US2998273A

US2998273A - Combined locking slide and spindle retainer

Info

Publication number: US2998273A
Application number: US705013A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrew J Unetic
Original assignee: American Hardware Corp
Current assignee: Emhart Industries Inc
Priority date: 1957-12-24
Filing date: 1957-12-24
Publication date: 1961-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1978-08-29

Description

Aug. 29, 1961 A. J. UNETIC 2,998,273

COMBINED LOCKING SLIDE AND SPINDLE RETAINER Filed Dec. 24, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l I I I v V I Ill 60 I 62 g; 7,7 .V\ J t K firm/rap f0 ANDREA/J (If war/c,

Aug. .29 1961 A. J. UNETEC 259989273 7 COMBINED LQCKING SLIDE AND SPINDLE RETAINER Filed Dec. 24,- 1957 a Sheets-Sheet 2 AND/QM Cl UNEW v i muf w Aug 29, 1%! .A. J. UNEFIC commm LOCKING sun AND SPINDLE RETAINER Filed Dec. 24, 195'? 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ANDREW d M E C,

INVENTOR.

'fimazs magma United States atcnt 2,998,273 COMBINED LOCKING SLIDE AND SPINDLE RETAINER Andrew J. Unetic, Santa Ana, Califi, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The American Hardware Corporation,

New Britain, 'Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Dec. 24, 1957, Ser. No. 705,013 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-;169)

This invention relates to a combined locking slide and spindle retainer for use in conjunction with door locks of the character customarily installed in the doors of residences and other buildings to prevent unauthorized entry therepast.

My invention has particular reference to a combined locking slide and spindle retainer construction wherein the door lock constituting the general environment of the invention includes an exterior knob and an interior knob mounted on opposite sides of the door and having a latch actuator constituted by an elongated half round spindle extending between said knobs. Associated with the latch actuating half round spindle and energizable thereby is a conventional latch construction mounted in an axial opening in the edge of the door and incorporating a latch case, a latch bolt, and a latch bolt energizing spring.

The door lock in which my invention is incorporated also includes a tumbler lock cylinder in the outer knob and a lock energizing turnbutton in the inner knob.

The combined locking slide and spindle retainer construction of my invention is operatively associated with the half round spindle and juxtaposed to the outer knob described hereinabove and generally includes a housing which is mounted upon the half round spindle for rotation therewith and a locking member located in the housing adapted to engage upon a nonmoving portion of the lock to prevent rotation of the half round spindle.

Operatively associated with the housing is a locking member actuator constituted, in the present instance, by a round spindle which has one end located in the aforementioned housing and its opposite end extending into contiguity to the inside knob of the lock wherein said other end can be engaged by a shaft mounted on the locking turnbutton to facilitate rotation of said locking member actuating spindle.

Incorporated in the locking member actuating spindle is a cam adapted to engage a corresponding cam face on the locking member for projecting a locking portion of the locking member outwardly into engagement with the aforesaid nonmoving portion of the lock and thus preventing energization of the lock.

Also incorporated in the aforementioned housing is a retainer, said retainer being adapted to engage a corresponding detent portion on the locking member actuator to demountably retain the locking member actuator in operative relationship with the housing "and with the associated locking member. However, the retainer is movable in the housing to release the locking member actuator to facilitate the assembly and dis-assembly of the locking member actuator from operative relationship with the housing and the locking member encompassed therein.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a combined locking slide construction incorporating a locking member of the aforementioned character and a retainer for maintaining the locking member actuator in operative relationship therewith which is characterized by its simplicity and economy in construction and which is also characterized by the ease of assembly and disassembly of the locking member actuator with and from the housing with which it is associated.

