US1429116A - Fastener for vault closures - Google Patents

Description

s. TAYLOR. FA'STENER FOR VAULT QLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.2B,1921.

1,429, 1 l 6. Patented Sept- 12, 1922.

ivd/rg Tayiof.

www MJ SIDNEY TAYLOR, or GALION, omo, Assienon To E. rfi/rounon, or eALioN, :omo:

FASTENER ron VAUL'T onosunns.

Application inea :riluttanza-1921. seriai No; 446,689. i

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNnr TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fasteners yfor Vault Closures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to closures for burial vaults and has for its object the provision of simple, easily operated and inexpensive means by the use of which the door or closure may be quickly and securely lockedl in the open end of the vault. rlie intention seeks to provide mechanism for the stated purpose which will apply the closing force along lines substantially parallel with the plane of the door or closure so that buckling or bulging of the door will be prevented, and the invention also seeksv to provide -mechanism which,whe'nvinv locked position, will ef fectually withstand efforts to release the door. 4

The invention is'illustrated in the acc0in panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation'of a portion of the inner side of the door showing my improved mechanism mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 isaview, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of the door and the locking mechanism showing theposition of the parts beforetliefdoor is-locked;

ing lates moved to the locking position;

Fig. is a det-ail end elevation ofthe operating threaded spindle;

Fig. 5 is a detail side View of the bracket to which the' swinging clamp is ypivoted;

Figs. 6 and 7l are end views of said clamp.

The door 1 is a metal plate of the usual form and is adapted to'fit within the open end of the vault, a portion'of which is indi-lV cated at 2. As is usual in metallic burial vaults, a flange Bis secured in theopen end thereof andy a gasket l'which' may be of rubber or Vother ycompressible materialA is fitted upontlie radial web of saidiiange. @rdinarily, these gaskets are of rubber but by the use of my locking mechanism lead gaskets may be employed and a more durable f leak-proof `joint thereby eifected. The door is provided centrally with an opening through which a spindle 5 is inserted, the outer end G'of the spindle being angular to be Aengaged by a turning tool. intermediate 1 its ends,I the spindle is provided with a recessed flange adaptedto bear upon thehiniier side of the' door and contain apacking 8 while, at the outer side ofthe door, a nut 9, housing a packing 10', is itted upon the spindle. A lock nut 11 is mounted upon the spindle against Ithe nut 9 so that the parts will be firmly securedv in place. The inner portion of the spindlef is, threaded, the threads 12h'aving a slight pitch so that when the spindle is rotated considerab'lepower willbe exerted" therethrough 'and the rlocking mechanism easilyoperated.

` `The ring or' carrier 13', engaged upon the inner* threaded portion of the spindle, is

provided with four pairs of perforated lugs or earsA 14 spaced equi-distantly` around peripher'yand sofdisposed that` one,` pair of lu'gsfertends upwardly anbther pair downwardly lat a diametrieally opposite point, while the intervening'lugsextend toward the yopposite vertical side edges of the door. lfivotedl between thelugs or ears of each -pair'isA a' link 15, the outerV end of which is pivotedwithin the bifurcated end 16 yof a locking jplate: 17 the said locking plate having a head' portion 18 ldisposed adjacent an edge of thefd'oor and a shank 19 extending'inwardly from "the said Ahead `portion, the bifurcation y16 being formed in the iniierend ofsaidp'shank. ySuitable' bracing l arms 2O yextendv `betweenV lthe shank andy the u Y longitudinally in'the'lockin'g plateg Vaolint the inner endA of the shank andxat intervals headed-fr guidevv pin or stud: 22 is; inserted v head at oppositeside's ofthe shank so asto Fig. Slis a similar view showing the lock- `inthehead portion, and through each slotinto thedoor "so-that the lockingy plate will be l effe'c-tually held to. the door and Aguided.

