US1232163A - Lock. - Google Patents

Description

J. M. ALEXANDER.

LOCK.

APPLICATION EILED SEPT.8. 1915.

1,232, 1 63.. Patented July 3, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1. FIG. l.

Snow wow J. M. Alexander w: Nonms PETERS cp.. FliGTO-LITNO.. wAsmNcmN. n. c.

J. M. ALEXANDER.

LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN M. ALEXANDER, OF CROPWELL, ALABAMA.

LOCK.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed September 8, 1915. Serial No. 49,579.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cropwell, in the county of St. Clair and State oil? Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in look construction.

In carrying out my invention I propose to construct a lock which shall embody few parts, which shall be cheap to manufacture, easily applied and which will perform its function with accuracy and reliability.

A further object of the invention is to construct a lock comprising a case formed from a single sheet of metal, to provide one of the sides or tacos of the casing with a bolt or staple opening, the other side or face of the casing with a key opening, to arrange within the casing two locking members or dogs having one of their ends pivoted to the said casing, to partially surround the said dogs with a substantially U-shaped spring to force the same toward each other, and to arrange over the dogs and spring a plate which is provided with a bolt as well as a key opening and which normally sustains the securing elements oi the lock in proper position, but prevents opened by other than the authorized key.

A still -lurther object of the invention is to construct a simple, cheap and eltective lock which may be used in connection with mail sacks, upon doors, closures for boxes and other articles without necessitating any particular change in the locking bolt and staple or in the lock construction.

With the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth. in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating the improvement applied to an ordinary doorand casing,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same ar ranged upon the closure of a box or chest,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the improvement arranged for locking the mouth of a mail bag,

Fig. 415 is an enlarged longitudinal secthe loci; beingv tional view a )oroximatel Y on the line ar s.

of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a similar View approximately on the line y -y of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view approximately on the line z-z of Fig. 4,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view approximately on the line a-a of Fig. 4,

Fig. '8 is a view of the blank from which the casing is formed,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the metal strip which is employed when the lock is connected tothe door of the shaft, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the bolt or lug employed in connection with the look.

In carrying out my invention, ll form the casing of my improved look from a single strip of suitable material, the same being provided at its ends and at its edgesfrom the major portion of its length with flanges and all extending in the same direction, the side flanges terminating an equal distance from the center of the casing, so that when the said blank is bent upon the said central portion, the edges of the flanges will contact,

and" the central or non-flanged portion is rounded to provide what may be termed an eye 1, and the members comprising the easing are bolted or otherwise riveted together, thus providing the casing 2 which is oi a substantially rectangular :t'ormation. One of the sides of the face provided with a key opening 3 and the opposite side is provided with a lug or staple opening 4. The side provided with the key opening 3 is further formed with an outturned depression 5 which is arranged opposite the lock opening 4, and the purpose of which will presently be described.

Pivotally secured, as at 6-6 to the side of the lock provided with the lock opening a and which for distinction is indicated by the numeral 7, is a pair of longitudinally extending spaced flat locking members or dogs each being indicated by the numeral 8. The numeral 9 designates a substantially U-shaped spring which has its connecting members arranged over the pivoted ends of the locking members 8 and its longitudinal arms arranged adjacent the outer edges of the said members 8, the ends of the said arms 10 of the spring 8 contacting with the said locking members adjacent the free ends thereof, and the arms 10 are, of course, adapted to swing the flat members 9 toward each other. Secured within the casing and overlying the locking members or dogs 8 is a flat partition plate 11, the said plate being provided with a bolt opening 12 and being further provided with a lug 18 which is disposed between the inner or engaging edges of the members 8 and which retains the said members in proper spaced relation with each other to permit of the insertion of the bit of the key through the key openings or the insertion of the lug through the lug opening.

The numeral l l designates a plate which has arranged thereon a substantially coneshaped lug 16, and the said lug is provided with slots 17 which are adapted to be engaged by the inner edges of the locking members 8 when the lug is passed through the opening 4 between the locking members 8 and has its pointed end received within the, depression or pocket 5.

The key, employed for spreading the clogs,-

must have its bit fo'rmed with slots which correspond with the shape of the key openings in boththe casing and the plate 11 so that the said members cannot be spread apart by any but a key particularly constructed for the lock which it operates and secured to the side 7 and arranged be tween the locking members 8, central of the key opening is a pin 19 which receives the barrelof the key and guides the bit of the same when swinging the members 8 to their open position. I

When the device is employed in connection with a mail sack, as illustrated in F i 3, the eye 1 of the casing receives the ring member 20 to which is connected a flexible strap 21, and the said strap has secured to one of its faces the plate 14: carrying the lug 16.

hen the device is employed upon a wooden structure, such as a door, the flexible strap 20 is dispensed with and in lieu thereof a metallic strap 22 is employed. This strap is provided with suitable openings 23 through which pass securing elements, and one of its ends is formed with a loop 241 which receives the ring member 21, and the said loop may be continued over the body of the strap and likewise provided with an opening which corresponds with a similar opening in the strap proper, the said openings serving for the passage of additional securing elements.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, aswell as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is The herein described construction of locks comprising a casing formed from a single strip of metal, bent upon itself to form parallel spaced members, one of said members having side and end flanges which contact with the other member, connecting means for the members, one of the members having an opening to receive the keeper, a partition plate secured in the casing and having an opening registering with the referred to opening for the keeper, said partition plate having one of its ends flanged to contact with one of the members of the casing, said partition plate being further provided with a lug which also contacts with one of the members of the casing and which is dis posed'away from the opening in the partition plate and in the casing, longitudinally arranged dogs'having one of their ends pivoted in the casing and contacting with the opposite edges of the mentioned lug, whereby to retain the said dogs in parallelism, and a U-shaped spring having. its arms contacting with the outer edges of the dogs at the free ends thereof, and the connecting member of the spring disposed betweenthe pivoted ends of the dogs and the referred to flange of the plate, all as and for the purpose set forth.

In testlmony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two w tnesses.

JOHN M. ALEXANDER.

Witnesses: I V

L. E. GARRETT, JAs. M. GARRETT.

5 Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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