US 4,073,167 AGranted

Mechanism for converting predetermined alternate rotational movements to rectilinear movements

OwnerCharles F. Bates, IIinventor

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Abstract

A mechanism for converting predetermined alternating rotational movements to rectilinear movements is embodied in a combination lock having a casing with an elongated recess, a bolt slidably mounted in the casing for axial movement between a retracted unlocked position and a projected locking position, the bolt being non-rotatable in the casing and having an axial cylindrical recess, a cylindrical cam rotatably mounted in the bolt recess and held against axial movement relative to the casing; the cam is formed with grooves in its cylindrical surface inclined in opposite directions lengthwise of the cam and intersecting each other at predetermined positions angularly disposed about the axis of the cam; the bolt mounts an inwardly projecting follower slidably fitting into the cam grooves and means are provided for manually rotating the cam alternately in opposite directions in accordance with the intersections of the grooves to cause the follower to move the bolt axially in the casing.

Claims39

Dependent claims

Mechanism for converting predetermined alternating rotational movement to rectilinear movement comprising a translatable non-rotatable element and a rotatable non-translatable element, said rotatable element having a cylindrical surface formed with a groove system, said translatable element having a follower projecting radially into said groove system and having a first position at one end thereof, said groove system comprising a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves and first oblique grooves respectively intersecting adjacent annular grooves, whereby translational movement of said translatable element in one direction away from said first position is achieved by alternate rotational movements of said rotatable element in opposite directions in accordance with the rotational positions of the intersections between said annular and said first oblique grooves, the intersections between said annular and said first oblique grooves being formed to permit only movements in an axial direction away from said first position of said follower from said annular grooves into said first oblique grooves and from said first oblique grooves into said annular grooves, and additional oblique grooves connecting adjacent annular grooves and each extending therebetween in the same rotational direction, the intersections of said additional oblique grooves and said annular grooves being formed to cause said follower to move in a direction axially of said rotatable element toward said first position whereby rotation of said rotatable element in a predetermined single direction causes said follower to return to its first position in said groove system and thereby restore said translatable member to its first position.

A combination lock comprising a casing having an elongated recess, a bolt element slidably mounted in said casing for axial movement therein between a retracted unlocked position and a projected locking position, means holding said bolt element against rotation within said casing, a rotatable element held against axial movement relative to said casing and having a cylindrical surface formed with a groove system comprising a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves and oblique grooves intersecting adjacent annular grooves at positions angularly disposed about the axis of said rotatable element, said bolt element mounting a radially projecting follower slidably fitting into said groove system, and means for selectively rotating said rotatable element alternately in opposite directions in accordance with the intersections of said annular and said first oblique grooves whereby to cause said follower in cooperation with said grooves to move said bolt element axially from projected toward retracted position with respect to said casing, the intersections between said annular and said first oblique grooves being formed to permit movements only in bolt-retracting axial direction of said follower from said annular grooves into said first oblique grooves and from said first oblique grooves into said annular grooves, additional oblique grooves connecting adjacent annular grooves and each extending therebetween in the same rotational direction, the intersections of said additional oblique grooves and said annular grooves being so formed and located to cause said follower to move in a bolt-projecting direction axially of said grooved element when said rotatable element is rotated in a predetermined single direction whereby continuous rotation of said rotatable element in said predetermined single direction causes full projection of said bolt to locking position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.