US2591270A - Safety lockbox - Google Patents

Description

A. LEVERETH SAFETY LOCKBOX April 1, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET l m z J W w dwmfl 4 f 5 w w 2 w M4 1 r 7 7 Q II F Filed Sept. 24, 1948 April 1, 1952 A. LEVERETH 2,591,270

SAFET Y LOCKBOX Filed Sept. 24, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES rarest OFFICE SAFETY LOCKBGX Anthony Levereth, Belleville, N. J.

Application September 24, 1948, Serial No. 50,980

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a type of box in which the cover is held on by means that will make it hard for one, not familiar with the construction and operation of the box to open it to get at its contents. children. While I am aware that puzzle boxes have been made heretofore, they have not, so far as I am aware, come into general use.

It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide a safety lock box difficult to open but of a type which can be successfully used for different purposes, for example to store money, jewelry, powders of different kinds such as talcum, cigarettes and other articles. Another object of my invention is to provide a box of the type to be described, that can be made relatively cheap and light without screws, springs or other metal parts. Other objects will appear from the description which follows wherein Figure 1 is a plan or top view of one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with operating parts in unlocking position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the cover movedto partia1 open position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with the cover still farther to open position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the cover turned in reverse position.

Figure '6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but with the cover in full open position.

Figure '7 is a view of the cover only as shown in "Figure 6 "with an :ornamental design on the top.

Figure 8 is a view of the box or receptacle with the cover f-ul'ly'removed.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure -1 but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 10 is aview similar to Figure 1 with the cover operating member removed butshowing the operating stud insection.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 taken just above the locking slide.

Figure 12 is a view of the bottom of the cover with the locking slide in unlocking position.

Figure 13 is aperspective fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the locking stud at one end of the box.

Figure 14 is a perspective fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the locking means at the opposite end from the showing in Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a plan view of a modified form of construction.

Figure 16 is an end view of Figure 15 looking from the bottom .end.

Figure 17 is a section on the line 11-41 of Figure 15 but on an enlarged scale.

It is really a puzzle box, especially for Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure l5 but with the operating member shown in dotted lines in unlocking position and the operating stud in section.

Figure 19 is a view of the form shown in Figure 15 but with the cover in the position as the cover in Figure 6.

Figure 20 is a view similar to Figure 8 but of the form of Figure 15.

Figure 21 is a section on the line 21|-2l of Figure 20.

Figure 22 is a view on the line 22-22 of Figure 17 but on the same scale as Figure 20.

Figure 23 is a bottom view of cover of Figure 15 but showing the locking stud at one end. and the locking means at the opposite end in position but in section.

Figure 24 is a plan view showing another shape of box.

Figure 25 is a view on the line 2525 of Figure 24 but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 26 is a view on the line 26-46 of Figure 25 but on a reduced scale.

Figure 27 is a View similar to Figure 23 but of theform shown in Figure 24 without the locking stud and means.

Figure 28 is a view similar to Figure 19 of the form shown in Figure 24.

In the various views wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts I is a box or receptacle which may be made of anysuitable material preferably of the plastic type such as lucite. The receptacle I may be molded all in one piece or can be made in separate parts, as I have constructed my models, these parts being anchored together by suitable cement or binding material such as acetone. For the purpose of ornamentation, the bottom of the receptacle may have a thin strip of material 2 of different color from the rest of the receptacle. At one end of the receptacle there is provided what I term a combination lock stud portion 3 and a head 4. The stud 3 is etxended upward from the reinforcement base 5 (see Figure 13). At the opposite end of the receptacle 1 there is provided a locking means 6 (see Figure 1 1) this is dove-tail in shape to fit co-operatively in slot 1 in one end of the cover 8. Cover 8 is preferably made with a plurality of plates, an inner plate 9 having a slot I0 therein to pass the stud 3 and an enlargement H to pass head 4 of the stud 3. Above the inner plate 9 there is a middle plate 12 having a recess l3 therein to locate the slide 14. It is noted that the middle plate I2 has formations l5 and I5 on opposite sides which co-operate with similar formations l1 and I8 on the slide [4 to stop or posibe operated to release the cover.

