US1757227A - Locking device for drawer sections - Google Patents

Description

May 6, 1930. G. H. WHEARY LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRAWER SECTIONS Filed Sept. 14, 1923 May 6, 1930;

. G. H. WHEARY LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRAWER SECTIONS Filed Sept. 14,1925 2 Sheeas-Shet 2 Patented ,May 6, I 1936 I N'VITEID 1ST s PATENT OFF! GEORGE ammwnm i, or arc-ma, WISCONSIN, Assmmam WHEARY TRUNK COMPANY, or mama, wrsconsrn, A CORPORATION or WISCONSIN 130mm DnvIoE ron DRAWER SECTIONS Application filed September 14,1923. Serial No. seam.

ed for use in locking the drawers'of a ward robe trunkQ V g Wardrobe trunk drawer locking devices may be generally classified as the removable.

' type which is in the form of a locking bar adapted to besecured across the fronts of the drawers, or the non-removable type which is actuatedby one'ofthe drawers to lock the others i-n closed position, and it is to this latter'type-that this invention relates.

Drawer locking devices of the last mentioned type have been open to several obj ections among'which may be listed the cost in cidentalto their manufacture and installa tion, the unsatisfactory security oflrer'ed against unauthorized opening oflthe drawers, and the inability to -eafs'ily'-operate'the same? Having the above inmind this invention has for a primary object to provide locking means" for the drawers" of a wardrobe trunk of the character" described, which may be" easily and cheapl constructed and-installed, is sturdyandprevents the unauthorized opening of the drawers and isreadily'actuated with' a'minimum'effort. 7 This invention has for another objectto provide a locking device of the character de i scribed which'is c onceale dby'the fittings of the trunk to in no wise mar the general appearance thereof; r 1

Itisi a further object "of this invention to provide an aligning strip and reinforcing member for the drawer section which is longitudinally channeled to 'forma guideway for reciprocally mountingfand concealing al'oc'k ingIbar adapted, "upont'he closing movement of one drawer tosecure the others in closed position. a v r J V And'a still further object of this invention resides inthe provision of an improved reins forcing strip-for the drawer section of a ward- V robe trunk having means for housingand concealing a drawer locking-device having a part engageable w1th-a part carried'by one of the" drawers when closed lock the remainingi drawers.

W'Vith the above and 'othercobj'ects in view which will appear as the description-proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construetion, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims,-it beingunderstoo d that such changes in-t'he precise embodiment of the he'rein' disclosed invention may be made as comefwithin thescopelof the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; I illlustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure his .a perspective viewof a wardrobe trunlr equipped fwith a drawer locking; device embodying my inventiomthe sections being opened and several of the drawers renioved; i 1

Figure 2 isa fragmentary detailview, partly in section and'partlyinelevation, taken through Figure 3 on the plane of the line 22;

Figure 31 is a detailiview' looking on the plane of the line 3'3 of Figure-2, parts there'- of being'broken away and in section to illustrate details of construction; v

. Figure i -is a view of one" side of theward} robe sectionof a trunk equipped with my invention'fsaid view being taken Ton theplane of the line 4t*of Figure 3 and having parts broken-away; and lIlfSQCtlOl lj Figure 5 is afragmentary partly in elevation and partly invertical section, of a slightly, modified formof my invention and illustrating. the master drawer asin'closed position to actuate the drawer ing de s, a

Figure 6 isjai view, partly infsection and partly inelevation, takenthrough Figure '5 on theplane of the line 66, and

Figure 751s a fragmentary perspective View of one of tlie' locking'bars and. illustrating one manner of forming the locking lugs thereon. i

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings; thejnumeral 10desdam View:

i 'nates the wardrobe section or compartment.

of a wardrobe trunk, and 11 the drawer section or compartment in which a plurality of drawers 12 are slidably mounted on angle irons or guides 13 secured to the opposite side Walls or panels 14 of the drawer section. The wardrobe and drawer sections areconnected in any ordinaryj or desired manner and are adapted to be? locked in closed position byany suitable means, such means being illustrated in the present embodiment as a lock 15 carried by a-hinged top section 16 hingedly connected with the drawer section and adapted to close over the top of the a j acent trunk panel 14, as at 19, then extends inwardly alongthe inner wall of the panel a slight distance, as at 20, then directed inwardly at substantially right angles and then folded upon itself to provide a rib or flange 21, for the purpose hereinafter described, and then directed inwardly along the inner wall of the panel and mediallyprovided with a longitudinal channeled portion 22, extending throughout substantially the entire length of the strip. The parts 23 on opposite sides of the channel'22 provide attaching flanges through which rivets or other securing means 24 are passed to secure the strip to the trunk side panel; l

