US2912844A

US2912844A - Luggage lock

Info

Publication number: US2912844A
Application number: US704127A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wallace E Atkinson
Original assignee: Long Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Long Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1957-12-20
Filing date: 1957-12-20
Publication date: 1959-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1976-11-17

Description

Nov? 17, 1959 w. E. ATKINSON LUGGAGE LOCK Filed Dec. 20, 1957 ATTORNEYS LUGGAGE LOCK Wallace E. Atkinson, Petersburg, Va., assignor to Long Manufacturing Company, Inc., Petersburg, Va., a corporation of Virginia l Application December 20, 1957, Serial No. 704,127

3 Claims. (Cl. 70-75) The present invention relates in general to luggage locks for suitcases and other receptacles where two adja cent separable parts of a receptacle are to be held together along their meeting edges, and more particularly, to locks of this type having a pivoted hasp and a manually operable push mechanism for releasing the lock.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel luggage lock of the pivoted hasp type which is of simple and novel construction permitting the lock to be economically manufactured with substantial savings in tools, dies, production and assembly costs.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel hasp lock and keeper assembly wherein the keeper is of one piece construction and may be made in one operation on a progressive die.

Another object of the present invention is the provision f a novel luggage lock of the pivoted hasp type, wherein the hasp may be pivotally assembled to its mounting plate Without the necessity of rolling the meeting edges of these elements to 'form hinge ears or employing a separate rivet for hingedly connecting them.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel luggage lock of the pivoted hasp type wherein the lock works may be assembled with the hasp and the hasp pivotally assembled with its mounting plate, in one operation, and may be resiliently retained in this position by the biasing spring for the hasp.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel luggage lock of the pivoted hasp type wherein the hasp body may be formed from sheet metal in a novel manner to improve the appearance thereof and to effect concealment of the lock works from observation from the front of the lock.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective View of a luggage lock embodying the present invention, illustrating the same in locked condition on a fragmentary suitcase section Wherein the hasp is interlocked with the keeper;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the luggage lock with I the hasp in open or unlatched condition relative to the keeper;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the lock embodying the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section View taken along the line 4 4 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the luggage lock of the present invention, indicated generally by the reference character 10, comprises a hasp plate member 11 formed from sheet metal and having a front wall 12 apertured at 13 to receive rivets 14 for mounting the hasp plate member onto the 2,912,844 Patented `Nov. 17, 1959 ice of the suitcase lid 15 and form a hollow enclosure between these wallsv and the front wall 12.

The hasp body 20 is likewise formed from sheet metal and has a front Wall 21, side walls 22, bottom wall 23, the side and bottom walls giving the hasp an appearance of substantial thickness and forming with the front wall 21 a rearwardly and upwardly opening, casing for the reception of the lockworks generally indicated at l24. The frontv wall 21 of the hasp body 20 is provided with a key opening 25 surrounded by an embossed ring 26 to simulate the appearance of a rotary key cylinder. An integral tongue 27 projects upwardly from the upper edge of the front wall 21 of the hasp body 2l) and has a pair of oppositely projecting ears 28 extending from the lateral edges of the tongue 27 and a narrow transversely extending slot 29 located at the center of thetongue 27. An elongated box-like casing 36 formed from sheet metal is disposed within the hollow of the hasp body 2% to house a push member 31 for rectilinear sliding movement within the casing 30. The casing 3@ comprises a rearI wall 32, side walls 33 and a top wall 34, the forward edge of the top wall 34 having an integral extension projecting upwardly therefrom in the plane of the free edges of the side walls 33 forming a mounting tongue 35 adapted to underlie the tongue 27 on the front wall 21 of the hasp body 20 and having a bendablelug 36 to be projected through the slot 29 and bent against the front surface of the tongue 27. Mounting lugs 37 project from the lower edge of the rear wall 32 of the casing 31B through a slot in the bottom wall 23 of the hasp body 20. Thus, the casing 30 is assembled to the hasp body 26` by means of the

lugs

36 and 37 projecting through the slot 29 in the tongue 27' and through a slot in the bottom wall 23. The push member 31 is essentially of channel-shaped construction and comprises a web 33 and a pair of forwardly projecting flanges 39 extending from the lateral edges of the web 38. The surfaces of the Web 38 and flanges 39 conform closely to and are guided by the inner surfaces of the rear wall 32 and side walls 33 of the casing 3l). An integral end wall 40 extends forwardly from the lower edge of the web 38 to the free edges or the flanges 39, and a wide nger piece 41 projects downwardly from the forward edge of the end wall 40 and through a slot 42 in the bottom wall 23 of the hasp body 20.

