U.S. patent number 3,598,436 [Application Number 04/854,834] was granted by the patent office on 1971-08-10 for hasp.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Presto Lock Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Stephen Salvatore Scelba.
United States Patent |
3,598,436 |
Scelba |
August 10, 1971 |
HASP
Abstract
A hasp cooperable wit a latching member of a latching device
employs a convexly shaped spring member to automatically eject or
separate the hasp from the latching device when the latching member
is moved from latched to unlatched position. The spring member is
formed with means for connecting it to the portion of the hasp
adapted to receive the latching member in its latched position.
Inventors: |
Scelba; Stephen Salvatore
(Clifton, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Presto Lock Co., Inc.
(Garfield, NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
25319635 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/854,834 |
Filed: |
September 3, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
292/183; 70/70;
292/283 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
17/0037 (20130101); E05B 65/50 (20130101); A44B
19/301 (20130101); Y10T 292/1006 (20150401); E05B
37/02 (20130101); Y10T 70/5062 (20150401); Y10T
292/314 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
A44B
19/30 (20060101); A44B 19/24 (20060101); E05B
65/00 (20060101); E05B 17/00 (20060101); E05B
65/50 (20060101); E05B 37/00 (20060101); E05B
37/02 (20060101); E05c 019/08 (); E05b
065/52 () |
Field of
Search: |
;292/281,282,283,284,285,286 ;70/69,70,71,72,73,74,75,2
;24/221 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Calvert Ian A.
Assistant Examiner: McCarthy; Edward J.
Claims
I claim:
1. A hasp cooperable with a latching member of a latching device,
the hasp comprising a body member having a substantially U-shaped
portion projecting from its underside to provide an opening adapted
to receive a latching member in its latched position, and a
convexly shaped spring member connected to the substantially
U-shaped portion, said spring member having an aperture through
which the substantially U-shaped portion is extended, the ends of
the spring member being free to slide on the adjacent surface of
the body member when the spring member is deformed from its
normally convex shape.
2. A hasp according to claim 1, wherein the convexly shaped spring
member is provided with integral means connecting the spring member
to the substantially U-shaped portion.
3. A hasp according to claim 1, wherein the aperture in the
convexly shaped spring member is defined by a pair of
longitudinally extending, opposite sides and longitudinally spaced
ends, the sides being provided with opposed, inwardly projecting
tabs substantially midway of the length of the aperture, the
distance between the tabs being slightly less than the thickness of
the base of the substantially U-shaped portion and being sprung
over the base to connect the spring to the substantially U-shaped
portion.
4. A hasp according to claim 3, wherein the sides of the base are
beveled to facilitate the connection of the spring member to the
substantially U-shaped portion.
5. A hasp according to claim 1, including integral means provided
by the body member for the connection of the hasp to a support.
6. A hasp according to claim 1, wherein the body member is provided
with a recess on the underside thereof adjacent the substantially
U-shaped portion, said recess being adapted to receive supporting
means for the hasp, and integral, spaced connecting studs extending
from the underside of the body member for connection of the hasp to
the supporting means.
7. A hasp according to claim 3, wherein the body member is provided
with a recess on the underside thereof adjacent the substantially
U-shaped portion, said recess being adapted to receive supporting
means for the hasp, and integral, spaced connecting studs extending
from the underside of the body member for connection of the hasp to
the supporting means.
8. A hasp according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinally spaced
ends of the concavely shaped spring member are adjacent the
juncture with the body member of the arms of the substantially
U-shaped portion.
9. A hasp according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinally spaced
ends of the concavely shaped spring member are adjacent the
juncture with the body member of the arms of the substantially
U-shaped portion.
Description
The invention is directed to improvements in hasps made to
automatically separate or lift the hasp away from a latching
device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As known in the art, hasp assemblies have been constructed so that
the part of the assembly cooperable with a latching member of a
latching device will automatically be separated or moved away from
the latching device when the latching member is retracted to
unlatched position. One type of hasp assembly which has long been
in commercial use is disclosed in Gehrie U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,338,
Dec. 17, 1968. A base or body portion is provided with means for
connecting the hasp assembly to a luggage case section or the like.
The base portion is formed so that a tongue may be hinged or
pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin. The tongue is provided
on its underside with a substantially U-shaped portion to provide
an eye or opening which is adapted to receive a retractable
latching member constituting part of a latching device, or a
latching device provided with locking means. A coiled spring is
mounted on the pivot pin and has its respective ends bearing upon
the base portion and the tongue to normally urge the tongue toward
the up position. When the latching member is retracted from within
the eye or aperture on the tongue, the spring causes the tongue to
rotate away from the latching device.
