Improvements in Permutation Locks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application; 3rd Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THOMAS COOK, of No. 123, East 18th Street,
New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer.]
Improvements in Permutation Locks.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to that class of locks, in which an exterior knob is operably
connected with an interiorly located disk, which disk is movable relatively to a
locking latch which controls a bolt or other locking mechanism of the safe door,
or other part to be secured by the lock.
The present improvement has for its object, to provide means whereby the
movements of the unlocking parts of a combination or permutation lock can be
indicated to the operator by the sense of touch, or by the sense of hearing is
desired; thus obviating the necessity for a dial or other exposed part designed to
indicate how the operating knob is to be worked, and also to prevent the discovery
of the combination by seeing the knob worked, and, particularly, to permit the
working of the lock without visual aid.
The invention consists, generally, in a wheel, tumbler or like movable part,
means for operating such wheel, a casing to such wheel or a part relative to which
the wheel has predetermined movement, and a device located between the wheel
and the casing and adapted to so act upon either or both as to effect an inter-
mittently-resisted movement of the wheel whereby to indicate to the operator a
regular interval or angular movement, of the wheel.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through one form of lock embodying my
improvements.
Fig. 2 is an exterior plan view of the same parts, but at nearly right-angles to
the same as seen in Fig. 1, or as the latter parts are viewed from below.
Fig. 3 is an elevation view of the same from the left-hand of Fig. 1, parts of the
same being sectioned away by plane a a.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same parts, or as the same are seen from the left-
hand of Fig. 2.
.
Referring to these views in detail, 1 represents the walls of a safe or other door,
or parts upon or in which the lock is mounted. 2 is what I will term the casing,
this being a hollow cylindrical box or part that encloses the combination wheels
and relative to which they are adjusted and revolve. 3 represents the back plate
of the casing, to which casing the plate is fixed by screws 4. This plate carries
the spindle-sleeve 5, which projects forward through the casing, and preferably to
without the front walls 6 of the lock.
Upon the sleeve 5 is mounted the sleeve 7 which carries one of the tumblers or
combination wheels 8. At the outer end of this sleeve is fixedly mounted thereon
the knob 9. Similar sleeves, 10 and 11, and wheels 12 and 13, and knobs 14
and 15, are in like manner concentrically mounted in succession upon the spindle-
sleeve 5. 16 is the spindle, and 17 its handle. The spindle is held in position by
the latch cam 18, which is fixedly secured upon the spindle and bears upon the
rear casing plate. The parts are securely held together between this cam and 'the
spindle handle, as well as by the enclosing casing, which latter is to be fastened to
the door by any suitable devices.
Each of the tumblers or combination wheels is annularly grooved or hollowed
out, and within the space thus formed is mounted an indicating, resistance, or

page_text: impulse-wheel 19, which is pivotally hung on a swinging arm 20 held to normal
position by a spring 21. An opening 22 in the periphery of the tumbler permits
the resistance-wheel to project so as to bear upon the inner face of the casing 2,
and this face, along the path of the resistance wheel or adjacent the peripheral
face of the tumbler, is provided with regularly spaced shallow indentations, or
scallop-like depressions 23, of shape, preferably, conforming to the circle of the
resistance wheel. The resistance wheel, as the tumbler is turned, enters successively
these depressions, and thereby opposes, at regular intervals or angular space, the
turning of the tumbler. This action creates a series of impulses that are trans-
mitted, or indicated, to the hand of the operator, who is apprised of their number
through the sense of fouch, and so of the range or extent of revolution of the
tumbler. The resistance device may be caused to report. its movement to the
hearing by successive clicks, but ordinarily this would not be desired. To prevent
the resistance wheel giving out such sounds, its periphery may be covered with a
sound-deadening material 24, or the casing may be similarly made non-resonant,
or both.
Various other forms of resistance devices may be employed, and I do not confine
myself to the means here shown and described. I believe the wheel device shown
to be one of the best forms, but I have devised many others that embody the same
principle of action.
