Combination lock

Feb. 6, 1940.

2,189,342

J. EBER

COMBINATION LOCK

Filed July 22, 1939

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Patented Feb. 6, 1940

2,189,342

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

Claims.

This invention relates to lock structures of the combination type adapted for the uniting and locking of a plurality of adjacent supporting members and particularly to lock structures wherein 5 the separate locking members are in pivotal hinge-like engagement when in operative position; and the object of the invention is to provide a lock structure of the class described comprising a plurality of interfitting lock members having a 10 lock element in slidable engagement therewith adapted in one position to retain said lock members in positive engagement , and in another position to permit free separation and attachment of the lock members; a further object being to pro15 vide, in a lock structure of the class described having a slidable lock element for securing opposed lock members, a plurality of rotatable control members on said lock element having means cooperating with projecting means on said lock 20 element for controlling the slidable movement of the locking element; another object being to provide, in a lock structure including rotatable control members cooperating with a slidable lock element, adjustable means within said rotatable 25 members for selectively varying the relative positions in which said rotatable members cooperate with said lock element; a still further object being to provide means on rotatable control members of the class described for accurately alining 30 the same in accordance with the predetermined adjustment thereof to cooperate with a slidable lock element, and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple 35 in construction, efficient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my 40 invention are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of my improved lock shown partially in section.

Fig. 2 is a view substantially on the line 2—2 of ⁴⁵ Fig. 1 indicating one mode of attachment of the lock to a support.

Fig. 3 is a view substantially on the line 3—3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one form of rotatable control member detached.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a modified form of rotatable control member.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the removable 55 bushing in Fig. 5..

2,189,342

COMBINATION LOCK

Jack Eber, Bronx, N. Y.

Application July 22, 1939, Serial No. 285,831 (Cl. 70—312) '/ t-

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of my slidable lock element detached.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the lock structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a modified form of 5 lock made according to my invention, and

Fig. 10 is a view substantially on the line 10—10 of Fig. 9.

In many instances where it is desirable to join and lock together adjacent, abutting or overlap- 10 ping members, it has heretofore been impossible to attain the desired result in a simple, practical and economical manner, and it is the object of my invention to provide a unitary coupling and locking device which will answer this purpose arid 15 which is simple and economical in construction. My improved lock is adapted especially for use on luggage and similar containers, and when used on such articles the interengaging lock members may both be fixedly secured to adjacent support- 20 ing surfaces of the article or the structural features may be incorporated in a modified hasp construction wherein one of the interengaging lock members is movable with respect to its support. It will be understood, however, that my improved 2» lock construction is readily adaptable for many other uses not only for locking various types of closure members but also for securing together any adjacent or abutting members tri prevent undesirable separation thereof. In this connection as will subsequently be more clearly brought out, the lock members of my improved device when in operative position are pivotally joined by a lock element, thereby providing for pivotal hinge-like movement of the lock members together with the supports.

In the drawing, I have shown my improved lock structure including two distinct forms thereof in substantially the size and proportion which might be used on articles of luggage. It will be understood, however, that this showing is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to in any way limit the use and application of my invention to articles of luggage.

In Figs. 1 to 7 of the drawing, I have shown my 45 improved lock as comprisirig a pair Of interfitting lock members 10 and 11 arranged for purposes of illustration on suitable support members 12, 13, and secured thereto by suitable means as indicated by the rivets 14. The lock member ID is 50 provided at opposed ends of one edge portion thereof with enlarged bearings 15, 16, and is further provided intermediate the bearings 15, 16 with spaced pairs of narrow bearing projections ( 7, 17α, The pairs of bearing projections 17, 17α 51 fur- , i, 16 Λ bions

17α 5^1^·

2,189,342 are equally spaced from each other and from the hearings.!® and 16 providing for the arrangement of a plurality of bearing portions &lt; 8 on the opposed lock member I i in alinement with the bear S ings of the lock member 10 as will be clearly apparent.

