IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMUTATION LOCKS AND THE DIALS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julian Randolph Nottingham, of the City of Washington,
in the District of Columbia, and United States of America, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMUTATION LOCKS AND THE DIALS FOR THE SAME
A communication by George Maltby Hathaway of Jersey City in the County
of Hudson and State of New Jersey United States of America
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julian Randolph Nottingham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th January 1882.
JULIAN RANDOLPH NOTTINGHAM of the City of Washington in the District of
Columbia and United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMUTATION
LOCKS AND THE DIALS FOR THE SAME" A communication from George Maltby
Hathaway of Jersey City in the County of Hudson and State of New York,
United States of America
The objects of this Invention are:
First to produce a practical safe permutation lock: Second To lock the combi-
nation by a novel auxiliary lock thereby securing the dial against manipulation by
evil disposed persons who may desire to work out by experiment the main
combination for future use in opening the safe, vault or other receptacle upon
which the lock is placed.
Expert evidence in this art is to the effect that nearly every permutation lock
may be opened if the operator has time and patience to experiment until he finds
either by touch or by accident the combination. Hence if a bank vault or safe is
closed after business hours, the burglar must learn the combination by the manipu-
lation of the dial and put the combination "on" before business hours upon the
following day, say in the space of 12 hours, before he can effect his purpose
It is therefore not only desirable but necessary that the dial should not be
subject to manipulation and an obvious way to prevent such manipulation is to
lock the dial in its bearings against rotary motion.
It is also necessary or at least obvious that the means for locking the dial
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337

page_text: should not be readily apparent either to denote its use or to invite suspicion or
conjecture and that this means should be sufficiently complex to be difficult to a
ready understanding of the saine, the cost in this art being always subordinate to
safety and convenience.
I have also discovered that the dises ordinarily employed give an unnecessary
amount of frictional surface and hence results the use of friction springs
This Invention is designed not only to avoid the use of disks but to do away
with the use of friction springs and thus render the construction cheaper and more
reliable.
The Invention consists firstly in the use of four, more or less, concentric rings,
which revolve in concentric recesses, one set of each being in the dial and one on
the lock proper. Secured. upon the shaft or stem of both the main and auxiliary
lock is an operating ring having a recess with one abrupt and one inclined side.
This operating ring has an external pin and the outer ring has an internal pin,
while the intervening rings are provided with pins extending radially through
them and projecting upon either side.
These pins are intended to abut against each other and to allow the proper
adjustment to complete the combination. Each ring is provided with an edge
recess in which operates an arm having a pivotal shank, in each lock, the shank
in each case abutting against a spiral or other spring contained in proper
sockets.
After the combination is "on," the concentric ring allows the arms to manipulate
the bolt in either lock, but a forced movement in the same direction which pro-
trudes the bolt forces the arm to ride up the incline in the recess of the operating
ring until it rests upon the edge of the rings, the constant force of the springs.
having been overcome sufficiently to allow such movement.
The arms in each lock will then ride idly upon the faces of the rings until the
recesses register and the combination is " on when the spring action forces the
arm in the ring recesses when the oscillation of the rings will allow the desired
reciprocation of the bolts.
The larger or main operating ring is secured to its shaft by small connecting
corrugations or serrations between the ring and shaft and by a headed screw, the
head face of which is provided with radial corrugations that correspond with
similar serrations upon the main operating arm. This construction of serrations
upon the stem or shaft allows an almost infinite number of changes in the combi-
'nation, while the corrugations upon the arm & screw allows a lighter spring to
give sufficient engaging contact
Each spring it will be observed acts independently with but a minimum quantity
of friction and all frictional springs are dispensed with.
The Invention further consists in a dial plate, in the back or concave side of
which is guided a slide bolt or equivalent mechanism operated by a series of
permutation disks within the dial disk or frame.
The knob operates the main spindle and in a recess in the knob I conceal a
smaller dial having a short spindle and by these means I manipulate the dial bolt
to lock the main combination "off."
The safe being locked and the combination thrown "off" the auxiliary lock is
manipulated until the dial bolt is received in a proper keeper and the dial locked
fast. The auxiliary combination is then thrown "off" and the auxiliary dial
forced in the knob, which then has the ordinary appearance, no indication being
visible that the main dial and knob are not of the ordinary construction.
