Abstract: A plunger operated lock in which the lock operating plunger is mounted in a plunger housing inside the lock housing and is axially movable therein. The plunger housing is spring biased to the locking position, and the plunger is spring biased to a medial position in relation to the plunger housing. To allow the plunger to move to the un-locking position, the plunger housing must be moved toward the unlocking position far enough to substantially fully compress its biasing spring, and the plunger must be moved axially in the plunger housing toward the unlocking position.

Abstract: A closure device has a cylinder core turnable in a housing and a key insertable into a key channel in the core. A ball provided in a circumferential groove in the inner wall of the housing cooperates with an edge portion of the key. A pin is arranged in the same plane and 180.degree. away from the ball.

Abstract: A high security spring lock and an associated key for locking and unlocking the lock. The lock has a cylindrical barrel with an axial bore. A main compression spring and a secondary compression spring are coaxially mounted in the bore and bear against each other and against opposite ends of the bore. A pair of locking balls constrained for limited movement in radially extending passageways are held radially outward in a locking position by the main compression spring.The key has elongated outer expanding fingers and an inner coaxially arranged center pin. When the key is fully inserted into the lock and the key handle is operated, the expanding fingers are initially radially expanded to grip the inner surface of the main compression spring and are then longitudinally retracted to draw the main compression spring rearwardly.

Abstract: A key for a lock of the plunger operated type in which an elongated housing has an internal axially movable plunger which releases locking elements when moved toward the open end of the housing, said key having a body with elongated fingers forwardly from the housing and an elongated mandrel disposed between the fingers. A spacer is disposed at the rear end of the fingers and protrudes forwardly from the foremost face of the key housing for abutting a portion of the lock to limit the distance the fingers can extend into the lock. The housing has a head portion which is axially adjustable in relation to the spacer to vary the amount the spacer projects forwardly from the housing.In one embodiment of the invention internal structure is provided that allows the fingers to shift forwardly a predetermined distance if the forward end of the housing is removed by grinding in an effort to modify the key for use in locks with which it is not intended for use.

Abstract: A locking device which is operated by an inserted perforated card includes a bolt with rows of bores and a body within the casing of the device corresponding having bores in line with the first named bores and tumbler units located in the aligned bores and selectively displaceable by means of the inserted card.

Abstract: A padlock is provided with bidirectional locking pins so that a key can be turned in either direction to operate the padlock. The padlock has a circular slot in the bottom portion to allow the insertion of a cylindrical key which has teeth and recesses corresponding with the lock pins. A locking ball holds a U-shaped lock bar in place. When the key is turned the ball moves inwardly to release the lock bar and to unlock the padlock. Turning the key in the opposite operation will lock the padlock.

Abstract: A high security lock and a high security key for locking and unlocking said lock. The lock has a resilient O-ring seated in the bore of a hollow plunger and a retainer sleeve fixed in the bore of the hollow plunger and bearing against the rear surface of the O-ring. A center pin with an enlarged forward head extends rearwardly through the bore of the plunger, the O-ring gripping the periphery of the center pin and yieldably resisting center pin reciprocal movement within the plunger bore.The key has elongated outer expanding fingers and an inner coaxially arranged center pin. When the key is fully inserted into the lock and the key handle is operated, the expanding fingers are initially radially expanded to grip the inner surface of the lock plunger bore, and are then longitudinally retracted to draw the plunger rearwardly. Simultaneously, the key center pin is prevented from retracting and holds the lock center pin stationary permitting the lock to unlock.

Abstract: A door or window lock has a body which is securable to the door, window, or a surround for a door or window, and has at least two passages therethrough that extend angularly relative to one another. A locking bar is slidable axially in any one of the passages to adopt either an operative position or an inoperative position, and in the operative position a locking end portion of the bar protrudes a predetermined distance beyond an adjacent side of the body. The bar can adopt either of two operative positions for each passage and in each of those positions the locking end portion protrudes beyond a respective one of two opposite sides of the body. A key operated locking member is rotatably mounted on the body and can adopt a particular locking position for each of the passages. In the locking position for one passage, the locking member protrudes into a recess of the bar to hold the bar against movement in either direction from its operative position.

Abstract: A lock of the type having an elongated housing open at the rear end with internal operating mechanism to release locking means, in which the mechanism comprises a collar which is spring biased forwardly and a locking stem mounted in the collar and spring biased rearwardly in relation thereto. The insertion of an operating tool causes movement of the stem forwardly a predetermined amount, allowing the tool to engage the collar. However, the insertion of a picking tool into the collar forces the stem forwardly in relation to the collar, a greater distance increasing the overall length of the mechanism to an extent that even when the collar is moved rearwardly as far as possible, the forward end of the stem does not move rearwardly far enough to release the locking means. In one embodiment of the invention, the end of the stem protrudes far enough that operating tools normally used for this type of lock cannot be used to open the lock.

Abstract: Utility type locks have a lock body including a head and a shank, a plunger axially slidably received in the lock body, and locking balls forced outwardly from the shank or retracted within the shank depending upon the position of the plunger. A coil spring biases the plunger away from the head of the lock, and is dimensioned such that it must be fully compressed for the plunger to permit the balls to retract. The plunger face defines a shallow annular groove surrounding a center post which resists picking tools. A preload bushing surrounds the plunger with a deformable lip engaging a shoulder of the plunger. The preload bushing holds the utility lock open with the balls retracted, and application of force to the plunger deforms the lip to release the plunger.

