US3260080A - Locks - Google Patents

Description

y 1966 J. F. WELLEKENS 3,260,080

LOCKS Filed March 26, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1. '2

INVENTOR.

I John F WeLLekens July 12, 1966 J. F. WELLEKENS LOCKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1964 INVENTOR. John FWeLLekens y 1966 J. F. WELLEKENS 3,260,080

LOCKS Filed March 26, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

John EWeLLekens 6'6 difomg/ United States Patent 3,260,080 LOCKS John F. Wellekens, New York, N.Y., assignor to Hotel Security Systems Corporation, New York, N .Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 26, 1964*, Ser. No. 355,011 11 Claims. (Cl. 70-364) This invention relates to locks, .and more particularly to a type of lock so constructed that the arrangement of tumbler-engaging abutments can be changed when desired to thereby adapt the lock for the acceptance of differently-contoured keys. Locks of this nature are shown for example in my Patent No. 2,970,466 and in my co-pending applications Serial Nos. 254,104 and 104,- 588, now Patents 3,143,875 and 3,130,572 respectively.

The advantages of being able to quickly change the combination of a lock are numerous and readily apparent since the prevention of theft can often be done by a change of the combination of the lock and particularly when it can be done speedily and with a minimum of effort.

It is therefore one of the objects of the invention to provide a lock in which the combination can be readily changed to enable the lock to be responsive to any one of a large number of differently-contoured keys.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means, in a lock of this kind, by which picking of the lock will be prevented.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lock constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a face view of the front abutment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a face view of one of the abutments, a number of which are employed in the lock;

FIG. 6 is an edge view of the abutment of FIG. 5 as seen from the right of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 77 of FIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the lock;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the plug;

FIG. 10 is an end view of the plug as seen from the right of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view through the rear part of the lock, showing the coupling for the linkage of the boltoperating means;

FIG. 12 is a face view of the disk which is mounted on the plug and which attaches to the outer casing of the lock by means of a C-ring;

FIG. 13 shows a type of key for use with the lock;

FIG. 14 is a face View of the rear closure plug for the casing;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lock, and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a part of the protective channel strip.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the cylinder or outer casing of the lock, the same being formed near one end, or that at the rear of the lock, with an annular groove 2 within which a C-ring 3 is located, the ends of the C-ring ment.

, azeaese Patented July 12, 1966 shown at 3, entering through holes 5 in the casing 1, to engage with an annular groove 6 formed in a disk 7, located within the casing and fitted on the end 8 of the lock plug 9. Said end 8 of the plug is of non-round formation, or is provided with one or more flat surfaces 10, as seen in FIG. 9. The disk 7 is provided with a central opening 11 conforming in shape to the part 8 of the plug, thus the disk will turn with the plug when the same is rotatively moved by the use of the required key, an example of which is shown in FIG. 13.

The disk 7 is held on the end of the plug by a retaining ring 14 which engages a groove 15 (FIG. 9) in the plug. The above-described arrangement is such that the plug, with the disk 7 carried by it and together with other elements also carried by the plug and to be described presently, can be axially withdrawn from within the casing 1 by the removal of the C-n'ng for the adjustment of the lock parts to adapt the lock for the acceptance of a new key.

The disk 7 is provided on its rear face with projections or dogs 16 which engage or interfit with the elements 17 provided on a rear closure plug 18 that fits in and closes the rear end of the casing 1. This arrangement is such as to couple the disk 7 and the closure plug 18 together, so that when the plug 9 and the disk 7 are rotatively moved by the use of the proper key, the closure plug 18 will also be moved. Said plug 18 is formed with an annular groove 19, receiving a retaining ring 20 which holds the closure plug against axial movement but permits its rotative movement. A rearwardly-extending threaded stud 21 is formed on the closure plug 18, which stud can, if desired be non-round or formed with at least one flat surface 22 as shown in FIG. 1 and indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 14. The stud 21 is adapted for connection in any suitable manner to the bolt-mechanism so that by the rotative movement of the stud the bolt will be advanced or retracted in the known manner.

The lock plug 9, shown in detail in FIGS. 9 and 10 is provided at its forward end with a circular head 23, closely fitting the inner shape of the casing 1 and closing its forward end. Extending axially through the plug is a key slot 24 of the cross-sectional shape clearly seen in FIG. 10, for the reception of a key similar to that shown in FIG. 13. Extending transversely through the plug 9 and across the key slot therein, are spaced slots 25 each of which slidably receives a wafer-type tumbler 26 of the shape clearly seen in FIG. 15. Each of these tumblers is provided with a central aperture 27 through which the key passes on its insertion into the lock. At each end of the tumbler there is provided a tab or lug 28. Fitted around the outside of the plug 9 are tumbler-receiving abutments. One of these abutments is shown at 29, the same constituting a locking abutment, and the remainder of the abutments are of the form shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 and indicated at 30.

