Direct-dial combination lock

A direct-dial combination lock comprising:

• a plurality of tumbler wheels, each having a central aperture, a drive pin receiving aperture spaced radially outwardly of said central aperture and a single gate opening formed in a periphery thereof;
• bushing means having a cylindrical exterior received in said central apertures of said tumbler wheels for mounting them for rotation about a central axis thereof, said bushing means also having a central bore therethrough;
• shaft means extending through said bore and including a pair of relatively telescoping shaft portions arrange for unitary rotation;
• dial means secured to one of said shaft portions and a tumbler wheel actuator member secured to the other of said shaft portions, said dial means and tumbler wheel actuator member being thereby jointly rotatable and axially adjustable relative to one another, said member having a drive pin means for engaging in said tumbler wheel drive pin apertures;
• and
• adjustment means for adjusting the axial position of said actuator member relative to said dial means and tumbler wheels, whereby said tumbler wheels may be sequentially located and released in desired locations by rotation of said member by said dial means and axial adjustment of said member relative to said wheels by operation of said adjustment means.

A direct-dial combination lock comprising:

• a plurality of tumbler means having a single gate opening on each such means and being mounted for rotation relative to a latch release bar adapted to enter the gate openings when aligned in order to allow opening of the lock;
• a dial means on one side of said plurality of tumbler wheels and a tumbler wheel actuating member on the opposite side of said wheels with shaft means operably connecting said dial means and actuator means for concurrent rotation and relative axial adjustment;
• and
• means on said actuator means for normally blocking movement of said release bar toward said tumbler wheel gate openings, but allowing the same when said actuator means is moved axially a given distance.