US3186198A

US3186198A - Fastener device for briefcases and the like

Info

Publication number: US3186198A
Authority: US
Inventors: Noerrenberg-Sudhaus Ernst
Original assignee: HEINRICH SUDHAUS SOEHUE
Current assignee: HEINRICH SUDHAUS SOEHUE
Priority date: 1961-08-19
Filing date: 1962-08-01
Publication date: 1965-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-01
Also published as: CH418541A

Description

June 1965 E. NOERRENBERGSUDHAUS 3,

FASTENER DEVICE FOR BRIEFCASES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR:

l l llllllll/l/llllfi I a BY 3.144! I f #14,

Ms ATTORNEY June 1965 E. NOERRENBERGSUDHAUS 3,186,198

FASTENER DEVICE FOR BRIEFCASES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1, 1962 2 SheetsSheet 2 j 24 3 A a I 41 24 INVENTOR:

7 km; fwker his ATTORNEY United States Patent 12 (Ilaims. Eci. 70-74 The present invention relates to fastener devices in gen eral, and more particularly to an improved fastener or closure device of the hasp and staple type which is especially suited for use on valises, portfolios, briefcases, traveling bags and similar receptacles.

It is known to equip a suitcase or a similar receptacle with one or more closure devices each of which comprises a hasp pivoted to the cover or flap of the receptacle and adapted to be introduced into an opening provided in a housing secured to the main body portion of the receptacle so that the eye of the hasp displaces a spring-biased staple which thereupon enters the eye and thereby retains the hasp in closing position. Such closure devices are further provided with a release mechanism which must be operated by finger pressure to detach the staple from the eye before a person can withdraw the hasp in order to obtain access to the interior of the receptacle.

A serious drawback of such closure devices is that it is rather difficult to introduce the eye into the opening of the housing, especially if the material of the receptacle is a soft plastic, readily pliable leather, textile fabric or another yieldable substance. Since the staple is biased by its spring in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the eye, the latter must be pressed with substantial force to overcome the bias of the spring whereby the material of the receptacle is likely to yield so that the user may encounter considerable difficulty before the staple snaps into the eye to retain the hasp in closing position. For example, if such conventional locking devices are utilized on soft plastic or soft leather briefcases, the user is compelled to press the briefcase against a hard object or against his knee in order to overcome the bias of the spring which compels the staple to resist entry of the eye. The situation is aggravated when the user has only one hand at his disposal to manip ulate the closure device.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a closure device for briefcases, valises and similar receptacles which is constructed and assembled in such a way that it is not necessary to overcome the bias of the spring which tends to maintain the staple in operative position when a user desires to attach the hasp to that part of the receptacle which carries the staple.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure device of the just outlined characteristics wherein the staple normally remains in retracted position and permits substantially effortless introduction of the eye when it becomes necessary to attach the eye to the staple.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure device for briefcases and the like which is constructed and assembled in such a way that introduction and retention of the eye require much less effort than in any of conventional closure devices of which I am aware at this time so that the closure device of my invention may be used with great advantage on receptacles which consist of readily yieldable material without necessitating the use of two hands for manipulation of the hasp.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a closure device of the above outlined characteristics wherein the staple is automatically retained in retracted position as soon as it becomes separated from the eye and wherein the staple may automatically reengage the eye as soon as the latter is properly inserted into the housing which accommodates the staple.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a lock for use in a closure device of the above outlined characteristics.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a closure device for briefcases and similar receptacles wherein the eye of the hasp is automatically ejected from the housing as soon as the hasp is separated from the eye.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provision of a closure device for use on briefcases and similar receptacles which comprises an apertured housing, a first coupling member which may assume the form of a staple and which is mounted in the housing for reciprocatory movements between an operative position of at least partial alignment with the aperture of the housing and a retracted position, resilient means in the form of a leaf spring or the like for permanently biasing the staple to its operative position, a second coupling member which may take the form of a hasp having an eye insertable into the aperture of the housing to assume a position of regis try with the staple so that the staple may move into engagement with the eye, and elastically deformable retain ing means which may assume the form of a plate-like apertured catch mounted in the housing and normally engaging the staple in the latters retracted position so as to hold the staple against the bias of the spring. The catch extends into the path of and is automatically deformed by the eye to become disengaged from the staple when the eye assumes the aforementioned position of registry with the staple so that the spring is free to move the staple into engagement with the eye as soon as the eye is moved into registry with the staple. The closure device further comprises a reciprocable carrier for the staple which is provided with handgrip means enabling a person to disengage the staple from the eye and to permit the catch to reengage the staple when the latter returns to its retracted position. The arrangement is preferably such that the catch stores energy when it is deformed by the eye and that the catch thereupon ejects the eye from the aperture of the housing as soon as it is permitted to return to its normal undeformed position.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closure device which embodies my invention and which is mounted on a briefcase, the hasp and the eye of the closure device being shown in detached position;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view of the closure device with the hasp shown in retained or closing position;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of that part of the closure device which is mounted on the main body portion of the briefcase;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 3, with the housing for the staple indicated in phantom lines;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal central section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through the closure device, showing the eye of the hasp in engagement with the staple; and

