US3390555A - Rotating luggage latch - Google Patents

Description

July 2, 1968 H. BLOSS ROTATING LUGGAGE LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1965 y m Mm 4E O im o m a |J/ W Q m N HINT Y w lhl.. a l2 im,

July 2, 1968 H. BLoss 3,390,555

ROTATING LUGGAGE LATCH Filed Dec. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Hevmon B\o55 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,390,555 ROTATING LUGGAGE LATCH Herman Bloss, Orange, Conn., assiguor to The Seymour Products Corporation, Seymour, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Dec. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 514,900 6 Claims. (Cl. 70-69) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLGSURE This invention relates to a luggage latch of a luggage case or the like having a cover or lid hinged to the body section for closing the latter and for other uses requiring means to releasably fasten separable parts one to another and, in particular, comprising a stationary member having a pivotal member mounted thereon, the pivotal member being provided with a guide rail which engages another member to close two covers of a device together.

This invention relates to a latching device and more particularly to a luggage latch for a luggage case or a like container of the kind having a cover or lid hinged to a body section for closing the latter, and for other uses requiring means to releasably fasten separable parts one to another.

Due to the tierce price competition between lock manufacturers and the counter-requirements of luggage manufacturers for lower cost locks, a situation has been created such that for a lock manufacturer to remain competitive, new and improved lock constructions must be developed in order to reduce manufacturing costs while at the same time maintaining quality. Not only must the new lock constructions be economical, but they must also be so constructed that they are essentially failure-free.

In view of the foregoing, applicant has invented a new and improved lock construction which utilizes a minimum of parts and is fabricated such that the major operating parts are formed with guideways, recesses, openings and positioning means. In this manner a locking mechanism is provided which is susceptible to mass-production techniques, requiring a minimum of hand labor to complete the fabrication of this device.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved luggage latch which is both simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved latch making maximum use of metal stampings throughout to permit a latching device to be fabricated with a minimum of hand labor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved latch having a scissor-like construction, such that opposing portions of a suitcase are drawn tightly together upon closure thereof.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved latch construction having an integral guide for a locking bolt formed therein to permit a rotating portion of the lock to be secured in a locked position Still further objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the features, properties and relation of elements which will be exemplified in the apparatus hereinafter described and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals 'ice designate like or corresponding parts in the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a front view of the latch mounted on the body and cover or lid portion of the piece of luggage;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. l, but with the body portion and the lid portion of the luggage separated;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the latch in a closed position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the latching device of the invention is generally shown at 10 and includes a pivot bar 11 mounted by a plurality of screws to a flap 12 of a suitcase or other type of luggage. An anchor plate 13 for mating with the pivot bar 11 is mounted to a bottom flap 14 of the same suitcase. Pivotally connected to the pivot bar 11 is a pivotal member 16 having a cover 17 mounted thereon. The cover 17 includes a keyway 18 for permitting a key (not shown) to enter and position a locking bar to secure the pivotal member in the position shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows the flaps 12 and 14 separated and the pivotal member 16 and its cover 17 in an upright position prior to the anchor plate 13 engaging the pivot bar. To initially set the position of the pivot bar 11 with respect to the anchor plate 13, there is provided a catch 20 on the pivot bar and a socket indentation 21 on the anchor plate 13. Thus, to close the suitcase, the two iiaps 12 and 14 are brought together such that the catch enters the socket 21 and the pivotal member 16 is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 1. As the pivotal member 16 rotates it is adapted to receive a roller 22 mounted on a pin 23 supported by the anchor plate 13, such that an edge of ap 14 is lifted to engage an edge of ap 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 through 7, there is shown in more detail the operable parts of the latch of the invention. FIG. 4 shows the position of the pivotal member 16 prior to its being rotated and FIG. 5 shows the position of the pivotal member after it has been rotated to secure the aps 12 and 14 together. As shown in these figures, the pivotal member 16 is secured to the cover 17 by bending down the cover regions 17a so that they extend over the flanges 16a16d of the pivotal member 16. In this manner an ornamental cover may be easily secured to the pivotal member containing the operating parts of the device.

The cover 17 has a passageway 27 defined therein to permit the roller 22 to extend into the interior of the cover and overlie a portion of the pivotal member 16. Necessarily, the pivotal member 16 has its flanges 16a and 161) so deiined as to permit the roller 22 to enter therein. It is to be understood that although portions of the cover are bent over to retain the flanges of the pivotal member, the device could be constructed such that the cover may be welded to the pivotal member or held together in any other suitable manner, although bending portions of the cover over the flanges is preferred because of the low cost in manufacturing the same.

