Patent 920,105 · Backus's Lock and Check Hook · Page 2

coöoperate with the flattened extension 6 of the lock-bolt to secure the coat, hat or like article placed upon the hook. The lock-bolt has a limited play toward and from the plane of the head 2, and this is of advantage to prevent removal of a coat or like article suspended upon the hook. The extremity of the flattened extension 6 generally makes positive engagement with the article suspended upon the hook, and any attempt to remove said article from the hook, when the lock-bolt is depressed or projected, causes the part 6 to move toward the head 2 and thereby grip the article more firmly proportionately to the degree of force exerted in an attempt to remove the coat or other article from the hook. Provision for admitting of the lock-bolt having the limiting plate aforesaid may be had either by enlarging the opening in the casing in which the lock-bolt is mounted or by reducing the thickness of the lock-bolt, the latter construction being plainly indicated in Fig. 3.     The casing for receiving the hook 1, lock-bolt 2 and adjunctive parts, comprises a back plate 8, top and bottom, front flanges 9, rear vertical flanges 10 terminating in outer flanges 11 which are apertured to receive the fastenings by means of which the device is attached to a wall strip or other support, and a front or cap 12, the latter comprising vertical side flanges to close the side spaces between the ends of the top and bottom front flanges 9. Notches are formed in the outer or front edges of the flanges 9 to receive the lock-bolt 5 which is held in place by the front or cap 12. An opening is formed in the back plate 8 near the bottom thereof to receive the stud 3 and cross head 4, said opening being of such formation as to admit of the hook being readily placed in position or removed. Pins 13 and 14 are secured to the back plate 8 and project through openings in the front or cap 12 and receive, respectively, a dog and the spring coöperating with the lock-bolt to hold the same projected and to return said lock-bolt to normal position when released. A spring 15 is coiled between its ends and mounted upon the pin 14, one end being secured to the casing and the other end being connected to the lock-bolt by means of link 16.     The dog for securing both the key-check and the lock-bolt is mounted upon a pin 13 and comprises oppositely extended members 17 and 18. The member 17 projects upwardly and is provided with a lateral extension 19 which projects through an opening in the back plate 8 and is adapted to enter a notch 20 of the key-check 21 and secure the same when the lock-bolt is retracted or thrown upward away from the hook. The member 18 has an extension 22 to ride upon the lock-bolt and hold the member 18 out of engagement with the teeth 23 provided upon

a side of the lock-bolt so as to admit of the latter having a limited downward movement preliminary to coming in contact with the article suspended from the hook 1. The lock-bolt is cut away opposite to the toothed portion 23 and when the cut-away portion 24 of the lock-bolt comes opposite to the extension 22, the member 18 engages with the teeth 23 and holds the lock-bolt depressed or in projected position. By providing a series of teeth 23, the lock-bolt, after reaching a certain stage in its movement, is locked at each stage of its further depression, whereby provision is had for securing the lock-bolt at different distances from the head 2 to the hook 1 so that coats, hats and the like of different bulk, may be firmly gripped or held between the hook 1 an the lower end of the lock-bolt. A spring 25 is mounted upon the pin 13 and one end is in engagement with the casing and the other end exerts a pressure upon the lower member 18 of the dog so as to normally force said member toward the lock-bolt and thereby hold it positively in engagement with the teeth 23 after the extension 22 comes opposite to the cut away portion 24 of the lock-bolt.     The key-check 21 consists of a flat plate having notches in opposite edges, slots in its lower end and grooves in its rear side, said slots and grooves coöperating with projections which are differently positioned, thereby adapting the key-checks for particular hook or check locks, so that no two keys of a system may be alike. A guide 26 is provided in the rear of the casing to receive the key-check and said guide consists of a plate having its vertical edges flanged to embrace opposite edges of the key-check, said guide being secured to the back plate of the casing and provided with projecting portions to coöperate with the slots and grooves of the key-check to admit of the proper key-check only being placed in position so as to release the lock-bolt of the check-lock or hook for which designed. The guide 26 projects a short distance above the casing to direct and facilitate the entrance of the key-check when placing the same in position. A trip 27 projecting from the dog, passes through an opening in the back plate of the casing and extends across the path of the key-check and is pressed upon as the key-check reaches the limit of its movement so as to force the lower member 18 of the dog out of engagement with the teeth 23, thereby releasing the lock-bolt 5 and permitting the same to be thrown upward or returned to normal position by the action of the spring 15. At the same time that the lower member 18 of the dog releases the lock-bolt, the upper member 17 of the lock-bolt is moved inward so as to cause the extension 19 thereof to enter the notch 20 of the key-check and secure the same and thereby prevent its removal so