Abstract: The plug of a cylindrical lock includes at each side of its key channel a blind boring communicating with a conical recess in an arresting plate secured to the housing of the lock. The blind boring intersects cylindrical rotary control members arranged for rotation in the plug and each having a diametrical passage coinciding in one angular position thereof with the blind boring. A series of arresting balls is arranged in the blind boring and in respective passages in such a manner as to resume in the aligned position of the members a blocking position in which the terminal ball is in engagement with the conical recess. During the rotation of the plug by a correct key the arresting balls are shifted by the inclined surfaces of the conical recess into the blind boring and the plug is free to rotate. By the insertion of a wrong key at least one passage is misaligned and consequently the terminal arresting ball cannot be removed from its arresting recess.

Abstract: A padlock of the type having a removable locking plug or cylinder capable of being removed from the top through a top opening in the lock case, also has a cap for the top opening. This cap is locked into the padlock case by a loose ball fitting in a groove in the cap and in the case. This cap locking ball is in addition to two other conventional locking balls used to lock the shackle in one conventional type padlock. The shackle is retained by another ball which is carried by a shackle leg and cooperates with another groove in the case. The shackle locking ball is placed in or out of locking position by adjustment of a set screw in the shackle leg.

Abstract: The specification describes a cylinder lock including a plurality of driver and associated follower pins movably residing in axially alignable bores in the lock core and cylinder, the lock also including spheres normally located in notches in the outer extremity of core cylinder wall, one or more of the spheres moving to a position between associated driver and follower pins preventing the alignment of these associated pins at the peripheral surface of the core when the follower or tumbler pins are manipulated without the use of a properly designed key.

Abstract: Lock apparatus comprising a housing in which is movably supported a locking member for movement between locked and unlocked positions. The housing and locking member have aligned bores containing blocking pins supported for movement between a first position in which the locking member is movable relative to the housing and a second position in which the blocking pins block movement of the locking member relative to the housing. A plate-like key member and a plate-like code member are respectively insertable into slots provided in the housing. The bores in the housing and locking member are arranged in a predetermined pattern and the plate-like members have respective regions corresponding to the location of the bores in the pattern.

Abstract: A lock and key combination includes an axial split-pin tumbler-type lock having a lock cylinder and a barrel assembly secured within the cylinder. The barrel assembly includes a forwardly disposed rotatable operating part and a rearwardly disposed stationary part, which carry in longitudinal bores thereof spring-pressed tumblers having separate driver and follower elements, the driver elements of which extend forwardly out of the bores for engagement with the key. The operating part has a planar front face surrounding a forwardly extending key guide post adapted to resist application of lock-picking torque. The key has a shank provided with a socket adapted for receiving the guide post therein.

Abstract: A lock of the type having an internal plunger with a stem for being gripped by a tool to pull the stem axially to release locking means, the stem being biased to the locking position by a coil spring so dimensioned that when the spring is fully compressed with the coils touching each other, the pin just reaches the unlocking position. Hence if an attempt is made to open the lock by inserting a bent wire or the like into a spring coil and pulling to compress the spring, the pin will not be able to move to the unlocking position.

Abstract: The present is an improved form of barrel type lock in which positive contracting mechanical gripping engagement between the key and the spring-biased locking plunger of the lock replaces the expanding frictional type of engagement hitherto used. This change both greatly increases the power of the key to operate weathered or otherwise recalcitrant locks and also provides for different series of locks of the same standard construction which will be operable exclusively by their own particular key.

Abstract: A lock of the type having an internal plunger with a stem for being gripped by a tool to pull the stem axially to release locking means, in which said stem has a separate portion protruding from the rear end which is spring biased against the forward portion of the stem. When attempts are made by unauthorized persons to open the lock by forcing an elongated member (such as a piece of tubing) into engagement with the protruding portion, the protruding portion is driven back into the forward portion, so that the tubing cannot become engaged therewith.

Abstract: A tumbler lock comprises a rotatable cylinder member formed with a plurality of bottomed holes arranged in parallel along an axis of the rotatable member on a circle coaxial with the axis, a corresponding number of biasing springs disposed in the bottoms of the respective holes, a corresponding number of tumbler pins each formed with annular groove at a different axial position and inserted into different one of the holes against a biasing spring and a cylindrical stationary member for rotatably holding the rotatable member, wherein the rotatable cylinder member is formed with the corresponding number of radial holes each communicated with corresponding one of the bottomed holes and, wherein a corresponding number of recesses are formed on the inner surface of the stationary member at positions corresponding to the radial holes and wherein a corresponding number of balls are provided for each of the tumbler pins in the rotatable member in such a manner that, in a normal state, the rotation of the rotatable me

Abstract: A pickproof cylinder lock has a plurality of key-actuatable spring-tensioned pin tumblers wholly received in the cylinder and slidably mounted therein, and a ball connected with each pin to be raised or lowered with the pin. The balls are normally held in inactive positions by their pins, but when a proper key is inserted, the balls are brought into active positions by their pins and form a straight link through which key actuation of the pins is translated into a force on a lock-operating member to move the same to a lock-open position. A spring member normally locks the lock-operating member rigidly in a lock-closed position, and the force produced by the balls in their active position is also directed against the spring member to move the latter to a position in which it releases the lock-operating member.