Lock (Patent No: 503751)

Inventor: Banham, William G.

Location: Edmonton

Comments: N/A

Description: William G. Banham, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Application February 7, 1952, Serial No. 626,612
3 Claims

1. A lock comprising a U-shaped pocket open at the top and both ends, a latch swingingly mounted in said pocket on a transverse pivot, a channel member open at the top and ends and movable laterally with respect to said latch and alignable therewith to receive the same and a vertically elongated socket member on the opposite side of said latch from said channel member and slidable in relation to said latch in which said latch may engage when freed from said channel; said latch being a relatively thin flat plate having a short angularly extending end running upwards from near said pivot, a straight flat normally horizontal top and a sloping underside having a step therein and there beyond tapering to meet said flat top at a point, whereby when said pocket and said channel member are aligned and said latch is seated in the latter, the straight flat top of said latch lies flush with the tops of said pocket and channel member.

2. A lock as set forth in claim 1 wherein the length of the latch plate from said pivot to its pointed end, relative to the length of said pocket and said channel member, is such that the pointed free end of said latch plate projects beyond the remote end of the channel member, providing a thumb lift to disengage said latch from said channel member.

3. A lock as set forth in claim 1 wherein said socket member is a mortise-type housing with a slot in the latch-confronting face thereof through which said latch plate may enter, the sliding of said socket member in one direction bringing the top of the slot against the step in the sloping underside of the latch and in the opposite direction causing engagement of the short angularly extending end of the latch plate and the bottom of said slot to eject the latch plate; said latch plate when standing vertically in said socket member resting with its flat top against the inside of said housing and when ejected therefrom falling into said channel member to lie horizontally with its flat top flush with the top of said channel member.