US2566118A - Carrying case, more particularly for keys - Google Patents

Description

1951 H. R. CORWIN HAL CARRYING CASE, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR ays Filed Jan. 7, 1948 I K K v INVENTORS new Q.Coawm m Jam Wmw.

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' TH E III. ATTOQREY Patented Aug. 28, 1951 CARRYING CASE, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR KEYS Harold R. Corwin and Jerry Wexler, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 7, 1948, Serial No. 844

1. This invention relates to a carrying case, more particularly for keys, such as are commonly in use for the ignition locks and doors of automobiles and for doors generally in houses, apartments and oflice buildings.

- A further object of the invention is to provide a strong, rugged, and durable key holder of the character described which shall comprises a minimum of simple parts, which will have the advantages of easy manipulation, yet practical and efiicient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the key-carrying case of the present invention, parts being broken away for clearness of description;

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing one key in extended position and one key in retracted position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a plan view, somewhat reduced, of the key-carrying clip of the present invention showing the clip blank in the fiat;

' Figure 5 is a perspective view of the keycarrying clip of the present invention, illustrating the bending of the clip to secure the key;

Figure 6 is a cross-section of a modified form of a portion of the partition plate and cover members of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the manner in which the pin of the release mechanism is secured to the cover members; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the right hand portion of Figure 2.

' Referring in detail to the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings, the numeral It) 1 Claim. (01. 70-456) 2 which the keys are ejected. The inside abutting section ll of the clamp I6 is thicker at its closed end as at l5 than it is at its open end which abuts the offset |3, so that when the clamp I6 is I slid into position as shown in Fig. 1, it will fit 1 snugly therein, and a wedging action will be ap- I4, which shoulders are angled acutely with replied at the point l5.

Intericrly, the cover members are evenly divided longitudinally by means of a partition plate l8 which is disposed parallel with the sides of the case having the greatest surface area, and

is firmly held between the two cover members with a force fit into a slot |9 which is cut in the interior of the cover members. The interior of the case is divided into compartments formed by integral partitions 2|] carried by the cover mem-- bers. It will be understood that these compartments are formed by the juncture of the integral. partitions 2G with the partition member l8.

A key-carrying clip is then formed from a flat stamping of metal such as 2| in the form shown in Fig. 4. The clip 2| is cut away in the form shown at 22 to provide an opening for the shank of a key. In the stamping operation above referred to, depressions 23 are stamped into the clip blank 2| for a purpose presently described. The blank is also scored for easy bending, as shown in dotted lines 24, 25, 2B, and 21. Further openings 28'and 29 are also stamped therein, also for a purpose presently described. The key carrying clip blank 2| is then bent (dotted lines 24, 25, 26, and 21) to the position shown in Fig. 5. A strip of rubber 30 or some other resilient material is then snugly applied and adhered to the interior ofthe key-carrying blank as thus formed, one end of the strip abutting the upturned shoulders 3| and the other end 32 thereof endingat the depressed portions 23. The rubber strip is then cut away as at 32a to coincide with the opening 22 of the clip. A shank of a key 33 is then inserted through the opening 22 of the clip so that the head 34 of the key will be firmly held between the folded over portions of the rubber strip 30. The key clip 2| is then further bent upon itself until the cars 35 pass through the slots 29 and the shoulders 36 of the cars 35 abut the under sides of the depressed portions 23. The ears 35 are then bent at right angles to the upturned shoulders 3| in a plane parallel to the plane of the key. The tabs 3'! are then bent downwardly until they firmly abut the exterior surface of the upturned shoulders 3|. In order to remove the key from the clip it is necessary to repeat the above operation in reverse. It will thus be seen that the key is firmly clamped rigidly into position by means of the pressure applied by the bending action and the insertion of the resilient rubber strip 30 as hereinabove described. l l l The clip is thus adapted to slide freely transversely ofthe case in one of the compartments:

titions 29. A flat leaf spring 39 suitably made of Swedish steel or other material of high ten sile strength is folded upon itself in zi'g-zag form and placed adjacent the integral partition 20 as shown in Fig. 1. One end of the spring-39 is bent around one side of the member 38 and is then snugly grommetted into the member 38' as shown at 40. The other end 4! of the spring 39: abuts the tab 31 of the key clip but is not fastened i fl i pz- Itis contemplated that each key clip 21 in the case will have two springs 39 therefor as shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that the key clip 2| carryingitskey will beurged by means of the uninhibited action of the springs 39 away from the longitudinal side 42 of thecase lb.

