US2793522A - Lock indicator - Google Patents

Description

May 28, 1957 J. A. TORNOE LOCK INDICATOR Filed June 9, 1952 INVENTOR. Jaw/v ,Jxe'z 72/V4i BY w {W United dtates harem 2,793,522 LOCK INDICATOR John Axel Tornoe, San Francisco, Calif, assignor to .Schiage Lock Company, a corporation Application June 9, 1952, Serial No. 292,491

3 Claims. (Cl. 70-432) My invention relates primarily to door locks and is especially concerned with locks often used in public buildings such as hotels wherein it is desirable or advisable to have some indication on the lock of the condition of the lock; that is, whether it is in locked condition or unlocked condition. An indicator on the key or operating side of the lock is of little utility in some installations, but in other instances, for example in hotels, there is a need for an indicator of this sort. If the lock on a hotel room indicates from the hallway or the exterior of the room that the lock has been locked from the outside, then hotel attaches, such as maids or patrolmen, can assume that the room is not ocupied.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a a lock indicator to indicate the condition of the lock on the operating side of the lock. Another object of my invention is to provide a lock indicator affording an indication close to the operating key for indicating the lock condition.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lock indicator readily installed in a lock cylinder mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lock indicator positive in operation and serving as an indicator both visually and by touch.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a generally improved lock indicator.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in the embodiment of my invention described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of my lock indicator. The usual environment, a standard form of lock unit, is illustrated in phantom lines.

Figure 2 is an exterior end view of my lock indicator, portions of the environment not detailed in Figure 1 being illustrated in cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section similar to Figure 2 but with the plane of section on the line 3 -3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section similar to Figure 3 but with the section on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view corresponding to the major portion of Figure 1 but showing the lock indicator in an indicating position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view like Figure 5 but showing a modified form of lock indicator.

In all of the views, many of the normally present standard lock parts are omitted in order to clarify the disclosure.

Lock indicators incorporated with the locks oi the general type disclosed heerin are shown in the following United States patents:

Walter R. Schlage, 1,944,469, issued January 23, 1934 Walter R. Schlage, 2,008,405, issued July 16, 1935 Walter R. Schlage, 2,018,093, issued October 22, 1935 Walter R. Schlage, 2,293,856, issued August 25, 1942 2,793,52 Patented May 28, 1957 In the foregoing patents the disclosures generally have to do with the provision of an indicating button visible on one side of the door and projected or retracted in accordance with the condition of the lock as controlled from the opposite side of the door. In the present instance, the indicator is for use in a lock of a similar character. The lock unit is generally indicated by an outline 6 representing the escutcheon 7 and a knob 8 relatively rotatable with respect thereto. The lock unit contains a lock bolt or the like (not shown) actuated upon rotation of a cylinder bar 11 in the customary way. The knob 8 and escutcheon 7 are assumed to be located on the outside of a hotel room door, for example, visible or accessible to the hotel staif.

The cylinder bar 11 is associated with a tumbler housing 14 of generally circular cylindrical contour interiorly to provide a passage 16 of circular cylindrical nature. The exterior of the tumbler housing is likewise approximately circular cylindrical except for a tumbler tongue 17 containing some of the tumblers 181 utilized in connection with the key 19 for operating the lock. The housing 14 including the tongue 17 is disposed interiorly of the surrounding knob structure 8 and is relatively nonrotatable with respect thereto. While in some installations the tumbler housing 14 moves, to serve as a datum point herein, the tumbler housing 14 can be considered to be relatively stationary.

Disposed within and relatively rotatable with respect to the tumbler housing 14 is a tumbler cylinder 21. This cylinder is primarily a circular cylindrical body having an enlarged flange 22 on its exterior end butting against the end of the tumbler housing 14. The opposite end of the tumbler cylinder is provided with a reduced and threaded portion 23. A threaded collar 24 having an inturned and internally serrated flange 26 thereon engages the threaded portion 23. The cylinder bar 11 is provided with an enlarged disc end 27 preferably clamped between the end of the rotatable tumbler cylinder 21 and the internally turned flange 25. In addition, a pin '23 engaging the serrations in the collar 24 and extending into the relatively rotatable tumbler cylinder 21 locks the cylinder, the disc 27, the collar 24, and the cylinder bar 11 together for rotation in unison relative to the tumbler housing 14. Introduction of an appropriate key 19 adjusts the tumblers 18 in such a fashion that the tumbler cylinder is accompanied by a comparable rotatively stationary tumbler housing 14. Rotation of the tumbler cylinder is acompanied by a comparable rotation of the cylinder bar 11.

Since the rotation of the tumbler cylinder in one direction is utilized to condition the lock to locked position and since rotation to another extreme position is utilized to condition the lock for its unlocked position, I preferably utilize the relative rotation between the tumbler cylinder and the tumbler housing for affording an appropriate indication of the lock condition. For this reason, I provide in the tumbler cylinder 21 a passage 31 extending entirely through the tumbler cylinder and variously contoured at various points along its length. At an intermediate portion, the interior of the passage 31 is bounded by internal threads 32 engaged by a threaded portion 33 of an indicator pin 34. The pin itself at one end has a circular cylindrical terminus 36 designed to be retracted into a location substantially flush with the visible face 37 of the end flange 22 of the tumbler cylinder 21. In its other position, the pin is projected, as shown in Figure 5, to extend substantially from the visible face 37. In fact, the projection of the pin terminus 36 is preferably sufficient so that it is readily visible and so that even if the lock cannot be seen a person by feeling the face 37 of the tumbler cylinder can detect by touch whether or not the pin terminus 36 is projected or retracted.

