US2136584A - Combination lock - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 15, 1938. R BENJAMIN 2,136,584

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Dec. 31, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor RaZJ bhB erg (1min Attorney Nbv. 15, 1938. R. BENJAMIN COMBINATION LOCK Filed Dec. 51, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor RaZphBer zjamir z.

A fiom ey Nov. 15, 1938. R, BENJAMIN 2,136,584-

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Dec. 31, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Lil Patented Nov. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION LOCK Ralph Benjamin, Waterbury, mm, assignor of twenty-five per cent to Leonardo Mancini and twenty-five per cent to Nicholas Mancini, both of Waterbury, Conn.

Application December 31, 1937, Serial No. 182,758

6 Claims.

This invention relates. to improvements in door locks, and more particularly to a keyless combination lock having a plurality of latch bolt holding rockers, each of which is individually actuated by a separate indicating knob.

One object of this invention is to provide a combination lock of the above nature in which each locking rocker is operated by a rotatable cam adapted to be manually turned by an indicating knob to permit the proper combination for un- 7 locking the door to be easily obtained.

A further object is to provide a combination lock of the above nature in which the rockers normally rest by gravity in looking position, and are adapted to be raised therefrom by turning the rotary cams to the proper combination,

A further object is to provide a combination lock of the above nature which will be simple in construction, easy to operate, compact, noiseless, inexpensive to manufacture, and very eflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in View, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front fragmentary view of a door upon which the improved combination lock of this invention has been installed.

Fig. 2 is a rear fragmentary view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective View of the interior frame member of the lock,

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral l0 denotes the latch edge of a door to which the lock of this invention has been applied. The edge II] has a recess M on one side, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, for receiving the lock mechanism, and on the other side is provided with an escutcheon plate l2 secured to the door by bolts l3, which pass through said plate I2, the door edge l0, and a plate of electrical insulating material M, such as Bakelite, seated upon the base of said recess The plates l2 and I4 are held in position by a plurality of nuts I5. Provision is also made of a hollow cover |6 secured to the side edge of the door, as by screws l1, and to the end edge of said door, as by screws l8, which cover serves to enclose the lock mechanism, the latter being supported by a U-shaped frame l9 having base flanges I9a, which are fastened to said door as by headed screws 20.

A longitudinal latch bolt 2| is slidably mounted in slots 2|a formed in the legs 22 and 23 of the U-shaped frame I9. The latch bolt 2| has an enlarged head 24 at its inner end to limit the outward movement of the bolt by engaging the leg 23 of the frame l9, and said bolt extends forwardly beyond the leg 22 of said frame through an opening in the front wall 25 of the cover Hi. The forward end of the bolt 2| is also enlarged and has on its end a beveled latch 26 which is adapted to engage in the usual latch plate secured to the adjacent door frame (not shown).

A pair of spaced-apart V- shaped notches 21 and 28, respectively, are provided in the underside of the bolt 2| and are disposed in alinement with a pair of lugs 29 and 3|l,respectively, formed on a rocking actuating plate member 3|. The plate member 3| is fastened to a knob shaft 32, see Fig. 5, which extends transversely through the mechanism and has a pair of exterior knobs or handles 33 and 34 secured upon the opposite extremities thereof. The plate member 3| is keyed to the shaft 32 and is clamped in position thereon by a pair of nuts 35 and 36 threaded on the shaft 32. A spring 31 is coiled about the shaft 32 and reacts between the plate I4 and the rocking plate 3| to maintain the parts in place and to impose friction thereon.

In order to constantly urge the rocking plate 3| into the bolt-locking position shown in Fig. 3, provision is made of a spring 38 secured to a lug 39 formed on said plate 3| and to a post 40 on the door. Assuming the rockers 48 to be in raised position, the shaft 32 may be rotated by either of the knobs 33 or 34 to rock the plate 3| clockwise, as shown in Fig. 3, and will cause the lug 30 to leave the notch 28 and the lug 29 to enter the notch 21 and force the latch bolt 2| rearwardly to unlock the door. When the knob is released,

the spring 38 will automatically protract the bolt 2| by rotating the member 3| in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 3, by the engagement of the lug 3|] in the notch 28 of the bolt 2 |-the enlarged head 24, by its engagement with the frame member 23, limiting further movement of the bolt 2|. The action of rocking the plate 3| clockwise, as shown in Fig. 3, will cause a finger 4|, extending from said plate 3|, to force a movable contact 42 into electrical engagement with a fixed contact 43 to close an electrical circuit, including a battery 44 and a bell 45, or

other signal means. Such a circuit is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. The contacts 42 and 43 are suitably mounted upon a bracket 46 in position to be engaged by the finger 4|.

