Rotary disc tumbler lock construction

Claim 2

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with a plurality of gatings or notches disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein at either of at least two rotary positions of said elements displaced from a single neutral key entry position, an elongate body groove formed along the interior of the lock body, said core assembly including a radially disposed side bar passage therein, an elongate side bar carried in said passage and extending radially outwardly of the passage and into said body groove for engagement between said body and core assembly for retaining said core assembly and body against relative rotation therebetween, said tumbler elements having a central keyhole opening therein formed to receive a key and to form, when aligned with the others of said tumbler elements at said neutral key entry position, an unobstructed keyhole for receiving the key without disturbing the positioning of the tumbler elements, resilient means serving to urge each of said tumbler elements in a direction to align same to form said unobstructed key entry position, said key entry position being common to receive a key for both right hand and left hand rotation thereof while rotating said tumbler elements therewith, each of said tumbler elements Having contact surfaces adapted to engage one or the other of two tumbler drive surfaces formed on opposite sides of the key for engaging said contact surfaces and for respectively rotating said tumbler elements clockwise or counterclockwise in response to clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the key while disposed in the same key entry position for aligning said gatings.

Claim 3

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with a plurality of gatings or notches disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein at either of at least two rotary positions of said elements displaced from a neutral key entry position common to both, an elongate body groove formed along the interior of the lock body, said body groove being formed to include beveled edges disposed along the confronting interior edges thereof, said core assembly including a side bar passage radially therethrough, an elongate side bar carried in said passage and extending radially outwardly of the passage and into said body groove for engagement between said body and core assembly for retaining said core assembly and body against relative rotation therebetween, each of said tumbler elements having contact surfaces adapted to engage one or the other of two tumbler drive surfaces formed on opposite sides of the key for engaging said contact surfaces and for respectively rotating said tumbler elements clockwise or counterclockwise in response to clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the key from said neutral entry position to align said gatings, and spring means common to all said tumbler elements for reversely driving said tumbler elements to said neutral key entry position to enable removal of the key.

Claim 4

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with a plurality of gatings or notches disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein at either of at least two rotary positions of said elements displaced from a neutral key entry position common to both, an elongate body groove formed along the interior of the lock body, said body groove being formed to include beveled edges disposed along the confronting interior edges thereof, said core assembly including a side bar passage radially therethrough, an elongate side bar carried in said passage and extending radially outwardly of the passage and into said body groove for engagement between said body and core assembly for retaining said core assembly and body against relative rotation therebetween, each of said tumbler elements having contact surfaces adapted to engage one or the other of two tumbler drive surfaces formed on opposite sides of the key for engaging said contact surfaces and for respectively rotating said tumbler elements clockwise or counterclockwise in response to clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the key from said neutral entry position to align said gatings, and spring means common to all said tumbler elements for reversely driving said tumbler elements to said neutral key entry position to enable removal of the key.

Claim 5

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with at least two gatings or notches disposed to extend radially into the periphery thereof and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein, an elongate slot formed along the interior of the lock body and having inclined sides thereto, said core assembly including an elongate side bar passage therein and through the exterior thereof, an elongate side bar carried in said passage and extending radially therefrom into the last named slot for retaining said body and core assembly against relative rotation therebetween, said tumbler elements being disposed within said core assembly for both clockwise and counterclockwise movement relative to said core assembly from a neutral position with a common unobstructed key entry formed therethrough for admitting a key to respectively align one or the other of the two gatings of the tumbler elements to thereby form, by either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of said tumbler elements, a gating slot in position to receive the side bar therein upon further clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of said core assembly subsequent to alignment of said gatings, means for rotating said core assembly clockwise or counterclockwise following alignment of said gatings for camming said side bar against said inclined sides so as to move the side bar into said gating slot and out of engagement with said body so as to permit rotation between said core assembly and said body, the gatings of the tumbler elements being randomly disposed relative to a plane of symmetry longitudinally of the keyway at various peripheral positions on each tumbler element, each said tumbler element having an unrestricted central opening therein formed to receive a key and to form, when aligned with the others of said elements at said neutral Position, an unobstructed keyhole for receiving the key for both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of said tumbler elements without disturbing the positioning of the tumbler elements, spring means for urging said tumbler elements to said neutral position to provide said unobstructed keyhole, said tumbler elements having key contact surfaces disposed in confronting relation at the sides of their said openings and adapted to respectively engage one or the other of two tumbler drive surfaces of the same or different radial angles formed on opposite sides of the key for engaging said key contact surfaces and for respectively rotating said tumbler elements clockwise or counterclockwise in response thereto.

