US2696101A - Keyholder - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 7, 1954 DYsART 2,696,101

KEYHOLDER Filed May 16. 1950 ATTORNEY United States Patent KEYHOIZDER Norman A. Dysart, Amarillo, Tex;

ApplicatiomMayzM,;1950,:Serial No. 162,189

.8 .Cltrims. ,(Cl. 70-456) Z'I'his invention relates.to keyholders and more particulai'ly. keyholders. of :the pocket .type, :inwhich 2 a. plurality ofkeyszare; supported in a-sucha manner, .as to render them easily'identifiable, and. accessible, and-in which the keys maybereadily placed in, position-for use, bythe operator.

.Wliilekeyholders .of a. large. variety-of types areravailable, .theyaregenerally. ditficultto handle, bulky, .and complicated.to..manipulate,;.part.icu1ar1y.where only one hand is available.

".lThe primaryobject of. my invention is to producea simple,.. compactkeyholder, l in which individual keys can be readily identified, and selectedwhentrequired.

Afurjtherobjectis. to produce a key-holder, in-whichthe keys.arellalched.in.place, .in such amanner that-they can be readily, individually.released,-and-placed inposition for ready insertiontby. the.operator.

A furtherobject is to .produee.a-keyholder, in which. the outeraplates are. madeof attransparent plastic. material, so that the .individualkkeys .are readily. identifiable, provision being made} forindentations .or,. markings on the. plates, so that the. individual keys. can. be similarly identified. by the sense of touch, in the dark.

.Another object is...to,.provide.- simple,v compactlatch, or retainer, for .eachindividualkey the latch. being. adapted to rapidly release the..corresponding key, when selected by the. operator. While the. otherkeys. rernaintin theholder.

A primary. Objectisjtoproduce asirnple, compact keyholder, which will retain a numberof keys.in .a. relatively small space;'the keyholder being ,producedtat relatively low cost,using simpleparts which can be;pro.duee.d.without elaborate "tools, the unit beingof. simple, construction, .50 thatit'cambe readily manipulated by personswithoutspe.

cial skills, and which will'function oversustained periods, without special attention, or complicated adjustments.

"The accompanyingdraw-ings, illustrative of one embodiment of my invention, togetherwith. the description .of. its construction and the 'methodof' utilization and operation thereof, will serve to clarifyiurther objects and advantages ofmy' invention.

In the drawings:

*Fig' lrepresents'a plan view of the'-assembled"key- I55 holder.

1 ig.'-'2'is:a side elevation of the keyholderof-Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the platesand'thekeyretaining latchJtz'tkeir'at 3- 3iFig. 1.

:FigrS is a:plan' view of 'oneembodiment'of theouter plate, rof:the keyhol'der-ofFigure 1, 'showing some of the key:=indentations,-':or markings.

r-Fig. 6 is arplan 'view -ofa'plate, similar to" Fig. '5, showinganother :setrof key" identification markings.

:Fig. 7 :is:a:;section .through'the plates-and: the screw connecting them, taken'at 7--7,"lig.'2.

@It will be.understoodvithatithe following description-of thez-constructionrcandr operation of; the keyholder, "is intendednas explanatory.ofitheinvention, and not restrictive thereof.

In: the::drawings,;the: same reference numerals designate the; sarnenpartsrthroughoutthe :various' views.

.Qnerembodiment-"of .thes'keyholder, 'shownm'n Figs. 1,

and 22,; comprises. a'zcentral :platef10, made of'metal, or a plastic:v materiahriof"substantially oval contour,- to which may: be:;spacedlyz attachedtwo or more outer side plates llaa-nd ll2; madec'of Lucite, or;otherrsuitable transparent,

or.:translucenteplastic rmaterial. Theside plates may be removablyiattaeheditoithe centraliplate by' apair of :screws 14 and 15, or other suitablesattaching means,-.mounted near the. endsof .thegplates, .the screws being-inserted either .throughithe: side. plates and. threadably inserted. in the central plateaor-eachscrew may. be fitted-through an opening. formedrini one side plate andthe central plate,

. andthreadablydnserted in;.the opposite side plate.

