Improvements in Locks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locks.
I, WOODBURY D. ROBERTS, of Portland, in the County of Multnomah, and
State of Oregon, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 is an improved lock, novel in form, construction and operation,
and is capable of use for all the purposes of an ordinary hasp or padlock.
The object of this invention is to provide an exceedingly simple construction of
lock in the form of a ring, and composed of two jaws or members, constructed and
arranged to be automatically locked when brought together and unlocked or
separated only by the use of a proper key.
Another object is to provide a lock which cannot be picked and a further object
is to provide a lock which will spring open as soon as the proper key has
been used.
Another object is to provide a lock of the kind described in which the parts are
so constructed that in case the heads of the connecting rivets should be filed or cut
off, the parts of the lock will still remain connected and cannot be separated except
by the use of the proper key.
Another object is to provide the heads or mecting ends of the jaws or parts with
suitable means to prevent them moving laterally or out of contact with each other.
With these various objects in view my invention consists in the peculiar
construction of the various parts, and their novel combination or arrangement all
of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawing forming a part of this specification,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved lock.
Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the jaws locked, and the cap plate removed.
Figure 3 is a view showing the jaws unlocked and separated, the cap plate being
also removed.
Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.
Figure 6 is a detail view of the bolt and its springs.
Figure 7 is an interior face view of the cap plate.
Figure 8 is a detail view of the inner face of the ear C¹.
Figures 9 and 10 are detail views of the key.
In carrying out my invention I employ two jaws or members A and B, substan-
tially semi-circular in shape and having arrow or spear-shaped ends A and B'
respectively, adapted to engage each other, the head A' having a groove A 2
adapted to engage the tongue B 2 carried by bead B' and thereby prevent any
lateral movement between the members A and B.
The opposite ends of the members A and B are provided with ears or hinge
portions C and C through which passes a pivot or rivet D, thus pivotally
connecting the members A and B, and it will be noticed that the opening E in the
ear C is central and circular while the opening E' in the ear C' is elongated and
that its major axis is at an angle to the line dividing the heads A' and B'. In
other words the line of elongation does not pass through the center of the ring,
but to one side thereof.
The purposes of this elongated pivot hole is to permit the heads A and B¹ to
be sprung apart to clear each other, so that the members or jaws A and B can
be opened or separated.

page_text: Now in order to lock the jaws or members when they are brought together
I employ bolt F which slides in a recess G made in the end of member A, which
bolt engages shoulder H on the ear C¹ and thereby holds the jaws or members
locked.
The bolt F is pressed into engagement with the shoulder H by means of a coiled
spring I arranged between the end of bolt and end of recess.
The face of member A is of course cut away as shown at K to permit the intro-
duction of the bolt F, said recess being covered by a plate L secured to the
member A, said plate having an opening L' to receive the end of the pivot D as
clearly shown. The inner face of the plate L is recessed at L2 and also has a
ward groove L 3. The bolt F is adapted to rest in the recess L 2 and thus partially
close the keyhole M upon the inside, and prevent anyone picking the lock or
inserting anything in the keyhole, except the proper key, said bolt being held in such
position when locked by means of the spring N arranged in the bottom of recess G
and in groove F¹ made in bottom of bolt, said spring being bowel as shown and
given more of a curve near the outer end than at the inner end.
The bolt is also beveled upon the lower face near the inner end as shown at f, in
order that the spring N can throw the outer end into the recess L 2 and shut off
the keyhole. The bolt is formed with suitable wards F 2 upon the opposite frame
adapted to engage the wards O on the key O', and project the bolt outward to
withdraw it from the shoulder H, the wards of the key and bolt vary in a variety
of locks.
The key O' has two wards upon the face, and one ward upon the opposite face,
and the end of the key is made upon an oblique line instead of straight.
Furthermore the end of the first ward is beveled as clearly shown at 2.
Now as the key O' is pushed into the hole M, the beveled end O 2 presses the
bolt back out of the recess L2 and as the second ward engages the ward on the
bolt said bolt is slid back as indicated by the arrow drawing it from beneath
the shoulder H, and then the heads of the jaws can be sprung apart and separated.
The pivot D, which connects the ears C and C' is riveted or headed at each end,
and intermediate its ends is provided with a stud or pin P which is adapted to
engage a spring S carried in a recess R, in the ear C¹ said spring bearing upon
said pin for the purpose of spreading the jaws the moment the bolt is withdrawn
from beneath the shoulder H, as said spring tends to throw the beads A' and B
out of engagement and then spread the jaws A and B.
The parts being arranged in the manner hereinbefore described, and clearly
shown in the drawing, the operation is as follows:
When the jaws are brought together, the heads A and B move past each other
the tongue of the head B' entering the groove of the head A' and as the said heads
are pressed together to interlock, the locking bolt will be pressed forward and
engage the underside of the locking shoulder H thereby securely locking the jaws
and preventing any possible separation of said jaws.
Whenever it is desired to unlock the jaws, the key is inserted and the bevel end
of the first ward serves to press the locking bolt back into its recess and away from
the cap plate so that the second ward can engage the ward on the bolt, throw the
same back and release the jaw B, having the elongated pivotal opening, and the
force of the spring S immediately throws the heads apart and spreads the jaws.
It will thus be seen that I provide a spring lock of novel and simple construction,
one in which it is only necessary to spring the jaws together to complete the
locking operation, and one in which it is impossible to spring apart laterally.
It will also be noted that I guard against picking the lock by projecting the
bolt in the plate of the keyhole, which bolt can only be pressed back by means of
the proper shaped key.
It will also be noted that by providing the pivot or rivet with the intermediate
stud or pin, said rivet cannot possibly fall out even if the heads thereof should be
filed or cut away, thus rendering the lock secure against any such operation.
It will also be understood that I do not confine myself to the circular form of

