US3482421A - Number lock - Google Patents

Description

K. A. FRANZEN Dec. 9, 1969 NUMBER LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 196'? M, 78 PM INVENTOR K. A. FRANZEN Dec. 9, 1969 NUMBER LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1967 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,482,421 NUMBER LOCK Karl August Franzen, Feuerbachstrasse 7, Solingen-Wald, Germany Filed Dec. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 687,220 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 3, 1966,

Int. Cl. E0sb 65/50 US. CI. 70-74 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A combination lock, particularly for traveling articles, such as brief cases or luggage, which comprises a box including memb rs for securing the lock to a fixed part of a traveling article and having an opening into which the staple of a hasp secured to the closure of the traveling article is adapted to penetrate. A lock cover at least partly enclosing the lock plate is provided and pivot means are mounted between the box and the lock cover. At least one nut member is settable by a rotatable number disc and has a radial slot, so that upon a predetermined setting the nut member assumes a position with the radial slot aligned with a bolt slide tail, and rendering possible the Opening of the lock. The pivot means comprises a screw having a head portion accessibly mounted in the lock cover, and the number disc is tightly pressed to the nut member merely by friction.

The present invention relates to a number lock.

Number locks are known which are equipped with a hasp, as they are used, for instance, for luggage or similar containers.

These number locks are comparatively high and they are rather very complicated in their structure. Due to their height, in these locks the luggage material must be cut in for receiving the lock box. Due to the complicated structure, they are comparatively involved as to their operation.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a haspand number-lock, which is very fiat and, thus, has not to be inserted into the valise wall, rather it is disposed on the valise wall, and which is extremely simple and safe in its operation as to its structure.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hasp-lock, which comprises a bolt slide laterally projecting and pushable inside and securely held in the pushed-in position. This retained bolt slide is released upon insertion of a hasp, so that it jumps out from the lock box.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a number lock wherein a slide is equipped at one of its ends with two tails which enter into a recess each in the pushed-in position of the bolt, which recesses are disposed on the bottom side of rotatable number discs coordinated to the tails, while upon closed hasp and thereby advanced lock bolt slide, the tails release the rotation of the discs.

If the hasp is closed, the discs can be moved, so that they can be moved to any selected number, which is, however not determined for the opening of the lock. Only the person who knows the predetermined number, at which the lock is to be opened, can turn then the disc into its right position, so that it is possible, to push backwardly the slide, so that its tails enter the recesses of the discs and the hasp jumps up.

The recesses for each number disc are not disposed in the number discs themselves, rather a nut equipped with a recess sits below the number disc, which nut is pressed towards the number disc by means of a screw, for which number disc a window is provided in the lock cover for rendering visible the numbers.

This screw serves also for the mounting of the number disc in the lower lock box and in the box cover.

If the screw is highly loosened, which is possible without any diificulty with the being open, other number combinations can be set. The screw heads, which are formed as cylinder heads, are disposed flush with the lock cover.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation, shown at its natural scale, of the number lock;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the lock, at a natural scale;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the number lock, however, shown at about a double size scale, and the lock cover being removed for the purpose of better demonstration.

FIG. 4 is a section along the lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the number lock, as disclosed in FIG. 3, however, in locked position, that means with pushed-in hasp; and

FIG. 7 is a section along the lines 7--7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, the lock comprises a lower box 1 and a lock cover 2. The lock is covered up by a hasp 3, which is pivotally secured to a fitting 4. This fitting 4 sits on the cover of the valise container.

The hasp 3 carries an eye 5 which enters a slot 6 of the lock cover 2.

By this arrangement, the hasp 3 engages a spring 7 and pushes this spring 7 downwardly. By this arrangement, a bolt slide 8 is released. The latter has namely on its bottom side a projection 9, which places itself in front of the spring 7 and is released upon pushing downwardly the spring 7.

