Bottle-holder.

Application filed April 13,1916. Serial No. 90,92®.

To dll whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, David E. Riggins, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perry, in the county of Noble and State of 5 Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottle holders and is directed to that class of inventions 10 designed more especially to support filled milk bottles and further to means for locking them securely in a convenient position where an authorized person having a key may collect such bottles, said locking means 15 preventing the removal of bottles by thieves and depredators of various kinds.

To this end, the invention comprises a lock case having a depression in one end and a curved bail hinged to the case which 20 together with said depression embraces the neck of a bottle, the hook end of. said bail entering the lock and there engaging a fastening tongue which holds the bail arotmd the bottle and prevents removal of the bqt25 tie until the proper key has been inserted in the lock and the bail disengaged.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a strong, cheap and simple device of this character which will hold the bottle 30 against removal under usual conditions without a proper key and which may remain unlocked at all times except when a, bottle is placed therein, thus enabling a dairyman for instance in delivering milk bottles; to 35 leave the same without undue loss of time necessitated by unlocking the device and then locking it again after placing the bottle in position. Should however the bail become locked without' a bottle therein, said 40 bail may be readily disconnected by inserting the finger in the lock and pressing back the catch that engages the hook 19 on the bail end. . .

Another object of the invention is to pro45 vide in a bottle holder, a lock case made complete with the spring catch and supporting cars from a single sheet of metal cut or stamped from a plate by one operation and folded into shape. To this case is hinged a 50 curved bail which in connection with said case supports the bottle and locks it against removal. .,

A further object of the invention is to provide a strong and easily made, device that may be placed on a post, door frame, 55 wall, tree or wherever a nail or screw can be driven.

With these and other objects hereinafter described, the invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts now to 60 be set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bottle holder in position for use. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 65 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged perspective detail views showing the manner of folding the case, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the 70 lock case is formed. . :

Referring to the drawing, the numeral. 10 indicates the lock case as a whole to which is hinged a curved bail 11 that together with the case 10 embraces the neck'of a bot- 75 tie and locks the same against unauthorized removal. Projecting outwardly from the upper and lower faces of the case 10 at the rear end thereof, are securing ears 12 through which are formed holes 13 for fas- 80 tening screws or nails 14 which are driven into the door frame, post or other object 15 against which the bottle holder is attached. The front ends of the upper and lower sides of the case 10 are cut-away at 16 to form a 85 concaved seat in which the neck of the bottle to be supported and secured is placed. At one of the outer corners of. the case between said faces, is hinged the eye 17. of the curved bail 11, a riyet 18 passing 90 through said eye and the sides of the lock case. The bail 11 is of substantially semicircular form and of a curvature to snugly embrace the neck of a bottle and hold the same in the seat 16, the free end of said bail 95 being provided with a hook-like projection 19 that enters the lock when the bail is closed and engages a fastening lug 20 on a spring tongue 21 that lies within the lock. Projecting from the tongue 21 toward the 100 front open end of the lock is a finger piece 22 which is in such position that should the bail H be locked without inclosing a bottle, the finger may be readily inserted in the open end of the lock and engaging the fin- 105 ger piece 22 disconnect the lug 20 from the hook end 19 of the bail thereby permitting the bail to be opened.

1,2]

The case 10 of the lock is made as shown in Fig. 6 from a blank 23 of thin sheet metal preferably galvanized steel. Integrally with the blank are the case sides 24 5 and 25, securing ears 12 projecting from one end of said sides, while the other end of each side is cut-away to form the seat 16. Perforations 26 are formed in adjacent forward corners as shown for the hinge pivot 10 18 of the bail. Between the parts 24 and 25 of the blank is a connecting piece 27 which forms one of the vertical edges of the lock case, the other vertical edge being formed by the portion 28 integrally with the part 15 24 at the left of the blank.

indicates a strip of metal that projects forwardly from an extension 30 of the side 25 and serves to form the spring tongue ' 21 with its lug 20 and finger piece 22 after 20 said strip has been properly folded. Continuous with the edge portion 28 is a connecting strip 31 that joins a brace member 32 with said edge portion 28. Openings 33 and 34 formed respectively in the edge 25 portion 28,. and part 32 serve as the keyhole in which the key is placed to unlock the bail.

The lock case 10 is made from a blank 23 such as described by bending the strip 30 29 upon itself near its outer end and then back again to form the lug 20 and finger piece 22. A compound curve 35 may also be formed therein to position the tongue 21 properly within the lock. The part 30 35 is folded at right angles to the top side 25 on the dotted line a, while the part 32 at the other side of the blank is similarly folded on the dotted line δ, the forward end 32^a of . said part being bent inwardly 40 at a right angle as shown. The connecting strip 31 is then folded on the dotted line c, so that the parts 32 and 28 will lie parallel, after which another right angle fold is given the blank on the line d, the parts 45 thereupon assuming the position indicated in Fig. 4 where it will be seen that 28 forms one of the vertical sides of the lock case, while the connecting strip 31 is in a plane as in Fig. 1 with the top 25. The outer 50 part 32 continuous with the connecting strip 31 stands practically with its free edge close to the bottom 24, the folded forward end 32=¹ bearing upon the part 28 arid forming a seat for the end of the bail to strike 55 against and prevent injury to the spring finger 20 when the bail is forced inward. The folded end also forms a brace for the . part 32 and protects the spring frorii being pushed back by a false key or wire inserted 60 in the keyhole. The portions 24 and 25 forming the bottom and top sides of the lock are folded on the lines e and f into a U-shape, the parts 27 between these lines thus forming the other vertical edge of the 65 lock. As thus folded, the parts 30 and ,102 are brought into contact as clearly shown in Fig. 3 and serve to brace the lock case and strengthen the same. After folding the blank, the seam between the parts 30 and 32 is preferably soldered to prevent _7nseparation and give additional strength to the case. The ears 12 are folded outwardly at right angles to the case and are .thus in position for the fastening screws or nails 14. The corners of the top and bottom ₇plates 25 and 24 through which the perforations 26 are formed may be pressed inward upon the eye 17 of the bail in order to form a snug fit between the bail and the sides of the lock case. _gQ . The locking device herein shown is very simple and may be opened with a key having a flat bit that is first inserted through the key-hole slot 33 ift one position and after passing the same, turned at right an- ₈gles and then pushed through the other slot 34 against the tongue 21, springing it away from the hook end 19 of the bail. This simple lock may however be elaborated if desired or required. Above the lock case 10 ₉₀(see Fig. 1) is a ring 36 fastened to the upturned ear T2 and separated sufficiently far from the case to hold an empty bottle that may be placed therein and be supported by the lock case. In this position, ₉₅the empty bottle is readily accessible to the dairyman and he can gather it on his rounds without trouble as the liability of loss of empty bottles is slight.