US1546255A - Latch - Google Patents

Description

July I4, 1925.

A. ROTZELL LATCH Filed May 28, 1924 lberjoell ENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY ence characters Patented July 14, 1925s UNITED STATES .ALBERT ROTZELL, OF STROUDSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

LATCH.

.Application filed May 28,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT Ro'rznnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stroudsburg, in the county ot Monroe and Stat-e of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvementsl in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to latches.

The object is to provide alatch which may be readily stamped from` sheet metal, and is especially adapted for use in connection with trunks, suit cases, chests, lunch boxes, and other containers, the present application being a companion application'to one led by me ot even date herewith tor a patent on a lunch box. y

Another object is to provide a strong and durable and cheaply manufactured device or' this character, composed ot few parts, which. may bereadilv installed in position on the members to be connected together, and which may, by a simple manipulation, be caused to be `fastened together without danger of becoming accidentally unfastened, and just as easily unfastened to per mit access to the container. l

A full and complete understanding ot the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the l'ollowingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specitication, it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined to strict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modiiied, so long as such changes or 'modilications mark no material departure from the salient features of the' invention, as speciiically pointed out in the appended claims. Y l

In the drawing, in which similar reterdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several figures:

Figure l is al pei'spectivewiew of the improved latch in engaged position;

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view through the. same, the' coacting members being latched together;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2, the parts being unlatched;

Figure t is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line iof Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure Vis a similar view taken on the 1924.-, Serial No. 716,419.

line 5-5 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the keeper frame;

Figure 7 is a similar view of the sliding keeper; v

Figure 8 is a detail perspective `of the swinging latch det-ached from its attaching plate.

rThe invention consists of two coacting members or parts, one member or part carrying a swinging latch, which is preferably atf tached to the body of a trunk, case, chest or box, while the other member or part embodying-,means `for coaction with the said latch and having a sliding keeper, is prefer-` ably attached to the cover or closure of said container, though it is to be understood that the positions of the two coacting members may be reversed.

The second-named member or part coml priseswhat may be termed 'a keeper frame Yformed of a single strip of suitable sheet metal. such as brass, which may be nickel plated or lotherwise treated to withstand wear and exposure. The said keeper frame includes a. base plate l having the terminal portions of the strip constituting the same returned thereupon, as at 2, toprovide relatively heavy, strong and `durable attaching ears, which are suitably apertured for the reception of rivets 3, or other t'asteners, for rigidly holding the frame to the front lface of the cover or lid, as before stated.

The terminals of the sheet of metal are directed rtowards each other and are bent outwardly at an anglevto provide spaced, dove-tailed V* guides et extending. from top tobottom of 'the base plate and equi-.distant from the vertical center thereof.

The base plate is provided at its top edge with an integral, outstanding stop flange 5, which voverlaps the upper lends of the guides and has its end edges bevelled to conform to the shape of said guides. The lower edge of the base plate is likewise provided with an, integral, outstanding locking'flange 6,'whic`h is elevated somewhat ,abovey Vthe lower y.ends of the guides and has its ends spaced from the same to provide passa-geways, ltor a purpose to be explained. v

A sliding keeper i-s mounted for up and down sliding movement within the guides 4, and comprises a plateextending from the inner edge of one guide to the opposite inner IDG edge of thel other guide, the vertical edges of saidplate beingl provided with integral' wings 8 bent at an angle to conform to the shape of said guides and fitting beneath the 5 same, and extending to a point adjacent to the base plate, so that the keeper may be freely moved up or down and is prevented from dislodgement from between the guides. The plate. 7 extends somewhat above the l0 upper ends of thevwings and is bent outwardly and thence inwardly upon itself to form a linger piece 9, the terminal being projected inwardly beyond the inner face of the plate to forni an abutment flange 10, which lies at all times above the aforesaid stop flange 5, and is adapted, when the sliding keeper is lowered, to abut against the same and support said keeper at the proper elevation. When the abutment 10 is resting on the flange 5, the lower edge of the plate 7 Vis located belowthe locking flange 6, and the sidewings 8 occupy the passageways at either end of said flange 6, and when the said keeper iselevated by means of the finger piece 9, the lower edge of said plate 7 uncovers the saidvflange 6, and the upward movements-'isY arrested by the 'upper ends of Y the wings 8 abutting against the under face of the stop flange 5, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. An attaching plate 11, preferably of sonic ornamental design is suitably apertured for the reception of rivets 12 for fastening the same to theother member of the container on which the latch is to be used, and said plate 11 is provided at its upper edge with suitable hinge eyes 13V between which the complementary hinge element 14 of a swinging latch member 15 is pivoted by a pin 16, thus permitting the swinging latch to be swung up or down.