If the bolt slide 8 is pushed into the lock box, this projection 9 places itself again in front of the spring 7, so that the bolt slide 8 cannot jump forward easily. Its jumping forward can take place only, when the hasp 3 is pushed down and releases the pin 9 from its arrest with the spring 7.

In addition, the bolt slide 8 is under the eifect of a spring 10. It has, furthermore, the two tails 11 and 12, th ends of which enter recesses 13 and 14, respectively, which are disposed each in a nut 15 and 16, respectively, which are secured below the number discs 17 and 18 by the screws 19 and 20.

The ends of the screws 19 and 20 form the bearing pins 21 and 22 for the mounting of the two discs in the lower box 1 of the lock and the cylindrical heads 23 and 24 of the screws form the bearing points in the lock cover 2.

The periphery of the discs 17 and 18 is equipped with notches 25, in which the ends of the hair needle spring 26 enter.

In the hasp 3 and in the lock cover 2 aligned window recesses 27 are provided. Always one number of the plurality of numbers provided on the disc can be recognized through these windows.

The numbers rendered recognizable are the numbers at which the lock can be opened.

The operation of the lock is as follows:

Starting from the position disclosed in FIG. 3, it is apparent that the lock can be opened at the position of the number 75. It now the hasp is pushed in, the bolt slide jumps forward and the tails 11 and 12 escape from the recesses. Now the discs can be selectively adjusted, in particular, for instance, to the number 24. Upon such adjustment, however, the recesses 13 and 14 have been displaced also, so that the tails cannot be pushed backward any more with the bolt slide. The lock cannot be opened any more.

' If now the correct number 75 is set, the recesses 13 and 14 receive againtheir correct position, so that the bolt slide can be pushed backwardly. It catches itself then behind the spring 7. Since the hasp is freed and is open, respectively, the lock can be opened.

Aside from the low lock box and the simple structure, it must be still emphasized that a very slight mounting labor is required, and also the adjustability is extremely simple and safe.

It is,. of course, also possible, to build the entire lock fittings not in the lower box,". but in the hasp.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1'. A combination lock, particularly for traveling articles such as brief cases or luggage, comprising a box including members for securing the lock to a fixed part of a traveling article and having an opening into which the staple of a hasp secured to the closure of said traveling article is adapted to penetrate, a lock cover at least partly enclosing said lock box, an elongated reciprocating spring biased bolt slide mounted in said box, with one end of said slide extending outwardly of said box and the other end having at least one tail, said slide having an inner and outer position with respect to said box when reciprocated, a screw member having a head portion accessibly mounted in said lock cover and threadably engaging said box, the shank of said screw rotatably mounting between the box and the cover in coaxial relationship a number disc and a radially slotted nut member positioned behind said number disc and frictionally engaged therewith to rotate simultaneously, said number disc when given a predetermined setting aligning said bolt tail with said radial slot when said bolt slide is in said inner positon and per- 3 said spring member and releasing said bolt slide permitting its movement to said outer position.

3. The combination. lock, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said nut member comprises a disc-like flat nut.

4. The combination lock, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said numbering-disc projects laterally from said box, a hair needle springdisposed adjacent said numbering disc, and said numbering disc has at its periphery a plurality of notches engaged by. said hair needle spring. 5. The combination lock, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said hasp covers said head portion of said screw, and said hasp as well as said lock cover have aligned window recesses. 6. The combination lock, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end of said screw entering said box constitutes a bearing pin for said number disc, and said head portion of said screw projects through said lock cover and is disposed flush with the outer face of said lock cover.

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 636,882 11/1899 ,Zoeller 304 1,656,882 1/1928 Wildrick 703l2 1,694,795 12/1928 Recker 70 -67 2,565,825 8/1951 Redmond 70-74 X 3,053,071 9/1962 Badoud 70-74 FOREIGN PATENTS 685,096 12/ 1952 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner EDWARD J. McCART HY, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1.X.R. 705

Images