti-tampering features. A f .Since it will beapparent'that manyvariations of thepresent inventionar-epossible, the foregoing description-is intended to be illustrative only, and is not to .be .construed as limiting in .any Way the scope ofthe present invention/which is denedi'n the following claims.

.I claim as my invention: i 1

1. A combination lock comprising a bas'e'plate, a'slider member mounted for sliding motion relative to said base plate and'having a hasp-retaining latch member thereon, a cylindrical'tumbler member rotatablyY carried by saidslider member for conjoint sliding therewith butrotatable with respecttheretq'said tumbler member having an opening in the side thereof'extending in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tumbler Vinember, a locker member mounted between said slider member and said base plate and surrounding said tumbler member, said locker member having a key thereonadapted substantially top'revent sliding movement of said slider and tumble-r members except when said key and opening are in register, whereupon said movement is permitted; said locker plate -having a fulcrum bearing on said base plateA and adapting it Vfor pivotal "movement relativeto lsaid base plate, saidbase plate having a pair of projections normally maintaining said locker plate Vspaced from said base 'plate and maintaining said key in'the plane of said opening, said locker plate also having means cooperating with said tumbler member to unseat said locker plate from said'projections in response to movement of said tumblerm'ember in 'a direction to retractsaid latch when said keyiandopeninig .are not in regi-ster, whereby said 'key is moved from said opening plane so las to prevent said registering no matter what position said tumbler member assumes, and means carried by said tumbler member and cooperating with said key to restore said locker plate to a seated position upon said projections in response to rotation of said .tumbler member through a predetermined angle.

2. A combination lock as in claim 1 wherein said key is formed as a projection on said locker plate curving toward said base plate and having a rounded tip, said tumbler member having a tapered portion opposite said tip when said locker plate is in the unseated position and converging away from said opening, whereby said tip is maintained away from said opening, said lockerplate-restoring means including a pin projecting from the side of said tumbler member and adapted to force .said key tip away from said tapered portion by cam action upon rotation of said tumbler member.

3. A combination lock comprising a base plate, a slider having a hasp-retaim'ng latch and mounted for sliding movement relative to said base plate, a tumbler pin rotatably connected to said slider for conjoint sliding but independent rotation, said tumbler pin passing through said base plate for both rotary and translational movement with respect thereto, said tumbler pin having an opening therein, a key normally mounted to register with said opening upon rotational adjustment of said tumbler pin to a predetermined position and adapted substantially to prevent translational movement of said tumbler pin and slider except when said key and said opening are in register, and means responsive to attempted translation of said tumbler pin during lack of register between said key and said opening for moving said key from its normal position to a new position rendering suchv registering impossible.

4; fi combination lockv as claim 3 further including means responsive to` rotation of. said tumbler pin through a predetermined angle for restoring said key to its normal position, whereby said slider may be translated upon adjustment of said tumbler pin to said predetermined position at which said key and opening are in register.

5. In a combination lock having a rotatably and translationally adjustable tumbler member, said member having an opening therein, av latch member connected to said member for conjoint translational movement only, and means including a key member for preventing translational movement of said tumbler member except when said key member and said openingare in register, the improvement comprising means responsive to attepted translation of saidA tumbler member during lack of register between said key member and said opening for relocating said key member to a position Where saidregistering is impossible for all positions of said tumbler member..

6. A combination lock comprising a slider member mounted for rectilinear movement and having a latch member thereon, a tumbler member rotatably connected to said slider member for conjoint translation therewith, `means normally preventing said translation. and lconsequent retraction of said latch member except in a predetermined rotary position of said tumbler member, and means responsive to attempted translation of said tumbler member when not in said predetermined position for rendering said rstnamed means ineffective to permit suchtranslation even when said tumbler member is in said predetermined position.

7. A combination lock as in claim 6 wherein said tumbler member has an opening in a given plane, saidz first-named means comprising a key having a normal position in said plane in which it is adapted to prevent said translation except for said predetermined rotary position of said tumbler member in. which said key and opening are in register, and' wherein said last-named meanscomprisesmeans responsive to attempted translation of said tumbler member when said key and opening are out of register, for moving said key away fromv said; given plane, whereby said key and opening cannot be in register even at said tumbler members predetermined position.

8. In a combination lock having a latch and a combined rotary tumbler and latch-releasing member, the combination comprisingmeans normally preventing latch-releasing operation of said member except in a predetermined rotary position of said member, and means responsive to attempted latch-releasing operation of said member when not in said predetermined position for rendering said rst-named means ineffective to permit such operation even insaid predetermined position of said member.

HERBERT M. HENDLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

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