Locking device for percolator tops
United States Patent 1 Minsky et al.  
 [ 1 LOCKING DEVICE FOR PERCOLATOR TOPS [75] Inventors: Norman C. Minsky; James M.  
 Straughn; Robert E. Lull, all of West Bend, Wis.  
 [73] Assignee: Dart Industries Inc.. Los Angeles,  
 Calif.  
  22 Filed: Sept. 17, 1973 211 Appl.No.:397,986  
 [52] US. Cl. 220/318; 99/310; 220/322; 220/326 [51] Int. Cl. B65d 45/08; 865d 45/22; A47j 36/06 [58] Field of Search... 220/55 R, 55 K 55 H, 24 R, 220/5515, 55.7. 59, 315, 316, 317, 318, 324.  
 [ Apr. 8, 1975 Primary E.\&#39;aminer.1ohn Petrakes {57] ABSTRACT A receptacle cover latch means adapted to prevent accidental displacement of a cover from a receptacle wherein a receptacle is provided with an opening in its upper portion. said receptacle adapted to carry a cover over said opening; said receptacle having an outer side wall surface portion below said opening; a handle for said receptacle; a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on said handle and having a latch portion extending over the cover enclosed opening of the receptacle; and a manually engagable portion of said lever extending in an opposite direction from said latch por&#39; tion and relative to the pivotal axis of said lever; a spring tending to hold said lever with its latch portion over a receptacle cover and said cover enclosed open ing whereby said latch portion may be moved to release said cover by said manually engagable portion of said lever when depressed by the thumb of a persons hand which supports a handle of the receptacle.  
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 sum 2 0f 2 a? Willy LOCKING DEVICE FOR PERCOLATOR TOPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various cover enclosed receptacles such as coffee percolators, tea pots. sauce pans, etc. have been provided with means to prevent accidental displacement of the covers from such receptacles especially during the pouring of beverages from percolators or tea pots or during the movement of a sauce pan or the like when it is desired to hold the cover in an enclosing position with the upper open portion of the receptacle. Various latches have been secured to covers of receptacles and various mechanisms for locking such latches have been utilized including toggle devices as well as frictionally engaged latches. Many of these, however, have been either complicated or inconvenient to operate relative to the side wall of the receptacle and especially when one hand of the operator is utilized to support the receptacle while the other hand is used to remove the receptacle cover. Additionally, prior art latch mechanisms for holding covers on receptacles have been complicated and expensive to produce and some of them have failed to meet aesthetic requirements for use on various receptacles such as percolators and coffee pots or the like.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a receptacle cover latch means particularly adapted for use in preventing accidental displacement of covers from percolators, coffee pots, sauce pans or other receptacles. The invention comprises a novel cover latch means cooperably associated with a receptacle handle so as to provide for convenient operation of the latch means by the thumb of a persons hand which carries the receptacle by its handle. The latch means comprises a lever having a latch portion extendable over an upper open end&#39;of a respective receptacle and over an enclosing cover thereon and the lever is pivoted adjacent the outer side wall of the receptacle and is provided with a manually engagable portion adapted to pivot the lever against compression of a resilient means which tends to hold the latch portion of the lever over the receptacle cover which encloses the upperopen end of the receptacle. The latching lever is generally a bell crank shaped lever having a pivotal axis disposed generally horizontally. Trunnions are provided at the pivotal axis and these trunnions are mounted in normally horizontal opposed channels which are integral with the receptacle handle and a spring is disposed between the trunnions of the lever and interengages with the lever and the handle tending to force the latch portion of the lever over a cover enclosing the upper open end of the receptacle. The aforementioned opposed channels in which the opposed trunnions of the lever are pivotally mounted are open at a normally upper end of the handle which is abutted to the outside wall ofthe respective receptacle and this upper end of the handle is fixed to the receptacle by a suitable screw threaded device.  
  The aforementioned opposed channels are molded in the handle and the trunnions on the bell crank shaped latch lever are spaced apart providing a space in which a spring is disposed between the trunnions. This spring is provided with an intermediate U-shaped portion engaged over a restraining protrusion in the space between the trunnions so as to hold the spring in position relative to the trunnion axis and a pair of coil portions are integral with said U-shaped portion and opposite ends of these coils are provided with extending engaging portions which engage the handle of the coffee pot and thereby provide for abuttment of the spring so that it may forcefully act about the axis of the trunnions and cause the latch portion of the lever to be normally held over the upper open end of a receptacle and its respective cover. The pivotal mounting means molded integral with the handle and the trunnions as well as all features of the bell crank shaped latch lever, are die formed or molded so that production and assembly of the receptacle cover latch of the invention is very favorable to provide economy of manufacture.  
