US3274810A - Puzzle lock - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 27, 196e Filed May 5, 1964 F. P. TRAVERSA ETAL PUZZLE LOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept 275 1966 F. P. TRAVERSA ETAL 3,274,810

PUZZLE LOCK Filed May 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept' 27, 1966 F. P. TRAVERSA ETAL 3,274,810

PUZ ZLE LOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 5, 1964 Sept- 27, 1966 F. P. TRAVERSA ETAL 3,274,810

PUZZLE LOCK Filed May 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O 3,274,810 PUZZLE LOCK Felix Pedro Traversa and Armando Marcos Traversa, both of Boedo 769, Buenos Aires, Argentina Filed May 5, 1964, Ser. No. 365,006 11 Claims. (Cl. 70-288) The present invention refers to a safety .lock and more particularly to a so-called puzzle lock of simple construction, of low cost and easy to be operated, which may be advantageously used in house doors ias well as in safes, in combination with a separate door latch.

Most cf the known safety .locks `are to be yoperated by means of keys. The complexity, size and weight of these known locks vand their corresponding keys increase in direct relation with the value of security oered thereby, with the disadvantageous result that it is troublesome to carry along these keys which in most of the cases are considerably larger than the Yale type keys. In addition hereto there is always the danger that the keys may rbe lost.

Now the main object of the present invention is to provide a novel puzzle lock which is to be operated on the basis of a combination or code of numbers or characters exclusive-1y known to the user and which as compared with the puzzle locks as hitherto known is not only of a very simple construction, but is also of a size :so small that it may be readily mounted in doors of reduced thickness, this novel puzzle lock being also advantageous insofar as the combination or code for its ope-ration may be readily changed by simply interchanging two inexpensive parts.

More particularly, the invention provides a novel puzzle lock for use in combination with a separate door latch, comprising la cylindrical lock casing, a partly cylindrical lid member lixedly secured in coaxial arrangement to the bottom wall of said casing, a central shaft extending from the interior of Isaid casing through central perforations in the bottom wall of said casing land in said lid member into a central recess of the latter, a knob rotatively arranged in said `recess and secured to said shaft, a number of spring-loaded push pins slidably disposed in corresponding bores provided in said lid member around ysaid central recess, a control disk arranged on the bottom wall of said casing and provided with a number of bores coaxial with said push pins, a cylindrical body arranged within said casing land provided with a number of bores coaxial with said push pins `and with the bores in said control disk, spring-loaded cooperator pins slidably arranged in the bore-s of .said cylindrical body for their operation by means of said push pins, ya `spring-loaded `locking disk arranged on the free rear surface of Vsaid cylindrical body and mounted on said central shaft, `a number of lslightly oval perforations provided in said locking disk in coaxial rarrangement with said cooperator pins, locking members provided adjacent part of said perforations of said locking disk for blocking part of :said cooperator pins belonging to an elected lock code and push members provided adjacent the remaining perforations of said locking disk for the disengagement of said blocked cooperator pins, the said control disk being provided with a radial arm which by means of a yrod is connected with the said door latch.

According to one important feature of the invention, the puzzle lock las set forth in the preceding paragraph may be operated only by the person who knows the lock code, Iand in the case of `operating -a push pin not belonging to the elected lock code in addition to several push pins belonging to the elected lock code, the lock mechanism is again and automatically blocked.

In accordance with another important feature 'of the invention, the puzzle lock as herein before set forth includes a code disk which permits the disengagement of 3,2 74,810' Patented Sept. 27, 1966 the cooperator pins and the opening of the door provided with this lock only when the push pins are operated in a determined order of succession, with the ladvantageous result that the security afforded by the lock is considerably increased.

