US3023601A

US3023601A - Safety lock for medicine cabinet doors

Info

Publication number: US3023601A
Application number: US36632A
Authority: US
Inventors: Luikart Ralph; Joseph B Mcgeever
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-06-16
Filing date: 1960-06-16
Publication date: 1962-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 1979-03-06

Description

March 6, 1962 R. LUIKART n, ETAL 3,023,601

SAFETY LOCK FOR MEDICINE CABINET DOORS Filed June 16, 1960 [-76.1

INN-Ill! llll: E

Ru/ph Lu/kar/ZZ' Joseph B. McGaever ATTORNEY rates Calif.

Filed June 16, 1960, Ser. No. 36,632 1 Claim. (Cl. 70-297) This invention relates to a lock or fastener for doors, sliding drawers, and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a safety door lock for medicine cabinets or the like, designed particularly to prevent children from gaining access to the cabinet where poisons of various kinds may be stored.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door fastener of the above-mentioned character which is relatively simple and economical in construction, compact and strong and durable.

Still another object is to, provide a safety lock or fastener of the mentioned character which is easy to operate by adults but perplexing and substantially impossible to operate by small children without knowledge of the workings of the simplified combination mechanism.

Another object is to provide a cabinet door lock which is adjustable and easy to install adjacent the cabinet door or any other door which it is desired to secure against opening by children.

.Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a bathroom medicine cabinet or the like equipped with the safety door lock according to the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the lock on an enlarged scale partly in section,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the lock and associated elements,

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 6 is a central horizontal section through the lock,

FIGURE 7 is a rear side elevation of the lock partly in section.

In the. drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a vertical wall upon which is mounted a conventional medicine cabinet or the like having the usual horizontally swingable door 11 hinged thereto in a conventional manner.

The lock or fastener proper for the door 11, according to the invention, is indicated generally by the numeral 12 in FIGURE 1, and the lock is installed upon the wall 10 adjacent to the swingable edge of the door 11, as indicated in the drawings.

The lock 12' comprises a generally cylindrical base or mounting member 13, preferably having an enlarged rear flange 14 engageahle with the wall 10, and preferably provided upon its rear face with a plurality of spaced prongs 15 which penetrate the wall surface to prevent the base 13 from turning. The base 13 has a forwardly opening central screw-threaded bore 16, having a rear undercut portion 17, and a rearwardly opening tapered bore 18, adapted to receive the head of a wood screw 19, or the like, utilized for rigidly securing the base upon the wall 10 in the selected position.

A relatively stationary cylindrical head 12 is provided,

atent EQQ having a central cylindrical bore 21 formed therethrough, and including a rearwardly projecting externally screw-threaded tubular extension 22 formed integral therewith. The tubular extension 22 is adapted to have screwthreaded engagement within the screw-threaded bore 16, and a locking nut 23 and lock washer 24 on the extension 22 serve to lock the extension and head in the selected axially adjusted position relative to the fixed base 13.

The bore 25 of tubular extension 22 is somewhat larger than the head bore 21, and a lateral shoulder 26 is formed at the rear end of the bore 21, where the same communicates with the enlarged bore 25.

An elongated generally rectangular locking member or bar 27 is disposed forwardly of the cabinet door 11 and adjacent the forward face of the head 12. The width of the locking bar or swinging bolt 27 is preferably substantially equal to the diameter of the head 12 and the locking bar extends for substantial distances on opposite sides of the head so as to be capable of overlapping engagement with the edge portion of the cabinet door 11.

An axially extending screw 28 has a cylindrical head portion 29 engaging rotatably within the bore 25 of extension 22, and a reduced cylindrical shank portion 30 engaging rotatably within the bore 21 of the head 12. The head of the screw 28 has a socket 31 to facilitate tightening the screw. A forward reduced screw-threaded extension 32 on the screw 28 has screw-threaded engagement Within a centrally located screw-threaded opening 33 in the rear face of the locking bar 27, at the longitudinal and transverse centers thereof. The screw 28 has a shoulder 34 for positive engagement with the rear face of the locking bar 27, so that the locking bar may be rigidly secured to the screw 28 for rotationthere: with as a unit relative to the stationary head 12. and its extension 22.

The head 12 is provided in its forward face with four preferably equidistantly spaced deep cylindrical recesses 35, FIGURES 4 and 5, and these recesses are disposed opposite the central portion of the locking bar 27 and have the spaced arrangement indicated in FIGURE 3. Companion deep cylindrical recesses 36 are formed in the rear face of the locking bar 27, which rear face substantially abuts the forward. face of the head 12 slid: ably. When the locking bar 27 is arrangedhorizontally as in FIGURE 3, or vertically as indicated'by dotted lines in FIGURE 1, the

recesses

35 and 36 are in registration as indicated clearly in FIGURES 4.21miv 5. In all other angular positions of the locking bar 27, the

recesses

35 and 36 are out of registration.

With continued reference to FIGURES 3 through 6, diagonally opposite pairs of the recesses 35 contain relatively long coil springs 37, and the corresponding diagonally opposite recesses 36 contain relatively short reciprocatory plungers 38, havingreduced operating pin extensions 39, extending slidably through small openings in the forward face of locking bar 27. The operat: ing extensions 39 project forwardly of the locking bar 27 so as to be engageable by the fingers of the person operating the lock. Lock balls 40 are interposed between the springs 37 and plungers 38, Within the

bores

35 and 36 and these lock balls normally span the entrance portions of the registering

bores

35 and 36 adjacent the opposed faces of the head 12 and locking bar to lock the latter against rotation relative to the head 12.

