US1729844A - Trunk-drawer lock - Google Patents

Description

J. RITTER. JR.. er AL TRUNK DRAWER LOCK -Filed Aug. 2. 192e Oct.` l, 1929.

ATTORNEYJ.

Patented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES Htte/Jaa PATET oren JULIUS RITTER, JR., .AND MARIUS J". WISBY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIG-NORS TO HARTMANN TRUNK COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CON SIN Application led August 2, 1926.

Our invention has relation to improvements in trunk drawer locks.

' Trunks as'now commonly constructed, are provided with a plurality of drawers and this is 'particularly true of so-called wardrobe trunks, which are equipped not only with a wardrobe section, but Aalso with a drawer seetion.

It is the primary object of our invention to provide, in a drawer equippedtrunk, an improved means whereby when a key is turned in one direction, all of the drawers of the series are simultaneously unlocked and vice versa when the key is turned in the opposite direction, all of the drawers of the series are simultaneously locked.

With the above primary object and other 4incidental objects in view, theinvention consists of devices and parts -or the equivalents thereof as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the` accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a trunk containing a series of drawers, parts being in section, and parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; and o Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 3,3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 4 indicates a portion of a trunk equipped with a plurality of slidabledrawers, and which portion or section 4, in a wardrobe trunk, would be the drawer section thereof, as distinguished from the wardrobe section.

The sides of the portion 4, at spaced inten vals apart, have secured thereto, drawer supports 5. ,The front of the portion 4, as shown most clearly inFig. 3, is provided with a keyhole 6, through which a key 7 passes, and is adapted to enter and engage locking mechanism confined within a lock casing 8, a turna-ble part of said lock mechanism being shown as projecting through the casing, and con- .'rnUNK-DRAWER Loox serial No. 126,598.

sisting of lugs 9-9, which receive therebe-'z tween, the flattened end of a rod 10, the said end of the rod being secured between the lugs by means of a rivet 11.

The rod 10 passes through a loop 12 secured to the underside of the top of the trunk portion 4, and inner end of the rod is in the form of a crank 13, which extends through an elongated slot 14 in the flange of a plate 15 secured to the back of the' trunk.

The end of the crank.4 it will be noticed'.` is

provided with a head which is back of the flange of the plate 15, whereby the crank is mantained in its position within the slot. The lower end of the slot (see Figure 1) is enlarged to permit of the head of the crank passing through the slot in the assembling of the parts. The lower end of the plate 15 is secured medially to an arm 16. To the right hand end of this arm (Figure 1)is pivoted one arm of a bell-crank lever 1'?.

'The upwardly pointing angle of this bellera-nk lever is pivoted to the back of the trunk portion 4, but a plate 18 is preferably secured to said back for the-reception of the pivot, for strengthening purposes. The other or outerarm of this bell-crank lever is pivoted to an angular bracket 19.`

rlhe left hand end of the arm 16 (Fig. 1) has pivotally connected thereto one arm of vanother bell-crank lever 20. The position angular bracket 22.

Both the outer arm of the angular bracket 19 and the outer arm of angular bracket 22 are rigidly connected to vertically movable bars 23-23, extending along the sides of the trunk portion 4.

It will be noticed that each of the side bars has projecting therefrom, laterally and inwardly, short studs 24, the function of which will be hereinafter described.

The several drawers are indicated by the numeral 25, and these drawers are supported by and are slidable upon the drawer supports 5.

Each of the opposite end pieces of each drawer is formed with a recess 26, and for wearing purposes each recess has seated therein, a metallic plate 27 having a recess 2S which lits in the recess of the drawer end.

It is desirable that the vertically movable locking bars 23 be guided in their up and down movements. Any suitable form of guides may be provided, and in Fig. 3 of the drawing is shown one of the guides 29 employed in which the side bar is guided in its up and down movement.

