US2707043A - Lock box - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1955 c. A. GARVER 2,707,043

' LOCK BOX Filed Feb. 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Fig. 2

Curl/ls .4. Gar ver INVEN TOR.

April 1955 c. A. GARVER 2,707,043

' LOCK BOX Filed Feb. 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 I IOC I f Cari/s A. Gar ver INVENTOR.

91 I 9 7O 74 94 l 92 1/6 I iii C I no April 26, 1955 A. GARVER LOCK BOX 4 Sheets-Sheet (5 Filed Feb. 17, 1950 Curr/Is A- Gar ver IN V EN TOR.

Patented Apr. 26, 1955 LOCK BOX Curtis A. Graver, Lexington, Ky., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Guardian Lockers Incorporated, a corporation of Deiaware Application February 17, 1950, Serial No. 144,699 Claims. (Cl. 194-64) This invention relates generally to lock mechanisms, more particularly to a coin-operated lock assembly for loo boxes such as those provided in public buildings for the temporary storage of luggage.

primary object of this invention is to provide a coinoperated lock assembly for the doors of lock boxes, so

the boxes by use of a proper key, except when storage operated lock box assembly which is simple to operate, both from the point of view of the patron and the agent in charge of the lock boxes, which is relatively inexpensive and practicable to manufacture, which is safe and which will give generally etficient and specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which forms a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of a lock box assembly, including portions of difiierent boxes to show the general arrangement of the elements in this invention, the doors of the boxes being shown in closed position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l and showing the door of one of the boxes open and with luggage therein, the box is de pressed by this luggage;

Figure 3 is another view in front elevation, showing the door closed, and

shows a C0111 being dropped from the locking mechanism into the coin box at the time 1tihat the key is turned into the position shown in this gure;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 4 in Figure l and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a similar view, taken on the line igure 1, the view being enlarged and showing the structure in greater detail;

Figure 6 is another vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Figure 5 and it should be noted that in Figures 5 and 6 position;

Figures 7 and 8 are views corresponding generally to Figures 5 and 6 and showing the mechanism in locked positions;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view designed particularly to show the latch plate, the means for indicating that storage is due, and the counter;

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view designed to show the locked mechanism from being shifted into locking the mechanism is shown in unlocked igure 11 and Figure 12 tions, the Figure 11 being taken Figure 6;

Figure 13 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line l3-13 in Figure 2 and showing the coin box construction;

Figure 14- is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 14-14 in Figure 13;

Figures 15 and 16 are on the respective section lines in Figure 7, it being noted the counter in two posion the line 11-11 in Figure 19 is an elevational view of a the mechanism illustrated Figure 20 is a view, in after referred to as the Similar characters of tool for operating in Figure 18; and perspective,.of the part hereinbase plate.

are covered by face plates fragmentarily illustrated in generally indicated Figures 13 and 14 position covering the with each door. By this upwardly, it right member 22.

It is usually preferable that the into sections, one such in charge of the lock boxes. The lock 40 has a rotatable latch bolt 44 with terminal lugs 45 adapted to hook behind flanges pins 48 limit the movement of the latch bolt 44 in one direction.

The lock mechanism associated with each door is largely mounted upon an angle plate 50 which is mounted upon the upright member 22, in a recess provided in the member by eccentric buttons having slots to receive a tool and abutment plates 53, best shown in Figures and 7. The latch bolt 52 is vertically slidably mounted upon the angle plate 50 and this latch bolt has an elongated portion 54 extending upwardly for coaction with what will be referred to simply as the lock 56. This lock 56 is operated by a key 58 which is exposed at the front of the face plate 26 so that the patron may turn this key during the operation of the device. A key aperture 60 is provided in said face plate 26 and the lock mechanism includes a tooth 62 turned when the key 58 is turned and engageable in the slot 64 of the elongated portion 54 o the latch bolt, it being important for the understanding of this invention to note that the latch bolt is forced downwardly by the action of the key 58. The latch bolt 52 has another extending portion 66 adapted to frictionally engage a flange 68 which is spaced from the portion of the latch bolt actually engaging the latch plate 70 of the door, so that the latch bolt is well guided and prevented from being forced out of position by rough usage.

The latch plate 70 on the door is clearly illustrated in Figures 8 and 10, as well as in other figures of the drawings, and it should be here noted that special means is provided according to this invention to prevent the shifting of the lock mechanism to locking position before the door 24 is closed. A trigger 72 is pivoted on the upright member 22, as illustrated best in Figure 10, and is biased by a spring 74 into a position ex into a slot 222 in the upright, or jamb 22, illustrated in Figure 6 to hold the latch bolt 52 against moving into latch plate engaging position as shown in Figure such time as the door has been closed and the trigger 72 pushed into the position shown in Figure 10. In other words, the latch plate 70 engages the trigger 72, pushing the same against the action of the spring 74 into the position shown in Figure when the door is closed, bolt 52 which falls into the latching position shown in Figure 10, when the key 58 is turned so as to make the tooth 62 engage the latch bolt and force the same downwardly.

