Locks and the Combination of the same with Books.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Locks and the Combination of the same with Books.
I, JOHN ICHABOD COVINGTON, of No. 999 Dean Street, Brooklyn, Kings County,
New York State, U.S.A., Insurance Manager do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for LOCKS AND THE COMBINATION OF THE SAME WITH BOOKS,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to locks and the combination of the same with books.
The object of my invention is to construct a cheap, effective and detachable locking.
means, which can be readily applied to a book or other thing to be locked and as
readily removed therefrom, and I accomplish this object by the means hereinafter
described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification
Fig. 1 represents a book with my invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a book constructed to permit the application of the
locking means thereto.
:
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lock.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent the two parts of the key used in connection with the lock
and the means secured to the book..
Fig. 6 represents the position of the two parts of the key after insertion in the
lock.
.
Fig. 7 represents the two constructions of wheels or disks used in the lock.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross-section of the lock, when locked with key in
place.
Fig. 9 represents a modified construction in which all of the wheels are alike.in
construction.
Fig. 10 represents the modified construction in locked condition.
Fig. 11 shows the varying positions of the several wheels of Fig. 10.
Throughout this Specification the word "key" or "keys" is used for convenience
sake only and not to signify what is more usually understood by the word "key"
or "keys."
The lock hereinafter particularly described I have illustrated as applicable to
the locking of books, but I do not, of course, limit myself to this use of the lock as
it is applicable to various other objects and things.
Referring to the drawings the book, Figs. 1 and 2 has each of its two covers
provided with a key hole 2 protected by a metal reinforcing piece 3 firmly rivetted
to each cover.
These key holes are preferably located where most effective in
locking the covers of the books together to prevent access to the same and inspection
of its contents. The lock which I have invented to use in connection with books so
constructed consists of a series of disks or wheels 4 and 5 enclosed in a cylindrical
case 6 provided with a slot 7 in its side to expose to view the numbers or characters
on the wheels and with a slot 8 in each end corresponding in form to a cross-section
of the key. The length of the cylinder will vary according to the number of wheels
contained therein, the greater the number of wheels the more difficult or impossible
of course to open the lock. In Figs. 3 and 8 I have shown seven wheels. consisting
of four wheels 5 provided with slots 9 and three wheels 4 having circular opening 10.
These two sets of wheels are arranged alternately as shown, the wheels 5 being at
the ends of the series. Each of the seven wheels has printed or impressed on its
periphery (see Fig. 7) a series of numbers from 0 to 9 arranged consecutively.
Instead of numbers, letters or other characters could be used, but numbers are
referred, and instead of using ten numbers on the periphery a less or greater
umber could be employed..

page_text: I employ in connection with the lock so far described a two part key forming a
member of the locking means and consisting of the parts 11 and 12, each part, if the
lock embraces only three wheels as 4, being provided with three projections 13, the
number of projections always corresponding to the number of wheels 4.
The slots in the wheels 5 are stamped out to occupy a relative position to the
position of the numbers arranged on the periphery, so that when the proper
combination is shown through the opening in the cylinder the slots 9 of all the
wheels 5 may be in line with each other and with the slots 8 in the cylinder so that
the key may be inserted or withdrawn therefrom. It follows from this construction
that each wheel 5 can occupy but two positions that will permit insertion or removal.
of key one being diametrically opposite the other, consequently each lock can be
locked or opened on only two different combinations determined at the time of
construction of the lock. The wheels 4. having each a circular opening
sufficiently large to permit revolution of same on the key without the movement of
one affecting that of the other, are, therefore, only dummies, and their relative
position can be disregarded in using the lock. The operation of the mechanism so
far described is as follows:
If, for example, the lock is constructed to open on the combination 2469 then the
four wheels 5 are turned until these numbers appear opposite the slot in the.
cylinder. The said cylinder is then applied to the book or other thing to be locked,
and the two part key is inserted through the key holes of the covers, in case of a
book, into the cylinder until it occupies the position shown in Fig. 8i.e. until the
projections of the key are within the circular openings of the wheels 4 after which
the wheels 5 are each turned more or less as may be desired to bring their slots 9
out of line with each other and with the slots in the cylinder. The two part key
cannot therefore be withdrawn until the four wheels are again turned to bring the
combination 2469 into view and as the heads 23 of the key cannot pass through the
-key holes of the covers of the book it follows that the book cannot be opened. In
the construction shown in Figs. 9 to 11 the wheels 14 within the cylinder are all
alike, each having formed in it the slot 15. The two part key 16 and 17 used in
this case has only one projection to each part, and when the wheels have all their
slots in register it is inserted so that the two projections of the key rest in the first
and last wheels in the cylinder. The four intermediate wheels can then be turned
on the shank of the key to disarrange the combination as illustrated in Figs. 10
and 11. The key can be formed like an ordinary key as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 or
it may have a flat milled head as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, a retaining head or
enlargement being necessary to effect the locking.
It is frequently desirable in addition to locking a book or other object to prevent
it being stolen or displaced and to this end I have constructed the key so as to not.
only permit the connection of a chain thereto, but so that the lock will co-operate
therewith in preventing the removal of the chain. I split the shank of the key so
as to open the loop 20 of the handle as shown in Fig. 4 the two separated parts 18
and 19 being capable of being pressed apart to allow a chain 21 to pass through
into the loop, and in their closed condition fitting into the slot in the cylinder and
thus closing the entrance to the loop 20 and preventing the withdrawal of the
chain. The chain thus secured to the book may be fastened to a desk, stand or
other suitable support by a staple 22 as shown in Fig. 4, or in any other suitable
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A book the covers of which are each provided with a hole, in combination
with a separate locking means, a member of which passes into the holes in said

page_text: a combination lock and key adapted to co-operate with said covers and lock, sub-
stantially as described.
3. A book the covers of which are provided with key holes in combination with
a combination lock, and a two part key having retaining heads and adapted to pass
through the key holes in the covers into the lock, substantially as described.
4. A lock consisting of a series of numbered wheels provided with openings, and
a two part key, each part of which is provided with a retaining head and is adapted
to pass into the openings in said wheels, substantially as described.
5. A lock consisting of a series of numbered wheels provided with openings, and
a two part key provided with projections, each part of said key having a retaining
head and adapted to enter into the openings in said wheels, substantially as
described.
6. A lock consisting of a case provided with slots or key holes in the ends, a
series of numbered wheels provided with openings, and a two part key provided
with projections and adapted to be passed through the slots of the case into said
wheels, substantially as described.
7. A lock consisting of a case provided with slots or key holes in its ends, two
sets of numbered wheels of which one set is provided with slots and the other set
with circular openings, and a key adapted to be passed through the slots of the case
into said wheels, substantially as described.
8. A lock in combination with a key having a split shank forming an open looped
handle, the said shank passing into the lock closing the opening to the loop, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of February 1892.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Applicant's Agents.