US2970858A

US2970858A - Luggage lock

Info

Publication number: US2970858A
Application number: US809754A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norrenberg-Sudhaus Ernst
Original assignee: SUDHAUS SOEHNE HEINRICH
Current assignee: HEINRICH SUDHAUS SOHNE; SUDHAUS SOEHNE HEINRICH
Priority date: 1958-10-15
Filing date: 1959-04-29
Publication date: 1961-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 1978-02-07

Description

Feb. 7, 1961 E. NORRENBERG-SUDHAUS 7 LUGGAGE LOCK Filed April 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1961 E. NORRENBERG-SUDHAUS 7 LUGGAGE LOCK Filed April 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V1 5/V7'0.e ERA s rive eaves es- Sue/Mus [e4 V United States Patent LUGGAGE LOCK Ernst Norrenberg-Sudhaus, Iserlohn, Germany, assignor to Heinrich Sudhaus Sohne, Iserlohn, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Apr. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 809,754

This invention relates to a lock designed as a clasp to be used for suitcases, boxes, bags or the like, more particularlyone having a bolt held selectively in security or locked position, or unlatchable access position by a single spring.

The invention is directed to the solution of the problem of providing a simple lock with the fewest possible parts where all means for the attachment of the lock on the lid of the suitcase or the like are so covered that they are not visible or accessible from the outside, while such means of attachment are readily eifected reliably with minimum eflfort, and without special tools.

According to the invention the lock is so designed that the spring is the locking member for the bolt when the lock is made secure by a key. However, this spring can be moved by such key into and out of the security position to make the lock serve as a latch. The spring is mounted in a closing mechanism holder, which also carries a pivoted tongue having barbs engaging undetachably in a pocket made fast with the suitcase lid or the like.

The longitudinally displaceable bolt is controlled by Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section on the line XX of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken through the lock along the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the attachment of the keeper dog taken on line VV of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a clasp according to a modification as seen from the attachment side and before attachment of the clasp to the article of luggage. Fig. 7 is a section through the clasp in the sectional plane VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a partial section of the clasp corresponding to Fig. 7, in the position prepared for attachment.

.Fig. 9 is a view of the tongue from the interior of the clasp.

Fig. 10 is the view of the tongue from the direction of arrow X in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is the view of the attachment pocket from the direction of arrow XI in Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is the view of the pocket from the direction of arrow XII in Fig. 8.

In the lock housing 10 having a top and side and end flanges, a closing mechanism holder 12 is held by inturned fastening edge flaps 14 and is fastened by a tongue 16, articulated at 15, in a pocket 18 provided with barbs,

which pocket is secured at 20 on the suitcase orbag the spring because said bolt has a locking nose adjacent the end of a U-shaped spring and is guided by one leg along a wall of the holder to be displaceable crosswise to the direction of movement of the bolt by a key for such a distance, that, in the unlocked state the locking nose can pass by the bight of arc of the spring, while in the locked state, the bolt strikes against the short leg of the spring in the vicinity of said arc. The sliding movement of the spring is limited in that the rear face of the arc and the end of its long leg abut against opposite fixed parts of the holder. Preferably, the bolt has a second nose, located in the zone of the free outer end of its long leg which yieldingly holds the bolt in the closed position. When the bolt is unlocked by the key, it can be pressed counter to the spring force of this leg toserve as a releasable latch. The head portion of the bolt is beveled so that it can be readily pressed over the upper rounded side of the keeper dog so that the lock can easily be closed. For attachment of the dog the latter is provided with prongs which are driven through the curved slots of a supporting plate and bent over on the side away from the clasp. The slots in the support plate may be provided with additional recesses.

The pocket for the attachment of the tongue provided on the closing mechanism holder is fastened to the suitcase lid or'the'like-by attaching means at its underside.

The invention is described below with reference to examples which are illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the closing mechanism holder and the closing mechanism parts, the face of the lock plate being removed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the clasp with the face of the lock plate in position.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the clasp with the parts according to Figs. 1 and 2 assembled.

lid 22. The lock assembly is biased to open position by spring 24 as shown in Fig. 4.