The ribs or flanges 21 of the strips18 pros v'ide-stops for the drawers -12 to prevent their movement into the section 11 inwardly of a line substantially flush with the outer margin of the panels 14. Each drawer has the forward corners of its bottom and side walls protectedby a strip-25 providing a laterally projecting flange or rib 26 ofsubstantially the width of the rib or flange '21 and of the approximate thickness of the section 20 of the; strips 18 which abut theribs 21 when the drawer is closed, see Figure 2. V r

Vertically slidably mounted in channel 22 of each strip 18 isa locking bar 27 provided at intervals, substantially equal to the width of the height of the drawers 12, with laterally projecting locking lugs 28 illustrated in the present embodiment as struck or stamped from the body of the bar, see Figure 7. The locking lugs 28 extend outwardly of the channel 22 through openings 29 therein and are engageable in front of keeper or receiver lugs 30 secured to the adjacent side walls of the drawers 1 2, when the bar is depressed by the yieldably urge the bar'upwardly to position the lockinglugs 28 out of the path of the keepers or receivers 30 of the drawers. I The locking bar is actuated against the force of spring 32 by" one ofthe drawers, preferably the upper-most one, which is provided with a master-lock, 1 not shown, to thus permit its securement inclosed the other drawers.

In Figures 1 to4, inclusive,the upper-most:

or master draweractuates the locking bars by the side flanges'or ribs 26 thereof engaging the outer free ends .735 Of bell crank levers 36 pivotally secured at the outer ends of their other armsto bracket members 37, as at 41. One member 37 is-secured to each side wall or panel 14 adj acentthe top of the trunk and close to the strips 18 by rivets, screws or other members 38. The rib 21 and channel 22 of each strip 18 are preferably cut away adjacent the bell cranklever 36 and said lever is provided with an elongated aperture or opening 39 adjacent its apex-,through which a pivot 40 carried by the upper end of the adj acentbar 27 passes- With-this arrangement, an inward pressure on the outer free end of the arm 35 ,will'cause a downward movement of the bell crank lever on its pivot 41 and consequently move the bar 27 connected therewith againstthefo-rce of its spring 32, the elongated opening 39 accommodating for the variance in the distancebetween the pivots I 40 and 41 as they aremoved toward or away from a horizontally aligned position.

position independent'of 7 From this construction it will be obvious that as theupper-most or master drawer is moved toward closed position its side ribs or flanges 26 press against the outer free ends 35 of the bell crank lever 36 moving them' on i their pivots41 to depress the locking bars against the action of their sprin s, positioning the locking lugs 28inrfront o the keepers 30 of any drawer that maybe in closed position to thus lock the same until the master drawer is moved toward open position to permit upward movement of the locking bars by the springs '32. The keeper lugs 30 preferably have their forward and rear surfaces tapered, as illustrated in'Figure 3, so that should any one of the drawers be slightly opened, the closingaction of the lugs 38 will not be interfered with. Y

In Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated a slightlymodified means for depressing the bars 27. In this form of my invention the bell crank levers are dispensed with and upper ends of the locking bars bentlaterally, as at 42, through opening 43 in the channels to normally lie in the path of inclined angle plates 44 secured to the sides of the master drawer 12. With this construction, closing movement of the master drawer causes the inner ends of the angle members I4 to ride over the instruck locking bar ends 42 to depress the bars 27 as will be readily obvious and engage the lugs 28 in front of the receiver lugs 30 or else in the recesses or notches 45 in the drawer side walls as illustrated in the modification depicted in Figure 5.

From the foregoing descrlption taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

it will be readily obvious to those skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appertains that I provide an improved drawer locking device of the character described which may be readily applied to wardrobe trunks withoutincreasing the cost thereof, may be made for any size trunk, mas-- much as the strips 18' may be provided with openings 29 so arranged asto be adaptable for elther five, SlX or any other number of drawers only necessitating the provision of locking bars 27 having the required number of locking lugs 28.

