GB1035636A - Door latching mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

1,035,636. Latching mechanisms. J. H ROETHEL. May 14, 1964 [Sept. 3, 1963], No. 20086/64. Heading E2A. A door latching mechanism comprises a plate 11, a pair of spaced pivot pins 17, 18 mounted on the plate for independent angular movement relative thereto, a pair of latch jaws 19, 20, Fig. 6, mounted on the pins 17, 18 respectively and disposed on one side of the plate 11, the jaws being adapted to be engaged by a keeper 22 and rotated thereby to a latching keeper-retaining position, a pair of abutment members 25, 24 carried by the pins 18, 17 respectively, Fig. 2, having abutment faces 25a, 24a respectively, stop means 37, 31 movably mounted on the plate 11 and movable into engagement with the abutment faces when the jaws 20, 19 occupies their latching positions so as to hold the jaws in those positions, and means for releasing the stop means from engagement with the abutment faces to permit the jaws to be moved from their latching positions. In the embodiment shown one of the stop means is a lever 37 pivotally mounted on the plate 11 and spring-urged into contact with the abutment member 25. The means for releasing this stop means is a link 34 pivoted to a bell-crank lever 29 pivoted to the plate 11, the link 34 having an abutment face 34b for engagement with an upturned lug 37b on the lever 37. The lever 29 has riveted thereto the stop means 31 in the form of a pawl for engagement with the abutment face 24a of the abutment member 24. In use the jaws 19, 20, which are spring-urged to the releasing position, are engaged by the keeper 22 to turn the pins 17, 18 anti-clockwise and clockwise respectively. The initial rotation of the pin 17 allows the pawl 31 to fall behind and engage the abutment face 24a so that the mechanism is held in a safety latching position. Further rotation of the pins allows the lever 37 to fall so that a face 37a thereof engages the abutment face 25a to put the mechanism in a fully latching position. To release the mechanism the lever 29 is rotated clockwise, either by depressing a push-button 33, or by actuating a handle which brings a lever 41 into contact with a face 34a on the link 34 to lift the link, rotation of the lever 29 thus freeing the jaw 19 by raising the pawl 31, and lifting of the link 34 and hence the lever 37 freeing the jaw 20. To lock the keeper in the latching position a lever 42 is depressed to disengage the link 34 from the lug 37b and thus render subsequent raising of the link ineffective. In alternative embodiments the lever 42 is actuated by a button operated lever, or by a linkage connected to a key operable device, or by a linkage connected to a handle which also actuates the lever 41.