How Can I Understand Push-Button Mechanical Keyless Locks

It's a deep, dark secret--that's part of the puzzle!

I fooled around a bit searching and didn't come up with much either. Some of the mechanical puzzles literature might help. I suspect that manufacturers of cipher locks would be reluctant to publicize their designs, but maybe "cipher lock patents" might yield something. Taking apart a cheap combination lock could also give some ideas.

Good luck. But if you succeed and give us all feedback, then we'll know how to solve your puzzle. Catch-22!

LOL i can't believe you just gave me the old 'spanish archer', or the 'catch-22', or the 'old switcheroo'. haha. hilarious. ya, i think you're right about the designers being reluctant. quite a few months ago i was checking out the same search terms on google, and came up with a single 3D diagram of that locking mechanism. i forgot to bookmark it, so it's gone. :( i'll just have to keep on looking and asking around. when you said 'combination lock', are you referring to the rotary type locker locks?

Yes. They may not come across as "cylinders," but a stack of disks with slots can be considered as a flat, wide cylinder. (Sort of grasping at straws.)

since i started thinking about the push button locks, im starting to steer away from the cylinder type. i think it would be better if i duplicated a push-button lock (but using wood because im a woodworker) on a larger scale. i would probably build the mechanisms' size x4 (as well as the buttons). even if i couldn't find a drawing or schematic, i would be happy enough if someone could just explain how the mechanics work. i tend to learn better by visual images, but i can think 3D also if someone's trying to explain in words.

You can send a request to the "How They Do That?" people, a cable television show in the U.S. to include your subject in their show production series. They had in the past cover in their shows the manufacturing process as well as the inner workings of the different products. Have covered more technical and sophisticated topics or subjects in their shows that I've seen.. Good luck!

Even if you didn't book mark it. The page should be in your history. Unless you sweep that clean on a regular basis it won't be easy to find there either. But you can do a search for it just like you did when you previously found the page.

Here is a link that may help a little. This is the Simplex .pdf that shows how to clear a lost code, and shows the code chamber partially disassembled. Not much more there than at the link you posted.

Interesting project. Is the Simplex type mechanism really what you are shooting for? Randall has some interesting parts shown that may be more constructable in wood.

I'm doing an engineering project on snowboard bindings and I've been looking into different types of locking mechanisms...I too am a visual learner so if you've come across various websites with a repository of simulations detailing various types of mechanisms, it would be super useful if you could pass them this way!

Good luck with your project!

This is one of those units with two vertical rows of buttons.

There is a locking mechanism for each tumbler consisting of a ramp and notch; shown on the right of the two individual tumblers above, but, always in the middle of the two rows in the complete unit. When you press the Clear button a plate with cutouts moves so that all tumblers reset to the "out" position.

Another plate with cutouts (down the outside of the unit) can only move when all tumblers are in the correct position.

These locks are normally sold as 4 to 7 digit units. I guess that you get 7 red tip "code" tumblers and 7 blue tip "non code" tumblers when you buy them. Once someone has decided to go for a 4 digit combination and lost the "spare" three red tops, subsequent users are forced to stick with 4 "code" to 7 "non code" ratio.

The lock companies do not readily divulge their methods to the public,but I have attended some government sponsored training on locks and safes of all types.They are very sophisticated, and the information you might receive on line will only be the tip of the iceberg.

If you want to explore wooden locking mechanisms, check out Chinese Wood puzzles,which require specific motions in a specific order to open.There are many available,with instructions clearly posted.

Good luck.

HTRN

Buy a lock smith a couple of beer and ask your question. Works for me.

Simple way is to find the original patent with a search on one of several sites and look at the drawings that are included in the patent documents. If the patent is only pending, but not yet issued, it will be a bit more difficult.

thank you very much for your input. very appreciated!

I would be hard pressed to find a better topic for this forum!

Lets start at the bottom. It needs to be made of wood. It needs to be keyless, or at least, look like it is keyless. It needs to be able to be manipulated by big fingered individuals. It has to be made so that it has no delicate parts.

I suspect a survey of magicians equipment might be useful. Some puzzle boxes I have dealt with don't open unless you turn them first on one side then on the other, a gravity mechanism works to move a block inside out of the way. (hey, its keyless! And wood! And without potentially breakable springs!)

There was one I rather liked which used four square buttons (ends of square dowels) which would either be pushed in, pulled out (about 4 centimeters) or left alone. four dowels created 3 to the forth power combinations. Wards on the dowels made that one effective.

I saw one in a museum which used a candlestick as a key. The candlestick was turned on a lathe so that the shadow formed a silouette of a royal pretender. Visitors would know the house they were staying at were sympathetic to the cause because of the candle. The candlestick was also "key" to the "priest's hole", the lathed turnings engaging wards in the lock. It would work with a chest, or a lock box. You could have different family members have their own lathed "candlesticks" and matching lock boxes. Or people could travel with the candlestick key and know they were in a "safe house" when their key would work!

Sounds like great fun to me!

Look at U.S. patent 3,937,046 and the cited references.

Check out nokey.com and gokeyless.com to get a list of manufacturers of keyless mechanical push-button locks, then search for patents held by these companies at http://patft.uspto.gov/. You may have to go to the manufacturers' websites to find the name of the parent company, which often holds the patents. You might also look for online manuals or instructions on the manufacturers' websites.

This combination of words (no pun intended)

push button keyless lock mechanism patent

Seems to bring up quite a lot of interesting leads

http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=push+button+keyless+lock+mechanism+patent&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&psj=1&fp=d06d8626f9c592a3

I particularly liked this one

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4799371.pdf

Trouble is I think you are going to struggle to replicate many of the metal combination locks reliably in wood.

"Trouble is I think you are going to struggle to replicate many of the metal combination locks reliably in wood."

I agree. These are metal parts intended to be lubricated, be driven by springs, react to mass inertia... there may be more applicable ideas in the wooden puzzle arena.

A link that should work better for your second link is, but its not a sure thing....:-

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/result.html?query_txt=4799371&sort=relevance&srch=top&search=

thanks everyone for your very informative replies. im using all suggestions and comments. your time and brainpower is more than appreciated. thank you.

There's a site here where someone takes a push button lock apart which may help. There's also a wordy description here, no pictures & I've only scanned through the text but it may give some clues.

A simple type lock could be an inner disc with the latching device and a line of 4 - 6 holes along the center line. the same amount of sliding dowels of different lengths that could be pulled from the outside. When the right combination is reached the inner disc would be free and can be turned and unlatched.

To make a push type you could put pins inside with springs and rounded ends on each pins and plungers. When all pins line up in the holes, the rounded ends would allow the disc to turn.

Needs some work but it's an idea.

can you draw me up a quick sketch? i like the idea.