  Additionally, the generally bell crank shaped latch lever of the invention is disposed in a top opening in the handle and projects thereabove to provide access for a person&#39;s thumb to engage a manually engagable portion of the latch lever for convenience in operating the cover latch by the thumb of the same hand which supports the receptacle by its handle, whereby a person wishing to remove the cover of a receptacle by one hand is capable of doing so while the receptacle is supported in the other of the persons hands by the receptacle handle.  
  The generally bell crank shaped lever of the invention provides for economy, simplicity, and generally acceptable aesthetic features compatible with coffee percolators, coffee pots and other receptacles. The features of construction of the cover latch means of the invention employing the bell crank shaped latch lever disposed and recessed in the handle of the receptacle encloses the lever actuating spring and lends aesthetic quality to the receptacle cover latch of the invention. Additionally, the trunnion mounting channels in the handle which support the pivotal trunnions of the latch lever are open at a portion ofthe handle which is abutted and fixed to the side wall of a respective receptacle. thereby affording very simple and economical features for assembling the latch lever of the invention relative to the handle or relative to its pivotal support on the outer side of the receptacle. The foregoing features provide for an assembly of the latch lever with the handle simply by sliding the opposed trunnions into opposed channels of the handle together with the spring which is restrained on the latch lever.  
  An additional advantage of the invention is due to the fact that the cover of the receptacle will be supported by the top of the receptacle cover latch unless the latch is manually actuated to secure the cover thus enabling it visually obvious to the user that the cover is not secure.  
  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to p ovide a very simple, economical, convenient and aesthetic cover latch means for various receptacles for use in preventing accidental displacement of the covers from the receptacles.  
  Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and simple combination of a latch lever and handle structure wherein all of the features of the latch lever and handle structure are molded to provide for pivotal support of the latch lever on the handle and to provide for simple and easy installation oftrunnions of the latch lever into open ends of opposed channels in the handle which form pivotal supports for the trunnions of the latch lever.  
  Additonally, it is an object of the invention to provide a novel latch lever operating spring having a U-shaped portion engaged with a protrusion on the handle so that when the handle and its trunnion portions are inserted into opposed channel bearings in the handle, that the lever will carry the spring into the recess in the handle between the opposed channels thereby providing great facility of assembly of the parts of the invention during production thereof.  
  Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle cover latch means wherein a receptacle is provided with a handle carrying the latch lever of the invention in such position that it is very conveniently operable by the thumb of a persons hand normally used to support the receptacle by the receptacle handle.  
  Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view ofa cof fee percolator showing the receptacle cover latch means of the invention in connection therewith and illustrating a varying or unlatched position of the lever by broken lines;  
  FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the cover latch means of the invention taken through the latch means as outlined by the circle designated 2 in FIG. 1 of the drawings;  
  FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 33 of FIG. 2;  
  FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;  
  FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top or plane view taken from the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;  
  FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;  
  FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification of the invention; and  
  FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top or plan view taken from the line 88 of FIG. 7.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. I of the drawings. a receptacle 10 such as a coffee percolator of the like is provided with a cover I2 and the receptacle 10 is provided with an upper open end 14 enclosed by the cover 12 which as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings is provided with a skirt I6 fitted within an opening 18 in the upper open end 14 of the receptacle 10.  
  A handle 20 of generally C-shaped configuration is provided with an upper end 22 fixed to an outer side wall surface 24 of the receptacle 10.  
  As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, a screw 26 extends through an opening 28 in the side wall of the re ceptacle and is screw threaded into an internally screw threaded bore 30 molded in the handle 22.  
  A lower end 32 of the handle 10 is secured by a screw 34 to a fixture 36 hermetically sealed at 38 into the side wall of the receptacle 10. Thus the lower end 32 of the handle 20 is held in abutted relation to the outer side wall surface 24 of the receptacle 10.  