In any event the work of the burglar is considerably more than doubled as he
must learn the construction, then work out the auxiliary combination and then
work out the main combination before he can succeed in opening the door.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Julian Randolph Nottingham in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th July 1882.
JULIAN RANDOLPH NOTTINGHAM of the City of Washington in the District of
Columbia and United States of America "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMUTATION.
LOCKS AND THE DIALS FOR THE SAME." A coinmunication from George Maltby
Hathaway of Jersey City in the County of Hudson and State of New Jersey United
States of America
My Invention relates to permutation locks adapted for service upon safes, desks,.
vaults, doors, trunks and the like.
The object of the Invention is not only to produce a practically safe permutation-
lock but also to lock the combination. by an auxiliary combination and to secure
the dial against manipulation by mischievous persons who may be desirous to work
out by experiment the combination for future service. Experts in this art have.
demonstrated that nearly every permutation-lock may be opened if the operator
has time and patience. Hence, when a bank vault or safe is closed after business
hours the burglar must learn the combination by the manipulation of the dial and
put the combination "on" before business hours upon the following day-say in
a space of twelve hours. In such case it is desirable that the manipulation of the.
dial plate should be prevented, and an obvious way would be to lock the dial in
its bearings against turning. This being the object in view it is evidently desirable
that the means for locking the dial should not be readily apparent, either to denote
its use or invite conjecture, and that the means should be sufficiently complex to
be difficult to avoid, the cost in this art always being subordinate to safety and
convenience.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, I have shown the auxiliary permutation lock applicable to
any style of main permutation lock and Figure 1 shows the same in perspective
partly in section.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section and Figure 3 a rear view thereof, and Fig. 4 shows
a modified construction of bolt.
In Figures 5 to 14, I have shown the auxiliary permutation lock as applied to
my improved main permutation lock.
•
Figures 5 & 6 showing the same in horizontal and transverse sections.
respectively.
Fig. 7 & 8 are bottom plan views of the main lock frame, the cap in the
former Figure being removed and the latter Figure showing the concentric rings
and pawl-arm.
Figure 9 is a similar view showing the concentric recesses and Figures 10, 11,
12, 13, & 14 are detail views.
In order that my Invention may be better understood, I will first describe the
construction of the auxiliary lock as applied to any style of permutation lock
referring to Figs 1, 2 3 & 4 in which like letters indicate like parts.
This part of the Invention consists in a dial plate in the back or concave side;
of which is guided a slide bolt or equivalent mechanism operated by a series of
permutation disks within the dial disk or frame. The knob operates the main-;
spindle and in a recess in the knob I conceal a smaller dial baving a short spindle,
and by these means, I manipulate the dial-bolt to lock the main combination" off."
The safe being locked and the combination thrown off, the auxiliary lock is.

page_text: manipulated until the dial-bolt is received into a proper keeper and the dial
locked fast. The auxiliary combination is then thrown off, and the auxiliary dial
forced in the knob, which then has the ordinary appearance, no indication being
visible that the main dial and knob are not of the ordinary construction.
In any event the work of the burglar is considerably more than doubled, as he
must learn the construction, then work out the auxiliary combination, and then work
out the main combination before he can succeed in opening the door. But with my!
construction I attain still greater and more advantageous results than merely
duplicating the permutation mechanisms, and to a great extent modify the necessity
of expensive and complicated time locks.
In a bank for. instance, the main combination may be given to one of the
employés and the auxiliary combination to another.
If by any circumstance either of the parties should prove unfaithful to his trust,
the other party is a check against him; or if either of them should be overpowered
and the combination be extorted from him, the burglar is but half successful,
which, in this case, would be utter failure. It is obvious, also, that one party may
have both combinations, that either lock may be left with the combination.off in
case of only temporary absence, and that a knowledge of both combinations is
necessary to a ready admittance to the vault, whether in the possession of one or
two individuals.
A represents the main dial, rigid with knob A', having a threaded flange, a,
perforated at a'; and B, a spindle plate having threaded periphery to operate in
the flange a, and having permutation connections with a main bolt and keeper,
which are of ordinary construction, and therefore are not shown in the Drawings,
by which the safe or other door is locked or unlocked at will by those who have
the combination. The dial-disk, A is concave upon its rear side, and between it
and the spindle plate B, is an auxiliary lock chamber C, in which are located a
series of permutation disks D.
