US3188839A - Latch for luggage and like cases - Google Patents

Description

June 15, 1965 B. HUMPHRIES 3,188,839

LATCH FOR LUGGAGE AND LIKE CASES Filed Feb. 18, 1963 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J0/m/ 13 fluMPHP/ZIS A'HQRNEYS June 15, 1965 J. B. HUMPHRIES 3,188,839

LATCH FOR LUGGAGE AND LIKE CASES Filed Feb. 18, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 15, 1965 Filed Feb. 18, 1965 J. B. HUMPHRIES LATCH FOR LUGGAGE AND LIKE CASES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 54 I "IIIIIIM S.) r 7 o @5 E3050 4O 74 88 m 142 2:6 I I I r rm 156 54- I II 'i I II M .,,L 150 'J ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,188,839 LATCH FOR LUGGAGE AND LIKE CASES John B. Humphries, Stamford, Conn, assignor to The Excelsior Hardware Company, Stamford, Conn. Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 258,984 6 Claims. (Cl. 70-76) This invention relates to a novel latch for containers such as luggage cases. More specifically, the invention provides a compact self-contained latch operating with a pivoting, lever action to positively draw the two latch elements together for tight closure. The latch, held shut with a positive action and incorporating a novel lock structure, is particularly suited for external mounting on the container and requires no cooperating cut-outs in the container wall.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved compact latch for luggage and similar containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container latch that can be opened and shut with ease.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container latch of the above character that draws the container tightly closed with a mechanical advantage during Closure of the latch.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a latch of the above character that can be accommodated on thinwall containers without having protrusions extending into the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch having the foregoing features and incorporating an integral lock mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a latch embodying the present invention mounted on a container;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the construction of the latch of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan view of the latch in the unlatched condition taken as a rear face view along line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view similar to FIGURE 3 with the latch in the closed, latched, condition; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional side elevation view of the latch of FIGURE 1, taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

The latch of the present invention has a pivotally operating main latch structure, shown at the left side of the rear face views of FIGURES 3 and 4, that holds the container closed and a second latch structure, shown in the right side of these figures, that positively maintains the main latch shut. The two latch structures are joined to produce reliable latching combined with facile operation.

In the main latch, a latch member 30, FIGURES 3 and 4, pivots to open and close the latch in response to the pivoting of an actuator lever 26, FIGURE 1, with respect to a base housing 24. The resultant movement of the latch member 30, applied with a lever action to achieve facile closing, automatically draws the container shut.

The actuator lever and housing of the main latch structure are maintained aligned, to ensure easy operation, by

3,188,839 Patented June 15, 1965 a flange on the housing that is slidably engaged in a track on the lever.

The main latch structure preferably receives and engages a prong 14, FIGURE 1, that is spaced from a cam 16 ensuring alignment between the prong and the latch member. This alignment assures that the latch member will engage the prong to draw it tightly closed.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 1, a container such as the luggage case indicated generally at 10 is fitted with a latch indicated generally at 12. The latch 12 includes a hook-shaped prong 14 and an aligning cam 16 protruding from one container portion shown as the top 18, for positive engagement in a catch indicated generally at 20 secured to the other container portion, the bottom 22. As illustrated the container bottom 22 has a peripheral band 23 that passes under the upper portion of the catch 20.

The catch 20 has a base housing indicated generally at 24 mounted on the container bottom 22. An actuator lever 26 is carried on the base housing 24 and is pivotable between a closed position, aligned with the base housing, and an open position as shown in FIGURE 1. Depressing a release actuator 28 releases a keeper, not seen in FIG- URE 1, that holds the lever 26 in the closed position.

As shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, a latch member indicated generally at 30 and having a latching projection 30a is pivotally supported on the base housing 24 by a post 32 formed integral with the housing 24.

A post 34, formed integral with the actuating lever 26, is pivotally secured in the base housing 24 to support the lever 26 for rotation with respect to the housing. A stud 36 projects also from the actuating lever 26 through a slot 38 in the base housing 24 to engage a slot 30b in the latch member 30.

