US2883848A - Lock - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 1959 E. C. WQLNIAK LOCK Filed Aug. 27, 1956 Jaz vtumbler springs and spacers. 'serted into the lockhousing and suitable means must United States Fateniu LOCK Stanley C. Wolniak, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Illinois k Company, a corporation of Illinois Application August 27, 1956, Serial No. 606,489

3 Claims. (Cl. 711-367) This invention is concerned with a lock and more particularly with a novel arrangement for retaining the plug assembly of a lock in a housing.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a lock plug and housing assembly which is cheaper to manufacture and easier to assemble than those which have been used in the past.

One feature of the invention is the provision of a retaining element movably mounted on a lock plug with a leaf spring biasing the retaining element into engagement with the housing. Another feature is the provision of complementary surfaces on the spring and plug for positioning the leaf spring thereon; and a further feature is that the complementary surfaces include an ear on one member and means defining a recess on the other.

Another feature is that the plug may be formed so that the retaining means will operate in various directions although cast with a standard double side core action die. Yet another feature is that the back end of the key slot and spring positioning recess are formed with these same side cores in the plug and extend in parallel directions regardless of the direction of movement of the movable retaining member.

And a further feature is that the plug shape, due to the arcuate shape of the leaf spring and the corresponding shape of the plug, provides substantial strength in the sections connecting the plug structures on either side of the retaining member channel.

Further features and advantages will readily be apparent from the following specification and from the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cut-away perspective view of a lock plug assembled in a housing;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an exploded view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the plug;

Figure 5 is a side view of the spring member;

Figure 6 is a layout drawing illustrating the dies used in coring the lock plug; and

Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6 showing a different arrangement for the retaining member guide surfaces.

In the manufacture of key locks, the plug member is normally assembled from a cast blank, suitable tumblers,

The assembly is then inbe provided for retaining it securely therein.

Referring now to Figure 1, a plug assembly P having a body 10, a key slot 11 and tumblers 12 is shown mounted in a housing 13. A retaining member 14 is spring urged, as will appear more fully later, into a complementary recess or groove 13a of the housing, holding plug P securely therein. Upon insertion of an appropriate key, the ends of tumblers l2 are retracted into the plug body permitting plug P to turn. An cecentric boss 15 extends from the rear face of the plug body 10 and may be utilized to operate a desired mechanism (not shown).

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 4, it will be seen that the plug body 10 has a channel 2Q formed therein adjacent the .'ear portion of the body and extending well over half way around the body. Received within the channel 20 is a horseshoe or U-shaped retaining member 14 provided with end portions 2l. joined by an arcuate portion 22. The end portions 2i slidably engage generally parallel guide surfaces 23 formed in the plug body at the bottom of channel 20 and permit movement of the retaining member in a desired direction into and out of the channel. A leaf spring 24 of generally arcuate or U-shaped configuration, is interposed between the retaining member and the plug body 10, within channel 20, urging the retaining member away from the plug body. The retaining member guide surfaces 23 are provided With shoulders 25, extending generally at right angles thereto, which are engaged by lip portions 26 on the inner surfaces of end portions 21 of the retaining member, limiting the outward movement of the retaining member. The assembled plug unit P may be inserted into the lock housing 13 by depressing retainer member 2li and inserting the plug unit into the housing. When the plug P is fully inserted, the retaining member snaps into groove 13a locking the parts together.

Arcuate leaf spring 24 is provided with an ear or tab 27 projecting outwardly from the side of the spring adjacent one end thereof. This ear is received in a recess 28 formed in one of the Walls defining channel 20. Preferably the recess is formed in the rear wall 29 to avoid weakening the plug structure adjacent the tumbler receiving openings 30, which are formed in the plug forwardly of recess 20.

The ear 27 on the leaf spring and the recess 28 cooperate to simplify the assembly of the spring retaining element and the plug body. The spring is placed in channel 20 with the ear or tab portion 27 extending into recess 28, and the ends of the spring rest on the rounded surface of the plug body as shown in Figure 2. The interlocking action of the ear 27 and recess 23 keep the spring in the desired position even though the plug body may be subjected to a certain amount of movement before the retaining member 14 is placed thereon. The retainer member may be assembled by placing it over the spring so that the end portions 2l. are spread apart until lips 26 snap into place engaging shoulders 25.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1-4, the retaining member 14 moves in generally the same direction as the direction of movement of tumblers 12 and accordingly the guide surfaces 23 are generally parallel with the key slot 1li and the openings provided in plug blank for the tumblers. In addition, the recess 28 is formed with its sides 28a extending generally in the same direction, parallel to-the guide surfaces 23, key slot 11 and tumblers 12. With this arrangement, the dies for the plug blank are designed as shown in Figure 6 with the parting line being indicated at 31.

In many instances, however, the design of the particular lock installation requires that the retaining member move in a different direction. The plug blank of the present invention is particularly well adapted to permit such modification as shown in Figure 7 wherein the retaining member guide surfaces 23 extend generally at right angles to the key slot ll. Here the recess 28 is turned through also, so that it may be cored by a projection on one die member while the key slot l1 is cored by a projection on the other die member. The parting line for the dies is indicated at 31.

In both forms of the plug, i.e. with retainer movement in the same direction as tumbler movement or at an angle thereto, the connecting portion of the plug blank between the portions on either side of recess 20 has a aast-inea substantial cross sectional area. This strengthens the plug blank and reduces the possibility of breakage in use.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a lock of the character described, comprising a plug having a transverse peripheral channel formed therein provided with an arcuate bottom wall portion, a housing having an opening receiving said plug, and a retaining element mounted in said plug to be projected therefrom, an arcuate leaf spring having its legs substantially spaced and slidably engaging said bottom wall portion and biasing said retaining element outwardly to project into a complementary recess in said housing, said leaf spring and a side wall of the channel in the plug 20 walls defining the boundary of said channel proximate said end having a recess and a portion of the bottom wall thereof extending parallel to the axis of the plug, a housing having an opening receiving said plug, and a retaining element movably mounted in said channel, a leaf spring biasing said retaining element into a complementary recess in said housing, said spring having an ear thereon which extends into the recess in the wall of said channel, positioning the spring on said plug and spaced portions having contact with said bottom wall portion of the groove substantially along lines extending parallel to the axis of the plug.

3. The lock of claim 2 wherein the retaining element is U-shaped and straddles said bottom wall portion, and the spacing of said portions of the spring is in the order of the spacing of the legs of the retaining element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,621,174 Schlage Mar. t5, w27 2,019,534 Henst Nov. 5, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 301 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1902

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