US2122661A

US2122661A - Combined window regulator and door latch operator

Info

Publication number: US2122661A
Application number: US55734A
Authority: US
Inventors: Holden W Rightmyer
Original assignee: American Swiss Co
Current assignee: American Swiss Co
Priority date: 1935-12-23
Filing date: 1935-12-23
Publication date: 1938-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 1955-07-05

Description

July 5, 1938. H. w. RIGHTMYER COMBINED WINDOW REGULATOR AND DOOR LATCH OPERATOR Filed Dec. 23. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mhw l l l I l l I I l I l |i| July 5, 1938. H. w. RIGHTMYER COMBINED WINDOW REGULATOR AND DOOR LATCH OPERATOR Filed Dec. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES COMBINED WINDOW REGULATOR .AND

V DOOR LATCH OPERATOR Holden W. Rightmyer, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The American Swiss Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application December 23, 1935, Serial No. 55,734

' 4 Claims. (01. 268-126) This invention relates to vehicle window regulators and door latches, but more particularly to a device for selectively actuating the window regulator mechanism or door latch mechanism. An object is to produce a single control for selectively operating a vehicle window regulator or a door latch which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and utilizes a single handle, which isactuated in the conventional manner for operating the regulator mechanism and enables operation of the door latch mechanism by-depression of a push button or the like without disconnecting the handle from the regu lator mechanism.

Another object is to produce an operating mechanism for a window regulator and a door latch embodying a single operating handle which is rotated in the usual manner for operating the regulator, but which upon actuation of the control element ailords actuation of the latch mechanism without disconnecting the handle from the regulator mechanism by utilizing lost motion provided in the regulator mechanism.

A further object is to produce an operator of this character having the new and improved features of construction, arrangement, and operation hereinafter described, and for purposes of I illustration, but not of limitation, embodiments of the invention are shown on the accompanying '3 drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a door embodying a regulator mechanism attached to a vehicle window, a door latch mechanism and showing the single control for selectively operating these mechanisms;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1 showing the control ele- Figures 6, 7 and 8 are sectionalviews showing" the latch operating arm and a portion of theremote control strap in normal position, bolt retracted position and dogging position, respectively;

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 9 9 of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is asectional view on the line Illlll of Figure 7 showing the connection between the latch retracting arm and link; and

Figure 11 is an elevation showing an alternate form of control mechanism. I

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a door l0, which may be the door of an automobile body having the usual side window opening (not shown) which is adapted to be closed by the usual glass panel or window II to the lower edge of which are mounted retainers II. The retainers I2 are provided with longitudinally elongate horizontal guides or channels l3 to receive the usual studs I4 mounted on the free ends of the regulator arms IS. The opposite ends of the arms l5 are fixed to studs l6 vpivotally mounted in a back plate H which is suitably secured to the door l0. Spiral springs l8 having one end fixed to the studs l6, and the opposite end secured to the back plate, counterbalance the weight of the window in the usual manner. Fixed to each of the arms I5 is a gear sector l9, which mesh with each other, one of the gear sectors l9 meshing with a pinion 20, forming part of a clutch mechanism.

The clutch mechanism comprises a U-shaped driven .part 2! to which the pinion 20 is fixed and a substantially V shaped driver 22 having each end portion disposed between the legs of the U shaped member 2|. Enclosing the parts 2! and 22 is a clutchhousing 23, and disposed between the legs of the U shaped driven member and the inside walls of the housing is a helically coiled spring 24 having inturned ends 25 disposed between a leg of the driving member 22 and a leg of the driven member 2i.

