Key and permutation operated cabinet lock

March 31, 1936. _{D M BELL} 2,035,781

KEY AND -PERMUTATION OPERATED CABINET LOCK

Filed Dec. 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US2035781A_D0001.tif" />

March 31, 1936.

D. M. BELL

2,035,781

KEY AND PERMUTATION OPERATED CABINET LOCK

Filed Dec. 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US2035781A_D0002.tif" />

Patented Mar. 31, 1936

2,035,781

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,035,781

KEY AND PERMUTATION OPERATED CABINET LOCK

Dillwyn M. Bell, River Forest, Ill., assignor to Dudley Lock Corporation, Chicago, III., a corporation of Illinois

Application December 5, 1933, Serial No. 701,023

Claims.

This invention relates to a lock designed for various uses, primarily in connection with cabinet work, as for example, on desk or laboratory drawers or on doors of cupboards, lockers and the like.

It includes both key-operated mechanism and a permutation or combination” mechanism so arranged that the bolt may be actuated by either mechanism independently of the other, and it also includes an arrangement by which the combina10 tion may be altered without dismounting or opening the lock casing, but requiring the use of a key, which is not merely a tool for resetting the combination, but which can only be used in the resetting operation after it has operated a cylinder 15 lock. This may be the same key-operated lock which controls the bolt. The invention therefore consists in the combination of certain features and elements of both lock mechanisms, as herein shown and described, and as indicated by the 20 claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cabinet lock embodying this invention as it appears before mounting in the door or drawer which it controls. 25 Figure 2 is a side elevation of the lock, but indicates in section the position of the door frame or drawer front with which it is associated.

Figure 3 is a partially sectional and partially · disassembled view on a larger scale, showing the 30 operating knob and certain other parts withdrawn axially from the remaining parts, said withdrawn portion of the view being rotated 180 degrees as compared with the remainder of the view.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken as indi35 cated at line 4—4 on Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken at the same plane as Figure 4 but looking in the opposite direction, as indicated by arrows 5—5 on Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken as indi40 cated at line 6—S on Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an axial section showing mainly the same parts as Figure 3, but in the position in which the permutation mechanism has been ad_4g justed preparatory to withdrawing the bolt.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken similarly to Figure 7, but showing the bolt withdrawn by the key-operated mechanism, and also showing the parts adjusted for resetting the combination.

Figure 9 is a transverse section taken as indicated at line 9—9 on Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section similar to Figure 9 but showing the bolt-operating crank in locking position, being taken at line 10—10 on 55 Figure?.

(CI. 70—53)

Figure 11 is a rear elevation of the lock on the same scale as Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the regular key for the lock.

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the special reset 5 key employed in changing the combination.

Locks of the type to which this invention relates are frequently employed in large installations, as for example, in school laboratories or in shops or factories where each pupil or workman has a 10 locker or bench drawer in which he may keep clothing or tools. The operating “combinations” of the permutation locks employed on the individual drawers or lockers may be all different, and each workman or pupil will normally know only 15 the combination giving access to his own locker. It is desirable, however, that the instructor or superintendent in charge shall have access to all the drawers or lockers, particularly if they contain tools or equipment belonging to the school or shop. ₂₀For this purpose each lock is provided with a keyactuated mechanism, and these mechanisms may be arranged so that all of the locks may be opened by a single key, which, in this case, becomes a “master key”. This illustrates simply one use of a 25 lock of this character, which may be actuated either by permutation mechanism or by means of a key, but it should be understood that the utility of such a lock is not confined to cases where a large number of locks are all arranged for opera- 30 tion by the same key.

Where the drawer or locker is frequently reassigned to a new pupil or to another workman, it is desirable that the combination of the lock which has been memorized by the last user be 35 changed upon such reassignment. This could be done by taking the lock apart and inserting- different elements in the permutation mechanism, but the present invention greatly simplifies this procedure by providing a special reset key which 40 is inserted in the same manner as the regular key, and is then manipulated to disengage the interior mechanism of the permutation lock from the external knob by which it is operated. This permits the knob to be shifted into a different 45 relation to the internal mechanism and reconnected so that the scale readings constituting the so-called “combination”, and representing the necessary adjustments of the knob for opening the lock, will be altered. ₅₀

As shown in the drawings, the lock mechanism is housed mainly in a cylindrical casing, I, which is secured to an angular mounting plate, 2, provided with holes, 3, to receive securing screws by which it is attached to the inner face of the 55

2,030,781 '2 member, 4, on which, the lock is mounted. Said member requires merely a circular opening to receive the cylindrical casing, i, and a shallow rabbeting in which the plate, 2, is mounted flush 5 with the other surfaces of the member, 4. The bolt, 5, reciprocates against the inner surface of the back plate, 2^a, of the part, 2, and in locking position is projected through a slot, 2^b, in the flange, 2^C, of said plate. In Figures 1, 2 and 10 8, the bolt is shown in withdrawn or unlocked position.

