US3045734A - Protective device for pocket wallets or the like - Google Patents

Description

G. A. MOLLER July 24, 1962 PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR POCKET WALLETS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1961 INVENTOR. Afjlal/ei" gaf e G. A. MOLLER July 24, 1962 PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR POCKET WALLETS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1961 I fizzy/MIMI" BY United States Patent Ofitice 3,045,734 PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR POCKET WALLETS OR THE LIKE George A. Moller, 3915 Maravic Place, Sarasota, Fla. Filed May 5, 1961, Ser. No. 108,117 3 Claims. (Cl. 150-47) This invention relates to retaining devices for pocket wallets and the like, and more particularly to a protective device for use with a pocket wallet or similar article to retain the article in the owners pocket to prevent the same from being lost or stolen.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved protective structure for a pocket wallet, or the like, said structure involving relatively simple components, being compact in size, and being adapted to securely protect a wallet or similar article with which it is employed to retain same in the owners pocket and to prevent it from being accidentally lost or stolen.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved wallet construction including means for retaining a wallet in the owners pocket, the construction involving inexpensive components, being arranged so that it does not interfere with the normal use of the wallet, and being relatively simple to operate.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a wallet, unfolded to open position, provided with an improved retaining means constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the elements of the retaining means employed in the wallet of FIGURE 1, said elements being shown in separated position.

j FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken through the portion of the wallet of FIGURE 1 containing the protective means, the protective means being shown in retracted position. FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view, similar to FIGURE 4, but showing the retaining tongue element of the device in extended position.

FIGURE 6 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 88 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of a protective device according to the present invention adapted to be employed in conjunction with a wallet or other article to be carried in the users pocket for the purpose of preventing accidental loss or theft of said article.

FIGURE 10 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 1010 of FIG- URE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a plan view, partly in cross section, of another form of protective device according to the present invention adapted to be employed in conjunction with a wallet or other article to be retained in the users pocket against accidental loss or theft.

FIGURE 12 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 1212 of FIGURE 11.

3,45,734 Patented July 24, 1962 Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 8, 11 generally designates a wallet provided with an improved protective structure according to the present invention. The wallet 11 is of the type comprising a foldable back member 12 and respective pockets 13 and 14 provided on opposite sides of the transverse fold 15 of the back member. A lining member 16 is secured at one longitudinal margin thereof to the longitudinal margin of the back member, for example, by stitching 17, and is also secured at its end edges to the end marginal portion of the back member, in a manner well known in the art. Overlying the pocket 13 are a plurality of card-holding sleeves, not shown, and normally covered by a flap 18 which is secured in place by a foldable tab 19 provided with a metal gripping element 20 which is formed on its inside face with a male snap fastener cooperating with a female snap fastener on the flap 18, in a well known manner.

Secured to the back member 12 adjacent the pocket 14 is a rectangular body 21 of flexible material, defining a compartment 22 (FIGURE 3) in which is disposed a generally rectangular flat rigid housing 23. As shown in FIGURE 2, the housing 23 comprises a bottom wall 24 and a plate-like top wall 25 formed with a depending transverse end flange 26, the longitudinal edge of the top wall 25 being received in a channel 27 formed in one longitudinal margin of the bottom wall 24 and the opposite longitudinal edge of the plate-like top wall 25 being received in another longitudinal channel 28 formed by the opposite longitudinal margin of the bottom wall 24. Slidably engaged in the housing 23 is a generally rectangular rigid tongue member 30 which projects outwardly through a slot 31 formed in the end of the wallet, said slot 31 being formed in the fold between the main body portion of the back member 12 and the fastening flap 32 which is secured to the end of the pocket 14 by suitable adhesive, or by any other suitable securing means.

The tongue member 30 is provided at its outer end with a rolled transverse bead 33 and is formed at its inner end with the beveled transverse edge 34, the inner transverse marginal portion of the tongue member 30 being arcuately curved upwardly, as shown at 35 in FIG- URE 2.

