Combination lock construction

The combination lock constructed for ease of use, while also substantially eliminating the ability of the unauthorized persons from opening the lock without knowledge of the combination, said combination lock comprising:

• A. a housing incorporating
• a. an elongated bore,
• b. a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
• 1. extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
• 2. defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
• and
• c. an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
• B. a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
• a. a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing, and
• b. a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto;
• C. a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
• a. rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof while being essentially incapable of translational movement along the axis of the long leg of the shackle, and
• b. incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel, and comprising a longitudinal dimension substantially equivalent to the longitudinal width of the dial, thereby assuring interengagement of the radially extending fin and a radial slot of the dial when the combination lock is in the secured and locked position, thereby providing the ability of both the dial and the tumbler sleeve to freely rotate relative to the axis of the long leg of the shackle;
• D. a plurality of dials each of said dials
• a. mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
• b. peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith, and
• c. comprising an inside surface formed by a tumbler locking surface and a tumbler release surface, with the tumbler locking surface of each dial comprising a plurality of radial slots formed therein constructed for cooperating interengagement with the radially extending fin of the tumbler sleeve to assure secure, controlled, cooperative interengagement therewith and simultaneous rotation of the tumbler sleeve with the dial when the fin of the tumbler sleeve is engaged with any radial slot of the dial;
• and
• E. a shackle holding assembly being defined as comprising:
• a. a holding member constructed for receiving and cooperatively holding the terminating end of the long leg of the shackle;
• b. a spring member biasingly engaged with the holding member for urging the holding member towards an upward direction, and
• c. a plug member constructed for closing the entry portal to the lowermost zone and for securely retaining the holding member and the spring member in the lowermost zone;
• whereby a combination lock construction is attained which is quickly and easily assembled with a minimum number of components and provides a highly effective combination lock which prevents the combination from being re-set without the user's knowledge.

A combination lock constructed for ease of use, while also substantially eliminating the ability of unauthorized persons from opening the lock without knowledge of the combination, said combination lock comprising:

• A. a housing incorporating:
• a. an elongated bore,
• b. a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
• 1. extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
• 2. defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
• and
• c. an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
• B. a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
• a. a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing, and
• b. a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto;
• C. a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
• a. rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof while being essentially incapable of translational movement along the axis of the long leg of the shackle, and
• b. incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof and constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel;
• D. a plurality of dials each of said dials
• a. mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
• b. peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith,
• c. comprising an inside surface formed by a tumbler locking surface;
• E. a shackle holding assembly mounted in the elongated bore in cooperating relationship with the long leg of the shackle for biasing the long leg of the shackle towards a raised position, preventing axial, downward movement of the long leg of the shackle without the receipt of an external force on the shackle, said shackle holding assembly comprising:
• a. a holding member constructed for receiving and cooperatively holding the terminating end of the long leg of the shackle;
• b. a spring member biasingly engaged with the holding member for continuously urging the holding member in an upward direction, and
• c. a plug member constructed for closing the entry portal to the lowermost zone and for securely retaining the holding member and the spring member in the lowermost zone;
• and
• F. a sealing cap mounted in an open end of the elongated bore and constructed for effectively closing the bore with the tumbler sleeves mounted therein, preventing entry of any contamination into said bore.

The combination lock constructed for ease of use, while also substantially eliminating the ability of the combination being changed when not desired, said combination lock comprising:

• A. a housing incorporating
• a. an elongated bore,
• b. a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
• 1. extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
• 2. defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
• and
• c. an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
• B. a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
• a. a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing, and
• b. a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto;
• c. a locking ring receiving slot and two radially extending protrusions formed on an outer surface of the long leg thereof in juxtaposed, spaced, aligned, axial relationship to each other, said slot and one of sid protrusions defining a fixed axial length for said long leg;
• C. a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
• a. rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof while being essentially incapable of translational movement along the axis of the long leg of the shackle, and
• b. incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof and constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel;
• D. a plurality of dials each of said dials
• a. mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
• b. peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith, and
• c. comprising an inside surface formed by a tumbler locking surface;
• E. a shackle holding assembly mounted in the elongated bore in cooperating relationship with the long leg of the shackle for biasing the long leg of the shackle towards a raised position, preventing axial, downward movement of the long leg of the shackle without the receipt of an external force on the shackle, said shackle holding assembly comprising:
• a. a holding member constructed for receiving and cooperatively holding the terminating end of the long leg of the shackle;
• b. a spring member biasingly engaged with the holding member for continuously urging the holding member in an upward direction, and
• c. a plug member constructed for closing the entry portal to the lowermost zone and for securely retaining the holding member and the spring member in the lowermost zone;
• and
• F. a washer, a spacer, and a locking ring, each of which are constructed for cooperating with the plurality of tumbler sleeves mounted to the long leg of the shackle for defining an overall length substantially equivalent to the axial length established between the protrusion and the slot, whereby rotation of each tumbler sleeve is provided, while eliminating axial translational movement thereof;
• whereby a combination lock construction is attained which is quickly and easily assembled with a minimum number of components and provides a highly effective combination lock which prevents the long leg of the shackle form axially moving downwardly without receiving an input force, thereby preventing the combination from being altered when not desired.