US2817379A - Closure for receptacles - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1957 A. E. LAMARTHE CLOSURE FOR RECEPTACLE$ Filed April 30, 1956 INVENTOR T R Y A E M N A R L 0 0 n M A U m N u United States Patent CLOSURE FOR RECEPTACLES Alfred Edouard Lamarthe, Paris, France Application April 30, 1956, Serial No. 581,543 Claims priority, application France May 7, 1955 1 Claim. (Cl. 150-10) The present invention relates to closures for receptacles of flexible material, such as leather, fabric, and the like.

Closures for receptacles of flexible material have been disclosed before in my former U. S. Patents No. 2,255,- 598, dated September 9, 1941, and No. 2,529,878, dated November 14, 1950.

While the closures proposed in said former patents did function properly, their structure was more or less complicated and consequently their manufacture not very economical.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a closure for receptacles of flexible material which is not only of particularly simple structure, but also of very economical manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a closure for receptacles of flexible material which comprises an expandable rigid member to the ends of which are hinged the corresponding ends of a flat spring member, the length of the latter being equal to that of the rigid member in its most expanded position.

It has been found that such structure is extremely simple in its operation, since the receptacle is maintained in closed position by the fiat spring member which engages the rigid member due to the tendency of said flat spring member to maintain its straight position, and in order to open the receptacle, it suflices to exert pressure upon the outer ends of the rigid member toward each other, which pressure brings about a shortening of the length of the rigid member and a bending outwardly of the flat spring member, the latter thereby moving away from its rigid member engaging position.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide releasable locking means, in order to maintain, if desired, the closure in its open position.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective front View of the closure for receptacles in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective front view of the closure for receptacles in open position;

Fig. 3 is an exploded front perspective View of the closure for receptacles in its closed position;

Fig. 4 is a section along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section along the lines 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a section along the lines 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the closure comprises two main members, namely, a rigid expandable member 1 and a flat metal spring 2. The ends of the rigid member 1 and the corresponding ends of the flat spring 2 are hingedly connected by means of hinge devices 3 the pivotal axes of which are parallel and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rigid member 1. The latter is expandable and comprises two telescopic sections preferably of rectangular cross section, the length of the rigid member 1 being in its most expanded position equal to the length of the flat spring member 2. The sections of the rigid member 1 may be either equipped with longitudinal slots and a rivet 4 provided in one of the sections slides in the slot 5 of the other of said sections and a rivet 6 provided in the other of said sections slides in the slot 7 of the first one of said sections, or said sections may be made tubular to slide telescopically one in the other (not shown). A short tubular member 8 surrounds one side of both said sections, which tubular member 8 has the function of limiting the relative expanding movement of said sections and is dimensioned in such manner that the most expanded position brings about a length of the rigid member which is equal to that of the flat spring member 2, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The receptacle .9 is open at one end and the edge portions at the open end are mounted on the rigid member 1 and the flat spring member 2, respectively.

It is of advantage to maintain the receptacle temporarily in open position and while any suitable means may be used for that purpose, a simple structure may, by example, comprise a short member 10 of L-shaped cross section, one web of the L being insertable into the slot of one section while the end of the other web of the L is hingedly connected to the other of the sections, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In order to open the closed receptacle it is merely necessary to exert pressure in opposite directions towards the outer end of the rigid member 1, in the direction of the arrows 11 indicated in Fig. 1 and the hinge devices 3 will permit the disengagement of the fiat spring member 2 from the rigid member 1, so that the flat spring member 2 will assume a curved position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thereby opening the receptacle. By inserting the'locking member 10 secured to one section into the slot of the other section, the receptacle may be retained temporarily in open position.

In order to provide a firm closing position for the receptacle, the flat spring member may be of slightly curved cross section as particularly clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the convex side of the curvature being on the outside of the flat spring member.

While the rigid member has been shown as consisting of two telescoping elements it is to be understood that three or even more elements may be provided which telescope into each other without abandoning the spirit of the present invention.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claim.

I claim:

A closure for receptacles comprising a rigid expandable member formed of telescoping sections and a flat spring member, hinges at the ends of said rigid member and of said flat spring member, the length of said rigid member in its most expanded position being equal to the length of said flat spring member, and the latter engaging firmly said rigid member in the closed position of said receptacles and assuming a curved position and disengaging said rigid member in the open position of said receptacles, and said rigid member and said spring member being adapted to have mounted thereon the edge portions of said receptacles, and a locking member of L-shaped cross section, one web of said locking member hingedly connected with one of said longitudinal sections and the other web of said locking member projecting through the said slot of said one longitudinal section into the said slot of the other of said longitudinal sections in References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 554,091 Sears Feb. 4, 1896 operative locking position by abutting against said rivet 5 1,798,945 Lam th M 31, 1931 of said other of said longitudinal sections and turned out of said slots in its inoperative position, thereby permit- FOREIGN PATENTS ting the extension of said rigid expandable member. 440,092 Germany Jan. 28, 1927

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