Abstract: A unitary self-contained electrically operated lock is provided which includes a latch wheel manually releasably rotatable from a first side of the lock housing by pulling on a handle from a first side and releasably rotatable from a second side of the housing only in response to insertion of a data combination card carrying an appropriate code. The latch wheel is mounted outside the housing on a rotatable shaft extending into the housing. A ratchet wheel mounted inside the lock housing on the rotatable shaft rotates with the latch wheel. A pawl normally engaged with the ratchet wheel allows the latch wheel to rotate into locking engagement with a keeper mounted in a door jamb while preventing the latch wheel from rotating out of engagement with the keeper until the pawl is retracted. A trip plate secured to the handle disengages the pawl from the ratchet wheel whenever the handle is manually retracted.

Abstract: A data combination card is provided which includes a thin electrically non-conductive, non-metallic substrate. A thin layer of metal is secured to a portion of one side of the substrate. Holes are selectively formed in the metal layer in data positions which, when taken together with the remainder of the metal layer, constitute binary coded information. The substrate is folded over upon itself to provide a composite coded card with the metal layer between two outer layers of the substrate. The card is adapted to be inserted into a card reader housing which contains a protrusion extending into the card reader housing to prohibit access to that portion of the housing. Discrete sensing means are mounted in the card reader housing to detect the presence or absence of an adjacent metal area. The card reader receives the card in a manner to position the metal layer adjacent the sensing means.

Abstract: A unitary self-contained electronic combination lock is provided which includes a dead bolt manually operable from one side and operable from the other side only in response to insertion of a data combination card carrying a unique binary code in the form of selectively positioned metallic spots. Sensors located within the unit generate a binary 1 or 0 signal in response to the presence or absence of a metallic spot adjacent each sensor. The lock combination code is automatically changed to the data card's code upon insertion of a card having a code combination which includes part of the lock's code so that the previously issued cards will no longer operate to unlock the door. In this manner, the authorized code for each lock unit is automatically and independently changed to render inoperative all previously issued data cards.