in its movementgUpOnehenner face Ofi i each' head 18,1 provide aplurality` of driving lugs yQ3 arranged inpairsfand" project;v

i'ng inwardly from the vrespective heads; The free edge of the head, between tthe lugs of veach pair,^is notchedfasjat 245,."to,span` a bracket 25 to whiclrtheiclamp 29''isfpiv-y oted. At the jsides of each notch' 24the outer edges 31" of the'lugs fmerge into'said surfaces 30, the edges Sli-being nearly'per pendicular to plane of,` the `head.'` The bracket 2'5coinprises a`l fork 32 anda'y stem" edge of the head18 is beveled" to rprovide the wedging' or ylifting surfaces. 30 andthe 105 i the extremity of the stem being upset against the door to rigidly secure the bracket in place. The stem or shank 34 of the clamp 29 lits within the fork 32 and is pivoted thereto by a pin 35 in an obvious manner, one end of the clamp being held in engagement with the head 18 by a spring 36 and the opposite end of the clamp being forced against the flange 3 by the action of the lifters 30 and the driving lugs 23. One end of the spring- 3G is secured to the clamp at that end thereof which is engaged by the driving locking plate and the opposite end of the spring is fitted in a groove 37 formed in the base of the fork 32 whereby, when the bracket is secured in place, it will firmly hold the spring and the said base portion or shoulder will fit flat against the door. lt will be readily noted, upon reference to F ig. 2 that the spring holds the clamp retracted so that it will clear the flange 3 while the door or closure is being' brought into its operative position. ln order that the clamp may be effectively engaged by the locking plate, l provide lateral extensions or wings 38 on the end of the clamp which are so disposed as to ride on the surfaces 30 and 31, and set screws 39 are mounted in said wings and are adjustable to project through the working faces of the same so that, notwithstanding irregularity in the formation of the clamp, a working engagement with each lug 23 may be effected and an even easy movement of the clamp obtained.

The locking plates at the two vertical sides of the door have straight outer edges, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. l, while the upper locking plate has an arched edge corresponding to the arcuate formation of the upper edge of the door, and the bottom locking plate is, of course, provided with a straight lower edge 'corresponding to the straight lower edge of the door. The braces 26 of the bottom locking plate, however,` are shorter than the braces 20 of the remaining locking plates and'upon the upper edge of the bottom locking plate, I provide a plurality of shoulders or teeth 27 which are adapted to be engaged by a dog 28 pivoted upon the door above the bottom locking plate and held by gravity in engagement with one of the shoulders 27.

ln the use of the device, when the vault it to be closed, the Adoor is inserted in the end of the vault so that it will rest against the gasket 4, the locking plates being .withdrawn so that the clamps assume the position shown in Fig. 2 and may readily lclear the flange 3. A turning tool is then fitted to the outer end 6 of the spindle 5 and the said spindle rotated whereupon the carrier 13 will ride outwardlyupon the spindle and the links l5 will be thereby drawn toward the door at their inner ends and their outer Vends will be caused to more outwardly parallel with the inner face of the door inasmuch as they are pivoted to the locking plates and the locking plates held to the door by the pins or studs 22. A slight movement oli the locking plates will cause the lifting edges 30 thereof to ride under the ends of the clamps 29 which will be thereby caused to swing inwardly and upwardly, riding upon the surfaces 3l as the movement of the locking plates continues and being thereby forced into binding engagement with the flange 3 to draw the door firmly against the gasket flso that a tight joint will be effected, lt will also be readily understood that each locking plate moves toward the adjacent edge portion of the door and the bottom locking plate, therefore, moves downwardly. As the said bottom locking' plate movies downwardly, the dog 28 will tend to assume a vertical position and will, therefore, ride over the shoulder 27 nextthe shoulder with, which it had been engaged and will thereby aid. in holding the locking plate in its pro` jected position. The dog will. form a positive means for resisting releasing movement et the plates inasmuch as in order to withdraw the bottom locking plate it will be necessary to disengage the dog 28 therefr in and as the dog is mounted on the inn lr fide of the door it is inaccessible. rlhe remaining locking plates will be likewise held in their projected positions inasmuch as they are all connected to a common actuating member and no one plate can be withdrawn by said member without all the other platesbeing vwithdrawn.

lilly device is composed of very few parts and may be very readily applied to the door at a low cost. lt may be quickly and easily shifted to the locking position and after bem ing so shifted will positively resist all efforts to remove the door.

