US2915099A - Storage key finders - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1, 1959 v. o. GATES STORAGE KEY FINDERS Filed Sept. 16. 1957 THE KEY FINDER mroxrnur-zxrm KEYS DO NOT DISTROY United States Patent M STORAGE KEY FINDERS Victor 0. Gates, Altoona, Pa. ,Application September 16, 1957, Serial No. 684,311 i i 1 6 Claims. (Cl. 150-40 This invention relates to key finders and particularly to a storage key finder for extra keys so that one always has a key available to replace a lost key.

People frequently find themselves in the position of losing one or more keys at a time when replacement 1s difficult if not impossible within a reasonable time.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a key finder having immediately available a key for each pur- It is another object of the present invention to provide a key finder holding a large number of keys in such manner that each key is. readily identified and held securely in place.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily made key finder.

Other objects, advantages and purposes of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure. 1 is a front elevation of the present invention in the closed position.

Figure 2 is an inside elevation of one half of a key finder according to this invention.

Figure 2A is a section on line 22 of Figure 2.

Figure 3 is an inside elevation of one half and a portion of the other half of a second embodiment of a key finder according to this invention.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a key finder having an outer cover preferably of plastic or similar material and adapted to fold in the middle as a book along line 11.

Inner members 12 are attached to the cover 10 along their outer peripheries to form a long pocket 13 between .cach member 12 and cover 10 which is open at the upper edge 12e of the inner members 12. The pocket 13 is adapted to hold the relatively few keys of abnormal length used by any person. Each inner member 12 is provided with spaced single key pockets 15 each suitably labeled by an identification tag 16 removably held in place by pockets 12c formed in a longitudinally-extending transparent member 12a that is heat-sealed to the front of inner member 12 at portions 12b as shown. Each pocket is adapted to receive a single identified key 17. These key pockets 15 may be simply formed, such as by slitting the inner member 12 at spaced points 12s (see Figs. 2 and 2A).

In Figures 3 and 4 there is illustrated a second embodiment of this invention in which a cover 20 of plastic is provided with inner members 21 heat sealed around their periphery to the periphery of the outer member. Separate key pockets 22 are formed in members 21 by making spaced slots v23a therein and heat sealing the inner member 21 to a backing member 21a, intermediate inner member 21 and the cover 20, along a substantially U-shaped line 24 extending downwardly beneath end portions of said slots to define an upwardly-open pocket 2,915,099 Patented Dec. 1, 1959 vided with an identifying label 26 by means of a trans-.

parent member 21m in the same manner as in Figure 2, and the long pocket 25 may be labeled for long keys as at 27.

' The key finder is filled with an extra key to each of the important locks used by the owner and the'finder is then put away for emergency. If a key is lost at a time when a locksmith is unavailable, reference to the key finder will immediately provide the needed key.

While certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described herein above it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for storing extra keys comprising, an outer cover of flexible material foldable in half along a longitudinally-extending central portion to form a front outer cover portion and a back outer cover portion, inner members secured at their side and bottom edges to outer peripheral edges of said front and back outer cover portions, said inner members having lower portions extending to outermost edges of said outer cover which are substantially parallel to said longitudinally-extending central portion, said inner members having upper portions each terminating into a longitudinally-extending open edge adjacent said longitudinally-extending central portion, and thereby forming a long pocket between said outer cover and said inner members and extending from said open edge to said lower portions, said pocket being open only at the open edge of said inner members, a plurality of spaced single key pockets formed on the inner members and located between said inner members and said outer cover adjacent lower portions of said inner members, an entrance 'slot formed in the inner members intermediate their upper and lower portions and above each said single key pocket to receive a shank of a key, and means on the lower portions of said inner members for labeling each of said single key pockets.

2. A device for storing extra keys as defined in claim 1, wherein said labeling means comprises a longitudinallyextending transparent member secured to the front of each inner member across the single key pockets, and a pocket formed between the transparent member and the inner members in front of each single key pocket to receive an identification tag for each key.

3. A device for storing extra keys as defined in claim 1 wherein, a plastic backing member is secured between each of said inner members and saidouter cover, said inner members and said outer cover being made of a flexible plastic, and said single key pockets are formed by heat-sealing said inner members to said backing members along a substantially U-shaped line extending downwardly beneath end portions of said slots to define an upwardly-open pocket for each key.

4. A device for storing extra keys comprising, an outer cover of flexible material foldable along a longitudinal middle line portion upon itself to form a front outer coverportion and a back outer cover portion, inner members secured to peripheral portions of said front and back outer cover portions, said inner members having lower portions adjacent outermost edges of said outer cover portions which are parallel to said longitudinal middle line portion, said inner members having upper portions terminating in an upper edge adjacent to said longitudinal middle line portion to provide a long pocket opening, a backing member positioned intermediate the lower portion of each inner member and said sa oons:

outer cover and sealed 1 therebetween along the outermostedges, a plurality of longitudinally-aligned slots formed in said inner members intermediate their upper and lower p ort-ion'sand substantially parallel to said; middle line portiontoreceive the shankof a key, said inner members-'beingsealed to said backing members; alongsubstantially U-shaped line portions extending downward 1y below the end of eachslot'to provide a separate; pocket beneatheach slot open at its topand' closed at its bottom-to receivethe-lower end of a keyshank, means for labelingthe key in eachof said separate pockets, and'a long pocket formed between eaclr inner member and said outercover portions open adjacent upper edges of theinner members to receive extra long keys,

A device for storing-'extra-keysas defined in claim 4- wherein saidouter cover portions, inner members and;

backing members are all-of flexible plastic.

6. A device -for storing-extra keys asdefined in claimfi wherein, said inner members are heat-sealed to peripheral References-Cited-in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,719,121)" Miles July 2,; 1929 1,877,909 LEnfant Sept. 20, 1932 1,877,910 LEnfant Sept. 20, 1932 1,877,911 LEnfant Sept. 20, 1932 2,704,101 Wittrien Mar. 15, 1955

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