With these objects and advantageous features in view the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which by way of example only illustrate la preferred embodiment of the new puzzle lock and which represent in FIG. 1 a cross sectional view of the puzzle lock in its locking position,

FIG. 2 a front view of a control disk of the lock according to FIG. 1, said disk being shown as seen from the left hand side of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 a front view cf a locking disk of the lock, seen in the .same direction as the control disk of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 a front view of a Code -disk of the lock seen in the same direction as the control disk of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 a perspective view of the elastic locking member employed on the locking disk lof F IG. 3,

FIG. 6 a perspective view of a push member used on the llocking disk of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 7 a front view of the puzzle lock according to the invention, with the corresponding safety door latch, seen from the inside of the door wherein the lock is mounted.

In these figures like reference numerals and characters are used for indicating like or similar parts. FIGURES l to 6 lare drawn lon lan enlarged scale whereas FIG. 7 shows the lock on a slightly reduced scale.

Having reference to the accompanying drawings, the puzzle lock according to the present invention comp-rises a partly cylindrical lid member A provided in the embodiment as shown with ten push pins 1 uniformly distributed on a circle concentric with a control knob 2 arranged in the centre of the lid member A. The push pins 1 carry button members 3 which lare conveniently numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0 in succession, but in counterclockwise direction. The push pin 1 :shown in the lower part of FIG. 1 carries, for instance, the number 5, in which case the diametricarlly opposite push pin (not shown) would carry the number 0.

In the embodiment of the invention 'as shown, the combination or code for the operation of the Llock is formed by a group cf five elements, for instance, by the push pins numbered 1, 2, 4, 5, 9. It Will be appreciated that if there Iare ten push pins yand if the combination or code comprises five of these pins, there 'are several tenthousands or even hundred-thousands of different possible combinations, in dependence of the number of elements forming the combination.

It may be mentioned that the uniform distribution of the push pins 1 on a circle is not absolutely necessary; they may be just the same distributed in any other suitable manner.

The lid member A comprises a cylindrical portion 4 and is provided with a cent-ral bore 5 which is concentrical with a recess 7 of said lid member capable of receiving the knob 2 which Iprior to its introduction in the lock is xed in any suitable manner, for instance, by welding to the end of a central shaft 8 in the form of a cylindrical rod the opposite end of which is situated within the lock. Around the central recess 7 the lid member A Icomprises ten bores 9 which `are in alignment with ysmaller bores 10 open on the inner surface of the lid member. The shoulders formed by the bores 9 and 10 support helical springs 11 which normally maintain the push pins 1 in a position projecting beyond the router surface of the lid member, as has been clearly shown in FIG. 1.

The push pins 1 are constituted by cylindrical bodies which are slidably arranged in the bores 9 so as to move from an inoperative position shown in FIG. 1 to an operative position (not shown), each pin 1 carrying a button member 3 for the users nger and comprising at its opposite end an extension in form of a rod 12 of smaller diameter so as to slide in lthe bore 10, said rod 12 having a conical end portion 13 which projects beyond the inner surface of the body 4. Each rod 12 is provided near its conical end portion 13 with a circumferential groove containing an elastic ring 14 capable of retaining the push pin 1 in its bore 9, 10.

The outer surface 15 of the cylindrical portion of the lid member A fits into a circular opening of a door 16 wherein the lock has to be mounted. The lock mechanism contained in a casing B is placed in position from the inside lof the door. The casing B constituted by a cylindrical box 17 fits into a corresponding inner opening of the door 16 and forms a flange 18 abutting against the inner door surface, the bottom 19 of the casing B being .situated in front of the inner surface of the lid member A as has been clearly shown in FIG. 1.

The bottom 19 o-f the casing B is provided with a central opening 20 for the central shaft 8 of the lock and is secured by means of screws 21 to the lid member A. By means of this interconnection `of the lid member A and the casing B from the inside yof the door an access to the lock mechanism from the outside is rendered impossible and at the same time the two parts A and B are xedly secured in place.

The bottom wall 19 of the casing is further provided with a plurality of bores 22, the number and distribuf tion of these bores coinciding with the number and distribution of the push pins 1, the arrangement being such that in the correct position `of the casing B the centers of the bores 22 are in alignment with the points of the conical end portions 13 of the push pins 1 so that when the latter are operated, their end portions 13 project into the casing B.