tion the slide in its locking and unlocking positions. The slide I4 is provided with a slot 19 extending parallel with the slot In in the inner plate 9. Positioned over the middle plate is an outer plate 20. The outer plate 20 has a slot2l therein to allow for transverse movement of the stud 22 that is fastened at one end to the slide I4 and at the top end to an operating member 23 which is located and slidably mounted on the upper surface of the outer plate 20.

When the operating device 23 is in its locking position, (as shown in Figure 1) it is noted that the edge 24 of the slot l9 in the slide 14 will be in front of the stud 3 and its head 4 and the cover 8 cannot be moved endwise on the receptacle I. On moving the operating member 23in the direction indicated by the arrow as shown Figure 3, at which point the cover may be turned as shown in Figures 4 and 5 and then withdrawn to position as shown in Figure 6 and thereby exposing the interior of the receptacle. If desired, the cover may be removed entirely when the head 4 of the stud is in alignment with the enlarged portion l I of the slot I0 in the inner plate 9 as shown in Figure 5, but this is not necessary since the cover can be withdrawn as shown in Figure 6 to expose the most of the interior of the box. The operating member 23 may be equipped with a device 25 as shown in Figure '7. It may be of a diiferent color than the operating member 23 to give a deceptive appearance of being rotated which one might think could be done to unlock the cover. I prefer, if the structure is made of different pieces to make the outer plate 20 of the cover a different color than the inner plate 9 or the receptacle I.

To close the receptacle the. box cover 8 is operated in the reverse direction from that as shown in opening the box, as will be obvious from the description given in connection with Figures 1 to 6.

In the forms shown. in Figures to 23 inclusive, the receptacle l and cover 8 are generally the same construction as shown in Figures 1 to 14 inclusive. In the form as shown in Figure 15 there are two other devices 26 and 21 similar in shape to the operating member 23 to give a further deceptive appearance, as to which is to Furthermore, these members may be provided with a knob 28 that may be of a different color, likewise the parts 23, 26 and 27, may be of different colors. In the forms as shown in Figures 15 to 23 inclusive, the slide I4 is shown with oppositely positioned projections 29 and 30 which perform the same functions as the parts ['1 and 18 as shown in Figure 2 and they co-operate with the recesses 31 in the middle plate I2 of the cover. The method of procedure to remove the cover, in the forms as .shown in Figures 15 to 23 inclusive, is just the same as the previous description in connection with the forms as shown in Figures -1 to 14 in- 'clusive.

In the forms as shown in Figures 24 to 28 inclusive the locking and unlocking construction is substantially the same as in the other forms, the only difference being in the shape of the structure shown, which is oval instead of rectangular. In Figure 24 the operating member 23 is rectangular instead of square as shown in the other figures and may be provided with letters such as 32 to indicate the initials of an owner.

The cover may be made with two plates with a recess preferably in the bottom plate to receive the slide l4. Preferably the material should be opaque so that one cannot see through the outer cover or receptacle to follow the movement of the slide l4.

From the foregoing it Will be seen that certain of the details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appending claims.

I claim:

1. A safety lock box including, a box portion with a dove-tail part at one end and a combination lock stud at the opposite end, this stud having-a stop portion terminating in a locking head, a cover for the box portion, said cover being composed of three plates, the inner plate having a dove-tail notch at one end to receive said dovetail part on the box and a slot at the opposite end extending toward said notch and terminating in an opening large enough to pass said locking head on the combination stud, a middle plate having a recess therein to receive a locking control slide, an outer plate having a transverse slot therein to receive an operating stud, an operating member slidably mounted on the outer plate and carrying an operating stud passing through the slot in the outer plate and a slide located in the recess in the middle plate and connected to said operating stud, the slide and middle plate having co-operative formations limiting the movement of the slide between locking and unlocking positions such that when the operating member is in looking position said slide has one edge located closely in front of the locking head of said lock stud to lock the cover to the box, the operating slide also having an open-ended longitudinal slot positioned therein so when the slide is in unlocking position said slot therein will be over the slot in the inner plate to allow the whole cover plate to be moved so as to free the dove tail lock and allow the cover to be turned about said combination stud to open the box.

