US2880606A - Lock - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1959 R. A. CLARK LOCK Filed Aug. '29 1955 INVENTOR.

3mm aw ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent "ice LOCK Robert A. Clark, La Grange, Ill. Application August 29, 1955, Serial No. 531,162 13 Claims. (Cl. 70-214) This invention relates to locking devices, and more specifically to a combination-type lock which may be operated by means of a push button.

It is well known that combination locks are widely used in connection with vaults, safes, lockers and the like, partly because of the great security and protection which they olfer and further because of the fact that these locks require no keys for their operation. With the ordinary key-operated lock, there is always the possibility that the proper key may be misplaced, lost or stolen, and that without possession of that key the owner of the lock will be unable to open it, while at the same time one who has wrongfully acquired possession of the key may operate the lock and deprive the owner of valuable property. In addition, keyless combination locks afford substantial protection because of the large number of possible letter or number combinations, only one of which will serve to release the mechanism of any particular lock.

Despite these advantages, combination locks have not been favored where frequency of use demands a lock which may be easily and quickly operated, or where the location of a safe, vault or the like requires a lock which may be opened under poorly illuminated conditions. The amount of time necessary to manipulate the dial knob of a combination lock is frequently considered objectionable, especially where such a lock must be operated at least several times each day. As a result, combination locks are seldom used on ordinary doors, such as the entrance doors of houses and apartments, or with frequently operated switches such as the ignition switches of automobiles and other motor vehicles.

Therefore, one of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a keyless combination lock which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of the combination locks in present use. Another object is to provide a combination lock which is operated by means of a push button, and which need not be viewed by an operator as it is being manipulated. A further object is to provide a push button combination lock which may be quickly and easily operated, the push button thereof being guided to different selected positions by the sense of touch of the operator. A still further object is to provide a compact locking mechanism which may be mounted within a doorknob and which may be simply and quickly operated by pressing a push button to different selected positons.

Other objects will appear drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a doorknob equipped wtih the locking mechanism of the present invention, and taken along lines l-1 of Figure 3; Figure 2 from the specification and .is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Figure l,

and shows the locking mechanism in a second position; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the doorknob and lock taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure is a cross 2,880,606 Patented Apr. 7, 1959 sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is another cross sectional view of the doorknob and lock, viewed along lines 5-5 of Figure 1; and Figure 6 shows the development upon a flat surface of a cylindrical cam forming a part of the present invention.

In the specific embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a doorknob having an inner chamber 11 and a forwardly extending shaft portion 12. The shaft portion of the knob has a bore or opening 13 which extends therethrough and communicates with the inner chamber 11 of the knob. The knob is adapted to be secured upon the rotatable bar of a door latch (not shown) by containing an end of that bar within the most forward portion of bore 13. A set screw or key may be threaded through opening 14 extending through the wall of shaft 12 for firmly and tightly mounting the knob upon the connecting bar carried by the door fixture. Since the above described structure is entirely conventional, a more detailed description herein is believed unnecessary.

Within the rear portion of the longitudinally extending bore 13 is a cylindrical shaft 15 which is rotatably mounted with respect to the knob 10. To prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft, I provide the shaft with a circumferential groove 16 adapted to receive a portion of rod or key 17 which is carried by the shaft portion of the knob at right angles to the longitudinal axis of bore 13. As shown best in Figures 1 and 2, the rear portion of the shaft is equipped with a cylindrical sleeve 18 which extends forwardly within the inner chamber 11 and fits over the rear of the bored shaft portion 12 of the knob. The sleeve 18 and shaft 15 operate as a single member, rotatable with respect to knob 10. While I prefer to join the shaft 15 with sleeve 18 by any suitable means, such as by welding, it will be apparent that these members may be formed integrally to provide a one-piece rotatable cylinder.

As illustrated in Figure 1, a push button 19 is slidably mounted within the chamber 11 of the knob, and normally projects rearwardly from the knob. This button has a forwardly extending collar 20 which is adapted to slide longitudinally over the outer surface of sleeve 18 as the button is pressed forwardly and released. A coil spring 21 extends between the button 19 and the cylindrical shaft 15, and biases the button into the normal position shown in Figure 1. In addition, the outer or exposed surface of the push button is equipped with rearwardly extending flanges or fins 22 to facilitate the manual rotation of the button, as will shortly be described.