From an inspection of Figure 4, it will be apparent that turning movement of the driving member in either direction operates to contract the spring 24 and allow it to move with the driving and driven members, a limited amount of lost motion being available between the driving memberl! and the driven member 2|, and such lost motion is made use of'in the actuation of the door latch as will hereinafter appear. It will be understood that retrograde movement of the pinion 20 is prevented by the clutch, since movement of the driven member 2| in either direction tends to expand the spring 24 against the walls of the housing 23. i 4

It is to be understood that the regulator mechanism above described and the clutch mechanism are oldin the art, and do not form any part of the present invention, such showing being merely illustrated to enable the operating mechanism to be clearly understood.

In accordance with this invention a gear 26 is disposed on the outside of the clutch housing 23 and is fixed to the driving member 22 for turning movement therewith. Heretofore an operating handle has been fixed for turning movement with the driving member 22. Consequently, it is possible to adapt clutch mechanisms heretofore in use by changing only the driving member 22, by

securing thereto the gear 26 instead of the usual squared shank to which the handle was ordinarily attached.

The gear 25 meshes with a similar gear 21, which is secured to a stud 28 and extends outwardly through the door trim 29 to receive an operating crank handle 30 which is fixed to the stud '28.by a key 3|. shouldered to receive the usual escutcheon 32. It will be apparent that through the connections described, turning of the handle imparts swinging movement in opposite directions to the regulator arms l5, thereby to raise or lower the window H, as desired, such operation being the usual manner of actuating the regulator mechanism.

Aslwill hereinafter appear, the handle 30 may also be employed to actuate the door latch mechanism, and although numerous forms of latch mechanisms may be employed, one example is shown on the accompanying drawings. The latch mechanism comprises a back plate 33, which is suitably secured to the door adjacent one vertical edge thereof and mounted thereon is a latch bolt having a nose 34, which, when in'latching position, projects outwardly from the edge of the door. 'The nose 34 is fixed te a bolt plate 35 which is formed with an outwardly projecting ear 36. A spiral spring '31 urges the bolt nose to latching position. The latch bolt may be retracted from the outsideof the door by the usual roll back 38 having a squared handle receiving opening 39. The roll back 38 may be dogged er held against movement by a slide 40, which may be actuated by a key operated cam dl, as will readily be understood by those skilled in this art.

For retracting the latch boit from the inside of the door, a slide 42 engages the outer surface of the bolt plate 35 and has a projection 43 eng'ageable with the ear 36 upon rearward movement thereof for retracting the bolt'against the force of the spring 31. The slide 42 may be moved forwardly relative to the bolt, so that a projection 43 thereof may be disposed beneath an arm 44 of the roll back 38 for dogging the iatter.

For actuating the slide 42, a remote control link 45 is pi"oted at one end to the rearward end of the slide and extends rearwardly therefrom, terminating in a downturned rear end portion 46 formed with an elongate slot 41 to receive the head 48 of a rivet 49 secured in' the upper end portion of an arm 50. The head 48 has a lateral extension 5l,-which is disposed horizontally or.

- at substantially right angles to the slet 41 in the remote control link 45. structure enables the latch mechanism, which is assembled as a unit with the remote control link 45' in position, to be connected to the arm 50 in a simple and convenient. manner, it being merely necessary to fit the slotted end portion of the link over the lateral extension 5| of the rivet, and then turn the remote link to the desired horizontally disposed position. A spring washer 52 is disposed between the downturned portion 46 of the remote control link and the arm 50 to eliminate rattles.

The opposite end of the arm 50 is formed with a polygonal opening to fit over a nut 53' for movementtherewith. The nut 53 has a sleeve-like extension 54 which extends through and has bearing in an opening formed in a cover plate 55, a

The hub of the handle is handle 30. The outer end of the stem 33 is disposed between the fingers 6|.

y from the stud 23. Disposed normally between the fingers Si is a head 62, generally oval in shape," which is secured to a stem 53. The stem 53 extends axially through the stud 2! and hub of the handle 30, the outer end portion being disposed within a socket 64 provided in the hub of the formed with screw threads 65 to receive a button 65 and disposed between the undersurface of the button 66 and the bottom of the socket 54 is a coil spring 61. As shown, the button 55 is formed with a plurality of peripheral notches 68 to receive a special tool to enable the button to be unscrewed from the stem.

