US9452A - Padlock - Google Patents

Description

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UNTTED STATES PATENT @FETCH RHODOLPHUS KINSLEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PADLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,452, dated December 7', 1852.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, RHoDoLrHUs KiNsLEY, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of ll/lassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Padlocks, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character' which distinguishes it from all other things before known and of the usual manner of making, modifying, and using the same.

My improvements consist in the cheapness, convenience, and simplicity of its construction and operation, together with its security against being picked, rendering it .valuable for the purposes of railroad cars.

The construction is as follows, reference being aad to the accompanying drawing which is a side view, with the front plate of the lock removed, and with the hasp shown in black lines locked. The red lines show a view of the same unlocked.

The hasp (o) is either the segment of a circle, or of an eccentric form, as shown in the drawing, with a radial arm (o) extending from its rear end in toward the center, where it is pivoted at (0,) the shell (625,) of the lock is the segment of a circle, and may have aprojection (0,) at the bottom for attachment; at the top of the lock where the end of the hasp enters, there is no opening, but a recess (f,), into which the end of the hasp ts when locked: the arm (6,) is enough thinner than the rest of the hasp, to admit a tumbler (la) on either side, and from the side of this thin part a triangular shaped stud projects, that catches on to a notch in the tumbler hereafter described; there is also another projection at (70,) farther out on the arm, as a guard against picking; the tumblers (Z) are flat plates, slightly curved in their outline, and at their upper ends are notched, as shown in the figures: into these notches the studs (27,) fit; when the hasp is locked, the lower ends of the tumblers are pivoted upon a pin, just opposite the center of motion of the key: there is a lip extending down from the arm (5,) of the hasp for the bit of the key to strike against to throw the hasp forward sufficient to relieve the tumblers which are then pushed back by said bit from the studs (z',) till they are clear of them, and then the bit passes the lip (b,) and thus releases the hasp, which fiies back by a spring, to be described; a projection (b2) beyond the fulcrum or center of motion of the hasp, serves for the spring (m,) to rest against to throw back the hasp and hold itsteadily back in the position shown in red lines till it is again locked; this feature is very important, and differs from other locks; the nearest approaching this in character. The spring (m) is a loop of bent wire, the bight of which rests againstthe projection (b2) above named, and thence the two parts curving downward parallel pass und-er a stud (71,); the two ends curve up behind the tumblers to bear them up into their places; the eect of this double spring, is, therefore, to hold the tumblers in place, and to throw the hasp back and hold it steadily in that position, the arrangement being such that the spring is at its greatest tension when locked, or the instant before precisely as it should be to produce the best effect. The hasp is locked by turning it in the direction the reverse of the arrow, by applying the linger to a. projection (0,) on its outer face, unt-il the tumblers are free to be forced under it by the tension of the springs, and the moment the hasp is released by the hand it is forced back by the tension of the spring to lock itself in the notches in the end of the tumblers.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this lock is perfectly protected against the usual mode of forcing open padlocks by blows applied to the case and pressure to the hasp, for if a wedge be forced in under the hasp, it will thereby be prevented from turning forward, and unless it does turn forward by the key, the tumblers cannot be disengaged. lf a force be applied to the hasp to turn it back, it will be resisted by the tumblers, which act as abutments or braces, and if it be first drawn forward to` disengage it from the tumblers, and the oase be then struck to throw back the tumblers by the jar, they are caught by the notch above on the tumblers, and also acting under the tension of the springs (which are then greatest by reason of the forward position of the hasp) will keep their locking position, or resume it before the hasp can be released, and pass by them. Then the bolt is unlocked the rear portion of it is received within the body of the case, and there held by the tension of the springs, and prevented from dangling, while at the same time the arrangement admits of the locking of the bolt without the key, two objects much desired in padlocks for cars.

The arrangement of the springs to act on the tuinblers and the hasp, and having a fulcruin at soine intermediate point, present the advantage of exerting a greater force on the tuinblers when thrown in to hold thein in place7 and on the hasp to give it such an impetus at the start, as to insure its being thrown open, even if some impediment should be accidentally in the way.

Instead of making the springs otwires, they inay be inade of sheet metal separated at one end to act separately on each tinnbler.

The number of tuinblers can be varied at pleasure, and the forni of the case, hasp and tninblers may be varied at pleasure, so long as that portion of the hasp, .which enters the case is the segment of the circle turning on a central axis, and the tuinblers be niade to receive a projection at the back of the hasp7 or what is the equivalent, the hasp be inade with a recess, to receive a projection on the tuinblers.

QI/That I claim as my invention isl. Giving' a forward inotion to the hasp and acting upon the tulnblers by means of the saine key, when the parts are arranged so that the key acts directly upon a portion of the hasp substantially in the inanner described.

2. I claim the double acting spring herein described only when used in connection with such a forni and arrangement of hasp as will cause it to actuate the tumblers and not only throw the hasp out but hold it thrown out and fully open in the manner described7 conning niy claim to this device.

RI'IODOLPHUS KINSLEY.

lVitn-esses JAMES T. REID, JOHN SMITH.

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