US2233115A - Combination latch and lock - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, 1941.

B. THIELE COMBINATION LATCH AND LQCK Filed Oct. 8, 1938 2/ INVENTQR.

aW'KhOLD mien ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 25, 1941 2,233,115 COMBINATION LATCH AND LOCK Berthold Thiele, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to E. It. Wagner Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a, corporation of Wisconsin Application October S, 1938, Serial No. 233,948

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined latch and lock especially adapted for containers or boxes such as jewelry boxes or the like although also capable of practical universal application.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is extremely simple and compact in construction, reliable and effective in operation, attractive in appearance, readily applied to a box or container or other similar article, and susceptible of economical manufacture from materials by means and facilities ordinarily available.

In carrying out the invention the number of parts employed are reduced to the very minimum, in fact the device pro-per comprises only three elements, namely, a casing, a sliding latching bolts, and a spring which is so constituted and so combined with the casing and with the latching bolt as to serve not only as a spring for biasing the latching bolt to latching position but also as a tumbler'adapted to coact' with a key and as a dog for holding the latching bolt against movement when the spring is shifted to locking position. Of course, a hook or catch is provided on one of the parts of the box or container or other article to cooperate with the,

latching bolt.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction-arrangement, and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation illustrating a combined latch and lock embodying the present invention applied to the sections of a box;

Figure 2 is a view of the device in front elevation with the front plate of the casing removed and with a portion of a key illustrated partly in section and partly in elevation, ,the spring being shown in the position to dog or look the latching bolt;

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation of the front section of the casing;

Figure 4 is a view in transverse vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the spring member as disposed to constitute the device a latch, the latching bolt being illustrated in latching position; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but illustrating the latching bolt retracted to releasing position.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates the body of a box and the numeral 2 the lid thereof. The casing 5 is fashioned from sheet metal and is in the form of a plate 4 (Cl. YO-70) having a body portion 6 and lateral extensions 1 from the upper part of the body portion, the margin of the body portion and extensions being formed with a continuous inwardly depressed bead or edge 8 so that when the plate 4 is applied to the front wall of the body I of the box its body portion 6 and extensions 1 will be spaced slightly therefrom except for the bead 8, as illustrated in Figure 4. The plate 4 may be secured in any suitable manner to the body but preferably it is fastened in position by prongs 9 which are formed integral with the lateral extensions 1 and driven through the material of the box and then clinched over as shown in Figure 4. structure and is also fashioned from a sheet metal plate and has a flat wall ll provided with an inwardly directed marginal flange l2 which spaces the front wall II from the rear wall 6. The front Wall II has the dimensions and outline of the body portion 6 of the back plate and it is secured to the back plate by means of metal tabs I3 which are integral with the flange l2, pass through slots M in the plate 4 and are then clinched over.

A latching bolt designated generally at I5 is slidably fitted in the casing and is guided by the front and rear walls and the top portion of the flange l2. The latching bolt has an extension it which is slidably engaged in and projects beyonda notch l2 in the flange l2 and is formed.- at its outer end with an outwardly turned extremity grip. The front and rear walls of the casing flatly engage the side faces of the latching bolt and the straight portion of the upper part of the latching bolt slidably engages the upper part of the flange l2.

A generally U-shaped spring is also disposed in the casing and is so constituted and combined with the casing and with the latching bolt as to serve three functions, namely, as a spring for biasing the latching bolt to latching position, as a dog for holding or looking it in locked position, and as a tumbler cooperable with a key to enable the spring to be shifted from a position wherein it dogs or looks the bolt to a position wherein it merely serves as a spring for biasing the bolt to latching position. The spring 2B has a body portion 2!, a short leg 22, and a long leg 23. The legs 22 and 23 extend transversely with respect to the bolt and they are maintained in position and guided by means of guide lugs 24, 25, 26, 21 and 28 and by means of the front and rear walls of the casing and a portion of the flange l2. The parts are so related that the leg 23 of the spring always bears against the rear end of the latching bolt so as to bias it to latching position. The leg 22 of the spring has its extremity laterally A metal cove-r H] completes the case ll which serves as a finger bent as at 22' and designed to coact with the notch 29 formed in the latching bolt I5. Thus as illustrated in Figure 2, the spring 20 may be shifted so that the extremity 22 of the leg 22 is received and engaged in the notch 29 thereby locking the bolt in position. However, the spring may be shifted downwardly to the position shown in Figures 5 and 6 wherein the extremity 22' of the leg 22 is located below the notch 29 and the latching bolt is released so that it may be manually shifted to released position. The leg 22 of the spring is provided with a V-shaped portion 30 which is designed to coact with a key 3| which may be inserted through a keyhole slot 32 provided in the cover of the easing and also interengaged with an opening 33 formed in the rear wall of the casing to center the key.