Formed in the nut 53 below the sleeve extension 60 is a cavity 69 which is formed with an annular row ef serrations flfl. The head 52 of the to fit between pairs of serrations 10 so that upon depression of the button 66 the head 62 will be forced to a position such that its opposite ends will be disposed between opposed pairs of serrations 10, although a portion of the head will be When in this position (such as shown in Figure 5) turning movement of the handle 30 will impart corresponding movement notonly to the stud 28 but to the nut 53 through the fingers BI and plunger head 62, thereby imparting iongitudina'l movement to the remote control link 45 through the arm 50 in one direction or the other.

- Upon movement of the arm 50 in a counterclockwise direction, the latch bolt will be withdrawn by the slide 42 in the manner above described. Upon movement of the arm 53 in a clockwise direction the slide 42 will be moved forwardly into position to dog the roll back 33. As above mentioned, suflicient lost motion is provided in-the driving clutch for the regulator mechanism to enable the stud 28 to move in one direction or the other to effect such latch reward position in which the slide 42 has been moved, to dogging position.

The form shown in Figure 11 is similar to that above described, except that in place of the arm 50 an arm 50a has a toothed connection 501: with an arm 53:: which is pivoted intermediate its ends at 50d. This enables the remote control link 45a to which one end of the arm 500 is connected to be actuated in a direction opposite to that 01' the arm 5'- by a similar movement of the operating handle 30a. For example, movement of the handle 30 in Figure 1 in one direction will operate to retract the latch bolt, whereas movement of the handle 30a in Figure 11 in the same direction operates to move the slide 42 to dogging position. Other features of this form of mechanism are substantially the same as those above deseribed. I

It is to be understood that numerous changes 75 25 plunger stem 63 has its opposite ends so shaped as Y 4 and in construction, arrangement. and operatitlrmaybe efiected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined m the appended c I; Whatlclaimis:

J 1. m adevice of the class described having a window regulator provided with a spring clutch having -a limited amount oi! lost motion and a door latch. a gear ior operating the regulator the clutch, a regulator operator having a constantly in mesh with said first gear, a handle fixed to said reflulatoroperator, a door latch operator adjacent said regulator operator,

{connector operable v die" from a point adjacent said handle in conmeeting said regulator and latch operators to em;

.able' conjoint m'ovem'entthereoi, thereby enabling operation 01 the latch through saidlost motion j without operating the regulator, said handle be- M die from a point adjacent said handle for connectingsaid' regulator and latch operators to enabie'eonjoint movement thereof. thereby enabling operation oi the latch through said lost independently of said hana connector operable independently or said hane L I 3 motion without operating the. regulator, said coninector comprising a spring pressed plunger having a head at one end movable into engagement 4 with both of said operators.

3. In a device of the class described having a window regulator provided with a spring clutch having a limited amount; of lost motion and a door latch, agear'i'or operating the regulator through the clutch, aregulator operator having a gear constantly in mesh with said first gear, a

hangle fixed to said regulator operator. a door late and apin extending coaxiaily of said handle and regulator. operator, a head on said pin adapted to be moved into engagement with both operators,

and a spring normally holding-said head out oi. operative engagement with said latch operator.

4 In a mechanism for selectively operating a window regulator provided with a two-way clutch having a limited amount of lost motion and a door latch, a single operating handle mounted for .rotational movements but heldagainat movements in other directions, an operating connection constantly established between said handle and regulator for imparting movements thereto through said clutch upon rotation of the handle in one direction or the other, operating means for said door latch, and control means operable independently 01' said handle for establishing vanoperative connection between'said handle and latch operating means through the lost motion 0! said clutch without imparting movement to said regulator. I HOLDEN w. RIqHTMm,

operator adjacent said regulator operator,