It may be understood that the bolt, 5, is actuated by a crank arm, 6, projecting from the rear or inner end of the tumbler barrel or plug, 7 whose 15 slidable tumblers, 8, are normally interlocked with grooves in the cylinder, 9, of the key lock mechanism. The plug includes a central spindle, 80, which is rigid with it, so that upon insertion of the proper key in the key slot, i I, of the 20 spindle, SO, the tumblers, 8, are withdrawn out of engagement with the slots in the cylinder, 9, and the plug, 7, may be turned so as to move the crank, 6, through a sufficient arc to withdraw the bolt, 5, to the position shown in Figure 8. 25 A suitable key for this purpose is shown at 12, in Figure 12, though it may be understood that keys and tumblers of other specific types may be substituted.

The cylinder, 9, is interlocked with a cylindri30 cal ring, 13, by means of lugs, 14, on the inner end of the latter engaging notches, 15, in the former, and the cylinder, i3, is normally held against rotation in the casing, I, by engagement of its grooves, 16, with lugs, 17, projecting in35 wardly from the walls of said cylinder near its outer end. The cylinder, 13, encompasses the permutation disks, 18, 19 and 20, which are journaled for rotation on the spindle, 10, of the key lock, and are provided with the usual inter40 engaging lugs, 21, by which rotation may be transmitted from one tumbler to the next, and so on, for adjusting them into proper relation to each other to permit actuating the bolt by the permutation mechanism. Each tumbler disk, as 45 shown in Figure 5, is formed with three notches, 22, and the cylinder, 13, is formed with three sets of inwardly projecting lugs, 23, spaced apart by unequal angular intervals, which are the same intervals as betwen centers of the three notches, 22, 50 of each of the disks. These intervals are such that there is only one position in which the notches, 22, of one of the disks may be registered with the lugs, 23, of the cylinder, 13. It may be noted from Figure 5 that two of the notches, 55 22, are fairly close together. In Figure 3 these are the notches which appear in the edges of disks, 18, 19 and 20, and for purposes of illustration this view shows the cylinder, 13, in section, and as though it had been rotated 180 degrees 60 from the position in which its lugs, 23, would register with the notches, 22, of the disks. Thus the two sets of lugs, 23, whch are the closer together, are seen on the inner surface of the cylinder, 13, as here shown.

The outer tumbler, 28, is operatively engaged with a collar, 24, on the spindle, 10, by means of a lug, 25, on said collar fitting in a notch, 26, of the disk, 20. Said collar includes a pair of lugs, 27, projecting forwardly for engagement 70 with notches, 28, in the inner end of the knob, 29. The barrel portion of the knob carries scale markings at 30 which register with a fixed index, 31, on the beveled end surface, 32, of the casing cylinder, 1. This end of the casing provides a 75 shoulder, 33, which engages a flange, 34, on the knob member for retaining the latter rotatively in the casing. The extreme inner end surface, 35, of the knob member bears against the end of the cylinder, 13, and when by manipulation of the knob the permutation tumbler disks, 18, 19 5 and 20, have been adjusted with their notches, 22, in alignment and with said notches positioned also in alignment with the corresponding lugs, 23, of the cylinder, 13, the knob, 29, may be pushed in until its flange, 34, strikes the lugs, 10 17, which results in disengaging the grooves, 16, of the cylinder, 13, from said lugs. This axial movement of the cylinder, 13, shifts its lugs, 23, into the planes occupied by the disks, 18,19 and 20 respectively, the lugs inter-engaging with the 15 notches, 22, of said disks. Therefore, if, after the knob, 29, has been pushed inwardly in axial direction, it is rotated, the outer disk, 20, of the permutation series which is engaged with the knob through the lug, 25, will be turned, and it 20 will rotate the cylinder, 13, by reason of engagement of the lugs, 23, in notches, 22, of the disk. The cylinder, 13, being inter-locked with the cylinder, 9, will turn the latter, and said cylinder being normally engaged with the plug, 7, through 25 the tumblers, 8, will turn the plug and with it. the crank, 6. This will bring the parts to the positions shown in Figure 8 with the crank, 6, at the lowest point of its range, at which position it withdraws the bolt, 5, completely. 30

