US2307940A - Lock - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12, 1943. A. N. MESSINA LOCK Filed April 8, 1942 fella lNvENfroR y UW 7L'eJszlna/ Patente-d Jan. 12, 1943 l 'i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' LOCK Anthony N. Messina, New York, N. Y.

Application April 8, 1942, Serial No. 438,205

`(VCI. 'l0- 67) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to locks and more particularly to the type employed on bags, briefcases, luggage and similar goods. The primary object of the invention is to provide a lock having a minimum of parts, whereby improved operation and also simplicity of assembly is attained with a resultant decrease in manufacturing cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a lock of the character described, simplified means by which the tumbler is held in either operative or inoperative position, said means comprising a resilient detent for engagement with the tumbler, said detent being formed on and constituting an integral portion of the housing of the lock whereby accurate assembly of the parts is attained and smoothness of operation by the movlng parts of the lock is assured.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a lock housing having a back plate overlying a slidable bolt and tumbler therefor, with the back plate` formed with several spaced slits forming a resilient strip portion between them, said strip portion having an inwardly-pressed projection constituting a detent and adapted for snap engagement with one or the other of several recesses or apertures provided in the tumbler, so that through said engagement the tumbler will be retained in either operative or inoperative position in which it is placed by manipulation of the key.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a lock made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a sectionall The improved lock, which is primarily intendedV for use on brief-cases, bags or articles of luggage, although capable of other applications, includes a housing primarily composed of the two parts I and 2 connected together to enclose the working parts of the lock between them. The part designated at I constitutes the front portion of the housing and is preferably stamped from sheet metal to provide a face plate 3` surrounded by an inwardly extending continuous flange 4. Holes are provided through the face plate 3 for the reception of rivets 5 or other equivalent fastening l of bent-over tongues 9 formed on the front member I and entering suitable apertures provided in the back element 2 for their reception.

The bolt 8 is mounted for sliding reception between the members I and 2 of the housing, said bolt consisting of a flat plate having the tongue portion 1 normally extended out of opening 32 in the back housing member 2 and into the hasp opening B by means of the leaf spring I0 having one leg exerting pressure against the end of the bolt 8 and its other leg operative against the ilange 34 on the back member 2 of the housing.

The bolt 8 is normally maintained inthe projected position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 by means of the spring I0 and when the lock is .in its unf locked position, the bolt may be manually retracted by means of the nger-piece Il disposed on the front of the housing member I. Tongues I2 formed on the iinger piece, extend through slots I3 in the housing member l, saidtongues extending through apertures in the bolt and being bent over on the back of the bolt as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, so that when finger pressure is imposed upon the finger-piece l I, the bolt 8 will be retracted against the pressure of spring I'D and the tongue 'i withdrawn from engagement with the hasp loop 30.

At I4 is shown the tumbler of the lock, the same consisting of a small at plate corresponding in thickness to the bolt and transversely slidable within an aperture I5 formed in the body of the bolt. The lower edge of the tumbler is formed with -a notch I8 for engagement by a key entrant through the key holes I'I and I8 provided in the front member I and linger-piece I I of the lock. When the key is turned to the right, as

viewed from the rear of the lock, the tumbler willbe shifted to the right end of aperture I5, as shown in Fig. 6, and while the tumbler remains in this position, the lock is in its unlocked position and the bolt may be retracted by pressure imposed on the linger-piece li. As long as the tumbler remains in this position, the lock can be manually operated. On the other hand, when the key is turned toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, this will shift the tumbler in that direction so that a shoulder portion i9 providedk on the tumbler will ride over a projecting lug 20 extending inwardly from the rear member 2 of the housing. The engagement of the shoulder portion lil with the lug 20 as clearly seen in Fig. 5 will prevent downward sliding movement of the tumbler, and since the tumbler is conned within the aperture l of the bolt 3, the bolt will thus be prevented from being retracted by Ipressure on the finger piece Il and thus the lock will remain in locked condition as long as the shoulder I9 engages the lug 20.

In order to maintain the tumbler in either of its two positions, a detent 2| is provided. The detent consists of an inwardly .forced projection located on a resilient strip portion 22 integrally formed on the back member 2 of the housing. The strip portion is formed by providing spaced parallel slits 23 in the back member of the housing, said slits extending transversely of the bolt, and since the stri-p is relatively narrow and the material of the housing relatively thin, the strip is resilient and the detent 2| is therefore adapted for snap engagement with either of the spaced apertures 2d and 25 provided in the tumbler. These apertures are so situated that when the tumbler is disposed at the limit of its movement to the right as shown in Fig. 6, or when the lock is in unlocked position, the ydetent. will enter the aperture 24, and when the tumbler is in the position at the left of the aperture l5, as shown in Fig. 5, the detent will be engaged with the aperture 25. It will be noted that the aperture 24 is elongated so that when the detent is in engagement with this aperture, the tumbler will be capable of retracting movement in company with the bolt as seen in Fig. 6, without interference 4from the detent.

