IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINATION LOCKS, AND IN MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stuart Brolly, of Albany, New York,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINATION LOCKS,
AND IN MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH." A communication from
abroad by Timothy John Sullivan, of Albany, New York, United
States of America.
caled the 18th May 1872, and dated the 22nd March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stuart Brolly
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd March 1872.
I, WILLIAM STUART BROLLY, of Albany, New York, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COM-
BINATION LOCKS, AND IN MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH," a communication,
to be as follows:-
The principle on which these locks are constructed is the employment
of a series of changing or permutative tumblers or wheels, which prevent
A

page_text: the withdrawal of the bolt or bolts of the lock until they are all brought
to the correct position, and the safety or security of the lock is in pro-
portion to the number of combinations of which these tumblers are
susceptible, and the difficulty of the combination adopted, at any par-
ticular time being ascertained or guessed by unauthorised persons.
The general construction of these combination locks is now well under-
stood; I therefore need not describe those parts which are common to
all of them.
My said improvements are designed to increase the security of combina-
tion locks, and render them thoroughly effective, so that any manipula-
tions of the handle or knob of the lock by persons unacquainted with
the combination adopted in setting the said lock will be utterly useless.
The first part of this Invention relates to making the sleeve for the
knob, spindle, and tumblers solid with the case, to the combination of a
connecting hub and coupling nut with the spindle of the knob and case
of the lock; and to the combination of a washer nut with the knob,
spindle, and hub; also to the combination of an oscillating ante-picker
with a spring cam and a dog lever; to the combination of a dog lever
'crank pin and draw bar with a rock shaft, and to a triple cam with an
oscillating ante-picker and draw bar ; also to the combination of a
helical or spiral setting up keyhole with the outer body of the tumbler
and the circular spring, and to the combination of a setting-up key
having rectangular projections with the helical keyhole and circular
spring.
These improvements are carried into practice as follows:-The said.
sleeve is made solid with the case, and on the inner portion of the sleeve.
the tumblers have their bearings, while to the outer portion of the said
sleeve the connecting hub is secured by a screw thread.
The aforesaid connecting hub is conical throughout its entire length.
It is made of steel and properly tempered, and is connected with the
case by a screw thread formed in an annular recess cut in the small end
of the hub; on the periphery of the small end, and next to the case, is
screwed the coupling nut, which is also made of steel and tempered; the
outer end of the hub is provided with a recessed flange to receive the
usual graduated circle of numbers.
The washer nut screws on the spindle and fits in the annular recess
made in the small end of the hub; I prefer to use four tumblers. The

page_text: same are provided with engaging pins projecting laterally, from the side
of each tumbler into the range or path of those of the next tumbler, so
that when one of the said tumblers is turned in either direction its pins
at the end of a revolution will engage with the pins of the adjacent
tumbler and carry the latter round in the same direction. The head
plate bearing the aforesaid triple cam is secured to the knob spindle by
a nut and key in the usual manner.
The dog lever is arranged horizontally above the tumblers with the
dog in the proper position to engage with the slots of the tumblers when
they have been properly. adjusted to throw back the bolt. The said dog
lever is connected with the draw bar, whose forward end is pivotted to
the rock shaft which effects the movement of the bolt in either direction
when the same is operated. The said draw bar is provided with a slot
which receives a pin fixed in the dog lever to make the said draw bar
ride with the same, when the catch of the anti-picker is made to engage
with a lip on the said dog lever. The rear end of the said draw bar is
provided with a cam head, which is intended to engage with the cams
when the head piece is revolved to throw the same up or down when
the dog is not held up by the dog lever and the anti-picker.
Each tumbler has a helically or spirally faced keyhole which co-acts
with a circular spring to throw the detent pins out from the lateral
holes made in the central wheel of the tumbler, when the key is inserted.
and turned in the proper direction. By providing each tumbler with
the said helically surfaced keyhole the pressure attending the forcing
back of the springs of the tumblers in turning the key is thrown on the
several wings and helical surfaces of the several keyholes. The key 'used
with these tumblers consists of a shaft whereon are feathers placed at the
proper distances apart to correspond' with the keyholes of the tumblers,
and ranging with each other. By using this key to operate the several
springs carrying the detent pins I prevent excessive wear of the
'
surfaces in contact.
The second part of my said Invention relates to an improved mode of
connecting the heavy bolt work of a safe door with the lock proper,
whereby the said bolt work may be detached or disconnected from the
shaft that operates it from the outside, so that the said bolt work is *
perfectly insulated, and no strain can be brought to bear upon it.
The case of the lock proper is placed upon the door to be guarded.
Through this case passes the ordinary shaft or spindle which is operated

