US2446732A - Tumblerless safe - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 10, 1948. H. c. WHITTALL 2,446,732

TUMBLERLESS SAFE Filed Dec. 51, 1946 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl Ei (EL INVENTOR.

HE/hey G. WHITYALL BYWM M A frog/v Y g. 10, 1948- H. c. WHITTALL 2,446,732

TUMBLERLESS SAFE Filed Dec. 31, 1946 2 ShetS-Sheet 2 A TT'MNEYS Patented Aug. 10, 1948 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLERLESS SAFE Henry C. Whittall, Oakland, Calif., assignor of twenty-four per cent to Harold G. Geltz, Oakland, and twenty-four per cent to Walter H. Kassebohm and twenty-four per cent to Thomas H. Harvey, both of Berkeley, Calif.

Application December 31, 1946, Serial No. 719,558

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a locking mechanism, and more particularly to a combination safe.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination safe which is substantially foolproof against unwarranted opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ,tumberless safe of the combination type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact, efficient combination safe particularly adapted for residential use as a wall or floor safe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in section of the safe embodied in the invention, showing the mechanism in locking position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the safe;

Figure 3 is a view in section taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a view in section taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 3, showing the mechanism in unlocking position.

Referring to the drawings for more specific details of the invention, the safe is comprised of a cylindrical casing, or safe body, I having welded thereto a base plate I2. The casing H) has an inner circumferential locking groove 14 and is provided with an inner shoulder I6 adapted to receive in abutting relation an end plate indicated generally at I8, said end plate being provided on the underside with a centrally located boss 26, six bosses 22 equidistantly spaced .therefrom, and three depending lugs 24 spaced 120 apart. The boss 20 has therethrough a double diametral drill hole 26 providing a shoulder 28, and the bosses 22 are each provided with a double diametral drill hole 30 providing a shoulder 32. For a purpose hereinafter disclosed, one of the bosses 22 and the axis of the drill hole therethrough is located 65 from one of the adjacent bosses and axes and 55 from the other adjacent boss and axis, as indicated in Figure 3, the remaining bosses and drill hole axes being mutually spaced 60 apart.

A multi-diametral main spindle 34, having a flange 36 adapted to seat on the shoulder 28 of the end plate 18, and a centrally disposed drilled hole 38, is provided with an annular groove 40, a conical cam surface 42, another annular groove 44, a shoulder 45, a square portion 48, and a threaded end while a multi-diametral spindle 52, having a flange 54 adapted to seat on one of the shoulders 32 of the end plate I8, is provided 2 for each of the drill holes 30, each of said spindles having a centrally disposed drilled hole 56, a shoulder 58, a square portion 60, and a threaded end '62.

The main spindle 34 is provided with a knurled knob 54 having the shank thereof press-fitted into the drilled hole 38, said knob having an indicating arrow 66 inscribed in the upper surface thereof, said arrow being adapted upon the rotation Of the knob to orient said knob in relation to indicia 68 inscribed in the surface of the end plate H3. The smaller spindles '52 are each provided with a knurled knob 10 having the shank thereof press fitted into a drilled hole 55, said knobs having an identifying numeral inscribed in the upper surface thereof, as shown in Figure 2, together with an indicating arrow I 2, said arrow being adapted upon the rotation of a knob to orient said knob in relation to indicia l4 inscribed in the surface of the end plate It circumferentially adjacent the drilled holes 56.

A pair of matching locking plates t6, havin a centrally disposed square aperture are secured on the square portion 48 of the main spindle 3i in abutting relation to the shoulder 46 of said spindle by a retaining plate i8 threaded on the end 50 of the spindle, said retaining plate having wrench engaging apertures 80. The plates are cutaway at predetermined peripheral locations to provide six teeth 82, said teeth being equidistantly spaced apart with the exception that one of said teeth is located 65 from the adjacent tooth at one side thereof and 55 from the adjacent tooth at the opposite side thereof, as indicated in Figure 3, the angular spacing of said teeth corresponding to the aforedescribed angular spacing of the bosses 22 and the axes of the holes 55 therethrough. The retaining plate I8 serves to reinforce the locking plates 16 which are provided in duplicate for a similar reinforcing purpose.

A plurality of identical locking plates 84 and a single combination locking plate 86, each having a centrally disposed square aperture, are secured on the square portion of each of the spindles 52 by a lock washer 88 and a nut 99. The combination locking plate 86 has eight identical slots 92 equally spaced apart in the periphery thereof, said slots being adapted to selectively receivethe teeth 82 of the locking plates 16. Each of the locking plates 84 has a single slot 94, said slots being identical to each other and to the slots in plate 85, and being arranged in alignment with each other and with one of the slots 92 in plate 86.

Three drill holes 96 spaced apart are, pro

greater length than the distance between theperiphery of the drilled hole 26 and the outer surface of the lugs 24. Each bolt I has a transverse drilled hole therethrough in which a cotter ll) pin I04 is inserted to inhibit movement of'a washer I05, sleeved on the bolt in abutting relation to;

4 combination of the safe may be varied at will by the user to any of 65,536 combinations, only one of which will be an unlocking combination at any one time.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, butit is understood that this embodiment is subject to modification within the spirit of the invention and the scope said cotter pin, under the action of a"coil spring- Q prising allocking groove in the casing, a centrally I08 held in compression betweenthe' washer and a lug 24 of the end plate.

