Combination lock

• US 4,014,191 A
• Filed: 08/13/1975
• Issued: 03/29/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard P. Harrington, Russell J. Harrington
• Original Assignee: Richard P. Harrington, Russell J. Harrington
• Inventors: Harrington, Richard P., Harrington, Russell J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lyddane, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/604,450
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 70/22, 70/24, 70/25, 70/27, 70/129, 70/286, 70/305, 70/316, 70/317, 70/318, 70/330, 70/332, 70/323, 70/DIG. 28, 70/DIG. 75
• US Class Current: 70/25
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/08 with tumbler discs on a single axis, all the discs being adjustable by a rotary knob which is not shifted for adjusting the discs E05B37/0044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/22 Padlocks with sliding shackles, with or without rotary or pivotal movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/424 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5319 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7266 Movable selector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7328 Compound tumblers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7418 Dials

Abstract

The combination lock disclosed has a plurality of disc-shaped tumblers mounted side-by-side for individual relative rotation around a common axis. A cylindrical member or drum having a plurality of lugs thereon is located adjacent the outer periphery of the tumblers for movement by a dial around the axis of rotation of the tumblers and for rotation on its longitudinal axis. A ratchet rotates the drum on its longitudinal axis a portion of a revolution each time the dial is returned to a selected position. Each tumbler has a protrusion on its periphery that when engaged by a lug on the drum will cause the tumbler to be rotated with the drum as the drum is moved around the axis of rotation of the tumbler by a dial. The lugs are arranged on the drum so that in one position of the drum the dial will move all of the tumblers to a preselected relative position. An audible or visible signal indicates that the lugs are in this position. Then, as the ratchet rotates the drum after each movement of the dial the tumblers will be moved in sequence to their preselected position in accordance with the combination to open the lock and allow a lock bolt to be opened through a lock bolt operating assembly.

Claims

1. A combination lock comprising a bolt movable between a locked and an unlocked position, fence means including a fence, said fence means being movable between a first position holding the bolt in the locked position and a second position releasing the bolt for movement to the unlocked position, a plurality of disc-shaped tumblers mounted in side-by-side relationship for rotation around a common axis, each tumbler having a protrusion on its periphery and a gate to receive the fencer when the tumbler is in a preselected position, a rotatable dial with a circular, graduated face, means mounting the dial for rotation around an axis perpendicular to the face, a ratchet drum extending across the tumblers and movable by the dial along the outer periphery of the tumblers as the dial is rotated, a plurality of pairs of lugs spaced longitudinally along the ratchet drum with each pair in alignment with one of the tumblers, each pair having one lug in alignment along the drum with one lug of all of the other pairs so that in one position of the ratchet drum one lug of each pair will engage the protrusions and all tumblers will be rotated with the dial to allow the rotation of the dial to bring all tumblers to a predetermined relative position, said other lug of each pair being spaced circumferentially around the ratchet drum different distances from the first lug, means to rotate the ratchet drum on its axis each time the dial is moved in one direction back to a preselected position to position the lugs with the first lug of each pair in position to engage the tumbler with which it is aligned to allow the tumblers to be rotated to said preselected relative position and to successively rotate each tumbler individually to allow the gates of the tumblers to be positioned to receive the fence of the fence means and allow the fence means to move to its second position and release the bolt.

2. The lock of claim 1 further provided with means for indicating when the ratchet drum is positioned to move all of the tumblers to said preselected position.

3. The lock of claim 2 in which the indicating means is an audible signal.

4. The lock of claim 1 in which each tumbler includes a rim made of resilient material mounted on a hub, said rim being split radially and expanded when installed to clamp the hub sufficiently for the hub to rotate with the rim, a lever located in the split of the rim to be engaged by the lugs on the ratchet drum to rotate the rim and the hub and to expand the rim when the hub is held against rotation to reduce the clamping force of the rim on the hub to allow the rim to rotate relative to the hub when the hub is held against rotation.

5. The lock in claim 1 further provided with a housing and in which the bolt is a U-shaped shackel having the end portions of the legs thereof extending into the housing when the shackle is in its locked position and with at least one leg outside the housing when the shackle is in its unlocked position.

