US2777316A - Safety attachment for a stove - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 15, 1957 A. MELLO 2,777,316

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR A STOVE Filed June 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 4155/? 7' MEAL 0 01AM mwvm WK! ATTORNEY) Jan. A. MELLO v SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR A STOVE Filed June 25, 1953 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR A STOVE Albert Mello, New Bedford, Mass.

Application June 23, 1953, Serial No. 363,631 1 Claim. (Cl. 70-177 This invention relates to improvements in locking means for the burner valve handles of gas ranges and the like, designed to prevent operation of the handles by children.

The primary object of this invention is to prevent the turning of the burner valve handles of a stove to on position by children.

Another object is to facilitate the rapid release of the burner valve handles for operation by an adult, and to signal that the burners are in condition for use.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features flat surfaces carried by coupling members extending between burner valve units and burner valve control knobs or handles on a conventional stove, a bar mounted to move transversely across the coupling members, and flat surfaces carried by the bar adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the fiat surfaces of the coupling members to arrest rotation of the coupling members and prevent rotary movement being transmitted from the knobs to the burner valve units.

Other features include a pin tumbler lock mounted on the stove, an arm carried by the barrel of the pin tumbler lock and pivotally connected to the bar for shifting said bar longitudinally to move the flat surfaces of the bar into and out of engagement with the flat surfaces of the coupling members.

Other features include a signal lamp mounted on the stove adjacent the burner valve knobs, a switch mounted on the stove and located in the path of movement of the bar, said switch being operatively connected with the lamp so that when the bar is moved longitudinally to unlock the burner valve units, the lamp will be illuminated.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a stove equipped with locking mechanism in accordance with the present invention, portions of the top of the stove being broken away more clearly to show certain details of construction;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the stove illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the locking bar in unlocked position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram for the signalling means; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2, showing a modified form of locking bar.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is therein shown a stove designated generally 10 equipped with gas burners 12 connected through conventional pipes 14 to control valves 16 having plugs 18 which are rotatable to control the flow of fuel to the burners 12. The valves are coupled to a conventional fuel supply pipe 20. Connected to the plugs 18 and extending through the front wall 15 of the stove are couplings 22 carrying at their ends remote from the valves 16 control knobs or handles 24 which are distributed in a row along the front wall of the stove adjacent the top thereof. The couplings 22 are in the form of flat bars having flat surfaces for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described.

Mounted on the stove adjacent one end thereof is a substantially U-shaped bracket 26 carrying a horizontal guide bar 28 upon which'a locking bar designated generally 30 is mounted to slide. The bar 30 comprises an elongated body 32 having adjacent one end an elongated longitudinal closed slot 34 receiving the bar 28. The opposite end of the "locking bar 30 is coupled through the medium of a pin and slot connection 36 with the free end of a radial arm 38 carried by the barrel 40 of a pin tumbler lock 42 which is mounted on the stove adjacent the end of the locking bar 30 remote from the bracket 26. It will thus be seen that the locking bar 30 may be shifted longitudinally by oscillation of the barrel 40 of the pin tumbler lock 42.

vAs illustrated in the drawings, the locking bar 30 is provided with longitudinally spaced downwardly opening notches 44 through which extend the coupling bars 22 and at one side of each notch 44 is a fiat surface 46 which, as illustrated in Figure 3, is arranged to engage the flat surface of a related coupling bar 22 to prevent turning thereof and consequent opening of the burner valve to which the bar 22 is coupled. When the locking bar 30 is in the position illustrated in Figure 4, the valves 16 may be opened by rotation of the control knobs 24 thereof but when the locking bar 30 is in the position shown in Figure 3, the valves 16 and knobs 24 are locked against rotation.

In order to provide a visual indication for enabling a person to ascertain whether the mechanism is locked or unlocked, a window 48 (Figures 2, 3, 4 and 6) is provided in the front wall 15 of the stove 10 and mounted on a suitable bracket 50 (Figures 2, 4 and 6) behind the window 48 is an electric lamp 52. A switch 54 is mounted on the stove in the path of movement of the locking bar 30 adjacent one end thereof and has a push button 56 which is engaged by and displaced to its off position in the locking position of the locking bar 30. As the locking bar 30 is moved to its unlocked position, the button 56 is released to its on position, wherein the lamp 52 is energized.

For controlling and locking the oven burner of the stove 10, to which burner gaseous fuel is supplied through a valve 60 from a pipe 58, the valve 60 is connected to the supply pipe 20, and is provided with a rotatable plug 62 which is connected through a suitable coupling link 64 with the barrel of a pin tumbler lock 66 carried by the front wall of the stove, as illustrated in Figure 5. The pin tumbler lock 66 is provided with the control knob 68 by means of which the cylinder thereof can be rotated when the lock is in unlocked condition so as to turn the coupling member 64 and plug 62 so as to regulate the flow of fuel through the pipe 58.

In the modified form of the invention, illustrated in Figure 8, the locking bar 30' is provided with flat surfaces 46 for engaging the coupling bars 22 when the coupling bar 30 is in locked position. Formed intermediate the ends of the bar 30 is a depending U-shaped yoke 70 which is designed to provide clearance from a thermostat 72 which may be located midway between opposite ends of the stove.

In use it will be obvious that upon inserting a key into the lock 42, the barrel 40 thereof may be rotated to shift the bar 30 to the right as viewed in Figures 3 and 4 to disengage the stop surfaces 46 from the coupling bars 22 and permit the coupling bars to turn in the notches 44. Obviously, upon the shifting of the locking bar 30 to the right, as viewed in Figure 4, the switch 54 will be operated to energize the lamp 52 and provide a visual indication that the burner control units 16 are unlocked and ready for use. When it is desired to lock the units to prevent tampering with and possible opening of the burners, the lock barrel 40 is turned to the left, as suggested in Figure 3, to shift the bar 30 to the left, and cause the stop surfaces 46 to engage the coupling bars 22 to lock the burner control units and their control knobs against rotation. Obviously, when the bar 30 is shifted to the left, the switch 54 will be operated to discontinue the tlow of electrical energy to the lamp 52.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and de-' scribed the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a support, a valve mounted on the support, a rotatable plug controlling the valve, a cou pling bar having a first end connected to said plug and a second end, a knob secured on said second end, a locking bar having first and second ends, said locking bar extending crosswise of said coupling bar, means mounting said first end of the locking bar on said support for endwise movement in opposite directions from a locked position to an unlocked position, an opening in said locking bar through which said coupling bar extends, said opening having edges out of contact with said coupling bar in the unlocked position of the locking bar, said opening having a stop edge, said knob and coupling bar being rotatable together to closed position in which the burner valve is closed, said stop edge being positioned to engage a side of the coupling bar only in the locked position of the locking bar whereby rotation of the coupling bar is precluded, said means comprising an arm pivoted to said second end of the locking bar and to said support, and actuating means connected to said arm to swing said arm for moving the locking bar endwise between its locked and unlocked positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 780,985 Possum Ian. 31, 1905 956,947 Curlett May 3, 1910 1,597,403 Cromie Aug. 24, 1926 1,652,660 Devereaus Dec. 13, 1927 1,860,288 Hyndman May 24, 1932 1,984,870 Farmer Dec. 18, 1934 2,094,441 Aidala Sept. 28, 1937 2,115,305 Fox Apr. 26, 1938 2,116,885 Friedman May 10, 1938 2,350,078 Smith May 30, 1944 2,413,237 Jones 1. Dec. 24, 1946 2,489,611 Becvar Nov. 29, 1949 2,525,562 Reeves Oct. 10, 1950

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