A hasp assembly as above described requires a suitable support to
enable the connection of the base portion thereto. There are
certain applications of a latching device and its essential
cooperable hasp which do not afford a suitable support for the base
part of the described hasp assembly, for example, where a wire link
is required to connect the slider of a slide fastener to a hasp,
the hasp in turn being cooperable with a latching device or lock
having the retractable latching member.
To furnish a hasp having the automatic disconnecting function for
applications of the type wherein a suitable support cannot be
provided for the base portion of the hasp assembly, it has been
proposed to provide a leaf spring which is riveted at one end to a
tongue. The opposite end of the leaf spring is provided with an
opening through which the eye or U-shaped hook is extended. The
construction requires the use of a rivet, and involves a riveting
operation; also, operations are required to form the openings in
both the tongue and the leaf spring through which the rivet is
extended. Also, the tongue is formed with a hooklike portion for
connection to the part to which the hasp is to be attached.
The primary objects of the invention are to provide a hasp of the
automatic ejecting type having a simplified construction, and which
requires a minimum of manufacturing operations, thereby affording a
functionally suitable product which is inexpensive to
manufacture.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic
ejecting type of hasp which is suitable for the applications where
the prior art devices cannot be used and if useable, are more
expensive to manufacture than the hasp of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A hasp made in accordance with the invention comprises a body
member having a substantially U-shaped portion or eye projecting
from its underside to provide an opening adapted to receive a
latching member of a latching device, and a convexly shaped spring
member connected to the U-shaped portion to furnish the automatic
ejection function for the hasp when the latching member is
retracted. The convexly shaped spring member has an aperture
through which the substantially U-shaped member is extended. The
central portion of the convexly shaped spring member normally is
located adjacent the base which connects the spaced arms of the
U-shaped portion. The convexly shaped spring member is formed with
integral means to enable its connection to the hasp body by simply
pressing the sides of the spring member, the sides on each side of
the aperture, over and beyond the base between the arms of the
substantially U-shaped portion.
The hasp of the invention is inexpensive to manufacture; it has but
two essential parts. It is functionally suitable for a variety of
applications, including applications where the pivoted,
spring-mounted tongue type of hasp assembly cannot be used. Also,
the hasp of the invention is particularly suitable for mounting
upon a flexible member such as a strap of a brief case, or a
flexible support in a garment bag or the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial, top plan view of a pair of sections of a
container having a latching device secured to one section and
cooperable with a hasp made in accordance with the invention which
is connected to the opposite case section;
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the hasp;
FIG. 3 is a transverse, vertical cross section taken approximately
in the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view taken in the direction of line
4-4 of FIG. 1, this view showing parts broken way and in cross
section;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the hasp shown in
FIGS.1-4;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the spring member which is associated
with the body member of the hasp;
FIG. 7 is a partial view of a brief case showing the hasp of the
invention mounted upon the connecting strap and related to a
latching device;
FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the hasp of FIG. 7 and its
relationship to the connecting strap to which it is secured;
and
FIG. 9 is a cross section taken approximately in the plane of line
9-9 of FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1--6, a hasp H made in accordance with the
invention is shown related to a latching device L to keep or latch
the latching member 10 (FIG. 4) thereto. As illustrated, the
latching device L is a combination lock and the hasp H is connected
to the lug 12 of a slider 14 of a slide fastener closure for a
luggage case, garment bag, or other container by an intermediate
wire link 16.
It will be understood that any kind of latching device or lock
having a retractable latching member may be used. The hasp of the
invention may be related to any articulated member or mounted upon
a flexible support. As shown, and where the latching device and
cooperable hasp are used for a soft-side luggage case or the like,
the latching device is secured by suitable means to one case
section A and the hasp is related to the opposite case section A'
for alignment with the latching device.
The hasp H comprises a body member 18 having a substantially
U-shaped portion 20 projecting from its underside to provide an
opening 22. The opening is adapted to receive the retractable
latching member 10 of the latching device L as shown in FIG. 4. The
body member preferably is made by diecasting, whereby the U-shaped
portion is formed as an integral part thereof. As best shown in
FIG. 5, the substantially U-shaped portion comprises the spaced
arms 24 and the longitudinally extending base 26 between the
arms.
