Improvements in Locks for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1897--Accepted, 2 th June, 1897
Improvements in Locks for Cycles and the like.
I, EMANUEL REICHER, of 11ª, Lindenstrasse of Niederschönhausen near Berlin,
Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Actor 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 refers to locks of the kind used with bicycles and similar vehicles
for preventing the same from being stolen, and my improvements in locks of said
kind relate to certain combinations and arrangements of parts as are fully described.
hereinafter.
In order to make my invention more clear I refer to the accompanying drawing,
in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views, and in
which:
Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through my improved lock;
Figure 2 is another vertical section taken at right angles to said former
section;
Figure 3 is a plan of a recessed slide, together with some parts co-operating with
said slide, or with the recesses of the same respectively;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the slide afore mentioned,
Figure 5 is a side-view of a push-button forming a part of the lock ;
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through said push-button; and
Figure 7 shows my improved lock applied to the chain and chain-wheel of the
crank-shaft of a cycle.
Referring to Figures 1 & 2 the front-wall of the casing of the lock consists of two
parts a a' that are connected by a hinge or hinges a 3. The part a is stationary, and
fixed to the side-walls a 4 a 5 and the top-plate a 6 of the casing, whereas the part a¹
(which is angular in section, and extends downwards and rearwards in close proximity
to the lower edge of the rear-wall a 7 of the casing) forms a kind of locking-flap, and
is for this purpose provided with a number of hooks a 2.
The latter co-operate with a sliding-bolt e that is guided by pins el secured to the
back-wall a 7, and taking through slots e 2 of said slide; and the sliding-bolt
is furnished with as many projections or lugs e 3 as there are hooks a 2 at the
locking-flap a'. The lock is closed when the lugs e 3 are located within the
hooks a 2.
The sliding-bolt e is movably connected with a slide i (Figures 3 & 4) or, more
precisely, with a downwardly extending projection of the same by means of a
double-armed lever o fulcrumed at o' to the back-wall a 7. The slide i (which in
Figure 2 is shown in dotted lines only) is located between two plates u u¹ secured to
the side-walls a 4 a 5 of the casing and is guided by two pins fixed to said plates.
and taking through slots i 2 in the said slide. A spring r (shown in dotted lines at
the left hand side of Figure 2 and arranged between the wall a 4 and the
neighbouring edge of the slide i) tends constantly to move this slide to the right,
and by aid of a button attached to the slide, and projecting beyond the wall a 5
the said slide may be displaced to the left, so as then to put said spring under
ension.
The slide is provided with a number of cut-outs i3 and with a like number of
ecesses i4 (Figures 3 & 4), the latter being located near to said cut-outs. There are
50

page_text: ten cut-outs and consequently ten recesses in the form of construction shown, but I
wish it to be understood, that I do not restrict myself to any definite number, as my
invention is entirely independent of such a one. There may be less than 10 cut-outs
and recesses, or more than 10; this number has not been especially selected, but forms
an example only.
The cut-outs i3 and the recesses i 4 co-operate with projections s 5 that extend
laterally from pins 84 (Figures 1 & 3-6). The latter form the rear-parts of
push-buttons each of which is constructed as follows:
A hollow knob (Figures 5 & 6) is provided with a flange s' and behind the latter
with a one-sided nose s 2. The knob s receives within its hollow space the hollow
front-end of the pin s4. The massive part of the pin s4 extends eccentrically
with regard to the hollow part, and there is a laterally extending nose s 3 arranged
between the hollow and the massive part of the pin. The knobs may be turned
upon the hollow part of the pin s 4. When the parts in question are in the position
shown in Figure 5 the nose s 2 of the knob rests against the nose s 3 of the pin, and
then the pin may be depressed contrary to the direction of action of a spring x
(Figure 1).
A needle 6 secured to the massive part of the pin s 4 extends through the
hollow part of this pin into the hollow knob s; and a spring s7 encircling said
needle tends constantly to press the knob off the pin, or the flanges of the
knob against the front-wall a of the casing. The length of the needle is such
that when the parts s and 4 are in their normal position the said needle does
not reach outwards through the small hole provided in the front-side of the knob s
(see Figures 1 & 2), or is concealed within the hollow spaces of the parts s and s4
respectively.
If, therefore, these two parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, and if an
unauthorized person tries to open the lock by depressing one or more of the
push-buttons, only the knobs s of the latter will give way and at the same time the
needles s6 will pass outwards through the central holes of those knobs, will stitch into
the respective fingers of the person, and will thus keep the latter off.
