US1561906A - Case for keys and the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17 1 925 W. RLBUXTON CASE FOR KEYS AND THE LIKE Filed May 19, 1922 E I mvzuron ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED- STATES 1,561,906 PATENT OFFICE.

WARNER R. BUXTON, F IJONGMEADOW, MASSACHUSETTS, 'ASSIGNOR TO BUXTON IN- GORPORATED. AUORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CASE FOR KEYS AND THE LIKE.

2; Application filed May 19,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VARNER R. Brx'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Longmeadow. in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful'Improvements in Cases for Keys and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cases for keys and the like and, more particularly, to cases of that type in which the key retaining members are pivotally connected to. the case for swinging movement into and out of the latter along arc-like paths of substantially constant radius.

The invention has for one object to provide, in a key case of the type described, an im roved form of key retaining member, WhlCh is designed to effectively retain the keys under all ordinary conditions of use and to minimize the possibility of accidental dislodgment of the keys.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for mounting the key retaining members in the case for swinging movement and, if desired, for swivelling movement as well.

Another object of ,the invention is to provide in a key case, wherein the key retaining members arev capable of both swinging and swivelling movement, a mounting of such members inthe case in such a manner that any one or more thereof may be quickly and conveniently removed from or assembled in the case when desired, and yet are effectively restrained against accidental removal.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a key case a conveniently removable, one piece, pivoted, key retaining member which is bent to form a key retaining loop and has the entrance to said loop so located as to beinaccessible for the insertion and removal of keys except when the member is removed from its pivotal connection.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description and in the il- .lustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in'which -s Figs. 1 and 2 are small scale elevational views showing the key case in open and closed position, respectively;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional View showing the'improved key 1922. Serial No. 562,132.

retaining member and one manner of mounting it 1n the case;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear view ofthe ing member from its pivotal connection;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged side elevational, end elevational, and plan views, respectively, showing the upper portion of one of the'key retaining members; Figs. 9 and 10 are side and front elevational views, respectively, showing another gieans for mounting the key retaining memers;

Figs. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional and front elevational views, respectively, showingstill another way of mounting the key retaining members; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional plan viewtaken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 11.

Referring to these drawings, the case proper may be variously constructed, as

desired, but, by preference, I employ the style of case shown in my prior U. S. Letters Patent 'No. 1,261,692 granted April 2, 1918. Thus, as shown in Fi s. 1 and 2, the case consists of a strip 0 suitable flexible material, such as leather or the like. The end portions 13 of this strip form flaps and are foldable along lines of fold 1a in overlapping relation with the central portion 15, which forms the back of the case. The flaps 13 may be releasably secured together in any suitable way, as by the interengageable male and female fasteners 16 and 17 respectively. For the purpose of providing a convenient means for pivotally supporting the key retainin members from the back 15 of the case an also for reenforcing the latter and restraining it against transverse bending, I prefer to permanently attach to back 15 near its upper end, and in any suitable manner, as by eyelet rivets 18, a rigid plate 19, which is preferably of thin metal. ccording to one form of my invention, the upper endof plate 19 is rolled over until the u per edge thereof abuts, or substantially a uts, the front face of the plate, thereby forming'a portion 20 of a mately hollow cylindrical form. n this portion a series of longitudinally spaced proxian enlargement 22 for slots 21 are provided, each of which is dis posed in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of portion 20. These slots, which are preferably formed in the plate prior to the rolling up of portion 20, extend" throughout the major portion of the circumference of this portion and may, but do not necessarily needto, extend entirely to the edge of the late, as shown, for such edge abuts the ace of the plate and the ends of the slots are thereby closed. The other end of each slot is provided with the purpose of permitting the key retaining members, to be later described, to be conveniently assembled in, or removed from, the hollow cylindrical support 20. The side walls of each slot 21', except for the portion 22 just described, are stantially so. The openings 22, b preference, are located in the rear wall of the per-- tion 20 for'the reason that they are then covered and concealed by the back 15. Such arrangement minimizesthe chances of any key retaining member escaping unintentionally from the support 20,. through the opening 22 and yet permits the intentional insertion or removal of such member in or from the opening for the back 15 is flexible and can be bent back to gain access to the opening.

