US82192A - Improvement in pebmutatiok-locks - Google Patents

Description

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON D C i L, i

@num-- taies gattini @Hirn Letters Patent No. 82,192, dated :Septemher 1K5, 1868.

IMPRovsMBT IN -PBRMUTATIoN-Locxs.

therlzshulz feierten tu iii tiutyittm @anni enh mating gmt nf the same.

T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be itknown that I, LINUS YALE, Jr., of Shelburne Falls, Franklin county, and State of Massachusetts,

rhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks'for Safe, Vault, and other Doors; and Ido hereby declare l'that the following is a full, clear, andexuct description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying.

drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is afront elcvation'of my improved lock. Figure 2, e. back elevation, with the back plate and one ofthe tumblercases removed, the better to exhibit the other working parts. I l

' Figure 3, a partial elevation and .vertical-section through the centre.

Figure 4, a palen of one of the tumbler-cases and tumbler-s. Figure 5, a horizontal section through on-e of the tumblers. Figure 6, a side view of oneof the racks and spring o. Figure 7, a. face view ofthe hub q'. Figure 8, a vertical section -of the same. Figure 9, a vertical section of the separate lock. Figure 10, a hcrizontal'section thereof; and l Figure 11, a. face view of the key of this separate lock. The same letters indicate like parte in all the figures.v In the accompanying drawingsa `representsthe lock-case, secured to a door, a portion of which only is represented. i It is very important, in securing a. dial-lock to the door, to have the shaft or spindle, by which the tumblers are set, to work freely. If the cn'se is strained or bent in fastening it, by reason of the case not having a. fair bearing against the door, the works are liable to bind, instead of working freely, and, as such locks are usedon v safes, and are necessarily of considerable weight, and the fastening-screws cannot be fitted very accurately, in

transportation the lock settlesdown, and thereby'binds the shaft or spindle. `All these a'nd otherdiiicultien.

not necessary to enumerate, Ivhave avoided'by s. new method of applying the lock-case to the door.

I employ two cylindrical pins bb, which are accurately fitted to holes in the lockplate. After ascertaining vthe required position of the lock, these pins, which I term steady-pins, are rmly secured in the door, and the lock slipped'onto them. These'pns, therefore, not only prevent the lock from -settling down` or movi/ng later ally on the door, but aox'd the means ofreplacin'g the lock inthe same'position, when taken offfor any needful purpose.

the fastening-screws are driven home, the case will be strained, and the -shaft or spindle'forced out of line, either or all of which will impede the working ofthe lock. 'llo avoid this, I employ four Abearinglscrews c c c o, one near each cornerof the case, and tapped in and passing through the plate of the lock. 'After the lock-case-has been put on the steady-pins, and -iagainst the doen, andthe shaft or spindle put in place, these bearingscrews are turned until they all bear against the door, and bring the lock yin such relation to the door that the shaft or spindle will worl freely. The lock xs-then secured to the door by the four fastening-screws d d d.

The lock, as before stated, belongs to the class known as dial-locks, in which the tumblers are set by turning a shaft or spindle by adial, to a given combinatiomafnd, after-the tumblers havelbeen set,fthrowing 'thef ,bolt by thel turning of the same shaft or spindle; and o ne of thefeatures of my presentinvention consists in combining, with one lock-bolt, two sets of independent tumblersaljtheir appendages, and=two knobs, 'each of which sets one set of tumbler-s, and, when they are,properlysedfcffon the bolt, so that'the bolt .can be locked by both, and may be opened by either.' 'In this wey, notwithstanding the bolt has -been locked bytwo sets of, tumblers, each set under n dierent combination, if thecOmlination of one setshould be forgotten, it can be unlock'ed by the other knob Anudite setcf tumbler-s.,

It is also important that the lock-case should haven. fair bearing against the-face off'the door, or else, when g tion, and thereby acquire the means of unlocking the door. l To pl'eventthis Ihave combined with the removable tumbler-ease a means of readily locking thetumbler-ease in the tubular projection w of the lockplatleso that it cannot be removed except by violence, or by picking the lock used for that purpose, neither` of which expedients cohld be resorted to in business-hours.

A notch is formed in the outer periphery of the tumbler-case`to receive the end of a spring-latch rod, y. This rod is cylindrical, with a square end, and is oblique, so that its square end will present an oblique surface, so that, in pushing in the tumbler-case, the latch-rod will be forced out and spring backlito lock the case as soon as the notch is brought to the right place, and this will also insure the right position of the tumbler-case. This latch-rod slides in a hole, e, (see dotted lines in iig. 2,) and is provided with a helical spring, 'the tension of which tends constantly to force it into place. Near the other end it is formed with a notch or shoulder, al, which can be acted upon by an arm, bl, from the rear end of a shaft, c1, fittedt'o turn in a case, all, attachedv to the lock-frame. This shaft di is formed with a longitudinal slit, el, torreceive a small dat key, f', (see iig. 11,) one edgerof which is formed to act upon a series of tumhlers, g', which slide radially in holes vin the said shaft, and w'h'ich, in the normal position, corresponds with other holes in the case d', provided with corresponding tumblers, it', adapted to slide therein, and provided with springs, which tend to force them intothe holes of the cylinder, and when extending into such holes completely lock the shaft, so that it cannot be turned to unlock the tumbler-case.