The abutment 29 is located at the forward end of the lock and behind the head 23 of the plug 9 as will be apparent from FIG. I. Said abutment is provided with a recess 31 into which one of the tabs or lugs 28 on one of the tumblers can enter. The abutment 29 is also provided with an arcuate groove 32 defining by its degree limits, the extent of rotative movement of the plug 9 for locking and unlocking purposes. In FIG. 2 one of the wafer-type tumblers 26a is shown in its lowered position, with one of its tabs o-r lugs 28 disposed in the groove 32.

Provided in the peripheral edge of the abutment 29 is a notch 33 for engagement with an axially-extending rib 34 (FIG. 2) provided on the interior wall surface of the casing 1, such interengagement of the notch 33 with the rib 34 holding the abutment 29 against rotative move- Each of the abutments 29 and 30 has a central circular opening 35 through which the plug 9 extends and this arrangement permits the rotation of the plug within the abutments by key operation.

The abutments 30 are each provided with a number of uniformly-spaced peripheral notches, four of the same being shown respectively at 36, 37, 38 and 39. These notches are adapted for selective engagement with the rib 34 to hold the abutments in non-rotative positions as selected for a specific combination. The abutments 30 each have a central depression 40 surrounded by the wall 41. A tumbler is located in said depression and the wall 41 has its inner surface formed with tangential curved surfaces 42 which terminate respectively in the shoulders 43, 44, 45 and 46. These shoulders vary in depth as will be apparent from FIGS. 5 and 15. Each of the notches 36 to 39 is designated by indicia provided on the periphery of the abtuments. That is to say, notch 36 is indicated by a single transverse groove shown at 47; notch 39 is indicated by two grooves 48; notch 37 is indicated by three grooves 49, andnotch 38 is indicated by the four grooves 50. Other suitable identifying markings might be used. The purpose of these markings is to indicate the positions of the several abutments in relation to one another to form a selected specific combination for the lock.

In FIG. 1 of the drawing, the tumblers are arranged as they appear when a key, such as shown in FIG. 13, and designated at 13, is used, the tumblers in the position shown, being then free to turn and thus rotate the plug 9 to operate the bolt mechanism connected to the stud 21. When the key 13 is entered into the key slot 24 the first tumbler, or that indicated at 26a will drop down as shown in FIG. 2 to enter the notch 60 in the key 13, so that the tab or lug 28 on the tumbler will enter groove 32 in abutment 29 and thus the rotative movement of the plug will be limited to the exent permitted by the groove 32. By the use of the key, the several tumblers will be so positioned that they will be free of engagement with the parts of the abutments which prevent turning of the tumblers and hence the plug will be rotated.

When it is desired to change the combination of the lock to render the prevailing key ineffective and to adapt the lock to a key of a different contour, the C-ring 3 is removed, thus freeing the disk 7 and enabling the plug 9 carrying said disk as well as the abutments and their associated tumblers, to be withdrawn axially out through the forward end of the casing 1. With the key then out of the key slot 24, the various abutments can be rotatively adjusted around the plug and caused to occupy different positions thereon. The markings 47, 48, 49 and 50 can be aligned in different sequences to indicate the axial alignment of the several notches in the edges of the various abutments and the engagement of said selected notches with the rib 34. That is to say for example, the notch 37 on one abutment can be aligned with the notch 39 on the next abtument; notch 38 might be aligned with notch 36 on the following abutment and so on. By this means the several abtuments can be arranged in various sequences to provide many different combinations. After the abutments are arranged as above described, and a new combination is thus provided, the plug and its associated elements, are slid back into the casing 1, with the then-aligned edge notches on the abutments engaging the notch-fitting rib 34 to thereby maintain the abutments in non-rotative positions in the casing. A suitably-identified key having the required conformation to engage and properly position the tumblers to permit their rotation relatively to their abutments, is then used to operate the lock until it is again desired to change the combination of the lock by following the procedure herein set forth. When the tumblers are positioned by the insertion of the required key, they can be moved through the areas defined by the tangential surfaces 42 on the tumblers, the tumbler 26a having its stop lug moved through groove 32.

In FIG. 12 of the drawings, it will be noted that the disk 7 is formed with a peripheral notch 70. The purpose of this notch is to enable the disk 7 to clear the rib 34 when the plug 9, carrying the disk 7, is slid into the casing from the front of the same. In order for the disk 7 to rotate along with the plug 9, during operation of the lock, the notch 70 becomes located beyond the rear end of the rib 34 when the disk 7 reaches home or in the position shown in FIG. 1 in the casing so that the notch is then no longer engaged with the rib.