Now the shaft 8 is introduced into the central bore 5 of the lid member A until its enlarged portion 23 rests upon the bottom wall 19 of the casing B and thereafter its outer end is fixedly connected in any convenient manner with the knob 2, so that this knob is rotatively mounted in the recess 7 of Ithe lid member A and is unable to axially slide therein. The inner end portion of the shaft 8 projecting from its enlargement 23 is flattened so as to form a tongue member 25.

On the enlarged portion 23 of the shaft 8 in the interior of the casing B there is now placed a control disk C constituted by a circular, centrally perforated plate 26 (see FIG. 2) which is provided with a radially projecting arm 27 engaged by a spring 28 (FIG. 1) of the casing B and so arranged that it may lbe connected by means of a lrod 4or arm 19 (FIG. 7) with a double bolt 30 of the proper door lock 31, the arrangement being such that when the radial arm 27 is mov-ed in the direction of the arrow 32 (FIG. 7), the double bolt 30 is withdrawn into the door lock 31. The double bolt 30 is further provided with a knob the shaft 33 of which is shown in FIG. 7, so that the door lock may be opened from the inside by manually displacing the knob in the direction ofthe arrow 34.

The central bore of the control disk C is provided with a sleeve 35 welded to the edge of said bore and projecting towards the tongue portion of the shaft 8, where its free end is closed by an end wall 36 (FIGS. 1 and 2) provided with an opening 37, the cross sectional area of which is adapted to that of the attened end portion 25 of the shaft 8, the arrangement being such that after placing the control disk C with its Isleeve 35 on the enlarged portion 23 of the shaft 8 and with its front surface in sliding contact with the bottom wall of the casing B, said control disk is not only perfectly centered, but also caused to rotate with the shaft 8 when the latter is operated by means of the knob 2.

The circular plate 26 constituting the control disk C is provided with ten bores 38 coinciding in their position and ydistribution with the bores 22 of the bottom wall 19 of the casing B for receiving, in the locking position of the puzzle lock according to the invention, the projecting ends 39 of ve cooperator pins D (FIG. 1) corresponding to an elected -combinati-on or code of the puzzle lock, so that in the locking condition of the latter, the control disk C is prevented from rotating in view of the fact that its rotation is blocked by the 4projecting end portions 39 of the cooperator pins D mounted in an inner cylinder E as will be hereinafter described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner cylinder E formed by a metallic body 40 is provided with lthe central bore 41 by means of which said body is mounted on the sleeve 35 of the control disk C. The metallic body 40 is so dimensioned that, when the same lis duly mounted, the

plate 26 of the control disk C situated between said body and the bottom wall of the casing B is prevented from axially sliding `on the enlarged portion 23 of the shaft 8, but is enabled to rotate. The inner cylinder E is stationary and is fixedly secured to the bottom wall 19 of the casing B by means of four screws 43 passing through elongated Icurved slots 44 provided in the control disk C, so that the latter is not prevented by said screws from executing the required rotary movements. It has to be mentioned that the screws 43 are shown in the cross sectional view -of FIG. 1 in a schematic manner only, because their true position will depend upon the position of the screws 21 which secure the casing B to the lid member A.

The body 4t) of the inner cylinder E is provided with a plurality of bores 45 which in number and distribution coincide with the push pins 1, and ea-ch of said bores 45 contains one of the above-mentioned cooperator pins D, D', the inner cylinder E being arranged in the casing B in such a position that its bores 45 are in axial alignment with the push pins 1, with the bores 22 of the bottom wall 19 of the casing B and with the bores 38 of the control disk C, in the inoperative position of the latter i.e. in the locking condition of the puzzle lock according to the invention, as will be readily appreciated from the FIG. 1.

The inner surface 42 of the cylinder E is provided with anannular recess containing a stop plate 46 for retaining the cooperator pins D, D' in the inoperative position shown in FIG. 1, the remaining peripheral edge 47 of the inner cylinder E in its correct position abutting against the bottom wall 19 of the casing B, whereby in an exact manner the distance is xed between the points of the conical end portions 13 of the push pins 1 and the ends 39, 39 of the cooperator pins D, D. In order to permit the rotary movements of the radial arm 27 of the control disk C, the peripheral edge of the body 40 is cut over a short distance as indicated at 43 (FIG. l).

