US2658373A - Combination padlock - Google Patents

Description

0. H. EIFFERT ET AL Nov. 10, 1953 COMBINATION PADLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In? OTTO HOMRD S. THOMAS JR.

Fla. 1.

H. EIFFERT Filed Oct. 5 1950 Nov.l0, 1953 0. H. EIFFERT EI'AL 2,653,373

COMBINATION PADLOCK Filed Oct. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. OTTO H. E/FFERT HOWAM S. THOMAS, J)?

[W W I ATTORAE Y Patented Nov. 10, 1953 COBIBINATION PADLOCK Otto H. Eifiert and Howard S- Thomas, In, Rochester, N. 11, assignors, by .mesne assignments, to Harry G. Miller, Fairfax, Va.

Application October 3, 1950, Serial No. 188,192

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a padlock, and has or its object to afford a combination lock controlled by a series of dial-operated rotatable tumblers and in which the lock housing has an opening to receive a hasp staple that is concealed from view by the housing and inaccessible when the look is engaged therewith, the hasp staple being secured by a bolt that is slidable within the housing.

A more particular purpose of the invention is to afiord a small and compact structure of few parts, which is especially adapted to locking drawers, cabinets or other parts, where it is desirable to conceal the hasp staple to which the lock is applied and prevent access thereto.

A further object of the invention is to afford a construction that enables controlling a bolt plate from a dial-operated tumbler mechanism and arranging the bolt plate with respect to the tumbler mechanism so as to occupy a minimum space in the housing, at the same time enabling moving the bolt slidably within the housing for cooperation with a hasp staple insertable through an opening in the housing into cooperative relationship with the bolt.

Still another purpose of the invention is to provide a practical and efiicient structure that can be manufactured at comparatively small cost, and of such simple arrangement as to require little servicing or repair.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation showing a padlock constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, and positioned in locking relation to a hasp staple, the bolt and been appearing in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing the lock in plan view, with the bolt and hasp staple in dotted lines as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation with the bolt in looking position, the bolt and hasp staple appearing in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the hasp staple, showing the lock mechanism in rear elevation, with the bolt in looking position and with the rear wall of the housing removed;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, with the bolt and bolt plate in unlocked position, and the rear wall of the housing partially broken away;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. partially in elevation. taken centrally of the lock with the bolt in looking position;

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the interior of the housing showing the tumbler mechanism, with the bolt and bolt plate removed;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the bolt and bolt plate:

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of the bolt and 'bolt plate,and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the inner surface of the rear wall of the housing.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, the structure comprises a housing including a front wall I, straight integral side walls 2, a circularly curved integral end wall 3 at one end of the housing, a straight integral end wall 4 at the opposite end of the housing. and a rear Wall 5 which is attached to the side and end walls in any suitable manner. Journalled in the front wall I is an arbor 6 which has fixed thereto the dial I arranged on the front of the housing and movable to turn the arbor 6 and to control the tumblers, as will appear presently,

The arbor 5 at its inner end is provided with a shoulder 8 upon which is supported the bolt plate in a manner that will appear presently, and 9 designates a drive wheel fixedly mounted on the arbor i, the drive wheel 9 being notched at H on its periphery for cooperation with the fence lever to be referred to hereinafter, while 12 designates the several tumblers rotatably mounted on the arbor 6 and each provided with a gate 13, for operation in the usua1 fashion of tumbler combination locks according to which the dial is turned in opposite directions alternately for predetermined numbers of turns until the gates 13 of all the tumblers are in alinement to release the fence lever, whereupon further rotation of the dial and drive wheel effects operation of the fence lever, bolt plate and bolt in a manner that will now be described.

The tumblers 12 are mounted between the drive wheel 9 and the front wall 1 of the housing with their circular edges adjacent to the curved end wall 3 of the housing so that the parts can be arranged compactly and occupy a minimum space, and to accomplish this there is provided a slidable bolt plate comprising a body portion ll which underlies the drive wheel and tumblers and is slotted at If), the slotted portion of the bolt plate embracing the arbor 8 and guided on the shoulder 8 of the arbor, between it and the rear wall 5. l6 designates a cylindrical bolt or pin offset forwardly from and formed integral with or fixedly attached to the body portion I4 of the bolt plate, while I! designates a fence lever pivotally attached to the bolt plate and having a dog l8 at its free end for engagement with the notch If in the drive wheel. A fence [9 extends laterally from the fence lever and is arranged to engage the gates IS in the tumblers.

The bolt plate includes a shoulder or enlargement 2!, arranged in the path of pins 22 on the 1 drive Wheel, so that by turning the dial and drive Wheel, the bolt plate and bolt can be moved from unlocked position back to locked position. 23 is a spring for actuating the fence lever toward the tumblers, 24 is a cam surface formed in one side wall of the housing to hold the fence lever engaged with the tumblers during movement of the bolt plate, and 25 is a recess to permit the fence lever to move out of engagement with the drive wheel.