The locking button and the key-energized cylinder lock are both designed to cause rotation of the locking member actuator and when such rotation occurs the locking member actuator is disposed in one of two extreme positions of movement for rotation. Another object of my invention is the provision of a combined locking member slide and retainer construction wherein the retainer incorporates means for maintaining the locking member actuator in one of two extreme positions of movement in order that the lock may be maintained in locked or unlocked conditions.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the aforementioned character wherein the retainer is associated with spring means adapted to urge said retainer against a corresponding detent portion on the locking member actuator and wherein the locking member actuator can be readily dismounted from operative relationship with the retainer by the mere expedient of engaging a protruding portion of the retainer and withdrawing the same from operative engagement with said detent portion. Therefore, the assembly of the locking member actuator constituted by the round spindle of the lock is greatly facilitated and the dis-assembly of the actuator from operative relationship with the other components of the combined locking slide and spindle retainer is rendered equally easy.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings which are for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly sectional view showing the manner in which a lock constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention is installed in operative relationship with the door with which it is associated;

FIG. 2 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional view taken on the broken line 3-3 of FIG. 2.;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the broken line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the brokenlines 55 of FIGS. 2 and 7;

FIG. 6 is a View similar to FIG. 5 showing the component parts of the assembly in positions different from those shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the broken line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view showing the various component parts of the lock incorporating my invention; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the housing of the combined locking slide and spindle retainer of my invention.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, I show a lock 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention, said lock being mounted in the edge of a door 12 and including a conventional latch unit 14 which includes a housing 16 having a bolt 18 projecting therefrom into engagement with an associated strike 20.

Associated wth the latch unit 14 is an actuator unit 22, said actuator unit 22 including an interior knob 24 on the interior side of the door 12 and an exterior knob 26 on the exterior side of the door 12. Each of the knobs 24- and 26 is provided with an integral shank 28 extending through a mating opening in a

rosette plate

30 and 31, respectively, which incorporates a

backing plate

32 and 33, respectively, adapted to stiffen and rigidity the same.

Mounted within the shank 28 of the knob 24- is a diecast insert 34 and mounted within the shank of the knob 26 is a die-cast insert 35. The inner extremities of the

inserts

34 and 35 support snap rings 36 engaging the

backing plates

32 and 33 to prevent withdrawal of the knobs from operative relationship with the associated rosette plates 30.

Mounted in the face of the interior knob 24 is a locking button 38, said locking button being operatively connected to a shaft 40 which extends into the insert 34 and which is journaled for rotation in an opening 42 provided in the end of the knob 24. A cylinder lock 44 is mounted within the outer knob 26 and includes a housing 46 incorporating a rotatable plug 48. The rotatable plug 48 is provided with engagement projections 50, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below, and the housing 46 incorporates retention arms 52 adapted to engage upon the interior of the insert 35'.

A latch actuator 54 constituted by a half round spindle 56 is provided with a bifurcated end portion 58 which is staked within the insert 34 in the outer knob 26.

Formed integrally with the backing plate 33 of the rosette 31 is a pair of studs 60, said studs having threaded bores 62 for the reception of mounting screws 64 which extend through openings 66 in the rosette 30. The manner in which the screws 64 and the studs 60 co-operate to maintain the various portions of the lock 10 in operative relationship with one another will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

Mounted in operative relationship with the half round spindle 56 constituting the latch actuator 54 is the combined locking slide and spindle retainer of my invention, said locking slide and spindle retainer 70 being juxtaposed to the backing plate 33 of the rosette 31 and being incorporated in a housing generally indicated at 72. The housing 72, as best shown in FIGS. 4 through 10, includes a substantially circular back wall 74 and a substantially rectangular front wall 76, said front and back walls being constituted by a single stamping and maintained in operative relationship with each other by means to be described in greater detail below.

The housing 72 incorporates what may be arbitrarily designated as side walls 78, said side walls, in conjunction with the back wall 74 and the front wall 76, defining a chamber 80 and incorporating tabs 82 adapted to fit into correspondingly shaped slots 84 in the back wall 74 and to be staked in the same. The housing 72 also includes an end strap 86 adapted, in conjunction with the side walls 78, to maintain the front and

back walls

74 and 76 in operative relationship with each other.

