US1414242A - Hood latch for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Description

D'ORSAY McCALL WHITE. HOOD LATCH FOR MOTORVEHi'CLES.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. 5. I92].

1,414,242 Patented Apr. 25, 1922,

INVENTOR. v v .D'OeMr 614417 140.

' "ATTORNEYS,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DORSAY MCCALL WHITE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO LA FAYETTE MOTORS COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

HOOD LATCH FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Batent. Patented 25. 1922 Application filed February 5, 1921; SerialNo. 442,768.

Be it known that I, DORSAY MoCALL WHITE, a subject of the Kingdom 0f Great Britain, and a resident vof Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Hood Latch for Motor Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts. I

This invention. relates to hood locks and the like, and the chief object of the-same is to provide a hood with enclosed latching means, including an exteriorly positioned operating handle by which the hood may be .elevated when the latching means is in unlocking relation and with catch means which .when released is movable by gravity into the non-latching relation.

The chief feature of'the invention consists in constructing a hood lock such that the latching portions will be positively actuated to latch the hood in closed position and will be positively maintained in said closed hood latching position, but which when released is movable by gravity into the non-latching position.

Another feature of the invention consists in the particular construction of the catch, andthe actuating means therefor associated with the handle means and operable thereby.

Other features of the invention consist in the specific construction of the enclosed hood latch and hood elevating handle.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a hood latch with the parts in the hood closing position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view similar to Fig.

1 but shows said parts in the unlatched or released position.

In the drawings 10 indicates a supporting member such as the chassis channel portion to which is suitably secured an upwardly extending hook or catch 11, said member being detachably secured thereto by suitable bolt and nut means 12. The catch 11 is provided with a hook portion 13. Mindcates the hood which is provided at its lower ent instance said hood is adapted to bear against the hook l1.

" The hood 14 is apertured to receive a bracket plate l6. Positioned adjacent the aperture and preferably surrounding the same is a reenforcing plate 117. The hood reen forcing plate, hood and bracket plate are secured together inrigid relation by suitable bolt and nut means 18. Thus, the bracket'16 is rigidly supported upon the hood 14. The bracket 16 is centrally apertured at 17 and a shaft 18 is rotatably supported therein. The shaft 18 carries upon one and a circular plate portion 19 and secured thereto or integral therewith is an ornamental handle 20 which is substantially T-shaped.

The bracket 16 is provided with arm .means extending angularly' thereof and plate portion 22. The bracket arms, however, extend beyond said plate portion and provide the parallel bearing portions 23, which bearing portions pivotally support a hook or catch member 24.- The hook 24 is'pivotally supported in the free ends of said arms by suitable means such as the pivot bolt or pin 25. The free end of the hook 24 extends sidewardly' in both directions to provide av plate portion 26 which also projects forwardlyof said supporting portion of the hook and is adapted to engage the hook 13 of the catch 11. The body portion of'the hook 24 is extended to form a web and a hole 27 is provided in said web.

Upon the inner end of the shaft 18 is suitably secured an eccentric arm 28 which is keyed to' said shaft'by the pin 29. .A coiled spring member 30 has one end secured to the hook 24 by engaging in the opening 27 and the other end is eccentrically positioned with respect to the shaft 18 by being suitably secured by the bolt 31 to the eccenmove to the upper position illustrated in Fig.

1 and thereby through the spring 30 draw end with the usual head 15, and in the presthe pivotal hook 26 into engagement with the hook 13 to latch the hood in closed position. The pin 32 being positioned slightly overcenter, is adapted to maintain the eccentric arm 28 in the elevated and overcenter position. When the handle 20 is reversely rotated, the eccentric arm 28 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to'the position shown in Fig. 3 which thereupon releases the tension upon the spring member 30 and'the same contracts into its usual unstrained position. Thus,'no 11 Ward directing force is exerted upon the 00k 26 and the same, therefore, falls due to the influence of gravity thereon from the position shown in Fig.

1 to the position'shown in Fig. 3, both of which positions are also shown-in Fig. 2. In the present instance to prevent reverse rotation, the stop pin 32 prevents further rotational movement than that shown in Fig. 3, thereby insuring thatthe arm 28 cannot be continuously rotated but necessitates reverse rotation of the handle 20 to position the several parts in the locking or hood closing position. 7 While the invention has been described in great detail, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications maybe substituted for the several parts herein shown without departing from the broader features of the invention. It is to be understood that the foregoing description is illustrative rather than restrictive in character. v

The invention claimed is: A

1. A hood latch for motor vehicle incluc ing a chassis supported latch member positioned within the hood, an engaging member within the hood and supported thereby, and means operable from without the hood for causing said members to engageand latch the hood to the chassis, said engaging member being movable by gravity away from said latching member to the released position when the exteriorly-operated means is moved in one direction and drawn into engagement therewith when said means is operated in the other direction.

2. A hood latch for a motor vehicle, including an automobile hood latching means positioned within the hood, and means for actuating said latching means, said actuating means being so arranged that when moved in unlatching position it will permit the release of said latching means by gravity, and

when moved to the opposite position, it will cause the engagement of the latching means and the latching of said hood.

3. In a hood latch for motor vehicles having a latch-supporting plate including a bearing, a depending bracket arm secured within said hood forming a pivotal support,- a catch pivotally supported on said bracket arm, a pivotal actuating member extending from without said hood through said. bearing, and means connected to said catch and actuating member for-drawing said catch into latching position.

4. In a hood latch for motor vehicles having a chassis, a latching member secured to said chassis, an actuating handle'mounted' on the outer side of said hood and extending therethrough, a bracket arm secured to the inside of said hood and forming a pivotal support, a catch pivotally supported by said bracket arm, and means secured to said catch and to said actuating handle for per-, mitting said catch to disengage said'latch member when operated in one direction and be drawn into engagement therewith when turned in the opposite direction.

5. In a hood latch for motor vehicles hav-- ing a chassis, a latch member secured to said hood when released, and yielding means securedto said catch and eccentrically to said actuating handle for permitting said catch to swing by gravity downwardly and away from said latching member when operated in one direction and be yieldingly drawn into latching engagement therewith when turned in the opposite direction.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

DORSAY MOCALL WHITE.

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