  The handle 20 at its upper end 22 is provided with a pair of horizontally disposed and opposed channel portions 40 and 42 shown best in FIG. 3 of the drawings and the upper portion 22 ofthe handle is also provided with a top opening communicating with said channels 40 and 42 and this top opening is provided with opposite sides 44 and 46 adjacent the respective channel portions 40 and 42. Thus the space between the opposite sides 44 and 46 provides a top opening through which a generally bell crank shaped latch lever 48 projects. The latch lever 48 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is provided with a pair of opposed trunnions 50 and 52 which are positioned in the respective opposed channels 40 and 42 in the handle portion 22. The lever 48 is provided with a space between the trunnions 50 and 52 and opposite sides of the space between the trunnions are designated 54 and 56 and the upper wall of the space is designated 58, all as shown best in FIG. 3 of the drawings.  
  A spring 60 is mounted in the space between the upper wall 58 and the side walls 54 and 56 of the lever 48 and this spring as shown best in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings, is provided with a generally U-shaped intermediate portion 62 which is a restraining portion engaged over a protuberance 64 extending downward from the upper inner wall 58 of the lever 48 as shown best in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings. Integral with the U-shaped portion 62 of the spring 60 are coil portions 66 and 68 adjacent the wall portions 54 and 56 respectively of the latch lever 48. Integral with these coil portions 66 and 68 are respective ends 70 and 72 which bear on a lower wall portion 74 of the handle portion 22 between the channels 40 and 42, all as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings.  
  The trunnions 50 and 52 in the channels 40 and 42 are similar in configuration and as shown in FIG. 4, the cross-sectional shape of the trunnion 52 is generally circular and bears against an upper wall surface 75 of the channel 42. Likewise the trunnion 50 bears against an upper wall 76 of the channel 40 and the spring 60 at its opposite end portions, namely the intermediate portion 62 and the ends 70 and 72 tend to separate and become forced apart such that the portion 62 is forced away from the end portions 70 and 72 and in this manner the lever 48 is forced upwardly causing the trunnions 50 and 52 to bear against the upper wall portions 76 and 75 respectively of the channels 40 and 42 respectively.  
  As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. the lever 48 is provided with a thumb engaging portion 78 and this portion 78 extends upwardly between the walls 44 and 46 above the channels 40 and 42 and thus extends through the top opening in the handle a sufficient distance to be engaged and depressed by a persons thumb against compression of the spring 66.  
  Integral with the handle portion 78, the lever is provided with an upwardly extending latch portion 80 having a generally horizontally extending portion 82 which extends over an upper surface 84 of the cover 12. This portion 82 extending inwardly toward the middle of the receptacle l0 and over its upper open end and particularly the opening 18 as shown in FIG. 2 such that the latch portion 82 retains the cover in the opening 18 and prevents it from being accidentally displaced.  
  The upper end of the handle 22 at its surface 88 communicates with open ends of the channels 40 and 42 as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings. An open end 90 of the channel 42 being shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings and it will be obvious that the trunnions 50 and 52 of the lever 48 together with the spring 60 may readily be inserted in the handle simply by moving the trunnions 50 and 52 into the respective channels 40 and 42 while the projection 64 engages the U-shaped portion 62 of the spring 60 and this restraining portion of the spring 60 forces the spring to be pulled into the handle on the lower wall surface 74. Upturned end portions 92 of the spring, as shown. best in FIG. 2 of the drawings, facilitate insertion of the spring at its ends 70 and 72 into and upon the lower wall surface 74 shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The latch lever 48 as well as the handle 20 are both molded in precision dies and the spring 60 is readily installed in the lever 48 and the assembly of the latch means of the invention including the lever and the handle is very simply accomplished whereupon the handle may be abutted at its end 88 to the outer side wall surface 24 of the receptacle l and the screw 26 may be screw threadably engaged in the handle as hereinbefore described so that the head portion 94 of the screw 26 abuts the inner side of the receptacle wall and holds the upper end surface portion 88 of the handle firmly abutted to the outer side wall surface 24 of the receptacle and thereby retains the latch lever 48 as well as the spring 60 in the channels 40 and 42 above the surface 74 and allows the lever to project upwardly through the top opening of the handle between the walls 44 and 46 shown in FIG. 3. The projection 64 in the U-shaped portion 62 of the spring retains it and holds it in the assembled relation with the latch lever 48 all as shown best in FIG. 2 of the drawings.  