page_text: by a knob on the outside of the door.
This shaft is held in place by
screwing it into a head on the inside of the lock; the head has nicks or
indentations, in which fit projections formed on a collar.
Another pro-
jection on the said collar fits into a longitudinal slot in the knob shaft.
A jam nut is arranged to screw up against these two parts, and holds
them firmly in contact, they therefore cannot become separated, nor can
the shaft be unscrewed. In this manner I so secure the shaft that it
cannot be withdrawn, and at the same time render it adjustable to doors
of different thickness, for by removing the jam nut and collar at any
time I can turn the screw to any desired position.
"
The combination wheels or tumblers are carried upon a hollow bearing
on a frame secured just inside of the back plate of the lock. By this
arrangement the usual extension of the end of the knob shaft through
the wheels is obviated, and the said shaft simply comes opposite the
bearings, and the wheels are operated by the aforesaid head.
On the knob shaft at the rear of the head is placed a cam disc with
three cams and a pin. Above this cam disc rests the end of a lever,
which extends forward and is connected with the usual lock bolt by a
tooth taking into a recess, or in any other suitable manner. The end
next the bolt has a guide slot resting over a guide screw to hold it in
place and allow the necessary longitudinal movement. The end over the
cam disc has a similar slot, which passes over the dog. The latter is
secured to a vertically acting plate in the rear of the lever that has a
guide slot passing over a screw for holding it in place.
of the head of the said lever has a notch. Below the connecting lever
and at one side of the aforesaid cam disc is a slide pressed forward by a
spring; the end of the said slide adjacent to the cam disc is provided
with a cam head, and also with a rib or projection which strikes into a
socket of the dog plate when the latter is raised. This slide is held in
place by slots and screws similar to those above described.
The lower edge
When the combination wheels are being set the aforesaid dog rides in
such a manner upon the cam disc as to touch the edges of the wheels
but once slightly at each revolution of the shaft. But when the notches
' of all of the said wheels are in coincidence with the dog a slight backward
movement of the same will allow the aforesaid notch of the lever to fall
over the pin of the cam disc, and to form a connection through which
the bolt may be retracted. The aforesaid connecting lever is connected
directly to the dog plate by the dog itself.

page_text: The combination wheels or tumblers consist simply of a rim or disc
and a central piece with a hub. The rim of the centre piece is notched
or corrugated, and the rim is provided with spring pawls to hold it in
engagement with the said centre piece.
On the doors of bank safes the bolt of the lock is made to project
against the stem of the heavy bolt work that shoots into the casing of
the safe to secure it. In ordinary safes this bolt work is operated by a
separate shaft passing outward through the door, and having a knob or
crank outside whereby it is operated, the bolt work being too heavy to
be thrown by the bolt of the lock. By applying great power to this
shaft it is frequently the case that it will drive the bolt of the lock
proper back, or disarrange the mechanism of the lock, so that it cannot.
be unlocked. It also serves as a means for ascertaining the combination
on which the lock is set by its contact with the mechanism of the
lock.
To obviate these difficulties I adopt an arrangement wherein the bolt
work is disconnected or isolated from its operating shaft when the door is
locked, the connection of the bolt work with the said shaft being estab-
lished by a separate series of combination wheels or tumblers, which
must be set on the prearranged formula before the connection can be
made. The set of combination wheels is placed upon the knob shaft of
the bolt work; a dog is arranged to engage with these wheels, and the
lever of this dog is connected with the bolt work. When the dog
engages with the wheels the bolt work can be thrown forward or back-
ward; but when it is thrown up the bolt work is disengaged.
In order to thus throw up the dog lever I use a bent lever, one of
whose arms rests against the end of the lock bolt, while the other arm
rests under the dog lever. When the lock bolt is thrown forward the
lever is held up, and when the said lock bolt is retracted the said lever
falls. To hold the dog in place in the notches of the tumblers or wheels
I employ a segment which partially covers the edges of the said
wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Stuart Brolly in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STUART BROLLY, of Albany, New York, United States of America, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Stuart Brolly, Her special license
that I, the said William Stuart Brolly, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Stuart Brolly, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COMBINATION LOCKS, AND IN MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH," a com-
munication to me from abroad by Timothy John Sullivan, of Albany,
New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Stuart Brolly, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Stuart Brolly, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification:--
The principle upon which these locks are constructed is the employ-
ment of a series of changing or permutative tumblers or wheels which,
when the lock bolt is protruded prevents the withdrawal of the same