Push button 19 is not only longitudinally slidable with in the chamber 11, but as indicated above it is also rotatable with respect to the sleeve 18, shaft 15 and knob 10. Means are provided for integrating the longitudinal and rotational movement of the push button and comprise a cam or track on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve 18 and an inwardly directed pin or cam rider 24 carried by the collar 20 of the button. This pin rides in the groove or track and causes the button to rotate as it is pushed forwardly and as it is released.

Figure 6 is a projection of the cylindrical cam upon a flat surface, and shows the track consisting essentially of the continuous series of eight integrated U-shaped grooves extending about the peripheral surface of sleeve 18. Each U-shaped groove has forwardly extending leg portions 25 shared with adjacent U-shaped grooves on each side thereof so that the common leg portions and the bases of the U-shaped grooves provide a continuous track or cam about the sleeve. When the push button is pressed forwardly into the position shown in Figure 2, the cam rider is pushed along one of the diametrically opposite legs 25 of the U-shaped grooves. When the button -is'-in-the fully released position illustrated in Figure 1, the cam pin is seated in one of the groove extensions 26 which extend rearwardly from the bases of a pair of -U-shaped grooves on diametrically opposite sides of sleeve 18.

As illustrated most clearly in Figures 1 and 3, the cylindrical sleeve 18 is provided with a series of eight parallel and longitudinally extending passages 27 equally spaced from each other at a uniform distance from the longitudinal axis of the rotatable shaft 15. Extending forwardly into the shaft portion 12 of the knob is another set of eight passages 28 in longitudinal alignment with the sleeve passages 27. These two sets of passages, one in the cylindrical sleeve 18 and the other in knob 10, combine to form eight elongated passages opening into the inner chamber 11 of the knob.

A tumbler pin 29 is slidably mounted within each of the-combined passages of the knob and sleeve and is composed of two separate parts-21 front locking pin 30 and a rear setting pin 31. Within each of the knob passages 28 is a helical tumbler spring 32 which biases each of the tumbler pins rearwardly toward push button 19. Normally, as indicated in Figure l, the locking pins 3% are maintained by springs 32 so that portions of these pins project into both of the passages 27 and 28 in the sleeve and knob, respectively. In other words, when the push button is in the released position illustrated, the locking pins 30 straddle the division at 33 between the sleeve and the knob and prevent rotation of that sleeve and shaft 15.

Projecting forwardly into chamber 11 from the rear wall of push button 19 are a pair of push pins 34. These push pins are mounted upon button 19 at an equal distance from the longitudinal axis of shaft 15, and are parallel to that axis. As the push button is pressed forwardly, and as cam pin 24 is carried into the leg 25 of one of the U-shaped cam grooves, the push button is rotated to bring the push pins 34 into longitudinal alignment with a pair of diametrically opposite pin tumblers 29. Upon further forward movement of the push button, the push pins are directed into a pair of opposite passages 27 of the sleeve, and into engagement with the setting pins 31. A pair of locking pins 30 are thereby driven forwardly until they are entirely within the longitudinal passages 28 of the knob, as indicated in Figure 2. In this manner, a pair of locking pins are moved to an unlocking or releasing position where they can no longer interfere with the rotation of shaft and sleeve 18 within knob 10.

If the locking pins 30 are driven too far within the passages 28 of the knob, then the setting pins 31 following directly behind the locking pins will project into passages 28 and will prevent rotation of the cylinder 18 with respect to the knob 10. To unlock the mechanism, it is therefore important that the tumblers 29 be inserted only .far enough to bring the division between each locking pin and the setting pin directly behind that locking pin into alignment with the division between the cylindrical sleeve 18 and knob 10 indicated by the numeral 33 in Figure 2.

So that the two-piece tumbler pins may be temporarily secured in forwardly shifted positions, I provide holding means comprising four springs 35 carried within a groove 36 extending circumferentially about the cylindrical sleeve 18 and communicating with the plurality of longitudinal tumbler passages in that sleeve. As most clearly shown in Figure 3, these springs are arranged so that each of their center sections press against two of the pin tumblers 29, and each of their outer ends are confined by the in- :ncr surface of the push button collar 28.

Upon the inner surface of the collar and adjacent the front end thereof is a wedge-shaped annular relief 37. When the push button is in the normal position shown in Figure l, the outer ends of the springs seat within the annular relief of the push button collar, thereby relieving tension in these springs. As the push button is urged forwardly, however, the rearwardly and inwardly sloping wall of the friction spring relief wedges the friction springs against setting pins 31 so that the setting and locking pins are held in their forwardly advanced positions.

