Improvements in Combination Locks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
COME LEIE DIMITIVATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JULES BOIS, of 31, Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, Lyon,
in the Republic of France, Notary.]
Improvements in Combination Locks.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to a keyless combination lock which is adapted to be used
for locking various articles, such as belts, chains, account books, pocket books,
money bage, portmanteaus and the like. As the principle upon which the con-
struction of this lock is based is the same for these various applications I will
confine myself to describe and represent the same by way of example as applied to
a belt.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figures 1 and 2 show an elevation and a plan of this lock mounted upon the belt.
Figure 3 shows a section taken on the line 1-2 of Figure 2.
Figures 4 and 5 are plans explanatory of the operation, the upper closing plate
of the lock being in these figures supposed to have been removed.
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 represent views of some parts of the lock.
This lock substantially comprises:
-
(1.) A box A in which I arrange the combination system and the bolt herein-
after referred to. It has on the prolongations of its sides at one extremity an
axis a upon which is slid and fixed by sewing or otherwise one of the sides of the
belt to be locked, and at the other extremity an ordinary tongue B designed to
engage with one of the holes in the belt, and a rocking part C which when the lock
is closed is turned back upon the tongue (position Figure 3) and held in this
position by the bolt of the lock, thus preventing the disengagement of the tongue
from the belt. This part C which, articulated at o and having for example the
shape represented in Figures 2 and 3, carries an arm forming a prolongation which is
bent twice at its extremity, first downwards and then inwards in order to enable the
bolt to take above this extremity and prevent it from being raised to disengage the
tongue from the belt. In lieu of a single bolt use may be made of two; in this
case the part C carries at each of its extremities a curved arm instead of the single
one mentioned.
The box A has on each of its other two sides an opening for the passage and the
operation of the combination system. This box A is closed by means of a plate D,
Figures 2, 3-and 6, which, being provided with a catch E pivoted at e, can be
removed from the lock, for changing for instance the combination, only when the
bolt is moved to the rear, that is to say when the lock is open. This plate D is⚫
held at the rear by a tenon or tongue s adapted to engage with a slot provided in
the corresponding side of the box, and in front by the said catch E adapted to
engage with a corresponding opening formed on the other opposite side of the box,
which catch can be brought to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 6,
that is to say disengaged from the box A, only when the lock is open. The
plate D has on its under side a partition d cut out in its middle, which separates
the combination system from the bolt of the lock.
(2.) The combination system constituted by plates G which may be changed at
will and varied in number according to the number of combinations it is desired to

page_text: have at disposal. These plates, which in the lock represented are four in number,
present on the side towards which they must be drawn a bent party for enabling
them to be operated easily. They are also provided on one of their faces with
teeth x serving as marks for their engagement across the box of the lock, and with
a recess g' in which the bolt can freely move back, that is to say open the lock when
all the recesses in the plates correspond.
These several plates are held in the position which each of them is caused to
occupy by springs H, Figure 9, formed of slightly curved strips of metal, which are
interposed between each two plates and separate them from each other."
In order
that as broad springs as possible may be used without interfering with the back
movement of the bolt, recesses have been provided.
(3.) The bolt N of the lock, represented more particularly in detail Figure 7.
This bolt, which is here actuated by the aid of the head or knob n fitted to be
displaced in a slot formed in the plate D, carries upon its opposite face a tongue n¹
which enables the bolt to disengage the rocking part C only when this tongue can
pass at the same time through all the recesses g' in the plates G.
When after the recesses in the plates have been provided at the desired place
the lock is to be opened at certain numbers the latter are placed in the box A in the
desired order so that the several figures by their grouping may constitute the number
chosen, for example 1324. All the recesses' having being put in correspondence,
I mount the bolt, taking care to engage the tongue n' with these recesses; then I
fix the closing plate D, causing the tenons and the catch E to engage with the
corresponding sides of the box of the lock. The belt having been tightened and
engaged with the tongue, the rocking part C is turned back upon the latter
(position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3), then the bolt moved forward in order
to be placed above the extremity of this rocking part and prevent it from being
raised the several plates are then completely engaged with the box of the lock, as
shown in Figure 1, which has the effect of fixing the combination. For opening the
lock afterwards it will be sufficient first to completely draw back all the plates on
each side, then cause the plate having a recess for the figure 1 (designated by i in
the drawing) to engage with one tooth in the interior of the box; next cause the
plate having a recess for the figure 3 (designated by 2) to engage with three
teeth; then cause the plate having a recess which corresponds to the figure 2
(designated by 3) to engage with two teeth, and so forth with all the plates so as to
bring all their recesses in correspondence and permit the tongue in the back
movement of the bolt to pass at the same time through all the recesses (Figure 5),
which back movement, being effected by the aid of the knob n releases the part C
which is then raised in order to cause the tongue B to disengage from the hole in
the belt into which it had originally been passed.
According to the number of combinations it is desired to have or the difficulties
to be raised in the opening of the lock I may employ a greater or smaller number
of plates and provide these with a greater number of notches, which latter and the
recess may be formed either on the same side or on both sides of the plates. The
engagement of the plates with the interior of the box is effected by the aid of the
notches in the plates and a bevel on the side of the box against which the teeth are
allowed to escape. If desired each notch may be numbered.
It may be observed that the belt provided with such a system of lock can be
employed simply as an ordinary belt, that is to say using only the tongue, which in
this case, instead of taking below the part C, is left above.
As before stated the construction of this lock may be varied according to the
uses to which it is to be applied; thus for account books the axis a will be dispensed
with and replaced for example by a plate mounted by a hinge and connecting the
box of the lock with the cover of the book. The tongue B-and part C will
likewise be dispensed with and replaced by a suitable ring or the like fixed
"to the opposite cover, with which the bolt or other kind of hook of the
lock engages.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In locks the arrangement of movable plates, variable in number and
changeable at will, which plates being provided with notches and a recess constitute
the combination system, substantially as herein before set forth.
Second. In locks the combination, with movable plates provided with notches, a
recess and a spring, of a bolt which can be operated for opening the lock only when
all the recesses in the said plates are brought opposite each other, substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
Third. In locks the combination, with movable plates provided with notches, a
recess and a spring, of a rocking part C imprisoning the tongue passed into the belt
until all the recesses in the said plates have been brought into the same plane,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Fourth. The application of a combination lock to belts, chains, account books,
pocket books, money bags, portmanteaus and the like, substantially as described
and represented.
1
1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.