US1517995A

US1517995A - Fastener

Info

Publication number: US1517995A
Application number: US717544A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacob F Langenau; Rudolph M Yemniker
Original assignee: Langenau Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Langenau Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1924-06-03
Filing date: 1924-06-03
Publication date: 1924-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1941-12-02

Description

Dec. 2, 1924. 1,517,995

J. F. LANGENAU ET AL FASTENER Filed June 5, 1924 INVENTOR.

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JACOB F. LANGENA'U AND RUDOLPH M. YEMNIKER, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE LANGENAU MANUFACTURING COLMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

FASTENER.

Application filed. June 3,

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB F. LANGENAU and RUDOLPH M. X'EMNIKER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, respectively, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which we have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

This invention relates to fasteners. More particularly it comprises a fastening device adapted to engage a keeper pin or loop and draw the same toward the point of attachment of said fastener.

Latches of this general type have been applied as window fasteners and the like, but in most instances involve more or less complicated parts expensive to manufacture and difiicult to maintain in repair under conditions of constant use.

The object of the present invention is to improve fasteners of the character referred to and to simplify and reduce the cost of the manufacture of the same. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. l is a front elevation showing a fastener and keeper applied to a pair of hinged elements, the fastener being shown in latched position; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the fastener being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the fastener, the parts being shown in open position; and Fig. 4: is an elevation of the latch arm of the fastener, showing the details of its construction.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the fastener comprises a latch arm 1 having a hook 2 at its forward end and provided with an enlarged substantially circular rearward portion 3 provided with an elongated slot 4 positioned centrally of its up per portion. Said enlarged portion of the 1924. Serial No. 717,544.

provide a similar arc-shaped shoulder adjacent the rearward edge of said enlarged portion. At a point intermediate between the position of said hook and said enlarged portion, the latch arm is provided with a dome-like projection 7 pressed upward fromthe body thereof, and between the position of said projection and the enlarged portion adjacent the lower edge an outwardly projecting lug 8 is formed. The slotted portion of the latch arm is adapted to fit over a pin or stud 9 secured to one member of the structure to be latched, and said pin also serves as a pivot for the actuating lever 11 of said fastener. Said actuating lever is of somewhat shorter length than the latch arm and is provided at its forward end with a right angled extension 12 adapted to serve as a thumb piece. Said actuating lever is provided with an en larged portion at its rearward end off-set from the median line of the body thereof and provided with an aperture 13 adjacent the forward upper portion thereof. Said aperture is designed to fit over the pivot pin 9, which co-acts with the slot 4 in the latch arm to limit the transverse movement of said arm. A semi-spherical recess 10 is formed in the rearward face of the actuating lever immediately below the extension 12, said recess being adapted to engage over the dome-like projection 7 formedon the latch arm when the parts are in latched position, thereby preventing unlatching of the fastener through accidental movement of the parts.

At an intermediate position along the lower edge of the body of said actuating lever, a notch 14: is provided, said notch being adapted to fit over the lug 8 when the fastener is in latched position. The enlarged portion of the actuating lever is provided with a cam face 15 at its rearward edge adapted to co-operate with the arcshaped flange 6 of the latch arm, and adjacent the under side of its forward edge it is provided with a second cam face 16 adapted to co-act with the shoulder 5 formed on the latch arm to move the latter to unlatching position preparatory to the lifting of the hook from the keeper.

Immediately below the rearward cam face of the actuating lever a shoulder 17 is provided, which is adapted to abut against the rearward edge of a flange extension 18 on the latch arm, which forms a continuation at the lower edge of the arc-shaped shoulder. The shoulder 17, when brought into contact with the flange 18, thus serves to raise the latch arm from engagement with the keeper. The keeper 19 may be of any preferred form, being shown in the drawing as an apertured plate attached to one of the adjacent elements of the structure to be latched.

From the description of the construction of the device the operation will be readily apparent. WVhen it is desired to unlatch the device, the actuating lever is moved upwardly and the cam face 16 rides against the shoulder 5 and moves the latch arm forwardly so that the nose of the hook will clear the adjacent portion of the keeper. Continued movement of the actuating lever will bring the shoulder 17 against the rearward edge of the extension flange 18 and will raise the hooked end of the fastener upwardly so as to entirely clear the loop of the keeper. WVhen it is desired to close the fastener, the hook is lowered by gravity to engage within the loop of the keeper and after it is seated therein, continued downward movement of the actuating lever causes the cam face 15 to press against the arc-shaped flange 6 and move the latch arm rearwardly until the lower edge of the lever abuts against the lug 8 and the recess on the actuating arm is seated over the dome-like projection on the latch arm.

As will be obvious, the device, while composed of few parts and easily manufactured, is one of relatively great strength and durability and there are no small parts liable to be fractured or to develop weakness or lost motion through continual use.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention 1. A fastener comprising alatch arm and an actuating lever pivotally mounted upon a single point of support, a hook formed at the forward end of said latch arm and an elongated. slot adjacent its rearward end, a pair of cam shoulders of arc-shaped outline positioned adjacent the ends of said slot, a pair of cam faces formed on said actuating lever for co-operating with said shoulders to shift said latch arm transversely of said point of support, a radial shoulder at the end of one of said arc-shaped shoulders on said latch arm, and a second radial shoulder at the end of one of said cam faces on said actuating lever for co-operation with said first-named radial shoulder to raise said latch arm after the same has been shifted transversely of its point of support.

2. A fastener comprising a latch arm and an actuating lever pivotally mounted upon a single point of support, a hook formed at the forward end of said latch arm and an elongated slot adjacent its rearward end, a pair of cam shoulders of arc-shaped outline positioned adjacent the ends of said slot, a pair of cam faces formed on said actuating lever for co -operating with said shoulders to shift said latch arm transversely of said point of support, a pair of co-acting shoulders on said latch arm and actuating lever, respectively, for moving said latch arm rotatably, and a projection and recess formed on said latch arm and actuating lever, respectively, for holding said parts in engagement when the fastener is in latched position.

Signed by us, this 2d day of June, 192%.

JACOB F. LANGENAU. RUDOLPH. M. YEMNIKER.