When the several abutments are set for any one of the many number of combinations possible, it will be apparent that the various shoulders 43 to 46 will be adjacent to one another and in the particular manner arranged by the rotative adjusting movement of the abutments. Thus, the specific key selected must be one which will be so contoured or notched that when it is inserted in the key slot it will enablethe tumblers in the arranged sequence to drop into the notches of the key and when that is done it will be found that each tumbler can be rotated and that when they are rotatable as above mentioned, they will clear the shoulders on their respective abutments and thus permit the rotative movement of the plug 9 and hence the operation of the bolt-controlling mechanism connected thereto.

In FIGS. 15 and 16 is shown a guard or protective means applicable to the present lock and possibly to other locks and by means of which the picking of the lock is hampered or prevented altogether.

In this arrangement the key slot 24 is so shaped that it accommodates within it a channel-shaped metallic strip 65 which extends for the length of that part of the plug 9 on which the abutments are located. Said channel-shaped strip is retained in place by the engagement of its longitudinal ribs or beads 66 with the grooves 67 provided in the key slot 24 as shown in FIG. 10. In FIG. 15 the tumbler 26 is shown in its central position or that in which it is free to rotate, but in its normal or operative position it is lowered, or in the position of the tumbler shown at 26a in FIG. 2, in which position the lower lug or tab 28 is located in the groove 32. In this lowered position the edge 72 (FIG. 15) of the central aperture in the tumbler contacts with the top flange of the protector or guard strip 65 so that little or no space exists between this part of the tumbler and the top of the key slot so that a slender insrument then inserted or attempted to be inserted through the top part of the key slot in an effort to reach the respective tumblers and ascertain their positions and thus determine the combination of the lock, will be prevented from doing so.

As indicated by the line 75 in FIG. 15, the tumbler 26 can be set at a slight inclination of approximately three degrees, this arrangement being effective to provide a look ing result for the first tumbler.

To evaluate the offsetting of the first or locking tumbler approximately 3 degrees and to evaluate the feature of having the tumbler in a fully lowered position before the lock plug 9 (FIG. 9) can be rotated, it is desirable to understand how a conventional lock is usually picked. Such lock is usually picked by the insertion of a small tool or instrument in the keyway in order to exert a slight but constant rotational pressure on the plug of the lock so that the lugs on the tumblers or wafers will come into contact with the shoulders of their respective abutments. After this has been done, a small instrument generally known as a pick and resembling a dental probe, is inserted in the upper part of the keyway and the edges 72 of the tumblers (FIG. 2) are racked or pressed up one at a time until each has cleared its respective abutment shoulder.

In the structure of the present invention, rotational pressure can be applied to the plug and the first or locking tumbler might be lifted by a pick, but the instant that this is done the upper lug of the tumbler 26d in FIG. 2 enters the recess 31 and the plug is prevented from turning the necessary 3 to 5 degrees to bring the lugs 28 of all of the working tumblers 26 in FIG. 15 into contact with their respective abutments, or the shoulders 44 thereon, so that racking or lifting the tumbler edges is of no avail to get the tum-blers past the abutments.

If the first or locking tumbler 26a is left in the fully forward position as shown in FIG. 2, the plug can be rotated the required 3 to 5 degrees necessary to bring the lugs on the remaining tumblers into contact with the abutment shoulders but with the first tumbler in this forward position there remains only the space of approximately one thirty-second of an inch through which to insert a pick. This is usually insufiicient to permit the required manipulation of the pick.

As above pointed out, since the picking of the lock requires the lifting of the tumblers one at a time and by the engagement of a pick under the edge 72 of each of the tumblers, the lining of the key slot by a guide of channel-shape as shown at 65 materially limits the space in which the pick can be inserted to reach and manipulate the tum-blers so that as a result the picking of the lock is greatly impeded.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a lock is provided in which the combination can be readily changed by the rotative adjustment of the abutments and by which closure or blocking of the key slot and tumbler slots is attained in a manner to prevent the insertion of a lockpicking tool.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A lock having a cylindrical casing, a plug mounted for rotative movement in the casing, the plug having transverse slots, a plurality of wafer-type tumblers slidable through the slots, an abutment associated with each of the tumblers, the abutments each having a central opening through which the plug extends, an inwardlyextending projection on the interior of the casing, each abutment having a plurality of peripheral notches for engagement with said projection whereby the several abutments may be rotatively arranged on the plug in different positions, and notches on the interior of the abutments for engagement with parts of the tumblers to prevent rotative movement of the plug when a key of proper contour is not in the lock.

2. In a lock, a casing, a rotative plug therein, wafertype tumblers extending through the plug, abutments fitted around the plug and embracing the tumblers, the abutments being rotative around the plug to adjust their positions relative to one another while the plug with the abutments and tumblers thereon are out of the casing, means in the casing for engaging the abutments to hold the same in their rotatively adjusted position and against rotative movement while they are contained within the casing, the abutments having identifying indicia to indicate their re spective relative positions, and the means which holds the abutments against rotative movement while in the casing being a rib on the inner surface of the casing and each of the abutments having several peripheral notches for selective engagement with the rib.