2. A safety lock box as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the said outer plate has a plurality of deception members mounted thereon similar in outline to the slidable operating member.

3. A safety lock box including, a box portion with a dove-tail part at one end and a combination lock stud at the opposite end this stud having a stop portion terminating in a locking head, a cover for the box portion, said cover being composed of a plurality of plates including an inner and an outer plate, the said inner plate having a clove tail notch at one end to receive said dovetail part on the box and a slot at the opposite end extending toward said notch and terminating in an opening to pass said locking head on the combination stud, the outer plate having a slot therein to receive an operating stud, a slide located between the inner and outer plates, an operating member movably mounted on the outer surface of the outer plate and carrying an operating stud passing through the slot in said outer plate and having its inner end fastened to said slide means within the confines of the inner and outer plates for regulating the amount of movement of the slide between locking and unlocking ,positions so that when the operating member is in normal locking position said slide has one edge located closely in front of said locking head to lock the cover to the box, the operating slide also having a slot positioned therein so when the slide is in unlocking psoition said slot therein will be over the slot in the inner plate to allow the whole cover plate to be moved so as to free the dove tail lock and allow the cover to be turned about said combination stud to open the box.

4. A safety lock box as set forth in claim 3 further defined in that the outer plate has at least one deception member mounted thereon similar in outline to the slidable operating member.

5. A safety lock box including a receptacle portion and a cover therefor, the cover being composed of at least two plates anchored together, the receptacle and cover being relatively slidable and each having co-operative interlocking means at one end, a slide positioned on the upper side of the inner plate with positioning means therefor, an operating member slidably mounted on the top surface of the outer of said plates and having a stud passing through the outer plate and anchored to the slide, the outer plate having a slot therein to receive said stud to allow transverse movement of said stud between locking and releasing positions, a headed locking stud carried by the receptacle at the end opposite said end interlocking means, the inner plate having a slot to receive the headed locking stud when the cover is to be moved to open position, this slot extending in toward the stud on the operating member, said slide having a slot positioned in alignment with the inner plate slot when the slide is in releasing position but out of such alignment so a part of the slide forming a side of its slot is in front of said headed stud to lock the cover in closed position on the receptacle.

6. A safety lock box as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that said slide sets in a recess formed within one of the plates and the positioning means comprising formations on opposite ends of the slide engaging cooperative plate formation to stop the slide in looking and unlocking position.

7. A safety lock box as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that the cover is made up of three plates with the middle one having an opening therein to receive the slide, the opening having formations on opposite ends to receive cooperative slide formations to locate the slide in looking and releasing position when moved by said operating member.

8. A safety lock box as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that when the operating member only is on the top surface of the outer cover plate a device is carried by the operating member which will deceptively indicate to one not familiar with the structure that it can be rotated to release the cover.

9. A safety lock box as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that the outer plate has a plurality of similarly shaped devices mounted thereon or which only one is the operative member to-release the cover.

10. A safety lock box as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that the outer plate has a plurality of similarly shaped devices with knobs mounted thereon of which only the center one is the operative member to release the cover while said devices are of different colors and the knobs are also of different colors.

ANTHONY LEVERETI-I.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 718,081 Bracket Jan. 13, 1903 821,210 Wallin May 22, 1906 1,019,490 Krzan Mar. 5, 1912 1,293,062 Erdey Feb. 4, 1919 1,293,324 Bukowski Feb. 4, 1919 2,095,633 Fullmer Oct. 12, 1937 2,109,928 Passalaqua Mar. 1, 1938

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