US1950414A - Lock for separable fasteners - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1934. J, RIFKIN LOOK FOR SEPARABLE FASTENERS Filed April 29, 1932 2 Shgts-Sheet l March 13, 1934. J m 1,959,414

LOCK FOR SEPARABLE FASTENERS Filed April 29, .1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 14 Claims.

separable fasteners such as have commonly been used on bags, pouches, or containers of flexible material, whether of cloth, leather, or any non-rigid material, have heretofore been provided with exterior looks or detachable padlocks and exterior locking devices, such as hasps, staples, and eyes.

My present invention has for certain of its principal objects, first, the provision of improved locking means for the slider of a separable fastener used on bags, receptacles, pouches, or the like, of flexible or pliable material, adapted to be built within and permanently housed by and connected to the bag, pouch, receptacle or the like and constructed to resist any effort to force it open; second, locking means which will prevent forcing of the separable fastener through the slider for the purpose of opening the separable fastener when it is locked thereby; third, locking means substantially contained within the receptacle or pouch and concealed by it.

Further objects are the provision of locking means of improved construction, particularly adapted to co-operate with the standard, or generally accepted type of slider provided in connection with separable fasteners now known to the trade, for the purpose of housing, concealing, and locking the slider and toprotect it against access so that it cannot be pried or displaced from locked position or otherwise tampered with and to prevent the teeth of the fastener from being opened by unauthorized persons.

While one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide locking means built into the receptacle, pouch, or bag which has a separable fastener, so that the locking means will be just as unitary with the receptacle as is the separable fastener, nevertheless I am aware that the improved locking means I have provided may be used as a self -contained lock and, therefore, claim is made to the locking device, not only in its combination with the receptacle and the separable fastener but, also, as an independent article. My invention is susceptible of embodiment in different constructions without departing from the essential principles thereof. Certain of the embodiments of the invention are hereinafter described and are shown in the accompanying drawings; other embodiments may be resorted to, whether the locking means be used as an independent unit, or, built into the receptacle, pouch, bag, or the like, which has the separable fastener.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a bag or pouch provided with an ordinary separable fastener and with the present improved locking means, the slider of the separable fastener being in locked position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the separable fastener closed and the slider in position to be locked but with the improved locking means in unlocked position;

Fig. 3 is a detail View through the parts when in the position shown in Fig. l, the clamp for the barrel of the locking means being broken away and the flexible or pliable material of the bag being in section;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the locking means by itself, in unlocked condition, the key being in the lock;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail View illustrating a modification of the locking means of the preceding figures, disclosing plates projecting from the body of the locking means for attachment by rivets or prongs to the flexible or pliable material of the bag or container;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a modification of the locking means wherein the slider of the separable fastener is shown as being locked by the locking member;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the locking means of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, with which is associated, in detached form, the usual slider of a separable fastener, the locking member being unlocked; and

Figs. 8 and 9, are detail plan and side Views of the slider of a separable fastener, the manipulating or finger piece being absent.

The bag, receptacle, pouch, container, or the like, which is of flexible or pliable material, such as cloth, leather, composition material, etc., is shown in conventional form at 1 in the various views. It will be understood, however, that the present improvements may be applied to any receptacle or container, regardless of the use to which it is intended to be put, and that the outline or shape of the receptacle or container does not enter into the present invention.

The usual separable fastener of the type which at present is well-known to the trade, is shown in conventional fashion at 2 and the slider which engages and disengages the said fastener in a manner well-known to those skilled in the art, appears at 3. customarily, the slider 3 is provided with a manipulating member 4, which is 106 generally loosely connected to the slider 3 as, for instance, by attachment to a loop 5, carried by the slider 3. My improved locking means, as shown in the drawings, comprises a unit, two of whose embodiments appear in Figs. 4 and 5.

Referring first to Figs. 3 and 4, the lock-part is rotatably mounted within a barrel 6 but as the interior construction of the lock is not material and may be varied according to approved practice, the interior locking mechanism is not shown in detail.

Carried by the lock-part which is mounted to turn in the locking barrel 6, is a locking and housing jaw 7, which may be turned through an angle of, preferably, as from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 to that shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or vice versa. When in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the locking jaw is open so that the slider 3 may be positioned for subsequent housing and looking, or, may be disconnected from the locking means to enable the slider to be operated to open the separable fastener 2.

