US2635449A - Combination lock - Google Patents

Description

April 21, 1953 P. G. COLEMAN COMBINATION LOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1948 INVENTOR. Z PHILIP G. COLEMAN iZZMMZA QQM HIS ATTORNEY April 21, 1953 P. G. COLEMAN 2,635,449

COMBINATION LOCK Filed June so", 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 INVENTOR.

PHIUP a. COLEMAN Vmwg HIS ATTORN April 21, 1953 P. G. COLEMAN COMBINATION LOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 50, 1948 MAM as s m INVENTOR. PHILIP G. COLEMAN i/M Z HIS ATTORNEY iatented Apr. 21, 1953 COMBINATION LOCK Philip G. Coleman, Chattanooga, Tenn., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments,-of two-fifths to Edward L. Klapper, one-fifth to Andrew A. Wassick, and two-fifths to Lela H. Coleman, all of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Application June 30, 1948, Serial No. 36,029

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a combination lock and t .more particularly pertains to a lock of such a nature that the elements, of which it is composed,

must be adjusted into a predetermined position toeach other before the lock is effective.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a lock, of simple and inexpensive construction, which may be affixed to the lid of a con- ;tainer, and which requires that the parts of the members to change the combination of the lock.

A' further object of my invention is to provide a lock which is particularly useful for containers such as jewel cases, coin boxes, luggage or the like which have relatively thin walls.

Further objects, and objects relating to details of construction and economies of operation, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, I have accomplished the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. My invention is clearlydefined and pointed out in the appended claims. Combination locks constituting preferred embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which: Fig. 1.is a plan view of a container with the combination lock. a

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig.1.

'Fig; 3 is a partial, sectional view of the substance of Fig. 2 but showing the lid in raised position. v

Fig. 4'is a detail, sectional the line 44 of Fig; 2. Fig. 5 is a detail, sectional view taken alon the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. V Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the bushing used in the lock. v V Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of the rotatable dials of my invention. Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the shiftable pin used in the lock.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a form of my invention showing the lock in latching position.

Fig. 10 is a view of the substanceof Fig. 9 with the lock in the disengaged position. I

,Fig. l 1 is a detail, sectional view taken along the line H-ll of Fig. 10;

View. taken along Fig. 12 is a detail, sectional view taken along the line I 2--l 2 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the movable locking member.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the section lines.

In general, my invention consists of a lock which has a plurality of members rotatable about a common axis, each of the members having a hole and a radial slot therein. In the holes in the rotatable members I may provide a bushing having a slot. ,A pin, rectangular in cross-section extends through the slot in the bushing and is shiftable into the radial slots in the rotatable members when said slots are in alignment. The pin extending through said slots has secured to one end a flat latch member which is shiftable to locking engagement with a keeper on the container. When this pin occupies the slot in the bushing, the turnable members are independently rotatable about the'pin and bushing, but, when the pin is shifted into the ends of'the slots in the turnable members, the shifting of the pin also causes the latch member to be moved to. in.- terlocking engagement with a slot on the lid of the container so the parts are held against relative rotation when the lid is unlocked. Since the lock members must be'adjusted into predetermined relation with each other before the pin can be shifted to unlock the latch member, it is desirable to indicate the relative positions of the turnable members. This may be done by providing various markings on the members to be aligned in a certain relation before the pin can be shifted from neutral to effective position.

The pin member may be provided with a knob which covers the slotted opening. The pin preferably has a'fiat stem which moves in the slot to move the locking piece, but is long enough when shifted to position to release the latch member, to prevent rotation of the dials until the latch member is moved. back into locking position. I have also shown a modification wherein the re tatable members are provided with irregularly shaped peripheries andmatching annular members having their inner surfaces shaped to correspond to the irregular shapes on said rotatable members. This provides for changing the combination of the lock by merely repositioning the annular members on their respective turnable members.

I have also shown a. form of my invention particularly useful for luggage locks. In this form I provide a forked spring which projects into a keeper. When it is desired to lock the spring in the keeper, a latch member is moved between the prongs of the forked spring to press them outwardly into locking engagement with the keeper.

Referring to the numbered parts of the drawings, I have shown, in Fig. 1, a box l having side walls |2, I3 and I4 and a curved bottom l5. A lid I6 is hinged to the container on pins l1 and I8. The lid I6 has an opening in which bushing 22 is rotatable. A turnable disc 2| is rotatable on the bushing 22 and a smaller rotatable disc 23 is superimposed ondiscZI and is also retatable on the bushing 22. Each of the discs, 2|

and 23 are provided with a slot 26 which when the dials are in selected positions form with the slot 26 in the lid l6, a composite'radial slot.

A pin 21, having a head or knob 28, on one end adapted to cover the slot in the member 23, is normally positioned in a slot 24 in the bushing 22 and maybe shifted, by moving the knob, when the slots 26 and 26 are aligned. The bottom end of the pin 21 has a flat lockin member 4| secured thereto which is movable into and out of locking engagement with a keeper 42 provided on one of the side walls M. The head of the pinmay be made large enough to form-an operating handle orknob and to cover the slot 26in disc 23 completely.