The-.-screws 14 and; 1=5--.serve: to connect-the plates, and also act as pivot mountings .for the keys 16' and 17, inserted in the-gap between the plates on each side, eachsc-rew fitting through-an opening formedin: the headtof thecorresponding. key. A-shaped spacer 18, made ofa; plastic material, formed metal, ,orother suitable material, may. be attached to: each faceof'sthe. central-.plate,-.by means of .a plurality of. rivets .20, ortby gluing, soldering, .or. other suitable attaching means, the spacers forming the. gap between .t the side plates and theeentral; plate, in sucha manner vas to-clear the facesof-the keys. The spacers also divide the gap between the plates; into two separate compartments, as indicated inFig. 1,. each spacer limiting the angular move- 20 ment ofeach. of -the. keys,..about the. corresponding, pivot screw, whenthekey is located in'theiinner position, shown in the uppersection, Fig. 1.

A formed torsion spring 21, or other suitable form of springpmade of finewwire, or othersuitable material, may be .inserted"in the,.-gap betweeneach set of' plates, .ad- ;jacent. the. key pivot; point, one end 22, of the spring, be-

ing attached to.-:the'.central plateby means of. a clip 23, attachedato, 'or formedintegral with .the plate, with the opposite or free :end, ofv substantiallyficircular contour, fitting around the head. of. .the: corresponding key,.the opiposite'extremityr25, of each .spring,:engaging the sideof the.shank-.of..'the..key, thus pressing thekey outward:to the..position, vvshown .by the.-.lower .key 17,..Fig. 1, .when the. grippingrnechanismis released. A fulcrum connec- ..35 tion.o1..clip;26,.:may.'be: attached-to or formed integral tion. tonthe plate. axis, the aXis .of the. latch being. SUbStH-De tially, perpendicular-tome. axis .ofthe. shank of thekey in theinner position.

'A narrow tongueddmaybejformed integral With..the

. body ofieachlatch, arrouter. .bent tip .or. retainer. integral with the outerv end ofeachofsaid tongues .forming..an acute angle-with the-tongue proper, to form .a. grip or retainer'31,which engages "the side or edge of the shank of the key, to retain .thekey i-in .the..inner,.position,..shown-in r the upper portion of'Eig. 1, when=the latch is in the normal position,'the key. retainerandteethlbeing shown intthe section, Fig. 3. "The tongue may be fitted through an;

openingformedin .the.plate, of .a width slightly greater than the-width ofthe'tongue, to provide free movement 6 of the tongue,andthqgripping'end thereof. A plurality of' V slots mayrbecutthrough the tipof the retainer, to form a series.of relatively sharp;pointed teeth 32 at .the end of the retainer, or aseries of serrations, or other form of gripping elements-may beformed at'thefree end ofthe retainer, the pointed teeth engaging the surface.of the #shanko'f the key or the outer-edge of. the shank, to retain the key'inl'the inner position, against the pressure of the torsion spring.

A latch may be-ma'de of thin sheet steel, or aluminum or other suitable materiaL'of spring temper, to provide the necessary flexibility.

'The'body' 33', of"the latch, 'rnay'be madeof arcuate cross-section, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that when the upper surface'ofithe'bo'dy' is pressed downward, 'the tongue 5 30is= raised about the junction'point between the body and the tonguegthe-gripping end' being raised out of engagement' with the :shank of-rthe key,'to"the position shown by'dot-dash lines,'Fig. '3, thus releas'ingthe shank of the key and; allowingi'itttoaassurne the" free position, shown at the bottom of Figal.

A ledge' 3'4 may 'be' attached'tog 01* formedintegral with the upper surface of the plate, adjacent the rear edge of the body of the latch, to retain the latch body Within the depression, a pair of similarly formed ledges 35 being located at the forward edge of the latch body, to retain the forward end of the latch body.

In inserting a key 16 into the holder, one of the screws 14 or 15, may be removed, the key being inserted into a gap between the plates. The screw is then inserted into the opening in the head of the key, and threadably inserted in the opposite plate, or the central plate, depending upon the type of screw used. The key may then be rotated about the pivot screw, until the grip of the latch, engages the side, or edge, of the key shank, thus retaining the key in the inner position, shown at the top of Fig. 1.

When the body of the latch is pressed inward, the gripping end of the tongue is released, thus allowing the torsion spring to rotate the key into the position, shown at the bottom of Fig. 1, in position for ready insertion into a keyhole.

The individual keys may be readily selected and identified through the transparent outer side plates 11 and 12.

