US3324502A - Stay hinge - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1967 c. s. GEHRIE 3,324,502

STAY HINGE Filed Sept. 2, 1964 INVENTOR. CHARLES S. GIEHFUE F IE.. 3 BY 3,324,592 Patented .lune I3, i967 York Filed Sept. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 393,884 6 Claims. (Cl. 116-438) The invention relates to improvements in stay hinges for carrying cases of the attache case type or the like. t

In one known type of stay hinge construction, as shown in Patent No. 2,874,401, granted Feb. 24, 1959, a spring member is cooperatively related to a hinge member so that nodes or projections on both the spring and the hinge member have to pass over one another in order that the hinge may be held in its open position. In another form of known stay hinge including a spring member, as disclosed in Patent No. 3,009,193, granted Nov. 21, 1961, the spring member is made with a depressed portion or notch which is adapted to receive the end or edge of a staying member when the hinge is in fully open position. In still another known form of stay hinge, as disclosed in Patent No. 2,665,448, granted Jan. l2, 1954, a spring is provided with a depression or notch which cooperates with a member to limit the extent that the hinge may be opened.

In these prior art stay hinge constructions either substantial stress is imposed upon the spring, or the spring is related to a staying member in a manner which causes substantial wear of the engaging parts. In either case, there is an attendant loss of uniform operation upon repeated use of the hinge.

An object of the invention is to provide a stay hinge wherein the action for staying or maintaining the hinge in fully open position and intermediate positions is supplied by means including a iiat, smooth spring having its surface unbroken by notches, depressions or the like to thereby furnish uniform staying action with minimum stress and wear of the spring and its associated parts, though the hinge is subjected to continued and oft-repeated opening and closing actions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stay hinge wherein a loop member is related to the hinge members and a spring in a manner whereby the loop member acts to both brace and stay the hinge in its fully open position, the spring member being related to the loop member to merely exert a light pressure suicient to maintain the rigid, non-resilient loop member in engagement with the rigid, non-resilient portion of a hinge member to thereby furnish a hinge of uniform action for a long life.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stay hinge the parts of which are simply and inexpensively fabricated and easily and inexpensively assembled.

These, and other objects, advantages, and improved results will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a hinge made in accordance with the invention which is shown iixed to a lid and main body portions of a carrying case or the like, the lid and main body portions being partially shown and in closed condition;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the hinge shown in FIG. 1, the hinge being similarly associated with the partially shown parts of a carrying case;

FIG. 3 is also a side elevational view, this view however showing the hinge in its fully open position with the lid portion of the carrying case stayed or resiliently maintained in such open position;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the hinge apart from its connection to a carrying case, this View being taken substantially in the plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken approximately in the plane of line 5-5 of FIG. 1, this view omitting the associated parts of the carrying case, and further showing, by the dot-dash lines, the relationship of the parts of the hinge when in fully open position; and

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged view showing the relationship of parts of the staying means when the hinge is in fully open position, the dot-dash lines showing the relationship of the parts when the top hinge member begins to be rotated from its fully open position toward its closed position, or just prior to the top hinge member assuming its fully open position.

A hinge made in accordance with the illustrated and preferred form of the invention comprises a top hinge member A Vand a bottom hinge member B. The hinge members are rotatably or pivotally connected to one another by a transversely extending shaft or pintle C. The top hinge member is shorter in length than the bottom hinge member B. The former is adapted to be connested to the top lid portion D and the latter to the bottom main body portion E of a carrying case of the attache case type or the like having a structure which is well known in the art, A carrying case is shown here only to the extent of the rear walls thereof to which the hinge mem-bers A and B are secured to their exterior surfaces. It will be understood of course that the top lid and main body portions of the case are hinged to one another by a pair of hinges, one of which is illustrated.

