Trunk type lock with throw away key

In a lock for trunks or the like having separable upper or lower sections, a latching plate for attachment to the upper section of the trunk having a circular keeper opening therein, a hasp assembly having an attachment plate to be affixed to the lower trunk section, a hasp member hinged to the attachment plate having a free end portion to overlie said keeper opening and adjacent portions of the latching plate when in mated position, a hollow cylindrical bolt housing of cup-shaped configuration fixed to and projecting rearwardly of the hasp member to nest in the keeper opening when the hasp member and latching plate assume the mated position, a pair of spring biased latching bolts supported in the bolt housing for movement to and from projected positions to interlock behind latching plate portions bounding the keeper opening when the hasp member is in said mated position, an actuator disk concentrically rotatable about a center axis of the cylindrical housing having members intercoupled with the latching bolts to withdraw them to an unlocked position upon rotation of the actuator disk through a selected arc, and a key barrel member positioned forwardly adjacent the actuator disk having a key slot therein;

• the improvement comprising a throw away key captured in assembled relation with the cylindrical bolt housing having a blade portion extending through said key slot in the key barrel and a handle portion disposed externally forwardly adjacent the hasp member, the key blade portion having a major leg extending substantially along the center axis of said key barrel and actuator disk and cylindrical housing and a driver formation displaced eccentrically of said center axis to engage surface portions of the actuator disk and impart rotation to the actuator disk upon rotation of the key, said actuator disk and cylindrical housing having openings to receive said major leg of the key blade therethrough, said key blade portion being an integral one-piece blade member bendable transversely to the major plane of the blade portion and said major leg thereof having a bendable end tab portion integral with the remainder of the blade portion protruding through said center opening of said cylindrical housing and normally disposed in capturing position extending substantially perpendicular to said center axis behind and immediately adjacent rear wall portions of said cylindrical housing to capture the key in actuator disk operating condition, and said bendable end tab portion being bendable into substantial longitudinal axial alignment with said major leg permitting withdrawal of the throw away key from the bolt housing and the key slot of said key barrel.