Having thus described the invention, what 'e claimed as new is:

l ln a vault closure, the combination of a door, a spindle projecting through the door, a flange on said spindle at the inner side of the door, packing between said flange and the door, a nut locked on the spindle at the outer side of the door, packing interposed between said nut and the door, a carrier threaded upon the inner end of the spindle, locking plates slidably mounted upon the inner side of the door, and links each pivcted at one end to the carrier and at its opposite end to a locking plate whereby upon actuation of the spindle the links will be caused to move toward a position in parallelism with the door and the locking plates will be caused to slide outwardly.

2. ln a vault closure, the combination of door, a locking plate slidably mounted upon the door and provided with slots par* allel with the path of movement of the plate,

lll)

headed pins fitted through said slots into the door, a spindle rotatably fitted through the door, a carrier engaged upon the inner end of the spindle and caused to travel by rotation of the spindle, and links each giv-v oted at one end to said carrier and at the opposite end to a locking plate whereby when the spindle is rotated the locking plates will be caused to ride outwardly under the heads of the said pinstoward the free edges of the door.

3. rlhe combination with a burial vault,

and a flange secured in the open end of the' vault, of a door arranged to bear against said flange, clamps mounted upon the door and arranged to bind upon the said flange, means for holding the clamps normally retracted, and other means on the door for driving the clamps into engagement with said flange.

4. The combination with a burial vault, and a flange secured in the open end of the vault, of a closure insertible in the end of the vault against said flange, swinging clamps mounted on the inner side of the door for movement in a plane at an angle to the plane of the door, yieldable means holding the clamps retracted, and means carried by the door to swing the clamps into binding engagement with the iange.

5. The combination with a burial vault, and a iange secured in the open end of the vault, of a closure insertible inthe end of the vault against said flange, swinging clamps mounted on the inner side of the door, yieldable means holding the clamps retracted,`

slides mounted on the door and having their ends arranged to engage under the clamps as theslides move outward whereby to turn the clamps into binding engagement with the flange, and meanscarried by the door for actuating the slides.

6. The combination with a burial vault,

of the vault. against the flange, clamps,

mounted on the inner side of the door for swinging movement, slideson the door having beveled and inclined surfaces aty their free ends to engage thev clamps andeff'ect swinging movement of the same, and means carried by the door for i actuating f. said slides. 5

7. The combination with a burial vault, and a flange in the end thereof,- of a closure insertiblein the end of the vault and against said flange,"swinging clamps carried by the door and provided with lateral wings, sliding points adjustable through said wings, operating slides mounted on the door and provided with spaced driving lugs and lifting surfaces alined with said lugs, said lugs and lifting surfaces being arranged to ride under the sliding points whereby to effect turning movement of the clamps, and meansL carried by the door for actuating said slides. 8. The combination with a burial vault, and a flange in the open end thereof, of a door insertible in the open end of the vault, I

a bracketcomprising a fork and a stem projectlng from the fork and secured in the door, the base of the fork 'having a groove therein inthe side thereof presented to the door,a clamp pivoted within the fork, a spring secured at one end to the'clamp and having its opposite end portion seated in the groove in the base portion of the bracket whereby to be secured by and between the bracket and ,the door, andfmeans on thedooracting on `the clamp in opposition .to

the spring to cause the clamp to bind upon the flange.

n testimony vwhereof I alfiX'my signature..

SIDNEY TAYLOR. [L s]

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