When the actuating lever 26 is pivoted about the post 34 to its open position, as seen in FIGURE 3, the stud 36 swings the latch member 30 about the post 32 to move the latching projection 30a out of engagement with the prong 14, disposed in a prong chamber 40. The prong 14 is then free to be withdrawn from the chamber 40 and moved away from the catch 20.

Still referring to FIGURE 3, during closure of the latch, the actuating lever 26 is pivoted in the direction of the arrow 42 into alignment with the base housing 24 as in FIG- URE 4. The differential rotation of the lever 26 with respect to the housing 24 causes the stud 36 to pivot the latch member 30 about the post 32, to swing the latching projection 30a across the prong chamber 40, where it engages the prong 14. Further pivoting of the latch member 30 pushes the prong 14 into the chamber 40. It will thus be seen that during closure of the latch 12, the latching member draws the prong 14, as from its position shown in FIGURE 3, to be fully recessed in the chamber 40, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The latch 12 is held shut, as shown in FIGURE 4, by a bolt 46 that protrudes from the base housing 24 into an aperture 48 formed in a keeper assembly 49 on the actuating lever 26. Depressing the resiliently biased release actuator 28 of the keeper assembly 49 ejects the bolt 46 from the aperture 48, freeing the lever 26 to pivot around the post 34.

As best seen in FIGURES l and 2, the prong 14 and aligning cam 16 are formed on a casing block 50 that is suitably fabricated by casting. The casing block 50 is mounted on the container 10 with hollow- ended rivet posts 52 and 54 that extend through the container Wall. The hollow ends of the posts are expanded after assembly to form a rivet-like connection.

Base housing The base housing 24, suitably also cast and having rivet posts 56 and 58" for mounting on the 7 container 18, i has a peripheral wall 60 and an internal wall 62, as seen in FIGURE 2, that form the latch chamber 64 and .a lockchamber 66. V The prong 14 and aligning cam 16 of the casing block 50 enter the latch chamber 64 throughan opening 68in the peripheral wall 60. The floor 76 of the base housing 24 has a hole 72 through which the pivot post 34' passes, and is apertured by the slot 38 through which the stud 36 of the lever 26 passes. The

floor '70 is raised with a platform 74 disposed under the latch member SG. The'post 32, about'which .thelatch member 30 pivots, protrudesupward'from the platform As seen in FIGURE 2, the lock chamber 66 hasaa keyhole 76 through the floor 70 and an opening 78 in the peripheral wall 60 through which the latching arm 46a of the bolt 46 protrudes, as in FIGURE 4. A earn-ridge 79 (FIGURES 2, 3 and 4) protrudes int-o a corner of the lock chamber 66 from the internal wall 62. When the present latch is used on a luggage case as shown in FIGURE 1 having a peripheral band 23, the peripheral wall 60 ofnthe base housing is substantially wider around V the keeper aperture 48 by the release actuator 28, thereby maintaining the late-i112 locked closed.

. The lock plate 102- has also a key aperture 116 having a semi-circular openportion 118 centrally disposed adjoining a slot portion 120 that is formed by opposing,

spacediapar-t, convex shoulders 122 and 124.

When the latch islocked, as shown in FIGURE 4, the

V lock plate 162 is shifted in the lock chamber 66 against URE 3, where the. detent 112 is disposed on the other side of the cam ridge 79 and the barrier 114 does not the upper portion ofthebase housing 24, between the} rivet posts 56 and 58,'than elsewhere to allow the hous ing 24 tobe mounted over the band 23, a portion of which is shown in FIGURE 2. The base housing internal wall 62 is similarly formed to accommodate the band 23 and enhance the strength of the'housing,