Claim 6

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with at least two gatings or notches disposed to extend radially into the periphery thereof and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein, an elongate slot formed along the interior of the lock body and having inclined sides thereto, said core assembly including an elongate side bar passage therein and through the exterior thereof, an elongate side bar carried in said passage and extending radially therefrom into the last named slot for retaining said body and core assembly against relative rotation therebetween, said tumbler elements being disposed within said core assembly for both clockwise and counterclockwise movement relative to said core assembly from a neutral position with a common unobstructed key entry formed therethrough for admitting a key to respectively align one or the other of the two gatings of the tumbler elements to thereby form, by either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of said tumbler elements, a gating slot in position to receive the side bar therein upon further clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of said core assembly subsequent to alignment of said gatings, means for rotating said core assembly clockwise or counterclockwise following alignment of said gatings for camming said side bar against said inclined sides so as to move the side bar into said gating slot and out of engagement with said body so as to permit rotation between said core assembly and said body, the gatings of the tumbler elements being randomly disposed relative to a plane of symmetry longitudinally of the keyway at various peripheral positions on each tumbler element, each said tumbler element having an unrestricted central opening therein formed to receive a key and to form, when aligned with the others of said elements at said neutral Position, an unobstructed keyhole for receiving the key for both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of said tumbler elements without disturbing the positioning of the tumbler elements, spring means for urging said tumbler elements to said neutral position to provide said unobstructed keyhole, said tumbler elements having key contact surfaces disposed in confronting relation at the sides of their said openings and adapted to respectively engage one or the other of two tumbler drive surfaces of the same or different radial angles formed on opposite sides of the key for engaging said key contact surfaces and for respectively rotating said tumbler elements clockwise or counterclockwise in response thereto.

Claim 7

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, an elongate body groove extending along the interior of the lock body to receive a side bar therein, said core assembly including a side bar passage radially therethrough, and having an elongate side bar carried in said passage to extend radially therefrom into said body groove for engagement between the body and the core assembly for retaining the core assembly from rotating relative to the body, a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements, means common to each tumbler element for urging same to a neutral rotary position to form an unobstructed keyway in the core assembly, two sets of gate openings formed in the peripheries of said tumbler elements, the gate openings of one set being disposed to be aligned to form an elongate gating slot in response to clockwise rotation of said tumblers from said key entry position, and the gatings of the other set being disposed to be aligned to form an elongate gating slot in response to counterclockwise rotation of said tumblers from the same common unobstructed neutral key entry position, each of said gating slots when formed being disposed on a radius including the side bar to permit the side bar to be moved radially into and out of one or the other of the two gating slots to release the engagement between the core assembly and body.

Claim 8

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, an elongate body groove extending along the interior of the lock body to receive a side bar therein, said core assembly including a side bar passage radially therethrough, and having an elongate side bar carried in said passage to extend radially therefrom into said body groove for engagement between the body and the core assembly for retaining the core assembly from rotating relative to the body, a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements, means common to each tumbler element for urging same to a neutral rotary position to form an unobstructed keyway in the core assembly, two sets of gate openings formed in the peripheries of said tumbler elements, the gate openings of one set being disposed to be aligned to form an elongate gating slot in response to clockwise rotation of said tumblers from said key entry position, and the gatings of the other set being disposed to be aligned to form an elongate gating slot in response to counterclockwise rotation of said tumblers from the same common unobstructed neutral key entry position, each of said gating slots when formed being disposed on a radius including the side bar to permit the side bar to be moved radially into and out of one or the other of the two gating slots to release the engagement between the core assembly and body.

