US1216155A - Hatch-opening mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

s. F. MEEK. HATCH OPENING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5, l9l5.

1 ,2]. 6, l 55 Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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1m Nam-us Puma 04 r-norc LnNu, wummuom n c STUBGES F. MEEK, OF BROOKLYN, NEVT YORK.

HATCH-OPENING MECHANISM.

Application filed October 5, 1915.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, STURens F. Manx, acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hatch-Opening Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to door opening mechanism.

I contemplate the provision of an automatic latch which will be simple in construction, strong and durable and'positively open able to hold the swinging doors of a hatchway from being opened from the outside by an unauthorized person and thereby prevent such person from gaining access to the building through the hatchway.

Therefore, it is stated that an essential object of this invention resides in the provision of latch mechanism carried wholly by the swinging doors of a shaft or hatchway and co-acting means upon the cage to positively control movements of the said latch mechanism on predetermined positions of the cage in the shaft.

It is specifically stated that a further object of the invention resides in the provision of locking mechanism which will consist of mating or co-acting interlocking elements in which one of said elements will be gravita tionally influenced as the cage descends in the shaft and means upon the cage for regulating the position of oneof said elements with the other element, as the cage descends and thereby insure a proper and positive locked condition of the parts automatically when the cage is lowered to a certain position in the shaft. V

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a section through companion hatchway doors, illustrating the cage conventionally and showing the application of the invention thereto and particularly exhibiting the initial relation of the releasing means to the locking means.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section therethrough on an enlarged scale taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the next position of the releasing means with relation Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 191?.

Serial No. 54,253.

to the locking means, respectively on the rise and fall of the cage in the shaft.

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the next position of the releasing means with relation to the locking mechanism and also showing the means for effecting movements of the doors in succession to one another.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the swinging latch element showing the same in its normal position.

In carrying the invention into practice, no material alterations need be made in the construction of the cage or doors and for this reason, their conventional illustrations herein made use of will, it is thought, nicely suffice for a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is desired to state that the locking mechanism employed herein is primarily intended to be used on swinging doors such as those shown at 1 and 2, and it is further stated that said mechanism is also used in; combination with a cage 3 having a frame 4 which includes vertical side bars and a connecting arch-shaped top bar 6. The doors 1 and 2 are mounted in a frame A which is counter-sunk in the pavement and as illustrated, said frame is provided with fixed hinge-brackets B having pivotal connection with the doors. The frame is provided with flanges C which are disposed in the same general plane with the doors, when the latterare closed and said flanges are adapted to lie in relatively close proximity to the adjacent edges of the doors so that the joints between the flanges and the doors are closed to such an extent as to render it almost impossible for one to insert a tool therein for the purpose of prying up the doors. Aside from the above, and perhaps the provision of few other minor parts, the described elements are old and well known in the art and need not be essentially mentioned as they play no important part in carrying the invention into practice. The invention consists of a bracket affixed to the door 1 and preferably to a reinforcing rib 7 thereon and as illustrated, the men tioned bracket includes companion inverted L-shaped plates 88 which are placed in spaced relation to each other so as to freely receive therebetween a swinging latch element 9 forming part of my improved locking mechanism. This latch element is provided with a shank 10 through which a supporting pin 11 passes, the ends of said pin being respectively extended into the vertical flanges of the plates SS. The reinforcing rib 7 is located adjacent to the longitudinal edge 1 of the door 1 and it is disposed also upon the under side of the door and it mates with the adjacent surfaces thereof so as to define therewith a rabbet 1 for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. This latch element is provided at its lower end with a head 12 which constitutes a weight so that normally said element gravitationally assumes the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 6. The mating element of the locking mechanism consists of an inverted angleiron bar 13 having its flange 14 secured to the door 2 and then extended to a point beyond the longitudinal edge 2 of the door where it is disposed in the direct path of downward movement of the door 1, and it will be observed that it is thus intended to be accommodated in the rabbet 1 of the door 1 when the latter is closed to the position shown in either Figs. 3 or 4-. The vertical depending flange 15 of the bar 13 forms a keeper plate for the gravity latch element 9. At this point it is stated that the latch element 9 has its head off-set to form a locking nose 16, which, through the peculiar form or shape of the head 12 is adapted to assume a position slightly to one side of the flange 15 as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby mutually cooperate therewith to prevent movement of the door 1 in an outward and upward direction by one who may maliciously tamper with the doors as will be understood. The inner surface 17 of the nose is of arcuate formation and it follows as a result thereof that the harder one pulls upon the door 1, the greater the tendency of the respective elements of the locking mechanism to inter-lock with one another, and in practice it is found to be physically impossible to manually move the doors to released positions.