As shown near the top of FIGURE 2, the bolt 46 is constructed as shown in FIGURE 2 with the arm 46a interfere with the s't-opdowel 82. -The bolt .46 is thus free tobe ejected from the keeper, assembly 49 and slid back into the lock-chamber 66, further deflecting the springSS." --f I f The lock plate is shifted to this unlocked position from the locked position of FIGURE 4 by the key 86 shown in FIGURE 5. When-the key isinsert'ed in the latch, FIGURE4, its pin 86a pivbtally engagesin the hole 96a '(FIGURE 2) in the cover plate 96 and the key web 86b is initially infthe position shown in FIGURE 4.- Rotaextending from one side and a shoulder 80 extending from the opposite side 46b; 7 A dowel 82 protrudes from the bolt 46 at one edge to form a stop and a clearance hole 84 is formed through the center of the bolt to allow a key 86, shown in FIGURE 5, to turn freely with respect to the bolt.v FIGURE 2 also shows a biasingleaf spring 88 extending. from its slot-support 90 in the side 46b of the bolt.

tion of the key 86 in thedirection of arrow 126, FIG- URE 4, sweeps the web 8615 across the open portion 118 of the key aperture past the shoulder 122 and across the key aperture slot portion 120. The key'web 86b then engages the shoulder 124, and further "rotation in the As shown in FIGURE 4, i n the assembled latch, the

spring 88 is compressed between the internal wall 62 and the bolt 46 to urge the bolt forward. in the lock chamber 66 with its arm 46a fully extendedthrough the opening 78. The forward movement 0f the bolt 46 is limited by the shoulders 92 and 94 formed on the base housin 24 in the wall 60 of the lock chamber 66.

A cover'plate 96, seen in FIGURE Z, is clamped over the latch and lock chambers 64 and 66 parallel to the housing floor 70 by expanding the hollow ends ofxthe rivet posts- 98a and 98b formed onthe base housing 24 .and'also the hollow end of the rivet post 100 that extends from the pin 34 formed on the actuating lever 26.- After the rivet posts-are flattened, as illustrated by the posts98b' and 100 seen in FIGURE 5, they clinch the cover plate.

to the base housing. The rivet post 98b, extending from the post 32 about which the latch member 30 pivots, thus ensures that the pivoting latch member 30' will not become disengaged from its post 32.

Lock structure As seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the shoulders 92 and94 and the opposed internal wall 62 form, in the lock 'cham- ,ber 66, a slide channel in which a lock plate 102' can be 1 the opposite edge of the lock plate 102 with a slot,108 that forms a cantilever arm 110 having a detent 112 pro ,truding from its free end. A barrier 114. extends from ,the lock plate to interfere with the stop dowel 82 on the bolt 46 when the lock plate is in the locked position shown in FIGURE 4. This engagement between the barrier 114 of the lock plate 102 and the stop dowel 82 of the bolt 46 prevents the 'bolt from being ejected from direction of arrow 126 shift-s the lock plate to the un: locked position of'FIGURE 3. With the lock plate thus shifted, the key W6b'86l7 is free to rotate past the shoulder 124 to return to the initial position, shown in FIGURE 4 for removing the key from the latch.

' As the lock 'plate'102 tends to. slide along the shoulders 92 and 94'an'd the internal wall 62, as from the locked position of'FIGURE 4 to theFIGURE 3 unlocked position, the detent 112 and the cam ridge79 cam the cantilever. arm backward into the slot l08, to allow-the lockplate to shift to the unlocked position. The cam ridge .79 is then disposed beside the detent 112 to hold the lock plate in the unlocked position. V i

Similarly, after the actuating lever 26 is pivoted into closed alignmentwith the base housing 24, the latch is locked by shifting the lock plate from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURE 4as a result of the opposite rotation of the key 86, FIGURE 5.

