US2166429A - Securing means for meat molds - Google Patents

Description

July 18, 1939. A. FAULKNER 2,166,429

SECURING MEANS FOR MEAT MOLDS Filed Sept. 6, 1938 8% U w w w U w M 15 IZ, a v

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Arnold Faulkner, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to United Steel and Wire Company, Battle Creek, Mich.

Application September 6, 1938, Serial No. 228,497

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in securing means for meat molds.

The main objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a meat mold having improved means associated therewith for securing the same in closed position.

Second, to provide a closure for a wire meat mold or equivalent device adapted to prevent accidental unlocking of the parts of the mold.

Third, to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction and inexpensively manufactured.

Further objects relating to details and economics of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims. A structure embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a side view of a meat mold equipped with the closure device of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the mold, in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating the relation of the securing device thereto in locked position of the parts.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the parts of the mold and locking device in closed position.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary detail views of the locking device of my invention in various positions of the parts thereof, Fig. 5 being in section on line 55 of Fig. 2.

The present invention relates particularly to a locking device adapted to secure the sections or members of a wire meat mold together in operative relation, and the said device has special provisions to facilitate and expedite the locking and unlocking operations whereby the mold may be readily fastened to or unfastened and removed from the molded product when desired; and likewise, to prevent accidental unlocking and separation of the parts of the mold.

In the drawing, the reference numeral I in general indicates a wire meat mold formed of a plurality of longitudinal and transverse elements 2, 3 respectively, of wire or rod stock. These elements are welded to one another at their intersections to furnish a strong rigid construction. The mold is of the type illustrated in patent to Jarvis No. 1,549,488 of August 11, 1925, consisting generally of a pair of generally L-shaped members hinged to one another by means of eyes 4 on one of the members encircling a longitudinal rod 5 on the other. A handle 6 is secured to the mold for the purpose of readily transporting and suspending the same.

The looking or securing structure of my invention is indicated broadly by the numeral 1 and consists of pairs of coacting relatively wide loop members 8, 9 on the respective mold members. These loop members are formed integral with certain of the transverse elements 3 which are of somewhat heavier gauge stock inasmuch as they are to perform the function of securing the device in locked position. The loops 8 function as keepers and are bent outwardly from the plane of the elements 3 while the loops 9 serve as pivots or fulcrums for the latch members, to be described. Each of the said loops 9 is bent to provide a pair of rounded or curved bulged-out pivot portions or bights Ill engaged by restricted or elongated eyes or bights ll of the latch members, which members are generally designated l2.

Said latch members are formed of suitable gauge wire stock and the actual loop-engaging portion thereof is S-shaped in outline, providing in addition to the eye or bight II (which permanently engages loop 9 due to the restricted opening of bight II) a further bight designated l3, which passes around the keeper loop 8. There are a pair of latch elements l2 for each pair of loops 8, 9; i. e., a latch element fulcrumed on each of the hinge bights it. These pairs of latch elements and the latch elements of each pair are coupled together by longitudinal rod or wire members l4 Welded to extensions [5 on the latch elements. In the case of the intermediate latch elements, the extensions l5 are carried rearwardly sufficiently and formed in the shape of a U to provide an operating handle [6 whereby the latches may be actuated simultaneously.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6 it will be seen that each bight ll engages a bulge It on loop 9 ecoentrically or in such manner that longitudinal shifting of the bights lengthwise of the loop is impossible. That is, the bights I! are on opposite sides of the mid points A of bulged-out pivot portions lil. Being thus offset lengthwise from a point, i. e., mid-point A, at which bights l I could partake of a relatively frictionless pivoting movement around portions It, the result is that bights l! bind against the said portions at points B and C when the locking device is shifted by rotation from its closed position, illustrated in Fig. 5, to the unlocked position illustrated in Fig. 6. At the last named position the narrowest or transverse dimension of bight It is disposed parallel to the plane of portion 19.. The aforesaid binding at points B and C results, with a tendency to straighten out pivot portion Hi. When the locking device is pivoted 90 degrees further, to the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the longest or longitudinal dimension of bight II is disposed parallel tothe plane of pivot portion l9 and there is no binding action. Similarly, in closing position shown in Fig. 5, the binding effect is absent, due to the disposition of bight II and the plane of pivot portion ill in approximate parallelism.

The aforementioned action provides an efiective means for maintaining locking device I in either fully open or fully closed position and. for preventing accidental opening of the same. The binding effect comes into play just as soon as the device is shifted from closing position, and reaches a maximum when the relation of parts is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 6, i. e., approximately degrees from closed position.

