Lock box and stand

A stand including a base and a standard made up of common tubular elements. An L-shape bracket is detachably mounted on the top of the standard. A lock box is mounted on the bracket. The bracket alternatively can be detached from the stand and mounted on a wall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The device of the invention is used in a manufacturing plant having 
operating machines. An operation or custom exists, in which one or more 
machines are utilized, and when a repair to a machine is required, the 
machine is shut down for such repair. The person responsible for the 
repair, places a padlock on the machine to lock it out of operation, then 
places the lock in a control station showing the lockout condition, and 
correspondingly preventing the machine from being put back in operation by 
an unauthorized person. 
The lockout station mentioned, is under the control of a foreman or other 
authorized person, and it includes means for holding and/or locking keys 
therein. This station includes a lockout box. 
An object of the present invention is to provide a stand for use with such 
a lockout box. The stand is portable and easily put in place or 
manipulated by the authorized person. 
Another object is to provide such a stand that is of extremely simple 
construction, and can be used effectively and conveniently for holding the 
lock box and the keys. 
Another object is to provide such a device, in which the stand has a 
bracket for mounting the lock box, and the bracket and the lock box are of 
such construction as to facilitate detachably mounting the lock box on the 
bracket, or on a wall, selectively.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the entire device is indicated at 10 
in FIGS. 1 and 3 and includes a lock box 12 and a stand 14. 
The lock box 12 is shown in its entirety in FIG. 2 and includes a box 
proper 16 having a bottom element or back element 18 (see also FIG. 3) and 
surrounding side walls 20. The lock box has a normal open front side 22, 
and has a partition wall 24, dividing the interior into a relatively large 
compartment 26 and a small compartment 28. These compartments may also be 
referred to as upper and lower compartments respectively, corresponding to 
relative positions assumed when the box is in use. 
A cover 30 is hinged at 32 for covering the large compartment and a cover 
34 is hinged at 36, on the partition 24, for closing the smaller 
compartment. A hasp 38 is provided on the small cover 34 and cooperates 
with a lock loop 40 for locking the cover closed, by a padlock 41. The 
covers 30, 34 are preferably transparent, and the entire box may be 
transparent as well. 
In the use of the lock box, a pack of instruction sheets 42 (FIG. 1) are 
normally placed in the large compartment, with instructions 43 thereon, 
which may be visible through the cover. The small compartment may be 
utilized for placing keys 44 therein, for the machines mentioned, when 
such machines are shut down. 
The stand 14 includes a base 45, a standard 46, and a mounting bracket 47. 
The base 45 and standard 46 are of simple design and construction 
constituting an important feature of the invention, these components being 
made up of common items presently found on the market. The base 45 is of 
H-shape (FIGS. 1,4) having two parallel side bars or elements 48 and a 
cross bar or element 50, made up of tubular elements. Each of the side 
bars includes a tee 52 (FIG. 4), and the cross bar includes a tee 54. 
These tees are interconnected by short tubular elements 56 threaded 
therewith. Connected to the tees 52 are other short tubular elements 58, 
and on the outer ends of these elements are caps 59. The caps 59 may also 
be referred to herein as tubular elements. 
The tee 54 (FIGS. 3,4) in the cross bar is arranged with the central 
element 60 extending upward, and a long tubular element constituting the 
standard 46 is threaded in the element 60, and the bracket 47 is mounted 
on this standard. Preferably a hand grip or handle 62 is secured to the 
standard, and as referred to again hereinbelow, is located at a particular 
balancing position. The base and standard may be of any desired material, 
such as known extruded plastic items. 
The bracket 47 is angle shaped (FIG. 3) and includes a back upright element 
64 and a bottom element 66, preferably at a right angle to the element 64, 
the bottom element also being shorter than the upright element. At the top 
of the upright element and at the extended or remote end of the bottom 
element, are angle strips 68, 70 respectively for securing the lock box 12 
in position on the bracket. These angle strips are preferably also at a 
right angle relative to each other for engagement by the corresponding 
surfaces of the lock box for securement thereto, such as by rivets 72. 
Secured to the undersurface of the bottom element 66 is a tubular mounting 
element 74 threadedly receiving the upper end of the standard 46, for 
mounting the bracket, and the lock box, on the standard. 
If desired, a holder, indicated at 76 (FIG. 1) may be secured to the 
standard 46 for mounting padlocks, not then in use, but utilized as 
indicators for the convenience of all concerned. 
The device as heretofore described may be placed at any desired location 
for the convenience of the personnel involved in the use thereof. The 
parts of the device including the bracket 47 are so constructed and 
arranged as to position the lock box 12 at a convenient angle (FIG. 3) for 
observation by the personnel of the instruction sheets 43 (FIGS. 1, 5). 
The large compartment constitutes a convenience for holding the 
instruction sheets, and the small compartment is utilized for holding 
padlocks, keys, etc., and with these items therein the entire device can 
be easily carried and manipulated for placement at any desired location, 
and at different locations with a minimum of effort. 
The hand grip 62 (FIG. 3) as indicated above, is located for providing 
desired balance of the device, when it is carried or manipulated. 
Another feature of the invention is that the lock box may be mounted on a 
wall (FIG. 5), instead of the stand, if that should be desired. In such 
mounting, the mounting bracket 47 with the box secured thereto, is mounted 
directly on the wall 78 and secured thereto as by a screw 80. It will be 
observed that the back element 64 of the bracket 47 is of planar shape and 
thus fits flat against the wall, and the box is disposed at the same angle 
it assumes on the stand. The entire lock box is then unobstructed for use 
by an authorized person in the same manner as when it is mounted on the 
stand. 
It is also possible to secure the box directly on the wall 78, as shown in 
FIG. 6, although this is not a preferred way of mounting it.