US 4,910,981 A · Automatically locking and tumbler scrambling manipulation proof lock

Abstract

An automatically self locking and self scrambling combination lock is disclosed wherein a spring biased bolt is moveable by its bias toward a locking position and a detent is provided on an end of the fence arm associated with a fence lever connected to the bolt whereby on movement of the bolt towards its locking position, the detent engages the edge of a single one of the tumbler wheel gates to scramble that tumbler wheel alignment relative the other tumbler wheels as the fence arm leaves the tumbler wheel gates. Additional spring means are provided in the form of a multiple armed spring member having a first spring arm which urges the fence lever toward the tumbler wheels when the spring member is deflected under the action of an actuator roller once on each rotation of an associated lock shaft, a second spring arm which normally urges the fence lever away from the tumbler wheels when the spring member is not deflected and a third spring arm which normally biases the spring member toward its non-deflected position of rest. In addition, an eccentric roller rim associated with the actuator roller for deflecting the spring member is provided so that the timing of such defective movement of the spring member in response to rotation of the lock shaft varies from rotation to rotation in response to incremental movements of the eccentric rim about its mounting post as it goes through successive engagements with the spring member.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An automatically self locking and self scrambling combination lock including a spring biased bolt moveable by its bias to a locking position, fence lever means associated with said bolt for moving it against its bias to an unlocking position and a plurality of tumbler wheels, each having a fence receiving gate, whereby a predetermined manipulation of said tumbler wheels to align the gates thereof is required to release said fence lever means for manipulation thereof to withdraw said bolt, said lock comprising:

tumbler engaging means associated with said fence lever means for engaging and moving one of said aligned tumbler wheels relative other ones thereof to scramble the alignment of said one of said wheels relative said other ones of said wheels in response to movement of said fence lever means as said bolt moves under its bias to its locking position.

tumbler engaging means associated with said fence lever means for moving one of said aligned tumbler wheels relative other means thereof to scramble the alignment thereof in response to movement of said fence lever means as said bolt moves under its bias to its locking position;
said fence lever means includes a fence arm provided to enter the individual gates of said tumbler wheels when the same are aligned;
said tumbler engaging means comprises a detent provided on said fence arm for engaging an edge of the one gate of said one of said tumbler wheels as said arm exits from said one gate and additional spring means for urging said fence lever means to move said fence arm outwardly of said gates as the bias of said bolt moves said bolt and fence lever means to said bolt locking position;
and
wherein said lock includes a roller actuator which revolves with rotation of an associated lock shaft which is rotated to operate the fence lever means to withdraw said bolt and said additional spring means comprises:
a multiple arm spring member pivotally mounted to a stationary mounting associated with said lock, said spring member having:
a follower arm provided in the path of rotation of said roller actuator to engage and pivot said spring member into a defected position relative said roller actuator once per rotation of said shaft;
a first spring arm associated with said fence lever means to bias said fence lever toward said gates when said roller actuator actuates pivots said spring member toward said deflected position;
and
a second spring arm associated with said fence lever means to normally bias said fence lever away from said gates when said spring member is not in said deflected position.

7 more elements

A combination lock having a plurality of tumbler wheels, each having a fence arm receiving gate, operated by a manually rotated lock shaft having a cam disc for manipulating the lock bolt via a fence lever, said lock comprising:

biasing means for biasing said bolt toward a locking position;
connecting means for pivotally connecting said fence lever to said bolt;
constraining means for limiting bolt unlocking movement of said fence lever in a lever constrained position until said tumbler wheel gates are aligned and allow movement of said fence lever past said constraining means;
a detent means associated with said fence lever for moving one of said tumbler wheel relative other ones of said wheels to scramble the alignment of said gates as said bolt moves to said locking position under its bias and said fence lever is moved back to its constrained position;
and
said fence lever has an abutment member spaced thereon from said connecting means and said lock comprises additional biasing means for biasing said fence lever toward said tumbler wheels and gates when said lever is in said constrained position and for biasing said fence lever away from said tumbler wheels and gates when it is moved past said constrained means;
and
wherein said additional biasing means comprises a one piece multiple armed spring member having a pair of parallel spaced spring arm lying on opposite sides of said abutment member.

5 more elements

A combination lock having a plurality of tumbler wheels manually rotatable by a combination dial and shaft associated therewith, each of said wheels having a fence receiving gate, a moveable lock bolt and a fence lever connected to said bolt and engageable with said shaft to move said bolt to an unlocking position when a fence associated with said fence lever is received in the aligned gates of said tumbler wheels, said lock comprising:

spring biasing means resiliently mounted within said lock to be operated from a normal rest position against the resiliency of its mounting to a defected position in response to each full rotation of said shaft, said biasing means having a first spring arm for biasing said fence toward said gates during deflective movement thereof to said deflected position and a second spring arm for biasing said fence away from said gates during movement from said deflected position to said normal rest position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatically locking and tumbler scrambling manipulation proof lock

Life of this patent

Automatically locking and tumbler scrambling manipulation proof lock

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24