page_text: Figure 16 is an elevation of the interior of a sare door provided wit
my improved locking and disconnecting mechanism.
-
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
()
The first part of this Invention relates to making the sleeve which
carries the knob spindle and combination wheels or tumblers solid with
the case of the lock; to the combination of a connecting hub and
coupling nut with the said knob spindle and case, and to the combina-
tion of a washer nut with the said knob spindle and hub; also to the
combination of an oscillating anti-picker with a spring cam and a dog
lever; to the combination of the said dog lever a crank pin and draw
bar with a rocking lever, and to the combination of a triple cam.with
the said oscillating anti-picker and draw bar; also to the combination of
a helical or spiral setting-up keyhole with the outer body of the wheel or
tumbler and a circular spring, and to the combination of a setting-up
key having rectangular projections with the said helical keyhole and
circular spring.
A is the case of the lock; B is the sleeve; C is the connecting hub;
D is the coupling nut; E is the spindle or shaft of the knob or handle F;
G, G, G, G, are the combination wheels or tumblers; H is the head
plate; I is the dog lever; I' is the dog; J is the oscillating anti-picker;
K is the spring cam connected therewith; Lis the draw bar; M is the
rocking lever whereby the said draw bar is connected to the lock bolt N;
O is the key; a is the washer nut; b is the crank pin; c, c, c', are the
three cams;
d is the helical keyhole; d¹is the circular spring. The
remaining parts are herein-after described.

page_text: On the inner portion of the sleeve B the wheels or tumblers & have
their bearings, while to the outer portion of the said sleeve the con-
necting hub C is secured by a screw thread a¹ as shewn in Figures 5
and 6. By thus forming the sleeve B solidly upon the case A, I
diminish the cost of constructing the lock and increase the strength
of the sleeve, thereby rendering it more efficient for protecting the
knob spindle and tumblers against any violent strains to which the
lock may be subjected.
The aforesaid connecting hub is preferably. conical throughout its
entire length. It is made of steel and properly tempered; the screw
thread is formed in an annular recess in the small end of the hub, as
shown in Figure 6; on the periphery of the small end and next to the
case is screwed the connecting or coupling nut D which is also made of
steel and tempered; the outer end of the hub is provided with a recessed
flange b¹ to receive the usual graduated circle of numbers. The length
of the space between the coupling nut D and the said recessed flange is
equal to the thickness of the door to which the lock is to be applied.
The connecting hub C must be well fitted into a properly formed hole in
the said door, and must be drawn tightly into the same by means of the
coupling nut D.
The said connecting hub is perforated or bored centrally, and pre-
ferably with a taper bit for the reception of the spindle E of the
graduated knob or handle F. By this part of my Invention the lock is
secured to the door firmly and in such a manner that no manipulation
by persons ignorant of the combination to which the lock has been set
will have any effect upon the said lock, and the knob spindle is effectually
protected.
The knob spindle E is secured and kept in place by the washer nut a
which screws on the said spindle and fits in the annular recess made in
the small or inner end of the hub C. One face of the said nut bears
against the bottom of this recess, while its other face works against the
end of the sleeve B which projects into the said recess, as shewn in
Figures 5 and 6. This method of securing the spindle E prevents its
having any longitudinal play while permitting the said spindle to revolve.
with perfect freedom. It moreover obviates the necessity for the usual
cam plate and nut for binding the spindle in place.