. Actuating lever As seen in FIGURE 2, the actuating lever 26 is formed, as by casting, with a flat plate portion 26a'and a protruding keeper chamber 128 which houses-the rele'ase'actuator 28 and alpla te'indicated generally at 130-. The enlarged opening 132*in the keeper chamber128," as best seen in "FIGURES'I and 2, provides access for depressing the re- 60 lease actuator 28 to move its protruding pusher 28a through the aperture 48, which passes'through the keeper chamber wall 128a and the plate 130. A simultaneous downward urging, opposite to. the direction of arrow-42 (FIGURE 1), opens the latch, i

The plate 130 isformed to .seat over the release actuator 28 in the keeper chamber 128 and is crimped in place byrupsetting rivetposts136 and 138. A lip 140, FIG- URE 2, is formedalong one side of the plate 1'30and is disposed outside of the keeper chamber 128,beyond the i this lip.

wall128a, facing the base housing 24, as seen in FIG- .URES. The'bolt receiving aperture 48 is formed through The lip 140 also forms a slide recess thatslidably engages a flange 142protrudingfrom the base housing 24 (FIGURES 2, 3 and 5); this engagement holds the base housing 24 and the actuating lever 26 together throughout the pivoting operation of the latch, preventing the post 34 from being subjected to bending forces and enhancing the smooth operation of the latch.

The lever action of the present latch, whereby the prong is readily drawn tightly into the catch, is efiiciently achieved by pivoting an extreme end of the actuating lever 26 to the base housing 24 with the post 34. Further, the latch member 30 is pivotally supported on the housing 24 spaced from the lever-housing pivoting connection provided by the post 34. The distances on the latch member 30 from the pivot post 32 to the pivotal coupling with the lever 26 via the stud 36, and to the latching projection 30a, are small compared to the overall length of the lever 26 between its post 34 and keeper assembly 49. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the lever stud 36 engages the latch member 39 at a point closer to the post 32 than the distance between the post 32 and the latching projection 30a.

This construction provides a compound lever linkage that achieves a strong latching force with gentle operating pressure applied to the actuating lever 26. Further, the projection 30a pivots a substantial distance between its open and closed positions to provide reliable, positive latching.

In summary, described above is a pivot-acting latch for luggage and like containers constructed with a novel catch mechanism having two cooperating latch mechanisms. The double latch construction makes possible a catch that has a simple operating movement and provides easy closure with a lever action altording a high mechan ical advantage. The two coacting mechanisms also ensure positive and secure closure.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A catch for latching a prong member movable with respect to said catch, said catch comprising in combination (A) a base member,

(B) a latch member pivotally supported on said base member for rotation between an unlatched position where it allows said prong member to be withdrawn from said catch and a latched position where it positively engages said prong member and draws it fully into said catch,

(1) means forming a slot in said latch member,

(C) an actuator pivotally joined at a first point to said base member,

(1) a remote end of said actuator spaced from said first point,

(2) a post extending from said actuator to engage said latch member slot at a second point along said actuator intermediate said first point and said remote end (a) so that a small latch operating pressure applied to said actuator at said remote end pivots said latch member between said unlatched and latched positions with a lever action having a mechanical advantage.

2. The catch defined in claim 1 further comprising slidable retaining means maintaining said actuator in a selected plane throughout its pivoting movement.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 further comprising (A) releasable holding means associated with said base member and said actuator to hold said actuator in a closed position where said latch member is in its latched position engaged with said prong member,

(1) said holding means applying the actuatorholding action adjacent said remote end of said actuator to maintain said actuator in said closed position with a lever action having a mechanical advantage.

4. A catch for latching a prong element movable with respect to said catc'h, said catch comprising in combination (A) a base member having on a first end flange means extending away firom a remote second end,

(B) a latch element pivotally supported on said base member intermediate said ends for rotation between a closed position Where it engages said prong element and an open position where it allows said prong element to be withdrawn :from said catch, and

(C) an actuator member pivotally joined to said base member adjacent said second end and pivotally coupled to said latch element to pivot said latch element between said open and closed positions as said actuator member pivots with respect to said base member,

(1) means forming a slide recess in said actuator member for slidably receiving said flange means throughout the pivoting of said actuator member,

(2) to maintain said members aligned during the pivoting motion of said actuator member.