To a stud e, is secured a duplex spring E, one arm of which is divided into
fingers e', one for each disk, and the other arm E¹, serves with a constant force to
hold a slide bolt, F, operating between guides f, and through the aperture, a¹, in
the flange, a, in contact with the disks, and into the slots or recesses when they
register
The disks are held against turning upon an auxiliary spindle G, having an
auxiliary dial H which fits snugly in the knob A'. This spindle G and dial H
may be pulled out of the knob and the disks be operated to control the bolt F at
will. The operation of the device is obvious from the foregoing description.
Modifications may be employed in details of construction without departing from
the principle or affecting the advantages of the Invention. For instance, as shown
in Fig. 4 the slide bolt F is in duplex form, one portion f', operating within the
other portion f. The spring E forces the bolt in the disk-recesses and out of the
keeper as soon as said recesses register; but if the auxiliary combination is off and
the bolt is held outward by the disks the door may be readily closed without with-
drawing the bolt F the part, f¹ of the bolt passing into the portion f2 as the force
of the spring f³ is overcome.
I attach importance to the spring E serving, as it does, with a constant force to
withdraw the bolt from the keeper and to force it within the disk-recesses, thereby
obviating the necessity of turning a knob or the like to retract the bolt from
the keeper after the combination is thrown on. In other words the bolt is
automatically withdrawn as soon as the combination is placed on by the action of
this spring.
I deem it important to conceal the auxiliary locking means and to have the knob
and dial present the appearance of an ordinary permutation lock.
I will now describe my improved main permutation lock and its combination
with an auxiliary or secondary permutation lock referring to Figs 5 to 14 in
which like letters indicate like parts..

page_text: I have discovered that the disks ordinarily employed in this art give an
unnecessary amount of frictional surface, and hence results the employment of
friction-springs.
This part of the Invention is designed not only to avoid the use of disks but to
absolutely do away with the use of friction-springs, and thus render the construction
cheaper and more reliable.
The auxiliary permutation or combination lock having been fully described
herein before will be readily understood by reference thereto and I will limit the
description thereof to such parts only as require modification in their construction
in order to adapt the same for application to and operation with the improved main
lock.
This part of the Invention consists essentially in four (more or less) concentric
rings, which revolve in concentric recesses, one set of each being in the dial and one
in the lock proper.
Secured upon the shaft or stem of both the main and auxiliary lock is an
operating-ring having a recess with one abrupt and one inclined side. This
operating ring has an external pin, and the outer ring has an internal pin, while
the intervening rings are provided with pins extending radially through them and
projecting upon either side. These pins are intended to abut against each other,
as shown and to allow the proper adjustment to complete the combination. Each
ring is provided with an edge recess, in which operates an arm having a pivotal
shank in each lock, the shank in each case abutting against a spiral or other spring
contained in proper sockets, as will be shown. After the combination is on, the
concentric rings allow the arms to manipulate the bolt in either lock; but a forced
movement in the same direction which protrudes the bolt forces the arm to ride up
the incline in the recess in the operating ring until it rests upon the edge of the
rings; the constant force of the springs having been overcome sufficiently to allow
such movement. The arms in each lock will then ride idly upon the faces of the
rings until the recesses register and the combinations are on, when the action of
the springs forces the arms into the ring-recesses, and the oscillations of the rings
will allow the desired reciprocation of the bolts. The larger or main operating-
ring is secured to its shaft by small connecting corrugations or serrations between
the ring and shaft, and by a headed screw, the head-face of which is provided with
radial corrugations which correspond with similar corrugations upon the main
operating arm.
It will
This construction of these serrations upon the stem or shaft allows an almost
infinite number of changes in the combination, while the corrugations upon the
arm and screw allow a lighter spring to give sufficient engaging contact.
also be observed that each spring acts independently with but a minimum quantity
of friction, and that all frictional springs are dispensed with. It being understood
that the rings and locking devices are approximately similar in each lock, I will,
for convenience describe the main lock and refer to the other simply by letter.