A convexly shaped spring member 28 is connected to the
substantially U-shaped portion 20. The spring member is preferably
rectangular in outline, and has an aperture 30 through which the
substantially U-shaped portion 20 is extended. As shown in FIG. 5,
the central area or portion 32 of the spring member normally is
located adjacent and under the base 26 of the substantially
U-shaped portion in the spring member's assembled relationship with
the body member.
As shown in FIG. 6, the aperture 30 of the spring member is defined
by opposite longitudinally extending sides 34 and longitudinally
spaced ends 36 which connect the sides. As shown in FIG. 5, the
ends 36 of the spring member are adjacent the body portion 18 for
sliding engagement therewith when pressure is applied to the
central portion 32 to flatten the convexly shaped spring member.
The aperture 30 of the spring member has a length and width greater
than the length and thickness of the substantially U-shaped portion
20, except midway of the aperture's length. At such area, the sides
34 are formed to provide opposed, inwardly projecting tabs 38,
thereby reducing the width of the aperture at such area. The
distance x (FIG. 6) between the tabs is slightly less than the
thickness y (FIG. 4) of the base 26 of the substantially U-shaped
portion 20. As also shown in FIG. 4, the base 26 has a
substantially semicircular cross section to thereby present a
curved or beveled surface 40 terminating in a flat surface 42
which, in thickness, provides the aforementioned dimension y.
The convexly shaped spring member 28 is assembled with the body
portion 18 of the hasp by positioning the spring member 28 upon the
base 26 of the substantially U-shaped portion 20, and applying
pressure to the sides 34 to cause the tabs 38 to be sprung apart
slightly until the tabs are positioned under the surface 42. The
resilient character of the part at the tabbed area causes the tabs
38 to spring back under the surface 42 to complete the connection
of the parts. The beveled surface 40 of the base 26 facilitates the
connection of the parts.
Where the hasp H is to be connected to a slider by a link as shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2, the body member may be cast with a recess 44 to
receive the arms of the wire link 16. The connection of the link to
the hasp is completed by positioning an apertured plate 46 in a
surrounding larger recess 48. The hasp body 18 may be provided with
an integral connecting stud 50 extended through the aperture in the
plate 46, and the end of the stud is then headed over. Also, the
body member may be cast with a small projecting boss 52 to level
the cover plate 46.
In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9
the hasp, designated H', is shown connected to the flexible strap
54 of a brief case. Any suitable latching device or lock L', such
as the illustrated combination lock, is secured to the container
portion 56 of the case. The concavely shaped spring member and its
relationship to the body member and the substantially U-shaped
portion of the body member is essentially the same as hereinbefore
described in connection with the embodiment of the invention
illustrated in FIGS. 1--6. Like reference characters refer to like
parts or elements.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 7--9, the hasp H', which also preferably
is made as a diecasting, is formed with a recess 58 on the
underside of the body member. The recess is dimensioned to
accommodate the end of the strap 54. The strap is provided with a
cutout 60 so that the strap may lie in the recess and clear the
substantially U-shaped portion 20 having the concavely shaped
spring member 28 connected thereto. The body member 61 is provided
with a pair of spaced, integral connecting studs 62 which are
extended through aligned openings provided in the strap 54, the
ends of the connecting studs being headed over to connect the hasp
to the strap.
Both embodiments of the hasp H and H', operate in the same manner.
When the hasp is to be connected to a latching device, manual
pressure upon the hasp causes the base 26 of the U-shaped portion
to bear against a curved or beveled surface provided by latching
member 10. As is common in the art, the latching member is
spring-mounted, and is automatically retracted when engaged under
pressure by the base 26, and then will spring forward into the
opening 22 provided by the substantially U-shaped portion 20. As
the hasp is being pushed down to the position shown for example in
FIG. 4, the convexly shaped spring member 28 is flattened, that is,
its sides 34 are deformed or flattened against the latching device
and the adjoining surface provided by the case section. The
flattened sides 34 are substantially parallel to and adjacent the
surface of the body member at its juncture with the arms 24. The
ends 36 of the spring member are free to slide on the adjacent
surface of the body member as the spring is deformed from its
normally convex shape to the flattened condition. When the latching
member 10 is retracted to unlatched position, the spring member
returns its bowed or normally convex shape, thereby causing the
hasp to be automatically ejected or separated from the latching
device.
It is believed that the advantages and improved results provided by
the simplified hasp connection as hereinbefore illustrated and
described will be apparent from the foregoing description of the
preferred embodiments of the invention.
* * * * *