Improvements in Locks and in Keys therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locks and in Keys therefor.
I, RICHARD JONES, of 260, Westminster Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved lock and key, the object being to provide
a lock suitable, say, for a safe door and which cannot be opened by unauthorised
persons even if they obtain an impression of the key.
The lock comprises a bolt, moved by means of a handle, and provided with
tumblers or levers of the type usually found in lever locks but which are not
operated in the usual manner by an ordinary key, and a rotating piece operated
by and used in conjunction with the key to open the lock, which rotating piece
also serves to effectually close the key hole when it is in that position which
admits of the bolt being withdrawn.
The key proper consists of two parts, one part attached rigidly to the stem or
barrel at the extremity thereof, and one part, adjacent to the fixed part, but
made movable by being pivoted to the stem by two links after the manner of a
parallel ruler joint; the movable part is free to move, against a spring, in its own
plane, which plane passes through the axis of the stem of the key and it is
provided with the steps which lift the tumblers; these steps do not however lift
the tumblers in the act of rotating, as in the usual construction, but lift the
tumblers when the key, after having been turned into proper position, is pushed
into the lock, which act causes a relative movement between the pivoted part of
the key and the barrel or stem thereof, and as result causes the pivoted part to
move out radially and so lifts the tumblers. This relative movement is obtained
by providing an abutment in the rotating piece which, while it allows the stem
and fixed portion of the key to be pushed in, arrests the pivoted portion.
The rotating piece is carried in a strong circular casing in the lock and is
adapted to rotate about the axis of the key.
Assuming that the bolt is locked, it is unlocked as follows:
The key is inserted in the usual way and is turned through 180°, the fixed
portion thereof serving to turn the rotating piece into what I will term the "A"
position; the key is now pushed in and the tumblers lifted, as described; so as to
just clear the gate, the steps passing through openings on the casing which
contains the rotating piece. The tumblers are held in this " clear" position by
rotating the handle used to move the bolt which rotation, by a screw action,
frictionally grips the tumblers. The bolt however, cannot yet be withdrawn
inasmuch as a slot in the rotating piece, into which a projection on the bolt
slides as the latter is withdrawn, is not now opposite the said projection, but it
is brought opposite by turning the rotating piece through 180° from the A "
position (the key being in the meantime withdrawn axially an amount equal to
the amount it was pushed in) after which the bolt can be withdrawn.
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page_text: To lock the bolt after it has been shot it is simply necessary to turn the operating
handle and release the tumblers.
It will be seen that access to the tumblers can only be obtained, and then only
with great difficulty, when the rotating piece is in the "A" position; and that
when it is in this position the bolt is effectually locked, independently of the 5
tumblers, by the projecting piece referred to; and it will further be seen that an
impression of the key is of little value in any attempt to pick the lock, because
the amount of lift of the steps depends not merely on their radial distance from
the axis but upon their movement outward as the key is pushed in and this
movement depends upon the position of the pivots and the coordination of the 1
key and the abutment on the rotating piece.
1
09
T
1007
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, RICHARD JONES, of 260, Westminster Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved lock and key, the object being to provide
a lock suitable, say, for a safe door and which cannot be opened by unauthorised
persons even if they obtain an impression of the key.
I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. I
is an elevation of the lock with the plate 3 removed; Fig. II is an elevation with
the plate 3 and also the piece 16 removed, part of the bolt and the gate being in
section to show the tumblers; Fig. III is a section on the line A. A. of Fig. I;
Fig. IV is a section on the line B. B. of Fig. II; Fig. V is a section on the line C. C.
of Fig. II; Figs. VI and VII are fragmentary sections on the lines D. D. and E. E.,
respectively, of Fig. I; and Figs. VIII, IX and X are detail views of the key,
and are, respectively, a side view, an end view, and a section on the line F. F.
of Fig. IX. Throughout the drawings the same parts are indicated by the same
reference figures, and in the case of sections the direction in which they are
viewed is indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting
the plane of section.
The lock, which is encased in a frame formed by the rectangular piece. 1 and
the plates 2 and 3, comprises a holt 4, moved by means of a handle, and
provided with tumblers or levers 6 of the type usually found in lever locks but
which are not operated in the usual manner by an ordinary key, and a rotating
piece 7 operated by and used in conjunction with the key 8 to open the lock,
which rotating piece also serves to effectually close the key hole when it is in
that position which admits of the bolt being withdrawn.
The key proper consists of two parts, one part 9 attached rigidly to the stem
or barrel at the extremity thereof, and one part 10, adjacent to the fixed part,
but made movable by being pivoted to the stem by two links 11 after the manner
of a parallel ruler joint; the movable part 10 is free to move, against a spring 12,
in its own plane, which plane passes through the axis of the stem of the key
and it is provided with the steps 13 which lift the tumblers 6; these steps do
not however lift the tumblers in the act of rotating, as in the usual construction,

page_text: but-lift the tumblers when the key, after having been turned into proper position,
is, pushed into the lock, which act causes a relative movement between the pivoted
part of the key and the barrel or stem thereof, and as a result causes the pivoted
part to move out radially and so lift the tumblers. This relative movement is
obtained by providing an abutment in the rotating piece which, while it allows
the stem and fixed portion of the key to be pushed in, arrests the pivoted portion.
