US1266086A - Latch. - Google Patents

Description

P. 1. WESOLOWSKI.

l LATCH.. APPLICATION FILED AUG-30,- 1915- RENEWED MAR. 21.1918.

1 ,266,086. Patented May14, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

PETER J'. WESOLOWSKI, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

LATCH.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led August 30, 1915, Serial No. 47,927. Renewed March 2l, 1918. Serial No. 223,863.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER LI. WEsoLowsiii, a ,citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to latches, and resides in the novel connection between the latch bolt and the keeper; in the novel arrangement of the latch bolt which permits the latch to yield independently of the handle; in the novel connection between the latch plate or casing and the keeper; and further in certain details of construction.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Figure 1 is a perspective view with certain parts broken away, of a latch embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal .section on the line --w of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan View with a portion of the casing broken away; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate certain details of construction.

A designates the casi herein shown as formed' of an angle platldaving a laterallyextending flange B. C is thelatch bolt arranged within a housing D of the'plate and bolt.

provided with a recessed cut-away portion E-on its inner face to receive the actuating lever F. The latter is pivoted at G to the plate on one side of the latch bolt and extends through the housing and the cut-away portion E to the opposite side of the latch In 'the particular structure illustrated the lever F has a laterally-extending.

portion H that extends through an elongated slot I in the latchplate andvthen ter- .minates in an 'outwardly-extending handle J. Preferably the lever has the handle portion turned atright angles to the body of the lever, as indicated at K. The housing D 'is rovide'd with 'elongated recesses L at itssi es, to permit movement of the lever F. M is a sp having one end bearing against the end N of the housing and havthefopposite end engaging the latch erably the forward end of the springisiarranged within a recess or cutaway portion O atthe rear end of the latch vin relation to the bolt. This spring M tends to project the latch bolt. When the keeper is not in engagement With the bolt C vthe projecting movement of the latter is limited by the rear edge P of the slottedv portion E engaging the lever F. The forward movement of the member F is limited by the forward edge of the slot I.

The keeper Q, is provided with an outwardly-extending keeper proper, herein shown as composed of\a wedge-shaped body portion R and an enlarged head S. The head S is recessed at T to receive the forward end U of the latch bolt, and prefer- Patented May 14, 191s.

ably the outer side V of the head isarranged` to coperate with the beveled face W of the latch bolt to move the latter inward against the tension of the spring M during the engagement of the latch with the keeper.

l As shown in Fig. 2, the latch bolt does not project beyond the flange B, but the keeper proper when engaged with the latch extends within the latch plate. Thus as-shown, the flange B has a V-shaped slot X for receiving the wedge-shaped portion R of the keeper, while the plate is cut away at Y to allow the head S to pass'therethrough. The outer side of the housing is also provided with a cut-away portion a which alines with the cut-away portion Y. By forming the portion R wedge-shaped and the recess X V- shaped, when the latch is engaged with the keeper if the parts are out of vertical alinement-which quite frequently happens in automobile doors-the latch plate will be drawn into proper alinement with the keeper, thereby insuring that the recess T is properly positioned in relation t0 the end U` of the latch bolt'. To permit of this operation the head S is narrowed at its outer edge so as to permit it to enter the slot Y when 'not in exact registration therewith.

Itis very desirable, particularly in4 latches used on automobile doors, to allow some relative movement between thel latch casing and the keeper, since in driving over rough roads there is a tendency for theeforward edge of the door to `move slightly in relation to the casing. To permit of a relative Vmovement between the keeper and the latch casing inthe direction of the movement of the latch bolt, I form the portion R of sufficient width to allow the plate tomove rearwardly keeper, las shown in Fig. 6. The tension of the spring M is of course,

so proportioned thatthe'bolt will remain in tight contact with the recess T Wheneverv the keeper is engaged With the latch casing. It is also desirable to prevent rattling of the latch bolt and to have the movement of the bolt C when the latter is in engagement With the keeper, independent of the lever. To this .end there' is arranged in a recess A in the bottom of the latch bolt, a spring B that has its rear end C engaging the end N of the housing and has its forward end acting upon the lever to hold it against the forward edge of the slot I. Preferably the spring B is sleeved upon a shank D Which has a head E that directly engages the edge of the lever F. By this arrangement the latch lever normally is held against the forward edge of the slot I by the spring B and the cut-away portion of the latch bolt is of suliicient length to permit the bolt C to follovsT up the keeper in the manner heretofore described.

While I have shown and described a very desirable form of the invention, I do not Wish to limit my protection to the particular structure illustrated.

What I claim as my invention is l. In a latch, the combination of a casing plate, a housing thereon, a latch bolt slidably arranged Within said housing provided with a recess, avlever pivoted upon said plate and extending through the recessed portion of said latch bolt, a spring acting to project said latch bolt, the latter being provided with a housing, a spring arranged Within said housing and engaging said lever, said spring 'acting normally to hold said lever in inoperative position, anda stop upon the casing against Which said lever is held by said spring when in inoperative position.

2. In a latch, the combination of the casing,l a latch bolt provided with a recess, a lever 'pivoted to said casing and extending through said recess, a stop on the casing engaged by the lever When in inoperative position, there being a housing in said latch, a spring arranged in said housing tending to project said latch bolt, the latter having a second housing communicating With the recess in the latch bolt, a member arranged in said second housing and engaging said lever, and a spring acting upon said member to normally hold said lever against said stop, for the purpose described.

3. In a latch, the combination with the casing and a keeper, of a bolt carried by the casing for engaging the keeper, said bolt being transversely recessed and having a longitudinal recess communicating With the transverse recess, a spring acting on the bolt to displace it towardthe keeper', a pivoted lever extending through said transverse recess to Withdraw the bolt from the keeper said lever being limited in its movement, and a coiled spring disposed in said longitudinal recess of the bolt acting upon the lever to maintain it normally in its limiting position nearest adjacent the keeper.

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

PETER J. WESOLOWSKI.

Witnesses:

J AMES P. BARRY, Piarrms COBURN.

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