6. The lock of claim 5 in which the fence means includes a locking bar for engaging the shackle to hold the shackle in its locked position, a plunger assembly having a plunger extending outside of the housing for manual operation and a locking bar release member movable by the plunger to force the locking bar out of holding engagement with the shackle when the gates of the tumblers are positioned to receive the fence.

7. The lock of claim 6 further provided with means for holding the shackle from moving to its unlocked position when the locking bar has been moved out of holding engagement until the tumblers have been returned to said predetermined relative position with the gates out of position to receive the fence.

8. The lock of claim 1 in which each tumbler includes a rim and a hub, the rim being releasably held against rotation relative to the hub by friction, and in which the lock is further provided with means to open the lock with a master combination, said means including a hole in the hub of each tumbler with each hole spaced equally from the axis of rotation of the tumbler, a rod for moving through the holes to position the tumblers with their holes in alignment and to hold the hubs while the rims are being moved to a predetermined position to allow the lock to be opened with a known master combination.

9. The lock of claim 8 further provided with a plurality of spacer discs each located between adjacent tumblers, means holding the spacer discs from rotation with the tumblers so that the rotation of one tumbler will not influence adjacent tumblers, said discs being provided with openings through which the master combination rod may extend to be supported by the spacer discs.

10. The lock of claim 9 further provided with a knob, means mounting the knob for rotation and for movement along its axis of rotation, means connecting the knob to the bolt for moving the bolt between its locked and unlocked positions by rotating the knob, and means for releasing the bolt from the fence means when the knob is moved axially to allow the bolt to be moved to an unlocked position without moving the fence means to said second position. 11. The lock of claim 10 further provided with means for releasably holding the bolt in the locked position and means for

11. releasably holding the bolt in its unlocked position. 12. A combination lock comprising a plurality of tumblers, each tumbler including a hub having a slot therein and a split rim mounted in frictional engagement therewith, fence means for movement into the slot of each tumbler when they are positioned in a preselected position to unlock the lock, means for mounting the tumblers for individual movement to said preselected relative position to open the lock, means for moving the tumblers for individual movement to said preselected position to open the lock including a plurality of tumbler engaging members, means mounting the members for movement to a plurality of positions and means for moving the members to a plurality of positions with one of said members being located in each position to engage one of the tumblers and move it with the member, means to move the member mounting means to each of said positions to sequentially move the tumbler engaging members into tumbler engaging position, means for moving each tumbler engaging member when in tumbler engaging position to move the tumbler it engages to its preselected position to allow the lock to be opened, and means for holding the hub of each tumbler from rotation with the rim as the tumbler engaging members move each rim to a new position on the hub to change the combination of

12. the lock. 13. A combination lock comprising a housing, a U-shaped bolt having its legs extending into the housing when in its locked position and having one end clear of the housing when in its unlocked position, means holding the bolt in its locked position, fence means including a fence, said fence means being movable between a first position in which the bolt is in its locked position and a second position moving the bolt holding means out of holding engagement to allow the bolt to move to the unlocked position, a plurality of disc-shaped tumblers mounted in side-by-side relationship for rotation around a common axis, each tumbler having a protrusion on its periphery and a gate to receive the fence when the tumbler is in a preselected position, a rotatable dial with a circular, graduated face, means mounting the dial for rotation around an axis perpendicular to the face, a ratchet drum extending across the tumblers and movable by the dial along the outer periphery of the tumblers as the dial is rotated, a plurality of pairs of lugs spaced longitudinally along the ratchet drum with each pair in alignment with one of the tumblers, each pair having one lug in alignment along the drum with one lug of all of the other pairs so that in one position of the ratchet drum one lug of each pair will engage the protrusions and all tumblers will be rotated with the dial to allow the rotation of the dial to bring all tumblers to a predetermined relative predialing position, said other lug of each pair being spaced circumferentially around the ratchet drum different distances from the first lug, means to rotate the ratchet drum on its axis each time the dial is moved in one direction back to a preselected position to position the lugs with the first lug of each pair in position to engage the tumbler with which it is aligned to allow the tumblers to be rotated to said preselected relative predialing position and then successively rotate each tumbler individually in accordance with the combination of the lock to allow the gates of the tumblers to be positioned to receive the fence of the fence means and allow the fence means to move to its second position and move the bolt holding means out of holding engagement with