The web 38 of the vpush member 31 is provided with an intermediate opening 43 extending transversely entirely across the web 3S,.into which projects a latch tongue 44. The rear wall 32 of the casing 30 is also provided with an opening 45 which substantially registers with the opening 43 when the push member 31 is at its lowermost position.

The side walls 33 of the casingStl are provided with laterally aligned openings 46 formingguide surfaces for a laterally reciprocable bolt 47 of conventional construction having the usual key follower surface 48, the bolt 47 being disposed transversely of the push member 31 and the anges 39 being cutaway to accommodate sliding movement of the push member 31 within the casing. A hairpin spring 48 has one leg bearing against the lower surface of the bolt 47 and another leg bearing against the shoulders 49 on the flanges 39 to continuously. urge the push member 31 to its lowermost position within the casing 30.

The bottom wall i7 of the hasp plate member lll is provided with an opening 59 therein for receiving the lapped tongue 27 of the hasp body Ztl and the mounting tongue 35 of the casing Si? therethrough. The opening Si? has an enlarged portion 51 at the rcarmost edge of the Opening 5t? of sufficient width to permit the ears 28 of the tongue to pass therethrough, the forward portions of the opening E@ being constricted laterally to define an opening corresponding substantially to the width of the neck portion of the tongue Accordingly, the widest portions of the tongues 27 and may be projected through the enlarged portion 51 of the opening 50 until the top edges of the front wall 2l of the hasp body 2@ abut the lower surface of the bottom wall i7 and the hasp body then projected forwardly so that the lateral bounding surfaces of the constricted portion of the opening 5d lie between the ears 28 of the tongue 27 and the upper edges of the front wall 2l. The hasp body is maintained in this assembled relation with the hasp plate member lll by means ofthe bent flat spring 52, by projecting the bent portion 53 of the spring 52 upwardly into the opening Si) between the rear surface of the tongue and the rear edge of the opening 5t). The rear edge of the opening Si) is relieved along the central portion thereof to provide a notch 5d extending the width of the spring 52, and the rear leg 55 of the spring 52 is provided with a curved end S6 adapted to seat on the edge of the notch 54. The front leg S7 of the spring 52 is bowed forwardly at the lower edge of the tongue 27 and the bent portion 53 bears against the front wall 'i12 when the spring is fully projected into the position illus rated in Figure 4 so that the free end of the leg 57 lies against the mounting tongue 35 of the casing 3@ to urge the hasp body 2B outwardly. The spring 52 serves the dual function of retaining the tongue 27' of the hasp body 2lb against the forward edge of the opening 50 in the hasp plate member ll and to resiliently bias the hasp body Ztl in clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4, to the open position illustrated in Figure 2. The interconnection between the hasp body 2@ and hasp plate member ll formed by the tongue 2? and opening Si) serve to pivot the hasp body for limited rotation about a transverse aXis lying in the plane of the bottom wall i7 of the hasp plate member ll and located at the front edge of the opening 56".