The cooperator pins D are constituted by cylindrical rods 49 which near one of their ends are provided with stop collars or flanges 50, whereas their opposite ends 51 are conical and are provided with circumferential grooves 52, helical springs being arranged on said rods 49 to maintain the cooperator pins D, D in their inoperative position in which the conical ends of said pins are substantially ush with the rear surface 53 of the inner cylinder E.

As will be understood, the stop plate 46 of the inner cylinder E is fix'edly secured by screws or the like to the body 40v and the end portions 39 of the cooperator pins D which do not belong to the elected combination or code are of such a length that their free ends are exactly flush with the outer or front surface of the stop plate 46 i.e. they do not project into the bores 38 of the control disk C, whereas the end portions 39 of the cooperator pins D belonging to the elected combination or code extend into the bores 3S of the control disk C in the locking condition of the lock. As has been previously stated, the elected cod'e for operating the puzzle lock, in the embodiment as illustrated, comprises the combination of number, 1 2 4 5 9, and from FIG. 1 there may be clearly appreciated the positions of the cooperator pin D corresponding to the number "5 of the code, and of the cooperator pin D corresponding to the number t0 which does not form part of the lock code.

It will be readily understood that in this position of the puzzle lock, the -control disk C is blocked by the longer end portions 39 of the cooperator pins D and consequently the knob 2 of the lock is also blocked.

On the rear surface 53 of the inner cylinder E the puzzle lock according to the invention comprises a locking disk F constituted by a thin circular plate 54 carrying around its ycentral perforation a bearing collar 55 by means of which the locking disk F is rotatively mounted on the free end portion of the sleeve 35 of the control disk C. The front surface 56 of the locking disk F is in sliding contact with the rear surface 53 of the inner cylinder E. The locking disk F is retained in its correct position by means of a washer or disk member 57 placed on the tongue portion 25 of the shaft 8 and secured by screws to the plate 36 of the sleeve 35 of the control disk C.

The rotation of the locking disk F is limited between an operative locking position (shown in FIG. 3) and an inoperative position by the `co-operation of the lateral edges of a peripheral notch 58 of the disk 54 with a pin 59 secured to the inner cylinder E (FIG. 1), th'e disk 54 being provided with two helical springs 60 arranged tor maintaining the disk F in its locking position and shown in FIG. 3, for reasons of clearness, outside the disk 54, because these springs are in fact arranged within the lock in the space between the opposite surfaces of the inner cylinder E and of the locking disk F.

The plate 54 of the locking disk F is provided with a plurality of slightly oval perforations 61 the shorter axis of which is slightly larger than the largest diameter of the conical end portion 51 of the cooperator pins D, D the member and distribution of these perforations 61 corresponding to the number and distribution of said cooperator pins, so that in the puzzle lock the locking disk F comprises ten perforations 61 uniformly distributed on a circle whose diameter is equal the diameter of circle on which th'e cooperator pins are distributed. Further, the locking disk F is so arranged that in its inoperative position its perforations 61 are substantially coaxial with the conical end portions 51 of the cooperator pins D, D.

Five of the ten perforations 61 which in their distribution correspond to the cooperator pins D belonging to the elected code for operating the lock, are provided with an elastic locking member G for locking the cooperator pins D, whereas the remaining perforations 61 of the locking disk are provided with push members H.

Each of the elastic locking members G is constituted by a U-shaped leaf spring 62 (FIG. 5). The arrn 63 of each spring 62 is provided along one end of its free end portion with a plate-like locking projection 64 which is arranged in sliding contact with the outer surface of the vlocking disk F and so as to partly cover the respective perforation 61, as may be readily appreciated from the FIG. 3. This gure also shows that the locking projection 64 of each locking member extends in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the locking disk F from its operative locking position (as shown) to its inoperative position. The other arm 66 of the U-shaped spring 63 is also provided with a plate-like projection 67 by means of which the elastic locking member G is xedly secured to the surface of the locking disk F. Each locking member G is finally provided with a hook member 68 capable of retaining the free spring arm 63 in its normal position.

