Lock

Application filed January 26, 1920. Serial No. 354,066.

To dll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Elmer B. Stone, a citizen of the United States, residing in New Britain, in the county of Hartford and 5 State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Lock, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to that class of locks that are provided with 10 means to indicate some condition with respect to the inclosure secured by the lock, some need of attention or the like, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a lock having an indicator or signal 15 of extremely simple construction and adapted for operation only by those having access to the inclosures secured by the lock.

_ One form of device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which 20 the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a face view of a portion of a door frame having my improved lock ap25 plied thereto.

Fig. ,2 is a view in cross section through a portion of the door frame with my improved lock in place thereon, the open position of the lock being shown in dotted out30 line.

Fig. 3 is a view of the rear face of my improved lock.

My invention is intended for use more particularly in connection with locks that 35 are provided with a signal or indicator, and more especially to such a lock that is movably mounted on its support, such a lock being illustrated in my application, cojointly with Charles E. Johnson, for patent 40 on door and lock therefor, filed May 13th, 1916, S. No. 97,316, which lock is a portable lock having a signal member operatively connected with the lock mechanism. My improved lock, forming the subject matter of 45 this application, however, is applicable to any lock that is movably attached to its support, whether portable or otherwise and the signal is arranged to be manually operated, but it is so arranged that it cannot be un50 intentionally or accidentally moved.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 5 indicates a door frame and 6 the door of a locker, such as are commonly composed of sheet metal for use in gymnasiums and similar places, in the special form of 55 installation herein shown a lock plate or base 7, of a size to extend across the crack between the door 6 and the frame 5 having a foot 8 adapted to enter a slot 9 in the door frame, said foot having a toe 10 adapt- 60 ed to underlie the door frame, which structure will permit the door of the locker to be opened without removing the lock from the name, in such case the lock being· swung to one side as denoted in dotted lines in Fig. 65 2 of the drawings, or the lock may be removed for the purpose of applying it to lock a similar door of another locker, my invention being especially intended for use m a system of lockers now in common use, 70 which system embodies a series of large lockers intended for temporary use and a series of small lockers intended for permanent use.

The lock plate or base is preferably of 75 dish shape and it may readily be removed by tipping , it edgewise from the position shown in Fig. 2. A lock case 11 is secured to the back face of the lock plate and within, the boundaries of the dish shaped edge, 80 said case being provided with outtumed flanges 12 to receive screws or other means for securing said case to the lock plate. The doors of the large and small lockers, b erein before referred to, are of the same construe- 85 tion,,except as to size, an opening 13 being provided in the door of a shape and size approximately that of the lock case 11, so that the latter may be readily passed through said opening, as shown in Fig. 2 of the 90 drawings, in which position the lock may be secured as by means of its bolt 14, which, when thrown, passes behind the door, as shown in the figure of the drawing last referred to. It will be seen that when the 95 lock plate is thus secured with the flange 8 engaging behind the door frame and the plate extending across the gap or crack between the edges of the frame and door, the latter will be so rigidly secured together that 100 it will be impossible to spring them apart sufficiently to permit removal of the lock plate. The case 11 contains a slotted barrel 15 adapted to receive a key that may be of any suitable construction to operate 105 the mechanism within the lock case, which mechanism may also be of any desired construction for the purpose of operating the gj 1,363,486 bolt, and a further and detailed description is, therefore, omitted herein.

My improved lock, as hereinbefore stated, is provided with means for indicating some 5 circumstance connected with a locker or inclosure secured by said lock, this indicatingmeans comprising an indicating opening 16 formed through the lock plate and an indicator 17 movably attached to the back face 10 of said plate in position to be moved across said opening. In the preferred form of construction this indicator is pivotally attached to the plate as by means of a pivot 18 at one end and an operating lip 19 is extended 15 from the plate by means of which it may be swung on its pivot. The indicator is thus inclosed within the inclosure formed by the dish-shaped plate and practical and convenient access may be had to the indicator 20 only when the lock has been operated to unlock the plate and the latter has been moved from its locked position.

It will thus be seen that the indicator can be practically and conveniently operated 25 only after a door has been unlocked and after the lock has been moved from its locked position. This will enable, the indicator to be practically and conveniently operated only by one having authorized access 30 to the lock by means of a key supplied therefor and there is, therefore, no liability of the indicator being accidentally set: as a signal and only as intended by the occupant of the locker or the attendant. The indi35 cator may be provided with a color contrasting to that of the front face of the lock plate and be swung across the opening when set as a signal, or the surface of the door back of the indicating opening may 40 be colored in. which case, the indicator will be swung into position to uncover said opening when set as a signal, either of said methods being employed as may be desired.