page_text: I prefer to use four tumblers G; the same are provided. with engaging
pins e, each of which projects laterally from the side of its tumbler into
the range or path of the pin of the next tumbler, as shewn in Figures 4,
5, 6, so that when one of the said tumblers is turned in either direction,
its pin at the end of a revolution will engage with the pin of the
adjacent tumbler, and carry the latter around in the same direction.
The head plate H carrying the triple cam c, c, c¹, is secured to the knob
spindle E by a nut c² and key c³ in the usual manner. The head plate H
has a pin or stud e' which projects into the path of the pin e on the outer
wheel or tumbler. And it will be clearly seen from the above description
and by reference to the Drawings, that the said plate is fast on the
spindle, and is caused to revolve with the graduated knob or handle F
when the same is turned, while the wheels or tumblers G which are fitted
to revolve freely on the sleeve B have no connection with the said'
spindle and handle except through the studs e, e¹.
The arrangement of the engaging pins e, e¹, is clearly shewn in
Figures 4, 5, 6.
.
The dog lever I is arranged horizontally above the tumbler G with
the dog I in the proper position to engage with the slots f of the
tumblers when they have been correctly adjusted. The said dog lever
has its fulcrum at 9, and is provided with a pivot i at its other end; this
pivot works in a slot h in the draw bar L. In the end of the said dog
lever I form a notch I³, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3.
The rear end of the draw bar L is provided with a cam surface L',
and by the action of the cams c on this surface the draw bar and the
dog lever are raised when the head piece H is revolved.
By the slot and pivot, above described, I so connect the dog lever
to the draw bar that when the said draw bar is raised or dropped, the
dog lever and dog will move with it, but the draw bar has freedom to
move endwise independently of the said dog lever in protruding or with-
drawing the bolt N. The forward end of the said draw bar is pivoted
to the rocking lever M whose fulcrum is the shaft or pin M¹ secured
in the socket M². The said rocking lever is connected to the bolt N by
a pin N¹ which passes through the slot M³ in the said lever..
The oscillating anti-picker J stands vertically in front of the head
plate H, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3; its. fulcrum is the spindle k

page_text: '
projecting from the case A. The boss J of the said anti-picker carries
the cam K to which is secured the spring 1, whose free end presses upon
the socket M² which carries the fulcrum pin of the rocking lever M. The
said anti-picker has a projection m opposite the cam c¹ of the head
plate H. By the action of the said cam c¹ upon the projection m,
the anti-picker J is thrown out to disengage the lip or catch J³ on its
upper end from the notch I² in the end of the dog lever I. The said
catch or lip is held in the notch I' when the dog I' is in the slots f of
the tumblers, as shewn in Figure 2, but is withdrawn from the said
notch when the cam c¹ acts on the projection m, and this action of the
said cam c¹ takes place slightly in advance of that of the cam cupon
the draw bar, so that the dog may rise freely when the said cam c acts
on the draw bar. When the cam c¹ has moved past the projection m,
the anti-picker is forced back by the spring 1, and the lip J catches
under the lower edge of the dog lever I, thereby holding the same up
and keeping the dog I out of the slots f of the wheels or tumblers G,
and the draw bar clear of the crank pin 6 in the head piece. By this
contrivance when the bolt N is protruded, as shewn in Figure 1, the
engagement of the dog with the wheels Ġ is prevented, and the mani-
pulation of the handle or knob will have no effect unless the proper
combination of the said wheels is known. When the draw bar is
raised a shoulder L³ on its rear end rests against the stop L^, as shewn
in Figure 1. .
The crank pin b, which enters the notch r. in the lower edge of the
draw bar, connects the head plate to the said draw bar when the latter
is not held up, and a connection is thereby established between the knob
or handle F and the bolt N, so that the latter may be protruded and
withdrawn by turning the said handle. By means of the above-
described arrangement of the triple cam c, c, c¹, in combination with
the anti-picker, draw bar, dog lever, and crank pin, I obtain great
precision with regard to the manipulation of the lock by the handle,
and as the drawing back of the bolt N cannot be effected unless these
parts are operated simultaneously in the peculiar manner specified, and
as there is no way of producing this simultaneous action except by
making the proper combination of the wheels or tumblers G, the lock is
rendered practically perfect with respect to its security.
Each of the tumblers G has a helically or spirally faced keyhole d
which co-acts with the circular spring d', Figures 5 and 6, to throw