FIG. 7 is a similar sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 6 but illustrating the eye in a position it assumes just prior to its connection with or subsequent to its separation from the staple.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a fastener or closure device which comprises an attachment here shown as a plate-like structure 1 forming a hinge 1a for pivotally supporting a female coupling member in the form of a hasp 2. The underside of the hasp is provided with an eye 3 which assumes the shape of an inverted U, and the entire hasp 2 is pivotable about a pintle 1b which forms part of the hinge 1a. hasp is formed with an aperture 4 which serves as a means for permitting insertion of a suitable flat key into a lock 5 accommodated in a housing 9, the latter also containing a spring-biased male coupling member here shown as a staple 41 whose construction and mounting will be described hereinafter. The plate 1 has a pair of side walls 6 (only one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) abutting against the outer side of a cover or flap A to which the plate 1 is secured by screws or rivets 7 or in any other suitable manner. The plate 1 carries a downwardly extending tongue 8 which may be received in a guide slot 12 (provided in the upper end wall of the housing 9) before the hasp 2 is pivoted from the idle position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2 in which its eye 3 is in registry with and is engaged by the staple 41. The tongue 8 and the slot 12 serve as a means for properly aligning the attachment 1 with the housing 9 prior to insertion and retention of the eye 3, but it will be readily understood that the provision of such aligning means is an optional feature of my invention since the attachment 1 may be automatically aligned with the hous ing 9 if the closure device is mounted on a comparatively rigid suitcase in which the cover must assume a requisite position as soon as it is pivoted or folded over the main body portion of the suitcase. The housing 9 is formed with two or more openings for rivets or screws 11 which secure it to the main body portion B of a briefcase or a similar receptacle, the housing 9 being secured to the outer side of such receptacle. It will be noted that the housing 9 comprises side walls whose edge faces abut against the outer side of the main body portion B so that the housing defines in internal chamber which accommodates the staple 41, the locking device 5 and several other parts which cooperate with the staple to carry out the objects of my invention. Actually, the staple 41 and the locking device 5 are accommodated in the internal compartment of a casing 13 which is inserted into the internal chamber of the housing 9. The casing 13 assumes the form of a box having side walls 14 which are spaced from the side walls 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), and the side walls 14 are provided with outwardly extending flaps 15 which are in face-to-face abutment with the inner side of the housing 9. The flaps 15 are formed with openings 16 which register with the openings in the housing to permit passage of screws 11.

The length of the flaps 15 is less than the length of the side walls 10, and the lower portion of the casing 13 (as viewed in FIGS. 3 to 5) assumes the shape of a downwardly projecting outwardly flaring extension 17 having a flap 18 which is bent from the general plane of the casing 13 and which is coplanar with the flaps 15 so that it comes into face-to-face abutment with the inner side of the housing 9. The flap 13 has a comparatively wide cutout 19 which communicates with an upwardly extending narrower cutout 20, the latter extending to and even beyond the lower ends of the flaps 15 substantially centrally of the casing 13 and housing 9, i.e., the longitudinal extension of the cutout 20 is perpendicular to the axis of the pintle 1b when the tongue 8 enters the guide slot 12.

The upper portion of the casing 13 has a tansvesely extending hole 21 communicating with an upwardly extending notch 22 which is adjacent to one of the flaps 15. Adjacent to the other flap 15, the casing 13 comprises a tongue or detent 23 which is adjacent to the lower edge of the wall bounding the hole 21 and which is bent forward- Cir 1y, that is, toward the inner side of the housing 9 (see particularly FIG. 5).

At a point beneath the lock 5, the housing 9 is formed with a transversely extending aperture 24 (see FIG. 1) whose lateral ends are bounded by inwardly bent retaining tongues 25, these tongues overlapping the adjacent portions of the flap 18 to thereby secure the casing 13 in the position of FIGS. 3 to 5. The aperture 24 is in registry with the cutout 19 of the flap 18.