  It will be seen that the latch lever 48 is a generally bell crank shaped lever in which the latch portion 82 extends toward a middle portion of the open end 14 of the receptacle l0 and the manually engagable portion 78 extends in the opposite direction away from the outer side wall surface 24 ofthe receptacle l0 and thus the trunnions 50 and 52 are on a common pivotal axis which is disposed between the latch portion 82 and the manually engagable portion 78 so that downward pressure thereon causes a pivotal movement of the latch portion 82 to a broken line position as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, out of interference relative to the upper surface of the cover 12 and relative to the opening 18 in the upper open end 14 of the receptacle 10, thereby allowing the cover 12 to be removed from the open end 14 of the receptacle 10. It will be seen that a person hand may grip the hand engaging portion 96 of the handle 20 while the persons thumb may depress the manually engagable portion 78 of the latch lever 48 during the movement of the latch lever to its broken line position, FIG. 1, and out of the latching position shown by solid lines in FIG. 1 of the drawings.  
  In the modification of the invention as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, a simple U-shaped bracket 98 is secured to the outer side wall surface 24 of the receptacle and a spring 100 similar to the spring 60 may surround a hinge pin 102 which passes through opposite legs 104 and 106 of the U-shaped bracket 98 to provide a pivotal mounting for the bell crank shaped latch lever 108 of the modified structure. This lever 108 is substantially similar to the general shape of the lever 48 hereinbefore described. This lever 108 is provided with a latching portion 110 similar to the portion 82 hereinbefore described and is also provided with a manually engagable portion 112 similar to the portion 78 hereinbefore described.  
  The spring 100 at a U-shaped end 114 thereof tends resiliently to force the manually engagable portion 112 upwardly while opposite end portions 116 of the spring 100 bear against the outer side wall surface portion 24 so that the spring may resiliently react to hold the latch portion normally over the cover 12 and the upper open end of the receptacle 10.  
  In accordance with the modified structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a separate handle 118 is secured to the side wall of the receptacle in a similar manner to that hereinbefore described.  
  It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.  
 1 claim:  
  1. A receptacle cover latch means adapted to prevent accidental displacement of a cover from a receptacle comprising: a receptacle having an opening in its upper portion, said receptacle being provided with a handle; said receptacle adapted to carry a cover over said opening; said receptacle having an outer side wall surface portion disposed below said opening; a generally bell crank shaped lever; lever support means carried by said handle pivotally mounting said lever on said receptacle on a generally horizontal axis and adjacent to said outer side wall surface portion said lever support means comprising a pair of opposed channel shaped portions in said handle; said lever having a latch portion normally disposed in a latching position over said opening; a pair of opposed pivotal trunnions on said lever; said trunnions having a common pivotal axis; said trunnions extending into respective ones of said opposed channels; and means resiliently urging said lever in a direction to hold said latch portion over a cover enclosing said opening; said lever having a manually engagable portion adapted for pivoting said lever. against force of said resilient means, to a position in which said latch portion is out of latching position to permit re moval of said cover from said receptacle.  
  2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said lever is provided with a space between said trunnions; said resilient means comprising a spring disposed in said space between said trunnions; said spring having first and second engaging portions tending resiliently to move apart; said first engaging portion bearing on said lever in said space; said second engaging portion bearing on said handle between said channel-shaped portions therein.  
  3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said first and second engaging portions of said spring bearing in laterally spaced relation with said axis of said trunnions and on opposite sides thereof with respect to said outer side wall portion of said receptacle.  
  4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein one of said first and second engaging portions of said spring having a restraining portion restrained in spaced relation to said pivotal axis of said trunnions.  
  5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said restraining portion is generally U-shaped; and a protuberance on said lever located in said space between said trunnions; said U-shaped portion engaged over said protuberance.  
  6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said U-shaped portion is provided with opposite ends each having integral coil portions and an arm portion integral with each of said coil portions, said arm portions constituting one of said engaging portion and said U- shaped portion constituting the other one of said engaging portions.  
  7. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said handle is provided with an end portion abutted to said outer side wall of said receptacle, said opposed channel-shaped portions being horizontally disposed and having open ends at said end portion of said handle.  
  8. The invention as defined in claim I wherein a screw extends through said side wall of said receptacle and is screw threaded into said end portion of said handle for holding it in abutted relation to said outer side wall portion of said receptacle.  
  9. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said handle is provided with an upper portion; said upper portion of said handle having a top opening between and communicating with said opposed channel portions; said lever extending upwardly through said top the middle thereof.  
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