US2138994A

US2138994A - Key holder

Info

Publication number: US2138994A
Application number: US132996A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bassler Karl
Original assignee: AMERICAN JEWELRY CHAIN Co
Current assignee: AMERICAN JEWELRY CHAIN Co
Priority date: 1937-03-25
Filing date: 1937-03-25
Publication date: 1938-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 1955-12-06

Description

Dec. s, 1938. K. BASSL-ER 2,138,994

KEY HOLDER Filed March 25, 1.937

INVENTOR. fiar/fiasskr BY WM ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY HOLDER Rhode Island Application March 25,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a key holder; and has for one of its objects the provision of a device which will be of ornamental appearance and yet one in which the loop which holds the keys will be held firmly in closed position but may be opened when desired by manual manipulation to remove the keys therefrom.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a key holder in the form of a whip which will have the lash end of the whip coiled about the handle and yet will be movable on the handle so as to prevent the accumulation of dirt between the lash portion of the whip and the handle adjacent its points of contact therewith.

Another object of the invention is the utilization of the movable lash portion of the whip for detachably securing the loop portion of the key holder in locked position.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the resilient loop portion of the key holder for holding the lash portion which slides on the handle, against sliding therealong when the parts are in locked position. 7

Another object of the invention is the provision of means in the handle portion of the whip to positively align the loop portion of the key holder so that the entire handle and loop portion of the whip will be maintained in symmetrical relation with reference to a single central plane.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the key holder in locked or closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to-Fig. 1, showing the loop portion detached or unlocked; and

Fig. 3 is an edge View of the parts as arranged in Fig. 1.

It is found in the use of key holders in the shape of a whip, such as are designed to be attached to a chain, that where a portion is coiled about the handle this portion must be soldered to the handle and corrosion exists at the solder point and also dirt accumulates in the crevices between the coils and handle which is removable with great difficulty, thus causing the same to be unsightly. Further, the end of the loop portion of a device of this character is often secured by causing the loop portion to be off center or at one side of the handle providing an unsymmetrical relation; and in order to provide a key holder to avoid these undesirable results I have recessed the 1937, Serial No. 132,996

handle and positioned the end of the loop portion in the recess and so provided the lash portion which is coiled about the handle that it may slide along the handle and slip over the end of the loop portion of the key holder so as to lock the same in the recess, thus avoiding the collection of dirt and also providing the entire structure symmetrical with reference to a single plane; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference tothe drawing, the key holder is formed of resilient metal or wire which is tapered throughout its length and shaped in the form of a whip. The handle portion H) is of larger diameter and has knurling ll thereon, while the end portion l2 of the loop i3 is of the smaller diameter. This handle is flattened as at M and a ring I5 is inserted through an opening 16 in the fiat portion M for connection to a chain or other flexible member. The knurled portion of the handle is relatively stifi and rigid and as the wire merges into the smaller diameter portion I! of the loop it becomes more bendable and is bent on a curve as at 18 into the shape illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, while the tip end of this loop portion I9 is turned outwardly as shown in Fig. 2. A recess 20 is formed in the handle portion H near its juncture with the lash portion ll to receive this turned out end l9 and hold it against sideways movement.

About the handle there is helically coiled a wire 2| which is of substantially the size of the end of the lash portion and has the appearance of a part thereof. This member 2| is sufficiently loosely helically coiled-so as to be slidable longitudinally of the handle along the same, while the lower convolution of the coil 22 is extended outwardly somewhat so as to slide over the tip end of the lash l9 when the same is located in the recess 20 so as to lock the same in position. The natural inherent resiliency of the loop 53 is to cause its end is to spring outwardly away from the recess and thus when the end I9 is held in the recess and the slide portion 2| is moved down to embrace this end the outward springing tendency of the loop locks the slide member 2| against movement.