The hinge members A and B preferably are formed and related to one another so that they provide cooperable means for limiting or stopping the extent of rotation of one hinge member with respect to the other. The hinge member A comprises a base portion 1t) which provides a bottom edge 12. When the hinge member A is rotated in a countenclockwise direction from its closed position as shown in FIGS. l, 2 and 5, the edge 12 engages the outer surface of the base portion 14 of the hinge member B at an adjoining area 16 to stop the rotation of the hinge member A in its fully open position as shown in FIG. 3. The extent of rotation from fully closed to fully open position is approximately degrees. v

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the base portion 10 of the hinge member A is preferably formed with a pair of laterally spaced, inwardly extending depressions 18, 18 within which are respectively situated a pair of laterally spaced apertures 20, 20 (FIG. 4) to provide means for connecting the hinge member to the wall of the lid member D. Thus, the heads 22, 22 of rivets having their Shanks extended through the apertures will not project above the upper surface 24 of the base portion It); The aforementioned edge 12 is centrally located at the lower extremity of the surface 24 when the hinge is oriented as shown in the figures of the drawing.

As shown in FIG. 4, the hinge member B is similarly formed with a pair of laterally spaced apertures 26, 26

through which are extended the 4Shanks of rivets 28, 28'

(FIG. l) to secure this hinge member to the wall of the main body portion E of the carrying case. Similarly, the base portion 14 of this hinge member is provided with laterally spaced depressions 30, Sti' within which the apertures 26, 26 are located so the heads of the rivets do not extend above the upper surface 32 of the base portion 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower hinge member is provided with a third aperture 34 extending through the base portion 14 midway of its width and near the lower end thereof so that a third rivet 36 (FIG. l) may be extended through such aperture to securely attach this longer hinge member to the wall E of the carrying case. A depressed area 37 is provided to surround the aperture 34 so that the head of the rivet will not project above the adjoining upper surface 32.

As illustrated, it is preferred that the bearings for the pintle VC be provided by the hinge members. For this purpose, the hinge member A is provided with a pair of laterally spaced extensions 38, 38 which are curled around the pintle in one direction, and the hinge member B is provided with a central extension 40 which is curled about the pintle in an opposite direction.

The hinge member A is formed at its periphery to provide an inturned flange at the rear face thereof, except for the area adjoining the pintle C. The flange furnishes a pair of substantially parallel, longitudinally extending, laterally spaced inturned side flange portions 42, 42. In the area of the pintle C, the inner walls of these ilange portions confineV the ends of the pintle to prevent its escape. The anges 42, 42 are provided at their upper ends with transversely extending cutouts or bearing openings 44, 44 to provide xed axis bearing means at the underside of the top hinge member for a purpose to be subsequently explained.

The hinge member B also is provided at its periphery with an inturned ange except for the transverse area immediately adjacent the pintle, such flange providing substantially parallel, longitudinally extending, laterally spaced inturned side flanges 46, 46. These flanges of the hinge member B are each provided with a longitudinally extending cutout or slot, the slots 48, 48', which provide an elongated bearing intermediate the length of the hinge member B. The slots 48, 48, which are open to the rear of the hinge member A, terminate at their lowe-r end, or at their ends which are remote from the pintle C, in wells or notches 50, 50. The free or exposed edges of the anges 42, 42' and 46, 46 of the two hinge members, except at the slots 48, 48', lie in the same plane `so that when the hinge members are secured to the walls of a carrying case the members abut the walls which lie in the same plane as shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lowermost end of the hinge member B has a centrally located tang 52 which is bent inwardly and back onto the flange portion 54 which extends transversely across the lower end of the hinge mem ber. The inner walls of the tang 52 and of the flange portion 54 provide a pocket within which is received and held the end of a leaf spring member F. As illustrated, it is preferred that the spring member be bent at its lower end to provide a substantially U-shaped portion 56 so that the spring may be held and biased toward the plane of the top edges 57, 57 of the anges at their slotted areas 48, 48'. Accordingly, the plate portion 14 of the bottom hinge member is made with a mating depression S8 on its underside which extends across the base portion at its lower end to receive the bent portion 56 of the spring. For the purpose of symmetry and appearance, the top end of the hinge member A is similarly formed at 59.

As shown in FIG. 4, to prevent the spring member F from shifting laterally, it is provided with a central notch at its lower extremity to furnish a pair of ears 62, 62 between which the tang 52 is located. The remainder of the leaf spring which extends for at least the length of and between the slots 48, 48', and their respective notches 50, 50', is flat, smooth, continuous and unbroken except for an opening 64 therethrough which is in alignment with the aperture 34 to allow the shank of the rivet 36 to be extended therethrough. As shown in FIG. 5, the aperture through the spring is situated below the slots and below the notches at the end of the slots so that, as will subsequently appear, the spring is functionally smooth, continuous and unbroken insofar as the staying and bracing means with which the spring is associated.

To releasably maintain or stay and `brace the top hinge member A in its fully open position, and to stay such hinge member in positions intermediate the fully open position of FIG. 3 and the fully closed position of FIGS. l and 2, loop means G is associated with the top and bottom hinge members A and B and the leaf spring membe-r F. The loop means is formed to provide trunnion means which is received in the fixed bearings 44, 44 of the hinge member A and to provide second trunnion means received within the elongated bearing means provided by the slots 48, 48 of the hinge member B. The rst and second trunnion means are longitudinally spaced and rigidly connected to one another, with the second trunnion means having the leaf spring F associated therewith.

According to the preferred form of the invention, and as shown in FIG. 4, the loop means G comprises a generally U-shaped loop member formed of wire bent to provide a transversely extending base portion 66 and a pair of parallel, laterally spaced, longitudinally extending arm portions 68, 68. At the end of the loop member opposite the base portion 66, it is provided with inturned ends 70, 70 which extend parallel to the base portion 66. As shown, the inturned ends are laterally spaced from one another. For the purposes of the invention however, the inturned ends may be extended so that they are immediately adjacent to one another. Functionally however, and to save the wire of which the loop member is made, it is adequate that the loop member be formed as illustrated.

The inturned ends 70, 70 are positioned within the fixed axis bearing openings provided by the cutous 44, 44' in the anges 42, 42' of the top hinge member. To facilitate connection of the loop member to the top hinge member, the circular cross-section wire of the loop member is provided with flat areas 72, 72 at opposite sides at the inturned ends or trunnions 70, 70' to provide a reduced diameter which permits the inturned ends to clear the openings 74 leading into the bearings 44, 44 the edges of which circumscribe more than a semi-circle. Thus, when the hinge member A and its bearing openings 44, 44 are oriented as shown in the solid lines of FIG. 5, and with the flat areas 72, 72 extending horizontally, the trunnions 70, 70 may pass through the openings 74. When the loop member G is then rotated so that the at areas assume a vertical position, the trunnions cannot escape from their lixed axis bearings in all positions which the trunnions will assume in use of the hinge.

With the trunnions 70, 70 positioned within their lixed axis bearings 44, 44', the transversely extending base portion 66 of the loop member is positioned in the longitudinally extending slots 48, 48 formed in the bottom hinge member B. As shown, the parallel, longitudinally extending arms 68, 68 of the loop member are laterally spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the width of the hinge. The length of the arms 68, 68 is such that when the hinge is in its fully closed position, the base portion 66 of the loop member is located at the top of the slots 48, 48. When the hinge is in its fully open position, as shown in FIG. 3 and in the dot-dash lines of FIG. 5, the base portion 66 is positioned in the notches 50, 50 at the ends of the slots. In this position, the loop members base portion 66 bears against the horizontally extending edges 76, 76 of the flanges 46, 46 adjacent and dening one side of the respective notches. In this position, the rigidity afforded by the loop member arms 68, 68' furnishes substantial means in addition to the cooperating parts 12 and 16 of the hinge members for bracing the hinge in its open position.

Throughout the travel of the base portion 66 from its position where the hinge is closed (FIG. 2) to its position where the hinge is open (FIG. 3), the base portion 66 is confined or pressed against the edges 57, 57' in the slotted areas and the edges of the substantially semicircularly formed notches by the arm 78 of the leaf spring G. The diameter of the wire used for the loop member, the thickness of the spring arm 78 and the depth of the slots 48, 48 are selected so that with the base portion 66 in its rearmost position on the hinge member, or on the edges or tracks 57, 57', the outer surface of the spring arm 78 lies substantially in the same plane as the exposed edges of the flanges 46, 46 at their unslotted areas. As a result, the spring arm is not affected by the wall of the main body portion E of a carrying case when the hinge member B is secured thereto. Throughout the travel of the base portion 66 from the top of the slots 48, 48' to its lowermost position in the notches 50, 50', it has uninterrupted sliding movement with respect to the smooth, linearly continuous inner surface of the spring arm 78.

When the top hinge member has been rotated to its fully open position, as shown in FIG. 3, the base portion 66 of the loop member is at the lower limit of its travel and has entered the notches 50, 50', and the arms 68, 68' have pivoted and have assumed an angular position of approximately 45. Due to the resilient pressure of the spring arm 78 upon the base portion 66, the base portion snaps into the notches when the fully open position of the hinge is reached. In such fully open position of the hinge, the major component of the pressure exerted by the loop member is resisted by the notchs terminating edges 76, 76. The spring is relied upon to resiliently or releasably maintain the loop members base portion 66 in the notches and bearing against the edges 76, 76. In this relationship of the parts, the major forces are imposed upon the solid, rigid, non-resilient wire of the loop member and of the metal of the hinge member. The stress imposed upon the spring is minimal. As a result, repeated opening of the hinge causes little wear of the parts and uniform staying and bracing action is afforded.

Also, the pressure of the spring arm 78 against the base portion 66 on one side thereof supplies frictional engagement between the opposite side of the base portion and the edges or tracks S7, 57. Thus, in positions intermediate the top ends of the slots and the notches, the top hinge member is resiliently maintained in partially open position to the extent that an outside or manual force is required to move or change its position With respect to the bottom hinge member.

As shown in FIG. 6, the flange edges which define each of the notches 50, 50' preferably are made to furnish an angle a, herein termed the entry angle to the notches, of approximately 50 degrees. Such entry angle permits smooth entry, also exit of the loop member base portion 66 into and out of the notches.

It is believed that the advantages and improved results afforded by the stay hinge of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A stay hinge for carrying cases of the attache type or the like having a top lid portion and a bottom main body portion, said stay hinge comprising top and bottom hinge members rotatably connected by a transversely extending pintle, transversely extending fixed axis bearing means provided by the top hinge member at the underside thereof, an elongated, longitudinally extending bearing provided by the bottom hinge member on the underside thereof terminating in a notch at the end of the elongated bearing remote from said pintle, loop means providing rigidly connected, longitudinally spaced first and second trunnion means, the first trunnion means being positioned in said fixed bearing means, the second trunnion means being positioned in and movable along said elongated bearing and into and out of said notch upon opening and closing of the hinge, said second trunnion means being positioned in said notch at the fully open position of the hinge, and a flat, smooth leaf spring secured to the botto-m hinge member biased against said second trunnion means, said spring extending at least the length of the elongated bearing and its notch, said second trunnion means having uninterrupted sliding movement with respect to the spring at all positions of such trunnion means in the elongated bearing and when the second trunnion means enters and leaves the notch.

2. A stay hinge as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle of entry between the elongated bearing and the notch is approximately 50 degrees.

3. A stay hinge for carrying cases of the attache type or the like having a top lid portion and a bottom main body portion, said stay hinge comprising top and bottom hinge members each having a plate portion and substantially parallel, longitudinally extending, inturned side flanges at the rear face thereof, said top and bottom hinge members being rotatably connected by a transversely extending pintle, opposite bearing openings formed in said top hinge member side flanges providing a transverse fixed axis bearing, opposite, longitudinally extending slots formed in said bottom hinge side flanges providing an elongated bearing, a notch in communication with each slot at the end thereof remote from said pintle, a rigid loop member having a transversely extending base portion, a pair of substantially parallel arms and a pair of inturned trunnions at the ends of the arms, said trunnions being positioned in said top hinge member bearing openings, said base portion being positioned in and movable along said slots and into and out of said notches upon opening and closing of the hinge, said base portion being positioned in said notches at the fully open position of the hinge, and a flat, smooth leaf spring secured to the lower end of the bottom hinge member biased against said base portion, said spring extending at least the length of the slots and their respective notches, said base portion having uninterrupted sliding movement with respect to the spring at all positions of the base portion in the slots and when the base portion enters and leaves the notches.

4. A stay hin-ge as set forth in claim 3, wherein the angle of entry between the slots and the notches is approximately 50 degrees.

5. A stay hinge as set forth in claim 3, wherein the notches are each defined by a terminating flange edge engageable by the base portion of the loop member whereby the loop member is braced by said flange edges in the open position of the hinge.

6.A A stay hinge for carrying cases of the attache type or the like having a top lid portion and a bottom main body portion, said stay hinge comprising top and bottom hinge members each having a plate portion and substantially parallel, longitudinally extending inturned side flanges at the rear face thereof, said top and bottom hinge members bein-g rotatably connected by a transversely extending pintle, cooperable means provided by the hin-ge members for stopping the rotation of the top hinge member with respect to the bottom hinge member at the fully open position of the top hinge member, opposite bearing openings formed in said top hinge member side flanges providing a transverse fixed axis bearing, opposite, lon-gitudinally extending slots formed in said bottom hinge side flanges providing an elongated bearing, a notch in communication with each slot at the end thereof remote from said pintle, the angle of entry between the slots and notches being approximately 50 degrees, said notches being defined by a terminating flange edge, a rigid loop member havin-g a transversely extending base portion, a pair of substantially parallel arms and a pair of inturned trunnions at the ends of the arms, said trunnions being posi- 7 tioned in said top hinge member bearing openings, said base portion being positioned in and movable along said slots and into and out of said notches upon opening and closin-g of the hinge, said base portion being positioned in said notches and bearin-g against said terminating ange edges to additionally brace the hinge in its fully open position, and a flat, smooth leaf spring secured to the lower end of the bottom hinge me-mber biased against said base portion, said spring extending at least the length of the .slots and their respective notches, said base portion having uninterrupted sliding movement with respect to the spring at all positions of the base portion in the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1912 Steiger 16-138 11/1961 Lifton 16-138 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

10 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Examiner.

D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A STAY FOR CARRYING CASES OF TEH ATTACHE TYPE OR THE LIKE HAVING A TOP LID PORTION AND A BOTTOM MAIN BODY PORTION, SAID STAY HINGE COMPRISING TOP AND BOTTOM HINGE MEMBERS ROTATABLY CONNECTED BY A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PINTLE, TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING FIXED AXIS BEARING MEANS PROVIDED BY THE TOP HINGE MEMBER AT THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF, AN ELONGATED, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BEARING PROVIDED BY THE BOTTOM HINGE MEMBER ON THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF TERMINATING IN A NOTCH AT THE END OF THE ELONGATED BEARING REMOTE FROM SAID PINTLE, LOOP MEANS PROVIDING RIGIDLY CONNECTED, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FIRST AND SECOND TRUNNION MEANS, THE FIRST TRUNNION MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN SAID FIXED BEARING MEANS, THE SECOND TRUNNION MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN AND MOVABLE ALONG SAID ELONGATED BEARING AND INTO AND OUT OF SAID NOTCH UPON OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE HINGE, SAID SECOND TRUNNION MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN SAID NOTCH AT THE FULLY OPEN POSITION OF THE HINGE, AND A FLAT, SMOOTH LEAF SPRING SECURED TO THE BOTTOM HINGE MEMBER BIASED AGAINST SAID SECOND TRUNNION MEANS, SAID SPRING EXTENDING AT LEAST THE LENGTH OF THE ELONGATED BEARING AND ITS NOTCH, SAID SECOND TRUNNION MEANS HAVING UNINTERRUPTED SLIDING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE SPRING AT ALL POSITIONS OF SUCH TRUNNION MEANS IN THE ELONGATED BEARING AND WHEN THE SECOND TRUNNION MEANS ENTERS AND LEAVES THE NOTCH.

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