The key retaining members may, according to some features of the invention, be constructed in any suitable way so long as they afford a suitable key retaining loop and have means adapted for mounting in the support 20. These mounted in the latter as to swing about the axis of the portion into and out of the case along substantially constant, radius, and preferably, although not necessarily, each member is capable of swivelling move1nent,that

..is, turning about axes substantially at right angles to that of the portion 20.

By preference, however, I employ key retaining members of the type best shown .any suitable way w in Figs. 6 and 7. Each of these members is formed from a single piece of suitable material, such as a thin relatively narrow strip 23 .of spring metal, for example, which is bent backwardly upon itself to form a key retaining loop 24 and so formed that its side walls naturally tend to abut each other near the upper end of the loop, as at 25. The. two ends 26 of the strip 23 which are disposedopposite one another, may be pivotally su ported in the case in hich will prevent access thereto. Preferably, the ends 26 are bent slightly awa from one another for the purpose of a ording an easy entrance 27 to loop 24. need be nothing more than a slight offset and a similar offset is provided below the preferably parallel or submembers are so arc-like paths of constant, or-

The bending of these ends abutting portions 25 for the forming ufpper and lower shoulders 28 on opposite aces of the retaining member. The strip 23, as shown in Fig. 8, has a substantially semi-elliptical cross-sectional shape and its sides are grooved as at 29, so as to form upper and lower shoulders 30. The latter are, spaced apart a distance substantially commensurate with the thickness of the walls of the hollow, cylindrical portion 20 and the portion 31 between the shoulders is preferably made cylindrical so that it will tate in the slots 21.

In assembling key retainingi'nembers in the case, the ends 26 thereof are inserted in an opening 22 until the grooves 29 come into line with the wall of portion 20. The member is then swung, about the axis of portion 20, to cause the grooves-29 to engage the side walls of slots 21, and thereafter swung into the illustrated, osition. The key retaining members may t en be swung into and out of the case about-the axis of the ortion 20 or may turn or swivel about an axis at right angles thereto.

It is not necessarily essential to the idea of a removable mounting of a pivotal and swivelling hook in a key case to employ the openings 22. ,Thus, for example, the arrangement shown in Figs. 9 and 10 may be employed. In this section of the hollow cylindrical portion 20 do not abut plate 19, as above described, but are bent to form spring fingers 33', which abut plate 19 at an intermediate location and then diverge away from the plate ,to form a tapering entrance 34 between them and the plate. The key retaining members, constructed as above described, are assembled by first laying them flat againstv the front face of plate 19 and in the location shown by dotted lines in Fi l0 and pushing them vertically upwards, two ends 26 to enter the entrances 34 between the two adjacent fingers 33 and plate19 and causing those fingers to yield awa purpose of freely fit and turn and rocase, the ends ofeach causing the. i

from theplate until the said ends are recelved in the interior of ortion 20. The members are then engaged with the side walls of slots 21 in the manner above described and are capable of swinging and swivelling in a like fashion.

When the general arrangement, shown in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive is employed, the openings 22 need not necessarily e located ex.- actly as there shown, although such location is preferred for the reasons abovestated.

(Fig. 13) are made in slots 21 in this steep portion 36 so that the key retaining members when held flat against plate 19 may be at the lower part of portion 20. The-slide way makes it very difficult for a key retaining member to accidentally reach the enlargements 37 and become dissociated with its support 20.

A feature of particular importance consists in the type of key retaining member above described, although, as to this feature, the particular details of construction, which have been described as used for connecting vthe members to the support, are not necessarily essential and may be varied as desired. The important point is that the entrance to the key retaining. loop is'not accessible for v the insertion and removal of keys except when the key retaining member is removed and this feature is importantas effectively guarding against accidental di'slodgment of the keys from their retaining members under all usual conditions of key case operation.

The invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at present preferred, for illustrative purposes, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is: 1. A key case, comprising, a case forming member of flexible material, a rigid supporting member secured thereto, a rigid key retaining member having near one end a pivotal connection with said supporting member permitting swinging movement of the key retaining member into and out of the case and permitting rotative movement of said key retaining member about an axis substantially at right angles to'that of the swinging movement, and means provided on said supporting member to permit removal of the key retaining member, when desired without deformation of said supporting member.

2. A key case, comprising, a case forming member of flexible material, a rigid supporting member secured thereto, a key retaining member bent to form a key retaining loop with a single entrance thereto provided between the ends ofthe member, both said ends being pivotally engaged with said supporting member permitting swinging movement of the key retaining member into and out of the case and permitting rotative movement of said key, retaining member about an axis substantially at right angles to that of the swinging movement, and means provided on. said supporting member to permit removal of the key retaining member when desired.

3. The combination witha key case, of a supporting member of hollow substantially cylindrical form secured thereto and provided with a substantially transverse slot, a key retaining member having near one end a part received in said slot and shoulders above and below said part slid-ably and turnably engaged with the innerand outer walls of the supporting member adjacent said slot, said slidable and turnable ngagement with said walls constituting the pivotal and swivelling connection with said supporting member and the means for limiting both inward and outward radial movement of said key retaining member.

4. The combination with a key case, of a supporting member of hollow substantially cylindrical form secured thereto and provided with a plurality of substantially transverse slots, a plurality of key retaining members each having near one end a part to slide and turn in one of said slots and shoulders above and below said part to engage the inner and outer walls of said supporting member adjacent said slots, whereby each retaining member is free to swing about the axis of the supporting member and turn about an axis at substantially right angles thereto, and an enlargement provided in each slot at one point to permit the upper shoulder of the key retaining member to pass into and out of the interior of said supporting member.

5. A key case, comprising, a case forming member of flexible material, a supporting member of hollow substantially cylindrical form secured thereto near one edge thereof, said member provided with a plurality of substantially transverse slots, a plurality of key retaining members each having near one. end a part to slide in one of said slots and shoulders above, and below said part to engage the inner and outer walls of said supporting-member adjacent said slots, whereby each retaining member is free to swing about the axis of the supporting member, and an enlargement provided in each slot to permit the upper shoulder of a retaining member to pass into and out of the interior of said supporting member, the enlargement in the slot being so located as to be normally covered by and concealed by a portion of the case forming member.

6. The combination with a key case, of a supporting member of hollow'substantially cylindrical form secured thereto and provided with a plurality of substantially transverse slots, a plurality of key retaining members each having near one end a part to slide in one of said slots and shoulders above and below said'parts to engage the inner and outerwalls of said supporting member adjacent said slots, whereby each retaining member is free to swing about the axis of the supporting member, and an enlargement provided in each slot at one point to permit the upper shoulder of the key retaining member to pass into and out of the interior of said supporting member.

7. A key case, comprising, a case forming member of flexible material, a rigid supporting member secured thereto, a member formed to provide a key retaining loop with a single entrance thereto provided near one end thereof and having near suchend, a pivotal connection with said supporting member permitting swinging movement of the key retaining member into and out of the case, and means provided on said supporting member to permit removal of the key retaining member, when desired, said entrance being inaccessible for insertion or signature.

removal of keys in said loop except when removed from said supporting member.

' 8. A key holding device which includes a plate having a slot therein adjacent one edge and an enlarged portion at one end of said slot, the portion of the plate adjacent said edge beingv bent around so that the adapted to be against the folder to substantially close the slot, whereby the element supporting the keys can move and rotate in the slot but is prevented from bein; removed therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my WARNER R. BUX'roNT

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