Improvements in Trunk and other Locks whereby Greater Security is Obtained.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trunk and other Locks whereby Greater Security
is Obtained.
A. communication from abroad by CHARLES WOOD, of 11, Draper Street, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada, Contractor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6. Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a lock which the owner can set so that a person
who has even got the key and not the secret of the particular setting will find very
great difficulty in opening.
By this lock a disc or drum having a notch therein on the periphery is caused to
rotate by the insertion of a key or indicator so as to place this notch at
any given point. The drum or disc being also on a screw, the drum can be caused
to make several turns and stop at a different angle from that at which it will unlock.
The result is until the drum is turned back to the exact position required for
unlocking through the right number of turns and the exact angle which it has
already been turned, it is impossible to unlock the lock.
A
In preference to having the indicator or key for setting the lock on the actual
drum spindle, spur gearing can be applied so as to ensure greater accuracy.
radial handle fitting on to the arbor of this bevelled gearing passes over a dial on
the outside face. By this means a note can be taken of the number of turns and the
angle through which the indicator has passed when setting the lock. The indicator
can then be removed entirely from the lock or can be screwed down in place if
desired.
The key-hole is covered or guarded by a sliding plate pressed into position by a
spring, a small key on the handle end of the main key is used to bring this slide out
of position so as to enable the key to enter the lock and turn the same.
The lock consists of two levers, or it may be if required, several pairs
of levers superimposed. One of the pair or cach pair of levers cannot open except
by falling into the aforesaid notch or hole in the drum or disc. The other lever on
the opposite side of the key can be independent of the disc but simply pressed onto
the lock position like the other by a spring. The key having wards on opposite sides
pushes aside both levers simultaneously but if the one lever is against a solid part
of the disc and not against the hole it cannot be pushed aside and consequently it
cannot be unlocked. The springs working the two levers are held in place by means
of a clamp working loose on its pivot or other position in the lock cover so that if
one lever is forced back without the other one being forced back at the same time
the pressure forward is increased on the one not forced back. The end of the pinion
shaft is preferably cross-cutted with a fine saw in several directions thus forming
In this
openings to receive a small catch behind the indicator or keyhole cover.
way the pinion may be turned from the outside and the lock is set as desired. An
indicator fitting loosely enables it to be withdrawn casily so that the lock may be set
to open at any figure on the dial. The levers when in the locked position fit into a
slot or deep groove in a catch or hasp. The latch to hold the indicator or key-hole
cover in position over the key-hole is formed of sheet metal and fits over the catch
It is forced
inside the hasp and is held in position by a pin through the catch.
downwards by a spring of wire passed once round a rivet. A small key-hole enables

page_text: the hooked end of the key by a quarter turn to lift this latch and release this indi-
cator or key-hole cover so that it can be turned back to the proper figure for
opening. The key is then withdrawn and reversed, inserted in the proper key-hole,
and the lock opened. The pinion is arranged on a barrel surrounded by a spiral
spring holding the pinion against the front-plate of the lock. If, however, the
pinion be pressed inward by means of a key it is thrown out of gear thus allowing
the indicator to be turned to any number on the face of the lock without moving the
drum and its gear-wheel.
In this way the combination can be altered in a moment without necessity of with-
drawing the indicator. This arrangement would allow the pinion to be made solid
instead of having a hole through it, and to fix the indicator as hereafter described,
and the indicator in such case could be attached to its end instead of being detach-
able but a detachable indicator could be used with this pinion and in such case gain
a new value for if it were carried with the key any attempt to turn the pinion to
place for opening would be very difficult on account of the pinion easily slipping
back and turning when out of gear with the drum.
AL
The indicator consists preferably of a strip of metal having a round hole with a
key slot opening thereto, secondly, a short round wire fitting the hole and having
slot down its centre, this slot coinciding with the key slot. A strip of watch spring
is then forced down through the key slot and the slot in the pin, projecting a short
distance and is then rivetted over thus securing the pin rigidly in position in the
strip of metal, and having a little catch projecting to one side. The same means
can be used if desired to fasten an indicator on the solid end of the pinion shaft, in
case this was required.
The following are directions for working this lock. Turn the indicator or key-
hole cover to zero on the dial, insert the key and give a quarter turn to the right
and the lock is open. If it is desired to use it as an ordinary lock, the indicator may
be left at zero on closing the trunk or it may be withdrawn and carried with the key.
When greater security is desired any number of turns or partial turns to the indicator
can be given in either direction. This number of turns must be remembered. On
opening the lock, give the same number of turns in the opposite direction leaving
the indicator at starting point. To alter the combination set the lock for opening
and turn the key, then withdraw the indicator and replace it pointing to whichever
figure it is desired it should indicate for opening. For greater security give a
number of turns and withdraw the indicator being careful to draw it out straight,
remembering the number of turns and the figure which it indicated when withdrawn.
On opening replace at same figure and turn back to the same number of times to the
figure at which it was set to open before the indicator was withdrawn. Should the
combination be forgotten it may be found by trying the key and turning the indicator
until the proper point is reached, which process, however, is very tedious and will
give a good idea of the security of the lock. It is impossible to unlock or pick the
lock unless the combination is set for opening.
The above directions pre-supposes that the lock has been left very near the
opening point, namely with the indicator over the key-hole and only required to be
turned forward to zero to set the lock for opening and that the latch is not in
position.
The previous description is that of an actual experimental lock but I do not of
course bind myself to the exact arrangement therein specified but give the description
as exemplary of the invention.
Dated this 30th day of Nov 1890
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Imechanism.
Figure 6 is a perspective detail of the key and its barrel.
Figure 7 is a detail in rear elevation of plate holding setting mechanism out
of gear.
This improved lock is specially adapted for trunks, but it will be seen that it may
be used or readily adapted for any other purpose.
In the drawings :
A, represents the outer plate of the lock, and B, the hasp.
C is the catch, which is fixed to and projects from the inside of the hasp B. This
catch is designed to fit into the hole a, made in the plate A.
is
D and E are two levers pivoted on the plate A, as indicated. A projection
made on the upper end of each lever, and on the lower end of the lever D a
projection d is made. Each lever D and E has a spring F inserted in it, as shown.
The upper ends of these springs are held between bent ends of the movable plate G,
the said springs being set so as to hold the ends of the levers D and E together, as
indicated in Figure 2. The plate G is made movable, so that if one lever be moved
on the one side, the other lever will follow it.
H is a disc, fixed to the spindle I, to which the spur-wheel is connected.
is a notch made in the disc H. The disc H is pivoted between the lower ends
of the levers D and E in such a position that the upper ends of the said levers cannot
be pushed apart, except when the said notch f' is brought opposite the projection d.
K is a pinion designed to engage with the spur-wheel J. This pinion K is fixed
to the spindle L, which projects through the plate A and has the pointer M attached
to it.
A spring N, placed on the spindle L, in the position indicated in Figure 5, is
designed to hold the pinion K opposite to and in mesh with the spur-wheel J; but
it also allows the longitudinal movement of the spindle L, which is loosely journalled
on the plates of the lock, to be pushed clear of the spur-wheel J, so that the spindle,
with its pinion, may be revolved when not acting on the spur-wheel J.
.
When the pointer M is set in the position indicated in Figures 1 and 4, it is set so