The latch bolt 2| is adapted to be locked in protracted position by means of a plurality of transverse rockers or tumbler bars 41, 48 and 49, each of which is pivotally mounted at one end upon a rod 50 which is supported by four brackets 5|, which are rigidly secured to the front member 52 of the U-shaped frame |9. The transverse rocker bars 41, 48 and 49 overlie the latch bolt 2| and are adap-ted to drop into three cooperating slots 53, respectively, provided in the top of the latch bolt 2| (see Fig. 3). At this time the bolt 2| will be prevented from being retracted rearwardly. Each rocker bar 41,. 48.

and 49 is provided with a downturned T-shaped lug 54, which lugs are adapted to ride upon the peripheral surfaces of three cams 55, 56 and 51, respectively. Each cam 55, 56 and 51 is provided with a high point 58 which, when the respective cam is rotated, smoothly and quietly raises the respective bar 41, 48 and 49 out of its cooperating slot 53.

The cams 55, 56 and 51 are mounted upon three transverse shafts 59, 66 and 6|, respectively, adjustably secured upon said respective shafts by means of set screws 62. Lock nuts 63 threaded upon each of the shafts 59, 60 and 6| are adapted to tightly engage the cams 55, 56 and 51, respectively. The shafts 59, 66 and 6| extend from the plate |2 through the door edge ID, the plate l4, and the front member 52 of the U-shaped frame |9,each being secured in this position against axial movement by a nut 64 threaded on the inner end thereof. Compression spring 65 are coiled about each of the shafts 59, 60 and 6| and react against said cams 55, 56 and 51 to exert suflicient pressure thereon to prevent the accidental twisting of said cams by vibration of the lock or slamming of the door.

In order to operate the combination of the lock,.provision is made of three knobs 66, 61 and 68 upon the end of each of the shafts 59, 60 and 6| outside the escutcheon plate l2. Each of the knobs 66, 61 and 68 has a dial portion 69 provided with a scale 10 marked about its periphery adapted to cooperate with a vertical indicating line 1| marked on the plate I 2 above each dial.

By means of this construction it will be seen that the high point 58 of each cam 55, 56 and 51 may be located in alinement with the desired number on the dial 69 by loosening the set screws 62, and that by turning the cams on their respective shafts and then tightening the set screws, any desired combination of numbers may be obtained. By turning the dials to the proper combination, the rocker bars 41, 48 and 49 will be raised out of the bolt 2|. The latch bolt 2! may then be retracted by manipulation of either of the knobs 33 or 34, permitting the door to be opened. In order to maintain the bolt 2| in retracted position, provision is made of a slot 12 in the bolt 2| in position to have the bar 41 drop therein after the bolt 2| is retracted.

In order to permit all of the rocker bars 41, 48 and 49 to be simultaneously removed from the slots 53 by a person located within the house, provision is made of a short bar 13 extending longitudinally below the transverse bars 41, 48 and 49. A transverse rod 14 is secured to the bar 13 and extends outwardly through aslot 15 in the cover l6, being provided with a knob 16 mounted upon a pin 11 extending between the two central brackets 5| (see Figs. 4 and 5). By manually pushing the knob 16 downwardly, the bar 13 will simultaneously engage the bars 41, 48 and 49 and raise them from the slots 53. This will permit the retraction of the latch bolt when the handle 34 is subsequently turned.

Operation To open the door from the outside it will merely be necessary to turn each dial 69 to the proper number of the combination, whereupon the rocker bars 41, 48 and 49 will be raised by the cam sections 58. Turning of the handle knob 33 will then cause the bolt to slide inwardly and unlock the door. After thus unlocking the door, the bolt 2| may be maintained in retracted position by turning the knob 66 so as to cause the bar 41 to drop into the slot 12.