In order to identify individual keys in the dark, or under conditions, in which they are not readily visible when mounted in the keyholder, a series of identifying indentations or serrations 36 and 37, may be formed in the outer surface of each of the outer plates, adjacent the ends thereof.

The indentations may take the form of a series of concentric circular lines 36, as indicated in Fig. 5, or a series of diagonal grooves may be formed in the plate, thus forming the diagonal serrations 37, shown in Fig. 5.

The indentations or serrations may also take the form of a series of ridges 38, formed perpendicular to the axis of the plate, or another series of ridges 39, formed substantially parallel to the plate axis, as indicated in Fig. 6, or the indentations or serrations may be located in various angular positions with relation to the plate axis, depending upon the number of keys supported in a particular holder, manufacturing facility, and the desired appearance.

The size and outer contour of the plates may be varied to suit a wide variety of types and sizes of keys.

The spacing of the outer plates, with relation to the central plate, may be varied to accommodate keys of various thicknesses and forms.

The plate attaching screws may be inserted through one outer plate, and threadably fitted to the opposite plate, or they may be inserted through each outer plate and threadably attached to the central plate.

The spacer between the plates may be made of a plastic material, and attached to the central plate by a plurality of rivets, or other suitable attaching means, or they may be made of metal, which is welded, soldered, brazed, or otherwise attached to the central plate.

The spacers may also be attached to the outer plate by riveting, heat sealing, or other suitable attaching means, or they may be molded integrally with each of the outer lates.

p The form, contour and angular position of the latch may be varied considerably, depending upon the size and location of the keys to be accommodated in a particular holder.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that my present invention is not limited to the specific details described above and shown in the drawings, and that various further modifications are possible in carrying out the features of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of transparent outer plates mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, means separating the outer plates from the central plate to form gaps therebetween, a pair of screws removably attaching the outer plates to the central plate, each of said screws being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key, fitted between each pair of plates, a plurality of latches made of a spring material mounted on each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element at one end of said tongue, said tongue and gripping element extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the body of said latch being arcuate in cross-section, said latch body releasing the tongue and gripping element from the key shank, when the latch body is manually pressed inward, and a coiled torsion spring adapted to press the shank of each key out of the keyholder when the corresponding latch is released.

2. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, means separating the outer plates from the central plate to form gaps therebetween, a pair of cylindrical elements threadably fitted to one of said outer plates, removably connecting the plates, each of said cylindrical elements being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key fitted between each pair of plates, a plurality of latches made of a spring material mounted on each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element at one end of said tongue, said tongue and key-gripping element extending through a slot in the plate, on which the latch is mounted, the body of said latch being arcuate in cross-section, said latch body releasing the tongue and gripping element from the adjacent key shank, when the latch body is manually pressed inward, and spring means pivotally moving the shank of each key out of the holder, when said gripping element is released.

3. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, made of a transparent material mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, a separator attached to each side of said central plate, to spacedly locate the outer plates, a pair of screws threadably fitted to one of said outer plates, removably connecting the plates, each of said screws being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key rotatably fitted between each pair of plates, a plurality of latches made of a spring material, mounted on each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element at one end of said tongue, said tongue and gripping element extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the body of said latch being arcuate in cross-section, said latch body being adapted to release the tongue and the key-gripping element from the shank of the key, when the latch body is manually pressed inward.

4. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, made of transparent material, mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, a separator attached to each side of said central plate to spacedly locate the outer plates, a pair of screws removably attaching the outer plates to the central plate, each of said screws being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key between each pair of plates, each of said outer plates having a plurality of depressions therein, a latch mounted adjacent each of said outer plate depressions, each of said latches comprising a body which is arcuate in cross-section, a tongue integral with said body, and an integral keygripping element located at the outer end of said tongue, the tongue and key-gripping element extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the latch body being operative to manually release the tongue and the key-gripping element from the key shank when the latch body is pressed inward, and a coiled torsion spring adapted to press the shank of the adjacent key out of the key holder, when the tongue and the key-gripping element are released.

5. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, means separating the outer plates from the central plate to form gaps therebetween, a pair of screws removably attaching the outer plates to the central plate, each of said screws being adapted to fit through an openmg in the head of a key to pivotally support the head of a key located between each pair of plates, each of said outer plates having a plurality of depressions in the outer surface thereof, a latch mounted in alignment with each depression in each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body fitted adjacent the depression in the plate on which the latch is mounted, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element at the outer end of said tongue, said key-gripping element having a plurality of teeth formed therein, said tongue and gripping element extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the body of said latch being arcuate in cross-section, each of said latches being angularly located relative to the longitudinal holder axis, the longitudinal axis of each latch being substantially perpendicular to the shank of the adjacent key, when the ey is mounted within the key holder, said latch body 5 being adapted to release the tongue and the key-gripping element from the adjacent key shank, when the latch body is manually pressed inward, a torsion spring mounted adjacent each of said screws, between each pair of plates, means attaching one end of said spring to the central plate, the opposite end of said spring being adapted to engage the adjacent key, to angularly move the shank of the key out of the key holder, when the key-gripping element of the latch is released.

6. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, of oval contour, made of a transparent plastic material, mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, a separator attached to each side of said central plate, to spacedly locate the outer plates, a pair of screws threadably fitted to one of said outer plates, removably connecting the plates, each of said screws being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key located between each pair of plates, a plurality of latches, made of a spring material, mounted on each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element at the outer end of said tongue, said tongue and key-gripping element extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the body of each of said latches being arcuate in cross-section, each of said latches being angularly located relative to the longitudinal key holder axis, the longitudinal axis of each of said latches being substantially perpendicular to the shank of the adjacent key fitted to the keyholder, said latch body being adapted to release the tongue and the key-gripping element from the corresponding key shank, when the latch body is manually pressed inward, a torsion spring mounted adjacent each screw, between each pair of plates, means-attaching one end of said spring to the central plate, the opposite end of said spring being adapted to engage the adjacent key, to pivotally move the shank of the key out of the key holder, when the gripping element of the latch is released.

7. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, a separator attached to each side of the central plate, to spacedly locate the outer plates relative to the central plate, said separators being adapted to limit the movement of keys fitted between the plates, a pair of cylindrical elements fitted to one of said outer plates, removably connecting the plates, each of said cylindrical elements being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key located between each pair of plates, each of said outer plates having a plurality of depressions in the outer surface thereof, a plurality of latches, made of a spring material, mounted on each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, located in alignment with the adjacent depression in the plate on which the latch is mounted, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element at the outer end of said tongue, said tongue and key gripping element extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the body of each of said latches being arcuate in cross-section, the longitudinal axis of each of said latches being substantially perpendicular to the shank of the adjacent key, said latch being adapted to release the tongue and the key-gripping element from the adjacent key shank, when the latch body is manually pressed toward the plate on which the latch is mounted, and a torsion spring mounted adjacent each cylindrical element, between each pair of plates, means attaching one end of said spring to the central plate, the opposite end of each of said springs being adapted to engage the adjacent key to rotatably move the shank of the key out of the keyholder, when the gripping element of the latch is released.

8. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, made of a transparent plastic material, mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, a separator attached to each side of said central plate, to spacedly locate the outer plates relative to the central plate, a pair of screws, threadably fitted to one of said outer plates, removably connecting the plates, each of said screws being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key located between each pair of plates, each of said outer plates having a plurality of depressions in the outer surface thereof, a plurality of latches, made of a spring material, mounted on each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, fitted to the adjacent depression in the plate on which the latch is mounted, a

tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the body of each of said latches being arcuate in cross-section, the longitudinal axis of each of said latches being angularly located relative to the longitudinal keyholder axis, the longitudinal latch axis being substantially perpendicular to the shank of the adjacent key, when the key is mounted within the key holder, said latch body being adapted to release the tongue and the key-gripping element from the adjacent key shank when the latch body is manually pressed inward toward the plate on which the latch is mounted, a torsion spring mounted adjacent each screw, between each pair of plates, means attaching one end of said spring to the. central plate, the opposite end of said spring being adapted to engage the adjacent key to angularly move the shank of the key out of the keyholder, when the gripping element of the latch is released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,493,689 Marcus May 13, 1924 1,903,372 Copell Apr. 4, 1933 1,974,558 Andis Sept. 25, 1934 1,981,984 Bennett Nov. 27, 1934 1,998,799 Woina et al. Apr. 23, 1935 2,291,896 Henderson Aug. 4, 1942 2,306,970 MacPherson et al. Dec. 29, 1942 2,387,319 Evans Oct. 23, 1945 2,467,614 Duyn Apr. 19, 1949 2,472,337 Olson June 7, 1949 2,517,500 McPherson et al. Aug. 1, 1950

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