US1761131A - Key guard - Google Patents

Description

Jn 1jne 3, 1930. T. w. KIUYPFER l,761 ,l3l

KEY GUARIJ' Filed Nov. 28, 1927 I Inventor neodore M Ku afcr By I ' Attorney Patented June 3, 1930 eaTEnT- THEODORE W. KUPFER, OF ROCHESTER, YORK KEY GUARD Application filed November 28, 1927. Serial No. 236,181.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved form of key guards for use on the inside of door locks to hold the key with which the door has been locked in place in the I] lock and prevent the insertion of another key into the look from the outside of'the door.

Another object of this invention is to so construct the key guard that the key is held rigidly in place in the lock and cannot be 10 turned or in any way moved after the locking member of the key guard has been brought in engagement therewith.

These and other objects of this invention will be fully illustrated in the drawing, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof. I

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved key' guard asit appears when attached to the lock of a door.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the key guard attached to a door. 7

FigureB is a' front elevation of a portion of the key guard with its locking member moved into engagement with the key of the lock.

' Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the key guard as it appears before it is attached to the lock of a door. v

In the several figures of the drawing, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The key guard forming the subject matter of this invention is made to be attached to the door so as to form a permanent fixture in combination withthe lock. This is in distinction of other key guards which must be attached and detached every time the lock is locked or unlocked.

-As illustrated in the figures of thedrawing, the key guard comprises a stationary guide frame which is made up of the parallel upright members 1 and 2 that are oined at the top by the loop'3 and at'the bottom by the mounting and clamping member 4. The loop 3 isslightly offset to the front of the frame and is adapted to encircle the upper portion of the periphery of the shank 5 of the door knob 6. For the purpose of attaching the frame of the key guard to the shank 5, the mounting and clamping member 4 is removed member 4.

from the free ends of the parallel guidemembers 1 and 2 to allow the guide frameto engage over the shank and slide down over it until the loop 3 at the top of theframeongages the top of the shank '5. I

The mounting and clamping member 4; comprises a metal strap which encircles a spacing block 5 leaving enough space between the spacing block and the inside of the metal strap to permitthe insertion of the ends of the 80 upright guide members 1 and 2 after the wire frame has been placed over the door knob shank as above pointed out. After the mounting and clamping member has again been attach-ed to'the lower end of the guide '65 frame it is fastened in place on the face of the door below the look by means of the screw 6 which passesthru a hole provided centrally of both themetal strap and the spar I ing block that make up the inountlng and clamping member 6. In fastening the clamping and mounting member to thedoor the ends of. the parallel guide members 1 and 2 are at the same time clamped in place in the mounting member so that the guide framo is firmly held in a; verticalposition betweenthe shank 50f the door knob and the mounting On the guide frame above describedis mounted to "slide the locking frame with '80 which the handle of the key of the lock may be held or released fromthe lock. This looking frame comprises a horizontal lock ng member-7 located at the top of the locklng frame, the gripping member 8 and 9 intervmediate of the locking frame and the handle 10 at the bottom of the locking frame. Allof these members are preferably formed np froma single piece of wire which encircles the guide members 1 and 2 bothat the top and 0 bottom of the locking frame to hold the looking frame in sliding engagementavith the guide frame. The gripping members 8 and 9 form the intermediate section of the locking frame and while gripping member 9 1s rigid with the locking member 7 at the top andthe handle 10 at the bottom, gripping member 8 is onl rigid with the handle 10 at the bottom and is not connected with the locking member 7at the top. Instead the upper free end of the grippin member partially encircles the guide mem er 1 and then extends across the back of the guide frame to the back of the guide member 2 and projects slightly beyond it. The gripping members are bent angularly to project from the center of the locking frame below the looking member, and thus form the gripping jaws 11 and 12 which serve to hold the locking member 7 in engagement with the handle of the key of the look as will hereinafter be described. Gripping jaw 11 forms a part of the gripping member 8, which as previously pointed out, can yield to one side at the upper end so that when the shank 13 of a key is forced thru between the two gripping jaws, the gripping jaw 11 can swing to one side until the shank has passed the jaws when it will spring back into normal position in back of the shank. During this swinging motion of the yielding member 8, an extension provided at the top thereof and projecting from one side of the guide frame to the other in back of the guide frame, serves to hold the yielding member in place against a possible movement away from in front of the guide frame and guides the yielding member 8 back to its normal position after the shank of the key has passed from one end of the gripping jaw to the other.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 the guide frame is mounted in front of the look so that the keyhole 14 is located between the parallel guide members 1 and 2. The key of the lock is thus free to be inserted or withdrawn from the lock unless the locking member 7 is held in engagement with the handle 15 of the key. This is done after the lock has been locked with the key and the handle 15 thereof has been turnedinto a horizontal position as illustrated in full lines in Figures 2 and 3. To look the key in place in'this position the locking frame of the key guard is moved down from the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 2 to the full line position. In so doing the gripping jaws 11 and 12 are moved past'the key shank 13 with the result that the gripping jaw 11 is forced to one side but swings back into the place below the key shank so that the key shank is held in place In the space left free between the top of the gripping jaws 11 and 12, and the under side of the locking member 7. While the gripping jaws 11 and 12 engage the under side of the key shank, the locking member 7 engages the handle of the key holds it against rotation so that the key shank cannot be turned in the look from the outside of the door and the key forced out of the lock to make room foranother one.