When in normal position the projections s 5 of the pins s 4 are located directly
in front of the cut-outs i 3 of the slide i, and said projections may thus be moved rear-
wards through said cut-outs, provided, the position of the parts ss4 of the push-
buttons be that represented in Figure 5. Supposed the knobs of the first and the
third push-button of the upper series, and of the second and the fifth of the lower
series of the push-buttons be in that position (Figure 5), then only these four
push-buttons can be depressed, whereas with all the other buttons the needles a 6 will
instantly come into operation, as described. After said four buttons have been
depressed, and the projections s5 of the pins s 4 of the same have thus been moved
behind the rear side of the slide i this latter is displaced to the left; the fingers
are then removed from the said four buttons, so as to leave the latter to the
springs which press the projections s5 against the rear side of the slide i,
and into the respective recesses i4 of the same. The knob of the slide may
then be let loose, as the spring r cannot move the slide back to its former
position in consequence of the respective projections s 5 laying within the respective
recesses i 4.
Together with the slide the sliding bolt e has been displaced (in opposite
direction) and the lugs e 3 of this bolt have come into gear with the hooks a 2 of
the locking flap a', so that now the lock is closed.
After the depressed push-buttons or more precisely, the knobs s of the same have
regained their former or original position (which they reassume under the action of
the springs s 7) said knobs are turned for 180°, when they are again able to co-operate
with the needless 6, as afore described.
It is thus obvious that the lock can be opened only by a person who knows which of
the push-buttons must be depressed. Making trials in this respect is prevented by
the needless 6.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a lock for cycles and the like, the combination with a slide, and an indefinite
number of displaceable pins adapted each to be coupled with said slide, of knobs.
attached to the heads of said pins, and adapted to be displaced along said heads, and
means for transmitting at will the movements of the knobs to the pins, for the purpose
as described.
2. In a lock for cycles and the like, the combination with a slide, and an indefinite
number of displaceable pins adapted each to be coupled with said slide, of knobs.
attached to the heads of said pins, and adapted to be displaced along and turned upon
said heads, and means for transmitting the movements of said knobs to the pins ;
said means being put into or out of action by turning the knobs, for the purpose as
described.
3. In a lock for cycles and the like, the combination with a slide, and an indefinite-
number of displaceable pins adapted each to be coupled with said slide, of knobs
attached to the heads of said pins, and adapted to be displaced along and turned
upon said heads; each of the pins and the knobs having a one-sided nose or similar
projection, and the noses of the said pins being adapted to be acted on by those of
the said knobs after these latter have been correspondingly turned, for the purpose
as described.
4. In a lock for cycles and the like, the combination with a slide, and an indefinite-
number of displaceable pins adapted each to be coupled with said slide, of hollow
knobs attached to the heads of said pins, and adapted to be displaced along said'
heads; needles secured to the pins and extending into said knobs, and adapted to pass
outside through holes in the front-sides of the knobs after these latter have been
displaced, and means for transmitting at will the movements of the knobs to the pins,
for the purpose as described.
5. In a lock for cycles and the like, the combination with a slide i having an
indefinite number of cut-outs i3 and a corresponding number of recesses i4,
of an equal number of displaceable pins s 4 having projections s 5 adapted to pass
through said cut-outs and into said recesses; knobs & attached to the heads of
said pins, and adapted to be displaced along said heads, and means for transmitting at
will the movements of the knobs to the pins, for the purpose as described.
6. In a lock for cycles and the like, the combination with a slide i having an
indefinite number of cut-outs i3 and a corresponding number of recesses i4, of a
corresponding number of displaceable pins 84 having each a projection s 5 adapted
to pass through one of said cut-outs and into one of said recesses; hollow knobs's
attached to the hollow heads of said pins, and adapted to be displaced along and turned
upon said heads; needless 6 secured to the pins and extending through the hollow
heads into said hollow knobs, and adapted to pass outside through holes in the front-
sides of the knobs after these latter have been displaced; springs $7 arranged within
said hollow parts and tending to keep them asunder; one-sided noses or similar
projections 33 forming each a part of each of the said pins, and other one-sided noses
or similar projections s 2 forming each a part of each of the said knobs; the noses & 3.
being adapted to be acted on by the noses $2 after the knobs have been correspondingly
turned, for the purpose as described.