The inward movement of the cylinder, 13, and cylinder, 9, is accomplished in opposition to the yielding pressure exerted by springs, 36, pocketed in the cylinder, 9, and acting through plungers, 37, against a plate, 38, which is secured loosely 35 on the end of the plug or barrel, 7, by the overhanging edge of a washer, 39, affixed thereto. A spring-pressed plunger, 40, pocketed in the end of the barrel, 7, bears frictionally against the bolt, 5, to ensure smooth operation thereof with- 40 out undue play, and also to hold the barrel, 7, against unintentional rotation when the tumblers, 8, are withdrawn by the key. When the cylinder, 13, and cylinder, 9, have been pushed inwardly by the knob, 29, and rotated into posi- 45 tion for withdrawing the bolt, 5, they will remain in this position because the lugs, 17, prevent return movement of the parts in axial direction until the knob is turned back to its initial position so as to register the grooves, 16, of the cylinder, 50 13, with the lugs, 17, once more, thus permitting the springs, 36, to force the parts back.

Figure 12 illustrates the regular master key, 12, employed for operating the lock by direct rotation of the plug or barrel, 7, without manipulat- 55 ing the permutation tumblers. When this key is inserted through the annular knob, 29, its shoulder, 42, strikes the annular shoulder, 41, in said knob, thus limiting the insertion of the key at the correct position for engagement of its lateral 60 grooves, 43, with the inwardly projecting lugs or nibs, 8^a on the tumblers. For actuating the parts to alter the combination of the lock, a separate key, shown at 44, is provided, as shown in Figure 13. This key has a portion, 45, be- 65 tween its main shank and its handle, which portion is dimensioned to pass through the knob, 29, beyond the plane of the shoulder, 41, bringing the shoulder, 46, of the key into contact with the end of the hub, 47, of the collar, 24, which 70 hub extends flush with the end of the spindle, 10. Insertion of the key, 44, to this position, as illustrated in Figure 8, brings the grooves, 43^a, of said key into position for withdrawing the tumblers, 8, of the barrel, 7, thus permitting the 75

2,035,781 barrel to be rotated to the same extent as it is rotated by the key, 12, in sliding the bolt to unlocking position. When this has been accomplished, the straight edges, 48, of the washer, 39, 5 on the inner end of the barrel, 7, are aligned with the corresponding straight edges, 49, of the aperture in a disk or. washer, 5S, which is fixed against rotation in the end of the casing, I, by engagement of its lug, 51, with a notch, 52, in 10 the casing. Incidentally, this member, 50, includes parallel side flanges, 53, which serve as guides for the reciprocation of the bolt, 5. When the washer, 39, is thus registered with the aperture in the part, 50, the plug, 7, may be thrust 15 inwardly by pressure on the key, 44, acting through its shoulder, 46, against the hub, 47, of the collar, 24. This movement carries the lugs, 27, of said collar out of engagement with the notches, 28, in the end of the knob, 29, so that 20 while the parts are thus held at inthrust position against the reaction of the spring-pressed plunger, 48, the knob, 29, now disengaged from the permutation disks, may be turned through any desired angle so as to bring a different pair 25 of its notches, 28, into registration with the lugs, 27. Then, upon release of the inward pressure, the lugs, 27, will be forced into said notches and the knob thus re-engaged with the permutation mechanism, but in a different angular relation 30 thereto, so that the proper readings of the scale, 38, for setting up the combination of the disks, 18, 19 and 20, will be altered. In other words, the “combination” of the lock will thus be changed.

As shown in the rear or inner face view of Figure 11, the back plate, 2, is formed with an arcuate slot, 54, which affords clearance for rotation of the crank, 6, and also permits the crank to be thrust inwardly to any necessary extent 40 in the resetting movement just described. This view also shows how the cylindrical casing, 1, is anchored to the plate, 2, by means of lugs, 55, projecting through slots in the plate and upset or riveted-over against the exposed face of the 45 plate.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and re-arrangements of 50 the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far as indicated by the appended claims.