The back wall 74 of the housing 72 is provided with a centrally located opening 88 having a semi-circular portion 90, best shown in FIG. 10 of the drawings, and the front wall 76 of said housing is provided with an opening '92 incorporating a semi-circular portion 94 which registers with the corresponding semi-circular portion 90 of the opening 88 in the back wall 74 of the housing 72. Therefore, the bifurcated extremity 58 of the latch actuator 54 constituted by the half round spindle 56 may be inserted through the registering semi-circular portions 90 and 94 of the openings 88 and 92, respectively, and, as

best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, a tongue 96 on the half round spindle 56 will engage the inner surface of the back wall 74 to maintain the housing against displacement with respect to the half round spindle 56.

In connection with the half round spindle 56, it should be pointed out that the intermediate portion thereof is adapted to engage a bolt extension 98 which, as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, is engaged by the opposite edges of the half round spindle 56 so that when said half round spindle is turned by either of the

knobs

24 or 26 the bolt 18 is retracted into the casing 16 by means of a reverse acting latch mechanism, not shown, in order that the bolt 18 may be caused to function as a simple latch.

Mounted within the housing 72 is a locking slide or member 100, said locking slide or member 100 being substantially rectangular in configuration and incorporating a bifurcated locking portion 102 which, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and of the drawings, is adapted to engage upon a nonmoving portion of the lock assembly constituted by an adjacent stud 60 to prevent rotation of the housing 72 and thus prevent rotation of the half round spindle 56 constituting the latch actuator 54. Thus, when the locking member engages the adjacent stud 60, rotation of the half round spindle 56 is prevented and energization of the latch bolt 18 through the extension 98 is also prevented. The locking member 160 is provided with a cam follower face 104 and a retractor tab 106, as best shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 9 of the drawings, for purposes which will be described in greater detail below.

The locking member 100 is, of course, intended for movement within the housing 72 and its opposite edges are guided in such movement by the side walls 78 while it is supported upon the back wall 74 of the housing 72. In addition, the locking member 100 is provided with oppositely disposed guide legs 108 which encompass the opposite edges of the half round spindle 56 in the manner best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings.

Juxtaposed to the locking member 100 is a retainer 110 constituted by a substantially rectangular plate 112, said retainer incorporating an opening 114 which, as best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings, includes a semicircular portion 116 through which extends the half round spindle 56. Formed in the wall of the opening 114, as best shown in FIG. 8, is a cam follower lobe 118 having dwell portions 120 and 122 on opposite sides thereof, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below.

An axially extending tab 124 is formed integrally with the retainer plate 112 and serves as a seat for the intermediate portion of a torsion spring 126 which, as best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, urges the tab 124 and thus the retainer plate 112 to the right, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below.

Operatively associated with the locking slide and spindle retainer 70 is a locking member actuator generally indicated at 130 and constituted by a round spindle 132 wh1ch is provided at one extremity with a blade 134 adapted to fit between the engagement projections 50 on the plug 48 of the cylinder lock 44 and on its other extremity with a socket 136 adapted to receive the inner extremity of the shaft 40 associated with the locking button 38.

The one extremity of the locking member actuator 130 adjacent the outer knob 26 incorporates a semi-circular projection 138 which serves, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 of the drawings, to support said one extremity within the outer extremity of the half round spindle 56.

Formed on the side of the locking member actuator 130 opposite the semi-circular projection 138 is a Wedgeshaped protrusion 140 having a cam surface 142 provided thereupon and engageable with the cam follower face 104 of the locking member 100, in a manner to be described in greater detail below. A second cam surface 144, as best shown in FIGS. 5-8 of the drawings, somewhat lower than the first cam surface 142, is juxtaposed thereto for engagement with a contiguous edge of the opening 114 in the retainer plate 112, in a manner to be described in greater detail below. Juxtaposed to the second cam surface 144 is a semi-cylindrical bearing surface 146 which engages the contiguous edge of the opening 92 in the front wall 76 of the housing 72.