page_text: as to cover the key-hole O. In order to lock the pointer in its position, a movable
block P is placed in the hasp B, acted upon by the spring Q, and, when the pointer M
is pushed around to cover the key-hale O. its end comes in contact with the block P,
which it pushes back until the opening R comes opposite to the end of the said
pointer, when the spring pushes the block P back, forcing the opening R over
the end of the pointer, so as to lock it in position.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
Before the back plate S is put on, the disc H is turned so as to bring the notch f
opposite to the projection d, and, in order to hold the disc in position, the key T is
inserted into the key-hole O, and is turned so as to throw the levers D and E apart,
which action forces the projection d into the notch f. It will be observed, on
reference to Figure 1, that the outer plate A is marked in the figures 1 to 9
radiating around the key-hole O. When is desired to set the lock, the spindle L
is pressed down so as to push the pinion K clear of the spur-wheel J. The spindle is
then revolved in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 1 until its pointer M.
is opposite to the figure it is intended to adopt. For instance, assume that figure 4
is chosen, the spindle I is turned so as to bring the pointer M opposite to 4.
spindle is then released, so that its spring N is permitted to push the pinion K into
mesh with the spur-wheel.]. The pointer is then moved back until it covers the
key-hole O, in which position it is held by the block P, as already described.
The
When it is desired to open the lock, the small end g of the key T is inserted in the
small key-hole U and turned so as to engage with the lip 7, formed in the block P.
which action raises the said block P clear of the end of the pointer M, when the
said pointer may be turned round in the direction indicated by the arrow until it
comes opposite to the figure 4, when the large end of the key T may be inserted
into the key-hole O and turned so as to push the levers D and E apart and the
projection farther into the notch. As the notch will only be opposite to the
projection d when the pointer is at the figure chosen, the lock cannot be opened
except when the pointer is in the position stated. Consequently, no one can open
the lock unless he knows the figure chosen. In order to hold the pinion K clear of
the spur-wheel J, a plate V is placed between the pinion K and front plate A.
This plate is provided with a slot W, shaped as shown. The lower part of the slot
is large enough for the collar 1 on the spindle I to enter, and the upper part is the
same as the spindle L. Consequently, when the pinion K is thrown out of gear by
pressure on the pointer M, the plate V may be slipped down by pressure of the
key T on the projection 2 and will effectually hold the pinion K out of gear, as the
collar 1 cannot enter the small part of the slot W. (See Figure 7.) "When it is
desired to allow the pinion K to again mesh with the spur-wheel J, the plate V may
be forced up by pressure on the stud 3, when the collar 1 drops into the large part
of the slot W and the pinion K comes into gear again with spur-wheel J. (See
Figures 5 and 7.)
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 a lock of the kind described, a lever D, working on a stationary pivot in the
case, having a projection d on one end, in combination with the disc H, having a
notch made in it and connected to the spindle of the spur-wheel J, and the
pinion K, connected to the movable spindle L, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
2. In a lock of the kind described, the pivoted levers D and E, having a
projection d on one of them, the springs F, and movable plate G, in combination
with the disc H, having a notch made in it and connected to the spindle of the
spur-wheel J, the pinion K, connected to the movable spindle L, the pointer M, and
the spring N, substantially as and for the purpose specified..
3. In a lock of the kind described, the block P, connected to the hasp B and

page_text: actuated by the spring Q, in combination with the pointer M, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
Dated this 28th day of February 1891
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.