3. In a lock, a casing, a plug disposed axially within the casing and rotative therein, a plurality of cup-shaped tumbler abutments encircling the plug, each of said abutments having a plurality of notches in its periphery, a rib on the interior of the casing with which one or the other of the notches on the several abutments can be engaged to hold the abutments against rotation and in selected relative positions while they are located in the casing, a plurality of tumblers slidable transversely through the plug, one of the tumblers being associated with each of the abutments and arranged for engagement therewith but ldisengageable by the insertion of a key of proper contour in the lock, the several abutments being adapted for rotative adjustment around the plug while the plug and the abutments carried by it are out of the casing, to thereby adapt the tumblers for responsiveness to a key of different contour, and identifying means borne by each abutment to disclose the contour of the key required to arrange the tumblers for the free rotation of the same in the adjusted positions of the abutments.

4. In a lock as provided for in claim 3, wherein some of the abutments are each provided with a central opening through which the plug extends, said opening being surrounded by an annular depression in the abutment and in which a tumbler is positioned, said depression being defined by a wall having its inner face consisting of surfaces extending tangentially relative to the central opening, said surfaces having tumbler-engaging shoulders at their ends, and the peripheral edge of the abutments having notches corresponding in number to the tangential surfaces.

5. In a lock, a rotative plug having a plurality of cylindrical abutments encircling it, tumblers slidable transversely through the plug and associated with the abutments, each abutment having a plurality of equally-spaced notches in its periphery and each abutment having a plurality of shoulders for engagement by the tumblers, said shoulders being of various heights.

6. In a lock, an abutment in the form of a disk provided with spaced notches in its periphery, said abutment being of cup-shape and containing a tumbler, the abutment having a wall disposed round the tumbler, said wall having tangential surfaces and shoulders located at the ends of such surfaces for engagement by the tumbler.

7. In a lock, a casing, a plug rotative in the same, the plug having a key slot extending axially in it, the plug having a plurality of spaced slots across the key slot, tumblers slidable through said slots, each tumbler having a central aperture through which a key is extended when it enters the key slot, and a channel-shaped guard fitted through the key slot with its legs transverse to the movement of said tumblers to line a substantial part of the key slot and impede the insertion of a tool through the key slot to reach upper edges of the apertures in the tumblers.

8. In a look as provided for in claim 7, wherein the guard is a channel-shaped metallic strip held in the key slot by the engagement of part of it with part of the key slot.

9. In a lock, a plug rotatable by key operation, the plug having a plurality of transverse slots extending through it, tumblers slidable through the slots, a key slot extending axially through the plug and crossing said slots, and means fitted in the key slot and serving to at least partially cover upper edge portions of the tumbler slots to thereby impede the passing of a lock pick upwardly through the slots to ascertain tumbler positions.

10. In a lock as provided for in claim 9, wherein each tumbler is provided with a central opening, the protective means being a channel strip passing through said central opening, the channel strip permitting raising and lowering of the tumblers, the opening in the tumbler having an upper edge contacting a portion of the channel strip when the tumbler is in a lowered position.

11. In a lock, a casing, a plug rotative therein, the plug having transverse slots, tumblers slidable through said slots, circular abutments arranged around the plug, each abutment having a wall disposed about a tumbler, each wall having spaced shoulders forming selective stops for its tumbler, said shoulders varying in height, the tumblers being rotatively adjustable relatively to the plug to enable them to be arranged with shoulders of one height disposed adjacent to sholders of another height on an adjacent abutment, the plug having a key slot passing through the transverse tumbler slots and a guard piece extending through the key slot and co-operating with the tumblers in closing off a portion of the key slot when at least one of the tumblers is in a lowered position.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner 3,143,875 8/ 1964 Wellekens 703 82 UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 1 /1965 HQHgTfiIl 7 36 13;? Ilgloulson 1 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

oover et a 3/1919 King 5 BOBBY R. GAY, Exammer. V 2/ 1952 Feldmann. P.TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 6. IN A LOCK, AN ABUTMENT IN THE FORM OF A DISK PROVIDED WITH SPACED NOTCHES IN ITS PERIPHERY, SAID ABUTMENT BEING OF CUP-SHAPE AND CONTAINING A TUMBLER, THE ABUTMENT HAVING A WALL DISPOSED ROUND THE TUMBLER, SAID WALL HAVING TANGENTIAL SURFACES AND SHOULDERS LOCATED AT THE ENDS OF SUCH SURFACES FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE TUMBLER.

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