Time lock with kicker arm carrier actuator
AssigneeSargent & Greenleaf, Inc.
InventorsCharles G. Bechtiger, James C. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention disclosed in the application is a time lock for bank vault doors and the like having a plurality of timer units of the settable dial type with a clockwork mechanism which includes a slip clutch in the gear train which permits the main winding stem to be rotated in an unwinding direction to move the dial in a descending time direction if it has been overdriven to a higher time setting than desired, and which includes a kicker arm mechanism to be abruptly kicked by spring force against a carrier assembly for the time lock unit to shift the carrier to release position when the dial reaches zero time.
Claims24
A time lock for bank vault doors and the like, comprising a housing, a plurality of timer units of the settable dial type mounted in said housing, a carrier assembly movably mounted in the housing for movement between a first locking position and a second release position, snubber bar blocking means in said housing movable between a snubber bar blocking position and a release position and control means therefor releasibly held by the carrier assembly for holding the blocking means in blocking position while said carrier assembly occupies said locking position, each of said timer units having a rotatable time indicating dial and a clockwork mechanism intercoupled therewith including manual setting means for rotating the dial to the desired time lapse indication, snap action carrier trip means including a spring driven kicker arm supported for movement forwardly adjacent the face of the dial through a trip stroke between a cocked position and a disarmed position, latch means for releasably latching said kicker arm in the cocked position when said dial occupies time indicating positions above zero time, and release means driven by the clockwork mechanism for activating the latch means to release the kicker arm in spring forced condition from said cocked position when the dial reaches zero time to cause the kicker arm to be abruptly kicked by the spring force thereon against said carrier assembly for abruptly shifting the carrier assembly to release position.
A timer unit of the settable dial type for a time lock to engage and shift a carrier assembly of the time lock from a locking position holding a snubber bar blocking mechanism in blocking position to a release position releasing the blocked mechanism to an unlocking position, the timer unit comprising a rotatable time lapse indicating dial, a clockwork mechanism intercoupled with the dial including a gear train and escapement mechanism and a drive spring for the gear train, manual setting means for the gear train and dial including a key operable main stem coupled to the drive spring to wind the same and coupled to the dial to adjust the dial to time lapse positions indicating a desired future unlocking time for the time lock, snap action trip means for engaging and suddenly shifting the carrier assembly to release position at zero time on the dial including a spring driven kicker arm supported for movement forwardly adjacent the face of the dial through a trip stroke between a cocked position and a disarmed position, latch means for releasably latching said kicker arm in the cocked position when said dial occupies time indicating positions above zero time, and release means driven by the clockwork mechanism for activating the latch means to release the kicker arm in spring forced condition from said cocked position when the dial reaches zero time to cause the kicker arm to be abruptly kicked by the spring force thereon against the carrier assembly for abruptly shifting the carrier assembly to release position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.