Although all of the composite tumbler pins are of uniform length, these tumbler pins are preferably arranged in pairs having component parts of different lengths. That is, the length of the locking and setting pins may vary between different pairs of tumblers. Therefore, the distance each pair of tumbler pins must be advanced to retract the locking pins 30 completely within the passages 28 of the knob may differ for each pair of opposing tumbler pins. To indicate the distance each pair of tumbler pins has been advanced, I equip push button 19 with a recess 38 which receives a compression spring 39 and a ball 40. A series of ridges 41 encircle the inner surface of the knob so that as the push button is pressed forward, the springloaded ball rides over these ridges and produces pulses which may be sensed by one operating the lock.

The forward end of shaft 15 is equipped with a forwardly extending, eccentric arm 42 which projects into a hole 43 of knob bolt 44. The knob bolt, shown best in Figures 1, 2 and 4, comprises a rod having a generally square cross section which is slidable transversely through an opening 45 in knob 10. As the shaft 15 is turned, the eccentric arm 42 guides the bolt 44 to either a retracted position within opening 45 or to an extended position, as illustrated in Figure 4. A helical spring 46 having one of its ends mounted upon sleeve 13 and the other end thereof fastened or hooked upon a connecting bar 47 welded or otherwise secured to the knob 10, biases the rotatable sleeve 18 and shaft 15 so that the knob bolt 44 is normally in an extended position and passages 27 and 28 are in horizontal alignment.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention may be operated in the following manner: When the mechanism is locked, knob 10 cannot be turned because knob bolt 44 in its normally extended position latches against a suitable abutment member provided by a door (not shown). To retract the knob bolt and unlock the door, an operator must push button 19 forwardly a total of four times in order to shift the eight locking pins 30 into releasing positions. When the push button is pressed the first time, it travels forwardly within chamber 11 of the knob casing 10 until carn rider 24 is withdrawn from one of the rear extensions 26 of the cam groove 23 on opposite sides of the cylindrical sleeve 18. As the push button continues forwardly, the cam rider is guided along the U-shaped grooves and rotates the push button one-sixteenth'of a turn in a counterclockwise direction. The two push pins 34 of the button 19 are therefore brought into longitudinal alignment with a pair of oppositely disposed two-piece tumbler pins 29.

During the remaining forward displacement of the push button, the cam rider is carried into a forwardly extending cam leg 25, and the two tumbler pins are shoved forwardly within passages 27 and 28. As these tumblers are shifted, the outwardly biased detent or rider 40 engages ridges 41 and produces successive pulses which may be felt by the operator of the lock as the push button is pressed forwardly. Since the locking mechanism may be properly positioned by an operators sense of touch, it is apparent that the locking device of the present invention may be operated in complete darkness. Preferably, the pulses emitted are inaudible and may be sensed only by the person operating push button 19. Consequently, the present lock, unlike other combination locks, may be operated in the presence of other persons without exposing the proper combination settings. While I provide a detent mechanism which produces inaudible pulses, it will of course be apparent that the struc ure of thismechanismm y be var e or e au ibl signals or clicks are emitted as the button is depressed,

if such audible signals are considered desirable for any particular application of my combination lock.

After the first pair of locking pins have been moved to an unlocking position, the rearwardly biased push button is released and is automatically cammed another one-sixteenth of a turn counterclockwise. The tumbler pins which have already been set do not return to their original position because they are held 'in their forward position by friction springs 35. Push button 19 is then pressed at second time, and is cammed counterclockwise to bring the paired push pins 34 into contact with the next set of tumbler pins. The operation described above is repeated until all four pairs of locking pins have been shoved into the longitudinal passages of knob 10. The number of pulses produced as the four pairs or sets of locking pins are driven into the knob passages 28 provide the four numbers of the locks operating combination. Hence, if the combination of the lock is 5-42-2, then the locking mechanism would be operated so that five pulses are produced when the push button is pressed forwardly the first time, four pulses the second time, and two pulses for each of the third and fourth times the button is depressed.

