US799338A - Lock. - Google Patents

Description

No. 799,388. I PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905. J. A. HORNE.

LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-3,1904.

ANDREW. a, GRAN! ca. mom-umvunwzns. WASHINGTON. a, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOSEPH A. HORNE, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE & TOVVNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CON- NECTICUT.

LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed October 3, 1904. $erial No. 227,005.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. HORNE, of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks; and I do he reby 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 tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in looks designed particularly for use on safetydeposit vaults or elsewhere where two keys are required to unlock the boxes, one key, known as the guard-key, being retained by the custodian of the boxes and the other by the owner of the box, neither key alone being sufiioient to open any box.

The object of the present invention is to provide the lock with two sets of tumblers, one

of which is actuated by the guard-key and the other set by the owners key, or changekey, as it is known in the art, the bolt being dogged by both sets of tumblers, the guardkey tumblers being released from their set positions by the movements imparted to the parts by the turning of the change-key, so that after the change-key has been withdrawn from the lock the latter can be again opened only by the use of both keys.

A further object is to provide means for throwing off or releasing the guard-tumblers from their set positions, so that after the withdrawal of the guard-key the guard-tumblers may be returned to their normal positions and not left in a position where the lock could be unlocked by the use of the change-key only.

With these andother ends in View my in vention consists in the parts and combinations of parts and in the details of construction, as will be more fully explained, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved lock with the cap-plate removed, showing the bolt in its locked position. Fig. 21s a similar view showing the guard-tumblers set with their gatings in line with the guard-fence on the bolt. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing both sets of tumblers set and the bolt retracted. Fig. 4 is a plan view, all the tumblers being removed. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the guard-key; Fig. 6, a similar view of the change-key. Fig.

7 is a view of the throw-off key, and Fig. 8 is a view of one of the guard-tumblers.

In the drawings I have illustrated a lock provided with one main tumbler and one guard-tumbler; but it will be understood that in practice there will be a plurality of each, the tumblers of each set being duplicates of one another, except with respect to key bearings and gatings.

1 indicates the lock-case of the usual construction, and 2 is the bolt mounted to slide in the case, the bolt being guided in its movement by the pin 3, fixed to the case and passing through an elongated slot 4: in the bolt. This bolt 2 is provided with bearings 5 to be engaged by the wing 6 of the key-hub 7 and is also provided with fences 8 and 9 for the locking and guard tumblers, respectively, and at its rear end with an inclined shoulder 10, designed to engage the toe 11 of the sliding block 12.

13 represents the locking-tumblers, which, as before stated, are duplicates of each other, except with respect to the key bearings and gatings. Each tumbler 13 is provided with a bearing 14 for the change or owners key 15 and with a gate 16 for the fence 8 of the bolt 2, the whole series of tumblers being pivotally mounted on pin 3 of the casing 1 and normally held in contact with the key-hub by springs.

From the foregoing it will be seen that if the guard-tumblers be set to permit the bolt to be retracted and the change-key be introduced into the key slot of the hub 7 and turned a quarter-revolution the bolt will be retracted. When the bolt is thus retracted, the box or repository may be opened; but the key cannot be withdrawn from the lock until it has been turned back to its position to lock the bolt. Hence so long as the bolt is in its unlocked position the change-key cannot be withdrawn from the lock.

Pivotally mounted on the stud or pin 16 are the guard-tumblers 17, the function of which is to dog the bolt until they have been properly set by the introduction of the guardkey 17. It will be noted that the lockingtumblers are located to one side of the keyhub and the guard-tumblers on the other. Hence the locking-tumblers are moved to a set position by a rotation of the key-hub in one direction, and the guard-tumblers are moved to a set position by a rotation of the key-hub in the other direction. These guardtumblers are each provided with a bearing 18 for the guard-key l7 and with a slot 19, having a narrower slot 19 communicating therewith near the center of slot'19 to receive the stud 20, formed on the sliding block 12.

In the operation of the lock to retract the bolt the guard-key 17 is first introduced and turned in the direction to engage the guard tumblers. As the key is turned the bittings on same move the'tumblers and cause the gates in the ends of the tumbler to aline with the fence 9 on the bolt and bring the narrower slots 19 in line with the stud 20 on sliding block 12. After the tumblers have been thus set the continued rotation of the guard-key causes the wing 6 on key-hub 7 to engage the sliding block 12 and move it toward the locking-tumblers until the toe 11 of the block 12 engages the inclined shoulder 10 on the bolt 2. This movement of the sliding block carries the stud 20 into slots 19 in the guard-tumblers, thus locking the tumblers with their gates in line with the fence 9 of. the bolt. By now reversing the direction of rotation of the key the latter may be turned to a position to be withdrawn. The lock is now in a condition to be unlocked by the change-key, which should be introduced into the key-slot in the hub and turned in a direction toward the locking-tumblers. The bittings of the key throw the tumblers to position with their gates in line with the fence 8 on the bolt, while the wing 6 on hub 7 engages its bearing on the bolt and moves the latter inwardly. As the bolt moves inwardly the inclined shoulder 10 on the bolt engages the inclined face of the toe 11 of block 12 and forces the latter in a direction away from the bolt. This slidingmovement of the block 12 carries the stud 20 out of the slots 19 in the guard-tumblers into the slots 19*, thus leaving the guard-tumblers free to turn on their pivots just as soon as the bolt has been thrown to its locking position.