After opening the door and entering the house, the user may release the latch 2| by manipulating the knob 16 to raise the bar 41 from the slot 12, whereupon the spring 38 will again protract the latch bolt 2| and latch the door. To again lock the door after it is latched, it will only be necessary to rotate the dials 69 to remove them from bar-raising position, whereupon the rocker bars 41, 48 and 49 Will drop by gravity into their cooperating slots 53 and prevent retraction of the latch bolt 2| by means of either of the knobs 33 or 34. When the bolt is so locked, the door may be readily opened from the inside by merely pushing the knob 16 downwardly to simultaneously raise all of the bars 41, 48 and 49, and thereafter turning the knob 34.

If an unauthorized person endeavors to get in the premises, it will be necessary for him to frequently turn the door knob or handle 33 counterclockwise to see if he has employed the proper combination to unlock the door. Each time that he thus turns the door knob, the lug 4| will engage the movable contact 42 to close the electrical circuit and cause the burglar alarm bell 45, lamp or other signal to be operated.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a combination look, a casing, a normally protracted latch bolt having a cross-slot in the top thereof, means to retract said latch bolt, a vertically movable bar adapted to drop into said slot whenever said bolt is in protracted position, manually rotatable means on one side of the lock to raise said bar out of the slot to permit retraction of said bolt, and a pivoted lever on the other side of the lock to also raise said bar.

2. In a combination look, a casing, a normally protracted latch bolt having a plurality of spaced apart cross-slots in the top thereof, means to retract said latch bolt, a plurality of rocker bars in said casing pivoted on a horizontal axis, said bars being adapted to drop into said slots when the bolt is in protracted position to lock it in such position, and rotatable cam means extending out side of the lock to raise said bars out of said slots, respectively.

3. In a combination lock, a casing, a normally protracted latch bolt having a plurality of spacedapart cross-slots in the top thereof, means to retract said latch bolt, a plurality of rocker bars in said casing pivoted on a horizontal axis, said bars being adapted to drop into said slots when the bolt is in protracted position to lock it in such position, rotatable cam means extending outside of the lock to raise said bars out of said slots, respectively, and pivoted means on the inside of said casing to simultaneously raise all of the bars to permit unlatching of said bolt.

4. In a combination look, a casing, a normally protracted latch bolt having a plurality of spaced apart cross slots in the top thereof, means to retract said latch bolt, a plurality of horizontal rocker bars in said casing pivoted on a horizontal axis, said bars being adapted to drop into said slots when the bolt is in protracted position to lock it in such position, a plurality of rotatable cams having high sections adapted to raise each bar out of its slot in the bolt, individual means to rotate each of said cams, and indicating means on each of said cam rotating means to denote when the respective bar is raised by each cam.

5. In a combination look, a casing, a normally protracted latch bolt having a plurality of spaced apart cross-slots in the top thereof, means to retract said latch bolt, a plurality of horizontal rocker bars in said casing pivoted on a horizontal axis, said bars being adapted to drop into said slots when the bolt is in protracted position to lock it in such position, a plurality of rotatable cams having high sections adapted to raise each bar out of its slot in the bolt, separate means to rotate each of said cams, indicating means on each of said cams rotating means to denote when the respective bar is raised by each cam, and pivoted means on one side of said casing to simultaneously raise all of the bars to permit unlatching of said bolt.

6. In a combination lock, a casing, a normally protracted latch bolt having a plurality of spaced apart cross slots in the top thereof, means to retract said latch bolt, a plurality of horizontal rocker bars in said casing pivoted on a horizontal axis, said bars being adapted to drop into said slots when the bolt is in protracted position to lock it in such position, a plurality of rotatable cams having high sections adapted to raise each bar out of its slot in the bolt, means to rotate each of said cams, indicating means on each of said cam rotating means to denote when the respective bar is raised by each cam, pivoted means on one side of said casing to simultaneously raise all of the bars to permit unlatching of said bolt, and means to change the position of each of said cams with respect to said rocker bars.

RALPH BENJAMIN.

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