' Between the closing mechanism holder 12 and lock housing plate 10 is slidably located a spring 26 bent in U form having the long leg 28 and short leg 30, the

' bight or bend of the U designated as are 32. The spring has its shorter leg 30 bent or deformed at 34 to provide a key engageable shoulder located in the zone of the bit of a key insertable through a keyslot provided in an escutcheon plate 74 carried by the housing 10. An opening 36 is located in the holder 12 directly beneath the escutcheon plate 74 and receives the tip of the key shank to serve as a centering guide during manipulation of the key. Thus, depending on the direction of rotation of the bit of the key, the spring 26 can be displaced into the position shown in solid lines or that shown in broken lines. The short leg of spring 26 is also provided near itsterminal portion with valleys 60 and 62 for respective engagement with

noses

58 and 42. l

Bolt 38 is controlled by spring 26 and in the unlocked position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the spring has assumed the position shown in solid lines. In this position it can be displaced in the direction of arrow 40 (Fig. 1) counter to the force of the short spring leg 30 because it bears on outer nose 42 on bolt 38, in such a way that the lock nose 44 also on the opposite side of the bolt passes by the rear side of are 32. Thus, the bolt 38 and its head 46 formed therewith can, by operation of the pusher or finger piece 50, be shifted in the direction of arrow 40 so far that the sinuous short leg 30 of U spring 26 has its free end abutting long leg 28. The bolt head 46 is cut out at 70 and has one edge beveled to facilitate engagement in the eyelet portion 52 of keeper dog 48, which in turn is fastened to the side or body portion 54 of the suitcase or bag.

The long leg 28 of spring 26 is guided by the inner face of the intermediate stepped wall portion 13 of the closing mechanism holder while its short leg is guided along the edge of

upstanding abutment noses

42, 58 and 44 of the bolt and the abutment 56 of the closing mechanism holder 12. In the closed but unlocked state, the spring valley 62 engages outer nose 42 which lies far as possible away from are 32 of the spring, so that the force of pressure required to depress the bolt in the direction of arrow 40 can conveniently be supplied by a hand, althoughthe. spring, is made. of. relatively heavyi...

spring steel.

Bolt 38 is guided between the

side walls

64 and 66 of the closing mechanism. holder 12. The path, oi movement of spring 26 crosswise to the direction of movement of bolt 38 is, limited in that, on theone side of the U are 32 engages wall 64 and on the other side the free. end of the long spring; leg 28 abuts side wall 66.

The size of the cutout 68 in the forward bottom wall.- of holder 12 and which registers with cutout 70 in the bolt 38, and the width of the. closing dog 48 are so adapted to each other that the dog can. enter into the cutout 68 of the closing mechanism holder and also into said cutout 70 of bolt 38. The bolt is also provided with an. additional cutout 72, in which the key to be inserted can turn.

Thehead of the dog 48 is arched and since the edge of the head 46 of the sliding bolt 36 is beveled, each of these two measures facilitates the penetration of the dog into the

cutouts

68 and 70. Alternatively the dog may have two oppositecutouts, so that it forms a bridge.

The dog may be provided with prongs; which can be passed through the support on which it is to be fastened and bent over on the other side. Additionally, the prongs may first be passed through a plate 76 fitted on the support and after passage through the suitcase material bent over behind the latter, the plate 76, shown in Fig. 5, being moreor less, thick for the purpose of adaptation to the thickness ofv the material of the suitcase and of the lid. The two slots for the prongs 78 of the dog are slightly arched and additionally recessed in the center at. 80. The tips. of the. prongs which always stand a little. tapered can thus squeeze through the slots better. Upon further compression of the dog with the underplate, the dogassumes. aforced fit in the plate.