The internal compartment of the casing 13 accommodates the aforementioned staple 41 which is mounted on a reciprocable carrier 27, and a resilient blocking member 26. In accordance with a feature of my invention, the blocking member 26 assumes the form of a leaf or plate spring which extends upwardly along the inner side of the casing 13, i.e., along that side which faces toward but is spaced from the inner side of the housing 9.

The blocking member 26 has a cutout 28 for the detent 23 so that it is held against longitudinal displacements with respect to the casing 13. The upper edge portion of the member 26 is provided with a tongue or detent 29 which is bent into the notch 22. The lower portion of the member 26 comprises a downwardly extending resilinet plate or panel 30 which is located substantially centrally between the side walls 10 and which constitutes an elastically deformable retaining means or catch for the carrier 27 and for the staple 41. As shown in FIG. 3, the catch 30 is normally bent inwardly from the general plane of the remainder of the blocking member 26 and is provided with an aperture 31 for the inwardly extending leg-shaped portion or pallet 47 of the carrier 27.

The carrier 27 comprises an upper portion 36 which is slidably guided between and is reciprocable in a straight path longitudinally of the side walls 1%, and a wider lower portion 37 which extends laterally toward but short of the side walls 19 as well as downwardly through a horizontal slot 1% in the lower end wall of the housing 9. The lower edge zone 38 of the portion 37 is bent inwardly toward the main body portion B of the receptacle so that the parts 37, 353 may be used as a handgrip means to be pushed upwardly when a user desires to separate the eye 3 from the staple 41. It will be noted that the lower portion 37 of the carrier 27 is not coplanar with the upper portion 36 but is displaced toward the inner side of the housing 9 by simultaneous formation of horizontal stop shoulders 39 which are located above the tongues 25. The portion 37 has a cutout 40 for the flap 18. The stop shoulders 39 are connected with the staple 41 and define between themselves a cutout or gap which is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4-. The staple 41 projects into the cutout 49.

Intermediate one of the side walls 14- and the detent 23, there is provided a resilient element in the form of a U-shaped spring pawl 32 having an undulate inner leg which is adjacent to the tongue 23 and which is formed with three nodes or crests 33 facing the center of the internal compartment in the casing 13. The cylinder of the lock 5 is received in a circular opening 34 of the housing 9 and in a registering opening 35 of the casing 13 so that the loci; may rotate in the parts 9 and 13. The key slot of the lock 5 may receive a fiat key whose bit enters one of the valleys between a pair of adjacent crests 33 so that the user may move the lower end of the spring pawl 32 against the adjacent shoulder 39 in order to prevent upward movements of the carrier 27 and resultant release of the eye 3. In other words, the spring pawl 32 constitutes a locking bolt which may prevent withdrawal of the staple 41 from the eye 3. FIG. 4 shows the pawl 32 in idle position in which its bent-over lower end portion is spaced from the left-hand stop shoulder 39.

The upper portion of the carrier 27 is formed with a cutout 42 for the lock 5. Adjacent to the right-hand side wall 14, as viewed in FIG. 4, the carrier 27 is provided with two tongues 43, 4-4 which are engaged by a resilient means in the form of a leaf spring 45, the latter having a leg 46 which engages the tongue to bias the carrier 27 and the staple ll. to the position of FIG. 4 in which the staple 41 extends transversely across and is thus aligned with the aperture 24 of the housing 9. The staple 41 assumes such position of at least partial alignment with the aperture 24 when it engages and retains the eye 3.

The closure device of my invention operates as follows:

In the position of FIGS. 3 and 4, the locking bolt 32 is idle because it is spaced from the left-hand stop shoulder 39, as viewed in FIG. 4, whereby the user may push the handgrip means 37, 38 in upward direction in order to withdraw and to thus disengage the staple 41 tfrorn the eye 3 which latter is assumed to be received in the aperture 24 of the housing 9 and in the cutout of the lower carrier portion 37 in such a way that it assumes a position of registry with the staple 41. Such position of registry is shown in FIG. 6, and it will be noted that the pallet 47 of the carrier 27 bears against the catch 30 to maintain this catch away from the staple 41. The aperture 31 of the spring 30 is then located at a level above the pallet 47.

