IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMUTATION-LOCKS
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1888
. Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1889
We, NICHOLAS L. PETERSON, Merchant, RASMUS JENSEN, Farmer, and ALEXANDER
RICHTON, Farmer, all of New Richmond, in the county of Waseca, and State of
Minnesota, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMUTATION-LOCKS, 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 combination-locks and it consists in certain improvements
In this device
in the construction of the same, as hereinafter described and claimed.
the tumblers are placed on a sleeve on the spindle of the door-knobs, the said spindle
having engagement with the tumblers and passing through a sliding plate which
carries a spring-catch, which closes in the notches of the tumblers when the com-
bination is on, and may be readily raised to throw the combination.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an interior view of the lock.
Fig. 2 is a section taken on line xx of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates the sliding catch
which connects with the tumblers when the combination is on. Fig. 4 is a plan view
of the locking-bolt.
A designates the casing of the lock and B the main bolt which is slotted, and in its
normal position is pressed forward by a spring, b, which rests against a stud a, fixed
to the casing and extending into the slot of the bolt. The rear part of bolt B is
formed substantially as shown, with the vertical part a' in position to be pressed
rearward by the lever c, actuated by the knob-spindle d, so that the bolt B may be
retracted by turning the door-knob in either direction.
Cindicates a vertical plate, having an elongated aperture, e, for the knob-spindle, d,
which passes through it, and provided with a projecting catch, . To the rear of
plate Ca cam lever c, is secured;by a swivel-joint, g, the lever having an aperture, c¹,
for the spindle d. The aperture c¹, as will be seen, is elongated, the upper part being
rectangular and the lower part round, for the purpose hereinafter stated. The plate
is placed in position adjacent to the part a¹ of the bolt B, and has a limited sliding
movement vertically in guides h. A spring, k, 'bearing down on a projection of the

page_text: plate, serves to press the catch finto the notches of the tumblers when the combination
19 on. That part n of the spindle d which is in contact with lever c when the
combination is on is made square in section to fit the upper rectangular part of the
aperture c¹ in the lever, the bolt A being retracted through said lever."
D indicates the tumblers, which are usually three in number, with intervening
washers, and provided with notches o to receive catch f. The tumblers are placed
on a sleeve or arbor, p, on the knob-spindle, and engagement between the spindle and
the first tumbler is effected through a small arm, s, projecting from a flange on the
spindle. The several tumblers are constructed to engage one with another, and the
combination is formed by turning the knob-spindle to the left and right alternately,
until the several notches o in said tumblers are brought in line under the catch f,
which is sprung into them, when the lock works from the knob-spindle like any
ordinary lock.
E indicates a knob on the end of a vertical rod extending from the lower end of
the plate through the casing, as shown, and the plate being raised by pressing
upward the knob E, the catch fis also raised from connection with the tumblers and
the cam-lever c from engagement with the knob-spindle, the latter then being in the
circular portion of the aperture c'. The combination is thus readily thrown by a
person within turning the door-knob to the right or left, the tumblers being rotated
by the spindle d.
F indicates a knob to a small bolt or stud, q, retained by a spring, r, and movable
along a slot in the casing, the bolt being used as a night-lock by setting it in line
with the bolt B. A small knob passing through a slot in the casing is usually
attached to the bolt B, so that it may be moved from the inside without using the
door-knob.
'
In addition to the dial H of the outer door-knob G, a small dial may be applied
and used in connection with the inside, knob, G₁, so that the combination may be
formed from either the outside or the inside.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, We declare what we claim is—
1. The combination, with the knob-spindle having a rectangular portion, n, a
plate, C, carrying a latch, f, and cam-lever, c, having aperture c¹, of the lock-bolt
adapted to engage the cam-lever, the knob-spindle, and a series of tumblers, sub-
ostantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The combination, with the plate C, provided with catch f, and a vertical rod
having a knob, E, and cam-lever c, having a swivel connection with the plate, of the
lock-bolt, adapted to engage said cam-lever, the knob-spindle d, and tumblers,
substantially as set forth and described.
Signed at Buffalo, New York, this 24th day of August 1888.