The body 20 is adapted to cooperate with a keeper member 5S formed of integral piece of sheet metal and having a dat mounting plate portion 59 adapted to be secured to the lower section 6G of the suitcase and an outwardly projecting strike portion 6l dehning a hollow for accommodating the latch tongue 4d. The strike 6i is adapted to be projected through the opening 45 in the casing 3i) when the hasp body is pivoted downwardly from the open position of Figure 2 to the closed position of Figure l and the surfaces of the latch tongue and of the strike 6l which engages the latch tongue #i4 when the hasp body is shifted to closed position are shaped to cooperate to force the push member 3l upwardly against the bias of the spring 48' and permit the latch tongue d to pass inwardly of the lip 62 of the strike 6l. The latch tongue is then projected downwardly by the spring to seat within the cavity formed by the strike @l and retain the hasp body 2@ in the locked position of Figure 4. The bolt i7 has an offset lug i7 struck therein which is positioned so as to be spaced laterally of the adjacent shoulder Iig at the top of the right llange 39 of the push member 3l, viewed in Figure 3, when in unl flied position. but wn. h is disposed in the path of oulder 45t when the bolt is shifted laterally to the vlocked position to prevent upwardly displacement of the push Tiber from the latching position illustrated in r e fr. en the bolt 47' is in unlatched position, the hasp body be released from the keeper by pushing upwardly on the finger piece il to displace the push member 3l upwardly within the casing i 30 and withdraw the latch tongue 44 from the strike 61. Upon withdrawal of the latch tongue 44 from the strike 6i, the spring 52 will then shift the hasp body 20 outwardly about its pivotal connection with the hasp plate member il to the position illustrated in Figure 2.

While only one preferred embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it is apparent that other modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art and are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A luggage lock comprising a hasp plate member in the form of a rearwardly opening casing adapted to be ahxed to a luggage lid, a keeper adapted to be affixed to a luggage base having a portion projecting outwardly therefrom, a hasp member having an upwardly projecting, substantially planar tongue integrally formed at the upper end thereof provided with oppositely projecting ears at the lateral edges of said tongue and having a slotted lower end portion, lock works fixed to said hasp member and lying inwardly therefrom comprising a push member having an integral linger piece projecting below the hasp member, a box-like casing housing the push member having surfaces guiding the push member for rectilinear reciprocal movement vertically of the hasp member, lug means projecting from the lower end of said box-like casing through the slot in the lower end portion of said hasp member for securing said casing to said lower end portion, said box-like casing having an upwardly projecting tongue conforming at its upper end substantially to the shape of said hasp member tongue and disposed in underlying relation thereto, said hasp plate member including a bottom wall having an elongated opening therein extending transversely of the hasp plate member and including a rearwardly disposed enlarged portion of suilicient size to permit the ears of said hasp member tongue and said casing tongue to pass upwardly therethrough and a forwardly disposed constricted portion having lateral bounding surfaces spaced to extend beneath the ears of said tongues and form a pivotal support for the hasp member, spring means extending between the rear edge of said opening and the rear surface of said casing tongue for resiliently positioning said tongues in intimate abutment with each other and in the constricted portion of said opening and continuously urging said hasp member outwardly about its pivotal support and away from said keeper, said push member and said box-like casing having substantially aligned apertures for accommodating the projecting p0rtion of said keeper therein and said push member having means associated with its aperture for selectively interlocking with said projecting portion of said keeper, and resilient means for continuously urging said push member downwardly to project the interlocking means thereof into interlocking relation with the projecting portion of said keeper.