A substantially rectangular lug 150 is formed upon the round spindle 132 constituting the locking member actuator 130 and engages the exterior of the front wall 76 of the housing 72 to prevent inward movement of the round spindle 132 with respect to the housing 72. It will be noted that the substantially rectangular lug 150 projects beyond the second cam surface 144 to define a detent slot 158 which, as best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, is engageable by the contiguous edge of the retainer plate 112 to retain the round spindle 132 in operative relationship with the combined locking slide and spindle retainer.

accepts During the assembly of the lock in the factory, the interior knob 24 has the insert 34 installed in the shank 28 thereof, an insert 35 being installed in the exterior knob 26. The interior knob 24 is then provided with the locking button 38 and the knobs have assembled upon their

respective inserts

34 and 35 the

rosettes

30 and 31 and the

backing plates

32 and 33, a snap ring being subsequently installed upon the inner extremities, respectively, of the associated insert to maintain the respective knob in operative relationship with its associated rosette.

The housing 72 is then provided with the looking slide or member 100, the retainer 110 and the associated spring 126, and is installed upon the half round spindle 56, the back wall 74 of the housing 72 abutting on the tongue 96 formed in the spindle in the previously described manner. The half round spindle 56 and the combined locking slide and spindle retainer 70 are then installed as a unit in the exterior knob 26 and the bifurcated extremity 58 of the half round spindle 56 is staked in the exterior knob insert 35 to retain the half round spindle 56 and the associated locking slide and spindle retainer 70 in operative relationship therewith. Axial movement of the housing 72 with respect to the spindle 56 is prevented because the circular back wall 74 of the housing 72 is restrained between the adjacent extremity of the insert 35 and the tongue 96 of the half round spindle 56. The cylinder lock 44 is then assembled in the exterior knob 26.

After the assembly of the half round spindle 56 and the associated locking slide and spindle retainer 70 in operative relationship with the exterior knob 26, the locking member actuator 130 constituted by the round spindle 132 is installed in operative relationship with the half round spindle 56 and the locking slide and spindle retainer 70 therefor. In order to accomplish the installation of the round spindle, it is necessary to align the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 thereupon with a notch 154 formed in the front wall 76 of the housing 72. The alignment of the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 with the notch 154 permits the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 to be advanced into the interior of the housing 72. Such advance is accompanied by deflection of the retainer plate 112 against the bias of the spring 126 since the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 engages the cam follower lobe 118 as it is advanced into the interior of the housing 72.

During the aforementioned insertion, the semi-circular bearing projection 138 serves, by engagement with the contiguous area of the half round spindle 56, to support the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 in proper alignment with the housing 72. Continued insertion of the round spindle 132 ultimately aligns the detent notch or slot 148 defined between the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 and the substantially rectangular lug 150 on the round spindle 132 with the retainer plate 112 and the spring 126 then urges the retainer plate 112 to the right, as best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, into engagement with said detent slot 148. Continued engagement of the retainer plate 112 with the detent slot 148 is insured because the rectangular lug 150 engages the exterior surface of the front wall 76 of the housing 72 and thus insures the continued registry of the retainer plate 112 with the detent slot 148.

ing the round spindle 132 during its rotation relative to the housing 72 and the half round spindle 56. Therefore, it is readily apparent that assembly of the round spindle 132 with the associated locking slide and retainer for said spindle is accomplished very simply and without any structural modification of the locking slide and spindle retainer 70.

If, for any reason, it becomes necessary or desirable to remove the round spindle 132 from operative relationship with the locking slide and spindle retainer 70, it is merely necessary to rotate the round spindle 132 until the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 is aligned with the notch 154. Rotation of the round spindle 132 into this position will cause the projection of the bifurcated locking portion 102 of the locking slide or member 100 into engagement with the associated stud 60 holding the half round spindle 56 against rotation during the dismounting of the round spindle 132 from operative relationship with the locking slide and spindle retainer 70.

The retainer tab 124 is then depressed by the use of a screwdriver or similar implement and the retainer is urged to the left, as best shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings, to release the contiguous edge of the opening 114 from operative relationship with the detent slot 148 which permits the round spindle 132 to be withdrawn axially from the housing 72.