The swinging latch member comprises a plate extending parallel to the hinge members and lhaving its ends bent outwardly and directed towardseacli other to formvclamps 17, which securely clamp the'terminal foot portions of a bowed handle 18, eXtendin outwardly from the latch, and adapted to be grasped by the fingers to swing the said latch up or down. The upper edge of the latch plate 15r is provided with an upwardly and outwardlyfextending tongue 19, which terminates in an inwardly directed lip 20 and the parts are so associated and secured 5D in position as'to cause the said lip 20 to engage over the aforesaid locking flange 6 when the latch is swung upwardly as shown in Figure 2. In order to permit of such engagement, however, the sliding keeper 7 G0 must be elevated, as shown in Figure 3,

when the lower edge of the plate 7 is sufficiently above the-flange 6 'as to permit the lip 2O to be so engaged,'after which the keeper plate 7 is lowered until the abutment 10 strikes the stop flange 5, when the downward movement is arrested. In this posi-v tion, the lower edge of the keeper prevents the outward swinging movement of the latch as a latching means on trunks, and for general purposes, the same having few parts to become broken or deranged, and the entire device may be formed by simple stamping vprocess from sheet metal, and bent and formed into shape to accomplish the desired resulti f c i i What is claimed is -V i y 1. A latch comprising a keeper frame adapted to be attached to an element, said.. frame comprising spaced, substantially v ertical, inclined guide flanges, a lower locking flange extending horizontally between the gui e iianges and having its ends spaced therefrom a sliding keeper plate mounted between the guides and having side wings adapted to slide beneath the guides to pre# vent dislodgment of the keeper and to straddle the locking flange, and a latch member hinged to the other element and having a lip to engage the lockingfiange and being held thereto when the keeper is slid downwardly to cover the latch.`

2. A device of the class described comprise ing two coacting' members adapted to be attached respectively totwo parts to be fastened together, one of said enacting niem- VVbers comprising alongitudinal guideway, a slidable keeper mounted in the 'guideway, means for holding the keeper in the geld? way, means for limiting the sliding 'moveinentofthe same, a trans-verse outstanding locking flange located within the guideway, the other coacting member comprising an attaching plate, a swinging latch hinged thereto'and having ain inturned lip adapted to hook over the saidlocking fiange` when the latch is swung, said lip and flange being held in engagement when the keeper haS been moved into covering relation theretoi 3. "A latch comprising a keeper framellaw ing meansy for attachment to one member;` central guideway, a transverse, outstanding' locking flange located at one end of the guideway, aftra'nsverse stop flange 'located' at the other'end thereof, a slidable keeper having marginal wings mounted in the guideway, said keeper having a transverse, inwardly projecting abutment adapted to engage the said stop flange whenmoved in one direction, and a swinging llatch hinged to the other member and having a lip for engagement with the locking 'flange and adapted to beheld thereto by the keeper when the same is lowered.

4. A latch. comprising a keeper frame formed with attachngears at each"Y end lUll thereof and having Centrally disposed, spaced, dove-tailed guides, a transverse outstanding locking flange formed on the base of the frame between the guides and adjacent to one end thereof, a transverse stop flange formed on said frame at the other end of the guides, a sliding keeper having inclined side wings mounted within the guides, said wings being shorter than the guides and adapted to strike the stop flange to limit the sliding movement of the keeper in one direction, and a hinged latch having a lip and adapted to be swung to engage with the said locking flange and to be held thereto by the keeper when the same is in covering relation.

5. A latch comprising a keeper frame adapted to be attached to an element, said frame comprising spaced, vertical, inclined guide flanges, a horizontal stop flange joining the upper ends of the guides, a lower locking llange extending horizontally between the guides and having its ends spa-ced, therefrom, a sliding keeper plate mounted between the guides and having side wings adapted to slide beneath the guides to prevent dislodginent of the keeper and t straddle the locking flange, said plate also having a rearwardly extending abutment flange adapted to strike the stop flange when the lower end of the keeper is over the latter to prevent further downward movement, the upper ends of said wings contacting with the stop flange to limit the upward movement of the keeper, and a latch member hinged to the other element and having a lip to engage the locking flange and held thereto when the keeper is slid downwardly to cover the latch.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have, hereto afliXed my signature.

ALBERT ROTZELL.

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