page_text: lock but may make the same of any annular shape involving the opening and
closing jaws, and I also wish it understood that I do not limit myself to any
particular form of key or bolt as they can both be changed or varied as desired
without departing from the broad principles of my invention.
Certain other features of use and advantage will be apparent to every one
skilled in the art to which my invention appertains.
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. In a pad lock, a jaw pivoted at one of its ends to its fellow member and at its
opposite end hooked to said fellow member, said jaw having a bodily end wise
movement to disengage its hook before swinging open on its pivot, and a locking
device for bolding the jaw in its closed and hooked position.
2. An improved lock consisting of the jaws hinged together at one end, and
provided with engaging heads at the other end, the pivotal aperture of one of the
jaws being elongated and means for securing the jaws and holding the heads in
contact when brought together, substantially as shown and described.
3. An improved lock consisting of the jaws pivoted at one end, and having
interlocking heads at the other end, the pivotal opening of one member being
elongated, the major axis of said opening being at an angle to the line passing
through the center of the ring, substantially as shown and described.
4. An improved lock, consisting of the jaws or members pivoted at one end, and
having the interlocking heads at the opposite end, one of the members having an
elongated pivotal opening, and the locking shoulder adjacent to said opening, and.
the sliding bolt carried by the opposite member, and adapted to engage the locking
shoulder, substantially as shown and described.
5. An improved lock consisting of the semi-circular jaws or members having the
interlocking heads, one of said heads having a longitudinal groove, and the opposite
head having a tongue adapted to engage said groove, and prevent lateral movement,.
substantially as shown and described.
6. An improved lock consisting of the semi-circular jaws one of which has an
elongated pivotal opening a recess formed in the opposite jaw, locking bolt
sliding in said recess, a cap piece adapted to cover said recess and bolt, and the
locking shoulder carried by the opposite member, and adapted to engage the locking
bolt when the jaws or members are brought together substantially as shown and
described.
7. In a lock of the kind described, the combination with the jaws pivotally
connected in the manner set forth, one of said jaws having a recess therein, the
sliding bolt arranged in said recess, the recessed cap plate adapted to cover the
said recess and bolt, and the spring arranged beneath the bolt and adapted to project
the same into the recess in the cap plate, substantially as shown and described.
8. In a lock of the kind described, the combination with the jaws connected as
set forth, one of said jaws having a recess, a sliding bolt located in said recess, said
bolt having a series of wards produced in the sides of the jaw, the cap plate having
a recess upon its inner face, and also provided with wards, the spring arranged
beneath the sliding bolt, and the key having wards to correspond with the wards
in the jaw, bolt and cap piece, substantially as shown and described.
9. In a lock of the kind described, the combination with the recessed jaw, of the
recessed cap plate, the sliding bolt, and the spring for projecting the said bolt into
the recessed plate, the wards in the jaw, plate, and bolt, the key having wards to
correspond with the wards in the jaw, plate and bolt, the end of said key being
oblique, and the end of the first ward being beveled, substantially as shown and
described.
10. In a lock of the kind described, the combination with the jaws, one of which has
an elongated pivotal opening, a spring carried by said jaw and resting adjacent to
said opening, the pivotal bolt having a stud or pin against which the spring bears,.

page_text: a locking shoulder carried by said jaw, and the locking bolt carried by the opposite
jaw, and adapted to engage the said shoulder, all arranged substantially as shown
and described.
11. In a lock of the kind described, the combination with the jaws, one of the
jaws having an elongated opening, the spring carried by the jaw adjacent to said
opening, a locking shoulder carried by said jaw, a locking bolt arranged in a recess
in the opposite jaw, a spring arranged beneath said bolt, a spring arranged at one
end of the bolt for sliding the same, the cap plate and the key, and the pivotal
bolt having a stud or pin, all arranged substantially as shown and descri bed.
12. A lock comprising a pair of lock jaws hinged together at one end and having
locking heads at the other, one of such jaws having a free sliding movement on its
pivot and locking portion at the pivot end, the other jaw having a key-released
lock member adapted to automatically engage the said locking portion on the
movable jaw when such jaw is moved to its lock position as set forth.
Dated this 29th day of September 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.