Arranged within the alined bearings i5, 16 is a transversely slidable lock element 19 which is clearly shown detached in Fig. 7. The lock ele10 ment 19 comprises a series of spaced cylindrical bearings of uniform diameter, the central bearings 20 being also of uniform length while the.end bearings 20α and 20b need not correspond in length. The bearings 20, 20α, and 20b are adapt15 ed to engage cylindrical apertures in the bearing portions of the opposed lock members 10 and !! as will clearly be seen at 21 in Figs. 1 and 3' of the drawing. Intermediate the cylindrical bearings of the lock element 17 are reduced cylindri20 cal portions 22 providing for the movement of the bearings i 8 on the lock member i! into engagement with the lock element by means of reduced side openings 23 in the bearing portions 18. Movement of the lock element ! 9 transversely of 25 the lock members 16 and It into the other or locked position as shown in Fig. 1 will dispose at least a portion of the cylindrical bearings 20 within the bearing portions 18 preventing subsequent separation of the lock members !0 and i t through 30: the openings 23.

As control members for the lock, element i9. I have shown a plurality of rotatable cylindrical members 24 haring adjustable bushings or bearing portions 25 centrally thereof. The bushing 35! 25 as well as each of the bearing portions 16, Π, and 17α are provided with transverse grooves or notches 26 adapted to receive projection members 27 on the cylindrical bearing 2S and another projection member 27α on the bearing 28α. 40 it will be apparent that the projections 27, 27α are in common alinement as are the grooves 26 in the bearing portions ί6, !7 and 17α. In the locked position of the lock element !9 as. seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the projections 27 are 45 disposed within the grooves 26 of the bearing portions i7a, and it will be apparent that in order to move the lock element into unlocked position the control members 24 must be rotatably adjusted so that the grooves 2S in each 50 of these members is in. alinement with the grooves of the bearings 8 6, 17 and 17α. When these are properly alined the lock element 19 may be freely moved into position to- aline the reduced portions 22 thereof with the openings 55. 23 in the bearings 18 thereby permitting separation of the lock members. It will also be noted that when the lock element is in this position the projections 27 retain the control members 24 against rotary movement. In the construction 60 of the control member 24, as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the bushing 25 is fixedly supported within the body of the control member, and it will be apparent when a projection 27 is in engagement with the groove 26 the body of the 65 control member 24 may be forcibly rotated about the bushing 25. It will be apparent, therefore, that the relative position of the groove 26 with respect to the various numerals and other insignia 28 may be changed, in other words, the 70 setting or combination of the lock may be adjusted at will by the user.

It will further be apparent, however, that in some instances it may be undesirable to have the control members 24 retained in operative alinement when the lock element is in the open position since this would enable a person 01· intruder to discover the combination of the lock. If the combination were not changed as previously described, when the lock was next used the intruder would then be able to readily oner- 5 ate the lock as will be apparent. As a modified form of construction adapted to obviate this difficulty, I have shown in Figs. 5 and 6 a control member 24α and a bushing 25α. The control member 24α is provided with a plurality of nu- 10 merals or other insignia 28α and a corresponding number of grooves or notches 29 adapted to selectively receive a projecting member or tooth 30 on the bushing:25α. The bushing 25α is preferably of solid or continuous structure having a 15 transverse notch 26α on the inner surface thereof adapted to receive the projections 27 of the lock element. It will be apparent, as seen in Fig. 5 of the drawing, that the tooth 30 may be ar. ranged on the bushing 25α in a position with 20 respect to the notch 26α so that in adjusting the control member 24 the tooth 38 1i1ay.be alined with the desired numeral or insignia 26α. It should be noted in this connection that in making adjustments of the setting when this modi- 25. fled construction is employed, the lock element must first be removed from the lock member 10 and for this purpose the lock element i 9 is provided with a removable end portion 3i. The removable end portion 3! will permit withdrawal 30. of the lock element, however, only when the control members are in registering unlocked position.

As seen in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the tooth or projection 30 on the bushing 25α is preferably 35: arranged centrally of the bushing to insure complete enclosure of the tooth by the control member. The bashing, 25α is further provided on the inner surface thereof with an annular groove 32 equal in depth to the depth of the groove 26α 40 and registering with said groove. When a bushing of this type is employed slightly greater transverse movement of the lock element I 9 may be provided permitting the projections 27 on the lock element to register with the groove 32 in 45 each of the control members, when the lock element is in unlocked position. This will provide, for the rotary movement of the control members, and it will be apparent that the setting of the control members may, therefore, be changed 59 and. the combination destroyed as soon as the control members have performed their intended function of permitting operative movement of the lock element.

