Pin tumbler lock
OwnerFrancis E. Gallagherinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pin tumbler lock has a rotary plug with three rows of tumbler pin mounting holes to accommodate a large number of tumblers. Rotational control of the plug is by means of a stop plate carried on a stem which is an integral extension of the plug. The lock cylinder has a rearwardly extending tab having its opposite side edges in registration with stop surfaces on the stop plate to limit the plug motion in two directions. The lock may be shortened by such provision of exterior rotational control to provide a shortened locking dimension and/or to accommodate a substantial number of pins and tumblers.
Claims32
A key-operated lock having a forward end and a rearward end, comprising:
- a housing having a forward opening,
- a cylinder member disposed in said housing and defining at least one row of socket holes, said cylinder member having a rearwardly extending tab,
- drive pins disposed in said socket holes,
- a plug rotatable in said cylinder and defining a key slot, said plug having a rearwardly extending stem, said plug having at least one row of pin holes extending radially from the key slot through the plug, said pin holes being registrable with said socket holes,
- said housing having a rearward opening and an aperture extending radially from said opening for extension therethrough of said cylinder tab, and
- a stop plate rotatable with said plug stem, said stop plate being adjacent to the housing and defining a shoulder for engagement with said cylinder tab, said stop plate shoulder and said cylinder tab being accurately sized and positioned to accurately rotationally position the plug in a key-acceptance position,
- whereby the lock is shortened and provides additional pins and holes for increased possible lock combinations.
A key-operated lock having forward and rearward ends, comprising:
- a housing having a forward opening and a rearward opening,
- a cylinder member disposed within said housing means and defining at least one row of socket holes, said cylinder member having a rearwardly extending tab,
- drive pins disposed in said socket holes,
- a generally cylindrical plug rotatable in the cylinder member, said cylinder plug defining a longitudinal key slot and having a rearwardly extending threaded stem to receive a threaded fastener to secure components together, said plug having at least one row of pin holes extending radially from the key slot through the plug, said pin holes being registrable with said socket holes,
- said housing means having an aperture extending radially from said rearward opening for extension therethrough of said cylinder tab,
- respective tumbler pins disposed in respective ones of said pin holes,
- a stop plate rotatable with said plug and abutting the housing to retain the plug, said plug having at least one shoulder to engage said cylinder tab,
- said plug being rotatable to a key-acceptance position wherein said drive pins are in registration with said tumbler pins, said key-acceptance position being determined by engagement of said cylinder member tab with said stop plate shoulder, said stop plate shoulder and said cylinder tab being accurately sized and positioned for accurate engagement and accurate rotational positioning of the plug in its said key-acceptance position, and
- a key having at least one row of depressions registrable with said at least one row of plug pin holes with the key inserted in said key slot, whereby the tumbler pins urge the drive pins to enable key rotation for unlocking.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.