The lid of the box is provided with a part cooperable with the combined latch and lock just described and such cooperable part usually comprises a sheet metal stamping 40 which may be provided with prongs 4| to hitch it to the lid and which has a hook or catch 42 adapted to enter a slot 43 provided in the upper part of the flange l2 and interengage with the latching or looking projection 44 of the latching bolt l5. The hook or catch 42 and the locking projection 44 are shaped and dimensioned as shown in the drawings so as to be self-latching when the catch drops through the slot 43 and so as to'be positively interlocked when they are interengaged in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 5.

The capacity of the spring 20 to exert a dogging or looking action is enhanced by the action of k the stops 2'! and 28 which stiffen the locking extremity 22' of the leg 22 of the opening as well as guide it. The lug 24 serves to aid in guiding the latching bolt l5.

While I have shown and described one construction in which the invention may be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood that the construction shown has been selected merely for the purpose of illustration or example and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A combined latch and lock comprising a casing, a latching bolt slidably mounted in said casing and having a portion projecting beyond the casing and providing a finger grip, a U-shaped spring mounted in said casing for sliding movement transversely with respect to said latching bolt, one leg of said spring being longer than the other and engagedwith one end of the latching bolt in all positions'of the spring whereby to bias the latching bolt to latching position, said latching bolt having a notch in one edge, the shorter leg of said spring being shiftable into and out of said notch, and means on the casing and slidably embracing the shorter leg of the spring adjacent the latching bolt to provide a positive reinforcement for the portion of the spring engageable with the notch of the bolt, one of the legs of the spring having a V-shaped portion adapted to cooperate with the key whereby the spring may be shifted to and from dogging position.

2. A combined latch and lock comprising a casing, a latching bolt slidably mounted in said casing, a U-shaped member slidably mounted in said casing and moved transversely with respect to the latching bolt, at least one of the legs of said U-shaped member being resilient and being engaged with the latching bolt to bias it to latching position, the other leg of the spring being cooperable with the bolt to dog it when the U-shaped member is slid in one direction, one of said legs having a portion adapted to coact with a key.

3. A combined latch and lock comprising a casing, a latching bolt slidably mounted in said casing, a generally U-shaped spring mounted in said casing for sliding movement transversely with respect to said latching bolt, one leg of said spring being longer than the other and being engaged with one end of the latching bolt in all positions of the spring to bias the latching bolt to latching position, the latching bolt having a notch in one edge, the shorter leg of said spring being shiftable into and out of said notch, and guiding means within the casing and engaged with the legs of the spring to constrain it to sliding movement transversely with respect to said latching bolt.

4. A combined latch and lock comprising a casing, a latching bolt slidably mounted in said casing, a generally U-shaped spring mounted in said casing for sliding movement transversely with respect to said latching bolt, one leg of said spring being longer than the other and being engaged with one end of the latching bolt in all positions of the spring to bias the latching bolt to latchin'g position, the latching bolt having a notch in one edge, the shorter leg of said spring being shiftable into and out of said notch, and guiding means within the casing and engaged with the legs of the spring to constrain it to sliding movement transversely with respect to said latching bolt and including a lug engageable with the portion of the short leg of the spring adjacent that which is shiftable into the notch to provide a positive reinforcement for the portion of the spring having dogging engagement with the bolt.

5. A combined latch and lock comprising a casing, a latching bolt slidably mounted in said casing, a generally U-shaped spring mounted in said casing for sliding movement transversely with respect to said latching bolt, one leg of said spring being longer than the other and engaged with one end of the latching bolt in all positions of the spring to bias the latching bolt to latching position, said latching bolt having a notch in one edge, the shorter leg of said spring being shiftable into and out of said notch, and fixed guide lugs disposed in the casing and having sliding engagement with the legs of said spring to constrain it to transverse sliding movement with respect to the bolt.

6. A combined latch and lock comprising a casing, a latching bolt slidably mounted in said casing, a generally U-shaped spring mounted in said casing for sliding movement transversely with respect to said latching bolt, one leg of said spring being longer than the other and engaged with one end of the latching bolt in all positions of the spring to bias the latching bolt to latching position, said latching bolt having a notch in one edge, the shorter leg of said spring having a laterally bent extremity adapted to be shifted into and out of dogging engagement with said notch, and means within the casing and slidably embracing the legs of the spring to constrain the spring to sliding movement transversely of the latching bolt.

- BERTHOLD THIELE.

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