What I claim as my invention is j 1. In a device of the character described having a drawer section and drawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movement, a reinforcing strip secured to one drawer section panel adjacent its marginal edge, said reinforcing. strip having alongitudinally extendlng channel therein to .pro-' vide a guide, a bar mounted in said channel and guided by the walls of the channel and said panel for longitudinal movement, looking lugs connected with said bar and exposed outwardly of said reinforcing strip, keepers carriedby the drawers adjacent said lugs, and means operable by the closingaction of one of the drawers to actuate said bar-and engage said locking lugs with ,the' 'drawer' keepers to secure the drawers in closed position. J Y

2. In a device of the character described having a drawer section and drawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movement, a bar mounted in the drawer section, locking lugs connected with said bar,

keepers carried by the drawers adjacent said locking lugs, a flange projecting laterally from the front face of one drawer for limiting the closing movement of said drawer, and

means connected with said bar and engage able by said drawer flange as said drawer closes to engage the locking lugs with the keepers of the other drawers and secure the drawers in closed position.

3. In a device of the character described having adrawer section and drawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movement, a bar longitudinally shiftably mounted in [the :draw'er section,..means p'r'e-i venting sidewise. movement of; said bar, lockmg lugsconnec'ted with saidbar,.keepers. carried byithe ,drawiers adjacent said locking lugs, a bell crank lever,- means pivotallyzsecuring. the end of one arm of saidilever to the drawersectioman elongated opening in the" bellrcrank lever adjacentlits iapex,'a pivot pin .carried by the lever andengaging in said "elongated. opening wherebymovement of the bell crank lever on its pivot longitudinally shifts said bar toengage the locking lugs with the drawer carried .keepers,-means carried by one of the drawers and adapted upon closing 'to engage thezfree end. of the other arm. of

said lever tomove the lever on itspivot, and spring means normally urging, sa1dloar to a position free of the "locking lugs .ofsaid keepers {to lpermit=unrestricted'opening and closing of the drawers. j 5 T Q 4. Ina wardrobe trunk, the combination with a drawer compartment including a side panel; of=a finishing strip formed of bendable 1 bar. I

5311i"a-fwardrobetrunk, the combination witha drawer compartment including a side panel, of :a finishing strip extending along the margin of said panel, a vertically extending sho uld'er carried by the stri to provide a drawer stop, a drawer locking ar, a guideway longitudinally formed in said strip to provide means for concealably mounting said drawer locking bar, a spring normally urging said bar upwardly, and an out-struck portionformed in said guide-way to provide ,7

a housing for said spring.

6;: In a device of the character described having a drawer section and drawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movement, a reinforcing strip secured to the drawer section adjacent, its marginal, edge, said reinforcing strip having a longitudinally thereby for longitudinal shifting movement, lockinglugs connected with said bar and exposed outwardly of said reinforcing strip, keepers carried by the drawers adjacent said lugs, operatingmeans formed on the upper extendingchannel therein to provide a guide, a bar mounted in said channel and guided In a wardrobe trunk, having a drawer i section and drawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movements, a finish- 7 ing and reinforcing strip secured'to the inner surface of one section side panel adjacent its outer marginal edge, a vertically extending shoulder carried-bythe finishing strip to cooperate with a lateral flangercarried by the drawers to limit the movement of the drawers into the section, a vertical guide-way formed in the strip rearwardly of its stop, a bar slidably mounted intheguide-way and protected and concealed thereby, locking elements car-' ried by the barand projected outwardly .of

the finishing strip to-engage with drawer carried means when the bar is in one position to lock the drawers against movement outwardly of the section, means connected with the bar exteriorly of the finishing strip and normally extended beyond the stop thereof to be engaged by the flange of one draweras it closes to actuate said means and move the bar with its locking elements to lock the other drawers closed.

8. In a device of the character described,

,the combination of a drawer section anda plurality of drawers movable therein, a facing strip secured to the inner edges'of the drawer-section and provided witha flange against which drawers abut when in a closed position, said strip having formed therein a channel forthe' reception of a movable drawer locking element, said element provided with an operating extension projecting through said flange, and said extension'being actuated upon the closing movement of one of the drawers. r

f In, testimony whereof I afiix mysignature.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY.

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