The slide 2| is blocked from sliding off of the handle by the flattened portion l4 and also the ring 15. As the slide is movable along the handle with no solder connection, there is no discoloring of parts nor is there present a solder connection which is subject to corrosion. As will be seen from Fig. 3 the loop portion i3 is in perfect alignment with the handle of the whip and is symmetrically arranged with reference thereto.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar portion and a relatively bendable portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into loop form with its free end adjacent said bar, said free end being resilient and tending to spring outwardly when the loop is closed, and means shaped to resemble a prolongation of said free end of said bar and slidably mounted on said bar to detachably embrace said free end of the bendable portion and lock said loop in closed position.

2. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar portion and a relatively bendable tapering portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into 100p form with its free end adjacent said bar and deflected outwardly, said free end tending to spring outwardly when the loop is closed, and means shaped to resemble a prolongation of said free end of said bar and slidably mounted on said bar to detachably embrace said deflected free end of the bendable portion and lock said loop in closed position.

3. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar portion and a relatively bendable portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into loop form with its free end adjacent said bar, and coiled means slidably mounted on said bar to detachably embrace said free end of the bendable portion and close said loop.

4. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar portion and a relatively bendable tapering portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into a resilient loop with its free end of smaller diameter adjacent said bar and deflected outwardly, and coiled means slidably mounted ion said bar to detachably embrace said defle'cted free end of the bendable portion and lock said loop in closed position.

5. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar portion and a relatively bendable portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into loop form with its free end adjacent said bar, and a coiled member encircling said bar and slidable thereon to detachably receive the free end of said bendable portion to close said loop.

6. A key holder comprising a relatively stiif bar portion and a relatively bendable portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into loop form with its free end adjacent said bar, and a helically disposed member encircling said bar and slidable thereon to also receive the free end of said bendable portion to close said loop.

'7. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar portion with a recess in its surface and a relatively bendable portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into loop form with its free end in said recess, said free end being resilient .and tending to spring outwardly when the loop is closed, and means shaped to resemble a prolongation of said free end of said bar and slidably mounted on said bar and in embracing relation with the free end of said loop to prevent the exit of said free end from said recess.

'ment of said free end from said recess.

9. A key holder comprising a relatively stiiT bar portion with a recess in its surface and a relatively bendable portion extending from one end of the bar and bent into loop form with its free end deflected outwardly and located in said recess, and a member helically encircling said bar and slidable thereon to also receive the free end of said loop and hold the same in said recess. I

10. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar constituting a handle portion with a longitudinally extending recess in its side surface, a relatively bendable tapering portion whose end of larger diameter extends away from one end of said bar and bent into loop form with its free end of smaller diameter directed inwardly and upwardly at an angle toward the bar portion in longitudinal alignment therewith, the terminal end portion of said loop being deflected laterally outwardly from the bar to provide a longitudinally curved inner side portion having engagement in said recess when the loop is closed, and a coiled member movable on the handle portion and extending substantially throughout the length of the same, said coiled member at its lower end terminating in a convolution closely adjacent to said recess and extending outwardly to provide an eye for detachably receiving the tip end of the loop when the curved inner portion is in said recess and to lock the loop in closed position.

11. A key holder comprising a relatively stiff bar constituting a handle portion with a longitudinally extending recess in its side surface, a relatively bendable tapering portion whose end of larger diameter extends away from one end of said bar and bent into loop form with its free end of smaller diameter directed inwardly and upwardly at an angle toward the bar portion inlongitudinal alignment therewith, the terminal end portion of said loop being deflected laterally outwardly from the bar to provide a longitudinally curved inner side portion having engagement in said recess when the loop is closed, and a coiled member movable on the handle portion and extending substantially throughout the length of the same, said coiled member at its lower end terminating in a convolution closely adjacent to said recess and extending outwardly to provide an eye for detachably receiving the tip end of the loop when the curved inner portion is in said recess and to lock the loop in closed position, said coiled member at its lower extremity having a convolution at an angle to said handle portion to overlie