page_text: the detent pins d² out of the holes d³ in the central position of the
wheel or tumbler, when the key O is inserted and turned in the proper
direction.
The key O used with these tumblers has a shaft o whereon are
feathers o¹, placed at the proper distance apart to correspond with the
keyholes d of the four tumblers, and ranging with each other. By
providing each tumbler with the said helically surfaced keyhole, the
pressure attending the forcing back of the springs of the tumblers in
turning the key is distributed between the four feathers o¹ of the key,
and the helical surfaces of the four keyholes d. By using this key to
operate the several springs carrying the detent pins d² I prevent
excessive wear of the surfaces in contact. In Figure 7 the spring d
is removed.
In a modification of the above described lock I dispense with the draw
bar L, and instead of using the crank pin b and cams c, c¹, I form the
dog lever with a projection to drop into a notch in the rotating head'
piece; the said notch has inclined sides which act as cams on the said
projection. I also dispense with the anti-picker and contrivances con-
nected therewith.
The second part of my said Invention relates to further modifications:
in the said lock, and to an improved mode of connecting the heavy bolt
work of a safe door with the lock, thereby providing the means for
detaching or disconnecting the said bolt work from the knob shaft or
spindle by which it is operated. By this part of my Invention the said
bolt work is perfectly insulated, and cannot be affected by any strain :
exerted upon the knob or handle outside the safe door.
These contrivances are illustrated in Figures 8 to 16, which show a
lock with three combination wheels or tumblers. The parts of the lock
are somewhat different in construction to those above described, as will
be herein-after explained. The case A is placed upon the door to be
guarded, as above described. Through this case passes the knob shaft
or spindle E, which is operated by the knob F outside the door. This
shaft is held in place by screwing it into the head E* inside the lock.
The head E* has nicks or indentations 6*, in which fit projections c*,
formed on a collar d*. Another projection e* on the said collar fits into 3
a longitudinal slot f* in the knob shaft E. The jam nut g* is arranged

page_text: by the dog itself.
The combination wheels or tumblers, shewn in these Figures, consist
simply of a rim or disc G¹ and a central piece G². The rim of the centre
picce G is notched or corrugated, and the rim is provided with spring
pawls G* to hold it in engagement with the said centre piece.
On the doors of bank safes the bolt of the lock is made to project
against the stem of the heavy bolt work that shoots into the casing of the
safe to secure it. In ordinary cases this bolt work is operated by a :
separate shaft passing outward through the door, and having a knob or
crank outside whereby it is operated, the bolt work being too heavy to
be thrown by the bolt of the lock. By applying great power to this.
shaft it is possible to drive the bolt N of the lock back, or to disarrange
the mechanism of the lock so that it cannot be unlocked. The said
shaft also serves as a means for ascertaining the combination to which
the lock is set by its contact with the mechanism of the lock.
To obviate these difficulties I adopt an arrangement wherein the bolt
work is disconnected or isolated from its operating shaft when the door
is locked, the connection of the bolt work with the said shaft being
established by a separate series of combination wheels or tumblers G*,
as shewn in Figures 14, 15, and 16. The set of combination wheels G*
is placed upon the knob shaft B* of the bolt work; a dog I' is arranged
to engage with these wheels; the lever I of this dog is connected with
the bolt work O by a pin Iº, as shewn in Figures 14, 15, and 16. When 2
the dog I engages with the wheels G* the bolt work O can be thrown
forward or backward by manipulating the knob or handle, but when the
said dog is raised the bolt work is entirely disengaged or disconnected
from the knob shaft or spindle.
.
For raising the said dog lever I³ in the arrangement of parts shewn
in Figures 14 and 15 I use a bent lever B*, one of whose arms 3 rests
against the outer end of the lock bolt N, while the other arm 4 lies
under the dog lever I³. When the lock bolt N is thrown forward the
lever P✶ holds the dog up clear of the wheels G*; but when the said
bolt N is retracted the said lever moves inward with the said bolt, and

page_text: mechanism, and stops, as shewn in Figure 16, and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stuart Brolly, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
WILLIAM STUART BROLLY. (L.S.)
Witness,
FRANK MILLION,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
International Patent Office,
Southampton Buildings,
London.