US536196A

US536196A - Indicator-lock

Info

Publication number: US536196A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 1912-03-26

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

(No Model.)

J. M. EDGAR.

INDICATOR LOCK.

Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

WITNESSES:

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J. M. EDGAR.

INDICATOR LOCK. I

No. 536,196. Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'JOSEPH M. EDGAR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SMITH da EGGE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

INDICATOR-Lock.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 536,198, dated March 26, 1-895.

` Application filed November 30, 1894. Serial No. 530.457. (No model.)

.T0 all whom it may concern:

13e it known that 1 JOSEPH M, EDGAma citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicator-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to indicator locks, but has a special reference to locks which employ indicator mechanism like that shown and described in my pending application, Serial No. 519,953, led August 10, 1894.

The object of my present invention is to provide an indicator lock in which it shall be impossible to open the lock without changing the combination indicated.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved lock; Fig. 2, abottom view with the seal removed. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, are plan interior views with the cover and shackle removed, and showing respectively by degrees the positions assumed by the parts as they are operated from locked to unlocked conditions. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional elevationv of the lock showing the several parts in locked condition; Fig. 8, 'a detail view of the key; Fig. 9, a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the parts in unlocked condition; Fig. 10, a section at the line w-:z: of Fig. 9; Fig. 11,l a detail perspective of the slide yoke; Fig. 12, a detail broken perspective of the bottom of the lock, showing particularly the portion Lthereof to which the key is adapted; Fig. 13, a bottom .perspective of the lock showing a seal label part way inserted, and Figs. 14 and 15 are detail views of the ratchet and toothed wheels which are carried by the rotary barrel.

Similar numbers and letters of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 is the casing of the lock, and 2 is a rotary sprocket drumr journaled therein and provided on its periphery with sockets a extending across the face thereof which constitute grasping points in the manner presently to be explained.

4, 5, 6, 7, are the indicator chains'which are formed of equal sized links as shown, and are hinged together in each instance, said chains being carried around the drum 2, the hinges forming protuberances b which snugly lit within the sockets a so that it will be clear that said drum and chains are in effect a sprocket wheel and sprocket chains. The chain 7 has one more link than the chain 6,

. the chain 6 one more link than the chain 5,

while the chain 5 has one more link than the chain 4, and each link has thereon any suitable number, letter or other character.

Secured within the casing is a graduated support 3 around which the chains extend, so that it will be obvious that such chains are substantially endless belts carried by the drum 2 and support 3. The outer surfaces of these graduated parts of the support 3 against which the chains lie are circular and smooth, so that when such chains are carried around they Will-drag with but very littlet'rictionalA resistance around such surfaces.

The casing is provided with an opening c usually protected by some transparent substance like glass or mica, through which the numbers or other characters on the chain links register in alignment.

The parts which I have heretofore described are constructed and operated precisely as shown and described in my aforesaid pending application, and I make no claim herein to the indicating devices proper, my present invention being confined to the mechanisms for controlling and effecting the locking and unlocking of the shackle.

The barrelis hollow at its lower end as seen at 8 and has a hub 9 provided with notches 10 projecting through the bottom plate 11 and the lock casing and affording one of the journals of said barrel. 12 are guide slots formed in the casing 1`with which said notches regy roo pass above said casing, so that it will be readily understood that the key cannot be withdrawn until the succeeding guide slot 12 registers with the notch which is engaged by said wards. The outer walls of the guide slots 12 act as stops against which the ward 14 abuts, so that the barrel can be turned by the key throughout a limited extent, which latter is predetermined by the movement of the barrel necessary to cause the belts to register the next succeeding combination. It will thus be clear that the key must be removed from the barrel and again inserted with the wards within a succeeding notch in the hub before a new combination can be indicated. This is an important feature since it prevents any overthrow ot the barrel, and moreover makes it extremely difcult to successfully tamper with the indicating mechanism for the reason that the key cannot be employed as a means for rapidly revolving the barrel for the purpose of registering the entire number of oombinatious up to the combination upon which the lock was sealed.

The barrel, the graduated support and chains are all inclosed between the bottom plate 11 and a top plate 16, through which latter projects the upper hub 17 of the barrel. Between this top plate 1G and the upper wall of the casingr of the lock is a space within which all the mechanism for etfecting and controlling the locking and the unlocking is contained, which mechanism I will now describe.

