Improvements in Devices for Locking Drawers, Doors, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1893-Accepted, 1st July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Locking Drawers, Doors, and the like.
We, LEWIS Du Bois, Capitalist, of No. 21 Herkimer Street, Brooklyn,
Kings County, State of New York, United States of America, and MELVIN
LE GRAND, Carpenter, of No. 318 Lexington Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings
County, State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to that class of locking devices which is employed to
simultaneously lock and unlock a series of drawers, doors, or both, and especially
to that class in which the series is locked and unlocked by the closing and opening
of one of its number; its object being to provide a locking device of this character
which shall be simple in construction, efficient in operation, and not liable to get
out of order.
To this end, the invention consists in the employment with a series of drawers,
doors, or both, provided with headed studs, and a movable bar arranged in connec-
tion therewith and provided with peculiarly shaped slots for engagement with such
studs, of a bent or bowed spring connected with said bar, and a drawer or door for
co-operating with the spring whereby to cause the movement of the bar in one or
the other direction, as said drawer or door is opened or closed, and, through it, the
locking and unlocking of the drawers or doors of the series, all as will hereinafter
more fully appear.
Referring to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this
Specification,
Fig. 1, is a vertical transverse section of a case of drawers with our improved
locking device applied in connection therewith, and
Fig. 2, an isometric projection of portions of the rear of a drawer and of the
locking bar and attached spring.
In the figures like letters of reference are employed to designate corresponding
parts.
'
A indicates a frame or case having a series of drawers B arranged therein.
This case may represent a bureau, a chiffonier, a portion of a desk, or any other
article that may be required to support a series of drawers, and may be constructed
in any approved form or design. As shown in the drawing, the series of drawers
are arranged one above another, and the upper one may be provided with a lock or
other fastening device, as indicated by the key b in Fig. 1.
Located in the frame or case A, preferably, though not necessarily, in the rear
of the drawers, is a locking bar, C, which is provided with suitable slots, c, at
various points along the same, for the reception of pins or screws, a, which project
therethrough. These pins or screws, as here shown, are secured in the back of the
frame or case, but may be secured to any other fixed portion thereof, and, while
engaging with the slots and serving as a means to hold the bar firmly to the back
of the case, they yet permit of its moving vertically thereon as the exigencies of
the locking and unlocking of the drawers may demand.
Fixedly secured to the upper end of the locking bar C, by screws or otherwise,
is the lower end of a bent or bowed spring, D, the upper end of which extends up
in the rear of the upper drawer of the series, and is rigidly attached to the back of
the frame or case in any convenient manner so as to be practically immovable
thereon. This spring is preferably constructed in plate form with the portion
between its ends bent or bowed outward from the back of the frame or case toward
the rear of the drawers or the front of the frame or case as shown. The object
and purpose of this spring is to support the locking bar C, and to co-operate with
D
1

page_text: the upper drawer of the series to: depress or raise such locking bar to lock or unlock
the remainder of the series of drawers as may be required. In its normal condition,
which is that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the locking bar is held in its most
elevated position and the drawers of the series will be unlocked. When, on the
other hand, the spring is depressed or straightened out, as will be the case when
the upper drawer of the series is pressed back against the same, the locking bar
will be forced down to its lowest limit of movement and the several drawers of the
series below the upper one locked thereby.
To effect the locking and unlocking of the several drawers of the series, below
the upper drawer thereof, by this vertical movement of the locking bar, each of
such first mentioned drawers is provided at any suitable point in its rear, but
preferably in the center thereof, with a headed stud or screw, b', which engages
with a co-operating slot, d, formed in the locking bar C in proper relationship
thereto. These slots d, (there being as many slots as there are drawers less one)
instead of being made of a uniform width throughout, are provided at their lower
ends with enlargements, d', which are made of a size sufficiently great to permit of
the heads of the studs or screws passing readily therethrough, when brought
opposite the same, while the portions of the slots above such enlargements are made
of a width that is only a little greater than the diameter of the shanks of such studs
or sorews, which, as will be seen, is much less than that of the heads thereof.
When the spring D is in its normal condition, and the locking bar C is raised to
its highest limit, the enlargements d¹ in the several slots & will all be brought into
coincidence with their respective studs or screws, allowing the heads of these latter
passing readily therethrough. and the several drawers are then unlocked and may
be opened or closed at pleasure. When, on the other hand, the several drawers
have been closed with the studs or screws on their backs passed through their
respective enlargements: d', and the locking bar. C depressed by forcing in the upper
drawer against the side of the bent or bowed spring D, until such spring has been
nearly straightened, the narrower, portion of the slots d will have been slid down
over the shanks of the studs or screws in the rear of their heads, and the several
drawers of the series below the upper one, which may be fastened by any suitable
lock or fastening device, locked, and so remain until the locking bar is again raised
by the action of the spring. D on the opening of the upper drawer.
By this construction and arrangement of parts, we produce, as will be seen, a
locking device through which a series of drawers or other analogous articles may
be simultaneously locked and, unlocked by the simple act of opening and closing
one of its number, which is at once exceedingly simple in construction and efficient
in.operation.
Although in the above, we have described the invention as applied in connection
with a series of drawers arranged one above another, and the locking and unlocking
of the series effected from the uppermost drawer, yet it is obvious that, instead of
being so arranged. and operated, we may, if we so desire, arrange the drawers side
by side, in which event the locking bar will. be disposed horizontally in rear of the
same.and be operated from. one of the end drawers of the series.
...Again.instead of employing our. locking device. in connection with a series of
drawers, we may, if we so desire, make use of it in connection with a series of
doors,..or with drawers and doors, in which cases the doors will be provided
with headed studs or screws, and the depression of the spring effected either
from the movement of one of the doors or from the movement of the drawers,
the locking bar, as will be understood, being arranged in the proper position,―
vertically, horizontally, or obliquely-to permit. of the desired locking or unlocking
being accomplished..
While, in the foregoing, we have described the form of our locking device
which on the whole we consider the most desirable, we wish it distinctly under-
stood that we do not. limit ourselves, strictly thereto, as it is manifest that we
may modify the same in various ways without departing from the spirit of our
invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination, with a locking bar provided with a series of slots having
enlargements at one of their ends, and a frame or support on which such bar is held
and guided, of a series of movable members provided with headed studs or screws,
and a bent or bowed spring connected at one end to the locking bar and at the
other end to the frame or support for such bar, whereby, by the back and forth
movements of one of said members, the straightening of said spring is effected and
its return to its normal position permitted, to thereby move the said locking bar to
automatically effect both the locking and unlocking of the remainder of the series
of members, as such former member is moved in one or the other direction,
substantially as described.
2. The combination, with a series of drawers, B, provided with headed studs or
screws, b', and the frame or case A in which such drawers are arranged, of a locking
bar, C, provided with slots c d d', pins a, and bowed spring D, arranged to be
struck and straightened by one of said drawers as such drawer is closed and
returned to its normal position as this drawer is opened, to automatically effect
both the locking and the unlocking of the remainder of the drawers of the series, as
and for the purposes set forth.
Dalhin 10th day of May 1902
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.