As Will be readily appreciated from FIG. 3, the U- shaped springs 62 are mounted on the surface 65 (FIG. 1) of the locking disk F in substantially radial direction with their curved portions looking towards ythe centre of the locking disk F.

The perforation-s 61 of the locking disk F which are in alignment with the cooperator pins D not belonging to the combination or code for the operation of the puzzle lock, are provided with push members H (FIGS. 3 and 6). Each of these push members is constituted by a T-shaped leaf spring 68 whose cross bar is provided with bores for enabling the spring to be secured by means of screws 69 (FIG. 3) to the surface 65 (FIG. l) of the locking disk F. The spring or leg portion 70 is slightly bent upwards with regard to the surface of the locking disk F. These push members H are so larranged that they slightly cover the respective perforations 61 and that they extend in the same direction as the locking plates 64 of the locking members G (FIG. 3).

The so constituted and positioned puzzle lock according to the invention is locked and ready for being opened, for which purpose the push pins 1 corresponding to the elected code or combination of numbers l 2 4 5 9 are pushed inwards without la predetermined order of succession being observed. By pushing i.e. the push pin 5 (the lower push pin 1 in FIG. l) inwards its conical end portion 13 pushes the corresponding cooperator pin D inwards until its conical end portion 51 extends into the perforation 61 of the locking disk F and until its locking groove 52 is engaged by the locking projection 64 of the corresponding U-shaped spring 62, `so that lnow this oooperator pin is blocked and retained in its inwardly pushed position and so that its end portion 39 remains situated beyond the b-ore 38 -of the control disk C and in a position flush With the front surface of the stop plate 46 on the inner cylinder E, After releasing the push pin 1 the same under the action of its spring 12 returns to its normal position.

As long as the conical end portion 51 of the cooperator pin D projects into the perforation 61 of the locking disc F, the same remains in its blocked position (shown in FIG. 3), in view of the fact that the springs 60 are stronger that the locking spring 62, so that the elastic arm 63 of the locking spring 62 yields and permits its locking plate 64 to engage the circumferential groove 52 of the cooperator pin D and to thus block the latter in its inwardly pushed position.

In a like manner the cooperator pins D corresponding to the remaining elements of the elected code for the operation of the lock, after the operation of the respective push pins 1, are blocked by the respective lock-ing members G and thereafter the control disk C is free to be rotated in the direction of the arrow 71 (FIG. 2) by the manual operation of the knob 2. By means of this rotation the arm 27 and rod 29 withdraw the double bolt 31 of the door lock 31 and thus the door may be opened.

In order to again put the puzzle lock in its locking condition, it `is only necessary to push ione of the push pins 1 which do not belong to the combination or code for the operation of the puzzle lock. Thereby one of the cooperator pins D with its conical end portion 51 enters the corresponding perforation 61 of the locking disk F and acts upon the curved portion 70 of the pushing member H, thereby producing a slight rotation of the locking disk F in the direction yof the arrow (FIG. 3) and causing the locking plates 64 of the locking members G to disengage the circumferential grooves of the cooperator pins D which now under the action of the springs immediately return to the normal position locking the control disk C. In view of the fact that the central shaft 8 of the lock, under the pressure exerted by the arm 27 and rod 29 of the double lock bolt 30, already returned to its position which corresponds to the locking condition of the lock and `also returned the control disk C to its inoperative position, thelonger end portions 47 of the cooperator pins D, which belong to the elected code for the operation of the lock, in their return movement, again engage the corresponding bores of the control disk C and thus blocking the control disk C and therewith the lock.

For obtaining a better security, the puzzle lock -according to the invention may be readily completed in such a manner that it loperatively responds only to a predetermined order of succession in the operation of the push pins 1 belonging tio the elected code, i.e. in the present embodiment in the order of succession of the numbers l 2 4 5 9.