2. A luggage lock, comprising a hasp plate member adapted to be aihxed to a luggage lid and having a front wall and rearwardly projecting side, top and bottom walls, a keeper adapted to be alxed to the luggage base having an outwardly projecting strike, a hasp member having a front wall and rearwardly projecting bottom and side walls forming a rearwardly opening housing, said hasp member bottom wall having a slot therein, a tongue formed integral with said hasp member front wall and projecting upwardly in the plane of said front wall, said tongue having oppositely projecting ears at the lateral edges thereof spaced from the upper edge of said hasp member front wall, lock works disposed rearwardly of said hasp member front Wall and disposed within said hasp member housing comprising a vertically elongated push member having an integral nger piece projecting through said hasp member bottom wall to an exposed position therebelow, a box-like casing housing said push member having a rear wall spaced rearwardly from and paralleling said hasp member front wall and side walls projecting forwardly into abutment with said hasp member front wall, said rear and side walls of said casing being disposed in abutment with surfaces of said push member to guide the push member for rectilinear reciprocative movement vertically of said hasp member, lug means projecting from the lower end of said boxlike casing into the slot in said hasp member bottom wall for removably anchoring the casing to said hasp member bottom wall and said box-like casing having an upwardly projecting tongue conforming at its upper end substantially to the shape of said hasp member tongue and disposed in underlying, aligned relation with the latter, the bottom wall of said hasp plate member having an elongated opening therein extending transversely of the hasp plate member and including a wider rear portion of sufficient width to permit the ears of said hasp member tongue and said casing tongue to pass upwardly therethrough and a narrower forward portion having bounding lateral -surfaces spaced to extend beneath the ears of said hasp member tongue and form a pivotal support for the hasp member, a recurved at spring having the curved portion thereof projected upwardly through said opening with the legs thereof compressed between the rear edge of said opening and said hasp member and casing tongues to resiliently position said tongues in the narrower portion of said opening, the curved portion of said spring projecting upwardly into said hasp plate member and bearing against the front wall thereof and said spring having a depending extension for continuously biasing said hasp member for rotation about its pivotal support with said hasp plate member in a direction away from said keeper, said push member and said casing having strike-accommodating apertures therein, said push member having a latch member projecting into its said aperture to interlock with the keeper strike when the strike projects into said strike-accommodating apertures, and spring means in said casing for resiliently urging said push member downwardly to project said latch member into interlocked relation with the keeper strike projecting through the strike-accommodating apertures.

3. A luggage lock, comprising a hasp plate member adapted to be aixed to a luggage lid and having a front wall and rearwardly projecting side, top and bottom walls, a keeper adapted to be aflixed to the luggage base having an outwardly projecting strike, a hasp member having a front wall and rearwardly projecting bottom and side walls forming a rearwardly opening housing, a tongue formed integral with said hasp member front wall and projecting upwardly in the plane of said front wall, said tongue having oppositely projecting ears at the lateral edges thereof spaced from the upper edge of said hasp member front wall, lock works disposed rearwardly of said hasp member front wall and disposed within said hasp member housing comprising a channel-shaped, vertically elongated push member having an integral finger piece projecting through said hasp member bottom wall to an exposed position therebelow, a vertically elongated, rectangular box-like casing housing said push member having a rear wall spaced rearwardly from and paralleling said hasp member front wall and side walls f projecting forwardly into abutment with said hasp member front wall, said rear and side walls of said casing being disposed in abutment with the web and iianges of said push member to guide the push member for rectilinear reciprocative movement vertically of said hasp member, lugs projecting from the lower end of said box-like casing for anchoring the same to said hasp member bottom wall and said casing having an upwardly projecting tongue conforming at its upper end substantially to the shape of said hasp member tongue and anchored to said hasp member tongue in underlying relation thereto, the bottom wall of said hasp plate member having an elongated opening therein extending transversely of the hasp plate member and including a wider rear portion of sucient width to permit the ears of said hasp member tongue and said casing tongue to pass upwardly therethrough and a tnarrower forward portionl having bounding lateral surfacesspaced to extend beneath the ears of said hasp member tongue and form a pivotal support for the hasp member, a recurved flat spring having the curved portion thereof projected upwardly through said opening into abutment with the front wall of said hasp plate member with the legs thereof compressed between the rear edge of said opening and -said hasp member tongue to resiliently position said tongue in the narrower portion of said opening, a leg of said spring having a downwardly projecting extension bearing against the front wall thereof for continuously biasing said hasp member for rotation about its pivotal support with said hasp plate member in a direction away from said keeper, said push member and said casing having strike-accommodating apertures therein, said push member having a latch member projecting into its said aperture to interlock with the keeper strike when the strike projects into said strike-accommodating apertures, spring means in said casing for resiliently urgingsaid push member downwardly to project said latch member into interlocked relation with the keeper strike projecting through the strike-accommodating apertures, and a reciprocable, key-operable lock bolt supported in said casing having a portion selectively projectable into the path of said push member to bar upward movement of said push member from a keeper interlocking position thereof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS