US323830A

US323830A - Heney a

Info

Publication number: US323830A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 1902-08-04

Description

(No Model.)

H. A. SEYMOUR.

BOX OR TRUNK FASTENER 0R GATGH.

No. 323,830. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

Usare@ Smarts j 'PATENT miren.,

HENRY A. SEYMOUR, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CORBIN .CABINET LOCK COMPANY, OF NEV BRITAIN, CONN.

BOX OR TRUNK FASTENER OR CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming lpart of Letters Patent No. 323,830, dated August 4, 1885.

Application filed May 9, 1885.

.T @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY A. SEYMOUR, of Vashington, in the District oi' Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in B0X or Trunk Fasteners or Catches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in box or trunk fasteners or catches.

Heretofore trunk-fasteners as ordinarily constructed have been provided with a loop or hasp having a spring connected therewith to retain it in either a locked or unlocked position, the loop or hasp being hinged to one plate and its outer or free end moved into and out of engagement with a projection on the opposite plate. To insure the ready operation of this type of fastener it is necessary to provide sufficient space or play between the free end of the loop and the projection or keeper as will prevent a snug and tight inter- 2 5 locking of the dowel-and-socket fastening on the meeting edges of the two plates of the fastener, and hence a certain amount of lateral strain is imposed on the loop or hasp and the trunk-lock in the rough handling of a trunk.-

snap-loop, the spring must be relied upon to preserve the integrity of the fastener, because the breakage of the spring renders the fastener worthless.

The object of my invention is to provide a trunk-fastener with a loop or hasp and a device connected therewith for locking the same by a cam or eccentric locking action, whereby one end of the loop or hasp is moved over or past the pivotal center of the locking device.

Afurther object is to provide a trunk-fastener of such construction that thelocking-loop may engage the ends and sides of projections on the two plates of the fastener and lock be-y neath a rigid lip on the end of one of the projections.

Vith these ends in view my invention con- 5@ sists in certain features of construction and Again, in trunk-fasteners having a springactuated loop or hasp, or what is known as a (N o model.)

combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of one form of myimproved trunki fastener in its locked position. Fig. 2 is a 55 similar view showing thefastener in its un-- locked position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the parts in position for fastening the lid to the trunk; and Fig. t is a similar view showing the parts in'their unlocked 6o position. Fig. 5 is an edge view showing the position of the parts when the loop is being interlocked with the rigid lip on the opposite plate. Y

A represents a plate adapted to be fastened to the lid of a trunk, and B a plate to be fastcned to the body of the trunk; or the parts may be reversed on the trunk, if desired. Plate B is formed with a box or projection, c, in the upper end of which is provided a socket, 7o b, within which engages a dowel, c, that projects downwardly from the lower edge of plate A. Theobject of the dowel-andsocket fast- 'ening is to insure the interlocking of the two plates in such a manner as to prevent any endwise or transverse movement of the trunklid on the trunk-body, and thus relieve the trunk-lock, and also the fastener loop or hasp, from lateral or transverse strains.

C is a lever pivoted in the lower end of the projection a, and near its outer surface. Dif-y ferent methods of pivoting the leverl may be resorted to. In the drawings I have represented a shaft, d, secured to the end of the lever and projecting from opposite sides thereof, to form trunnions e, which are supported in bearings f,formed in the side walls of the projection a.

D is a loop, the end cross-bar, g, of which is pivoted to the under side of the lever C, lwhile the cross-bar h on its free end' engages the projection c' on the plate A, and' may be moved beneath the rigid lip j on the upper end of the projection.

Figs. 2 and 4. represent the parts of the fastener when the trunk is unlocked. The loop and lever in this position are suspended from the projection on thev plate B and lie fiat against the surface of the trunk-body, not projecting therefrom so as to catch on wearing- Ioo apparel, and leaving no part of the fastener extending above the edge of the trunkbody. To secure the loop in its locked position it is turned into the position shown in Fig. 5, and the free end of the lever raised unt-il the loop has been moved endwise or elevated a distance sufficient to cause the cross-bar h on its free end to ride over the rigid lip j and drop into the groove Z in the upper end of the projection i. The lower end of the lever C is then depressed, which operates to draw the loop downwardly and cause the cross-bar h to enter the groove Z, and thus securely retain the free end of the loop against displacement. By forcing the lever against the plate B the lower cross-bar, g, of the loop is carried inwardly and past the pivotal center of the lever, as illustrated in Fig. 8, thereby producing a firm and secure locking engagement, and one in which any strain exerted on the lid and tending to open it will operate to draw the lever more firmly against its plate or bearing and prevent the lifting of the loop and its consequent unfastening. The drawing or pulling action of the loop in the operation of fastening the trunk-lid to the body serves to force the dowel csnugly into its socket b and prevent any play or lost movement between the adjacent edges of the two plates ofthe fastener, and thus effectually relieve the loop as well as the trunk-lock from lateral strain.

The end cross -bar g of the loop engages the lower end wall, K, of the projection a, while its end cross-bar h engages within the grooves or undercut upper end of the projection i on the upper plate, and thus rigidly ties together the two plates of the fastener. The side bars, l', of the loop engage the side walls of the two projections, and thus serve to reenforce the fastening so as to withstand lateral strain thereon. with a groove, my, in which is received the le ver, so that its upper surface will be flush with the surface of the plate, and thereby be prevented from being bent or broken in use. A thumb-slot, n, is formed in the lower plate, into which projects the lower and free end of the actuating-lever, thereby enabling it to be readily operated by the finger in unlocking the fastening.

It is evident that many modied constructions of fastener embodying the improvement might be resorted to without avoiding the spirit of the invention. In the construction of the different parts of the device the plates may be made of cast or of sheet metal. The two plates may be interlocked by one or more dowels and sockets, which latter may be constructed and arranged as desired. The loop may be of any form in cross-section conducive to strength and a flush even outer surface of the fastener. Instead of a loop, a solid barlatch may be employed and a loop used to serve as a lever. Instead of arranging the lever to move to and from the surface of the trunk, it may be arranged to move in a plane The lower plate is formed therewith. Again, instead of providing the upper plate with a projection, as described, it may have a slot or recess for the reception of a project-ion on the free end of the loop or latch to interlock therewith, hence I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a trunk fastener, the combination, with two plates, of a loop or hasp connected to one plate and adapted to be detachably se cured to the other plate, and a locking device pivotally connected to the hasp-plate, and adapted to move one end of the loop or hasp past the pivotal center of the locking device in fastening and unfastening the loop or hasp, substantially as set forth.

2. In a trunk fastener, the combination, with two plates provided with interlocking dowel and socket, of a loop or hasp and a lever for imparting an endwise movement to said loop or hasp in fastening and unfastening the same, and for carrying it past the pivotal center of the lever to retain it against displacement, substantially as set forth.

3. rlhe combination, with two plates provided with interlocking dowel and socket, and each constructed with a projection, of aA loop or hasp pivoted to a lever connected to one plate and adapted to be locked over said projections, substantially as set forth.

4L. The combination, with two plates, each provided with a projection, the projection on one plate being undercut at one end, of a lever pivoted to one of the plates and a loop or hasp pivoted to said lever, and adapted to be swung over said projections and then moved endwise, to carry one end thereof into engage:

IOO

ment with the undercut or grooved end of one projection, and to have its opposite end carried past the pivotal center of said lever to lock it against displacement, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with two plates adapted to be attached to the lid and body of a trunk or box, respectively, one plate being provided with an undercut projection, of a loop or hasp and a lever pivotally connected to one of the plates and to one end of the loop or hasp, and adapted to impart an endwise movement to the loop or hasp in locking and unlocking the same, and to carry it past the pivotal center of the lever, substantially as set forth.

6. In a trunkfastener,the combination, with two plates adapted to be fastened to the lid and body of a trunk, respectively, said plates being provided with interlocking dowel and sockel', of a loop or hasp and a lever connected therewith to impart a cam or eccentric movement to said loop or hasp in locking the same, whereby the two plates are drawn together and the loop or hasp carried past the pivotal Center of the lever in looking and uu- In testimony whereof I have signed this 1o locking the same, substantially as set forth. specification in the presence of two subscrib- 7. In atruuk-fastener, the eombination,with ing witnesses.

two plates, each being provided with a, look- 5 ing projection, of a lever pivoted to one end HENRY A. SEYMOUR.

of the projection on one plate, and a loop or A hasp pivotally connected to said lever 'and Vfitnesses: adapted to engage the proj eotion on the other S. G. NOTTINGHAM, plate, substantially as set forth. GEO. F. DOWNING.