When the coin has been pushed in, it will engage roller 90 releasing tooth 82 from lug 84 attached to the latch bolt 52. The vacant (unlocked) position of the pawl 76 is with the tooth 82 engaging the stop element 84. The weight of latch bolt 52 aided by spring 118, attached to latch bolt 52 and other suitable structure in the lock mechanism as shown in Figure 6, will start the downward travel of the latch bolt containing the coin in slot 94 in the latch bolt. The lock 56 is free to rotate through a portion of its operative arc even before the coin is completely inserted and this permits the start of movement of the latch bolt. Movement of the latch bolt 52 may be prevented by the latch bolt bearing on the trigger 72 if the door 24 is not closed or, normally, by the tooth 62 of the lock 56 engaging the slot 64 and by the lock 56 not being free for complete rotation without positive rotation thereof by the key 58 when the door is closed, whichever action first occurs. The pin 96 extends across the slot 94 and a small roller 98 may be mounted on this pin in the slot 94, as best illustrated in Figure 7, the coin being retained in slot 94 by coaction of roller 98 and a flange portion 92 of the pawl 76. Downward travel of latch bolt 52 also causes a plate 166, attached to latch bolt 52, to close coin-receiving slot 88 in the face plate. it should be noted that coin slot 88 is closed before lug 102 engages upper end portion 100 of the pawl 76.

The upper end portion 100 of the pawl 76 is engageable by the lug 102 in the lock 56 and is shifted when the key 58 is turned. This portion 100 of the pawl prevents the turning of the key and lock from unlocked position into the full locking position until such time as the coin 86 has been inserted and has moved the pawl 76 from the position illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 into the position which may be referred to as the coin-accepting 46 on the upright member 22, and stop tion shown in dotted lines in Figure 7 at 103. The portion of the pawl 76 serves as a stop if the pawl 76 is tripped to release the tooth 82 from the element 84 by an article such as a finger nail file and where the lower end of the pawl 76 is not moved far enough to move the upper end of the pawl clear of blocking engagement with the lug 102. In this coin-accepting position, the upper end of the pawl 76 no longer acts as a stop to prevent the turning of the key and the lug 102 functions as a cam to shift the pawl from the coin-accepting position 103 into the coin releasing position indicated in full lines in Figure 7 and in Figure 8. When the pawl 76 is in coin engaging, or coin releasing position, the latch bolt 52 is free to be moved into latch plate engaging position, and such movement of the latch bolt carries the coin 86 down in the slot 92 to release the coin, and insure that the pawl 76 is in its coin releasing position. It should be carefully noted that when the pawl 76 is positioned as shown in full lines in Fig. 7, the tooth 62 can force the latch bolt 52 downwardly into the latch plate 72 as already dethe position of the latch bolt 52 engages the latch plate. The construction of the lock 56 will be referred to in greater detail hereinafter.

Means is provided to prevent the locking of the door until such time as luggage indicated at 106 in Figure 2 has been placed in the box. This means includes a hinged false floor 108, preferably hinged at the back of the box and depressible from the position shown in full lines in Figure 6 to the position shown in dotted lines in the same figure, against the action of a spring 110. An angle bar 112 is carried by the false floor 108 and is guided by barrel brackets 114 so that an upwardly extending end portion 116 engages the flanged portion 92 at the lower end of the pawl 76 preventing movement of the pawl from the said coin-accepting position to the position allowing the movement of the lock mechanism into door-locking position. The placing of luggage 106 on the false floor 108 depresses the floor so as to cause the upper end portion 116 of the bar 112 to move into the position indicated at 117 in Figure 6, thus releasing the lock mechanism. It will be clear that a patron will be prevented from inadvertently locking the door before placing the luggage into the lock box, since he cannot lock the door until such such time as the luggage has been so placed. This will also help to discourage a practice of pranksters who deposit a coin and remove the key, keeping or disposing of the key without having placed anything in storage, this incurring the expense of replacing the key and changing the lock. Means is provided for counting coins deposited in the device. This means comprises a counter, generally indicated at 120.

The counter 120 will consist of a short lever 122 rigidly secured to the actuating shaft of the counter indicated at 124, the lever 122 being biased against rotation in one direction by a spring 126 secured to the lever at 128. The pin 96 carried by the lower end portion of the downwardly extending part of the latch bolt 52 engages and operates the lever 122 each time the latch bolt is moved into door-locking position. It is preferred that positive return of the lever 122 to the position indicated in Figure 11 will be assured by arranging the lever 122 so that the pin 96 engages a portion of the lever as the pin moves upwardly in order to assure that the lever will spring back under the influence of the spring 126.