In order to guide the bolt l6 endwise during its sliding movement, the housing is provided with a boss 26 having a semi-cylindrical recess 21 therein and the rear wall or back plate 5 is provided with a boss 28 having a semi-cylindrical recess 29 therein, so that when the rear wall is assembled and attached to the side and end walls of the housing, the boss 28 of th rear wall lies against the boss 26 of the housing and the recesses 21 and 29 cooperate to afford a cylindrical guide for the bolt or pin l5 and insure its proper movement within the housing toward and away from the end wall 4. The rear wall has its inner surface in juxtarelation to the adjacent surface of the bolt plate I4 which is thus held and guided by the rear wall. In this manner, the bolt plate underlies the tumbler mechanism and drive wheel which are concentrically arranged, and the housing requires only additional area sufficient to allow movement of the bolt into the hasp staple.

The lock is attachable to a hasp staple that may extend from a drawer, door, or any other part to be secured, and the lock is insertable over such hasp staple through an opening 3| in the rear wall and boss 28, and a recess 32 formed in the boss 26 within the housing.

In operation of the lock, assuming the bolt to be in locked position as shown in Fig. 4, the dial 1 is manipulated first in one direction and then in the other in accordance with any predetermined combination setting to bring the tumblers all into position such that the gates I3 of the tumblers are all opposite the fence 19. Then by further movement of the dial and drive wheel opposite to its last previous movement, the fence I9 being free to move into the gates of the tumblers under the actuation of spring 23, the dog IS on the fence lever H is engaged by the notch H in the drive wheel 9, and upon further turning of the dial and drive wheel 9, the fence lever and with it the bolt plate and bolt are moved endwise to remove the bolt from engagement with the hasp staple. Upon reverse movement of the dial, the drive wheel through a pin 22 engaging shoulder 2| moves the bolt plate and bolt toward locking position, the fence lever is disengaged from the drive wheel, and the tumblers disarranged with the bolt in looking position.

With this arrangement, the body portion of the bolt plate occupies a space under the concentric tumblers and drive wheel, being located between the drive wheel and the rear wall of the housing, so that only a small space is required for the necessary movement of the bolt and to receive the hasp staple within the housing. The structure requires a minimum space for the tumbler mechanism, drive wheel, and bolt plate. which are efficiently related, thus affording an exceedingly simple and compact arrangement that can be manufactured at a very low cost and requires little servicing or repair.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particular structure herein shown, it is not confined to the details disclosed, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvement and the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A combination padlock of the type adapted to envelope a hasp staple when in locked relation therewith comprising a lock housing formed with a body portion having a front wall and a rearwardly opening tumbler housing chamber and a removable rear cover plate for said body portion, a tubular boss integral with a front Wall of said body portion and projecting into said tumbler housing chamber, an arbor journaled in said boss and extending into said chamber, a dial fixedly coupled to said arbor and overlying said front wall, a plurality of peripherally recessed tumblers loosely mounted on said boss, a drive wheel fixed to the end of said arbor extending into said tumbler housing chamber for adjusting said tumblers, said housing having a rear wardly opening recess therein opening through said rear cover plate for receiving and enveloping a hasp staple, a bolt plate in said chamber slidably intercoupled with said arbor for sliding movement between said drive wheel and rear wall, a lever pivoted on said bolt plate having fence means overlying the tumbler peripheries and a dog engaging said drive wheel, means intercoupling said dog with said drive wheel when the tumbler recesses are aligned to receive said fence means therein for moving said bolt plate on rotation of said drive wheel, and a bolt integral with said bolt plate and projecting into said hasp staple recess to be selectively shifted into and out of locking relation with a hasp staple disposed in said recess on movement of said bolt plate.

2. A combination padlock of the type adapted to envelope a hasp staple when in locked relation therewith comprising a lock housing formed with a body portion having a front wall and a rearwardly opening tumbler housing chamber and a removable rear cover plate for said body portion, a tubular boss integral with a front wall of said body portion and projecting into said tumbler housing chamber, an arbor journaled in said boss and extending into said chamber, a dial fixedly coupled to said arbor and overlying said front Wall, a plurality of peripherally recessed tumblers loosely mounted on said boss, a drive wheel fixed to the end of said arbor extending into said tumbler housing chamber for adjusting said tumblers, said housing having a rearwardly opening recess therein opening through said rear cover plate for receiving and enveloping a hasp staple, a bolt plate in said chamber having a slot therein receiving said arbor for sliding movement of said bolt plate between said drive wheel and rear wall, a resiliently biased lever pivoted on said bolt plate having fence means overlying the tumbler peripheries and a dog engaging said drive wheel, said drive wheel having gate means receiving said dog when the tumbler recesses are aligned to receive said fence means therein for moving said bolt plate in a direction away from said hasp staple recess on rotation of said drive wheel, means on said drive wheel engaging said bolt plate for returning said bolt plate toward said hasp staple recess on rotation of said drive wheel, a cylindrical bolt integral with said bolt plate and offset from said bolt plate to a position substantially aligned with a medial axis of said housing perpendicular to the axis of said arbor, and means in said housing defining a cylindrical guideway intersecting said hasp staple recess to receive said bolt and guide said bolt in cooperation with said arbor-receiving slot along a. rectilinear path into and out of locking relation with a hasp staple in said hasp staple recess.

OTTO H. EIFFERT.

HOWARD S. THOMAS, JR.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Hofman July 29, 1879 Hathaway et al. May 31, 1881 Pillard Jan. 2, 1883 Streeter et al. May 22, 1906 Jervey Dec. 15, 1908 Storr Jan. 20, 1914 Rail May 29, 1917 Ledin Oct. 10, 1939

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