I claim:

1. A key guard comprising a stationary guide on the inside of the door engagnig over the handle of the door at the top and fastened to the door at the bottom, a guard mounted to slide on said guide and having a tongue adapted to engage the handle of the key and prevent its being turned from the outside of the door, said guard having two aws adapted to engage below the shank of the key to hold the tongue down on the key handle, said jaws being adapted to close in front of the key hole of the look when the tongue is holding a key in place therein, said jaws preventing vision through the keyhole.

2. A key guard comprising a stationary guide on the inside of the door engaging over the handle of the door at the top and fastened to the door at the bottom, a guard mounted to slide on said guide and having a tongue adapted to engage the handle of the key and prevent its being turned from the outside of the door, said guard having two jaws adapted to engage below the shank of the key to hold the tongue down on the key handle, one of said jaws being spring pressed to permit the jaws to open and close while being moved past the shank of the key.

3. A key guard comprising a stationary wire guide on the inside of the door engaging 6 over the handle of the door at the top and fastened to the door at the bottom, a wire guard mountedto slide on said guide and having a rigid engagement therewith at four points, the upper pair of points being spaced a long distance from the lower pair of points, a tongue formed on said guard and being adapted to engage the handle of the key to prevent its being turned from the outside of the door.

4. A key guard comprising a stationary wire guide on the inside of the door engaging over the handle of the door at the top and fastened to the door at the bottom, a wire guard mounted to slide on said guide and having a rigid engagement therewith at four points, the upper pair of points being spaced a long distance from the lower pair of points, by being looped around the member of said guide, said guard extending out at the bottom to form a handle and extending out at the top to form a tongue adapted to engage the handle of the key to keep it from turning and having a pair of jaws formed between the top and bottom, said jaws being adapted to engage above or below the shank of the key, one of said jaws being spring pressed to permit the jaws to open and close while being moved past the shank of the key.

5. A key guard comprising a stationary wire guide on the inside of the door engaging over the handle of the door at the top and fastened to the door at the bottom, a wire guard mounted to slide on said guide and having a rigid engagement therewith at four points, a pair of jaws formed therein, said jaws being adapted to engage above or below the shank of the key, one of said jaws being spring pressed to permit the jaws to open and close While being moved past the shank of the key.

6. A key guard comprising a stationary Wire guide on the inside of the door engaging over the handle of the door at the top and fastened to the door at the bottom, and having two parallel members placed on opposite sides of the key and key hole, a Wire guard mounted to slide on said guide and having a close engagement with each of said members at two points, spaced apart so as to give a long bearing thereon, a tongue formed on said guard and being adapted to engage the handle of the key to prevent its being turned from the outside of the door.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THEODORE W. KUPFER.

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