IMPROVEMENTS IN SECRET OR COMBINATION LOCKS OR FASTENINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SECRET OR COMBINATION LOCKS OR FASTENINGS" 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 improvements in that class of locks or fastenings which
are unlocked by means of a predetermined combination of letters numerals or
signs. The said improvements consist in combining and arranging the parts as
hereinafter described whereby the secret combination required to open the lock is
enabled to be changed instantaneously and without taking the lock to pieces.
Locks or fastenings constructed according to this Invention present the additional
advantage of admitting of the desired combinations being produced in the dark
or without necessarily looking at the lock. The said improvements are applicable
to all descriptions of locks padlocks and other fastenings whether controlled by
means of a removeable key or otherwise and may also be combined with cocks or
taps in order to convert the same into locking cocks or taps.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings represent details of the mechanism
employed in carrying out this Invention and Figures 5 and 6 represent sections of
a padlock constructed according to this Invention. The section in Figure 5 being
taken along the line 1-2 Figure 6. Figure 7 represents a corresponding section
taken along the line 3-4 Figure 6.
Figures 8 to 13 represent modifications hereinafter described.
The mechanism of the improved locks or fastenings is composed essentially of
the following parts namely. A cylindrical pin a Figure 1 with or without a knob
or cap b at one or both extremities and provided along one of its sides with a

page_text: series of projections_e. This pin is capable of sliding longitudinally without
rotating in a tube t Figure 2 presenting a longitudinal slot or opening t¹ in its side
for the passage of the projections e on the aforesaid pin a.
A series of washers d, d' Figure 3 corresponding to the number of projections
on the pin a is threaded over the tube t and each washer presents a groove
capable of coinciding with the slot in the said tube so as to open a passage for the
projections on the pin a and allow the latter to be shifted longitudinally. Each
washer is also provided with a spring catch c (Figure 4) imbedded in the thickness
of the metal and caused to protrude automatically by means of a spring c¹. The
washers d also presents a series of indentations whose functions are herein-
after described. Over each pair of washers d d' are placed rings or hoops D
Figures 5, 6 and 7 provided internally with indentations or recesses y arranged
opposite to figures, letters or other signs formed on the outer side of the ring and
serving to form the word number or other combination which corresponds with the
unlocked position of the mechanism.
These combinations may be produced by causing certain predetermined letters
figures or other signs to coincide with a stationary index or mark as in the
arrangement illustrated in Figure 6 and Figure 13 or by placing moveable pointors i
attached to the rings or hoops D over a predetermined series of letters figures or
signs engraved upon a stationary disc or plate R as hereinafter explained with
reference to Figures 8 to 12.
The several parts of the mechanism hereinbefore enumerated are combined and
operate as next hereinafter described. The washers d alternating with washers d'
are slipped over the tube t and the washers d' are secured in position thereon by
means of screws Figure 5 in such a manner that the grooves in the said
washers d coincide with the slot in the said tube and over each pair of washers d d¹
is placed a ring or hoop D there being as many pairs of washers d d¹ and rings D
as there are projections on the pin a.
The washers d are free to turn upon the
tube t but are connected to the rings D by means of screws v¹ Figure 7 engaging
with the indentations x herein before referred to in the said washers. This method
of connecting the rings to the washers d is preferably employed in the case of
padlocks and bag fastenings but in the case of box and other locks, taps and the
like the connection is preferably effected by means of the catch on the washer d
the said catch being caused to engage with the indentations y in the ring. The
effect of this arrangement is that when the ringa D are manipulated and caused to
revolve the washers d are caused to turn upon the tube t so as to cause the grooves r
on the said washers to coincide or not with the slot t¹ in the said tube and thereby
admit of or prevent the longitudinal motion of the pin a which is connected to or
operates the catch of the lock. Another effect produced by this arrangement is
that the combination corresponding to the unlocked position may be varied by
simply changing the relative positions of the rings D and of the loose washers d.
This change can only be effected when the pin a is in the unlocked position that is
to say when all the grooves coincide or are in line and are temporarily retained
in that position. In the case of padlocks it is then simply necessary to screw
back the screw 1 sufficiently to admit of the ring being shifted round so as to
enable the screw v¹ to engage with another of the indentations x in the washer the
fact of the screw being placed opposite one of the indentations being indicated by
the click produced by the catch .c engaging with the corresponding recess or
indentation in the ring. In the case of other locks changes in the combinations
are preferably produced by manipulating the ring D so as to force the catch c out
of one recess or indentation into another. The combination presented after this
operation has been performed then represents the combination which must be
produced by means of the rings D and the stationary index or by the moveable
pointers and the stationary disc R in order to unlock the mechanism. The
number of combinations depends as in the case of other secret or combination
locks upon the number of signs marked upon the rings D or on the disc R and the
number of the rings D.

