US1564021A - Key case - Google Patents

Description

G. E. PRENTICE KEY CASE Filed Aug. 22, 1925 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cs. A

GEORGE EDWARD PRENTICE, OF BERLIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO G. E. PRENTICE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01 NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

KEY CASE.

Application" filed August 22, 1925. Serial No. 51,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Pnnn'rron,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Berlin, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Key Cases, of which, the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in key cases of the form in which a set of hanger supports and hook-like clips for receivmg keys are incorporated in a case of leather or the like and the object of my imrovement is to provide intermediate the eather case and a set of han er supports like those shown and described in the application filed by Robert O. Legat March 23, 1925, Serial No. 17,691, a supportingstructure that is secured to the leather case and has individual loops for engaging with the 20 openings in the hanger supports whereby a substantially swivel connection is provided and thus a second flexible connection, in addition to the ball and socket joint of the hanger support, will be incorporated betiveen the leather case and the key-receiving c1p. I

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a key case in the open position showing a supporting structure embodying my invention and a set of hanger supports and hangers or key receiving clips that correspond to one form that is shown and described in the application above referred to.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the support ing structure and the parts supported thereby.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank for the supporting structure.

Figure 4: is a plan view of the blank for the hanger support.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken through the ball and socket joint.

My improved key case comprises a casing proper of leather that is adapted to be folded over-to enclose the key supporting devices and the keys in the usual manner, the keys being engaged individually with hook-like clips or hangers 11.

The hangers 11 are connected to hen er supports 12 by means of a ball and sec et joint 13, all of which are shown and described in the application above referred to. Thus, briefly, the hanger 11 has a shank 14 and the upper end portion-J5 of said shank 14 is curled over into somewhat of a ball shape. The shank 14 is entered through an openin in the lower end of the ball portion 17 oft e hanger support 12.

The hanger support 12 is made of sheet metal and the ball portion 17 is formed from the plate-like middle ortion of the blank that is substantially 0 square shape and is defined by the side edges 18. Short andreduced connecting necks 19 extend outwardly on opposite sides from the ends of a diagonal are brought into face to face contact or into close relation so as to cooperate to provide a supporting shank or the like for the ball 17. The necks 19 merge with enlarged ears 20 that have openings 21 in registration for receiving means that are provided for holding the hanger supports 12.

In the present instance said means comprise for each hanger support 12 a loop 22 that is ositioned in a'plane that is in perpendicu ar relation to the opposed face of the back 23 of the leather casin 10. Thus, with the hanger supports 12 ant? the keys in the pendant position and housed within the casin 10 the sup orting ears 20 are substantially in para elism with the back 23 and the movements permitted the hanger supports are the substantial equivalent to suchas are provided by a swivel connection.

Such movement consist of a combination of a swinging in a perpendicular plane along the structureof the loop 22, which in extent is considerably more than one hundred and eighty degrees, and a lateral ivotal movement of substantially one hun red and ei hty do ees.

As s own, t e loops 22 are in the form of individual fingers, eight in number, that are connected along the top edge 24 of a plate or body 25, the latter being secured to the casing back 23 by a set of eyelet rivets 26.

The ball and socket joint facilitates the turning of the individual keys when engaged with the lock and also the nesting of the keys snugly within the ca 10.

The swivel oint 27, provided y the ears 20 and the loops 22, provides for flexibility and facilitates the selection of a particular ke for use.

it will-be understood that no claim is made in this application to the structure of the hanger support and hanger per se, the same bein claimed in the copending application of O. Legat, Serial No. 17 ,694. The present case is directed to the combination of the structure claimed in said copending application with an improved supporting p ate for attaching the device to a key case. It will be observed that there is a clear coaction, and, therefore, a true combination between these structures, since the curled fingers of the supporting plate permit of a universal movement at the supporting plate and the plate element affords a v backing for the swivel joint when the keys are positioned within the case.

I claim as my invention a In combination, a supporting plate for attachment to a key case, having at one edge a plurality of spaced fingers bent back into contact with the plate and forming loops, a plurality of hanger supports each attached to one of said fingers for free swinging movement thereon, and each having a pendant portion in the form of a substantially hollow structure that is provided with an opening at the lower end, a hanger for receiving a key having a shank of wire that is projected through said opening so that the free end portion is housed within said structure, and said free'end portion bein curled upon itself in the plane of the shan without diminishing the cross sectional area thereof to provide an operative fit within said structure for cooperating therewith as a swivel connection.

GEORGE EDWARD PRENTICE.

Images