The other diagonally opposite pair of recesses 35 contain relatively short coil springs 41 and balls 42, as shown, and the corresponding diagonally opposite recesses 36 contain relatively long reciprocatory plungers 43 having forward reduced operating pin extensions 44,

projecting forwardly of the locking bar 27, and extending slidably through small openings in the forward face of the locking bar, FIGURES 4 and 5.

The balls 42 are normally maintained bodily within their recesses 35, and the plungers 43 are normally bodily within their recesses 36, so that these plungers normally have no locking influence upon the locking bar 27 and head 12.

Outwardly of the head 12 and near the ends of the locking bar 27, the same is provided in its rear face with additional spaced pairs of deep cylindrical recesses 45, containing coil springs 46 and forwardly projecting dummy operating pin elements 47, having the same appearance as the previously described

pin elements

39 and 44. The pin elements 47 have enlarged heads 4 ,8 within the recesses 45, FIGURE 7. The spacing of the recesses 46 and pin elements 47 is as shown in FIGURE 3, and all of the operating pin elements are arranged in two parallel longitudinal rows along the locking bar 27 and equidistantly spaced, as in FIGURE 3. Resilient pads 49 are secured in any suitable manner to the rear face of the locking bar 27 near the ends of the latter and on opposite sides of the head 12. These pads serve to maintain the light coil springs 46 within the recesses 45, and the pads 49 are engageable firmly against the front face of the cabinet door 11 for securing the same, without scratching or marring the door. The endmost pairs of pin elements 47 have no effect whatsoever upon the operation of the lock and are merely a subterfuge intended to bewilder children who may attempt to open the medicine cabinet door.

To unlock and open the door 11, when the locking bar 27 is in the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, it is necessary to depress the two diagonally opposite pin extensions 39, until they are flush with the front face of the locking bar 27. This will shift the locking balls 40 bodily into their recesses 35, and the inner ends of the plungers 38 will be flush with the meeting faces of the locking bar and head 12. When this condition is achieved, none of the plungers or balls are exerting any locking influence, and the locking bar 27 may be turned to the vertical position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 to release the door 11. When the locking bar is returned to the horizontal position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, the locking balls 40 will automatically return to their active or locking positions due to reregistration of the

particular recesses

35 and 36.

Should the child depress all four of the

central pin extensions

39 and 44, which is a natural tendency, this will not unlock the cabinet door, because the depression of the plungers 43 will cause these plungers to enter the recesses 35 and span the opposed faces of the locking bar 27 and head 12, and this will lock the locking bar, despite the fact that the simultaneous depression of the plunger-s 38 will unlock the locking bar. Thus, it is possible to unlock the cabinet door only by depressing the two diagonally opposite pinextensions 39 simultaneously. Depressing only one of the pin extensions 39 will not unlock the cabinet door, asshould be obvious, depressing one or both pin extensions 44 will not unlock the cabinet door, and depressing all of the

pin extensions

39 and 44 simultaneously will not unlock the cabinet door, as stated. The dummy pin extensions 47 have no effect on the lock as previously stated.

To install the lock, the base 13 is first secured to the wall with the screw 19. The locking bar 27 is then tightly secured to the screw 28 after the latter is introinvention can also be utilized in connection with sliding drawers or the like. When used in connection with drawers the mounting member 13 would be mounted adjacent one edge of the drawer or could be readily mounted on the fixed bar above a drawer or on the fixed bar between two drawers, so that the rectangular locking member can be pivoted into overlapping engagement with an edge portion or portions of the drawer or drawers, respectively, to maintain the same in a locked condition, thus preventing access thereto by small children.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

A lock device to prevent access by children to medicine cabinets and the like, comprising a base element for attachment to a fixed support near the movable edge of a swinging medicine cabinet door, a relatively stationary head secured adjustably to the base element and positionable near the outer face and said movable edge of said door, a generally rectangular swinging bolt pivoted to said head in opposed substantially contacting relation with the outer face of the head and being elongated and extending upon opposite sides of the head and including end portions which may overlap the outer face of said door to secure the latter, said head and bolt provided in their opposed faces with first and second diagonal pairs of recesses adapted to register when the bolt is in overlapping relation to the front face of said door, a first pair of plungers in the first diagonal pair of recesses of the bolt and extending through the forward side of the bolt and operable from the forward side of the bolt, resilient detents in the corresponding diagonal pair of recesses of the head normally spanning the opposed faces of the head and bolt to lock the same against relative rotation and released by depression of said first diagonal pair of plungers, a second pair of plungers in the second diagonal pair of recesses of the bolt extending through and operable from the forward side of the bolt, second resilient detents in the second diagonal pair of recesses of the head normally releasing the head and bolt for relative rotation but locking the latter when the second plungers are depressed, and dummy pairs of plungers in the bolt outwardly of the diagonal pairs and in substantial lateral alignment therewith and projecting forwardly of the bolt near the ends of the bolt and having the same appearance as the diagonal plungers to confuse children, the arrangement being such that the bolt may be turned to cabinet door releasing position only after simultaneous depression of the first diagonal pair of plungers of the bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 259,523 Gage June 13, 1882 1,530,092 Robertson Mar. 17, 1925 1,608,539 Wetherell Nov. 30, 1926 2,643,905 Hummer June 30, 1953