US82104A - Cicero r - Google Patents

Description

GIGERO R. C. FRENCH, OF BERKLEY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 82,104, dated September 15, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN 'PERMUTATION-LOGKS.

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Be it known that I, CICERO'R. C. FRENCH, of Berkley, in the county of Bristol, and Sta-te of Massachusetts, have invented a new vand useful Improvement in 'Combination-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a. part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal -section of a lock embodying my improvements, with the bolt thrown out. l

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing a different position of the bolt, and other portions.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section. l

Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 are views in detail of one of the tumblers and rings, toothed wheel, key, and bolt.

Similar letters indicato like parts in the several figures.

The object of my invention is to produce a combinationdockwhich will'be simple in its operation, economical in its construction, and perfectly burglar-proof, and also one in which any indicating-marks or numbers, for setting the combinations in the lock, will be dispensed with.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the case of the lock, which may be made like the ordinary mortiselock externally, to lit a common door.

BV is the bolt, which is operated by means of a curved slotted lever, R, iitting on a stud or projection on the bolt. l

O is a stop or sliding bar, passing through au aperture in a piece or projection, D, which latter is firmly attached to or forms a part of the side plate of the lock.

On the lower edge of the piece D, at one end, is secured a bent spring, E, the other cnd passing' into a recess in the stop C, so as to keep the said stop from engaging with the rings when it is not operated or forced down by the holt.

The stop C plays vertically in a slot in the piece D, so as to be guided to the recesses in the rings which surround the tumblers.

FGr H represent three rings, fitted snugly upon tumblers K M N, but'arc allowed to turn upon them. These rings do not extend entirely around the tumblers, vbut their ends -are separated suciently to allow the stop C to drop into the space between the ends, and thus prevent them' from moving with the tumblcrs, when it is desirable to set the latter.

Attached to or forming a part of the ring F is a'toothed wheel, O, fitting close to one side of the case.Y The teeth do not extend around the entire periphery of the wheel, but a short space is left, as shown at O', iig. 4, for the purpose of determining the position of the wheel, and for setting the lock.

The central portion of the tumbler K projects, on cach side, as at a and 5, one side, la, fitting within the side of the casing, and having a square opening, 4in-which the key is tted.

M and N are two tumblers,'which tit snugly on a cylindrical projection or arbor of the side plate, and are provided each with a friction-block, c, actuatedby a spring, d, to prevent them from moving too freely on such arbor, and acting as a brake.

1n cach of these tumblers is a semicircnlar concentric slot or opening, m', which receives the pins or pro- `-jections e c', by which motion is communicated to the tumblcrs M and'N from the tumbler K.

The piece D `is provided with a. slot, in which lits, so as to slide freely, a small bolt or click, P, of the form shown in Eg. 7. The said bolt or clickV has a slight lateral play in this opening, so that, when struck by the teeth of the wheel O, it will `produce a sound suiiicient to clearly distinguish its passage over the said teeth.

This bolt or click is pressed downward by means of a spring, Q, the free end of which should press directly l upon thc cent-re of the click P, to keep it in contact with the wheel O.

On the upper front portion of the click P is a projection, z', which engages in recesses 1 and 2, in the rear lside ofthe bolt B, as shown in fig. 7, and plays in and out of the same when the bolt is being locked or unlocked.

The partition between the recess prevents the bolt from being forced back by any improper means, andthe position of the rings, and consequently the tumblers, is determined by causing the stop or plate C to drop into the openings d of the rings surrounding the tumblers as the bolt is moved to half-lock.

The'curved slotted lever R is provided with a cylindrical hub, fitting within the cylindrical projection or varbor of the side plate. This hub has a square opening, in which is fitted the end of the key, which latter has asquare end, as shown nig. 6, and by means of which both the bolt and tumblers are operated, only one key being required for the purpose, and the only change required, in the use of the key, is by moving the key into or outfrom the locklongitudinally, to actnate first the tumblers and then the bolt.

The operation is as follows: l n

The bolt is first brought to a position of half-lock, when the sliding stop or bar C will t in each of the open-ings of' the rings F Gr H. When thus arranged, the bolt 4may be easily thrown forward and back, and the tumblersare in the position to be set to desired combinations. To setthe lock, the keyis pushed in, sc as to Aoperate the tumblers. The key is then made to turn the wheel O, which may be done in either direction, and is turned twice around, so as to bring all the tumblers in communication. Then continue to turn the key in the same direction until the click slips into the wide space O', between the teeth on the wheel O, which willV be easily determined by the motion of the key. The key is still to be turned iu the same direction as before, to designate therst number of the combination, which may be any number from 1 to 17, say, `in the present instance, 45, the number being indicated by the sounds of thei click as the toothed wheel is turned. For the second number inthe combination, turn the key in opposite direction, so as to indicate a number between 10 and 128,' say12, then turn the key back again, to make the third number of the combination from 1 to 9, say 4, as indicated by the sounds. Here we have the combination of numbers 5, 12, 4,'upon which the bolt is locked.

In unlocking the lock, the same operation 'is .necessary to'bring back the proper combination of numbers. It will be seen that alock as above described is comparatively simple in its construction and operation. It may be applied to any ordinary door as a mortisellock, vif desired. I

v In safes, or for bank-locks, the number of tumblers may be increased, so that the combinations may be capable of ve or six million changes. i

` What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. 'The combination, with a series of tumblers and adjustablerings, of an indicating-wheel, O, a click, P, and sliding plate C, whereby, the bolt being set at half-lock, the required combination may be formed, by turning the tumblers alternately in dpposite directions, substantially as set forth.

2. The curved recesses in the bolt l? inv combination with the sliding' plate C', when operating as and for the purpose speeitied.

3. The click or bolt P, providedwith the projection z', in` combination with the bolt B, as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CICERO R. C. FRENCH.

Witnesses l J. H. ADAMS,

RODNEY FRENCH.

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