IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINATION LOCKS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of
53 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMBINATION LOCKS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
ע.
This invention relates to that class of combination locks in which one or more
dials or sets of indices of some kind are adapted to be set in variable relations to
control the sliding of the bolt. Its object is to provide a lock which may be
operated without a key and which may be adapted in form. and size for use on
trunks, doors, drawers, safes & and which may be readily changed to operate under
different indices.
The invention consists in one or more concealed notched discs each connected
with a visible index. means for changing the relation of said discs to their indices;
means for drawing the bolt, and means for preventing the bolt from being drawn
in certain relations to the index as hereinafter described and claimed, reference
being had to the accompanying drawing in which, Figure 1 is a front view of the
lock, in a form suitable for trunks. Figure 2 is a rear view of the same. Figure 3
is a rear view of the interior and Figure 4 is a horizontal section at x of Figure 1.
A represents the case of the lock made in form to conceal all the parts shown in
figure 3. B is the bolt adapted to slide through the hasp C and to be connected
with one or more pull latches D. Each of these latches provided with a spring
which resists motion in either direction, yet permits the same to be moved by à
little force to either draw or push the bolt.
The bolt is pushed to lock the hasp and drawn to unlock it. The latches D may
be located at any distance from the lock and be connected with the bolt by means
of rods or wires E. The bolt is also connected with a lever F which is pivoted at f
to swing when the bolt slides and provided with a blade f! adapted to engage a
notch in each of the discs G when the same registers,therewith.
When the notches of all the discs register with the blade f¹ the bolt may be
drawn the blade entering the notches. But when the notch of either disc is turned

page_text: away from the blade it will rest against the periphery of that disc and prevent the
bolt being drawn. Of course when two or more discs are out of registry there is
still further opposition to withdrawal of the bolt, for all of the notches must be
brought to register with the blade before the bolt can be withdrawn.
I have here shown three discs but locks may be made according to this invention
having one or more discs. The discs being concealed, each one has a dial H by
which it is visibly represented. Each dial has a separate scale and figures or other
indices of its own.
The smallest dial H is rigidly fixed upon a central spindle J having a toothed
wheel I also rigidly fixed thereon. To produce the best result, the number of
teeth of said wheel should correspond the divisions on the dial.
One of the discs G is journalled to revolve freely on said spindle J, and is
provided with a spring pawl K adapted to engage the teeth of wheel I to lock said
disc to said wheel so as to be revolved with its dial H. By disengaging pawl K
from wheel I its dial may be rotated relative thereto. Thus suppose blade fl
engage with the notch of the disc G and the pawl K. disengaged then the dial H
may be rotated so that any number, thereon arbitrarily selected may be brought
opposite any fixed point as L figure 1; then the pawl being set free will fix the
relation between the disc and its dial so that whenever that same figure of the dial
is brought opposite the given point L the notch of this disc will register with the
blade f¹ and permit the bolt to be withdrawn. Each disc G is connected in the
same manner with a dial; the second disc being journalled on one end of a sleeve
or hollow shaft around the central spindle and adjustably connected therewith by
means of a toothed wheel and pawl similar to I and K. The next disc and the
largest dial H are similarly connected and I may use any number of discs and dials
in the same manner but as three dials with one hundred graduations thereon admit
of over a million changes, so that a person might make over one million systematic
trials before hitting the combination that would open the lock more than three
dials would seem useless.
The dials may be set to register some different number of each one with a given
line on the frame or with different lines thereon; or the larger dial may be so set
and the next inner one set with some number on it to register with some number
on the outer one.
To unlock the hasp, set all the dials according to the combination fixed, then
draw the bolt. To change the combination it is necessary that all the discs be
locked from turning by unlocking the hasp and leaving blade f¹ in the disc notches,
then the pawls K are raised one at a time and each disc so liberated is turned to
any desired index, then secured by allowing the pawl to engage the toothed wheel
again.
.
To raise the pawls I adapt arms P to swing around and hook under them and
operate each of these arms by means of an exterior handle Q which is provided
with a stud pin q adapted to spring into stop holes o and p at either end of its.
sweep. When the handle Q rests at stop o the arm P is out of the path of the
pawl leaving it free to revolve with the disc. When the disc is locked by blade f¹
and the handle Q is carried around to stop p the pawl is engaged and raised by
arm P.
To prevent the disc being rotated in case the bolt should be pushed while setting
the combination I provide a hooked end 7 (see figure 3) on the arm P adapted to
engage a staple R on the disc. This hooked end is practically in the arc of a circle
from the centre of oscillation of arin P so that it may engage or disengage the
staple R without causing the disc to rotate. The dials may each be provided with
a knob by which to turn it. In case the combination is lost the back of the lock
should be unscrewed, the back taken off, and the notches of all the discs be brought
to the blade and the bolt, drawn out. Then the combination reset as desired.
Should the combination be lost when the trunk is closed and locked, there is no
means to get in except to work out the combination or break open,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st The combination with the sliding bolt of a lock of one or more levers or
latches D a spring engaging the same to retain it at either end of its arc of motion
and a wire or other means of connecting said latch with said bolt, substantially as
specified whereby the latch may slide the bolt.
2nd The combination with a lock bolt of a lever F pivoted thereto and to the
frame a blade f¹ on said lever one or more notched discs. G adapted to register with
said blade and means exterior to the frame for rotating said discs as shown and
described.
3rd A notched disc inside of a lock case journalled on a spindle, said spindle
extending through the case, a dial secured upon said spindle outside the case,
another dial surrounding the first dial, a hollow spindle attached thereto
surrounding the first spindle, another notched disc like the first mounted on said
hollow spindle and means for connecting the two discs with the two spindles
respectively in combination with a sliding bolt a lever pivoted thereto and a blade
on said lever adapted to engage the notches of said discs simultaneously as shown.
and described.
4th A dial a spindle attached thereto and a toothed wheel secured on the spindle
in combination with a notched disc journalled on said spindle and a spring pawl on
the disc adapted to engage the teeth of the wheel, whereby the dial and disc may
be fixed in any desired relation to each other as described.
5th A spindle, a toothed wheel fixed thereon, a disc journalled on the same and a
spring pawl on the disc adapted to engage said toothed wheel in combination with
an arm pivoted in the frame to engage said pawl as shown and described.
6th The disc G the staple R and pawl K thereon, in combination with the arm P
having the hook r as shown and described.
7th The disc G the pawl K. thereon and the arm P journalled to the frame to
engage said pawl in combination with a handle Q attached to said arm, a stud on
said handle and the lock plate provided with notches to receive said stud as shown
aud described.