When the lock 10 is installed in operative relationship with a door 12, the latch unit 14 is disposed in an axial bore in the edge of the door 12 which communicates with a transverse bore through the door 12. The interior and

exterior knobs

24 and 26 are mounted in overlying relationship with the opposite sides of this transverse opening and, as clearly shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the half round spindle 56 has its inner extremity inserted into the insert 34 in the interior knob 24 and the inner extremity of the shaft 40 of the locking button 38 is received in the correspondingly shaped socket 136 in the round spindle 132. After such assembly has taken place, the screws 64 are threadedly engaged with the studs 60 and the rosette plates 30 are drawn against the adjacent areas of the door 12.

During normal operation of the lock 10 as a latch, rotation of either of the

knobs

24 or 26 will cause corresponding rotation of the half round spindle 56 to urge the opposite edges thereof into engagement with the bolt extension 98 and thus retract the bolt 18 from association with the strike 20.

However, if it is desired to lock the door 12, the button 38 is merely rotated to cause corresponding rotation of the round spindle132 through the shaft 40. Such rotation of the round spindle 132 is accompanied by counterclockwise rotation of the first cam surface 142 which engages the cam follower surface 104 on the locking slide or member 100 and urges the bifurcated locking portion 102 thereof into engagement with the associated stud 60, as best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, thus preventing rotation of the housing of the locking slide 100 and rotation of the half round spindle 56 which is affixed thereto and thus preventing withdrawal of the bolt 18 from operative relationship with the associated strike 20.

Withdrawal of the bifurcated locking portion 182 of the locking member 180 from operative relationship with the studs 60 is accomplished by reverse, clockwise rotation of the round spindle 132, said reverse, clockwise rotation, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 of the drawings, causing the wedge-shaped protrusion 140 to engage the retractor tab 156 on the locking member 100 and withdrawing said locking member 100 into the chamber within the housing 72.

In addition to performing its function of securing and maintaining the round spindle 132 in operative relationship with the housing 72, the retainer 110 serves as means for maintaining the round spindle 132 and thus the associated locking member in either locked or unlocked position, as best shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings. As previously indicated, the retainer plate 112 constituting the retainer 110 has an opening 114 which is provided in the left-hand edge thereof, as viewed in FIG. 8, with a cam follower lobe 118 and dwell portions 120 and 122 disposed on opposite sides of said cam follower lobe. Therefore, when the round spindle 132 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the second cam surface 144 is moved out of the unlocked dwell portion 120 into engagement with the cam follower lobe 118 which is deflected against the bias of the spring 126 during said counterclockwise rotation until the second cam surface 144 engages in the second dwell portion 122.

When the second cam surface 144 reaches the second dwell portion 122, it is maintained therein by the bias of the spring 126. Thus, inadvertent or free rotation of the round spindle 132 and displacement of the locking member 106 from looking position is avoided.

Furthermore, the operation of the cam surface 144 against the cam follower lobe 118 provides an overcenter movement which carries the round spindle 132 during its last increment of movement into the locking position indicated by the dwell portion 122 in the retainer plate 112.

Conversely, when the round spindle 132 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8, the second cam surface 144 once again engages the cam follower lobe 118 deflecting the retainer plate 112 to the left, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 8, and the retainer plate 112 assists in locating the round spindle 132 in unlocked position by engagement of the cam follower lobe 118 with the side of the second cam surface 144. Thus, interaction and co-operation between the retainer plate 112 and the locking member 100 is accomplished through the medium of the co-operating cam surface 144 on the round spindle 132 and the cam follower lobe 118 on the retainer plate 112.

I thus provide by my invention a combined locking slide and round spindle retainer construction wherein the achievement of a multiplicity of desired ends by this one construction is achieved. Among the desired ends are the retention of the round spindle in a demountable fashion within the housing of the retainer therefor; the operation of the locking slide or member mounted in the housing of the retainer; and the operation of the round spindle between unlocked and locked positions together with the retention of said round spindle in either of said positions.

