Permutation controlled padlock

• US 4,170,884 A
• Filed: 02/24/1978
• Issued: 10/16/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Junkunc Bros. American Lock Company
• Original Assignee: Junkunc Bros. American Lock Company
• Inventors: Calegan, Everett L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US05/881,011
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 70/21, 70/22, 70/24, 70/25, 70/26, 70/302, 70/314
• US Class Current: 70/21
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0034 actuated by either
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/415 Combination and/or key-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/424 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7316 Combination upsetting

Abstract

Permutation and key-operated padlock having a driver tumbler formed integrally with its tumbler post. The tumbler post extends through the top face of the padlock casing and is retained to the dial knob for dialing the tumblers by a spinning operation to form an integral dial knob and tumbler post assembly which cannot be removed from the casing by unauthorized efforts to release the shackle. The permutation mechanism includes the driver tumbler and driven tumblers freely rotatable on the tumbler post and biased into engagement with each other. A spindle for the driven tumblers extends within the tumbler post and the driver and driven tumblers have the usual axially extending driver lugs to rotate said tumblers upon movement of the driver tumblers to the correct combination numbers and align radially extending slots in the tumblers to receive a tongue from a rocker carrying a latch bolt and accommodate release movement of said rocker and release of the latch bolt from the shackle. The shackle has a one-piece upsetter on its longer leg having one arm upsetting the innermost driven tumbler upon outward movement of the shackle and misaligning the tumbler slots. The upsetter has a second upsetter arm engaging an upsetter lug on the driven tumbler to move the last number of the combination on the dial out of registry with the combination marker on the lock casing. A spring extends across the padlock casing and engages the casing at one end and the rocker at its opposite end to move the rocker tongue out of the tumbler slots when aligned and accommodate release of the shackle.

Claims

1. In a permutation padlock of the type having an outer casing and an inner casing generally conforming to said outer casing, in which the casings have coextensive side walls having parallel spaced aligned shackle-guiding and receiving openings therein,

a U-shaped shackle slidably guided in said openings and having a long leg and a shorter leg having a latch bolt receiving locking notch therein,

said outer casing having a wall forming a front cover for the padlock,

a tumbler spindle carried by said inner casing and extending above said front wall of said outer casing,

a dial post pivotally movable about said tumbler post,

a dial and knob on said dial post and operable to turn said dial post,

a driver tumbler within said casing on said tumbler post and turned upon turning movement thereof,

said driver tumbler having a plurality of upsetter lugs extending radially therefrom and having a driver extending axially therefrom and radially offset from the center thereof,

driven tumblers on said tumbler spindle having driver members extending axially from opposite sides thereof,

said tumblers each having an outwardly opening slot therein,

spring means encircling said spindle and biasing said tumblers into engagement with each other,

a rocker assembly pivoted within said casing and having a latch bolt slidably mounted therein and biased to lockingly engage said locking notch and having a tongue extending therefrom engageable with said slots when aligned,

the improvements comprising:

a one-piece upsetter loosely mounted on the long leg of said shackle and guided for rectilinear movement along the casing and having one arm adapted to engage a driver pin on the innermost of said tumblers to upset said tumblers upon release of the shackle from the latch bolt and a second arm adapted to move the last number of the combination dial away from the position dialed to accommodate opening of the padlock.

2. The padlock of claim 1 in which the upsetter tilts in a direction to pass by the upsetter lugs upon outward movement of the shackle and engage an upsetter lug upon inward movement of the shackle.

3. The padlock of claim 2 in which the upsetter arms are integral and spaced apart distances sufficient to upset the driver member on the inner of said tumblers upon movement of the shackle to open the padlock, and upset the driver tumbler and dial upon movement of the shackle to lock the padlock.

4. The padlock of claim 3 in which the upsetter arm engaging the driver pin on the innermost of said tumblers extends at right angles with respect to the shackle beneath the inner end thereof towards the center of the padlock, and the upsetter upsetting the driver tumbler and dial extends angularly inwardly towards the driver tumbler.

5. The padlock of claim 1 in which the driver tumbler and tumbler post are integrally formed and the tumbler post is permanently connected to the knob, dial and front wall of the padlock casing and is pivotally movable with respect to the front wall of the padlock casing, to dial the preselected permutation numbers to open the padlock.

6. The padlock of claim 5 in which the integral forming of the tumbler post to the knob and dial comprises a socket extending entirely through the knob for receiving the tumbler post and having a beveled outer end and the connection of the dial post to the knob is by spinning the dial post to the beveled outer end of the socket.

7. In a permutation padlock of the type having an outer casing and an inner casing generally conforming to said outer casing, in which the casings have coextensive side walls having parallel spaced aligned shackle-guiding and receiving openings therein,

a U-shaped shackle slidably guided in said openings and having a long leg and a shorter leg having a latch bolt receiving locking notch therein,

said outer casing having a wall forming a front cover for the padlock,

a tumbler spindle carried by said inner casing and extending above said front wall of said outer casing,

a dial post pivotally movable about said tumbler post,

a dial and knob on said dial post and operable to turn said dial post,

a driver tumbler within said casing on said tumbler post and turned upon turning movement thereof,

said driver tumbler having a plurality of upsetter lugs extending radially therefrom and having a driver extending axially therefrom and radially offset from the center thereof,

driven tumblers on said tumbler spindle having driver members extending axially from opposite sides thereof,

said tumblers each having an outwardly opening slot therein,

spring means encircling said spindle and biasing said tumblers into engagement with each other,

a rocker assembly pivoted within said casing and having a latch bolt slidably mounted therein and biased to lockingly engage said locking notch and having a tongue extending therefrom engageable with said slots when aligned,

upsetter means on the long leg of said shackle adapted to misalign said slots as the shackle is moved to an open position, and move said dial off of the last number of the combination as the padlock is closed,

the improvements comprising:

a relatively long spring extending across said padlock casing past said tumbler spindle and connected at one end to said rocker assembly adjacent said tongue and at its opposite end to the inner wall of said casing,

said rocker assembly having a socket opening along said tongue and the inner wall of said casing having a notch therein,

said long spring having a hooked end engageable within said socket and an opposite end engageable with said notch in said casing, to move said rocker assembly into engagement with the inner wall of said casing with a snap action and positively hold said latch bolt in position to engage said locking notch in the short leg of said shackle as the shackle is pushed within said casing.