The clasp, which. consists'of a trough-shaped part,'has., according toFig, 7, a platewhich is slightlybowed or arched. The closing mechanism holder 12 bears by its. edge 82 against the edge portion. 84 of the clasp. In the step 13, made a little lower in this model of the closing mechanism 12, a slot is provided through which one end of the leaf spring 24 is passed. The side parts of the troughashaped clasp and of the closing mechanism holder12 are stepped preferably at the level of step 13 at 86 in a; manner that on the bearing side. of the clasp after the attachment thereof and after the closing of. the lock they extend down, to the surface of thesui.t' case lid, while the remainingpart of the. closing mecha nism holder restson the. suitcase surface or that portion with. whichit comes in engagement,

The axle 1.5%, which is mounted in theclosiug. mechar nisrn holder, may be a continuous pinor may consist-got two pins. 88 through whose bore 90 the axle is passed. Tongue 16 has two notches 92 punched into it, and from the tongue rectangular faces 94 are pressed out in such a way that they are bent as barbs 94 as in Figs. 7, 8 and 10 to provide. forwardly facing inclined surfaces 95 and rearwardly facing vertical edges 97 substantially perpendicular to said tongue. To facilitateinsertion, in the pocket 18%,bevels 96 areprovided.

The leaf spring- 24"- which raises the clasp, offrthe tongue 16 extends around. theaxle 15 and rests by its other bent end 98 on the barb 94 of-tongue 169. Support on a difierent point of; the. tongue. may sufiice.

The tongue 16 presents bent-up side-flanges atevmm The. pocket. 18 fastened near the edge 100 of the. suit-.. case lid 22 is made of one piece of sheetmetal and has two cutouts 102, which are large enough for the barbs 94 to engage in them. Pocket 18 has in addition two bores 104, which serve to receive, for instance, two pointed rivets 20 by which the pocket is fastened to the suitcase lid.

Upon application of the clasp to the suitcase lid, it is insertedbythe. tongue 16, inthe direction of. arrow- XII into pocket 18 until the barbs 94 engage. in the cutouts 102. The angle by which the tongue can be raised is limited by the fact: that the rear edge 82 of; holder 12- abuts the. rearedge of the tongue 16 After insertion of the tongue, the clasp can no longer be detached from the pocket 18 because. the bars 94 have snapped in behind the edges of cut out portions at 102 (Fig. ll) and therefore are no longer removable. Moreover, the entire fastening device is covered after the closing of the lock and no longer accessible.

I claim:

In a clasp type lock for articles of luggage or storage having a body and a lid or the like, a clasp carried by said lid and a keeper attached to said body in close proximity to said clasp, said clasp including a housing having top, side, and end walls and enclosing slidable bolt means having a bolt head cooperating with said keeper to detachably connect said lid to said body, means for pivotally' attaching said clasp to said lid, comprising, a tongue having forward and rear edges and pivotally mounted within said housing adjacent one end wall thereof, upstanding barbs punched in said tongue having forwardly facing inclined surfaces and rearwardly facing vertical edges substantially perpendicular to said tongue, spring means biasing saidclasp upwardly away from said tongue, the rear edge of said tongue' abutting the adjacent end wall of said housi'nggto limit the upward .movement-of said clasp, a pocket member attaehai to said lid and adapted to receive said tongue to maintain said clasp secured to said lid, said pocket member comprising top, bottom, and side walls defining an inner pocket opening having a width and height substantially equal to the width and height of said tongue, cut-out portions in the top wall of said pocket member disposed so that as the leading edge of said tongue is inserted into said pocket opening the inclined surfaces of said barbs will strike the top wall of the pocket member and cause'said barbs to be deflected downwardly so that when the'tongue is fully'inserted into the pocket opening; said barbs will snap upwardly into said cut-out portions'and. saidreag wardly facing vertical edges will abut the inside edges offsaid cut-out portions to non-releasably secure said clasp to said lid.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,253,416 Nyary Ian. 15, 1918'.

1,654,079 Hiering Dec. 27, 1927' 2,292,008 Nelson et al. Aug. 4, 1942 2,648,966 Polak .Aug. 18, 1953 2,819,602 Levine. Ian. 14, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 71,5.70 Sweden Nov. 8, 1929