US3124951A

US3124951A - Marik

Info

Publication number: US3124951A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-17

Description

March 17, 1964 F. MARIK 3,124,951

KEY OPERATED COMBINATION LOCK Filed March 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 65 '1 5 Q I/III/II/I/l/II/l/l/ I /x//77/ \llllllllll A\ 8 59 5 E2 mmmwnm fie. 7 v -9 F: MARIK' KEY OPERATED COMBINATION LOCK March 17, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 14, 1960 United States Patent 3,124,951 KEY OPERATED COMBINATIGN LOCK Frank Marik, 138 Queen St., Camphelltown, New South Wales, Australia Filed Mar. '14, 196i Ser. No. 14,734 Claims priority, application Australia Sept. 7, 1959 1 Claim. (Cl. 70383) The present invention relates to a key operated combination lock.

The object, of the present invention is to provide a novel key operated combination type lock wherein the lock is opened by a key, which key can be altered in shape by adjustable components therein and which when it is inserted in the lock to lock it the lock mechanism combination is automatically altered thereby tocorrespond to the new key shape.

The present invention provides a lock assembly comprising a lock casing, a fascia plate having front and rear faces so mounted as to be at least partially rotatable with respect to said lock casing and a plurality of lock mechanism units secured to the rear face of said fascia plate; each said lock unit consisting of an apertured mounting plate, a shaft extending through said aperture, a selector wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a slot in said mounting plate extending from said aperture, a tooth on said selector wheel engageable in said slot, a circular rack having external teeth and internal recesses mounted for rotative and axial movement on said shaft, the tooth of said selector wheel being engageable in any one of the recesses of the circular rack in the locked position of the lock and in the said slot and out of engagement with said recesses in the unlocked position, a spring pressed detent carried by the mounting plate for engagement betwen two teeth of the circular rack but arranged to be displaced from such engagement by insertion of a rack-like key member through the said fascia plate and into engagement with the said external teeth to rotate the said circular rack through a predetermined angle corresponding to the effective length of the said key member, the said shaft and selector wheels being slidable with respect to said circular racks so that the tooth of each selector wheel when displaced into a position corresponding to the key combination is in engagement with the recesses of the circular rack and adjacent the slot of the mounting plate or a corresponding slot in an end plate; a stationary cam surface between the lock casing and the lock mechanism units in engagement with the ends of the shaft, the fascia plate upon rotation causing the ends of the shaft to follow the cam contour to axially displace the shaft with the fascia plate and parts carried thereby defining rotative movement about an axis transverse to the said shaft, axial movement of the shaft displacing the selector wheels so their teeth extend into the respective slots in the unlocked position of the lock and out of engagement with the recesses of the respective circular racks, the key being withdrawable and insertable in the locked and unlocked positions, and if withdrawn when in the unlocked position and set to a new combination upon subsequent reinsertion, turning of the fascia plate to the locked position and withdrawal from the lock in the locked position resetting the lock mechanism to the new combination.

A preferred embodiment of the lock and key of my invention as applied to a latch type lock will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the centre of the lock assembly,

FIGURES 2 and 2a show in face and edge elevations respectively a pinion forming part of the lock assembly,

FIGURES 3 and 3a show in face and edge elevations 3,124,951 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 respectively a selector wheel forming part of the lock assembly,

FIGURE 4 is an elevation of one mounting plate (not the central one) forming part of the lock assembly,

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the centre of the key,

FIGURE 6 is an end elevation of the key,

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the centre of the body part of the key and FIGURE 8 is a plan view of such body part,

FIGURE 9 is a central transverse section through the key,

FIGURE 10 is a central transverse section through the lock assembly, and I FIGURE 11 corresponds to FIGURE 10 but shows the parts in different positions.

FIGURE 12 shows a modified pinion.

When the lock is installed the visible par-t is a fascia plate 26 in which is a non-central hole (or series of holes) 41 into which a special key can be inserted, by which key the fascia plate and parts carried thereby can be partially rotated bodily (about the centre of the fascia plate, not about the centre of the key).

In FIGURE 1 the fascia plate 20 is shown in crosssection through one of its lugs 21 which support the assembled units 2-2 of the look mechanism by means of screws 23, the shanks of which pass through tapped holes in the lugs 21 and through holes in the mounting plate 24 of each unit of the lock mechanism 22. In the assembly shown there are five such units 22 and these together with an additional end plate 25 which corresponds in shape to the other mounting plates 24 make up the said lock mechanism.

Each mounting plate 24 and the end plate 25 (see FIG. 10) are provided with a rivet hole 26 and an aperture 27, the latter having a peripheral slot 28, as shown in FIGURE 4.

