US3134252A

US3134252A - Safety lock for doors

Info

Publication number: US3134252A
Application number: US106613A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert E Mintz
Original assignee: DOCK AND DOCK
Current assignee: DOCK AND DOCK
Priority date: 1961-05-01
Filing date: 1961-05-01
Publication date: 1964-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-26

Description

May 26, 1964 A. E. MINTZ SAFETY LOCK FOR DOORS Filed May 1, 1961 INVENTOR. ALBER T EMA/T2 United States Patent 3,134,252 SAFETY LOCK FOR DOORS Albert E. Mintz, Rego Park, N.Y., assignor of fifty percent each to Robert 0. Richardson, Nashua, N.H., and Dock 8: Dock, New York, N.Y., a partnership Filed May 1, 1961, Ser. No. 106,613 Claims. (Cl. 70-93) This invention relates to a chain lock for doors, and more particularly, to one of the type wherein a chain is secured at one end to a slide mounted on the door and at the other end to a key actuated lock conveniently positioned on the door frame so that a key may be readily inserted either from inside the door or outside of the door to unlock and release the chain or the lock may be easily snapped into a relocking engagement with the chain by a person from either side of the door.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 77,429, filed on December 21, 1960, now Patent No. 3,081,616, issuing March 19, 1963, and entitled Safety Lock, I have provided a door chain having a wall-mounted casing structure to receive a padlock. This padlock served as the key actuated locking means which releasably connected one end of the chain lock to the door frame. The present application is a continuation-in-part of that application and has for one of its objects the provision of a cheaper and more simply constructed bracket for re taining the padlock in position on the door frame. This novel supporting bracket for the padlock is adapted to firmly secure either the shackle or the body member of the padlock thereto, leaving the other member free to swivel in the conventional manner when the padlock is unlocked. In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1-4, the shackle member of the padlock is the one which is secured against movement in any direction while the body member is free to swivel when the padlock is unlocked, leaving the associated end of the chain released from the shackle member. In the other embodiment shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, the shackle member is the member which is free to swivel when the padlock is unlocked, the body member being securely fastened by the bracket.

An object of the present invention is the provision of the novel bracket for supporting a padlock on a door frame for releasably retaining one end of a door chain lock.

Another object is the provision of a novel supporting bracket for mounting a padlock to a door frame which is simple and inexpensive in construction yet durable and sturdy in construction.

A further object of the invention resides in means for mounting a padlock retaining bracket to a door frame wherein the mounting means may not be removed or attached thereto while the body member of the padlock is in locked position.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of a chain-lock for doors embodying the invention, and in which the keyactuated padlock is shown unlocked;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the key-actuated padlock and its supporting bracket;

FIGURE 3 is a similar view but with the body member of the padlock shown swiveled outwardly for application or removal of the chain;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the bracket and associated padlock secured to the door-frame of FIGURE 1, but with the chain omitted;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of a modified form of the invention; and

3,134,252 Patented May 26., 1964 ice FIGURE 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in which a chain 10 has one end 11 mounted to reciprocate in a slide 12 secured to a door 13. At the other end of chain 10 its terminal link 15 is adapted to engage one leg 16 of the shackle member 17 of a padlock 18 having a body member 19. Shackle member 17 is secured in a fixed position to a supporting bracket 20 attached to the door frame.

The door chain 10 is just long enough so that when the door is closed, as shown, the end 11 may then be released from the slot in the slide in the usual manner of chain-locks for doors. Padlock 18 is preferably of a common type in which the other leg 17' of its loop or shackle member 17 is a spring loaded, and to which body member 19 is swiveled so as to snap away from the shackle member when the body member is key-actuated to unlock it. By then pressing the two members toward each other they may be relocked in the usual way.

Means are provided for mounting padlock 18 in an inverted vertical position on the door-frame 21 in order that a key may be conveniently inserted in the key hole 18', and also in such relation that the two members of the padlock may be easily pressed together to relock them, all from the outside as well as the inside of the door. For this purpose there is provided a supporting bracket 20 forthe padlock 18 which consists of a flat base 25 having two

tabs

26 and 27 respectively extending outwardly from plate 25. Body member 19 has a flat rear surface 28 which normally is in contact with the flat front face of plate 25. When these parts are in this relative position, tab 26, which may be formed to initially loosely surround leg 17', may be pressed into snug engagement therewith. Since the leg 17 is pivoted to body member 19 at a point nearer the left edge of the body member than the distance such point is spaced from the rear flat surface 28, the body member can be swung about leg 17' of shackle member 17 into the open position shown in FIGURE 3 without interference such as by the edge of the body member impinging the front flat surface of plate 25. With tab 26 slightly shorter than the distance of leg 17' from plate 25, a resilient action is provided for urging the body member 19 outwardly to open position when unlocked. In this open position chain link 15, or the equivalent, may be slipped over the leg 16 now fully exposed for such purpose. To relock, it is only necessary to swing body member 19 back again into the position shown in FIGURES l and 2, and then press the body downwardly until relocking occurs, such locking thrust on shackle member 17 being transmitted to tab 27 of base plate 25 which then constitutes a stop for this purpose. Otherwise, tab 27 cooperates with tab 26 in rigidly securing shackle member 17 in a fixed position in which it can neither rotate nor move up and down. Clearance is provided between tab 26 and body member 19 for the necessary movement of the latter downwardly to effect the locking action of the padlock.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be seen that it is the body member 19 that is held against rotation while still free to be moved downwardly into a locked position. In this instance tab 26 provides a fixed center about which leg 17' may swivel for the application of link 15 of chain 10, while body member 19 is restrained from swiveling about leg 17' by