A key 8, which is adapted for reception in a keyhole 9 in the jaw 7 and rotatable lock-part, is immovably held, so that it cannot be withdrawn, when the locking and housing jaw 7 is in the open position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This key is used as a turn button or finger piece to turn the jaw 7 through an angle of substantially 90 to bring it to a position where it will overlie the slider 3, and when this position is assumed, the lock contained within the rotatable lock-part within the barrel 6 looks the jaw 7 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The key may then be withdrawn. Upon reinserting the key 8 in the keyhole 9, it may be used as a finger piece to turn the jaw 7 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 so as to render the slider 3 accessible.

The barrel 6 is provided with a lower fixed jaw 10 which projects into the mouth of the bag or receptacle 1 in position to lie beneath the foldable edges 1 of the mouth of the receptacle 1, it being understood that these foldable edges carry the separable fasteners 2.

The fixed jaw 10 is provided with a recess 11 in its upper face of the general shape of the lower part of the slider 3, said recess having a part 12 which receives the narrow part. of the slider 3; thus, the slider 3, it-h these extremities of the parts 1 of the bag 1 is, when the separable fastener 2 has been completely closed, adapted to be pressed down into the recesses 11, 12 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The inner end of the recess 11 is closed by the face 12 of the barrel 6 which constitutes an abutment for the slider 3 when the latter lies within the recess. The narrow part 12 and the abutment 12" effectually prevent any relative movement of the slider 3 and the separable fastener 2, rendering it impossible to pry or force the slider out of locked position or the separable fastener or to be worked or fed through the slider to form a gap in the separable fastener.

When the parts are thus arranged, the key 8 may be turned to swing the jaw 7 from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 to that appearing in Figs. 1 and 3, whereupon the swinging or pivoted jaw 7 overlies the slider 3 and presses down upon the loop 5, holding the slider in the recesses 11,

p 12 so that, upon withdrawing the key 8 from the keyhole 9, the jaw 7 will be locked. When the jaw 7 is in locked position, the slider 3 is completely concealed and housed and cannot be withdrawn or pried out of the recesses 11, 12 nor the material of the bag or receptacle forced through the slider because the shape of the recesses 11, 12 prevents the slider from being pulled out laterally, and the slider is prevented from upward or downward movement by reason of its being confined between the jaws 7 and 10.

Furthermore, the appearance is neat and only a very slight increased thickness of the bag or receptacle results from the use of the improved locking means I have provided.

To unlock the bag 1, the key 8 is reinserted in the keyhole 9. This action releases the lock contained within the barrel 6 and permits the jaw 7 to be swimg from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to that appearing in Figs. 2 and 4. When the parts are in this position, a slight lifting action applied to the finger piece 4, enables the slider 3 to be quickly lifted and manipulated to open the fastener 2.

The barrel 6 is disposed inside of the bag or receptacle 1 and is partly embraced by an infolded part 1" of the material or fabric of said bag or receptacle. The infolded part 1" is clamped around the barrel 6 by a U-shaped clamp 13 which is secured to the barrel by screws 14. This construction affords a very secure connection between the locking means and the bag 1.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the construction is the same as that described except that the locking means is shown applied to a difierent shape of bag or pouch and, in lieu of the infolded part 1", the clamp 13, and the screws 14, flanges 15 are provided on the barrel 6 and are connected to the bag 1 by rivets or other suitable iastenings 16. Prongs on the flanges 15 can be substituted for the rivets 16.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, instead of a laterally swinging jaw 7, there is provided a swinging jaw 7 which is adapted to move up and down in relation to the fixed jaw 10, the jaw 7 being pivoted or hinged to be swingingly mounted on the barrel 6 by any suitable means such as shown at 17. The keyhole appears at 9' and the key, not shown, but which is similar to the key 8, constitutes the means for looking or unlocking the jaw 7. When the jaw 7' is in its lowered position, shown in Fig. 6, it is locked and when in its raised position, shown in Fig. 7, it is in unlocked condition. The construction of the fixed jaw'lO having the recesses 11 and 12, is the same as previously shown and described. The jaw 7' is provided with a channel, cavity, or groove 7" in its underface to accommodate the loop 5.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the barrel 6 is contained within a part of the bag or receptacle 1 but the upper part of the barrel projects above the said bag. Any suitable means may be provided for attaching the barrel 6' to the material or" the bag 1. If desired, the inturned construction shown at l and the clamp 13, Fig. 3, may be used for securing the barrel 6 to the bag.