The rotating piece 7 is carried in a strong circular casing in the lock and is
adapted to rotate about the axis of the key; the casing is formed by the circular
piece 14, (which is fixed to the plate 2 and whose upper portion is thinned to
allow the steps to protrude through openings 15 formed therein), and by the end
piece 16 attached by screws to 14. The rotating piece 7 has a key-hole 17 which
when opposite the key-hole 18 in the plate 2 (shown dotted in Fig. 1) admits the
key; the key-hole 17 does not extend straight through the piece 16, that is to say
the key-hole 19. in the latter instead of being in line with 17 is diametrically
opposite thereto see Figs. I and II. When the key is inserted in the first instance
the rotating piece is in the position shown in Fig. I; the key (and with it the
rotating piece) is now turned through 180° to the position shown in Figs. II and IV
so that the key is now opposite the key-hole 19 and can be pushed forward being
guided by the pin 20. The key-hole 17 is provided with an abutment 21 (Fig. VII)
which whilst it allows the fixed part 9 of the key to be pushed forward engages
with the shoulders 22 on the pivoted part 10, so that the act of pushing the key
farther than its first position, produces relative movement between the part 10
and the main part of the key, the former pivoting as shown in Fig. IV; this
causes the steps 13 to protrude through the openings 15 and engage the tumblers 6,
so lifting them that none of them is either too high or too low to clear the gate 23.
It will be noticed however when the rotating piece is in the position last described
(see Fig. II) that a projecting piece 24 secured to the bolt 4 (by the screw 26)
bears against the rotating piece and effectually prevents the bolt being withdrawn
until the rotating piece is turned through 180°, to bring the slot 25 opposite 24
as shown in Figs. I and VI.
In order to prevent the tumblers falling back, as they would do were the key
partially withdrawn preparatorily to turning the rotating piece back to its first
position, I provide a friction device to hold them in the.correct position as shown
in Fig. II.
The bolt has two long jaws formed in it (see Fig. V) with free ends and the
tumblers are carried from a pivot 27 and are normally quite free, and fall by
gravity into the engaging position shown in Fig. I; the handle is adapted to
screw into one of the jaws, or into a nut let into one of the jaws, and has a
collar 28 which engages with the other and more flexible jaw of the bolt, and it is
therefore adapted to nip the tumblers when screwed in (see Figs. III and V).
The action of the lock is as follows:-
Assuming the bolt is locked the key is inserted in the usual way and is turned
through 180°, the fixed portion thereof serving to turn the rotating piece into
what I will term the "A" position (Figs. II and IV); the key is now pushed in
and the tumblers lifted, as described, so as to just clear the gate. The tumblers are
held in this clear" position by rotating the handle 5. The holt however, cannot
yet be withdrawn inasmuch as a slot 25 in the rotating piece, into which a projec-
tion 24 on the bolt slides as the latter is withdrawn, is not now opposite the said
projection, but it is brought opposite by turning the rotating piece through 180°
from the A position (the key being in the meantime partially withdrawn),
after which the bolt can be withdrawn.
دو
To lock the bolt after it has been shot it is simply necessary to turn the operating
handle and release the tumblers.
It will be seen .that access to the tumblers can only be obtained, and then only
with great difficulty, when the rotating piece is in the "A" position; and that
when it is in this position the bolt is effectually locked, independently of the
tumblers, by the projecting piece referred to; and it will further be seen that an

page_text: impression of the key is of little value in any attempt to pick the lock, because
the amount of lift of the steps depends not merely on their radial distance from
the axis but upon their movement outward as the key is pushed in and this move-
ment depends upon the position of the pivots 29 and the co-ordination of the key
and the abutment 21 on the rotating piece.
The tumblers have to be pivoted very accurately but very freely and they should
for the latter reason be made of a non-oxidisable metal or be suitably plated.
The steps 13 are shown in the drawings as detachably secured by the bolt 30,
but they may, of course, be made integral with the piece 10.
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 :-
(1). The improved lock which consists of a bolt: a series of tumblers adapted
normally to lock the bolt but which can be moved to the "clear" position by the
movement, relatively to the key itself, of a pivoted part of the key; means for
holding the tumblers in the said "clear" position; and a rotating piece adapted,
when in one position, to permit the said relative movement when the key is
pushed in axially, but which when in said position prevents the withdrawal of
the bolt and which when moved into the position permitting such withdrawal
cuts off access to the tumblers; substantially as described.
(2). In combination with locks of the kind hereindescribed, a key which consists
of a series of steps so pivoted to the key proper that when the latter is pushed
axially into the lock the steps are caused, by a fixed abutment, to move out a
definite amount radially and move the tumblers; substantially as described.
(3). In a lock, in combination; a bolt; a series of tumblers carried in the bolt
and adapted normally to lock the bolt but which when moved to the clear"
position can be held there by a frictional grip; a key with a pivoted portion pro-
vided with steps adapted, when moved relatively to the key, to move the tumblers
into the "clear" position; and a rotating piece adapted to prevent access to the
tumblers except when the bolt is locked independently of the tumblers; substan-
tially as described.
(4). In a lock, in combination; a bolt provided with spring jaws in which the
tumblers are placed and between which they can be gripped by friction; a key with
a pivoted portion carrying the steps; a. rotating piece having a shouldered key-
hole to operate the pivoted portion of the key and which is adapted to prevent the
withdrawal of the bolt except when it cuts off communication between the external
key-hole and the tumblers; substantially as described and illustrated.
(5). In a lock, in combination; the bolt, the key with the pivoted part, the
rotating piece, and the tumblers adapted to be frictionally gripped by the rotation
of the handle which operates the bolt; substantially as described and illustrated.
(6). In a lock, in combination; the bolt, the tumblers, the key with the pivoted
part, and a rotating piece moving in a casing one part of which casing is provided
with openings through which the steps can protrude, said rotating piece having a
slot into which a projection on the bolt must pass to enable it to be withdrawn,
which slot is so disposed that when it is opposite the said projection the said
openings are closed by the rotating piece; substantially as described and illus-
trated.
(7). The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved lock and
key, substantially as described and illustrated.
11
1007
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
26, Castle Street, Liverpool Agents for the Applicant.