Secured around the hub 17 is a toothed wheel 18 and a ratchet wheel 19, the latter being above the former.

20 is a yoke frame which rests upon the plate 16 and tits snugly between the side walls of the casing but is capable of a free sliding movement. This yoke is provided with a spur 21 which is within the field of travel of the ratchet wheel 19 so that when the latter is revolved one of the teeth thereof will engage said spur and cause the yoke to be carried rearward. The shackle 22 is pivoted at at its heel end in the casing while its" nose is provided with a notch 24, which latter is engaged by a bolt 25 carried by the yoke 20 whereby' said shackle may be locked in closed position. l/Vhen the yoke is withdrawn by the action of the ratchet as above explained, the bolt will be withdrawn from the notch 24 thereby unlocking the shackle.

26 is a dog pivoted at 2710 the plate 16 and having its nose 28 in engagement with the toothed wheel 18, so that as the latter is revolved the tail 29 of said dog will be swung outwardly.

30 is a pin carried by the yoke 2O and projected inwardly therefrom, and sustained around said pin is a coil spring 31 which bears against the head of the dog.26 to keep the nose 28 in normal engagement with the wheel 18.

When the parts are in normal position as shown at Fig. 3, the tail 29 of the dog will be immediately in front of a projection 32 carried by the yoke, so that the latter cannot be moved to release the nose of the shackle until said tail is swung out of the way.

is a gate at theforward end of the yoke and contained between the projection 32 and a shoulder 31 which extends from the inner wall of said yoke, which gate is slightly wider than the tail 29 so that the latter will readily pass therein.

As the barrel is turned the tail 29 will move away from the projection 32 and will be swung immediately behind the shoulder 34 by the action ot` the toothed wheel 18 against the nose of the dog, as shown at Fig. 4, and while the parts are in this position it would be impossible to withdraw the bolt 25 from the shackle since the shoulder 31 would abut against the tail of the dog. By the time the parts have got to the position shown at Fig. 4, one of the ratchet teeth in the wheel 19 will have come into engagement with the spur 21, while at the same time the nose of the dog will be on top of onel of the teeth in the wheel 18, and the continued turning ot' the barrel `necessary to cause said tooth to pass beyond said nose will cause the yoke to be slightly withdrawn, so that when the tooth does pass the nose the projection 32 will have been retracted far enough so that the tail of the dog will be swung by virtue of the spring 31 against said projection and in position to enter the gate 33, as shown at Fig. 5. The tail of the dog is now free to enter the gate 33, and on the continued turning of the barrel the ratchet will act on the spur to withdraw the yoke completely and release the nose of the shackle from the bolt 25, as clearly shown at Fig. 6. It will be observed that the spring 31 will be under tension when the parts are in this position last referred to, and that the nose 28 of the dog will have been projected by the action of this spring between two of the teeth on the wheel18. The dog when in this position acts as a detent to prevent the backward tu rning of the barrel, while the spring performs the double function of projecting said nose between the teeth ofthe Wheel18 and of normally advancing the yoke frame to locking position. It becomes necessary therefore to interpose some means whereby the yoke frame may be held in the position shown at Fig. t5 against the action of this spring.

35 is a plunger pin which extends vertically and loosely through suitable perforations in the plates 11, 1G, and also through the bottom of the lock casing, said pin having alixed to the upper extremity thereof a head 3G which latter rests upon a coilispring 37 contained within a socket 38 depending from the plate 16, the function of which spring is to keep the head in a normally elevated position. When the nose of the shackle is in locking position IOO IIO

seance it will press down thishead against the resiliency of the spring 37, as shown at Fig. 7, but

when the shackle is released said head will immediately be projected upwardin front of the bolt 25, as shown at Figs. 6 and 9, and will thereby prevent the return of the yoke frame to its normally advanced position. I prefer to makethe shape'and dimensions of this head in cross section the same as the correspondingshape and dimensions of the nose of the shackle, so that when the latter is unlocked said head will lill the opening inthe top of the casing through which said nose in locked position projects, so that dirtor other foreign matter cannot get inside of the casing. I provide a shoulder 39 which extends laterally from the bottom of this head and abuts against the lock casing to limit the upward movement of said head so that the top of the latter will, when projected upwardly,

be substantially flush with the outer face of,

the casing. When the shackle is closed the nose thereof` will depress the head 36 as shown at Fig. 7.