Claim 9

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction according to claim 4 wherein each of said tumbler elements includes a generally disc-like construction having a single key receiving opening centrally thereof, and a plurality of gating slots disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the tumblers, said slots being disposed on both sides of a neutral key entry position, each of said tumbler elements having two key contact surfaces disposed in confronting relation at the sides of said key opening and adapted to engage one or the other of two tumbler drive surfaces of varying area dependent on the angle to which they are formed on opposite sides of the key for engaging said contact surfaces and for respectively rotating said tumbler elements clockwise or counterclockwise in response to clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the key to align said gatings, said key contact surfaces on said tumblers being restricted in area to that associated with the least area of said drive surfaces on the key.

Claim 10

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with a plurality of gatings or notches randomly disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein at either of at least two rotary positions of said elements displaced respectively clockwise and counterclockwise from the same neutral unobstructed key entry position of said tumbler elements, and means yieldingly urging said elements to return to said common unobstructed key entry position, said unobstructed position serving to receive the key therein without disturbing the positioning of the tumbler elements.

Claim 11

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with a plurality of gatings or notches randomly disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein at either of at least two rotary positions of said elements displaced respectively clockwise and counterclockwise from the same neutral unobstructed key entry position of said tumbler elements, and means yieldingly urging said elements to return to said common unobstructed key entry position, said unobstructed position serving to receive the key therein without disturbing the positioning of the tumbler elements.

Claim 12

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construCtion according to claim 1 including a key for operating the lock, said key having an elongate shank portion, pairs of tumbler drive surfaces at random angles tangential to the shank portion and disposed on opposite sides of said shank portion in the same transverse plane through the shank and each said drive surface having a contact area sufficiently extensive to make contact with the entire surface of an associated one of the tumbler''s contact surfaces, and said key having that number of such tumbler drive surfaces as equal the number of said contact surfaces.

Claim 13

A key for operating a rotary disc tumbler lock of a type having a plurality of rotary disc-like tumbler elements formed with a single unrestricted central keyhole opening for receiving the key, and where each of said tumbler elements includes two key contact surfaces disposed in confronting relation at the sides of their central openings, said key comprising an elongate shank, a raised bitting blank carried by said shank, said bitting blank having a plurality of pairs of tumbler drive surfaces thereon, each said pair being adapted to be associated with a related one of said tumbler elements, the drive surfaces of each said pair being disposed at angles tangential to the shank and independently of the angle of the other to rotate said tumblers both clockwise and counterclockwise.

Claim 14

A key for operating a rotary disc tumbler lock of a type having a plurality of rotary disc-like tumbler elements formed with a single unrestricted central keyhole opening for receiving the key, and where each of said tumbler elements includes two key contact surfaces disposed in confronting relation at the sides of their central openings, said key comprising an elongate shank, a raised bitting blank carried by said shank, said bitting blank having a plurality of pairs of tumbler drive surfaces thereon, each said pair being adapted to be associated with a related one of said tumbler elements, the drive surfaces of each said pair being disposed at angles tangential to the shank and independently of the angle of the other to rotate said tumblers both clockwise and counterclockwise.

Claim 15

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly within the body rotatable with respect to the body and an elongate side bar disposed therebetween and movable to couple said body to said core assembly, said core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each having a central key-receiving opening therein, said elements being rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise from the same neutral unobstructed key entry position, resilient means serving to urge said elements to form said neutral entry position, that portion of the periphery of said tumbler elements rotationally disposed to one side of said neutral key entry position providing a first gating zone, at least one operable gating formed in said first gating zone, a second gating zone provided in the periphery of said tumbler elements, said second zone being displaced rotationally to the other side of said neutral key entry position and spaced from said first zone, at least one gating formed in said second zone, said gatings of said first and second zones being disposed and adapted to be aligned with others to form elongate gating slots for receiving the side bar therein, said gatings in each zone being randomly disposed therein on each of said tumbler elements within said core assembly.