The rotatable member 16 includes a guiderail 30 which is preferably formed from the flat portion of the rotatable member material utilizing stamping fabricating techniques. The -guiderail is preferably at a right angle to the main fiat surface of the rotatable member 16. An end portion 31 of the rail 30 is preferably rolled over to insure that roller 22, when engaged by the guiderail as the rotatable member is pivoted in a scissoring action,

is securely held within the guiderail 30 and cannot move away from or slide oit` the guiderail. The rotatable member 16 is also formed with a recessed guide portion 32 permitting a locking bolt 33 to slide therein. This recessed guide portion additionally includes an opening 35 for permitting the tip of the key utilized to be positioned therein, such that it may rotate and move the locking bolt by engaging camming surface 37 of the locking bolt 33. The locking bolt 33 is fabricated so as to include a raised detent portion 39 which acts as a spring and stop mechanism. The tip of detent 39 includes a boss 40 which frictionally contacts the surface of the recessed guide portion 32. A plurality of stops in the at portion of the guide 32 are provided so that while the locking bolt is moved it will snap in and out of stops 41 in the surface of the guide 32 in order to securely hold the locking bolt in place between one `of two positions. The end of guide 32 is open such that tips 33a and 3317 of locking lbolt 33 can be moved into and out of the guide region formed by guide 32. Additionally, the rotatable member 16 is formed with a collar recess 44 so that a pin can be recessed below the outside surface of the rotatable member as it is secured to the pivot bar 11.

Preferably positioned on top of the collar recess 44 is a spring element 46 having a raised detent portion 47 with a raised boss 48 for frictionally sliding against the interior surface of the rotatable member. The rotatable member 16 preferably includes the two additional stops 50 and 51, such as recesses or punched-out holes, for receiving the boss 48 in order to securely establish stops for the rotatable member when it is in either a vertical or horizontal position. The other end of spring 46 has a hook arrangement for engaging a flange 56 formed from the pivot bar 11. In this manner the spring is securely atiixed so that it will not rotate with the rotatable member. The pivot bar also includes a recess 60 which abuts the other side of the spring 46. The pin 61 passes through the collar 44 and recess 60 and through a hole in the spring 46 to securely hold the combination of elements together in such a manner that the pivotal member 16 is free to rotate so that roller 22 Will be engaged by the rail 30 and lifted slightly to insure a close t between the flaps 12 and 14. This is accomplished since the guiderail portion is constructed such that the distance from the pivot point of the pivotal member to the end of the rail 30 is greater than the distance that the roller finally sits in after the pivot member is rotated to a horizontal position.

In order to lock the pivotal member in a horizontal position, a key is inserted in the keyway 18 to engage the cam surface 37 in order to position the locking bolt so that its tips 33a and 33b will surround a portion of the ange 56.

Thus, applicant has provided a lock having a relatively small number of parts and having integrally fabricated portions formed from each of the elements so that the device may be constructed by utilizing mass-production techniques. The rotatable member as formed includes a guide means for the locking bar as well as means providing stops for the locking bar and stops for the spring between the rotatable member and the pivot bar itself. Furthermore, the rotatable member is formed with at least one integral guiderail which is so constructed that it will engage and guide a roller attached to the anchor bar and raise it slightly to ensure that the iiaps of the luggage are firmly secured. Additionally, applicant has constructed the pivot bar such that it includes a flange formed from the pivot bar itself and which not only retains a friction spring in place but also provides a means for a locking bolt to secure the rotatable member in a horizontal position 4by the action of a key against a camming surface of the locking bolt.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are eiciently attained and sine@ C @lain changes may Ibe made in the foregoing construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

VvIt is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A latching mechanism for two relatively movable closure members, comprising a pivot bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of one of said closure members, an anchor bar having a projection extending from one side thereof, said anchor bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of the other of said closure members, said anchor bar and said pivot bar positioned on said members so that an edge of one may engage an edge of the other, a pivotal member journalled to said pivot :bar so as to be rotatable with a scissoring movement relative to the pivot bar, a guide rail formed within said pivotal member and extending at substantially a'right angle away from the main body of the pivotal member, said guide rail having a curvilinear surface over a portion thereof, and said guide rail positioned on the pivotal member so that when the pivotal member is rotated the projection on the anchor bar may ride thereon and be raised thereby, a locking bar guideway formed from said pivotal member, said locking bar positioned for sliding movement in said guideway and having an end insert cut out therefrom to form a slot therein, and a raised flanged bar formed from said pivot bar and positioned to receive the slot of the locking bar thereabout when the pivotal member has been completely rotated to engage the projection of the anchor bar and the locking bar has been positioned by a key.