I00 is secured to the lugs 24 by machine screws A cover I I 0 having three notches" cut'therein'to' allow for the passage therethrough'of the bolts a boltsabutting said spindle and the outer ends of When the mechanism is in the locking position of Figure 1, the end plate I8 is secured to the easing ID by the bolts I00 which extend into tlielocking groove I4 and are held in said positionby the spindle 34 against the retractile action of springs I08. The spindle 34 is held against upward movement, since theteeth 82 of 'the'locking plates IS are out of registry with the slots 92 and 94 of the plates 84and 86 carried by the spindles 52, and the plates I6 are, therefore, obstructed by the plates 84 and 06.-

Upon rotating the knob 640:" the main spindle and the knobs I0 of the smaller spindles to bring indicating arrows 66 and-IZinto alignment; respectively, with a predetermined-unit-of the indicia 68 and 14', the plates 16 and the plates 84 and 06 may be thus rotated to bring the teeth 82 into alignment with the slots 92 and 94 of the plates 84 and 85. The knob 64'may then-be lifted to move the spindle'34 outwardly' ofthe end plate I8 to move the plates 16 upwardly into the position of Figure 4, thus allowing the bolts I00 to be retracted from the locking groove I 4"as the conical ends of the bolts movealon'gthe cammed surface 42 of the spindle 34 under the action of the springs I08. The end plate I8 may then be lifted free of the casing I0.

To restore the mechanism to the locking position of Figure 1, the end plate is replaced on the shoulder I6-of the casing, and the spindle 34 is' depressed to force the conical ends of the bolts I00 to move from the annular groove 44'; along the cammed surface 42, and into the annular groove 4% of the spindle, thus extending the opposite ends of the bolts into the locking groove I45 The spindles 64 and are then haphazardly rotated-to bring the teeth of the locking plates 16' out'- of' alignment with the slots of the smaller locking plates.

Due to the non-uniform spacing of the-teeth 32 of the plates I6, and thecorrespon'dingspac ing of the spindles '52 and the lockihgplates carried'thereby, there is but one position of'the knob" 04' in which the teeth 82 will bein unlocking alignment with the-slots of the smaller lockingplates. Thus, with the embodiment of the inven-- tion shown in the drawing, there is one combinative setting of the knobs B4"and l0, out of apossible 6,291,456 such settings, which will'aifectan' unlocking of the safe. V

Since the orientation of the'locking'plates 16 on the square portion 48 of the spindle 34 maybe changed to 'anyof fourpositions, and the-orientation of the plates 84 on'th'e square portions B'O'of spindles 52 may be changedto a like number of positions, it is apparent that the single unlocking disposed rotatable and slidable spindle carried by the end plate, a plurality of slidable bolts carrle'dby thelendplate, the inner ends of said saidbolts" being adapted to extend within the locking groove to secure the end plate to the casing, spring means to urge said bolts inwardly toward said spindle, means operableupona predetermined rotational orientation of said spindle to allow said spindle to be moved outwardly of said end plate, and a cam'surface on said spindle adapted to allow an'in'ward movement of said bolts to free the ends thereof fromsaid-locking groove upon the outward movement of said spindle.

2. A safe comprising a casing, an end plate, and a locking mechanism, said mechanism com-'- prising a locking groove'in the casing; a centrally disposed rotatable and slidable spindle carried by the end plate, a plurality ofslid'able bolts carried by the end plate, the inner ends of said bolts abutting said spindle andthe outer ends of said boltsbeing adapted to extend' within the tially obstructing the pathof movement of'the toothed plate, means to rotationally orientate all of the spindles to align the slots of the obstructing plates with the teethof the centrally located plate to allow an outward-movement of the central spindle, and a cam surface on said latter spindle to allowthe retraction of the bolts from the locking groove upon'said'movement of said spindle. I I

3. A safe comprising a casing, an end plate, and a locking mechanism, said mechanism-corn prising a locking groove in the casing, a centrally disposed rotatable and slidable spindle carried by; the "end-plate, a plurality of slidablebolts carried'by theend plate, the inner endsof said'bolts abutting said spindleand the outer'ends of said bolts being adapted'to extendyvithizi the locking groove to securethe end plate toth'e' casing, spring means to urge said bolts inwardly toward said spindle, a circular plate secured-to the lower endrof said spindle, said" plate. being peripherally'cut awayto provide" a plurality of teeth angularly spaced from each other'in nonuniformrelation; apluralit'yof'rotatable spindles carried by the end plate and radially disposed from thecentra'l spindle, said spindles being angularly spacedifromeach other in'identical nonuniformrelation astheteeth of thespindleplate;

5 at least one circular plate secured to the lower end of each radially disposed spindle, said plates being of equal size and each having a plurality of peripherally spaced slots complementary in form and size to the teeth of the central spindle plate, said radially disposed spindle plates being adapted to prevent the outward sliding movement of the central spindle by partially obstructin the path of movement of the toothed plate, means to rotationally orientate all of the spindles to align the slots of the obstructing plates with the teeth of the centrally located plate to allow an outward movement of the central spindle, and a cam surface on said latter spindle to allow the retraction of the bolts from the locking groove upon said movement of said spindle.

4. A safe as defined in claim 2 wherein each of the radially disposed spindles has secured thereon another plate of equal size, said additional plate being located above the plurally slotted plate and having a single peripheral slot in HENRY C. WHITTALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 941,128 Campbell Nov. 23, 1909 961,088 Reynolds June 7, 1910 1,850,639 Sioberg Mar. 22, 1932

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