US251877A - Permutation-lock - Google Patents

Description

.(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. M. HATHAWAY.

VPLmszrUTAirIoN Loox.

No. 251,877. ,Y Patented Jan. 3,1882.

(Model.)` 2 Sheets--Slieet 2..

Gr. M. HATHAWAY.

PERMUTATION 1.00K.

No. 251,877. Patented-Jan. 3,1882.

NNNNNN S. Pmmumamphsr. washington, D. r:A

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HATHAWAY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

PERMUTATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,877, dated January 3,` 1882.

` Application illed November 22,1881. (Model.)

v do 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 itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this vspecication.

My invention relates to permutation-locks adapted for service upon safes, desks, vaults, doors, trunks, and the like; and the novelty consists in theconstruction `and arrangementof parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed outin the claims. f The objects ofthe invention are, first, to produce a practically safe permutation-lock', second, to lock the combination by-a novel anxiliarylock,thereby securin g the dial against ma nipulation by evil-disposed or mischievous persons who may be desirous to work out, by ex periment, the main combination for future use in opening thesafe, vault, or the like upon which the lock is placed.

Expert evidence in this art is to the effect that nearly every permutation-lock may be opened it' the operator has time and patience to experiment untilhe finds, either bytouch or accident, the combination. Hence, when a bank vault or safe is closed after business hours, the burglar must learn the combination by the manipulation of the dial and put the combination on before business hours upon the following day-say in a space of twelve hours-before he can effect his purpose. It is therefore not only desirable but necessitous that the dial should not be subject to manipulation, and an obvious way to prevent'such manipulationis to lock the dial in itsbearin gs against rotary motion. This being the object in view in this portion of the invention, it is evident that the means forlocking-the dial should not be readily apparent, either to denote itsluse or to invite suspicion or conjecture, and that the means should be sufficiently complex 'to be difficult to aready understandin g thereof, the cost in this art bein g always subordinate to safety and convenience.

I have also discovered that the disks ordinarily employed in this art give an unnecessary amount of frictional surface, and hence results the employment ot' friction-springs.

This invention is designed not only to avoid the use of disks, butto absolutely do away with the use of friction-springs, and thus render the construction cheaper and more reliable.

The auxiliary combination, being the subjectmatter of a former application, will be understood as forming no part of this invention, except in its specific construction, as will be both shown and described.

The invention consists, essentially, in four (more or less) concentric rings, which revolve in concentric recesses, oneI set of each being in the dial and one in the lock proper. Secured Y upon the shaft or stem of both the main and auxiliary lock is an operating-ring having a recess with one abrupt and one inclined side. This operating-ring has an external pin, and the outer ring has an internal piu, while the intervening rings are provided with pins extending radially through them and projecting upon either side. These pins are intended to abut-against each other, as shown, and to allow the proper adjustment to complete the combination. Each ring is provided with an edge recess, in which operates an arm having a pivotal shank in each lock, the shank in each case abuttingV against a spiral or other spring contained in proper sockets, as will be shown. After the combination is on, the concentric rings allow the arms to manipulate the bolt in either lock, butaforced movement in the same direction which protrudes the bolt 4forces the arm to ride up the incline in the recess in the operating-rin g until it rests upon the edge of the rings, the constantforce of the springs having been overcome sufficiently to allow such movement. The arms in each lock will then ride idly upon the faces of the rings until the recesses register and the combinations are on, when the action of the springs forces the arms into the ringrecesses, and the oscillation of the rings will allow the desired reciprocation of the bolts. The larger or main operating-ring is secured to its shaft by small connecting corrugations or serrations between the ring and shaft, and by a headed screw, the head-face of which Ais provided with radial corrugationsA which cor sufficient engaging contact.

respond with similar corrugations upon the main operating arm. This construction of these serrations upon the stem or shaft allows an almost infinite number of changesin the combination, while the corrugations upon the arm and screw allow a lighter spring to give lt will also be observed that each spring acts independently with-hut a minimum quantity of friction, and that all frictional springs are dispensed with.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a horizontal section; Fig. 2, a transverse section; Fig. 3, a bottom plan view with the cap removed; Fig. 4, a bottom plan view of the main lock-frame, showing concentric rings and pawl-arm; Fig. 5, a similar view, showing concentric recesses. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are details.