When the keyf is inserted, its form is such as to slide the two setsof tumblers g and L', so that the shaft can be turned by the key to draw out the latch-rod y to liberate the tumbler-ease v. i The tumbler-caseo and the tubular projection w have mortises through theirI peripheries to allow the `fence 7' t'o reach the peripheries of the tumblers, and to enter the slots in them when in position for throwing the bolt of the lock.

Each series of tumblers is operated by a knob, formed with a large lanch, on which one hundred divisions are marked, and this is surrounded by a ring, j', secured .to the outer face of the door, with a mark or pointer at lc as the starting-point from which the knob is to be turned to workout the required combination for locking and unlocking the bolt. This knob is cast hollow, of a cylindrical form inside, and tapped to receive the part Z of the spindle, which is threaded along so much of its length as to adapt the spindle to doors of various thicknesses.

The threaded part of the spindle and the tubular part of the knob are grooved longitudinally to receive a key, m', which is driven in after the knob has been screwed on to the spindle to `the required distance to suit the thickness of the door to which the lock is to be applied, and which acts as a feather.

The portion Z of the spindle which is connected directly withthe knob, is made of cast iron, or other metal or composition of less strength than steel, of which the other .portion of the spindle is made, and the steel portion is connected therewith by a short stem tapped into it, as atn. The object is to makethe part of the spindle which is connected directly with the knob, and which can be got hold of if the knob should be removed, so much weaker than the steel portion, that if any violent force berapplied, it will break -oil` from the portion which is in connection with the inside of the lock. v And to this end I prefer -to make the weak portion hollow, as represented.

The portion o of this spindle is made of hardened steel, so that it cannot be drilled to get access to the inside of the lock, and it has been found that the hardening renders it'hrittle and liableto break at the junction of the journal portion, which is tted to turn in the lock-plate, and the 4enlarged portion which is outside the lock, and which is so enlarged to resist any a-ttempt by violenc'e to force it into the lock. The liability of breaking I prevent by rounding off the metal at the junction of the two parts, as at p', instead of making a sharp angle, as heretofore. I

The inner end of the spindle is reduced in diameter, and tapped to receive a hub, q', of the wheel s, before described, which, when in place, is prevented from turningbya screw, r', which feathers thespindle. On the end of this hub nearest the lock-plate, is formed the wheel s, before referred to, which rolls on the eccentricwheel 'r of the fence-lever, One-half ofthe thickness of this wheel has the periphery concentric, and the other half of the thickness has hall` the circumference concentric, and the other half, s, eccentric or cam-like. The spindle has an end-play equal to about half the thickness of this wheel, so that when the knob is pushed against the door, the eccentric-roller r ofthe fence-lever will ride on the concentric part of the wheel s for the purpose already described, and when the knob is drawn out to the extent of the play of the spindle, the roller 1 will then act on the eccentric part s, so that when the eccentric or cam-like portion s passes over the cccentric-roller lr, it will permit the fence-lever, and the rack connected therewith, to be thrown up by its spring to liberate the lock-bolt.

On that face of the wheel s nearest vthe lock-plate thereis a projecting spur, t', which acts on the lockbolt to throw it in or out, when the eccentric or cam-like portion of the wheel permits the rack to be disengaged from the pinion on the lock-bolt. v

There isa concentric hole, u', in the inner end of the spindle, to receive the end of the arbor u, before described, on which the tumblers rotate, so that the axes of the tumblers and of the spindle shall always be in line, whatever freedom of play may be given to the spindle.

The tumblers are rotated by a spur, o', which projects from the inner face o f the hub q on the spindle, and the projection of this spuris such that, when the spindle is drawn out by the knob in the position for throwing thclock-bolt, it (the spur) shallA clear the tumblers, and only engage them when the spindle is pushed in, and, as in some instances, the spur might be in line with that portion of the tumbler on which it is required to act when rotated; in pushing in the spindle, the spur in such instances would come in conflict with such part of the tumbler and do injury. To prevent this, the spur o is a rod fitted to slide in a hole through the hub, and parallel with the axis of the spindle, and a spring, w', is attached tothe hub, and bearsagainst the 4 cndof the spur to keep it in the required position, but so that it shall permit the spurto yield when brought into contact with the tumbler, and to force it out again so soon as, by the rotation, it clears that partiof the' tumbler on .which it is required to aciL I l u The first tumbler in the series nearest the hub of the spindle is the one which is turned and set by the turning ofthe knob. In that face of it which is nearest the spindle it is formed with an annular recess, fr', and

on its hub is mounted what I term a ily, y', (see iigs. 3 and 4,) which isfree to vibrate to the extentr limited by. the space between two stops z on the 'face of the tumbler. The tumbler is turned in either direction, by the i spur v on the hub off the spindle, when rotated, acting against the fly either on one side'or the other, according to the direction in which the knob is rotated. A y' The breadth'of the ily, the limit of its range of vibration on the tumbler, and the thickness of the spur o on the hub of the spindle, mustrbe such,as represented, so that in whichever direction the knob may berotated, starting from a determined point, and whether turning to the right or to the left, the slot, a, of the tumbler will always bebrought in line with and so as'to receive the fence. It will be observed that if the spur on the hub act on a fixed spur on the tumbler, although the turning of the knob in one direction would 'give a com- -plete revolution after contact of the two spurs, the turning of the knob one entire revolution in the opposite direction would turn the tumbler as much more than one revolution as would be equal to the thickness of the two spurs, but by giving therequired play to the ily or movable spur on. the tumbler, the one complete revolution of the knob in either direction will give only the required complete revolution to the tumbler.

