US3214055A

US3214055A - Safety locking means for containers and the like

Info

Publication number: US3214055A
Application number: US375205A
Authority: US
Inventors: Schmidt Peter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-06-15
Filing date: 1964-06-15
Publication date: 1965-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-26

Description

Oct. 26, 1965 P. SCHMIDT 3,214,055

SAFETY LOCKING MEANS FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 15, 1964 INVENTOR.

PETE/P SCHMIDT ATTO N Y 1 United States Patent 3,214,055 SAFETY LOCKING MEANS FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Peter Schmidt, 66--36 69th St., Middle Village, N.Y. Filed June 15, 1964, Ser. No. 375,205 2 Claims. '(Cl. 220-55) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in containers for mailing magnetic tapes, or a film on a reel, as well as various kinds of records, or articles requiring a safe and secure enclosure.

Thus, the object of this invention is to provide a container, which, while being sturdy of construction, has an infallible closing mechanism that will not under any circumstances, even when exposed to rough handling, permit said container to spring open, or to become open by itself, while at the same time the said mechanism is of a construction to allow an easy voluntary opening of the container, when knowing how.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of same, with the cover removed.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an end View of the invention with the locking mechanism and in closed position, with parts broken olf.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 55 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the inside of the cover; While FIGURES 7 and 8 show exploded views of the locking mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates a container, or casing, made of any suitable material; said container has a bottom part 11 adapted to receive therein the articles above referred to, and a cover or lid 12 with downwardly depending flanges 13. The said cover is made with a depression 14 underneath, as shown especially in FIGURE 6.

On the opposite side, that is, at the top 16 of said depression, or countersunk part 14, is solidly secured a rectangular frame 17 formed with an also rectangular cut-out part 18 therein adapted to receive a card 19, with name and address, as shown in FIGURE 1; said card being inserted through a slit 20 in one side of the frame 17; the latter may be attached to the cover 12 in any convenient manner, such as by soldering.

The bottom wall 11 is upon its outer side at two opposite ends formed with depressions 21, as shown in FIG- URE 3; said depressions are joined by two slightly deeper Patented Oct. 26, 1965 "ice depressions 22 in order to accommodate a locking mechanism.

The depressed area 21 in said wall has a lip 25 attached thereto at its upper end, as at 23, leaving a small opening or space 24 at its bottom between said lip and the bottom wall.

A locking mechanism 26 comprising two elastic and

sturdy ribbons

27, 27 which are bent upon themselves and oppositely secured inside the flange 13 of the wall 12 by rivets 28.

A member 29 forming part of the locking mechanism, and made of any suitable material, such as plastic, is shown especially in FIGURES 4, 7 and 8.

Said member 29 has at its top a cross-piece 30 turnably mounted in one of the elastic ribbons 27; the member 29 is formed with a cut-out 31 below said ribbon, and the lower edge 32 of said cut-out is adapted to engage and snap into the narrow opening 24 beneath the lip 25, as may be especially seen in FIGURE 5.

This motion is accomplished due to the stretching of the flexible ribbon 27 by pulling the member 29 downwardly a certain distance by gripping the latter by the opening 34 is said member, and subsequently release said ull, whereby the edge 32 will automatically engage the opening 24 underneath said lip 25, and a secure and infallible closure will be effected.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a container, two opposite bottom walls being each upon their outer sides formed with two depressions of uneven depth adapted to accommodate a locking mechanism, a lip attached at its upper end to the depressed areas of each of said walls, said lips being at their lower ends made with a small space between themselves and said depression areas, two elastic ribbons folded upon themselves and being oppositely secured inside a flange by rivets, a member forming part of the locking mechanism and having at its top a cross-piece turnably mounted in one of said elastic ribbons; said member being made with a cut-out below said ribbon, the lower edge of said cut-out being adapted to engage said small space at the lower end of said lip after said member has been pulled downwardly by stretching of said ribbon, and the subsequent release of same, whereby to secure an infallible enclosure of said container.

2. In an invention, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said member is formed with a semi-cylindrical opening near its bottom, whereby to engage said member in manipulating the latter in stretching the flexible ribbon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A CONTAINER, TWO OPPOSITE BOTTOM WALLS BEING EACH UPON THEIR OUTER SIDES FORMED WITH TWO DEPRESSIONS OF UNEVEN DEPTH ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A LOCKING MECHANISM, A LIP ATTACHED AT ITS UPPER END TO THE DEPRESSED AREAS OF EACH OF SAID WALLS, SAID LIPS BEING AT THEIR LOWER ENDS MADE WITH A SMALL SPACE BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND SAID DEPRESSION AREASM TWO ELASTIC RIBBONS FOLDED UPON THEMSELVES AND BEING OPPOSITELY SECURED INSIDE A FLANGE BY RIVETS, A MEMBER FORMING PART OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM AND HAVING AT ITS TOP A CROSS-PIECE TURNABLY MOUNTED IN ONE OF SAID ELASTIC RIBBONS; SAID MEMBER BEING MADE WITH A CUT-OUT BELOW SAID RIBBON, THE LOWER EGDE OF SAID CUT-OUT BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID SMALL SPACE AT THE LOWER END OF SAID LIP AFTER SAID MEMBER HAS BEEN PULLED DOWNWARDLY BY STRETCHING OF SAID RIBBON, AND THE SUBSEQUENT RELEASE OF SAME, WHEREBY TO SECURE AN INFALLIBLE ENCLOSURE OF SAID CONTAINER.