US2717167A

US2717167A - Container cover fastener

Info

Publication number: US2717167A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1955-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1972-09-06

Description

Sept. 6, 1955 w. E. WORTH 2,717,167

CONTAINER COVER FASTENER Filed May 29, 1955 /6' Fig. 3

William 5. Wort/7 INVENTOR.

BY puny 5% United States Patent CONTAINER COVER FASTENER William E. Worth, Kodiak, Territory of Alaska Application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,305

2 Claims. (Cl. 29230) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in containers, particularly container covers, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a container cover with means for effectively locking the same in position on a container.

Specifically, the invention concerns itself with garbage cans which, as is well known, very often have the covers thereof accidentally or unintentionally dislodged.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its eflicient and convenient operation and in its adaptability for installation on containers of various sizes and types.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a container and cover, illustrating the invention associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the finger piece used in the invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the general reference character designates a conventional container such as a garbage can, or the like, the same having an open top and including a lateral wall which is provided in the inner surface adjacent the top thereof with an annular groove 14.

A removable cover 16 is positioned on the open top of the container 10 and the essence of novelty in the invention resides in the provision of means for locking the top in position.

These means consist of a pair of spaced parallel bellcranks or detent limbs 18 which are pivotally attached by means of suitable fulcrum pins 20 to a pair of brackets 22 suitably secured to the underside of the cover 16, the arms or limbs 18 having outturned detent portions 24 which are receivable in diametrically opposite portions of the annular groove 14 of the container 10.

The inner end portions of the arms or limbs 18 are seated in an actuator consisting of a pair of arcuate, opposing jaws or clamp members 26 which are mounted 2,7 1 7,16 7 Patented Sept. 6, 1955 by means of a nut 28 on a vertical pin or stud 30 extending through the top or cover 16.

A compression spring 32 is provided on the pin 30 between the cover 16 and the upper of the clamp members 26, whereby the two clamp members 26 are urged in an operative position with the inner end portions of the detent arms or limbs 18.

The pin 30 projects upwardly and slidably through the cover 16 and is provided at the top thereof with a horizontally elongated operating bar or finger piece 34, the same being secured on the pin 30 by a nut 36.

The opposite end portions of the finger piece 34 are provided with notches 38 to slidably receive the side portions of an inverted U-shaped handle 40 which is secured to the top of the cover 16.

In this manner, the handle 40 provides an effective guide for the finger piece 34 and it will be observed that the end portions of the finger piece, incident to the formation of the notches 38, are struck out and downturned so as to afford a pair of stops 42 which are engageable with the cover 16 to limit the downward, depressing movement of the finger piece.

When the cover 16 is to be removed, the finger piece 34 is simply pulled upwardly so as to contract the spring 32,

while the actuator members 26 swing the limbs 18 so as to dislodge the detent portions 24 from the groove 14 and permit the cover to be removed.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and de scribed the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A fastener for container covers having a handle, said fastener including a pair of bellcranks pivotally mounted in the cover, an operating bar slidable on the handle, means operatively connecting said bar to one end portion of the bellcranks, and detents on the other ends of the bellcranks engageable with a container for locking the cover thereon, said means including a pin suspended from the bar, said pin being slidable through the cover and extending between the bellcranks, a pair of opposed, arcuate jaws mounted on the pin with the bellcranks engaged therebetween, and a coil spring on the pin engaged with one of the jaws for yieldingly urging said bellcranks toward locking position.

2. A fastener for container covers of the type having a substantially U-shaped handle, said fastener comprising a pair of bellcranks pivotally mounted in the cover and engageable with a container for locking said cover thereon, a horizontal operating bar slidable in the handle, and means operatively connecting said bar to the bellcranks, said bar including downwardly struck stops on its end portions engageable with the cover and providing pairs at longitudinal guides slidably straddling the legs of the andle.

References Cited in the file of this patent