Claim 16

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly within the body rotatable with respect to the body and an elongate side bar disposed therebetween and movable to couple said body to said core assembly, said core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each having a central key-receiving opening therein, said elements being rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise from the same neutral unobstructed key entry position, resilient means serving to urge said elements to form said neutral entry position, that portion of the periphery of said tumbler elements rotationally disposed to one side of said neutral key entry position providing a first gating zone, at least one operable gating formed in said first gating zone, a second gating zone provided in the periphery of said tumbler elements, said second zone being displaced rotationally to the other side of said neutral key entry position and spaced from said first zone, at least one gating formed in said second zone, said gatings of said first and second zones being disposed and adapted to be aligned with others to form elongate gating slots for receiving the side bar therein, said gatings in each zone being randomly disposed therein on each of said tumbler elements within said core assembly.

Claim 17

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction according to claim 9 wherein at least one of said tumbler elements includes a plurality of operable gatings formed in at least one of said zones of said tumbler elements.

Claim 18

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with a plurality of gatings or notches disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein at either of at least two rotary positions of said elements displaced respectively clockwise and counterclockwise from a neutral key entry position of said tumbler elements, all of said gatings forming one of said slots are independent of all those gatings forming another of said slots.

Claim 19

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with a plurality of gatings or notches disposed to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein at either of at least two rotary positions of said elements displaced respectively clockwise and counterclockwise from a neutral key entry position of said tumbler elements, all of said gatings forming one of said slots are independent of all those gatings forming another of said slots.

Claim 20

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction according to claim 11 wherein all combinations of said gatings forming one of said slots are exclusive of those gatings forming another of said slots.

Claim 21

A key for operating a rotary disc tumbler lock of a type having a plurality of rotary disc-like tumbler elements each formed with an unrestricted central keyhole opening for receiviNg a key shank and its associated raised bitting blank with bittings either cut or uncut thereon, and where said tumbler elements are formed to include key contact surfaces disposed at the side of their central openings, said key comprising an elongate cylindrical shank, tumbler drive surfaces formed at varying angles along said raised bitting blank on the key shank and tangential thereto for engaging said key contact surfaces to rotate said tumblers.

Claim 22

A key for operating a rotary disc tumbler lock of a type having a plurality of rotary disc-like tumbler elements each formed with an unrestricted central keyhole opening for receiviNg a key shank and its associated raised bitting blank with bittings either cut or uncut thereon, and where said tumbler elements are formed to include key contact surfaces disposed at the side of their central openings, said key comprising an elongate cylindrical shank, tumbler drive surfaces formed at varying angles along said raised bitting blank on the key shank and tangential thereto for engaging said key contact surfaces to rotate said tumblers.

Claim 23

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction according to claim 1 further including means responsive to continued rotation beyond the point of alignment of said gatings and serving to cam said side bar out of the body groove and into said aligned gating slot so as to permit rotation of said core assembly relative to said body.

Claim 24

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction according to claim 2 further comprising means responsive to continued rotation beyond the point of alignment of said gatings serving to cam said side bar out of the body groove and into said aligned gating slot so as to permit rotation of said core assembly relative to said body.

Claim 25

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with at least one gating or notch randomly disposed with respect to the others to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein, a neutral unobstructed key entry position centrally located in said tumbler elements, and means yieldingly urging said elements to return to said common unobstructed key entry position, said unobstructed position serving to receive the key therein without disturbing the positioning of the tumbler elements.

Claim 26

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction having a lock body and a generally cylindrical core assembly therein, a tumbler assembly within the core assembly comprising a plurality of rotary disc tumbler elements each formed with at least one gating or notch randomly disposed with respect to the others to extend radially into the periphery of the elements and adapted to be aligned with others to form an elongate gating slot for receiving a side bar therein, a neutral unobstructed key entry position centrally located in said tumbler elements, and means yieldingly urging said elements to return to said common unobstructed key entry position, said unobstructed position serving to receive the key therein without disturbing the positioning of the tumbler elements.

Claim 27

In a rotary disc tumbler lock construction according to claim 16 further including means responsive to continued rotation beyond the point of alignment of said gatings and serving to cam said side bar out of the body groove and into said aligned gating slot so as to permit rotation of said core assembly relative to said body.