If the operator desires to lock the staple 4-1 in operative position, he inserts his key into the slot of the lock 5 and turns the key in a sense to move the locking bolt 32 against the left-hand stop shoulder 13%, as viewed in FIG. 4 whereby the bolt 32 prevents upward movement of the carrier 27 and thus locks the staple 41 in the position of FIG. 6 since the staple 41 is rigid with the carrier.

If it becomes necessary to detach the hasp 2 from the staple 41, the user again utilizes his key and returns the locking bolt 32 to the position of FIG. 4. In the next step, the user presses the handgrip means 37, 38 in up ward direction (arrow A in FIG. 4) in order to move the carrier 27 against the bias of the spring 45. The pallet 47 then slides upwardly along the outer side of the catch 3d and reaches the lower end of the aperture 31. Since the catch 3d has a natural tendency to move forwardly, i.e., toward the staple 41, it snaps over to the position of FIG. 7 and permits the pallet 47 to enter the aperture 31 by simultaneously ejecting the eye 3 from the cutout 4d and from the aperture 24. Such snapping-over or deflection of the catch 30 takes place at the time the staple 41 is already withdrawn and is disengaged from the eye 3 so that the hasp 2 is automatically turned about the pintle 1b to thereby indicate to the user that the cover A may be pivoted or folded away from the main body portion B.

Since the pallet 47 is connected to or integral with the staple ll and/or with the carrier 27, the staple is now held in retracted position and against the bias of the spring 45 because the pallet 47 remains in the aperture 31 unless the catch 30 is deformed to be forcibly deflected back to the position of FIG. 6. Therefore, and if the user desires to reestablish the connection between the staple and the eye 3, he need not overcome the bias of the spring 45 but merely the bias of the readily deformable elastic catch 39. Such deflection of the catch 30 takes place if the user pivots the hinge 2 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 7, so as to press the tip of the eye 3 against the lower part of the catch 3th As soon as the aperture 31 is moved away from the pallet 47, the spring 45 is free to move the staple 41 in downward direction and the staple enters the eye 3 in a fully automatic way. It will be readily understood that the force necessary for deflecting a plate-like catch is much less than the force necessary to move the staple 41 against the bias of the spring 4-5, particularly since one must also overcome friction between the carrier 27 and the parts along which the carrier is guided when it moves the staple counter to the bias of the spring 45. When the catch 30 is deflected back to the position of FIG. 7, its outer side is engaged by the tip of the pallet 47 and the catch is prevented from returning to the position of FIG. 7 unless the user chooses to push the carrier 27 in upward direction by engaging and by pushing the handgrip means 37, 38 in the direction of arrow A.

Of course, the female coupling member 2, 3 may assume a number of difierent forms to cooperate with different types of male coupling members. For example, the eye may be replaced by an undercut stud to cooperate with a flat plate-like staple or the like. All such modifications are so obvious that they will be readily comprehended without additional illustrations.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar recpt-acles, comprising a housing having an aperture; la first coupling member received in said housing and reciprocable between an operative position in which it is :at least partially aligned with said aperture and a retracted position, said first coupling member having a portion extending in a direction away from said aperture; resilient means for permanently biasing the coupling member to said operative position; a second coupling member insertable into said aperture when the first coupling member is retract-ed to assume a position of registry with said first coupling member so that the latter may move into engagement with said second coupling member; and a plate spring mounted in said housing and having an aperture normally receiving said portion of the first coupling member in said retracted position thereof to hold said first coupling member against the bias of said resilient means, said plate spring extending into the path of said second coupling member and being automatically disengaged by the latter from said first coupling member when the second coupling member assumes said position of registry with the first coupling member whereby said resilient means is free to move the first coupling member into engagement with the second coupling member as soon as the latter is moved into said position of registry with the first coupling member.

:2. A closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar receptacles, comprising a housing having an aperture; a first coupling member received in said housing and reciprocable between an operative position in which it is :at least partially aligned with said aperture and a retracted position, said first coupling member having :a portion extending in a direction away from said aperture; resilient means for permanently biasing the coupling member to said operative position; a second coupling member insertable into said aperture when the first coupling member is retracted to assume a posit on of registry with said first coupling member so that the latter may move into engagement with said second coupling member; a plate spring fixedly mounted in said housing and having an aperture normally receiving said portion of the first coupling member in said retracted position thereof to hold said first coupling member against the bias of said resilient means, said plate spring extending into the path of said second coupling member and being automatically disengaged by the latter from said first coupling member when the second coupling member assumes said position of registry with the first coupling member whereby said resilient means is free to move the first coupling member into engagement with the second coupling member as soon as the latter is moved into said position of registry with the first co"- pl-ing member; and carrier means reciprocably mounted in said housing and connected with said first coupling member, said carrier means having handgrip means extending outwardly from said housing to permit manually induced movement of the first coupling member to said retracted position thereof and resultant automatic reentry of said portion of said first coupling member into the aperture of said plate spring as soon as said second coupling member is removed from the aperture of said housing.