F-or this purpose, on the end portion 2S of the shaft there is provided a code disk I xed in place by means of the screw 72 and cap-able of a limited rotation between an initial position (indicated in FIG. 4) and a final position, the two positions being determined by the lateral edges of a peripheral notch 73, of which the edge rests upon a stop pin 74 under the action of a spring 75 which for reasons of clearness has been shown in FIG. 4 as a helical spring, but which may also may be a spiral spring having lone end secured in any suitable manner to the head of the screw 72 and the other end to any suitable point of the code disk.

The code disk I is provided with a plurality of bores 76, the number of which is equal the number of elements of the combination or code elected for the operation of the lock, i.e. in the present embodiment there are ve bores 76 which are arranged in alignment with the conical end portions 51 of the cooperator pins D in such a manner that in the inoperative or initial position of the code disk I (shown in FIG. 4) the bore 76a situated in front of conical end portion 51 of the cooperator pin D corresponding to the first element of the combination or code i.e. to the number l is displaced over a distance x, in the direction Iopposite the direction of the angular displacement lof the code disk I, said distance being substantially equal one half of the diameter of the conical end portion 51 of the cooperator pin D1 as has been clearly shown in FIG. 4.

The bore 76h destined for co-operation with the cooperator pin D2 (second element of the lock code) is displaced in the same direction as the bore 76a, but over a distance x1+x1=2x1 with regard to the angular position of the mentioned second cooperator pin (the code disk being assumed always in its inoperative position), and the following bores i.e. the bores 76e, 76d and 76e are displaced, with regard to the angular position of the respective cooperator pins D4, D5 and Dg, over distances which each time increase for a value equal the distance x1, which means that with regard to the displacement of the first bore 76a, the following bores are displaced in the same direction over distances the values of which are whole multiples of the`value of displacement of the rst bore 76a in a regular increasing orde-r according to the succession of the elements of the lock code.

As will be readily understood from the preceding explanations with reference to FIG. 4, the conical end portion S1 of the cooperator pin D1 corresponding to the rst element 1 of the lock code and destined for cooperating with the :bore 76a of the code disk, after engaging the perforation 61 of the locking disk F, said cooperator pin is now designed for also engaging the bore 76a of the code disk and due to the displacement of said bore 76a, and by engaging the latter produces a slight angular displacement of the said code disk in the direction of the arrow 77. It will be readily understood that before the push pin 1 corresponding to the rst element of the lock code is pushed, it is impossible to block any of the cooperator pins D corresponding to the other elements of the lock code, in view of the fact Athat the axial movement of the cooperator pins D is rendered impossible by the code disk I, the respective bores 76b-e are not situated in front of the conical end portions 51 of the cooperator pins D. As soon as the push pin 1 corresponding to the first element l of the lock code is'pushed inwards, the

code disk I is rotated through a small angle suicient to bring the second bore 76h in front of the conical end portion of the cooperator pin D2 corresponding to the second number 2 of the elected code lock and this in such a manner that with regard to the axis of the conical end portion of the cooperator pin, the bore 76b is displaced over a distance equal one half of the diameter of the cooperator pin. Consequently, when the conical end portion 51 of the cooperator pin D2 corresponding to the second element 2 of the lock code enters the bore 76b of the code disk I, this disk is again displaced so as to place the following bore 76C in its initial position in front of the corresponding cooperator pins D4 and so on until all the cooperator pins D of the lock code have been pushed and remain blocked in their locking position.

It will, however, be understood that due to the particular disposition of the bores 76a-e of the code disk I, the push pins 1 may be pushed only in accordance with the predetermined order of succession of the elements of the lock code and by no means in any other order of succession.

In connection herewith it has to be mentioned that for reasons of clearness in the cross sectional view of FIG. 1 the code disk I is shown at certain distances from the locking disk F and from the conical end portions 51 of the explorator pins D, whereas in practice this distance is as small as possible.

The casing B of the lock is closed by a cap 78 to protect the lock mechanism against dust.

