US1092285A - Refrigerator-latch. - Google Patents

Description

P. N. PERKINS.

REFRIGERATOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1913.

1,092,285. Patented Apr. 7, 191 1 Ih venTEr Flgyd Nfarlfins UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLOYD N. PERKINS, OF FREEPORT, ILLIiNOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ARCADE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF FREEPOBT, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '7,

Application filed December 29, 1913.

To all whom it may concern -Be it known that I, F YD N. PERKINS, residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Re: frigerator-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of refrigerator latches, particularly designed for use on the doors of refrigerators in which a swinging arm is pivoted upon either the door or the box so as to swing in a plane substantiall parallel to the latter and engage an-inc ine upon the other of said parts.

One of the purposes of my invention is to provide means whereby said swinging arm may be operated automatically by the closing of the door so as to lock the latter in its closed position. The means by which this end and others incidental thereto are attained, will be fully described in connection with my preferred construction which is shown in the drawings and the essential novel characteristics thereof will be pointed out at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front eleva tion of a refrigerator latch secured to a door and the adjacent portion of the box. Fig. 2 is a view looking downward upon the section plane indicated by the dotted line 22 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a view difiering from Fig. 2 only in the fact that the movable parts are shown in a different position.

Referring to Fig. 1, A, represents a door hinged to swing in the ordinary manner and B, a portion of the box against WhlCll said door 1s madeto swing. Upon the door is secured an incline 0:, the surface of which diverges downwardly from the plane of the door and the lower end of which is continued in the form of a handle a On the box adjacent to the incline is a plate or standard 6, upon which is pivoted a locking arm I) to swing from the position shown 1n full lines upward and toward the leftlnto the position shown in dotted llnes, which, it should be noticed, carries the center of gravity over the pivot so that it tends to remain in the upward position when placed therein.

Between standard or post I), and a lug b projecting outward from the base, thereof, is'pivoted a rocking lever If, by means of a vertical pin 6 This lever has an arm 6,

' b? is arranged to strike the base of the standard b, and enable the lever to act as a stop to check the movement of the arm 6 toward the left when it has reached the position shown in dotted lines. To enable the arm to reach this position, it is slightly recessed as seen at 6 The full lines of Fig. 1, show the door closed and the latch in the locked position.

To open the door, the arm I) is swung into the posltlon shown in dotted lines, leaving the door free to be opened by means of the handle a This movement of the arm, rocks the lever 6 into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the arm I) of the lever has opened the door slightly by means of the finger a which rests against the arm 6 when the door is closed. The movement of the arm 6 into the position shown in dotted lines, carries its center of gravity over the pivot upon which it swings so that its own weight holds it in the open position. The shoulder b, rests against the base plate and the arm 6 against the shoulder b which prevents it from falling downward upon the other side of the pivot. The further opening of the door, leaves the parts of the latch in the relative positions shown in Fig. 3, except that the'finger a is carried away from the arm 6". Now, as the door is closed, the finger atstrikes the arm b rocking the lever b and throwing the swinging arm 6 over upon the other side of its pivot and down upon the incline, a. This movement is assisted by the weight of the swinging arm and it should be noticed that the position of the incline a, and its arrangement upon the door, makes it possible to provide a long, easy incline, affording a powerful wedging action upon the door to force the latter into its closed position and crowd it tightly against the box.

I recognize the possibility of great variation as to details of construction in the making of my invention and hence do not limit myself to the preferred form here shown except as clearly pointed out inv the follow ingclaims in which I intend to cover all of the patentable novelty contained in my invention over the prior art.

I claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent v I 1. A door latch comprising an incline for the door, having a finger projecting beyond the edge ofthe latter, a standard for the casing, carrying a locking arm swinging from a position out of the path of the door to a position upon said incline and a rocking lever upon the standard arranged in the path of the locking arm and also in the path of said finger and operating to throw the arm upon the incline when struck by the finger when the door is closed.

2. A door latch, comprising an incline for attachment to the door, a standard for attachment to the casing, a locking arm pivoted upon the standard and engaging the incline to crowd the door against the casing, a

rocking lever upon the standard engaging the locking arm to throw the latter toward the incline, and means upon the door for actuating the rocking lever. v

3. A door latch, comprising an incline for the door and a standard for the casing, a locking arm pivoted upon the standard and swinging parallel with the casing to engage the incline, a lever throwing device upon the standard and a finger upon the door, engaging and-operating said device when the door is closed.

In witness whereof I have signed the above application for Letters Patent at Freeport Illinois this 3d day of December A. D. 1913.

FLOYD N. PERKINS.

- Witnesses:

EMMA M. KNoRNsomLD, HORACE H. TARBOX.

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