With the construction thus far described it will be observed that the guard-key, which is the first one inserted, moves the guard-tumblers to positions where their gatings aline with the fence 9 on the bolt and locks them there by the sliding block while the changekey operates the locking-tumblers, throws the bolt in and out, and moves the sliding block so as to release the guard-tumblers. In this look only one key can be inserted at a time and in the order stated.

It sometimes happens that the custodian or keeper of the guard-key inadvertently throws the guard-tumblers of the wrong lock, and if no means were provided for releasing the tumblers this particular lock could be subsequently opened by the change-key alone. To guard against this and to provide means whereby the guard-tumblers may be restored to their normal position after having been accidentally set, I provide the lock with a throw-off tumbler 21. This tumbler -21 is spring-pressed like all the others and is pivoted on the stud carrying the guard-tumblers. This tumbler 21 is provided with an L-shaped slot 22 and an inclined face 23, the Lshaped slot adapted to receive the stud 20 on the sliding block 12. This tumbler is acted upon by the throw-off key 24', which latter when introduced into the key-slot and turned in the direction the guard-key is turned engages tumbler 21 and turns same on its pivot, thus causing the inclined face 23 of the tumbler to engage stud 20 and move the latter lengthwise in a direction to carry stud 20 out of slots 19 into slots 19 of the guard-tumblers, thus permitting the latter to turn and assume their normal position.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts herein shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1, In a lock the combination with a bolt and guard and locking tumblers both of which directly engage and dog the bolt, of a key-hub located intermediate the two sets of tumblers, and having a single key-slot, and two keys one adapted for one set of tumblers and the other for the other set.

2. In a lock the combination with a bolt and guard and locking tumblers, both sets of which directly engage and dog the bolt, of a keyhub intermediate the two sets of tumblers and having a single key-slot, a key .for actuating the guard-tumblers and a key for actuating the locking-tumblers after the guard-tumblers have been set.

3. In a lock the combination with abolt and guard and locking tumblers both of which directly engage and dog the bolt, of a key-hub intermediate the two sets of tumblers and having a single key-slot, a key for actuating the guard-tumblers, and a key for actuating the locking-tumblers after the guard-tumblers have been set and for withdrawing the bolt.

4. In a lock the combination with a bolt, and guard and locking tumblers both of which directly engage and dog the bolt, of a key-hub 2 intermediate the two sets of tumblers and having a single key-slot, a key for setting the guard-tumblers, means for holding the latter in their set positions, and a key for setting the locking-tumblers, for actuating the bolt and for releasing the guard-tumblers.

5. In a lock, the combination with a bolt and guard and locking tumblers, both of which directly engage and dog the bolt, of a key-hub intermediate the'tWo sets of tumblers and having a single key-slot, a sliding block having a stud for holding the guard-tumblers in their set position, a key for setting the guardtumbler and for moving the sliding block to lock said tumblers in their set positions, and a key for actuating the bolt, and the locking: tumblers and for moving the sliding block back to its normal position.

6. In a lock the combination with a bolt and guard-tumblers adapted to directly engage and dog the bolt of means engaging said tumblers for locking them in their set position and means actuated by the movement of the bolt for releasing said engaging means.

7. In a lock, the combination With a bolt and guard-tumblers, of means actuated by a key for locking said tumblers in a position to release the bolt, locking-tumblers'for the bolt, and means actuated by the locking-tumblers for releasing said guard-tumblers and permitting them to return to their positions to dog the bolt'after the latter has been thrown to its locking position.

8. In a lock, the combination with a casing,

and a bolt, of guard-tumblers adapted to directly engage and dog the bolt, means for locking the latter in a set position so as to permit of the retraction of the bolt, lockingtumblers also directly engaging and dogging the bolt, and a throw-01f tumbler, the latter adapted to restore the guard-tumblers to their normal positions.

9. In a lock the combination with a casing, a sliding bolt and a sliding block, the latter adaptedto be actuated in one direction by one key and in the opposite direction by another key, of guard-tumblers, actuated by one of said keys, means carried by the sliding block for locking the guard-tumblers in their set positions, and locking-tumblers actuated by the other key.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH A. HORNE.

Witnesses:

W. H. TAYLOR, C. E. VAIL.

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