What I claim is:

1. A locking means for separable fasteners having an opening-and-closing slider, comprising a body containing a lock subject to operation by a key, and a pair of locking jaws, one of which has a recess in which the slider may be received, said recess having a wall arranged to engage the slider and prevent it from leaving the recess when the jaws are locked, said jaws being capable of being locked by said lock in closed relationship for the purpose of holding said slider in the recess and between said jaws.

2. A locking means for separable fasteners having an opening-and-closing slider, comprising a body containing a lock subject to operation by a key, and relatively shiftable jaws, one of which has a recess shaped to receive and fit the slider of the separable fastener, said recess and slider having parts which interlock when said jaws are closed and said jaws being locked in relatively closed arrangement by the aforesaid. key and lock, thereby to hold the slider in the aforesaid recess so that the interlocking parts of the recess and slider cannot then become released from each other.

3. A locking device for securing the slider of a separable fastener, comprising two jaws, one of which is movable in relation to the other, and one of which has a recess, said jaws collectively being adapted to house the slider of the separable fastener when received in said recess, interlocking means formed by the recess and engageable with interlocking means on the slider, and means for locking the jaws in closed relationship, thereby preventing separation of the slider from the jaws.

4. In a bag, pouch, or receptacle of flexible or pliable material provided with a separable fastener having a slider, a locking device located inside the bag, pouch, or receptacle and having a body embraced by a part of the material of the bag, pouch, or receptacle, means concealed within the bag for securing said part of the material to the body, and means carried by said body for locking the slider of the separable fastener.

5. A locking means for securing the slider of a separable fastener, comprising a jaw having a cavity to receive the slider, engageable interlocking means on the jaw and slider, and means for locking the slider in the cavity when said slider is in said cavity and in interlocked relationship to said jaw.

6. A locking means for securing the slider of a separable fastener, comprising a projection on the slider, a jaw having a recess adapted to receive said slider and its projection, and means for locking the slider and its projection.

'7. The combination with a separable fastener having a closing-and-opening-slider provided with a wide body and a narrow neck, of a locking jaw for securing said slider against movement when it has closed the separable fastener, said jaw being provided with a recess having a wide part to receive the body of the slider and a narrow part to receive the narrow part of said slider, and means for locking the slider in the jaw to retain the slider in the wide and nar ow parts of said recess, the walls of said recess, when the jaw is closed, preventing the slider from moving.

8. A locking device adapted for securing the slider of a separable fastener having a projection, said locking device embodying a pair of relatively movable jaws having means for embracing the slider, one of said jaws being inflexible and having a recess, the remaining jaw holding the slider in the recess when the jaws are locked together.

9. A locking device adapted for securing the slider of a separable fastener, embodying a pair of jaws between which the slider may be positioned, said jaws having means to co-operatively lock the slider, one of said jaws being fixed, and means for locking the jaws in closed relationship, thereby to retain the slider between them.

10. A locking device adapted for securing the slider of a separable fastener, embodying a pair of relatively movable jaws arranged to co-operatively lock and retain the slider between them, interlocking parts being provided on one of the jaws and the slider, and independently mounted locking means for securing the jaws in closed relationship to maintain the interlocking of the slider therewith.

11. A locking means for separable fasteners having an opening-and-closing slider, comprising a body containing a lock subject to operation by a key, and a pair of inflexible locking jaws which may be locked in closed relationship to each other by said lock, said jaws having a slider-receivingrecess provided with means to retain said slider therein when said jaws are closed and locked.

12. A locking means for separable fasteners having an opening-and-closing slider, comprising a body containing a lock subject to operation by a key, and a pair of relatively movable, rigid jaws capable of being locked in closed relationship by said lock, one of said jaws having a sliderreceiving-recess conforming to the size and shape of the slider and retaining the slider therein when said jaws are closed and locked.

13. A locking device for securing the slider of a separable fastener, embodying a jaw having a recess shaped to receive and fit the slider of the separable fastener, means whereby said slider is retained within said recess, and means for looking the slider in said recess.

14. A locking means for securing the slider of the separable fastener of a bag, pouch, or other receptacle, embodying a body located inside of said bag, pouch or receptacle and housed thereby and fastened thereto so as to be self-contained with said bag, pouch or receptacle, relatively movable rigid jaws having means to interlock with said slider when it is between them and they are closed, and key-controlled means accessible from the exterior of said bag, pouch or receptacle for controlling said jaws.

JACOB RIFKIN.

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