13. the bolt. 14. The lock of claim 13 in which each tumbler includes a hub in which the gate is located to receive the fence and a rim of resilient material mounted on the hub, said rim being split radially and having an opening such that when installed on the hub the rim will clamp the hub with sufficient force to prevent rotation relative to the hub to cause the hub to rotate with the rim while dialing the combination and will allow relative roation when the rim is rotated by the dial while the fence is in engagement with the gate to allow the combination to be changed for

17. ratchet drum into position to begin dialing the combination. 18. The lock of claim 13 further provided with means for preventing return rotation of the dial in either direction after the dial has been rotated in either direction through a preselected angle until the dial has been moved to the end of its rotation in said direction to insure that the tumblers are moved to the desired predialing position when the dial is rotated in one direction and that the ratchet drum is moved to the next position when the

18. dial is returned to the preselected position for moving the drum. 19. The lock of claim 13 in which the bolt holding means comprises an elongated bar and each leg of the bolt has a groove to receive the bar when in its locked position, each groove having a pocket to receive the bar with a lip extending over the bar when in the pocket to prevent the bar from moving laterally out of the groove, and resilient means urging the bolt toward its unlocked position to resiliently hold the bar in the pocket to prevent

19. the bar from being jarred out of the pockets to open the lock. 20. The lock of claim 13 in which the bolt holding means includes a locking bar for engaging the bolt to hold the bolt in its locked position, a plunger assembly having a plunger extending outside of the housing for manual operation and a locking bar release member movable by the plunger to force the locking bar out of holding engagement with the bolt when the gates of

21. prevent any feeling out of the combination. 22. The lock of claim 13 further provided with a dial having a polyhedron-shaped member with a side for each position of the dial and resilient means for engaging one of the sides in each position to resist movement of the dial to the next position sufficiently for the number of positions through which the dial is rotated can be felt and counted and on which the resilient means urges the dial to

14. opening the lock. 15. The lock of claim 14 further provided with secondary means for holding the bolt in the housing after the bolt holding means has been moved out of holding engagement and means carried by the dial to release the secondary holding means when the dial has rotated the tumblers back to said preselected predialing position to prevent the combination from being changed accidentally while the lock is open by holding the

15. fence in the gates of the tumblers while manipulating the dial. 16. The lock of claim 15 in which the secondary holding means includes a holding plate, resilient means holding the plate in a groove in a leg of the bolt to engage a side of the groove and hold the bolt from moving to its unlocked position, and means carried by the dial for moving the plate out of engagement with the shoulder to release the bolt when the dial has rearranged the tumblers to move the gates out of fence receiving position.

16. 7. The lock of claim 16 further provided with a second bolt holding plate, resilient means holding the second plate in engagement with a groove in the other leg of the bolt to engage a side of the groove and hold the bolt from moving to its unlocked position, means carried by the dial to move the second holding means out of holding engagement when the dial has moved all tumblers to the predialing position and in which the first plate is moved out of holding position when the dial is returned to rotate the

20. the tumblers are positioned to receive the fence. 21. The lock of claim 20 further provided with means to hold the dial from rotation when the fence is moved toward the tumblers before the combination is dialed to thereby

22. a proper orientation in each position. 23. The lock of claim 22 in which the dial is further provided with manually operated stop means to position the dial between the position urged by the resilient means and the polyhedron-shaped member to increase the number of combination numbers

23. available for opening the lock. 24. As a sumcombination, a tumbler for a combination lock comprising a hub for mounting on a shaft and a rim mounted on the hub, said rim being split and having an opening smaller than the diameter of the hub to cause the rim to grip the hub with a resilient force when mounted thereon, and an L-shaped member located in the split and having one leg protruding beyond the rim to be engaged by tumbler moving means and the other leg extending in the opposite direction of movement so that a force exerted on the protruding leg will cause the second leg to pry the rim away from the hub and reduce the force required to move the rim on the hub when changing the combination of the lock.