A represents the main or inner lock, having sleeve, a, bolt-socket a¹, cap A'
and duplex screw-sockets a³, by means of which the said cap A' is secured to the
said main lock This cap carries a spring-socket, b, in which is located a spiral or
other spring b¹, which bears against the shank 6 of the pawl-arm, B, and serves to
force it into the edge-recesses c of a series of concentric rings C, which rotate, or
oscillate in concentric recesses C in the main lock-frame A, and which are provided
with abutting lugs or pins c³, that is to say, to rotate the disks until the recesses c
register, when the pawl arm B is forced therein by the action of the spring b','
The main lock end of the shaft E is provided with longitudinal serrations or
corrugations e which correspond with a similar internal formation f, upon the
inner or operating main ring F, which is provided with a recess f¹, having an
abrupt side f, and an inclined side f³, as shown, and which is secured to the said
main shaft by a screw G, having radial serrations g, which engage with the cor-
responding radial serrations b³ upon the pawl-arm B. The inclined side ƒ³ of

page_text: the recess f¹ serves to throw the pawl-arm B outward when the main bolt H has
reached its extreme throw, when the said pawl-arm B is thrown into engagement
with an inclined recess h, in bolt H, which tends to lock said bolt against retraction.
The pawl arm B also operates between two bearing-lugs h', and the shank of the
bolt is provided with a slot, h², one end of which abuts either against the shank of
the pawl arm B or against the socket-lug a³. The corrugated surfaces upon the.
pawl arm B and screw G, allow a spring b₁ of light strength to serve in the
socket, b, said surfaces engaging in such a manner as to secure an efficient engaging
contact. The construction of the auxiliary permutation lock is similar in relative
device to that described, as belonging to the main lock; except as relates to the
roughened or corrugated surfaces g, b³.
Hence the said auxiliary lock will be briefly described thus:
M represents the dial-plate, having a keeper m, and, N, the dial having bolt-
socket n, concentric recesses N¹, and screw-lugs, by which the plate N' is secured
thereto.
O represents the concentric rings, having pins o and recesses o¹, similar to those.
already described in the main lock. The outer end of the main stem is provided.
with a spring socket x which contains a a spring ¹ which bears against the
shank r, of the arm or pawl R_S represents the auxiliary knob or disk, and, S¹,
the operating-ring secured thereto,
Modifications in details of construction may be made without departing from the
principle or sacrificing the advantages of my Invention, the essential features of
which have been fully explained, and shown in the Drawings.
It will be observed that the stems or shanks of both locks are provided with
longitudinal serrations or corrugations as shown at e, and coact with a similar
construction upon the parts, as at f, and this relative and exact system of engaging
corrugations in each lock, allows a multiplicity of changes in the combinations by a
simple change in the relative positions of each engaging pair of serrated surfaces
between the shanks and the operating-ring.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner in which the same may be
carried into practical effect, I claim as new:
1st In a permutation lock, a concealed auxiliary permutation lock within the
main dial, and adapted to lock said main-dial against manipulation.
2nd In a safe lock, the combination of duplex dials, spindles, disks, & knobs,
one concealed within the other and one adapted to lock the dial of the other when
the combination is off,
3rd The combination of the main dial A and knob A' and a main locking
mechanism, the bolt F, spindle G and auxiliary knob and, dial concealed within
the knob A¹ and the duplex spring E as specified and shown Figs. 1, 2 & 3
4th In a permutation lock, a pawl-arm for moving and locking the bolt,
combined with a socket spring, whereby said arm is made to engage the operating-
shaft, the recessed concentric rings, and the operating ring adapted to permit said
arm to manipulate said bolt, and the bolt provided with recesses and slot, as
described, all arranged to operate as specified and shown in Figures 5 to 14.
5th In combination with the lock-frame A, having a series of concentric
recesses C¹, the concentric rings C; c, c¹ the operating ring. F, f, the pawl arm B
and bolt H, provided with recesses and a slot h2, whereby the throw of said bolt
is limited by the shank of the pawl arm and socket-lug a, substantially as specified
and shown in Figs. 5 to 14
6th The combination, with the primary and secondary locks having concentric 5
recesses and concentric rings as described of the connecting stem or shaft, the
operating spring-arms the operating-ring and the slotted and recessed bolt in the
secondary lock, all arranged to operate substantially as specified in Figures 5
to 14.
7th The main shaft E, having serration e, and the operating ring, F, f, combined. 5

page_text: with the serrated screw with the arm B, having serration 6³, and with a spring as
set forth and shown in Figures 5 to 14.
In witness whereof, I the said Julian Randolph Nottingham have hereunto,
set my hand and seal this 16th day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two,
JULIAN RANDOLPH NOTTINGHAM. (L.S.)