After the fourth push and before releasing the push button 19 is turned clockwise about 90". Since all of the locking pins 30 are in releasing positions, the cylindrical sleeve 18 and shaft 15 are turned, and the eccentric arm 43 withdraws bolt 44 from the locking recess of the door (not shown) into the shaft portion 12 of the knob. The doorknob may then be turned'to open the door in the customary manner. When the push button is released, shaft 15 is biased by spring 46 back to its original normal position. Helical spring 46 also rotates push button 19 and compression spring 21 drives the button rearwardly into the normal position shown in Figure 1. Friction springs 35 are released and tumbler springs 32 direct the locking pins 30 back into the locking positions shown. The locking mechanism is therefore reset.

While I have described my invention in detail as a doorknob lock, I wish it to be understood that my locking mechanism may be used in connection with other locking structures such as padlocks, or with switches such as the ignition switches of automobiles. The first member which is represented in the illustrated embodiment as knob casing might be any suitable lock or switch casing. The cylindrical sleeve 18 and shaft constitute a second member which is rotatable with respect to the first member. Both the first and second members are equipped with a plurality of passages 28 and 27 which are normally in longitudinal alignment and are provided with locking pins 30 therein. The locking pins are biased into locking positions so that normally the opposite end portions of each pin extend within passages of the first and second members, and prevent relative rotation of those members. An unlocking member, the push button 19, is rotatable along the same axis as the first and second members and is also movable along thelongitudinal axes of the locking pins. The push button is provided with at least one push pin or finger 34 for shoving the locking pins longitudinally within the passages and into releasing positions wherein these pins reside wholly within the passages of the first member. Guiding means, which have been described as cam 23 and cam rider 24, direct the rotational movement of the push button so that one or more of the locking pins are moved to released position each time the push button is moved toward the passages of the first and second members. As the push button is advanced and moves the locking pins into releasing positions, indicating means such as the ball detent and ridges 41 indicate or register the distance advanced by the button. Finally, when all of the locking pins have been directed into releasing position by successively advancing and retracting the push button, the second member is unlocked or released for rotational-movement with respect to the first member.

While I have described the structure and operation of the push button doorknob lock of the present invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that many of these details may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit and principles of my invention.

I claim:

1. A combination lock comprising a first member, a second member rotatably mounted with respect to said first member, said first and second members each having a plurality of parallel passages therein, the passages of said first and second members being normally in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of locking pins each being movable within a passage of said first member and within a corresponding aligned passage of said second member, said pins being movable to a locking position wherein portions of each of said pins extend within corresponding passages of said first and second members and also being movable to a releasing position wherein said pins are wholly within the passages of said first member, biasing means provided by said first member for biasing each of said pins into a locking position, an unlocking member having at least one finger portion projecting towards said second member, said unlocking member being movably mounted along the longitudinal axes of said pins for movement of said finger portion towards and away from said pins, said unlocking member also being rotatably mounted with respect to said first and second members for aligning said finger portion with each of said passages and said locking pins, and means for integrating the rotational and longitudinal movement of said unlocking member so that each of said pins may be shifted into a releasing position by the finger of said unlocking member, whereby said second member may be rotated with respect to said first member when all of said locking pins have been shifted to releasing positions.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said integrating means comprises a cam provided by said second member and a cam rider carried by said unlocking member.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said second member is equipped with friction spring means for maintaining said pins in releasing positions while said second member is being rotated with respect to said first member.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said first member is provided with a plurality of transverse ridges and said unlocking member is equipped with a ball detent adapted to engage said ridges as said unlocking member is moved longitudinally with respect to said locking pins.

5. A combination lock comprising a casing having a chamber therein, a rotatable member mounted within said casing, said casing and rotatable member each having a plurality of parallel passages therein, the passages of said rotatable member being in longitudinal alignment with the passages of said casing, a plurality of locking pins shiftably mounted within the passages of said casing and rotatable member, biasing means for biasing said pins into a locking position wherein said pins connect the passages of said casing and rotatable member and prevent independent rotation of said member, and a push button being movable longitudinally toward and away from said member and also being rotatable with respect to said member, said push button being equipped with at least one push pin extending toward said rotatable member and being insertable within said passages as said push button is moved toward said member for shifting said locking pins to releasing positions wherein said pins are wholly within the passages of said casing.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which said rotatable member is equipped with a cam groove and said push button is provided with a cam pin adapted to ride along said groove for directing said push pin into each of said ayeedeoe passages as'said pusl'i' button advances toward and withdraws from said rotatable member.