In use, the sections are brought together with the latch device 1 open, i. e., with the handle I6 thereof drawn backwardly toward the mold member on which it is pivoted to allow the loops 8, 9 to be brought into adjacency, the locking device 1 being then in the position shown in Fig. 4. The latch is then pivoted around the bights I0 in hinge or pivot loops 9 in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 in opposition to the frictional binding at points 13, C and until the bight l3 encircles loop 8. To unlatch and separate the halves of the mold, it is necessary only to pivot latch member 1 in the opposite direction and in opposition to the frictional binding action at points B, C.

The aforesaid locking device is simple, inexpensive, effective for its purpose, and very readily manipulated. It not only locks the parts in assembled position but also opposes accidental displacement thereof from that position.

I have illustrated and described. my improvements in an embodiment which is very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptat ons, as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may be desired.

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

1. In a meat mold having a pair of hinged portions of wire construction adapted to form a closure, means for locking the portions in assembled relation comprising a pair of loops carried by said respective portions, the loops of each pair extending to positions adjacent one another, one of the loops of each pair having a pair of curved bulges thereon providing journals, and latch members for drawing the loops of each pair together and securing and locking the same in position, comprising a pair of elements each having a pair of integral bights, one of the bights of each latch element being restricted and pivoted on the loop bulge at opposite sides of the respective mid points of said bulges and the other of the bights of each element being open and adapted to encircle the loop of the other portion to hold the portions in locked relation, the disposition of said bights relative to said mid points causing a frictional binding action when the latch members are pivotally shifted to frictionally resist displacement of the portions from such relation.

2. In a meat mold having a pair of relatively shiftable portions adapted to form a closure, means for locking the portions in assembled relation comprising pairs of loops carried by the respective portions and in operative position extending to positions adjacent one another, and latch members for drawing the loops of each pair together and securing and locking the same in position, comprising elements adapted to lockingly engage the loops on one of said portions and having bights, the loops on the other of said portions having curved pivot portions, the bights of said latch elements being pivoted on said last named loops eccentrically of said curved pivot portions and adapted to bindingly engage the same during pivotal movement of the element whereby to frictionally resist displacement of the portions from locked relation.

3. In a meat mold comprising a pair of, pivoted portions constituting the walls of the mold, means for locking said portions in operative relation and for facilitating removal thereof from the finished product, comprising pairs of loops carried by said respective portions, S-shaped latch elements having corresponding bights thereof pivoted on corresponding loops of said pairs, the other bights of said S-shaped elements being engageable with the other corresponding loops of said pairs to lock the portions in operative relation, said first named bights bindingly engaging the first named corresponding loops upon pivoting of the latch elements, whereby to resist displacement thereof from looking position, and means comprising extensions on said latch members for simultaneously actuating the same.

4. In a meat mold comprising a pair of pivoted portions constituting the walls of the mold, means for locking said portions in operative relation, comprising pairs of. loops carried by said respective portions, and S-shaped latch elements having corresponding bights thereof pivoted on corresponding loops of said pairs, the other bights of said S-shaped elements being engageable with corresponding other loops of said pairs to lock the portions in operative relation, said first named bights bindingly engaging said first named corresponding loops upon pivoting of the latch elements, whereby to resist displacement of the locking elements from looking position.

5. In a meat mold comprising a pair of pivoted portions constituting the walls of the mold, i'neans for locking said portions in operative relation, comprising S-shaped latch elements having corresponding bights thereof pivoted on one of said portions, the other bights of said 8- shaped elements being engageable with the other of said portions, said first named corresponding bights bindingly engaging said portion to which they are pivoted upon pivotal movement of the latch elements, whereby to resist displacement of the locking elements.

6. In a meat mold having a pair of pivoted halves, a locking device therefor comprising a member having a. pair of. opposed integrally connected bights, and loops carried by each of said halves, the respective loops of said halves extending outwardly and adjacent one another when the halves are in operative position, said latch members having one of the bights thereof bindingly pivoted on a loop of one of said halves with the other bight adapted to engage the loop of the other half to lock the halves together.

'7. In a meat mold having a pair of pivoted halves, a locking device therefor comprising a latch member having a. pair of reversely arranged bights, said latch member having one of the bights thereof pivoted on one of said halves with the other bight adapted to engage the other half to lock said halves together, said one of the latch member bights being non-circular and the half to which it is pivoted having a curved portion bindingly engaged by said non-circular bight to resist displacement of the latch member in looking position.

ARNOLD FAULKNER.

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