Above each individual compartment or housing formed by the juncture of the partition member lB'and the integral partition members 28 of the case [9, the case H3 is transversely cut away as at 43 to accommodate the pivot bar 44. The under side of the pivot bar 44 slopesdecreasingly from its center as at 45. as shown in Fig. 2 to provide a fulcrum. The bar 44. is secured to the cover members [Hand ll by means; of the pin 46, which pin is tightly forced through the bar 44' at its fulcrum. The protruding ends of the pin 46 are initially laid in a depression l'i in the cover member. Afterthe pin, carrying-the bar 4 has been inserted in the. depression 4.1-, a sufiicient amount of plastic or other, material is flowed, swagedgorupset; depending upon the type of material used for the case, over the pin into the depression to entirely fill the-depression 47;. Thus;

the pin carrying the bar i l is firmly, permanently, and loosely secured; in its, proper position.

Qneendof the bar 42- in this instancethe end; 48 thereofnearest the edge 42 of the case I9; is continued; at right. angles upon itself; and then again turned at right angles in the direction of the. edge of the case opposite the edge 42. terminating. in an upstanding dog 49. The dog 49. is angularly, beveled as at 5%, Theunder face 5| of. the other end of the bar 44 is desirably notched or toothed as clearly shown at 52, Fig. 2. A leaf spring 53 ispassed entirely around the partition member Ii} so that each end 54.. thereof rests beneath the angular lower face of theend 48 ofthe bar 44- As already hereinbefore stated, a modification of the partition members and cover portions are shown in Fig. 6. In this instance, however, the partition, member, 58 is divided into partition members l;8 o and I811,- each partition member carrying the integral upstanding members 20a, which desirably may be in the form of replicate, folds. bers l I and, I2 are hollowed as at' lfliltoafiord a snugfit. It has been found in practicethatpar titionmembersformedin this mannerwill per? mill the, removal of the movable parts from one side of the case when it is desired to carry not more than three keys therein, for example.

So constructed and arranged, a plurality of; keys may be securely held and carried within a case as here exemplified, such case affording In practice, all of. the keys are normally in retracted position as,

ready selectivity of the keys.

shown at 55 in Fig. 1 and 56 in Fig, 2. In retracted position the dog 49 of the bar;44,-extends In this exemplification, the cover memthrough the slot 28 of the key-carrying clip 2! and is there held by pressure of the spring 53. To release. a key to extended position, the operator presses the end 48' of the bar 44 which will force the dog 49 out of the slot 28. As soon as the dog 49 has passed out of the slot 28, the

described, the end 5| of the bar 44 will again,

move toward the partition member l8 until the:

notches 52 come into contact with the clip" 21; The clip 2| is advantageously knurled or bevelled as at to enhance the frictional gripping action. While in this position the key may be used for the purpose intended.

When it, is; desired to retract a key, manual finger thereinto.

end 60 in the direction of the edge 42 of the case. Since keys for different uses are necessarilyof different lengths, the, opening 58 of the case is. further enlargedas at 6| to permit entry of a The pressure exerted by the finger on the end 60 of the key in the retracting action will bring the edge 62 of the clip, intoconr" tact with the bevelled edge 50 of the dog 49- and will thus again automatically bring the dog upwardly into the slot 28 into locking position.

It will beunderstood that a key case of this type maybe constructed for any given number of keys and the presentinvention is not limited to the specific number of keys and key compart-- ments or housings here shown.

Such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the following claim without departing from the invention. 7

Having described the invention, what is claimed A key case comprising top and bottom coverportions secured together forming an enclosure, the cover portions having an aperture through which the shank of a key may extend, a clip for gripping the head of a key slidable in said. en-

closure to projected and retracted positions, the exterior of said clip having a knurled portion, spring means forbiasing said clip toward projected position, a bar pivoted intermediate itsv endsin an aperture of one of the cover portions, said bar having a hooked end to, engage in an aperture insaid clip to hold the clip in retracted position, the opposite end of. said bar having a knurled portion for engagement with the knurled portion of said clip when in projected position, and a spring biasing said pivoted bar urging the.

hooked end toward latching position and said,

knurled portion on the opposite end into engagement with the knurled portion on said clip when saidclip is projected.

HAROLD R. CORWIN. JERRY WEXLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,934,889 Segal Nov. 14, 1933. 2,908,398 Mangan July 16, 1935v

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