tabs

30 and 31 which loosely overlap it in order that it may be slidable therethrough to effect locking engagement with shackle member 17. Supporting-bracket plate 25 is provided with a horizontally positioned ledge 32 designed to take the thrust imposed on shackle member 17 when body member 19 is pressed downwardly after positioning the link as in FIGURE 1. Tabs and 31, if preferred, can be of sufiicient magnitude to cover substantially all of body member 19 with their meeting edges welded together to form a loosely fitting housing.

In both embodiments of the invention screws are provided for securing bracket plate 25 or 25' to the doorframe 21. These screws are so positioned that when the members of the padlock are in locked relationship, the screws will be inaccessible and the use of a screwdriver to remove them will be prevented since the body or shackle members of the padlock, or both, will then be in a shielding position effective for this purpose.

It will be apparent that other forms of padlock-supporting brackets useful for this purpose may occur to skilled persons, and I have no intention of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety lock for doors comprising a chain of such length that when fastened to the door and a door frame will permit partial opening of the door, mounting means on the door to releasably retain one end of said chain, said mounting means comprising an elongated slot with an enlargement, said slot extending transversely with the enlargement extending inwardly from said slot, means on said chain end insertable in said enlargement and slidably mounted within said slot, a support bracket mounted on a door frame, said bracket comprising a flat base plate with connecting means for mounting said plate to said door frame, said plate having outwardly extending tabs, at padlock having a body member and a shackle member, said padlock being mounted upside down with a key opening extending upwardly and the shackle member extending downwardly from the body member, said shackle member being U-shaped and having one leg pivotally connected to the body member, one of said tabs extending over and retaining said leg, the other of said tabs extending over the lower end of the shackle member, said body member being pivotable relative to said shackle member for releasing and locking the other leg, the free end of said chain being insertable over said free end of said shackle member when said body memher is moved to unlocked position, at least one of said connecting means fastening said plate to said door frame being behind said body member when said body member is in locked position, said tab engaging said other leg being slightly shorter than the distance of said other leg to said base plate to thereby urge said body member outwardly when in unlocked condition.

2. A safety lock for doors comprising a chain of such length that when fastened to the door and a door frame will permit partial opening of the door, mounting means on the door to releasably retain one end of said chain, said mounting means comprising an elongated slot with an enlargement, said slot extending transversely with the enlargement at the innermost end of said slot, means on said chain end insertable in said enlargement and slidably mounted within said slot, a support bracket mounted on a door frame, said bracket comprising a flat base plate with connecting means for mounting said plate to said door frame, said plate having outwardly extending tabs, a padlock having a body member and a shackle member, said padlock being mounted upside down with a key opening extending upwardly and the shackle member extending downwardly from the body member, said shackle member being U-shaped and having one leg pivotally connected to the body member, one of said,

tabs extending over and retaining said leg, said body member being pivotable relative to said shackle member for releasing and locking the other leg, the free end of said chain being insertable over said free end of said shackle member when said body member is moved to unlocked position, at least one of said connecting means fastening said plate to said door frame behind said shackle member when said shackle member is in locked position.

3. The safety lock for doors as in claim 2 wherein said body member is mounted for slight vertical movement but non-pivoting movement relative to said base plate and wherein an outwardly extending tab secures said other leg at a point below said body member to permit vertical movement thereof, a ledge extending outwardly below the lower end of said shackle member to limit downward movement thereof, said shackle member being rotatable when unlocked from said body member, said mounting means to said door frame being positioned behind the lower portion of said shackle member when in locked position.

4. A safety lock for doors for loosely connecting a door to the adjacent door-frame comprising a chain of suitable length with means for attaching one end of the chain to the inside of the door, a padlock, a supporting bracket for said padlock attachable to said door-frame, said padlock having a shackle member and a body member mounted on said supporting bracket, said body member being pivotally connected to one end of said shackle member, said shackle member being pivotally mounted on said bracket in a position in which said shackle member is free to move pivotally toward and away from said body member so that said other end of the chain may engage said shackle member and be locked to or released therefrom when the padlock is operated by a person outside the door.

5. A safety lock for doors according to claim 2, where in said shackle member of the padlock is secured to the supporting bracket in a fixed position, and the body member of the padlock is free to move pivotally, toward and away from the shackle member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,419,864 Knapp June 13, 1922 2,613,970 Holmsten Oct. 14, 1952 2,881,611 Callegari Apr. 14, 1959 3,081,616 Mintz Mar. 19, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,844 Great Britain Sept. 25, 1912 22,135 Great Britain Oct. 7, 1911 354,647 Great Britain Aug. 13, 1931