It has to be understood that the present invention is by no means restricted to the embodiment as described and shown and that modifications and amendments may be introduced therein as to the form and arrangement of the component parts of the lock and that such modications and amendments are to be considered as falling within the scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A llock for use in combination with a separate door latch, said lock comprising a -control disc formed with a plurality of openings therethrough, said control disc being mounted on the inside of a door turnably about a turning aXis and being operatively connected to said door latch; turning means having an operating portion at the outside of the door and being spaced from said operating portion connected to said control disc for turning the latter between a rst position in which said latch connected thereto is in a locking position and a second position in which said latch is in an unlocked position; a plurality of cooperator members mounted on the inside of said door movable between a locking position in which end portions of said cooperator members are respectively located in said openings of said control disc so as to prevent turning of the latter, and a releasing position; biasing means operatively connected to said cooperator members and biased to yieldably maintain the latter in said locking position; a first plurality of movable operating members having operating portions outside of the door and being respectively coordinated with said cooperator members for moving, when respectively actuated, the co-operator member respectively coordinated therewith from said locking to said releasing position; a plurality of locking means respectively cooperating with said co-operator members for holding the latter in said releasing position; a second plurality of movable operating members having operating portions outside said door; and restoring means cooperating with and actuated by any of said second plurality of operating members for disengaging said .locking means from said cooperator members so that the latter will return to said locking position, whereby said control disc may be turned to move said latch to said unlocked position only when all of said first plurality of operating members and none of said second plurality of operating members are actuated.

2. A lock as set forth in claim 1, wherein said operating portions of said operating members are of substantially identical appearance and differ from each other only by different code symbols provided thereon.

3. A lock as set forth in claim 1 wherein said c0- operating members are in the form of cooperating pins, and including mounting means on the inside of the door for mounting said cooperating pins movably -in axial direction substantially parallel to said turning axis and respectively aligned with said openings in said control disc when the latter is in said first position, so that one end portion of each cooperator pin will project through a respective opening of said control disc.

4. A lock as set forth in claim 3, wherein said operating members are in the form of push-pins having axes substantially parallel to said turning axis, and the operating members of said rst plurality of operating members being respectively aligned with said cooperator pins.

5. A lock as set forth in claim 4, and including a lid adapted to be mounted on the outside of the door, said lid being formed with a plurality of bores therethrough respectively aligned with said openings in said control disc, when the latter is in said first position, said pushpins being respectively located in said bores movably in axial direction.

6. A lock as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of said cooperator pins is formed in the region of an end portion thereof opposite said one end portion with an annular engaging portion of a diameter different than the remainder of said cooperator pins, and wherein each of said locking means includes a locking spring having a locking portion adapted to engage the engaging portion of the respective cooperator piu for holding the latter in said releasing position.

7. A lock as set forth in claim 6, and including a locking disc facing said opposite end portions of said cooperator pins and being turnable about said turning axis, said locking springs being mounted on said locking disc, and means biasing said locking disc in one circumferential direction tending to keep said locking springs in engagement with said engaging portions, said releasing means cooperating with said locking disc for turning the latter in a direction opposite to said one direction.

S. A lock as set forth in claim 7, wherein said restoring means include an additional plurality of cooperator pins respectively aligned with said push-pins forming said second plurality of operating members and mounted in said mounting means movably in axial direction substantially parallel to said turning axis toward and away from said locking disc, cooperating means on said locking disc and on said cooperator pins of said additional plurality of cooperator pins for turning said locking disc, during movement of any of said additional cooperator pins toward said locking disc, in a direction opposite to said one direction, and biasing means connected to said additional cooperator pins for biasing the latter in a direction away from said locking disc.

9. A lock as set forth in claim 1, and including means cooperating with said cooperator members for permitting actuation thereof by said operating members only in a predetermined sequence.

10. A lock Ias set forth in claim 9, wherein said lastmentioned means includes a code disc turnable in sequential steps about said turning axis, biasing means for yieldingly holding said code disc in a first position, a plurality of blocking means on said disc respectively arranged in the path of movement of all of said cooperator members except the first one to be acuated in said predetermined sequence for preventing movement of said cooperating members from said locking to said releasing position and cooperating means on said cooperator members and said code disc for stepwise turning said code disc when said cooperator members are actuated one by one in said predetermined sequence in such a manner so that the blocking means of the cooperator member following the cooperator member which is actuated is moved out of the path of said following cooperator member so that the latter may be actuated.

