US2819357A - Combination locks - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1958 I A. R. PANGBORN 2,819,357

- COMBINATION LOCKS Filed July 25,1956

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United States Patent.

This; invention relates to locking devices andparticularly;to a; combination lockfor electrical systems: such astautoniobile electrical systems.

An object of this invention is to provide a combination lock for electrical systems which will eliminate the need for a key and yet prevent unauthorized use of the systems.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple inexpensive combination operated plunger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plunger switch actuated by a cylindrical combination actuating member which normally is out of engagement with the plunger and rotating in a plane parallel thereto but which may be urged into the plane of the plunger and engageable therewith to urge said plunger toward the closed position at certain points on the periphery of the actuating member.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an actuating member having pins of different heights at selected points on an actuator member whereby to stepwise selectively actuate a plunger.

Other objects, advantages and purposes of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of this invention with the front cover plate removed.

Figure 2 is a section on the line IIII of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragment of the plunger of Figure l in the closed position.

Figure 4 is a fragment of the central position of the plunger of Figure 1 in the closed position.

Figure 5 is a section on the line VV of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragment of the bottom portion of Figure 2 with the actuating member in normal position.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a shell or housing 10 in the form of a rectangular box having a removable cover plate 11 (Figure 5). A shaft 12 is rotatably mounted through the front and rear faces of housing 10 and carries fixed thereon a cylindrical actuating member 13. The actuating member 13 is urged toward the front face by a spring 14. An operating knob and dial 15 is fixed on the end of shaft 12 externally of the housing 10. Actuating pins 16 extend radially outwardly at varying stepped lengths from the periphery of the actuating member 13. Each pin 16 is provided with an outer ramp 17.

A sleeve 18 is fixed to and depends from the end wall v of the housing 10 remote from the actuating member 13. Spaced latching notches 19 extend longitudinally along the exterior of sleeve 18. A plunger 20 fits slidably in the sleeve 18 and carries a contactor end 21 at one end thereof extending out of the housing 10. The opposite end of plunger 20 is provided with an outer sleeve 22 having a chisel shaped end 23 adapted to ride up the ramps 17 of the actuating pins 16. The outer sleeve 22 carries a spring loaded detent 24 engageable in notches 1,9 of the sleeve 18. The outer sleeve 22 also carries a pair of' opposed triangular cams 25 and 26 adaptedto move beneath'detent' 24 to raise the detent out-of engagement with the notches 19. The cams 2S and 26- are mounted on arms 27 attached to a pivot arm 28 pivoted onthe outer sleeve22'. The ends'of cam arms 27 extend below the pivot arm- 28 in'line with the chi'selpointof sleeve 22. Spring: means 29'urges the outersleeve 22 towardthe actuating member 13.

A: spring loaded plunger" 30 is mounted in' the side) of the a housing 10 in -line' with I one of the cam arm's- 2 7 so that'pressing the plunger 30" raises the detent 24 out of notch 19 and permits-the outer-sleeve-22 to drop toward the actuating memb'ei l-l'icarryingalong the 'cam's 25 'and 2'6 'andsarmsl27i In operation: with i the-circuit in the' open positiorbtlie dial andv knob Ni a-repressed inwardly to=-the= position shownxinzFigureLZ wit-lithe shortest=pin adjacent mes sew: 22. This brings the actuating pins 16 in line with the sleeve 22. Turning the knob in the proper direction causes the ramp 17 on the shortest pin 16 to raise the sleeve 22. The knob 15 is released and turned to the next shortest pin according to the coded dial and again pressed inwardly and turned. Selectively depressing and turning the knob in the proper direction to successively higher pins causes the sleeve 22 to move upwardly with the detent 24 holding the sleeve in successive positions along the sleeve 18. Each time the actuating pins are brought against the sleeve 22 they first contact the ends of arms 27 causing the earns 25 or 26 to move under detent 24 to permit the sleeve 22 to raise more readily.

When the plunger 20 is in the raised position, with the circuit closed, it may be lowered into closed position by depressing plunger 30 until it forces cam 25 beneath detent'24, thereby releasing it from notches 19. The spring 29 immediately causes the sleeve 22 to drop to its lowermost position (Figure 1) with the circuit open.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described herein it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A combination lock out switch for electrical circuits comprising a housing having spaced generally parallel walls, cylindrical actuator means intermediate two of said spaced walls and movable therebetween, resilient means urging said actuator means toward one of said spaced walls, spaced radially projecting pins of stepwise varying lengths at random on said actuator means, dial means on the actuator means coded to said pins, first sleeve means on the housing projecting toward the actuator means, plunger means movable in said first sleeve means coaxially thereof, outer sleeve means connected to one end of the plunger means and movable telescopically on said first sleeve contact means on the opposite end of the plunger adapted to close an electrical circuit, detent means on the outer sleeve engageable in stops on the first sleeve, said outer sleeve extending to a point adjacent the actuator means and being contacted by the pins for movement on the first sleeve when the actuator means is forced against the resilient means, cam means adapted to release the detent, plunger means manually operable to move the cam means into contact with the detent whereby to release the outer sleeve means and resilient means acting on said outer sleeve urging said sleeve toward the actuator means.

2. A combination lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein each pin is provided with a ramp upon which the outer sleeve is adapted to ride to be raised on the first sleeve, said ramps being randomly directed in planes parallel to the axis of the actuator means and coded to the dial means.

3. A combination lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pins on the actuator means are not engageable with i the outer sleeve at any peripheral position when the actuator means is in its normal position and are engageable with the outer sleeve only when the actuator means is forced against the resilient means out of its normal position.

4. In an electrical circuit having a plunger operated switch, a housing having spaced generally parallel walls, first sleeve means on one end and receiving the switch plunger, cylindrical actuator means intermediate the walls of the housing on an axis transverse to the axis of the plunger, resilient means urging the actuator means out of alignment with the plunger, spaced radially projecting pins of stepwise varying lengths at random on the periphcry of said actuator means, dial means on the actuator means coded to said pins, outer sleeve means telescoping over the first sleeve means and fixed to one end of the plunger, detent means on the outer sleeve engageable in spaced stops on the first sleeve, said outer sleeve extending to a point adjacent the actuator means and being contacted by the pins for stepwise movement on the first sleeve when the actuator means is forced against the resilient means and rotated-in selected fixed direction dependent upon the positionof the pins, cam means adapted to release the detent, plunger means manually operable to move the cam means beneath the detent whereby to release the outer sleeve means and resilient means acting on said outer sleeve urging said sleeve toward the actuator.

5. In an electrical circuit as claimed in claim 4, a directional ramp on each pin upon which the outer sleeve is adapted to ride to be raised on the first sleeve, said ramps being randomly directed in planes parallel to the axis of the actuator means and coded to the dial means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,346 Putts July 25, 1916 2,337,713 Garlington Dec. 28, 1943 2,387,372 Watkins et al Oct. 23, 1945 2,644,114 Edwards et al June 30, 1953

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