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US 4,385,510 AGranted
Cylinder locks
OwnerBarrie S. Harperinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerBarrie S. Harperinventor
Estimating the term…
A cylinder lock includes two barrels (23, 37), a first (23) carrying tumblers (30) that abut internal shoulders (36) of the lock casing (2) to obstruct clockwise `unlocking` rotation only, and the second (37) carrying a single tumbler (43) which obstructs only counter-clockwise `locking` rotation by abutment with a shoulder (48) of a rear-end casing-cover (8). A key (5) inserted through a keyhole-defining assembly (11, 16, 21) withdraws the first-barrel tumblers (30) during initial clockwise turning from the insertion position, and the second-barrel tumbler (43) during initial counter-clockwise turning. Lost-motion coupling between the barrels (23, 37), provided by lug-in-slot (38, 39) interengagement, enables clockwise turning of the second barrel (37) with the key (5) relative to the first barrel (23) during withdrawal of the first-barrel tumblers (30), and corresponding counter-clockwise turning of the first barrel (23) relative to the second (37) during withdrawal of the second-barrel tumbler (43). Lug-in-slot coupling ( 22, 24) between the keyhole-defining assembly (11, 16, 21) and the first barrel (23) similarly allows initial slip for clockwise key-turning. A coiled spring (42) opposes resiliently second-barrel turning in both directions.
In a key-operable cylinder lock in which tumbler means projects from a barrel to obstruct rotation of the tumbler mechanism of the lock, and a key inserted into the tumbler mechanism engages with the tumbler means for withdrawal thereof by initial turning of the key in one direction from its position of insertion, the improvement wherein said tumbler means obstructs rotation of the barrel in the said one direction only, the said mechanism includes further tumbler means for obstructing rotational freedom of the mechanism in the opposite direction to said one direction, said further tumbler means being engaged by the inserted key for withdrawal thereof from its obstruction to said rotational freedom, and said tumbler mechanism includes means operative during the said initial turning of the key in said one direction to provide rotational slip relative to the barrel in said engagement of the key with said further tumbler means.
A lock responsive to turning of an inserted key in opposite directions from its position of insertion, comprising first and second tumbler means, first and second rotatable barrels carrying said first and second tumbler means respectively, and means intercoupling the two barrels, said first tumbler means comprising at least one first tumbler for obstructing rotation of the first barrel with the key in a first only of said opposite directions and responsive to initial turning of the inserted key in said first direction from its position of insertion to withdraw that obstruction to rotation of the first barrel in said first direction, said second tumbler means comprising at least one second tumbler for obstructing rotation of said second barrel with the key in the second only of said opposite directions and responsive to initial turning of the inserted key in said second direction from its position of insertion to withdraw that obstruction to rotation of said second barrel in said second direction, and said intercoupling means including lost-motion coupling means operative between the two barrels to enable the first barrel to rotate with the key relative to the second barrel during said initial turning of the key in said second direction and the second barrel to rotate with the key relative to the first barrel during said initial turning of the key in said first direction.
A key-operable cylinder lock responsive to turning of an inserted key in opposite directions from its position of insertion to effect locking and unlocking actions respectively of the lock, comprising:
In a key-operable cylinder lock in which tumblers act to obstruct rotation of a barrel of a tumbler mechanism of the lock, and a key inserted into the tumbler mechanism engages with the tumblers to withdraw them by initial turning of the key in one direction from its position of insertion so as thereby to enable further turning of the key in that same direction to effect unlocking, the improvement wherein the tumblers act to obstruct rotation of the barrel in the said one, unlocking, direction only, the barrel being free from obstruction for rotation in the opposite, locking direction from the position of key insertion without withdrawal of the tumblers, and spring means opposes resiliently rotation of the tumbler mechanism with the key in the locking direction from the position of key insertion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.