page_text: In addition to the facility afforded for instantaneously changing the combination
without taking the lock to pieces the locks or fastenings constructed according
to this Invention also present the important advantage of enabling the lock to be
locked or unlocked in the dark or without looking at the letters numbers or signs
thereon. When the rings D are caused to turn in order to produce the combination
required for unlocking a slight click is audible (at every fraction of a revolution
corresponding to a letter number or sign the said clicks being produced by the
catches c so that by counting the number of clicks it is possible to ascertain when
the proper sign is in position for forming the desired combination.
When the Invention is applied to a padlock as in the arrangement illustrated
in Figures 5, 6 and 7 the tube t is attached to a plate M to which is hinged a bow
or loop A provided with a projection S capable of engaging with a corresponding
recess or catch in a plate M₁ attached to the pin a which pin is prevented from
being entirely drawn out of the padlock by means of a screw or stop o.
Figure 8 is a vertical section and Figure 9 a front elevation representing the
same principle of construction applied to a box lock operated by pressing a knob
or handle b. In this case the tube t is secured to a barrel or socket E attached by
means of a screw and nut to the side of the box or other receptacle and provided
with a flange or disc R presenting a series of numbers or letters (Figure 9). The
rings D are retained in position by a collar f screwed on to the extremity of the
tube t and provided with a shoulder or bearing for a spring k acting on the inner
side of the cap or knob b which projects from the lock when the parts are in the
locked position.
The inner extremity of the pin a is provided with a screw m capable of being
regulated so as to protrude sufficiently to enable it to act upon a spring arm B
connected to a catch engaging with a staple p on the lid of the box. This lock
operates in a similar manner to the padlock represented in Figures 5, 6 and 7 that
is to say the pin a is incapable of being pressed inwards or moved in the direction
of its axis by means of the knob b except when grooves in the washers d have
been caused to coincide by turning the pointers i until they indicate the required
combination upon the disc R.
When it is desired to arrange the pin a for acting upon a bolt in the same
manner as a key the arrangement is modified as indicated in Figures 10 & 11
which represent vertical sections of a drawer lock constructed according to this
Invention. The pin a is bored out for the reception of an inner pin a' provided at
one extremity with a knob or handle c and at the opposite extremity with a
bitt p of any suitable form. The pin a' is capable of turning in the hollow pin a
but cannot move in the direction of its axis until the latter is freed by the
formation of the combination corresponding to the open position of the grooves in
the washers d and thereby enables the bitt p to be placed in position for acting
upon the bolt Q which is provided with a suitable retaining spring S.
Figure 12 represents a combination lock constructed and operating as herein before
described applied to a tap or cock and Figure 13 represents a bag fastening acting
on the same principle. In the latter case either one or both of the knobs bb' may
be manipulated in order to operate the lock or fastening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st In secret or combination locks or fastenings the employment of a series of
pairs of washers provided with spring catches enabling the combination to
be changed without taking the lock to pieces and also enabling the desired
combination to be formed without necessarily looking at the lock or fastening
all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
2nd The improved construction and arrangement of secret or combination
padlocks whereby the combination is enabled to be changed without taking the

page_text: lock to pieces and facility is afforded for unlocking the mechanism without looking
at the lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5, 6
and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
3rd In secret or combination locks or fastenings for boxes or other like receptacles
the employment of means for varying the combination and enabling the lock
to be unlocked without necessarily looking at the apparatus substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying
Drawings.
4th In secret or combination locks provided with a bolt operated by means of a
key or equivalent device as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 10
and 11 the employment of means for varying the combination without taking the
lock to pieces and enabling the mechanism to be unlocked without necessarily
looking at the lock substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
5th In secret or combination locks for taps or valves arranged as illustrated in
Figure 12 the employment of means for varying the combinations without taking
the lock to pieces and enabling the mechanism to be unlocked without necessarily
looking at the lock substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
6th In secret or combination locks or fastenings for bags and other like receptacles
arranged as illustrated in Figure 13 the employment of means for varying the
combinations without taking the lock to pieces and enabling the mechanism to be
unlocked without necessarily looking at the lock substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 9th day of July 1884.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincolns Inn Fields, London, W.C.