When the discs are in a predetermined position the slots on each disc are aligned with the slot in thelid so that the pin may be shifted to cause the latch member to be moved.

The embodiment of my invention just described constitutes a simple form of lock that is operable by positioning the rotatable discs 2| and 23 and the knob 28 to predetermined positions, and by shifting the pin to cause the latch member to be moved.

Since it is necessary to adjust or position the discs 2| and 23 and the head 28 relative to each other, to bring the slots into alignment it is desirable to indicate the relative positioning of said members. To that end, I mark the characters such as diamonds or hearts on the knob 28. I mark letters of the alphabet such as indicated at 42a, on the disc 23, and on the disc 2|, I mark letters such as indicated at 43, which may be in alphabetical order. On the lid I6 I mark characters such as '44.

The relative positions of the dial members may be indicated by these markings. Thus, as illustrated, when the letter B on dial 2|, the letter 0 on dial 23 and the letter Y on the lid l6 are in line with the diamond the turnable members 2| and 23 are so positioned that the slots 26 are in alignment with the slot 26, so that the pin 21 can be shifted from its central position to unlock the locking member. In other words, the combination indicating the positioning of the parts, which permits the pin to be shifted and allows the latch member to be moved, is diamond followed by BOY-1 InFig. 7 I haveshown an embodiment of my invention wherein turnable discs such as 30 and 3| are provided which have holes 36 and 31 and radial slots 28a and aremounted on bushing 22. The peripheries of discs 30 and 3| have projections which fit into corresponding recesses 32 and 33 provided on annular members 34 and 35. The bushing 22 hasa slot 24 through which a pin 21 extends and is movable when the'discs are brought to the proper predetermined position in the same manner as shown in the preferred form of my invention. The two piece rotatable member con struction permits the user to change the combination of the lock by changing the position of the slots relative to markings on the dials, by repositioning the discs such as 30 and 3| with respect to annular members 33 and34.

In Figs. 9 and 13, I have shown-amodifled form of my invention which is particularly useful for looks for luggage.

This form comprises a plate member 50, which has mounted thereon a plurality of disc members such as 5| and 5|a rotatable about a common axis, each of the members having a hole and a radial slot 52 therein. In the hole, a bushing 52 is'provided'having a slot 54. A headed pin 55 extends through the slot 54 in the bushing 53 and is shiftable therein when said slots are aligned. The headed pin has a latch piece 56 secured to one end'and is shiftable to a locking position. Lying on each side of the piece 56 are container lockin spring members 51 and 58 between which the locking member may move, said'locking memberbeing shaped in a manner such that'it'expands the spring members when-the headedpin and the locking memberis shifted. I provide a keeper member 60 which has an opening 6 to receive the forked spring ends 62 and 6301' container locking spring members 51 and 58. To'lock the two members together, the ends 62 and63'are positioned in the opening! andexpanded'by movement of latch piece 56 to the positions shown in Fig. 9. This causes the ends 62'and-63 to be secured in the keeper member. 'I provide means on the disc members 5| and*5|a which must be aligned before the latch piece can be moved. These markings can be of any'suitable character, for example such as are shown in the dials in the preferred form of my invention.

It will be evident that my invention constitutes a relatively inexpensive and simple locking device, suitable for use on containers, such as coin boxes, jewel boxes, luggage or the like having relatively thin walls, and which will prevent access 'to'such containers by unauthorized persons, but which can quickly be set by an authorized person, who knows the combination, to such position that the container may be opened.

I am aware that the structures illustrated herein, as embodiments of my invention, are susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit of my invention and, therefore, I claim my invention broadly as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In a container having a cover with a hole and a communicating radial slot and a side wall with'a keeper member, a combination lock comprising the combination of a plurality-of superimposed rotatable members having a common axis, each being formed withahole and a communicating radial slot, a pin extending through the hole in saidmembers and through the hole in said cover, a knob on the outer end of said pin for shifting said pin radially of said members and said cover when the slots are aligned, and a locking member on the inner end of said pin-and shiftable therewith to locking engagement with the keeper member for locking the container.

2. In a container having a cover with a hole and a. communicating slot therethrough and a side wall provided with a keeper element, a combination lock comprising a cylindrical bushing having a radial slot therethrough rotatable in said hole in the cover, a plurality of turnabie members rotatably mounted on said bushing, a pin arranged in said radial slot in said bushing and shiftable into said slot in the cover of said container, said turnabie members being formed with slots extending radially from said bushing for receiving said pin when said slots are aligned with each other and with the slot in said cover, a knob on the outer end of said pin, and a locking member on the inner end of said pin for engaging or disengaging said keeper when said pin is shifted radially of said turnable members.

PHILIP G. COLEMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number

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