Upon the periphery of each tumbler-wheel is a lug 25 set to one side of the
resistance device. This lug enters a circular groove 26 in the inner face of the
casing 2. The casing, along such groove, is provided with a series of holes 27
designed to receive a screw-stop 28, which is set so that it is in the path of the
lug and will arrest the tumbler when the latter is brought to contact therewith.
This stop serves as a starting or zero point from which to begin to turn the tumbler.
Thus, in setting the tumbler to unlock, it will be first turned in one direction
until stopped, and then it will be turned in the reverse direction until the proper
number of impulses representing its combination number has been indicated to the
operator, whereupon the tumbler is in position to permit the withdrawing of the
bolt mechanism. The other tumblers will, of course, be similarly operated, if
other tumblers be present, before the bolt is withdrawn.
31 is
The tumbler-wheels are each provided with lateral peripheral slots 29, and
opposite the peripheries of the wheels, the casing is pierced, as seen at 30.
the tumbler-latch, and it is pivotally mounted on the outside of the casing 2, and
is provided with latch fingers 32 that enter, through the opening 30, the slots 29 in
the tumblers when the latter are each set in their proper combination position.
This latch carries on its axis the cam-arm 33, which by friction-roll 34 bears upon
the edge of the cam 18. A spring 35 acts to hold the latch to contact with the
cam. A stop 36 in the path of the cam engages its highest part and prevents the
cam and the spindle being revolved except for a portion of a turn.
related
When the tumblers have been set in combination, the latch may be raised by the
cam, and the spindle thus permitted a partial revolution. It will be understood,
that the spindle is to be connected to the bolt work, or in suitable
any
thereto so that the latter can be withdrawn when the spindle is turned after the
proper positioning of the tumblers.
way
The stop-screws may be variously adjusted to change the combination. Also the
depressions for the resistance devices may vary in size as to different tumblers; and
in many other ways, that it will appear to those skilled in this art, can the combina-
tions be changed or amplified.
I have shown three tumbler-wheels in the drawings, but it is to be understood
that there may be more or less in number. In other respects also, the form and
construction of the lock may be modified without departing from the principle of
action of the same.
By these means, a combination lock may be operated without reference to a dial
or other like indicating device; the combination cannot be learned by observing
he operation of unlocking; the lock can be manipulated in the dark, and without

page_text: the aid of eyesight; and the parts and their operations are both simple and certain
in action, as well as cheap in cost of construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In combination in a lock, substantially as and for the purposes set forth, one
or more wheels or tumblers, a casing surrounding the same and provided with a
series of indentations relative to which the tumblers have movement, and mechanism
arranged between the tumblers and the casing and adapted to act to resist the
rotation of the tumblers by recurring impulses.
2. In combination in a lock substantially as and for the purposes set forth, a
tumbler wheel, a casing to the wheel, a series of depressions arranged in the casing,
and a spring-actuated piece on the tumbler acting to removably enter said
depressions and thereby resist the rotation of the tumbler-wheel by successive
impulses.
3. In combination in a lock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth, a
tumbler-wheel, a casing to the wheel surrounding the same and provided with a
series of depressions, and a spring-actuated friction wheel carried on the tumbler
and adapted to engage said depressions and thereby resist the rotation of the wheel
by successive impulses.
4. In combination in a lock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth, two
or more tumbler wheels adapted to rotate by intermittent or successive impulse
steps and each fixed to a knob or like means for operating the same, a latch adapted
to engage said wheels when the same are set to unlocking position, and a bolt-
operating mechanism controlled by said latch.
5. In combination in a lock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth, two
or more tumbler wheels each fixed to a knob or like means for operating the same,
intermittently acting resistance mechanism operating upon the wheels, and an
adjustable zero stop to each of the wheels adapted to ensure the rotation of each
wheel from a predetermined position.
6. In combination in a lock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth,
two or more tumbler wheels, a casing surrounding the wheels adjacent to their
peripheries, mechanism arranged between the casing and each of said wheels and
acting to resist the wheels intermittently, and adjustable zero stops positioned in
the casing opposite the wheels and adapted to effect the beginning of the rotation
of the wheels from predetermined positions.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1803
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.