A selector wheel 29 forms part of each unit 22 and is adapted to be rotatably mounted and axially slidable over portions of its peripheral width in such aperture 27 and has a tooth 30 (shown in FIGURE 3) on its periphery which limits its movement as aforementioned. When the tooth 30 corresponds in circular position to the slot 28 the selector wheel 29 is displaceable axially into engagement with the aperture 27.

The mounting plates 24 and end plates 25 are separated at their outboard ends by spacer washers 31. These are positioned by a rivet 32 which passes through their aper tures and the rivet holes 26.

On each selector wheel there is mounted a pinion (or circular rack) 33 having a number of internal recesses in any one of which the tooth 39' is adapted to be engaged according to the circular position of the latter. The number of internal recesses 34 in the pinion 33 in this instance is ten, which number corresponds to the number of positions in which each key element may be arranged as described hereinafter. The bore of the pinion 33 is rotatable on the peripheral portion 29a of the selector wheel 29 axially beyond the tooth 30.'(See FIGURE 3.)

Each pinion 33 is provided with external teeth 35, in this instance fourteen, to allow for suitable selection of the respective combinations as described hereinafter.

While the pinion 33 only requires the number of internal recesses 34 and external teeth 35 illustrated it is usually more convenient for manufacture and assembly purposes to have complete circles of internal recesses and external teeth, as shown in FIGURE 12. A locking member 36 which is pivotally mounted on each plate 24 at 37 is provided with a projection 38 which is adapted to be engaged in between any adjacent pair of external teeth 35 of its associated pinion 33. The locking member 36 also has a sloping end portion 39 which is adapted to be contacted by a key element 4t) when same is inserted through the corresponding aperture 41 in the fascia plate 20. The insertion of such key element 4t lifts the locking member 36 so that the projection 38 is cleared from the periphery of the gear teeth 35 on the pinion $3 and on further insertion of the key element the end thereof contacts the particular tooth of the external teeth 35 on the pinion along its path of travel and rotates same through an arc until the key element (or prong) 40 is inserted to its limit of travel. The rack type under surface of the key 4t) engages in the teeth 35 of the pinion. The combination is arranged so that upon insertion of the key element 4-5 to its correct predetermined distance the tooth M5 is positioned in corresponding radial relationship with the slot 28 of the adjacent plate 24. In this position the selector wheel 29 can be displaced axially so that the tooth 3th engages in the slots 23 of the adjacent plate aforementioned. When the key element 40 is withdrawn (with the tooth 30 in engagement with the corresponding recess 34) the pinion 33 is counter-rotated through a similar arc.

The locking member 36 is spring loaded into engagement with the pinion 33 by a wire spring 42 which is kept in position by a square key 43 driven through a complementary friction fit hole arranged in each plate 24 and the end plate 25.

The selector wheels 29 are mounted on a common shaft 44 which has a reduced diameter portion 45 at one end. This reduced diameter portion is positioned in the assembly at the end remote from the end plate 25. On this reduced diameter portion a bearing washer 46 is positioned. It has an outer boss 47 of reduced diameter, an inner boss 48 slidable in the aperture 2'7 of the outermost plate 24 and an enlarged portion 49 therebetween which limits axial displacement of the assembly. The other end of the shaft 44 is provided with an assembly washer 50 having an end part 51. The remainder of the Washer which abuts the end plate 25 is of greater diameter at 52 than the aperture 27. The ends of the shaft 44 are rivetted over and rounded beyond the bearing washer 46 and assembly washer 50 as shown at 53 and 54.

From the cross-section shown in FIGURE it will be seen that the lock assembly is positioned inside a hollow cam 55 of such shape that the lock assembly could be rotated bodily if the shaft 44 could be displaced axially towards the end plate 25. The limit of such displacement is controlled by the exposed portion of the boss 43 between the portion 49 and the endmost plate 24, as the abutting faces of the assembly washer 50, the selector wheels 29 and the bearing washer 46 have no axial play between them. If even one tooth 30 is out of co-incidence with its co-operating radial notch 28 the shaft 44 cannot slide sufficiently inside the cam track 55 to permit the assembly to turn therein and open the lock.

When each selector wheel 29 has been rotated by its cooperating pinion 33 so that its tooth 30 is in corresponding radial relationship with the slot 28 of its cooperating aperture 27 the whole assembly mounted on the shaft 44 can be displaced axially as the lock assembly is rotated in the cam 55., As soon as the assembly is rotated clockwise with the components in this position the shape of the cam 55 both permits and causes axial displacement of the components mounted on the shaft 44, as may be seen by comparing FIGURE 11 with FIGURE 10. Further rotation in the opposite direction causes reverse axial displacement of the shaft 44 and components mounted thereon into their initial positions.