It being understood that the rings and locking devices are approximately similar in each lock, I will, for convenience, describe the main lock and refer to the other simply by letter.

To enable others skilled in the art to which the invention relates to make and use the-same, I will describe the construction and mode of operation of the same, referring to this end to the described drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A represents the main or inner lock, having sleeve et, bolt-socket a', cap A', and duplex screw-sockets e2, by means of which the said cap A is secured to the said main lock. This cap carries a spring-socket, b, in which is located a spiral or other spring, b', which bears against the shank b2 of the pawl-arm B and serves to force it into the edge recesses c ofv a series of concentric rings, C, which rotate or oscillate in concentric recesses C in the main lock-frame A, and which are provided with abutting lugs or pins c', for a similar purpose to that set forth in my previous paten ts-that is to say, to rotate the disks until the recesses c register, when the pawl-arnn B is forced therein by the action of the spring b.

The main-lock end of the shaft E is provided with longitudinal serrations or corrugations e, which correspond with a similar internal formation, f, upon the inner or operating main ring, F, which is provided with a recess, j", having an abrupt side, f2, and an inclined-side, f3, as shown, and which is secured to the said main shaft by a screw, G, having radial serrations g, which engage with the corresponding radial serrations, b3, upon the pawl-arm B. rIhe inclined side f3 of the recess f' serves to throw the pawl-arm B outward when the main bolt H has reached its extreme throw, when the said pawl-arm B is thrown into engage- .ment with an inclined recess, h, in bolt H, which tends to lock said boltagainst retraction. The

`pawl-arm B also operates between two bearing-lugs, h', and the shank ot" the bolt is :provided With aslot, h2, one end of which abuts either against the shank ot' the pawl-arin B or against the socket-lu g a2. The corrugated surfaces upon the pawl-arm B and screwrG allow a spring, b', of light strength to serve iu the socket b, said surfaces engaging in such a manner as to secure an efficient engaging contact.

The construction of the auxiliary permutation-lock is similar in relative devices to that described as belonging to the main lock, except as-relates to the roughened or corrugated surfaces g b3. Hence the said auxiliary lock will be briefly described thus:

M represents the dial-plate, having a keeper,

m, and N the dial,having bolt-socket n, concentric recesses N', and screw-lugs, by which the plate N2 is secured thereto.

, 0 represents the concentric rings, having pins o and recesses o', similar to those already described in the main lock. The outer end of the main stem is provided with a spring-socket, x, which contains a spring, which bears against the shank r ofthe arm or pawl B.

S represents the auxiliary knob or-disk, and

S the operating-ring secured thereto. e

The operation of the device is similar to that set forth in the patents already granted to me, in which disks are employed, and the additional or auxiliary lock is fully explained in an application to which patentability has been conceded. Modications in details of construction may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, the essential features of which have been explained, and are fully shown in the drawings. It will be observed that the stems or shanks of both locks are provided with longitudinal serrations or corrugations, as shown at e, and coact with a similar construction upon the parts, as at f, and this relative and exact system of engaging corrugations in each lock allows a multiplicity of changes in the combinations by a simple change in the relative positions of each engaging pair of serrated surfaces between the shanks and-the operating-ring.

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

1. In apermutation-lock, a pawl-arm formoving and locking the bolt, combined witha socket-spring, whereby said arm is made to engage the operating-shaft, the recessed concentric rings, and the operating-ring adapted to permit said arm to manipulatesaid bolt, and the bolt provided with recesses and slot, asvdescribed, all arranged to operate as specified.

2. In combination with the lock-frame A, having a series of concentric recesses, G, the concentric rings U c c', the operating-ring Ff, the pawl-arm B, and bolt H, provided with recesses anda slot, h2, whereby the throw ot' saidbolt is limited by the shank of the paWl-arm and socket-lug a2, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the primary and secondary locks havingconcen tric recesses and concentric rings, as described, of the connect- ICO IOS

ing stem or shaft, the operating spring-arms, In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein theope1ating-riug,aud the slotted and recessed presence of two witnesses.

bolt in the secondary look, all arranged to operate substantially as specified. GEORGE M. HATHAWAY.

4. The main shaft E, having serratiou e, and

the operating-ring Ff, combined with the ser Vituesses:

rated screw, with the arm B, having serrations H. CLAY SMITH,

b3, and with a spring, as set forth. WILLIAM FITCH.

Images