The circular cylindrical pin terminus 36 is freely slidable in'a' comparable portion of the passage 31. An additional bearing for the pin is provided by an enlarged collar 38 on the pin operating in a comparably enlarged portion of the passage.

As the pin 34 is rotated with respect to the tumbler cylinder 21, it is axially, translated so as to projector retract. To ensure an'appropriate' relative rotation between the pin and the tumbler cylinder, there is provided a mechanism including a, squared portion 39 at the opposite extremity of' the pin from the indicating terminus 36.

- Engaging thesquared portion 39 is the squared interior cavity 41 of a hub42 of a pinion gear 43' journaled in the body of the tumbler cylinder 21. The hub 42 is confined against axial translation in one direction since the pinion gear 43 is somewhat larger in diameter than the hub and bears" on one side against the subjacent face of the tumbler cylinder 21. In order otherwise to confine the pinion gear to rotation, its translation in the opposite'directi'on is preventedby a thrust washer 44. As especially seen in Figure 3, this washer is a ring fitting over the treaded portion 23- of the tumbler cylinder and bearing against one end'ofthe tumbler housing 14.

Along its inner periphery, the ring 44 is provided with a projection 46- extending radially inward through a slot 45 in the cylinder 21 and overlying a portion at least of thepinion gear 43. The projection serves as a confining abutment for the gear as-the washer 44 itself is held against motion when the flange collar 24 is screwed tightly into position on the tumbler cylinder. The tightness of the collar 24 is such that the cylinder is freely rotatable within the housing but no excess end movement of the washer 44 or of the gear pinion 43 is permitted. The pinion gear 43 is rotated relative to the tumbler cylinder since it is in mesh constantly with a ring gear 47 (Figure 4)' formed internally within the extreme portion of the interior of. thetumbler housing 14.

The disposition of all ofthese parts is such that they clear the various other parts of the key mechanism or look mechanism normally included in the tumbler cylinder as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

When the lock is unlocked, as illustrated in Figure 1, the indicator terminus 36 is substantially flush with the exterior face of the tumbler cylinder 21. When the key 19 is turned and so-turns the cylinder bar 11 to lock the lock, the tumbler cylinder is rotated relative to the turnbler housing 14 and the pinion gear 43is rotated as a planet gear within the internal ring gear 47. The rotation of the. pinion gear with respect to the tumbler cylinder 21. rotates the pin: 34 due to the squared connecti0ns39 and 41.

During relative rotation, the pin 34 is revolved about its own axis and, because of the connection between the threads 32 and 33, causesan axial movement in the'pin into its projected position as shown in Figure 5. An indication that the lock is locked from the outside or'from the side-carrying the key 19 is therefore available either visually or by touch. When the lock is again unlocked a' reverse relative rotation takes-place between the tumbler' cylinder and the tumbler housing and the indicator pin 34' is not only rotated but is axially withdrawn to its starting position. There is thus provided a lock indicator showing the condition of the lock at any time and available on the same side of the lock that is actuated.

As an alternative arrangement, the parts can be so disposed, as shown in Figure 6, that the pin in one position is retracted below the surface 37. The other extreme position of the pin is then flush with the surface 37. If a still further variation is desired, the pin can be retracted below the surface for one extreme position, projected above the surface for another extreme position and considered to be in an intermediate or neutral position when it is flush with the surface 37. This is accomplished with the Figure 6 structure by positioning the adjacent parts, such as the collar 38' and the terminus 36', so that they occupy the desired relative positions with regard to the cylinder 21'.

What is claimed is:

1. A lock indicator comprising a tumbler housing having a circular-cylindrical opening therein, a tumbler cylinder disposed in said opening and rotatable thereinrelative to said tumbler housing, said tumbler cylinder having a passage therethrough, at least a portion of said passage being threaded, a threaded pin in said passage engaging the threads therein, a pinion gear journalled in said tumbler cylinder, means for transmitting rotation of said pinion gear to said pin, and a ring gear on saidtumbler housing in mesh with said pinion gear.

2. A lock indicator comprising a tumbler housing, a tumbler cylinder rotatable within said housing, said tumbler cylinder having a passage therethrough, at least a portion of said-passage being threaded, a threaded pin in said passage engaging the threads therein, there being a squared portion on said pin, a pinion gear confined to rotation in said tumbler cylinder, said pinion gear having. a. squared portion engaging the squared portion of said pin, and a ring gear on said tumbler housing in mesh with said pinion gear.

3. A look indicator comprising a stationary lock portion, a movable portion adapted to receive a key therein and having an external key receiving face, an indicator screw threadedly connected to said movableportion and movable with respect to said face at right angles to the latter, a pinion gear rotatably supported in said movable portion and a ring gear carried by said stationary portion for rotating said'pinion gear upon movement of said movable portion, a telescopic driving connection between said pinion gear and said indicator for so moving the latter upon rotation of said pinion gear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 455,457 Beasley July 7, 1891 867,175 Voight Sept. 24, 1907 1,445,444 Liebmann Feb. 13, 1923 1,454,020 Teich May 1, 1923 1,674,514 Jacobi June 19, 1928 1,675,737 Teich July 3, 1928 1,944,469 Schlage Jan. 23, 1934 2,036,764 Lowe u Apr. 7, 1936 2,315,102 Adams Mar. 30, 1943

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