I claim:

1. In a combined locking slide and spindle retainer, the combination of: a rosette plate having a projection thereupon; a housing mounted for rotation in said rosette plate; a half round spindle extending through said rosette and said housing and having said housing afiixed thereto for rotation therewith; a locking slide mounted for movement in said housing into engagement with said projection; a retainer plate in said housing; a spindle insertible through said rosette and said housing in juxtaposition to said half round spindle, said spindle having a detent thereupon engageable by said retainer plate to prevent removal of said spindle from said housing and a cam for moving said locking slide; and a spring normally urging said retainer plate into engagement with said detent, said retainer plate being movable against the bias of said spring whereby it is freed from said spindle detent to permit removal of said spindle.

2. In a combined locking slide and spindle retainer, the combination of: a rosette plate having a projection thereupon; a housing having openings therein and mounted for rotation in said rosette plate; a first spindle insertible through said rosette and said openings and having said housing affixed thereto for rotation therewith; a locking slide mounted for movement in said housing into engagement with said projection; a retainer plate juxtaposed to said locking slide and movable in said housing; a sec- 0nd spindle insertible through said housing adjacent said first spindle, said second spindle having a cam engageable with said locking slide to move the same and a detent engageable by said retainer plate to prevent removal of said second spindle from said housing; and means urging said retainer plate into engagement with said detent.

3. In a combined locking slide and spindle retainer, the combination of: a housing having openings therein; a keeper juxtaposed to said housing; a first spindle insertible through said openings and having said housing affixed thereto for rotation therewith; a locking slide mounted for movement in said housing into engagement with said keeper; a retainer plate juxtaposed to said locking slide and movable in said housing, said plate having a portion projecting from said housing for engagement by external means to release said plate; a second spindle insertible through said housing adjacent said first spindle, said second spindle having a cam engageable with said locking slide to move the same and a detent engageable by said retainer plate to prevent removal of said second spindle from said housing; and means urging said retainer plate into engagement with said detent.

4. In a locking device, the combination of: a housing having a throughbore therein; a latch actuator extending through said bore in said housing; locking means mounted for movement in said housing; a retainer mounted in said housing and movable therein; and a locking means actuator extending through said housing and juxtaposed to said latch actuator, said locking means actuator having detent means thereupon engageable by said retainer to maintain said locking means actuator in said housing and cam means engageable with said locking means to project a portion of said locking means out of and retract it into said housing.

5. In a locking device, the combination of: a housing having a throughbore therein; a keeper juxtaposed to said housing; a latch actuator extending through said bore in said housing; locking means mounted for movement in said housing into engagement with said keeper; :1 retainer mounted in said housing adjacent said locking means and movable therein; a locking means actuator extending through said housing and juxtaposed to said latch actuator, said locking means actuator having detent means thereupon engageable by said retainer to maintain said locking means actuator in said housing and means engageable with said locking means to project a portion of said locking means out of and retract it into said housing; and spring means in said housing for maintaining said retainer in engagement with said detent means to prevent removal of said locking means actuator from said housing, said retainer being movable in said housing against the bias of said spring means to release said retainer from said locking means actuator detent means whereby said locking means actuator may be removed from said housing.

6. In a locking device, the combination of: a housing; a rotatable latch actuator having said housing secured thereto; a locking member constituted by a flat plate mounted for slidable movement in said housing and having a locking portion projectible from said housing; a rotatable locking member actuator in said housing, said locking member actuator having a cam for energizing said locking member and a detent thereupon; retainer means in said housing constituted by a slidable flat plate near said locking member plate for maintaining said locking member actuator in operative relationship with said housing by engaging said detent, said retainer means having a portion projecting from said housing engageable by external means to displace said retainer means from operative relationship with said detent; and spring means in said housing for urging said retainer means toward said locking member actuator and into engagement with said detent, said retainer means being movable against the bias of said spring means away from looking member actuator to free said retainer means H? from said detent whereby said locking member actuator 2,226,499 Ledin The 24, 1940 y be removed from said housing- 2,697,342 McConnell et a1. Dec. 21, 1954 2,838,926 Schmid June 17, 1958 References Clted m the file of th1s patent 2,839,913 Frkdman et ah June 24, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,872,236 Check Feb. 3, 1959 2,207,143 Brauning July 9, 1940