3. A closure device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said plate spring automatically ejects said secondcoupling member from the aperture of said housing as soon as the carrier means returns the first coupling member to said retracted position thereof.

4. A closure device, particularly for use on brief-cases and similar receptacles, comprising a hollow housing having an aperture; la spring-biased carrier reciprocably mounted in and having handgrip means extending from said housing, said carrier comprising a staple which tends to assume an operative position of at least partial alignment with said aperture and which is movable by said handgrip means to :a retracted position, said carrier further having a portion extending in a direction away from said aperture; a hasp having an eye insertable into said aperture when the staple is retracted to assume a position of registry with the staple so that the latter may move into engagement with the eye; and an elastically deformable plate spring fixedly mounted in said housing and havin an aperture normally receiving said portion of the carrier in the retracted position of said staple to hold the latter against movement to said operative position, said plate spring normally extending into the path of said eye and being automatically disengage by the eye from said portion of the carrier when the eye assumes said position of registry with the staple whereby the staple is free to move to said operative position and engages the eye as soon as the eye is moved into said position of registry with the staple.

5. A closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar receptacles, comprising a hollow housing having an aperture; a spring-biased carrier reciprocably mounted in and having handgrip means extending from said housing, said carrier comprising a staple which tends to assume an operative position of at least partial alignment with said aperture and which is movable by said handgrip means to a retracted position, said carrier further having a portion extending in a direction away from said aperture; a hasp having an eye insertable into said aperture when the staple is retracted to assume a position of registry with the staple so that the latter may move into engagement with the eye; and an elastically deformable plate like spring catch mounted in said housing and having an aperture normally receiving said portion of the carrier in the retracted position of said staple to hold the latter against movement to said operative position, said catch being inwardly adjacent to the aperture of said housing and normally extending into the path of said eye so as to be automatically disengaged by the eye from said portion of the carrier when the eye assumes said position of registry with the staple whereby the staple is free to move to said operative position and engages the eye as soon as the eye is moved into said position of registry with the staple.

6. A closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar receptacles, comprising a hollow housing having an aperture; a spring-biased carrier reciprocably mounted in and having handgrip means extending from said housing, said carrier comprising a staple which tends to assume an operative position of at least partial alignment with said aperture and which is movable by said handgrip means to a retracted position, said carrier further having a portion extending in a direction away from said apertu e; a hasp having an eye insertable into said aperture when the staple is retracted to assume a position of registry with the staple so that the latter may move into engagement with the eye; and a blocking member fixedly mounted in said housing and having an elastically deformable plate-like spring catch having an aperture normally receiving said portion of the carrier in the retracted position of said staple to hold the latter against movement to said operative position, said catch normally extending into the path of said eye and being automatically disengaged by the eye from said portion of said carrier when the eye assumes said position of registry with the staple whereby the staple is free to move to said operative position and engages the eye as soon as the eye is moved into said position of registry with the staple.

7. A closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar receptacles, comprising a hollow housing having an aperture; a spring-biased carrier reciprocably mounted in and having handgrip means extending from said housing, said carrier comprising a staple which tends to assume an operative position of at least partial alignment with said aperture and which is movable by said handgrip means to a retracted position, said carrier further having a portion extending in a direction away from said aperture; 21 hasp having an eye insertable into said aperture when the staple is retracted to assume a position of registry with the staple so that the latter may move into engagement with the eye; an elastically deformable plate-like catch mounted in said housing and having an aperture normally receiving said portion of the carrier in the retracted position of said staple to hold the latter against movement to said operative position, said catch normally extending into the path of said eye and being automatically disengaged by the eye from said portion of the carrier when the eye assumes said position of registry with the staple whereby the staple is free to move to said operative position and engages the eye as soon as the eye is moved into said position of registry with the staple; and key-operated lock means mounted in said housing for locking the carrier when the staple assumes said operative position.

8. A closure device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said carrier comprises stop means and said lock means comprises a key-operated spring pawl which is movable into and out of abutment with said stop means.