The periphery of each control member 24, 24α ₅₅is preferably provided with a series of grooves or notches 33, 33α intermediate the successive numerals or insignia 28. These notches are in turn operatively engaged by suitable spring members 34 secured to the underside of the lock member θθ 10. The spring members 34 preferably permit' rotary movement in one direction while prevent ing rotary movement in opposed direction; th®, important. function being to properly aline the numerals or insignia 28 by. positive engagement 65 of the spring members with the grooves 33, 33a. As a further aid in properly alining the numerals an indicating means, such for example as the arrow, seen at 35 in Fig. 1, is provided on one or both of the bearings i5, fG. ₇₀

In Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawing, I have shown a slightly modified form of construction including lock members· 19α, ί Ια, a lock element 19α and control members 24α. The construction of the parts in this modified form of lock corre- 7,5

2,189,342 spends substantially with the structures previously described in connection with Figs. 1 to 8. The essential difference in the modified form is that the lock member I l a is pivotally secured as at 36 5 - to a hinge plate 37 which in turn may be secured to the surface of a desired support. The openings 23α in the bearing portions 18α of the hinge member: Ila differ from the openings 23 in the previously described construction in that they 10 are arranged to permit disengagement rf the lock members by the swinging movement of the lock member Ila. In other words, the line of motion in coupling and uncoupling the lock members shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is substantially 13 at right angles to the line of motion in the similar operation of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will of course be apparent that any other direction of movement might be provided by suitably arranging: the openings 23α on the lock 20 member I la to facilitate joining and locking together adjacent members having predetermined angularly arranged surfaces.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawing, the lock member Ila corresponds to a hasp such as 25^: is normally used on articles of luggage, and it will be apparent in this connection that a spring 38 is preferably included in the pivot portion 36 to provide for the automatic disengagement of the lock members when the lock element 19 is 30 moved into the unlocked position.

When the lock members of my improved device are in operative engagement, it will be apparent that the members are in reality pivotally coupled by the lock element and in effect the lock mem35 bers are adapted to function as hinge butts pivotally movable about the lock element as a pintle. This feature readily adapts my device for use as more than a mere means for locking together adjacent or abutting supports. By way of illus46 tration, it will be apparent that one or more of my devices may be employed as hinges on closure members having other locking means thereon. A closure member equipped with my devices as hinges could then be opened by the party knowing 45 the lock combination in emergencies such for example as the loss of a key to the conventional lock means for the closure. The particular uses to which my improved lock and hinge device can be put are too numerous to mention. It 50 should be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the particular adaptations above mentioned but may employ my improved structure wherever the circumstances would make its use practical.

The various parts of my device may be fashioned by any of the conventional forming and machining methods and any suitable materials may be used to give the required strength and properties to the device. The control members 60 2«, 24α may, of course, be fashioned from a unitary body having the desired arrangement of the groove 26 or the groove 26α and 32 therein. The construction as shown in the drawing, however, is probably more practical from a commercial 65 standpoint since with each of the modifications a standard body portion for the control member may be formed as well as a standard bushing, and the adjustment of the control member may then be obtained by assembling the two parts in 76 the desired manner. Forming the control members as unitary bodies on the other hand would necessitate the making of a different control member to correspond with each of the different numerals or insignia 28, 28α. A further advan75 tageous feature of the two part construction is that metallic wear-resisting material may be employed for the bushing whereas the body portion of the control member may be fashioned from suitable plastic material. The wide range of colors obtainable in the plastic materials 5 would provide for the enhanced appearance of the lock as well as making the numerals or insignia more legible.

It should also be noted that any number of control members 24, 24α may be employed, and 10 it will further be apparent that each of the control members may have any desired number of numerals or other insignia 28. For example in a more complicated lock, letters or other symbols could be employed at 28 to provide a number 15: of indicating panels greatly in excess of the ten panels shown in the drawing. In such a construction, means would of course be provided for selectively adjusting the bushing and alining the same with the desired indicating panel. 20-