As the slot in each tumbler for receiving the fence renders that part of the circumference of the tumbler lighter, land the tumblers are required to be made so as to turn freely in the block, it follows, that by repeated jars and concussions, the tumbler-s will be caused to rotate until the slots of all the tumblers will be above the axis, and allvin line, and from this position a skilled person could readily determine the combination by which to open the lock. To prevent this, I either balance each tumbler by cutting out themetal ofthe ring, as at b2 (see fig. 5,)'on the side of the axis opposite to the slot for the fence, or I so cut outthe metal at other parts of the circle, and at different distances from the slot, for the fence in each of the series. And with reference to the latter case, it i-s immaterial whether the part so cut out be or be not equal in weight tothe metal cut out to form the slot for the fence, as the preponderance oi weight in each will bear a different vrelation to the fence, and the process of knocking or jarring can only have the eiect oi'disconcerting the tumblers instead of getting the slots of all of them in line, if made as heretofore. And it will be obvious from the foregoing that the required resultcan be obtained either by cutting away the metal to reduce the weight where too heavy, or by adding weight where too light.

'Each of the tumblers in the series is provided, like the one described, with a vibrating ily, and each, exceptthe last, is provided with a. spur to act on the ily of the next one'in the series, so that each sets the one behind. it, and the spindle sets the first, in manner well known to persons lacquainted with this class of combination-locks. I i

The face of each of the tumblers is, like the dial on the knob, 'marked with one hundred divisions, and for the purpose of changing the combination it is necessary that the position of' the vibrating ily, or rather the stops which limit its vibrations, should be capable of being shifted to any of the divisions on the face of the tumbler. For this purpose each tumbler is made in two concentric parts.- i Y The part, t, on which the divisions are marked, and in which the slot for the fence is m'ade, is a dat ring, and the part c2, to which the vibrating ily and its stops are attached, is a disk {itted to its inner periphery, se as to turn in it.v The periphery of the inner portion c2, about the middle of its thickness, is formed with teeth all around, and in the cavity of the ring is placed a small, brake, cl2, which bears on the toothed periphery of the inner portion, andis provided with corresponding teeth, the form of which will permit the one partof the tumbler to be turned on the other, for the vpurpose of changing the combination, and, when the change has been eected, the'two parts are set and prevented from turning, the one on the other, by a small set-screw, e, which is inserted through the periphery of the ring, and which is made to bear on the brake to force it into contact with the teeth to lock the two parts. This mode of construction admits of readily changing the combination, and, when changed, of holding the parts, so that the combination cannot be accidentally shifted.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv l. The method of adjusting the lock to and connecting it with the door by means of the steady-pins and bearing-screws, substantially as described, in combination with the fasteni'ngsscrews, or the equivalent fastening, as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the lock-bolt, two sots of rotating tumblers and their appendages, each set operated by one spindle, which also acts upon the bolt and the racks connected with the fence of the tumblers, and capale oi' being thrown separately in and out of gear with the pinion on the lock-bolt, substantially as and for the purpose specified.. i

`3. The rack, or its equivalent, to stop or liberate the lock-bolt, when combined with the fence of the tumbiers, by means oiA an interposed spring, or equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. Combining the eccentric-roller, which is acted upon by a wheel or equivalent on the spindle, with the fence of the` tumblers by a vibrating lever, or equivalent therefor, having a spring or equivalentinterposed between it and the fence, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. Balancing the tumblers, or, as the equivalent thereof, disconcerting the preponderating weight relatively vto the slots for the fence, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A sliding and rot-ating spindle, which both shoots the bolt and revolves the tumblers, as described, and is provided with a cylindrical cavity1 as specified, in combination with a stationary arbor ci greater length than the space occupied by the pack of tumblers, and projecting into the cylindrical cavity of the spindle, the comf bination being substantially such as hereinbef'ore set forth.

7. Combining, with' the case which contains the tumblers, and which is fitted to lthe tubular projection from the lock-frame, so that it can be inserted therein and removed therefrom for the purpose-of changing the combination, a spring-bo1t or latch controlled by a. separate lock, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. Making the knob hollow and threaded on the inside to receive the threaded portion of the spindle to such an extent that it can be fitted to. doors of various thicknesses, and then prevented from turning, the one on the other, by a feather-key, as described.

LINUS YALE, JR. Witnesses:

ANDREW DE LACY, WM. H. BISHOP.

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