Tongue member 30 is formed with a longitudinal slot 36 through which extends a transverse rivet 37 secured in the top and bottom walls 25 and 24 of the housing 23, whereby the tongue member is guided for longitudinal movement and is retained in the housing, although is extensible therefrom in the manner indicated in FIGURE 5. An abutment block 38 is secured to the tongue memher at its inner portion, terminating adjacent the inner end of the slot 36, said abutment member being formed with the outwardly directed head portion 39 and being inwardly recessed at its outwardly facing edge, as shown at 40. A flat spring 41 is formed with a forward loop 42 which engages around the abutment block 38 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4, the loop having a reversely bent terminal loop 43 which is disposed adjacent the recessed edge 40 and the inner edge of the head element 39, so that the terminal loop 43 extends transversely across the end portion of slot 36, as shown in FIGURE 4. The opposite end of the spring 41 comprises a transversely extending rod-like element 47 which is substan- 3 tially greater in width than the loops of the spring 41, said rod-like element 47 being engageable with the longitudinal wall 48 of the flat housing 23, as shown in FIG- URE 5, to space the main body portion of the spring away from said longitudinal wall, for a purpose presently to be explained.

As will be readily apparent, the flat spring 41 biases the tongue member 30 outwardly, since it bears between the end flange 26 and the abutment block 38, as shown in FIGURE 5. The edge 34 of the tongue member 30 is beveled, as previously described, in order to provide clearance for the flat spring 41.

Designated at 50 is a detent lever which is pivoted at 51 to the flange 28, the lever having an inwardly projecting detent leg 52 which extends inwardly through a slot 53 in the wall 48 and which is formed with a detent notch 55 lockingly engageable with the square outer corner 56 of the head portion 39 of block 38. The lever 50 is further formed with the outwardly projecting trigger arm 57 which extends outwardly through an opening 58 provided in the side marginal portion of the flexible cover element 21, whereby the trigger arm 57 can be manually operated to rotate the lever 50 when it is desired to release the tongue element 30.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the tongue element 30 may be pushed inwardly so that the locking corner 56 is lockingly engaged in the detent notch 55, which holds the tongue element retracted against the compression of the flat spring 41.

A leaf spring 60 is secured at one end to a bracket 6'1, which is in turn secured at 62 to the flange 28, the leaf spring 60 engaging a lug 63 on the detent arm 52 to bias the lever 50 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG- URES 4 and 5, namely, to bias the arm 52 towards locking position. The forward edge of arm 52 is arcuately curved, as shown at 64, so that it is cammingly engageable with the arcuately curved inner corner 65 of head element 39, so that when the tongue member 30 is manually retracted, the head element 39 slips past the detent arm 52 sufiiciently to allow notch 55 to lockingly engage with the corner 56 when the tongue element is retracted to its innermost position. The lever 50 is freely pivoted on the rivet 51 against the biasing force exerted by the leaf spring 60, so that the lever 50 may be rotated to its dotted view position, shown in FIGURE 5, when the tongue element 30 is pushed inwardly, but finally returns to its normal full line position, shown in said figure to lock the tongue element in its retracted position. As will be apparent from FIGURES 4 and 5, the end loop 43 cooperates with the rivet 37 to provide a buffer action when the tongue member 30 is released, cushioning the outward movement of the tongue member at its outermost position, namely, in an extended position thereof such that the rivet 37 engages the cushioning loop 43.

In using the device, the arm 57 is manually rotated with the wallet in the users pocket, so that the tongue element 30 is released and extends outwardly by the action of the flat spring 41, so that the tongue element firmly engages the inner lining of the users pocket and acts to jamb the wallet in the pocket so that it cannot be accidentally lost or stolen. To release the wallet, it is merely necessary to push the tongue element 30 inwardly sufficiently to lock same in its retracted position, namely, with the corner 56 lockingly engaging the notch 55, as above described, whereby the wallet may be easily taken out of the users pocket.

