US1227916A - Latch-handle. - Google Patents

Description

F. E. LAUFFER.

LATCH HANDLE.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR.20,1913.

Patented May 29, 1917.

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FREDERICK E. LAUFFER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LATCH-HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed March 20, 1913. Serial No. 756, 053.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. LAUFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California,have invented anew and useful Latch-Handle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices employing an escutcheon plate provided with a lever adapted to retract the latch bolt.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple device for this purpose and one that is inexpensive to manufacture including the assembling.

Another object is to provide a construction wherein the thumb piece or operating member is unobtrusive and yet may be easily manipulated.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby the thumb piece or operating member will readily conform to the general design of the device.

Further objects are to provide a handle 1n which the latch-engaging lever arm is quickly retracted; in which the binding of the retracting mechanism is minimized; and in which the lever-operating reciprocating member has a slanting upper surface and is prevented from turning so that the surface serves as a convenient finger purchase for the operator of the latch handle.

Other objects and advantages may appear as the invention is unfolded in the subjoined detailed description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two forms in which the invention may be embodied.

Figure 1 is a broken vertical mid-section of one form of the invention on line indicated by 00 Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of Fig. 1 looking at the inside of the escutcheon plate.

Fig. 3 is a plan section on line indicated by m Fig. 1 portions of the escutcheon plate being broken away to contract the vlew.

The door escutcheon plate 1 is provided on its front face with a suitable handle 2 secured to the plate at the top by a screw 4 and at the bottom by a threaded stud 5 and a nut 6 as shown in Fig. 1. The handle 2 is chambered at 7 to accommodate the long arm of a latch-operating lever 8 which in Fig. 3 is shown as shaped for a left-hand latch and which projects with its long arm from the chamber 7 through an orifice 10 in the plate 1.

w The lever 8 is positively pivoted to the handle 2 by a pin 11 and it is observed that the lever 8 may be thus pivoted before the handle 2 is fastened to the plate 1.

The lever 8 is operated by detachable independent means conveniently and unobtrusively mounted in the handle in such manner that ease of assembling the various parts is maximized.

In Fig. 1 the handle 2 is bent and is provided with a vertical bore 17 at the bend adjacent to the pin 11, communicating with the chamber 7 and preferably reduced at its lower end to form a spring chamber 18 in which a coil spring 19 is seated.

The bore 17 is provided with an operating member in the form of a vertically reciprocatable thumb piece or push button 20 having a reduced lower end 21 to fit the upper end of the spring chamber 18 and adapted to bear against the spring 19 which thus normally elevates the push button.

The push button 20 is provided substantially in alinement with the pin 11 with a slot forming a guideway which has a slanting seat 22 adapted to overhang and to bear upon the upper curved face Z) of the short arm of the lever 8 so that when the push button 20 is depressed the end of the long lever arm will be raised to operate the latch bolt, not shown, in a manner well understood in the art and more quickly than could be done by an arm of shorter leverage. The slanting seat 22 cooperates with the short lever arm to effect a maximum and quick movement of the lever 8 at the point of engagement with the latch bolt by a minimum movement of the push button 20 in the bore 17 to or slightly beyond the median line of which the short lever arm extends in order to prevent the binding of the push button in the bore, which binding might occur if the point of leverage should be located between the fulcrum of the lever and the median line of the push button. The lower seat of the guideway engages the lower curved face of the short lever arm and co-acts with the spring 19 to hold the long lever arm in locking engagement with the latch, and the short arm has vertical, parallel sides fitted between the sides of the guideway so that the push button is thereby prevented from turning.

The'handle 2 is of more or less irregular outline to represent a tree branch and the push button 20 projects therefrom to represent the remnant of another branch.

The top end of said push button is aslant' away from the lever 8 adjacent to and measurably conforming to the bend of the handle and is thus made unobtrusive and at the same time affords a most convenient purchase for the thumb to press on to operate the latch.

I claim:

1. In combination, an escutcheon plate having. a rectangular orifice therein; a curved handle attached to the plate and having a vertical bore at the curve; a chamber extending horizontally in the handle from the bore to the orifice and conforming throughout its length to the rectangular shape of the orifice; a lever pivotedin the chamber adjacent to the bore and comprising one relatively long arm and one relatively short arm, the long arm of the lever fitting between the vertical sides of the chamber and extending through the orifice, the short arm of the lever reaching to orslightly beyond the median line of the bore and having vertical, parallel sides and curved, upwardly slanting upper and lower surfaces; a leveroperating member slidably fitted in the bore; a transverse guideway through the member having sidesthat fit over the vertical sides of the short arm thereby preventing the member from turning; the guideway also having an upper surface slanting 7 downwardly and away from the pivot to engage the upper surface of the short arm, and a lower surface to engage the lower surface of the short arm; said member having an upper surface slightly protruding above the bore and adapting the member to be depressed to cooperate with the short arm for raising the longlever arm extension and thereby quickly to operate the latch; and a spring at the lower end of the bore acting upon the memher and normally holding the member and the shortvarm in a raised position, the lower the bore to the orifice and conforming throughout its length to the rectangular shape of the orifice; a lever pivoted in the chamber adjacent to the bore and comprising one relatively long arm and one relatively short arm, the long arm of the lever fitting between the vertical sides of the chamher and extending through the orifice, the short arm of the lever reaching to or slightly beyond the median line of the bore and having vertical, parallel sides and curved, upwardly slanting upper and lowersurfaces; a lever-operating member slidably fitted in the bore; a transverse guideway through the member having sides that fit over the vertical sides of the short arm thereby preventing the member from turning; the guideway also having an upper surface slanting downwardly and away from the pivot to engage the upper surface of the short'arm,

and a lower surface to engage the lower surface of the short arm; said member having an upper slanting surface conforming to the curve of the handle, slightly protruding above the bore and affording the operator of the handle a convenient finger purchase for depressing the member; and a spring at the lower end of the bore acting upon the member and normally holding it in a raised position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 10th day of March 1913.

FREDERICK E. LAUFFER.

In presence of JAMES R. TOWNSEND, GEORGE H. HILES.

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

Washington, D. G.

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