US1694798A - Keyhole guard - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1928.

R. V. SAVAGE XEYHOLE GUARD Filed Oct. 21, 1927 .llllllll l mented 11, l928.

urrs STATES i tactics RALPH V. SAVAGE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

KEYHQLE GUARD.

Application filed October 21, 1927. Serial No. 227,802.

lhis invention relates to improvements in guards for protecting key-holes of doors or the like from tampering on the part of nefarious and unauthorized persons having designs upon the key fitting the key-hole.

One of the objects of this invention isto provide a simple, eiiicient and inexpensive device of this character designed to prevent the thrusting of keys thru the key-hole of a door or the like as by the insertion of an instrument thru the key-hole "from outside a house, for the purpose of dislodging the key and in this way make it possible for another key to enter the key-hole for the opening of the door.

A further object of this invention is to provide an eiiicient' key-hole guard characterized by the fact that it is capable of frustrating completely the designs of burglars, robbers or key-hole workers in that the novel guard will retain itself in position within the key-hole until forcibly extracted thru the intervention of an authorized person operating from inside the room.

Another object of this invention is to reduce to a minimum the number of parts of a suitable key-hole guard for tie purpose of cheapening the cost of manufacture as well as for the purpose of facilitating the juntaposition of the device relatively to the key hole of the door.

And a stillfurther object of my invention is to provide improved means effective for the purpose of permanent association with a key in that it clings at all times to the key whether or not the latter is in use.

a In carrying out the invention I have devised a resilient'sheet metal clip constructed and shaped to fit any size of key-hole; capae ble of undergoing contraction for the purpose of being quickly inserted into the keyhole; designed to be firmly secured in retained position by virtue of its own resiliency and integral formation; and effective for the purpose of stopping in inserted movement at a predetermined interval.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts thruout the respective views,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional detail view of a door showing its key-hole and showing my key-hole guard in protecting position, the guard being viewed from outside the room in which the door is mounted,

Figure 4; is a cross-sectional view of my guard, taken on line B-B of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of said guard, Figure 6 is a side elevation of the guard, and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken thru the key-hole plate, showing a key equipped with my guard in protected position within the key-hole.

In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts, theguard is formed from a sheet metal strip or strap made preferably of spring metal. This strip is folded or bent upon itself in a man nor to provide the medial circular or split collar, bead, or base 12, and a pair of oppositely arranged resilient arms projecting outwardly from the base 12 in a divergent manner, the arms being designated 10 and 11; there is a space or slit 13 between the innermost planes of the resilient arms 10 and 11, which is narrowed in the act of squeezing together the resilient arms 10 and 11.

This guard, it will be understood, is designed especially for use in connection with the key-hole B of a door A or the like, and will be of a corresponding size. Upon one side of the guard a pair of narrow fins or flanges 15 and 16 respectively are formed integrally and longitudinally oi"- the arms 10 and 11, extending in a plane at right angles to the edges thereof which are disposed on this side of the guard.

It will be understood that the flanges or fins 14 and 15 are formed by bending back the edges of the arms 10 and 11 of the key-hole guard. Complemental lugs 17 are punched 1 out of the arms 14 and 15 as at the points 17 Figure 6, these lugs being disposed preferably in angular position relatively to the rightangular flanges or fins l t and 15, so as to leave a space 18, between fins and lugs, this space being of a width to allow for inserting the appropriate plate 19 of a key-hole housing 20.

A key designated D has the usual lock tang engaging part or cam E. By forcing the key shank between the resilient divergent arms 10 and 11 of the guard the shank will snap into the semicircular resilient base 12 oi the guard, and in this manner the guard will always remain securely retained upon the key, if desired, so the guard will not readily be lost or become displaced from the key. This is an advantage since the small size of the guard may render it susceptible of being easily lost or misplaced, so the base portion 12 of the guard lends itself for embracing positioning upon the key.

When it is now desired to secure the key in locked position and against displacement from the key-hole B all it is necessary to do is to squeeze the arms 10 and 11 together until they assume a nearly parallel position, against the tension of the coil or base 12; with the arms thus held squeezed and collapsed, the operator proceeds to insert the guard into the key-hole B, from inside the room, so the head 12 enters the circular upper part of the keyhole, and the arms 10, 11 enter the rectangular slot extension C of the key-hole B; the guard is thus shoved into the keyhole under slight pressure, until the stop lugs 17 engage the key-hole plate 19, as shown in Fig. 7 and thus prevent further forward movement of the guard; the operator new releases hold on the guard, and thereupon the coil base 12 relaxes, the arms 10 and 11, being behind the plate 19, are now free to snap back to divergent position, whereupon the fins 1 1, 15 Fig. 8, will overlap the plate 19, so the guard cannot be pushed out thru the key-hole, without grasping the part of the guard projecting outside the hole, squeezing the arms and releasing the guard; as the cam E of the key bridges the arms 14, 15 behind plate 19, it cannot be forced out of the key-hole.

What I claim and seek by Letters Patent 1s 1. A device for the purpose described consisting of a collapsible member having a part for entering the round hole of a keyhole, a part entering the stem of the key-hole and a part catching in back of the key-hole plate.

2. A key-hole guard composed of a col lapsible clip designed to hang upon a keyshank, and to enter the key-hole simultaneously with the key, and means 011 said clip automatically snapping in back of; the keyhole plate so as to overlap the latter to cause one part of the clip to project in advance or" the key-hole and the other part to be removably retained within the l-:ey-hole against forcible displacement.

3. A key-hole guard composei of a spring collapsible clip suspendable upon the key, and

having provision for entering the key-hole with the key, means limiting the distance of entry of the clip within the key-hole to cause a part thereof to project in advance of the keyhole, and means on the clip engageable with the key-hole plate from within the keyhole for preventing the direct rectilinear displacement of the clip thru the key-hole.

1. In combination with a key, a device carried tiereby having arms designed to be collapsed for insertion into a key-hole, outturned flanges on said arms designed to spread out under the resiliency of the device, Within a key-hole so as to engage in back of the keyhole plate and retain the device in position within the key-hole.

5. In combination with a ke a device carried thereby having arms designed to be collapsed for insertion into a key-hole, andintegral formations upon said arms automatically springing laterally when pressure is removed from the device, so as to overlap opposite sides or the key-hole plate, to firmly secure the device in position relatively to the keyhole plate.

6. In combination with a key, a resilientclip having means of removable support upon the key, means undergoing contraction for insertion into a key-hole, against the resiliency of said clip, and means formed endwise of the clip and designed upon insertion of the clip within the key-hole to snap into overlying position in back or" the key-hole plate.

7. In combination with a key-hole casing having a front plate formed with key hole, a rey insertable into the key-hole, a clip having a split coil embracing the key shank and insertable into key-hole, and a collapsible spring catch engaging back of plate.

In witness whereof he has hereunder set his hand this thirteenth day of September, 1927.

R. V. SAVAGE.

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