At the bottom of the lock casing is formedv a label case 40 within which any suitable seal label 41 may be inserted so as to entirely cover up the-key hole. When the head 36 is depressed by the shackle the pin 35 will pierce this label, thus locking the same in position, as shown yat Fig. 7, so that said label cannot possibly be removed without destroying it.

When it becomes necessary to open the lock the seal is simply cut through or other wise broken so as to permit of the passage of the key, and after the shackle has been unlocked and the pin 35 raised, the mutilated label is then readily withdrawn from its case.

It will thus be readily understood that the label must be first destroyed before the lock can be opened, and when it is borne in mind that the lock cannot be openedwithont changing the registration, it will be seen that it is well nigh impossible to tamper with the lock without leaving such clear evidence thereof as would enable an inspector to immediately perceive that such tampering had been effected.

` 4It will be evident, from the foregoing description, that the dog 26 has two functions, namely, to prevent the retraction of the yoke by a sudden jar or tap against the lock casing, and to lock the barrel as against backward turning such as might be attempted to restore a preceding combination. Separate springs may of course be employed for the dog and yoke, but I prefer to use a single spring which shall act both to throw the nose of the dog between the teeth of the wheel 18 and also to project the yoke into locking position.

My improved indicator lock is very readily assembled, for it will be seen that the indicator chains and the barrel and support for carrying the same are assembled and secured in position between the

plates

11 and 16, and

l. In an indicator lock as described, the

combination of the rotary barrel 2 provided withdhub 17, the toothed Wheel and ratchet wheel secured to said hub, the sprin g actuated dog having its nose in normal engagement with'said toothed wheel, the yoke frame surrounding said wheels and dog and capable of a sliding movement within the lock casing and having a spur 21 within the field of movement of said ratchet and provided at its frward end with a gate and a shoulder and projection on opposite sides of said gate, the bolt carried by the forward extremity of said yoke, the spring confined between said dog and yoke, the shackle pivoted Within the lock casing 'and having a notched nose with which said bolt is capable of engaging, and the vertically movable resilient head 36, substantially as set forth.

2. lThe combination of the casing, the rotatory barrel suitably journaled therein and provided with a hub, the toothed wheel 18 and ratchet wheel 19 secured to said hub, the pivoted dog 26 having its nose capable of engaging with the teeth in the wheel 18, the yoke frame 20 surrounding said wheels and dog and capable of a sliding movement and provided with spur 21, gate 33,projection 32, shoulder` 34, and bolt 25, a spring fornormally projecting the nose of said dog between the teeth of the Wheel 18 and for normally advancing said frame to locking position, the shackle pivoted within the lock casing and having its nose providedwith \.a notch 24 with which said bolt is adapted to engage, the pin 35 extending vertically through the lock casing and having a free movement therein and provided at its upper extremity with a head 36, and the spring 37 having a bearing against the under side of said head whereby the latter is normally projected upward, substantially as set forth.

3. The rotatory barrel 2 hollow at its lower end and provided with notched hub 9 which eX- tends through the bottom of the casi-ng, and the casing provided with guide slots at predetermined points with which said notches the resilient yoke frame surrounding said IOO wheels and havinga sliding movementwithin said casing and provided with a spur which is within the field of movement of said ratchet wheel whereby when the latter is revolved said frame will bc forced backward against its resiliency, the pivoted resilient dog having its nose in normal engagement with the toothed wheel, the bolt carried by said frame, the shackle pivoted to the lock casing and having a notched nose capable of being engaged by said bolt, and the vertically movable resilient head immediately below said shackle nose, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the hub having secured thereto the toothed wheel and ratchet wheel, the yoke frame within said casing and capable of a sliding.r movement and having at its forward end a gate and provided with a shoulder and a projection on opposite sides of said gate, the pivoted dog, and the spring whereby said frame is normally advanced and .the dog operated to bring its nose into engagement with said toothed wheel and its tail immediately in therear of said projection, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the pivoted shackle having its nose provided with a notch, the yoke frame capable of sliding freely and resiliently within the lock casing and carrying a bolt which engages with'said notch and having at its rear end a spur and at its forward end a gate contained between a shoulder and projection, the hub having secured thereto the toothed wheel and ratchet wheel, and means for preventing the rotation of said toothed wheel excepting in one direction, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. EDGAR.

Witnesses:

F. W. SMITH, Jr., M. T. LONGDFN.l