Referring to the operation, it will be assumed that the drawers are all in their closed position, as shown in Fig. 1. 1n this position, it will be seen that the short studs 24 of the side bars are in engagement with the recesses in the upper edges of the opposite ends of each drawer. Of course, when the drawers are thus engaged, said drawers are locked against being pulled outwardly to open position.

If now, it is desired to simultaneously eifect the unlocking of all the drawers so as to pernit of the opening of any one or more of said drawers, the key 7 is turned in one direction. This will cause a turning of the rotatable portion of the lock mechanism and of the lugs 11- connected therewith, and the turning of these lugs, of course, will rotate the rod 10. The turning of the rod 10 causes the crank 13 on the end thereof to work against the edge of the slot 14 of the plate 15, and cause a move- Vment of the plate and the bar 16 to which sait plate is connected in a direction to so act upon the bell crank levers 17 and 20 to cause an upward thrust or movement of the agular arms 19 and 22, and as these angular arms are connected to the side bars 23, said bars are necessarily raised to such an extent as to withdraw the lateral lugs 24 thereof out of engagement with the recesses in the top edges of the end pieces of the drawer. "When this occurs, any desired drawer can be pulled outwardly to open position.

The parts are held in their raised unlocking posit-ion by reason of the position which the crank 18 was turned in the operation of the key.

Now, when it is desiredto again lock the drawers, all the drawers, of course, are adjusted to their closed position, and after this the key is turned in the opposite direction so as to restore the crank to its normal position. When the crank is so restored, a reverse action on the pla-te 15 takes place, and the bell crank levers 17 and 20 are, through the action of the bar 16, turned in an opposite direction to that necessary for unlocking, with the result that the side bars 23 are forced downwardly, and the lugs 24 thereof caused to again engage the recesses in the end pieces of the drawers.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that we provide a most effective mechanism for simultaneously locking and unlocking thedrawers, said mechanism being very easily controlled and operated by the rotation of the key.

What we claim as our invention is l. In a trunk having a section containing drawers positioned one above another, oppositely positioned movable bars provided with means for engaging the drawers to normally hold said drawers locked, a turnable key-actuated lock mechanism, a rod connected at one end t-o said turnable key-actuated lock mechanism and turnable therewith, the opposite end of said rod being formed with a crank, a plate provided with an elongated slot which the said crank engages, an arm to which the plate is connected at a medial point of said arm, bell-crank levers each having one yof their arms pivotally. connected to an end of the arm, the angles of said bell-.crank levers pointing in opposite directions, Mld members rigidly connected to the respective movable bars, with the other arms ofthe respective bell-crank levers connected to the 1Lopposite ends of said last mentioned meiners. v

2. In a trunk having a section containing drawers positioned one above another, a pair of movable bars each being provided with a plurality of engaging mechanisms, and adapted to enga-ge opposite sides of the drawers to normally hold said drawers lccked, a turnable key-actuated lock mechanism, a rod connected at one end to said turnable key-actuated lock mechanism and turnable therewith, the opposite end of said rod being in the form of a crank, a plate provided with an elongated slot which the` crank of the rody engages an operating arm to which said plate is connected at an intermediate point, bell crank levers,one positioned at one end of and below said operating arm, and the other positioned at the other end of and above said operating arm, said bell crank levers each having one of its arms pivotally connected to the adjacent end of the operating arm and the angles of said bell crank levers pointing in opposite directions, and members rigidly connected to the respective movable bars with the other arms of the respective bell crank levers connected to the opposite ends thereof.

3. In a trunk having a section containing drawers positioned one above another, a movable bar provided with means Jfor engaging the drawers to normally hold said `drawers locked, a turnable key-actuated lock mechansin, a rod connected at one end to said turnable key-actuated look mechanism and turnable therewith, the opposite end of said rod being in the form of a crank, a plate which the crank of the rod engages, a horizontally extending arm to which said. plate is rigidly connected, and means between said horizontal arm and the movable bar for moving said movable bar vertically when the horizontal arm is moving horizontally.

In testimony whereof, we aiix our signatures.

JULIUS RITTER, Jn. MARIUS J. WISBY.

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