US2051935A

US2051935A - Key holder

Info

Publication number: US2051935A
Application number: US6833A
Authority: US
Inventors: John M Bennett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-02-16
Filing date: 1935-02-16
Publication date: 1936-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1953-08-25

Description

,1 I J. M. BENNETT 2,051,935

KEY HOLDER Filed Feb. 16, 1935 INV NTOR I BY /E ATToRriE y Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES rarest" re ics :KEY HOLDER John M.Bennett,'Detroit, Mich.

Application February 16, 1935,'Serial No. :6,'8'3'3 6 Claims. ((1525-96) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a key 'holder'and'forms in'parta continuation of -my application Serial No. 698,966 filed November 21, 1933 and in part a 5 continuationofmyapplication 704,864 filed J anuary 2, 1934 and particularly insofar as the key holder'isadapted for retaining'keys in position for ejection "from opposite edges of the holder.

In additionto providing'akey holder inwhich such function maybe attained, it is also anobject to provide in a key .holder of this class, key'ejecting"springs'which will serve theiunction of ejecting the keys outwardly of the holder and at the'same-time, through frictional engagement,

15 will serveto-retain the latch membersaccurately located so that the swinging of .a key inwardly of the-holder will always'engage the latch memher at the proper position.

It-is another'objectof the present invention to 20 so form the supporting body on which the latch springs aremountecL that a minimum area of the latch springs .will bein contact with the supporting body, so that a maximum length for flexing will be provided.

25 Another object of the present invention isthe provision of yieldable attaching means which will serve as a pivot and which are, through their own body, mounted and located in position.

Y Other objects will appear hereinafter.

30 The invention .consistsin thecombination and arrangement of partshereinafter .describedand claimed.

The invention will be best understood by .a reference to the accompanying drawing which 35 forms apart of this specification and in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention with one of :the side walls removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

40 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the key retaining members.

In the device I provide a supporting body I 45 mounted on opposite faces of which are the covers 8 and Q. Mounted on a reduced portion I of the supporting body, is a U-shaped spring providing the legs I I and I2 which carry latch noses l3 and I4 respectively. It is these latch noses 50 which serve to engage the key when it is swung into position between supporting body I and the

cover

8 or 9. A spring I5 is inserted in the slit I6 formed in the supporting body and this spring,

being U-shaped, is provided with the bowed legs I? and [8 which serve to engage the key and eject the same from between the cover andthe supportingbo'dywhen the key isreleased from the latch. When the key is swung downwardly between-the cover and the supportingbody, the leg I l or I3 is flexed inwardly and placed under 5 tension. Each of the latch legs I I aridIZisprovided with a tubular member I9 on which is mounted the press button 2!] which extends through the opening 2!, formed in'the cover. By pressing the press button-20 inwardly, the legs 10 I I and I2 are brought into approach so'that the latch'nose willclear thekey portion engaged and permit the spring or lll to eject the key outwardly. It will 'be noted from Fig. 1 that the springs I l and I8 rest in engagement with the legs I I and I2-when they'arespread'outwardly into their normal-position, and these members IFI and-I8 resist further spreading of these'legs. The purpose of this is-to' prevent an undue spreadingof the legs so that this latch nose would not be in the'proper positionwhen the key is swung inwardly into position between the supporting body "and thecover. The key when swung inwardly should strike the inclined portion'of the latchnose. If these legs, however, were permitted to spread apart further than theirnormal position, the key would strike the latch on the endrather than on the inside portion, with the result thatavery unsatisfactory operation of the device would be present. This engagement of the springs I and I8 with the legs I I and 'I2,' iorms apart of this'invention and they serve'asguide to resist undue spreading of the legs. 1