11. A lock as set forth in claim 7, wherein said opposite end portions of said cooperator pins are substantially conical, and including means cooperating with said cooperator pins for permitting actuation thereof only in a predetermined sequence, said last-mentioned means including a code disc substantially parallel to said locking disc and turnable about said turning axis, said code disc being formed with a plurality of openings therethrough respectively coordinated with said cooperator pins, biasing means connected to said code disc and biased to maintain the latter in a first angular position in which said openings are angularly displaced with regard to said conical end portions of said cooperator pins in such a manner that only the cooperator pin to be first operated according to said predetermined sequence may enter into the opening coordinated therewith to turn thereby, when said first cooperator pin is moved to its releasing position, during engagement with an edge portion of said opening, said code disc through an angle permitting the next cooperator pin to enter into the opening coordinated therewith, and so on, whereby said cooperator pins may only be moved in said predetermined sequence one by one to said releasing positions thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,871,303 8/1932 Chesick 70-313 2,566,967 8/1951 Capevila 70-299 FOREIGN PATENTS 416,720 7/ 1925 Germany.

210,560 10/1940 Switzerland.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

BOBBY R. GAY, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A LOCK FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A SEPARATE DOOR LATCH, SAID LOCK COMPRISING A CONTROL DISC FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, SAID CONTROL DISC BEING MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE OF A DOOR TURNABLY ABOUT A TURNING AXIS AND BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DOOR LATCH; TURNING MEANS HAVING AN OPERATING PORTION AT THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR AND BEING SPACED FROM SAID OPERATING PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL DISC FOR TURNING THE LATTER BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID LATCH CONNECTED THERETO IS IN A LOCKING POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID LATCH IS IN AN UNLOKED POSITION; A PLUALITY OF COOPERATOR MEMBERS MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE OF SAID DOOR MOVABLE BETWEEN A LOCKING POSITION IN WHICH END PORTIONS OF SAID COOPERATOR MEMBERS ARE RESPECTIVELY LOCATED IN SAID OPENINGS OF SAID CONTROL DISC SO AS TO PREVENT TURNING OF THE LATTER, AND A RELEASING POSITION; BIASING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID COOPERATOR MEMBERS AND BIASED TO YIELDABLY MAINTAIN THE LATTER IN SAID LOCKING POSITION; A FIRST PLURALITY OF MOVABLE OPERATING MEMBERS HAVING OPERATING PORTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR AND BEING RESPECTIVELY COORDINATED WITH SAID COOPERATOR MEMBERS FOR MOVING, WHEN RESPECTIVELY ACTUATED, THE CO-OPERATOR MEMBER RESPECTIVELY COORDINATED THEREWITH FROM SAID LOCKING TO SAID RELEASING POSITION; A PLURALITY OF LOCKING MEANS RESPECTIVELY COOPERATING WITH SAID CO-OPERATOR MEMBERS FOR HOLDING THE LATTER IN SAID RELEASING POSITION; A SECOND PLURALITY OF MOVABLE OPERATING MEMBERS HAVING OPERATING PORTIONS OUTSIDE SAID DOOR; AND RESTORING MEANS COOPERATING WITH AND ACTUATED BY ANY OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF OPERATING MEMBERS FOR DISENGAGING SAID LOCKING MEANS FROM SAID COOPERATOR MEMBERS SO THAT THE LATTER WILL RETURN TO SAID LOCKING POSITION, WHEREBY SAID CONTROL DISC MAY BE TURNED TO MOVE SAID LATCH TO SAID UNLOCKED POSITION ONLY WHEN ALL OF SAID FIRST PLURALTIY OF OPERATING MEMBERS AND NONE OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF OPERATING MEMBERS ARE ACTUATED.

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