FIGURE 9 illustrates a form of the invention comprising an attachment 70 which may be used in conjunction with any article to be protected against accidental loss or theft. Thus, the device 70 comprises a suitable envelope or container 71 of flexible material in which is mounted an assembly similar to that described above and illustrated in FIGURES l to 8, namely, the assembly contained within the receptacle defined between the body 21 of flexible material and the back element 12 of the wallet. The receptacle 70 thus receives the housing 23 and the contents thereof, with the tongue element 30 projecting from one end thereof and the operating arm 57 of the locking lever 50 projecting outwardly from the side edge of the receptacle through an opening provided therein, as shown at 72. A band of elastic material 73 is secured at its ends to the opposite side margins of the receptacle 71, as shown at 74, 74, and the article to be protected is engaged between the elastic band 73 and the adjacent wall of the receptacle 71.

FIGURES 11 and 12 illustrate a further modification wherein the elastic band, shown at 77, is secured longitudinally to the receptacle 70 instead of transversely, as in FIGURE 9, the structure otherwise being similar to that shown in FIGURE 9. Thus, the elastic band 77 in FIGURES l1 and 12 is secured at its opposite ends 78 and 79 to the opposite transverse end marginal portions of the receptacle 70, defining a means for receiving an article to be protected between the elastic band 77 and the receptacle 70.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved protective device for wallets and similar objects have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wallet of the type comprising a transversely foldable back member and respective pockets on opposite sides of the transverse fold of the back member, retaining means comprising a supporting member mounted on the back member inwardly adjacent one of said pockets, a plate-like rigid tongue member slidably connected to said supporting member, said back member having a transverse end fold adjacent the end of said supporting member, said transverse end fold being formed with a slot arranged to allow said tongue member to pass therethrough, spring means acting between said tongue member and said supporting member and biasing said tongue member outwardly through said slot, and pivoted latch means on a margin of said supporting member and being engageable with a portion of the tongue member to hold the tongue member retracted, said latch means projecting from a side edge of the wallet, whereby it may be manually rotated at times to release the tongue member.

2. In a wallet of the type comprising a transversely foldable back member and respective pockets on opposite sides of the transverse fold of the back member, retaining means comprising a relatively flat rigid sleeve-like supporting housing mounted on the back member inwardly adjacent one of said pockets, a plate-like rigid tongue member slidably disposed in said housing, said back member having a transverse end fold adjacent the end of said housing, said transverse end' fold being formed with a slot arranged to allow said tongue member to pass therethrough, spring means acting between said tongue member and said supporting housing and biasing said tongue member outwardly through said slot, and pivoted latch means on a margin of said supporting housing and being engageable with a portion of the tongue member to hold the tongue member retracted, said latch means projecting from a side edge of the wallet, whereby it may be manually rotated at times to release the tongue member.

3. In a wallet of the type comprising a transversely foldable back member and respective pockets on opposite sides of the transverse fold of the back member, retaining means comprising a relatively flat rigid sleevelike supporting housing mounted on the back member inwardly adjacent one of said pockets, a plate-like rigid tongue member slidably disposed in said housing, said back member having a transverse end fold'adjacent the end of said supporting housing, said transverse end fold being formed with a slot arranged to allow said tongue member to pass therethrough, said tongue member being formed with a longitudinal slot, a pin element secured in said housing and extending through said longitudinal slot, spring means acting between said tongue member and said supporting housing and biasing said tongue member outwardly through said first-named slot, said spring means having a resilient end portion yieldably engageable with said pin element to cushion extensile movement of said tongue member, and pivoted latch means on a margin of said supporting housing and being engageable 6 with a portion of the tongue member to hold the tongue member retracted, said latch means projecting from a side edge of the wallet, whereby it may be manually rotated at times to release the tongue member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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