5. A catch for mounting on a first container portion to latchably retain a prong member mounted on a second portion of said container, said catch comprising in combination (A) a base housing for securing to said container,

(1) a flange protruding from a first end of said housing in a direction away from a remote second end,

(2) a prong-receiving first chamber on said housing intermediate said first and second ends,

(3) a lock chamber on said housing adjacent said first end,

(B) a latch member having a latching projection,

(1) said latch member being pivotally supported on said base housing for rotation between an open position where said latching projection is withdrawn from said first chamber to allow said prong member to be withdrawn from said catch and a closed position where said latching projection protrudes across said first chamber to positively engage said prong member and draw it into said first chamber,

(a) means forming a slot through said latch member,

(C) a bolt having an extending arm (1) said bolt being slida'bly disposed in said lock chamber and resiliently biased toward said first end of said housing to extend said arm beyond said first end of said housing,

(D) an actuating lever having a plate portion and a projecting keeper,

( 1) said lever being pivotally joined to said second end of said base housing with said plate portion lying against said base housing and said keeper being disposed substantially coplanar with said base housing and adjacent its first end,

(2) a stud protruding from said actuating lever to engage said slot in said latch member (a) so that pivoting of said lever between unlatched and latched positions, respective1y,"piv'ots said latch member between said open and closed positions, '(3)-"said keeper receiving s'aid extended holt'arm when said lever' isiin saidlatched position to *constrain said lever firo'm pivoting, and

(E) means tforniingnanarcuate slot in said actuating. lever for islida bly, retaining said flange throughout 7 the pivoting of said lever. p v V 6. A compact latch comprising in combination a (A), first second memberspivotally joined at a pivot connection dior differential,rotationbetWeen-a latched condition and an nn'l'ato'hed "condition,

(B) pr-ong movable away from and -into;1atching"dis@ position with respect to said members,

(C) a latch member .pivotallyhrorinted on one of said members and 1) pi'votally linked *with the other of said mernhers, r e

V (2) so that said difierential rotation; ofv said first and second members pivot-s said latch member into and out of positive engagerfientfwiflh said prong, and

(D )p releasalble holding rnean's 'associatedwith said first and second anem bers'for holding them in said latched condition, p i i 1(1) s'aidholding means being spaced from said 8 v a pivot connection hy a distance greater than the distance between said pivot connection and said I latch memher,

(2) so that a relatively small holding force applied by' said 'hol'ding means maintains said first and second members in said latched condition, (E) means associated with said first and second members forming a: prong chamber for receivingsaid References Cited the Exaniiner UNITED STATES PATENTS '2/37 Fitch 296--'134 6/56 Landholt 292 -97 FOREIGN PATENTS i 793,975 1/58 'Gr eatB ritain M. WOODS JR? Pi'imary'Examiner.

' ALBERTHKAMPE,Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CATCH FOR LATCHING A PRONG MEMBER MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID CATCH, SAID CATCH COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) A BASE MEMBER, (B) A LATCH MEMBER PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE MEMBER FOR ROTATION BETWEEN AN UNLATCH POSITION WHERE IT ALLOWS SAID PRONG MEMBER TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CATCH AND A LATCHED POSITION WHERE IT POSITIVELY ENGAGE SAID PRONG MEMBER AND DRAWS IT FULLY INTO SAID CATCH, (1) MEANS FORMING A SLOT IN SAID LATCH MEMBER, (C) AN ACTUATOR PIVOTALLY JOINED AT A FIRST POINT TO SAID BASE MEMBER, (1) A REMOTE END OF SAID ACTUATOR SPACED FROM SAID FIRST POINT, (2) A POST EXTENDING FROM SAID ACTUATOR TO ENGAGE SAID LATCH MEMBER SLOT AT A SECOND POINT ALONG SAID ACTUATOR INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST POINT AND SAID REMOTE END (A) SO THAT A SMALL LATCH OPERATING PRESSURE APPLIED TO SAID ACTUATOR AT SAID REMOTE END PIVOTS SAID LATCH MEMBER BETWEEN SAID UNLATCHED AND LATCHED POSITIONS WITH A LEVER ACTION HAVING A MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE.

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