Conceptually challenged, I think.
The lid must be lifted and the locks disengaged (they make right angle or straight ahead) before it can be totally lifted. Put two on your chest lid, far enough apart, and the kid won't be able to manage the coordinated effort required.
Thu, Feb 2, 2006, 4:29pm George@least (George) doth mumble: The lid must be lifted and the locks disengaged (they make right angle or straight ahead) before it can be totally lifted. Put two on your chest lid, far enough apart, and the kid won't be able to manage the coordinated effort required.
Sounds reasonable. However. Two latches, two kids - chest open. One, or both, climbe in, lid closes, bad news.
I don't believe in any ANY type of automatic lock or latch on anything a kid is going to be around, and could be trapped in. At least not a chest - things like cabinet doors, it could be appropriate to have them; and, as long as there wasn't anthing in there that could hurt the kid, might teach him/her a lesson. - as long as it wasnt airtight, that is.
JOAT Shhh... that's the sound of nobody caring what you think.
OK, I was thinking that if the kid was tall enough to lift the lid he would be able to reach and disengage the clip. To clips far enough apart would present a tougher problem.
Actually, aren't most toddlers tall enough to reach the clip on the door under a kitchen cabinet? Surely many or most will be smart enough to figure it out. When my little brother was still crawling he realized that if you put a key in a hole in the wall and turn it the wall opens up. Then he found out that doesn't work on electrical outlets and wasn't allowed to play with keys any more.
Children suffocating in Lane hope chests was a common enough occurrence that Lane has a standing offer of new latch mechanisms on their web page. The chests have a seal ring around the top, and are made to be airtight.
The old latch was kind of like a refrigerator latch, in that it automatically latches when you close it. The new latch requires that you push the button in while closing it to lock it, and you can lock the push button so it can't be pushed in to lock the case shut.
Anyone who owns a Lane Cedar chest should get the new latch mechanism and install it. It takes a little inletting on chests manufactured before the early seventies, but not too much. Half hour job, if the chest is full and you have to pack and repack it.
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