US2180630A - Locking device - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 21, 1939. HEARN 2,180,639

LOCKING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1938 INVENTOR. 77/04 146 44. lye-410v.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 21, 1939 LOCKING DEVICE Thomas A. Hearn, Ludlow, Ky., assignor to The Globe-Wernicke Company,

corporation of Ohio Norwood, Ohio, a

Application December 19, 1938; Serial No. 246,610"

2 Claims.

This invention relates to locking devices, and more particularly to locking devices for office furniture, such as desks, file drawer cases and the like, inwhich there is a main key actuated in the art as the description proceeds, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts, of which I shall now describe two exemplary embodiments.

Reference is now made to the drawing, forming a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a desk to which my invention may be applied.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View, in perspective, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through a conventional multiple drawer case having vertical and horizontal rows of drawers, showing the application thereto of my invention.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention, I provide one or more vertically disposed rods, and means for moving them arcuately about an axis parallel thereto, whereby they enter into notches in the drawer runners.

In Figure 1, I have shown a conventional pedestal type desk, having a central drawer I0, and a series of drawers II in'the pedestal thereof. The central drawer It is provided with a lock l2, and provision is made that when the drawer I is locked, the drawers I I will also be locked.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I provide a channelshaped bearing bracket I3, mounted on the rear wall of the pedestal in any desired manner. A second bearing bracket I4 is preferably mounted on the bottom wall of the pedestal. The brackets I 3 and I4 form bearings for the main looking rod I5 which is formed to have the radius arms I5, the pivot portions II and lid, (which have their bearings, respectively, in the brackets I 3 and I l), and a bell-crank portion I8 extending from the portion IT: at substantially right angles to the radius arms IS. The looking rod #5 is biased in a clockwise direction by means of a spring I9 engaging the bell-crank portion I8 and fastened at its other end to the bracket I3. It will be noted that the upper limb of the bracket I3, indicated at I3a, isshorter than the bearing limb I31), and forms a limit stop for the bell-crank portion I8.

A lever 20 is bent at right angles, as at 2|, and is thus pivotally mounted in the bracket I3, 5

the portion 2| having a bearing in both limbs thereof' The lever 20. passes behind. the bellcrank portion It, through a slot 22 in the pedestal side wall, and extends into the'central drawer space as indicated at 23. The lever 213 is biased in a counter-clockwise directionjby spring 24, the other end of which is fastened to the pedestal side wall. I

The arrangement of the parts thus far described is such that when the drawer I0 is fully closed and locked, the rear end thereof abuts the portion 23 of the 'lever 20, and pushes it clockwise to a point where it isout of engagement with the bell-crank portion I8, whose further clockwise movement is prevented by its abutment against the limb I3a of the bracket I3. When the, drawer I0 is unlocked, the spring 24, acting through the lever 28, causes the drawer to spring slightly outward, and the lever 20, by abutting against the bell-crank portion l8, pro- 25 duces a counter-clockwise movement thereof, and of the locking rod l5.

The individual drawers II are provided with conventional runners 25, but these runners are extended rearwardly as at '26, and are equipped with a cam surface 21 and a notch 28.

As will now. be clear from a consideration ofv Fig. 2, in which the drawer III is shown in locked position, the locking, bar I5 is at the limit of its' clockwise movement, where it engages in the notches 28 of any drawer which is fully closed. Any drawer which is accidentally left open, may be locked by simplypushing it .all the way in, whereupon the rod I5 will ride up on the cam surface. 27 against the tension of the spring I9, 4 and will ultimately enter the notch 28 when the drawer is fully closed.

In Fig. 3 I have shown an arrangement, substantially identical in principle, in which my inventionis applied to a case having a plurality of vertical rows of drawers to be locked. In this embodiment, a series of locking rods I, corresponding to the rod I5, arepivoted by links I6a, corresponding to the radius arms I5, about the point I'ib, corresponding to the pivot portions I1 50 and I Ia. The various rods I5a are connected for simultaneous movement by a bar 29 which is urged toward the left to impart clockwise movement to the rods I5a by means of the spring I9a. In this embodiment I have shown a plunger type lock 30, the plunger 30a of which is connected to one arm of the bell-crank I80. pivoted at lie, the other arm of which is connected to the bar 29. It will be clear that When the lock 30 is unlocked, the plunger 30a will spring outward, imparting a clockwise rocking movement to the bell-crank l8a, whereby the bar 29 is moved to the left and the respective rods 15a, are moved to unlocked position.

In this embodiment I make provision for the locking of drawers which have accidentally been left open, on the drawers themselves. Hook members 3| are pivoted at the rear ends of the respective drawers, and are urged in a counterclockwise direction by the springs 32. Thus, if a drawer has been left open after the lock 30 has been locked, it need only be pushed in, Whereupon the cam surface 21a, cooperating with the rod I5a, will cause the hook 3| to rock in a clockwise direction until the drawer is fully closed,

whereupon the notch 28a will engage the rod 15a.

by a clockwise rocking of l the hook 3|.

It will be understood that numerous modifications of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself otherwise than as pointed out in the claims which follow.

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

1. In combination with an article of furniture having a plurality of vertical rows of drawers, said drawers being provided with resiliently rockable hook portions having a cam surface thereon,

a number of vertical locking rods equal in number to the number of vertical rows of drawers, said rods mounted for arcuate movement about axes parallel thereto and being connected together for simultaneous movement, means urging said rods to open position, a plunger type lock for said article of furniture, and a connection between the plunger of said lock and said rods whereby when said lock is locked, said rods are moved to locking position, the resilient mounting of said hook portions and said cam surfaces permitting the locking of a drawer by pushing it in after said lock has been locked.

2. In combination with an article of furniture having a plurality of vertical rows of drawers, said drawers being provided with resiliently rockable hook portions having a cam surface thereon, a number of vertical locking rods equal in number to the number of vertical rows of drawers, links pivotally connected to the respective rods and to said article of furniture, and a bar pivotally connecting all of said rods, whereby said rods, as a gang, may have arcuate movement about axes parallel thereto, spring means urging said gang of rods to open position, a bell crank on one of said links, a plunger type lock for said article of furniture, the plunger of said lock being connected to said bell crank whereby when said lock is locked, said rods are moved to looking position, the resilient mounting of said hook portions and said cam surfaces permitting the locking of a drawer by pushing it in after said lock has been locked.

THOMAS A. HEARN.

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