Improvements in Permutation LockB.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Permutation LockB.
I, JOSEPH HAAG, of Noisy-le-Sec, Department de la Seine, France, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to permutation locks, operated without a key, and
secured by means of a few specially formed studs or knobs.
According to my invention a bolt is made to slide within a dove-tailed guide
formed in the casing, the form of which may be varied according to the purpose
for which the lock is required.
In one form of my invention the casing is provided with a series of round holes
corresponding with the cylindrical stems of a similar number of studs, capable
of being rotated in the same holes. Certain parts of the stems of these studs are
flattened on each side of their centres.
The movable bolt has a similar set of holes to that in the casing, and slots
are formed in the bolt between the holes.
When the studs are turned in such positions that the flattened portions of their
stems are in alignment with the slots in the bolt, the latter may be moved in
either direction by hand. But when one or more of the studs has its or their
stems turned in any direction which is not in alignment with the slots, the bolt
is securely locked by the segmental openings in the bolt being in contact with
circular portions of the studs. The heads of the studs are stamped with letters
or numbers, whereby they may be turned to any predetermined position for un-
fastening, the sequence of the numbers being known only to the owner.
Instead of the knobs or heads of the studs being formed integral with their
stems, they may be made to rotate upon their centres and be fixed in other
positions by means of screws or otherwise, thus altering the combinations of the
letters or numbers.
The forms of the bolt and its casing, as well as the studs may be varied to suit
the application for which the lock is intended.

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:
This invention relates to permutation locks, operated without a key, and
secured by means of a few specially formed studs or knobs.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lock.
Fig. 2 is a view of the underside.
Fig. 3 is a side view with the casing removed, in the locked position.
Fig. 4 is a corresponding side view illustrating the open position.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bolt without the casing.
Fig. 6 is a section on the line A B of Fig. 2.
Fig. 7 is an underside view of one of the knobs.
Fig. 8 illustrates a modification of the lock.
The moveable bolt b slides in a dove-tailed recess a¹ formed in the casing a,
the shape of which varies according to the use for which the lock is intended.
The bolt is provided with a slot f f', the circular holes f of which correspond
with circular holes formed in the casing a. The combination knobs d d du, the
stems of which are flattened on opposite sides (see Fig. 7) pass with their rods e
through the holes formed in the casing a, through the slots f f of the bolt b.
and through corresponding openings formed in the movable plate arranged
below the bolt b. A screw i, or any other suitable means, holds the knobs din
position.
The movable plate c plays an important part in and constitutes an essential
feature of the lock, as it serves to foil any unauthorized attempt at opening it,
for if this plate were a fixture and formed a part of the casing a, it would
be possible to discover by trying, the secret combination of the knobs i.e. by
successively testing the extent of their mobility in the lock. The movable
plate c combines all the knobs dd, causing them to work conjointly, so
that when the action of one of the knobs is tested the whole contrivance is shaken
by means of the movable plate c, and it is a matter of impossibility to discover
the necessary position for the knobs to occupy in order to permit the release of
the bolt b. The working of this bolt can be readily understood from the draw-
ing. By turning the knobs d so that their letters or figures may form
the secret word or number selected, their rods are so arranged that they can pass
through the parts f¹ of the slot of the bolt b and allow the latter to be shot back.
The construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7 does not provide for a modification of
the secret combination of the knobs, unless the bolt is taken to pieces and the
knobs are replaced by others, the flattened stems of which would be placed in
other positions relatively to the inscriptions on the knobs. But when it is
desired to modify the secret combination, the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 may
be made use of. Instead of the head or knob d being formed integrally with the
rod e, it is made removable and is provided with a lateral opening through which
is inserted a screw h¹ the latter entering one of the holes h at the upper part
of the rod e. By simply unscrewing the screw h¹, and turning the head of the
knob in such a manner that this screw may enter another hole h of the rod, the
number or the word of the combination can be modified at will.
The drawings illustrate only by way of example one form of lock as it is
obvious that, without departing from the nature of this invention, the bolt b
and its casing a may be made to assume various shapes and have various dimen-
sions according to the use for which the lock is intended.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
In a permutation lock the combination of knobs d, the stems e being flattened

page_text: on one side or on two opposite sides passing through suitable slots f f¹ of the
bolt b, and fixed below the bolt to a movable plate c common to all the knobs,
and preventing owing to its mobility, the disclosure of the required position of
the knobs in which the lock may be opened, substantially as herein described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated Oth Vanol 1900
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.