A projection 56 is positioned at the rear of the central plate 24 of the lock assembly and is adapted to actuate any suitable lock bolt or latch mechanism not shown.

Alternatively the shaft 44 or projection 56 may be adapted to actuate a pad lock type assembly.

The combination of the lock may be varied when the teeth 30 in the selector Wheels 29 are in engagement with the corresponding slots 28 in the apertures 27. The effective lengths of the respective key elements 4% are altered and such elements are reinserted into the loci mechanism and the pinion wheels 33 are rotated into posi tions wherein the respective internal recesses 34 and external teeth and the teeth 3h on the selector wheels 29 assume new corresponding mutual angular relationships, which relationships are secured when the locking mechanism is returned to its original position.

The key assembly includes a body 57 (conveniently a nylon moulding) having five longitudinal slots 58 in which the key elements are mounted. One end face of the moulding 57 is provided with an enlargement 59 'through which the working lengths of the key members 40 protrude. A transverse groove 64) is provided in the moulding adjacent this enlargement 59 wherein may be inserted a locking pin 61 which is engageable in one of the notches 62 of each of the rack-like under surface of the key members 45. This serves to position the key members 49 with the desired working lengths protruding from the end of the body. Two shallow channel shape members es encase the top, bottom and sides of the body 57. The body 57 and the channel shaped members 63 have matching holes towards the end remote from the enlargement 59 in which holes a locking screw 64 and cylindrical nut 55 with a slotted head is located to retain the elements in assembled relationship.

The nut may be one requiring a special body to loosen I it.

Or a rivet may be employed instead of the screw and nut, if the key user (for example an hotel guest) is not intended to be able to alter the combination.

To change the key combinations the screw 64 and cylindrical nut 65 are disconnected, the channel shaped elements 63 removed, the locking pin 61 removed and the key elements 44 displaced along the slots 53 until a different notch 62 is in line with the transverse groove 6t). The key is then reassembled as aforespecified.

By counting the numbers of notches on the protruding parts of the key members 49 a written record of the combination for which the lock is set can be kept. Thus a spare key can quickly be made up if the original one be damaged.

If the key be lost a fresh one may be made and used to open the lock and then (to prevent misuse of the lost key) the key can be altered and with it the lock re-locked, whereby it will be set to a fresh combination.

I claim:

A lock assembly comprising a lock casing, a fascia plate having front and rear faces so mounted as to be at least partially rotatable with respect to said lock casing and a plurality of lock mechanism units secured to the rear face of said fascia plate; each said lock unit consisting of an apertured mounting plate, a shaft extending through said aperture, a selector wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a slot in said mounting plate extending from said aperture, a tooth on said selector wheel engageable in said slot, a circular rack having external teeth and internal recesses mounted for rotative and axial movement on said shaft, the tooth of said selector wheel being engageable in any one of the recesses of the circular rack in the locked position of the lock and in the said slot and out of engagement with said recesses in the unlocked position, a spring pressed detent carried by the mounting plate for engagement between two teeth of the circular rack but arranged to be displaced from such engagement by insertion of a rack-like key member through the said fascia plate and into engagement with the said external teeth to rotate the said circular rack through a predetermined angle corresponding to the effective length of the said key member, the said shaft and selector wheels being slidable with respect to said circular racks so that the tooth of each selector wheel when displaced into a position corresponding to the key combination is in engagement with the recesses of the circular rack and adjacent the slot of the mounting plate or a corresponding slot in an end plate; a stationary cam surface between the lock casing and the lock mechanism units in engagement with the ends of the shaft, the fascia plate upon rotation causing the ends of the shaft to follow the cam contour to axially displace the shaft with the fascia plate and parts carried thereby defining rotative movement about an axis transverse to the said shaft, axial movement of the shaft displacing the selector wheels so that their teeth extend into the respective slots in the unlocked position of the lock and out of engagement with the recesses of the respective circular racks, the key being withdrawable and insertable in the locked and unlocked positions, and if withdrawn when in the unlocked position and set to a new combination upon subsequent reinsertion, turning of the fascia plate to the locked 6 position and withdrawal from the lock in the locked position resetting the lock mechanism to the new combination.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 472,620 Hyde Apr. 12, 1892 834,918 Lindgren Nov. 6, 1906 1,317,828 Sellstone Oct. 7, 1919 1,353,722 Clark Sept. 21, 1920 1,594,297 Muzzio July 27, 1926 1,653,511 Schlage Dec. 20, 1927 1,899,739 Von Mehren Feb. 28, 1933 2,595,267 Julliard May 6, 1952 2,660,047 Villalba Nov. 24, 1953