Untitled record

Application filed August 1

This invention relates to improvements in lockers, and more particularly to the construction and the arrangement of the interlocking means for controlling the locking 5 of one door by the operation of another door as in garment lockers where separate hat and coat compartments are associated in pairs. In such lockers a key is provided for only one of the compartment doors which, when closed, 10 holds the door of the companion compartment locked.

The main objects of the present invention are to provide a simple form of interlock means for interconnecting the doors; to pro13 vide an interlock which may be operated either by the outer edge or the hinged edge of the door; to provide an interlock which may be easily installed in the locker and which is very strong and durable in use.

Two illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the locker with the lower portion broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the left hand central portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section at line 3—3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section at line f—4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 30 5—5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a locker showing a slightly modified arrangement in which the interlock member is operated by the swinging or outer edge of the upper door instead 35 of the hinged edge, the construction being substantially the same in all other respects.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7---7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8—8 of 40 Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 9—9 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings is illustrated a hat and coat locker in which two long, narrow com45 partments are provided side by side in the lower portion, and two small compartments, extending the full width of the two lower compartments, are arranged one above the other, over the lower compartments.

so The locker is preferably of sheet metal and angle iron construction. The front has a rectangular angle section frame 11 having two transverse members 12 and 13 for forming the bottoms of the two upper compart- ments, and a central T-section frame member , 1927. Serial No. 209,974.

14, extending from the lower transverse member 13 to the lower part of the marginal frame 11, for dividing the lower compartments.

The lower compartments are each fitted with a door 15 and 16 respectively, hinged to 60 the central member 14, and the upper compartments are likewise respectively fitted with doors 17 and 18 hinged to the marginal frame .. 11 at opposite sides,, so. that the upper door 17 which is related with the lower door 15 .65 swings to the right to open, and the upper door 18 which is related with the lower door 16 swings to the left to open. .

The upper doors 17 and 18 are each provided with key operated locks for locking 70 the swinging edges of the door to the adjoining portion of the marginal frame; and means are provided whereby locks for the lower doors are controlled by the corresponding upper door. . A 75

This means comprises the interlock bars 19 and 2Q which are vertically slidable in?the walls of the locker. The interlock bar 20, at the right in Fig, 1, is considerably longer than the bar 19, shown at the left, because it ⁸⁰must span the door 18 which is related with the coat door 16. In other respects the interlock bars are identical and a description of one will apply to either. '

As is shown more clearly in Fig. 5, the up- ⁸⁵per and lower ends of the interlock bars have flanges 21 which are slotted to received snpporting posts 22 which are rigidly carried by angle clips 23 riveted to the outer frame 11. The interlock bars are normally held in a <₎₍₎raised position by means of a coil spring 24, which is anchored to a bracket 25, secured to the wall of the frame. Means are provided for sliding the bar downwardly against the action, of spring when the upper door is _fl5closed, which consists of a cam or lug 26, integrally formed on the upper end of the locking bar, which is engaged by the edge of the corresponding hat door; At the lower end the bar is bent inwardly to provide a lug ₁₀₀or finger 27 for engaging with the latch bar 28 of the lower door.

In Fig. 2_the cam 26 is shown as cooperating with the hinged edge of the upper door 18; but it may be arranged to cooperate with the ₁₀₅swinging edge of a door, as is shown, in Fig. 6, as will be described hereinafter. The upper doors are of sheet metal construction, with the flange 30 projecting inwardly around thei edges, which is slotted as at 31, no

1,702,380 see Fig. 8, to receive the cam portion. It will now be seen that when the door is swung closed, the sloping surface of the cam is engaged by the upper side of the notch, and the 5 interlock bar is thereby cammed downwardly and held in that position.

The lower doors 15 and 16 are also of sheet metal construction, and the metal is bent around to form a tube 32 at the swinging 10 edge. In this tube is slidably mounted the latch bar 28 which extends substantially the length of the door., and is provided with a handle 33, that projects through a slot in the front wall of the door, so that the bar may be 15 manually raised or lowered, the movement of the bar being limited by the length of the slot. Hooked catches, or keepers 34, are riveted to the outer frame 11, adjoining the swinging edges of the doors 15 and 16, and 20 are bent into U-shape so as to project through slots 35 in the rear wall of the tubular portion 32, as is shown more clearly in Fig. 9. The latch bar 28 is slotted at 36 to receive the ends of the catches 34, as shown. The latch bar is 25 cammed upwardly by the outer sloping end of the catch 34 when the door is being closed, and drops down by gravity into engagement with the hook in the catch to hold the door closed.

In Fig. 6 the interlock bar 38 is extended so that the cam 39, on the upper end, is engaged by the swinging edge of the top door 17 instead of the hinged edge of the door 18 as shown in Fig. 1. The cam 39 enters and 35 is engaged by the upper side of the notch 31 in the flange of the door,. In this form the cam is formed by bending over the upper end of the bar, while in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the metal is bent out at the side.

In either form, a sloping cam surface is provided for performing the function of depressing the lock bar.

At the lower end, the bar 38 is provided with the finger 27, and the bar is slidably 45 mounted on the locker wall in the same manner as described for the bars 19 or 20.

As will be seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 9, the finger 27 on the lower end of the interlock bar is in close relation with the upper end 50’ of the latch bar 28 when the door is closed and the bar is in the down position. This, of course, prevents lifting the latch bar of the lower door as long as the corresponding upper door is closed and holding the interlock 55 bar down against the action of the spring 22. When the upper door is unlocked and opened, the lock of the lower door may be then operated to open the same.

Tn closing the locker, either door may be 60. closed while the other is open. If the coat compartment door is closed first, the interlock bar is in the .raised, position, under the action of the spring 24, and the finger 27 is raised-above .the upper end of the latch bar 65 when .the bar is. lifted·, to ..pass over the ends· of the keepers 34. The latch bar is then shoved down to lock the coat compartment door, and when the hat compartment door is closed, the interlock bar is cammed downwardly and the .finger 27 is lowered and pre- _ϊ0vents the latch bar 28 from being lifted until the upper door is again opened.

In case the hat compartment door is closed first, the end of the latch bar when raised will strike against the finger 27, since the inter- ₇₅lock bar is then in the lower position.

The upper end of the interlock bar is flexible and will yield sufficiently to allow the door to be pressed shut. Then when the latch bar is shoved down to lock with the. ₈₀keepers 34, the Upper end will spring into; place under the finger 27.

It is now manifest that a very simple and practical form of interlock has been provided. The interlocking parts are easily ₈g mounted in place in the locker; they occupy a very small space and do not interfere with the use of the locker; and are not easily damaged or broken.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention yo have been shown and described, but it will be understood that numerous modifications and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims. ys