7. A combination doorknob lock comprising a knob casing having an opening therein, a cylindrical member rotatably mounted within said casing, said casing and cylindrical member each having a passage therein, said passages normally being in longitudinal alignment, a locking pin longitudinally movable within said passages, biasing means for biasing said pin into a locking position wherein said pin connects said passages and prevents independent rotation of said cylindrical member, and a push button being slidable through the opening of said casing and being movable along the longitudinal axis of said pin toward and away from said cylindrical member, said push button being equipped with a push pin insertable into said passage for shifting said locking pin into a releasing position wherein said pin is wholly within the passage of said casing, said push button also being mounted upon said cylindrical member for rotational movement 'with respect to said knob casing and being equipped with outer fins for manually rotating said push button and said member when said pin is in a releasing position.

8. A combination doorknob lock comprising a knob casing having an opening therein, a cylindrical member rotatably mounted within said casing, said casing and cylindrical member each having a plurality of parallel passages therein, the passages of said cylindrical member being in longitudinal alignment with the passages of said knob casing, a plurality of locking pins shiftably mounted for longitudinal movement within the passages of said casing and cylindrical member, biasing means for biasing said pins into locking positions wherein said pins extend through both the'pas'sages of said casing and the aligned passages of said cylindrical member and prevent rotation of said member with respect to said casing, and a push button being longitudinally movable through the opening of said knob casing toward and away from said cylindrical member and also being rotatable with respect to said member, said push button being equipped with at least one push pin insertable within said passages for shifting said locking pins to releasing positions wherein said pins are wholly within the passages of said knob casing.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said cylindrical member is equipped with a cam groove about the periphery thereof and said push button is provided with a cam pin adapted to ride along said groove for rotating said push button and for directing said push pin into longitudinally aligned passages each time said push button is advanced toward said cylindrical member.

10. A look comprising a first member, asecond member suppported for rotation with respect thereto, said first and second members each having a plurality of passages therein arranged in corresponding pairs, said cor responding passages of said first and second members normally being in longitudinal alignment, locking pins longitudinally movable within each pair of aligned passages, biasing means for biasing said pins into locking position wherein portions of said pins extend wthin each of said paired passages and lock said first and second members against relative rotation, an unlocking member being reciprocably movable with respect to said first and second members and being equipped with means for consecutively engaging each of said pins and for shifting said pins-longitudinally within said passages and into releasing positions wherein said pins are wholly within the passages of said first member, whereby, when all of said locking pins are in said releasing positions said second member is released for rotational movement with respect to said first member, and friction spring means provided by said second member for maintaining said locking pins in releasing positions when said second member is being rotated with respect to said first member.

11. The structure of claim 10 in which said first member is provided with a plurality of ridges extending transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said unlocking member, and said unlocking member is equipped with a spring biased rider adapted to successively engage said ridges and produce pulses in said unlocking member as said unlocking member is moved to shift each of said pins from locking positions to releasing positions.

12. A look comprising a first member having a plurality of passages, a second member supported for rotation with reference thereto and having a plurality of passages each alignable with corresponding passages of said first member, the corresponding passages of said first and second members normally being disposed in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of elongated and transversely divided tumblers each comprising a setting pin and a locking pin, said tumblers being longitudinally slidable within said aligned passages, biasing means for urging said tumblers into locking positions wherein portions of said locking pins extend within each of the corresponding passages of said first and second members and lock said members against relative rotation, a reciprocably movable unlocking member equipped with means for consecutively engaging said tumblers and for sliding the same into releasing positions wherein the division between the locking and setting pins of each tumbler lies between said first and second members, whereby, when all of said tumblers are in releasing positions said second member is released for rotational movement with respect to said first member, said setting pins of said tumblers being disposed between said locking pins and said unlocking member, and means for maintaining said tumblers in releasing positions when the same are being consecutively set and when said second member is being rotated with respect to said first member.

13. The structure of claim 12 in which said first member is provided with a plurality of ridges extending transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said unlocking member, and said unlocking member is equipped with a spring-biased rider adapted to successively engage said ridges and produce pulses in said unlocking memberas the same is moved to shift each of said tumblers into a releasing position, thereby enabling an operator to determine upon pushing said unlocking member when each of said tumblers has reached its preselected releasing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 240,397 Ehmer Apr. 19, 1881 494,605 Smith Apr. 4, 1893 1,448,888 Walters Mar. 20, 1923 1,500,657 Stolberg July 8, 1924 1,792,949 Weissenboeck Feb. 17, 1931

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