9. A closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar receptacles of the type having a main body portion and a cover which is pivotable onto and otf the body portion, said closure device comprising a hollow housing adapted to be fixed externally to the main body portion and having an aperture; a spring-biased carrier reciprocably mounted in and having handgrip means extending from said housing, said carrier comprising a staple which tends to assume an operative position of at least partial alignment with said aperture and which is movable by said handgrip means to a retracted position, said carrier further having a portion extending in a direction away from said aperture; an attachment adapted to be fixed externally to the cover of the receptacle; a hasp pivotably hinged to said attachment and having an eye insertable into said aperture when the staple is retracted to assume a position of registry with the staple so that the latter may move into engagement with the eye to thereby secure the cover to the main body portion of the receptacle; and an elastically deformable plate-like catch fixedly mounted in said housing and having an aperture normally receiving said portion of the carrier in the retracted position of said staple to hold the latter against movement to said operative position, said catch normally extending into the path of said eye and being automatically disengaged by the eye from said portion of the carrier when the eye assumes said position of registry with the staple whereby the staple is free to move to said operative position and engages the eye as soon as the eye is moved into said position of registry with the staple.

it). A closure device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said attachment and said housing comprise cooperating means for aligning the attachment with the housing so that the eye is automatically introduced into the aperture of said housing when the hasp is pivoted with respect to said attachment in a direction toward said housing.

11. In a closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar receptacles, in combination, a first coupling member reciprocable in a substantially straight path between an operative position and a spaced retracted position, said first coupling member comprising a pallet; resilient means for permanently biasing the coupling member to said operative position; a second coupling member movable into said path in retracted position of said first coupling member to assume a position of registry with said first coupling member; and a plate spring having an aperture normally receiving said pallet to hold the first coupling member in said retracted position thereof against the bias of said resilient means, said second coupling member automatically disengaging said plate spring from the pallet of said first coupling member when it assumes said position of registry whereby said resilient means is free to move the first coupling member into engagement with the second coupling member.

12. A closure device, particularly for use on briefcases and similar receptacles, comprising a hollow housing having an aperture; a spring-biased carrier reciprocably mounted in and having handgrip means extending from said housing, said carrier comprising a staple which tends to assume an operative position of at least partial alignment with said aperture and which is movable by said handgrip means to a retracted position; a hasp having an eye insertable into said aperture when the staple is retracted to assume a position of registry with the staple so that the latter may move into engagement with the eye; and an elastically deformable platelike spring catch mounted in said housing and having an aperture normally receiving a portion of said carrier in the retracted posi tion of said staple to hold the latter against movement to said operative position, said catch being inwardly adjacent to the aperture of said housing and normally extending into the path of said eye so that the eye automatically deflects the aperture of said catch away from said portion of the carrier when the eye assumes said position of registry with the staple whereby the staple is free to move to said operative position and engages the eye as soon as the eye is moved into said position of registry with the staple.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,804 6/69 Ahrend -74 390,492 10/ 88 Lines et al. 292-285 711,111 10/02 Kirk 70-74 739,556 9/03 Oplinger 70-150 1,791,900 2/31 Leventhal 70-74 FOREIGN PATENTS 490,466 8/ 3 8 Great Britain.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

7. A CLOSURE DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR USE ON BRIEFCASES AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES, COMPRISING A HOLLOW HOUSING HAVING AN APERTURE; A SPRING-BASED CARRIER RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN AND HAVING HANDGRIP MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID HOUSING, SAID CARRIER COMPRISING A STABLE WHICH TENDS TO ASSUME AN OPERATIVE POSITION OF AT LEAST PARTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID APERTURE AND WHICH IS MOVABLE BY SAID HANDGRIP MEANS TO A RETRACTED POSITION, SAID CARRIER FURTHER HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID APERTURE; A HASP HAVING AN EYE INSERTABLE INTO SAID APERTURE WHEN THE STAPLE IS RETRACTED TO ASSUME A POSITION OF REGISTRY WITH THE STAPLE SO THAT THE LATTER MAY MOVE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EYE; AN ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE PLATE-LIKE CATCH MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING AN APERTURE NORMALLY RECEIVING SAID PORTION OF THE CARRIER IN THE RETRACTED POSITION OF SAID STAPLE TO HOLD THE LATTER AGAINST MOVEMENT TO SAID OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID CATCH NORMALLY EXTENDING INTO THE PATH OF SAID EYE AND BEING AUTOMATICLLY DISENGAGED BY THE EYE FROM SAID PORTION OF THE CARRIER WHEN THE EYE ASSUMES SAID POSITION OF REGISTRY