It Will be clear from the foregoing that when the key is operated, the tumbler can be placed in either inoperative or operative position and that the snap engagement of the detent with either of the apertures in the tumbler Will retain the tumbler in the desired position until shifted therefrom by further key manipulation. The formation of the detent on an integral resilient strip portion of the housing insures accurate complementary fitment of the several operating parts of the lock; it greatly simpliiies assembly of the lock parts; minimizes the number of parts employed and insures smoothness of operation of the lock.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same may be modiiied in numerous ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while the resilient strip portion 22 and the detent 2l formed thereon are described Ias being formed on the back member of the housing, it will be obvious that the same may, with facility, be provided on the front or other portion of the housing. Also, While the strip portion and detent are located to engage with apertures provided in a transversely slidable tumbler, these elements may be otherwise arranged to engage with a tumbler operative in some other direction. These and other modifications may be readily made as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a lock, a housing including front and back members, a sliding bolt confined between said members, a key-actuated tumbler constituting part of means for restraining movement of the bolt when the tumbler is in one position and permitting movement of the bolt when the tumbler is in a second position, and a resilient strip formed in one of the walls of one of the housing members and constituting an integral part of said member and a part of the wall in which it is located and engaging the tumbler to thereby hold it in one or the other of its two positions.

2. In a lock, a slidable bolt, a stop, a tumbler movable to co-operate with the stop to restrain the bolt against slidable movement, said tumbler having spaced apertures, a housing member extending over the bolt and tumbler, said housing member being provided with spaced slits forming a resilient strip between them, said strip carrying a projection for snap engagement with either of the apertures in the tumbler.

3. In a lock, a. housing provided with front and back members, a bolt slidable in the space between said members, spring means for urging the bolt to advanced position, a tumbler movable transversely of the belt for maintaining the bolt in said advanced position, spring means for holding the tumbler in operative or inoperative positions, said spring means comprising a stripextending transversely of the bolt and overlying a face of the tumbler and consisting of a face portion of the back member of the housing, said strip having an inwardly-forced integral detent, the tumbler having apertures for engagement with the detent when the tumbler is in either operative or inoperative position.

4. In a lock, a housing having a back plate, a bolt movable in the housing, a stop, a tumbler movable to engage against the stop and prevent movement of the bolt, the tumbler having spaced apertures, the backplate of the housing being provided with a pair of spaced slits in a portion overlying the plane of the tumbler, said slits providing a resilient strip portion between them, and a projection forced out of the strip and directed toward the tumbler and adapted for snap engagement with either of the apertures therein.

5. In a lock, a housing provided with a back plate, a slidable bolt in the housing, a spring for normally maintaining the bolt in extended position, a key-operated tumbler and a stop for holding the bolt Vagainst retractive movement, and means for holding the tumbler in either operative or inoperative position, said means comprising a detent formed on a resilient portion of the back plate having its plane extending parallel to the plane of the tumbler, the tumbler having at least one aperture for snap engagement with said detent.

6. In a lock, a housing composed of united front and back sections, a bolt disposed between the sections and having a portion adapted for projection out ofthe housing, a spring in the housing operative on said bolt to normally hold the same in its projected position, a iiat, apertured tumbler in the casing and movable by keyactuation to prevent retractive movement of the bolt, said tumbler being also adapted to Ibe moved to inoperative position to be thereby ineffective to prevent retractive movement of the bolt, the rear section of the housing consisting of a at plate portion overlying a face of the tumbler and provided with a pair of substantially parallel slits producing an elongated resilient strip between them having its plane extending over the plane of the tumbler and overlying a face of said tumbler, and a detent integrally formed on said strip for engaging the apertures in the tumbler to hold the tumbler in either of its two positions.

7. In a lock, a housing composed of a front and a back portion, a bolt in the form of a iiat plate slidable Within the casing and having a part normally extended out of the same, a spring for urging the bolt to projected position, the bolt having an opening extending through it, a tumbler located in said opening and movable by key-actuation transversely of the bolt to locked or free position, a fixed stop on the housing 1ocated in the opening, the tumbler having a shoulder engageable with said stop when the tumbler is moved by key operation to locked position to thereby prevent retraction of the bolt, a part of the housing being formed with an integral resilient portion maintained in the same plane as the plane of the part of the housing in which it is formed, said portion having a detent, the tumbler having at least two spaced elongated apertures for selective engagement by the detent to thereby'hold the tnumbler in either its locked or free position.

8. In a lock, a housing including spaced-apart Wall portions, a bolt slidably mounted between the Wall portions, a tumbler slidable transversely of the bolt, the tumbler having spaced apertures, a detent formed on one of the wall portions and projecting inwardly Within the housing and adapted for engagement with one or the other of the apertures in the tumbler, at least one of the apertures in the tumbler being elongated whereby the tumbler and the bolt are capable of slidable movement together relative to the detent when the detent is in engagement with the elongated slot.

ANTHONY N. MESSINA.

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