2. A latching -mechanism for two relatively movable closure members, comprising a pivot bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of one of said closure members, an anchor bar having a projection extending from one side thereof, said anchor `bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of the other of said closure members, said anchor bar and said pivot bar positioned on said members so that an edge of one may engage an edge of the other, a pivotal member journalled to said pivot bar so as to be rotatable with a scissoring movement relative to the pivot bar, a guide rail formed within said pivotal member and extending at substantially a right angle away from the main body of the pivotal member, said guide rail having a curvilinear surface over a portion thereof, and said guide rail positioned on the Ipivotal member so that when the pivotal member is rotated the projection on the anchor bar may ride thereon and be raised thereby, said guide rail also including a rolled-over portion for limiting the sidewise movement of the anchor projection as it moves on the track.

3. A latching mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said locking bar includes a raised detent having a recessed portion on a tip thereof, and wherein said guide rail includes a recessed portion receiving means formed therefrom for establishing at least one stop for the locking bar.

4. A latching mechanism for two relatively movable closure members, comprising a pivot bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of one of said closure members, an anchor bar having a projection extending from one side thereof, said anchor bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of the other of said closure members, said anchor bar and said pivot bar positioned on said members so that an edge of one may engage an edge of the other, a pivotal member journalled to said pivot bar so as to be rotatable with a scissoring movement relative to the -pivot bar, a guide rail formed from said pivotal member and extending at substantially a right angle away from the main body of the pivotal member, said guide rail having a curvilinear surface over a portion thereof, and said guide rail positioned on the pivotal member so that when the pivotal member is r0- tated the projection on the anchor bar may ride thereon and be raised thereby, a raised ange formed from a portion of said pivot bar and including a resilient member having one end thereof positioned about said flange and against a surface of the pivot bar, wherein the other end of the resilient member includes an indent portion in frictional contact with the surface of the pivotal member, and wherein said pivotal member has a plurality of stops thereon for receiving said indent portion of said resilient member.

5. A latching mechanism for two relatively movable closure members, comprising a pivot bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of one of said closure members, an anchor bar having a projection extending from one side thereof, said anchor bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of the other of said closure members, said anchor bar and said pivot bar positioned on said members so that an edge of one may engage an edge of the other, a pivotal member journalled to said pivot bar so as to be rotatable with a scissoring movement relative to the pivot bar, a guide rail formed from said pivotal member and extending at substantially a right angle away from the main body of the pivotal member, said guide rail having a curvilinear surface over a portion thereof, and said guide rail positioned on the pivotal member so that when the pivotal member is rotated the projection on the anchor bar may ride thereon and be raised thereby, a resilient member having one end thereof in sliding contact with said pivot bar and the other end thereof having a slot cut out therefrom, said slot adapted to surround at least a portion of said pivot bar.

6. A latching mechanism for two relatively movable closure members, comprising a pivot bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of one of said closure members, an anchor bar having a projection extending from one side thereof, said anchor bar adapted to be secured to a marginal edge portion of the other of said closure members, said anchor bar and said pivot bar positioned on said members so that an edge of one may engage an edge of the other, a pivotal member journalled to said pivot bar so as to be rotatable with a scissoring movement relative to the -pivot bar, a guide rail formed from said pivotal member and extending at substantially a right angle away from the main body of the pivotal member, said guide rail having a curvilenar surface over a portion thereof, and said guide rail positioned on the pivotal member so that when the pivotal member is rotated the projection on the anchor bar may ride thereon and be raised thereby, means formed in the anchor bar and the pivot bar for initially establishing the lateral position of oneI with respect to the other when the closure members are positioned together, a locking bar, a cover mounted over said pivotal member such that said locking bar is positioned between the bottom surface of said guideway and the interior surface ot said cover, said cover including a keyway and said locking bar including a cam surface for engagement with a key.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,596,561 8/1926 Tueckmantel 190-56 3,020,742 2/1962 Gehrie 70-69 3,020,743 2/1962 Gehrie 70-69 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,291,634 3/1962 France.

' MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

E. I. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner.

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