:It "will .be :noted that the portion II] about which the latch legs are positioned, is cutaway tojprovide-the beveledsurfacesQZ and 23. Inrny prior structure this portion IIJ had its opposite faces extend parallel, with the result that the legs II and I2 were in contact with the member I0 throughout a considerable area, and the flexing 40 of the legs II and I2 took place from the inner edge of the portion I 0, whereas in the present structure, the flexing takes place at a point adjacent the outer edge of the portion I0. This, experience has shown, will result in greater life in the members II and [.2 and a more satisfactory service in all of their functions.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated the resilient retaining member which serves to retain the keys in position. This consists of a stripof resilient material doubled upon itself to provide the

legs

24 and 25, which are positioned in embracing relation on the portion 26, so that the larger portion of the legs overlies the slot cut in the supporting body. In my prior structure, I had these

legs

24 and 25 bent inwardly toward each other at right angles to lie in engagement with one face of the portion 26. In the present structure, this inward bending has been eliminated, and I have punched inwardly from each of the legs, a lug 21 which lies in engagement with the edge of the portion 26 and serves to lock the key retainer in position. This affords a more satisfactory operation than the device with the legs bent inwardly, as well as one which is more economical to manufacture. By punching the tongues out of the metal instead of bending, a crystalizing of the metal is avoided, and the resiliency of these

members

24 and 25 is retained in its normal condition. Furthermore, in assembly, the operation becomes simpler with the tongues than with the angularly turned portions.

The knobs 28 formed on the

legs

25 and 24 serve to enter into the eyelet of the key and retain the same in position. With this type of mounting, the key may be slipped inwardly in the space 29 between the supporting body 1 and the

cover

8 or 9. This will serve to retain the key in position on the key holder, and form a pivot for the key, while at the same time, permitting easy removal and replacement of the key. It will also be noted that the leg 24 is longer than the leg 25. This permits these parts, when pressed inwardly at their free ends, to overlap, thus affording a greater clearance for a key when inserted or removed therefrom.

It will be noted that there are two sets of members l5 with the spring legs formed thereon, and that there are two sets of the latch legs II and I2. A pair of latches are positioned at opposite edges of the retainer so that a pair of keys may be mounted on the retainer A and also on the retainer B to swing inwardly of the upper edge. This permits the formation of a key holder adapted to accommodate four keys while the key holder itself is maintained of minimum width. The is due to the fact that the opposite edges of the key holder serve as ejecting spaces for a pair of keys.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of the structure shown, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A key holder of the class described, comprising: a supporting body; a cover mounted on said body on opposite sides thereof in spaced relation thereto; a U-shaped resilient member positioned in embracing relation over one side of said body and extended to the opposite side thereof; an outwardly projecting latch nose on each leg of said U-shaped member at the end thereof, said legs being flexible inwardly toward each other against the resiliency of the material from which made; and means positioned between said body and the covers for engaging said legs and limiting the springing apart of said legs.

2. A key holder of the class described, comprising: a supporting body; a cover mounted on opposite faces of said body in spaced relation thereto; a pair of resilient members mounted on said body and each extended between said body and one of said covers; a latch nose on the free end of each of said members; an ejecting spring positioned between the cover and each of said members and normally engaging therewith for limiting outward flexing of said members.

3. A key holder of the class described, comprising: a supporting body; a pair of covers mounted at opposite faces of said body in spaced relation thereto for overlying said body; a spring positioned in the space between each of said covers and said body; a pair of resilient latch nose bearing members mounted at one of their ends on said body and extended into the space between the body and said covers and normally engaging one of said springs, said springs resisting flexing of said members beyond a predetermined distance in one direction.

4. A key holder of the class described, comprising: a supporting body; 'a pair of covers mounted at opposite faces of said body in spaced relation thereto; a pair of resilient latch nose bearing members mounted on said body and each extended into the space between said body and said covers; and means carried by said body and engageable with said members for resisting flexing of the same beyond a predetermined distance in one direction.

5. In a key holder of the class described, a supporting body; a U-shaped resilient member mounted on said body in embracing relation, said body at the point of mounting of said member having its faces extended non-parallel to each other, said faces converging in the direction of the legs of said member.

6. In a key holder of the class described, a supporting body having a slot cut therein; a key retainer comprising a U-shaped resilient member mounted on said body in straddling relation and having its legs extended for overlying said slot; and a lug punched from each of said legs and engaging said body at the end of said slot for preventing longitudinal movement of said legs in one direction.

JOHN M. BENNETT.