The releasing mechanism consists of raising plates 1S1S secured to the arch shaped bar 6 to one side of the joint between the swinging doors 1 and 2. These plates rise to a point above the bar 6 and they are provided with arcuate actuating surfaces 19 which are adapted to come against the under surfaces of bars 20-20 secured to the under side of the door 1 as advantageously shown in F ig. 2, the said bars 2020 being always superimposed relatively to the mentioned surfaces 19 of said raising plates. Extending through the space between the plates 1818 is a bolt 21, the ends of which find permanent engagement in the plates as also shown in Fig. 2. Mounted to revolve upon the bolt is an anti-friction roller or sleeve 22. The said bolt is located at a point midway between the upper and lower ends of the plates 18-18, while as illustrated, the head 12 of the latch 9 is disposed in the direct path of upward movement of the bolt in order that the roller can freely come against the uniform relatively curved surface 23 of said head. The surface 23 finds its center at a point approximately in line horizontally with the axis of the pin 11 and as a consequence thereof and owing to the peculiarly related position of the parts, it is seen that at the moment the roller comes in contact with the extreme lower end of the surface 23, the swinging latch element will begin its movement to a released position from the keeper plate 15. On this initial engagement of the roller against the surface 23 the upper ends of the plates 18 will be spaced from the door 1 for a distance sufiicient to permit the swinging latch element to be fully released from the keeper plate 15 on further movement of the roller over the surface 23 and before the said plates 1S18 in any way engage against the door 1.

Having described the invention specifically, its operation is said to be as follows: Assuming the cage 3 to be in a lowered position in the shaft or in a position as shown in Fig. 1 the swinging latch 9 will be positively engaged with the keeper plate 15. The position of the cage as shown in Fig. 1 invites initial abutment of the roller 22 against the extreme lower end of the surface 23 and as the cage rises it is evident that the roller will freely pass over the said surface 23 and thereby cause the nose 16 to be entirely released from the keeper plate 15 and then simultaneously on the latch assuming such position, the upper ends of the surfaces 19 will be brought against the bars 20-20 of the door 1 as shown in Fig. 4:- The latch now being free from the plate 15 and the surfaces 19 having been initially presented against the said bars 20- -20, it is observed that further movement in an upper direction of the cage will successively cause the door 1 to begin its movement in an opened direction, then, following this operation the bar 6 will be advanced against the edge 24 of the latch bar 15 so as to start the door2 in its movement in an opened direction. When the cage lowers the operating parts of the releasing and locking mechanism will be influenced in an order exactly reversed to that just referred to as will be understood, but at either time there will exist a successive operation of the several parts constituting such mechanism which is necessary to an operative locking and unlocking respectively at the requisite times. The vertical bars 55 of the frame 4 serve to maintain the swinging doors 1 and 2 in opened positions when the cage rises to a point above the surface of the pavement as will be understood.

While the structure described herein is especially designed for application to the doors of a hatch way or elevator shaft, I by no means intend to limit myself to such application as it obviously follows that it is fully capable of being used in connection with ordinary cellar doors or the like.

What is claimed as new is 1. The combination with companion movable doors, of a keeper carried by one of said doors, a gravitationally influenced latch normally engaging the keeper and provided with a curved surface, and a releasing device operating over said surface to efiect adjustments of the latch relatively to the keeper.

2. The combination with companion movable doors, of a keeper carried by one of said doors, a gravitationally influenced latch normally engaging the keeper and provided with a curved surface, and a releasing device operating over said surface to effect adjustments of the latch relatively to the keeper, and means for moving the doors successively with movement of the latch.

3. The combination with companion movable doors, of a keeper carried by one of said doors, a gravitationally influenced latch normally engaging the keeper and provided with a curved surface, a releasing device operating over said surface to effect adjustments of the latch relatively tothe keeper, and means for moving the doors succesively to movement of the latch, whereby the door provided with the latch will open ahead of the door provided with the keeper and the door provided with the keeper will close ahead of the door provided with the latch.

In testimony whereof I, aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STURGES F. MEEK.

Witnesses:

ANNA V. Donn, GEO. A. BYRNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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