Locks – Operating mechanism – Combination
Patent
1985-07-24
1988-01-12
Wolfe, Robert L.
Locks
Operating mechanism
Combination
70332, 70445, E05B 3716
Patent
active
047182601
DESCRIPTION:
DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In this embodiment a combination lock 10 has a hollow cup-like base 11 with a central plunger 12 therein. The base 11 contains two internal plunger guide surfaces, the lower one 14 of which guides a stem 15 of the central plunger 12 and the upper one 16 of which guides an outer cylindrical surface 17 of the intermediate portion 20 of the central plunger 12. The central plunger 12 is movable within the base both for rotational movement and for sliding movement against base spring 18, but the uppermost portion of the central plunger 12 is a larger diameter portion 19 than intermediate portion 20 and between the uppermost portion 19 and the intermediate portion 20 is a shoulder 21 which, upon inward (reset) movement of the central plunger 12, abuts the upper and outer end of the cup-like base 11 to arrest such movement.
The base 11 also has an inwardly directed annulus 24 which projects radially inwardly from its skirt 25, the annulus having a plurality of part-round notches 26 which extend radially outwardly from its inner peripheral edge 27, the base notches 26 being arranged to subdivide a pitch circle equally, except for one "blank" space (designated 28 in FIG. 3) where no notch exists.
A plurality of lock plungers 31 are carried in apertures 29 in the central plunger 12, the upper portions of the lock plungers being contained by aperture walls in the central plunger which are similarly arranged on a pitch circle except for the one blank space 28, so that when co-axially aligned, the apertures of the plunger can also be aligned with the half round notches 26 of the cup-like base 11.
Each of some of the lock plungers 31 within the central base is provided with a pair of plunger notches 33, the lower notch 33 extending to the inner end and having a flat surface which divides that lower end into a semi-circular portion (FIG. 7), and the other (upper) notch an intermediate notch outward of the lower notch, again dividing the plunger into another semi-circular portion, and each lock plunger 31 also has a pair of circular grooves 34 which selectively engage resilient means (a spring loaded ball 35) within the central plunger 12 so that each lock plunger can snap into one of two alternative positions.
The projection 38 which exists between the two notches 33 of each lock plunger 31 is arranged so that it can either be in the same plane as the base annulus 24, or between the base annulus 24 and a reset surface 39 which is co-axial with the annulus and has the same diameter, in such a way that the lock plunger can occupy only one position where its notches allow free rotational movement with respect to the annulus. However, some of the lock plungers 31, (as shown in FIG. 5), do not have projections, but are provided with one notch only, so that, if incorrectly depressed, they prohibit rotation of the central plunger. FIG. 7 illustrates three such conditions in the full black circles.
There is provided a cup-like selection knob 42 having a skirt 22 surrounding larger diameter portion 19 of plunger 12, and also having with a push pin 43 depending from an inner flat surface, the push pin being selectively aligned with any one of the lock plungers 31 or positionable over the blank area. When positioned over the blank area depression of the selection knob urges the central plunger 12 inwardly against spring 18, whereupon the inner ends of lock plungers 31 abut the reset surface 39, returning the lock plungers 31 to an original position (FIG. 4). The selection knob 42 is retained for both its axial and rotational movement by the head 44 of a threaded stem 45 which contains a female thread engageable by an elongate screw threaded member 46 which fastens through the lock assembly. The lower end of the central plunger stem is bifurcate at 47, and this provides means for controlling the opening or closing of a lock catch, the surfaces defining the bifurcate portion 47 engaging the catch in a manner similar to that in common lock catches. There is also provided a "C" spring 48 contain
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patent: 577301 (1897-02-01), Heacock
patent: 918200 (1909-04-01), Roche
patent: 1352890 (1920-09-01), Ganss
patent: 2143419 (1939-01-01), Ladizinsky
patent: 2167205 (1939-07-01), Heyer
patent: 2558619 (1951-06-01), Lehman
patent: 2920473 (1960-01-01), Hansen
patent: 3274810 (1966-09-01), Traversa et al.
patent: 3961506 (1976-06-01), Perez
patent: 4358942 (1982-11-01), Mattson
Australian patent application Ser. No. 77,731/81 filed on Nov. 20, 1981 and published on May 27, 1982.
Larking Andrew R.
Swincer Richard N.
Bott Craig R.
Gall Lloyd A.
Larking Andrew R.
Swincer Richard N.
Wolfe Robert L.
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