The lock 56 includes a member 130 which is springbiased by a spring 132 into a position such that a pin 134 carried by the member 130 is engaged in locking relation in a recess 136 in a barrel member 138 of the lock. The key 58 operates conventional lock mechanism to release the member 130 for such movement relative to the barrel 138. The spring 132 also serves to eject the member 130 and the barrel 138 from the casing 139 of the lock, when thepm 140 is retracted from engagement with the barrel 138 by means of a tool wedged between the casing and the head of the pin 140 by an operator seeking to change the lock. The locks can be changed by the operator in th1s manner without difiiculty, since access to the pin 140 is facilitated by the mere removal of the face plate 26. A sprmg 142 engaging the pin 140 at one end and secured at the other end by a headed screw 144 normally retains the pm 140 in the position indicated in Figure 17. The above referred to lug 102 is carried by a strap 146 which is, in

posi- 85 turn, secured to the member 130 by a screw 148, so that the turning of the key 58 also turns the lug 102 for actuation of the pawl 76. Of course, the tooth 62 is likewise operated in the same manner, the mounting of this tooth being best illustrated in Figure 16.

ated the fact that a box has been held movement of lock box assembly, a lock box having an access door and a door jamb, a key-operated lock unit mounted cans to indic over an allowed period of time is provided in the form 3. In a thereof and having a set screw 154 which tightens to lock including a latch bolt, a co-acting latch plate on the doo the sleeve 152 in the casing 150 when the sleeve is turned an elongated portion of sald latch bolt being slldably supin one direction, the sleeve extending exteriorly of the flag is in one position. It is to be noted that the flag 156 portion to rotate the flag into the key slot or into hidden position. The latch bolt 52 carries a plate 166 positioned to slide box assembly as in claim 3 wherein said lock unit has an additional member operatively associated vertically inside the face plate 26 and notices In Use therewith for engaging said pawl to move it to a coin rea window 168 in the face plate, according to the position- 30 mg of the latch bolt in locked or unlocked position, door and a d respectively. on the amb he operation of this invention has already been dethe jamb and scribed in the above specification of the mechanical deon the door tails of the device, and further description would appear the jamb and to be unnecessary.

It might be added, however, that when luggage has been p aced in the box and 5. In a lock box assembly, a lock box having an access oor jamb, a key-operated lock unit mounted from the lock and retained by the patron until he desires when the lock unit is moved to unlocked position, a pawl position engaging Having described the invention, what is claimed as new the latch bolt to prevent the latch bolt from moving to- Is- 1. In a lock box assembly, a lock box having an access door and a door jamb, a key-operated lock unit mounted are aligned on the jamb, a door locking latch mechanism mounted on one position to a coin-accepting and latch bolt releasing accepting position to a com releasing position when said 252,301 lock unit is moved to a locked position. 905,470

2. In a lock box assembly, a lock box having an access 6 918,663 door and a door jamb, a key-operated lock unit mounted 1,041,396 on the jamb, a door-locking latch mechanism mounted on 1,260,763 the amb and including a latch bolt a co-acting latch plate 1,315,248 on the door, an elongated portion of said latch bolt beln 1,393,201 slidably supported on the jamb and operatively connected 1,601,905 with said lock unit for actuation by the lock unit a pawl 1,685,982 pivoted on the amb and in one position engaging said 1,914,983 latch bolt to prevent the latch bolt from moving mto latch 2,173,782 plate engaging position, said door amb having a com slot 2,260,950 leading to said pawl, said pawl being adjacent said door 2,480,685 jarnb slot and being positively shifted from said one posi- 2,521,498 tion to a coin-accepting and latch bolt releasing position 2,585,919

coin forced th unlocked posi wards latch plate engaging position, the door jamb and d from engagement with the latch bolt by a rough the slots and to be moved from said tion to a coin-accepting and latch bolt red in one position engaging said 50 leasing position thereby, and a member in the lock nut to move the latch bolt and the pawl from the coin-accepting position towards a coin-releasing position after a coin has been inserted through the slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thompson Jan. 10, 1882 Smith Dec. 1, 1908 Funke Apr. 20, 1909 Wood Oct. 15, 1912 Frix Mar. 26, 1918 Soterakis Sept. 9, 1919 Buzzaird Oct. 11, 1921 Buzzaird Oct. 5, 1926 Buzzaird Oct. 2, 1928 Saad June 20, 1933 Halay Sept. 19, 1939 McCarroll Oct. 28, 1941 Adams Aug. 30, 1949 Beymer Sept. 5, 1950 Davis Feb. 19, 1952

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