US1539858A - Automatic roller fastener - Google Patents

Description

June 1,539,858

J. J. MORROW AUTOMATIC ROLLER FASTENER File@ Ju 9.- 1924 I A I g/ w w JOHN d. HoRRow ATTORNEYS INVENTOR i Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-.1c

JOHN J'. MORROW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO A. C. WICKE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OFl NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC ROLLER FASTENER.

' Application filed .Tune 9,

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. MoRRow, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of 619 Nest 176th Street, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Roller Fasteners, of which vthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to fastening devices for doors and more particularly to automatic roller fasteners for refrigerator doors' and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a fastening device for doors which is of simple construction, easy to manipulate from either side of the door, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fastening device for refrigerator' doors in which the spring for automatically operating the latch is hidden.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fastening device for refrigerator or other doors which is capable of manual operation from either' side of the door and which has the manual means for opening the latch disposed substantially adjacent the free edge of the door.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fastening device for refrigerator doors and the like which includes an operating lever for opening the door from the outside and means for opening the door from the inside which is not connected to the. outside operating lever.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description.

Certain forms of automatic roller latches which have been quite extensively manufacf` tured, are provided with torsion springs.

These springs are disposed around the shaft the edge of the door, as the springs are of considerable length, thus reducing the amount of available leverage for opening and closing the door.

Inasmuch as refrigerator doors of the type employed in meat markets and packing houses and the like,-are of considerable By reason of the location of thel 1924. serial No. 718,737. 4

weight, it is' desirable tofswing-the door open'with the least amount of effort, gand, obviously, if the lever is disposed at -the\`edge of the door one wouldsecure the greatest amount of leverage to accomplish this operation. In order to obtain this kdesirable advantage, my inventionv provides for locating the operating lever substantially at the edge of the door. I amfablexto'obtain this advantagelby reason ofthe factthat the torsion spring is dispensed' with and in its stead I employ a compression v.spring which is located within the door.V l

By placingthe spring within the also overcome the objectionto'the exposed torsion springs which is that of` collecting dust, grease,`and .l the like, thus making the latching mechanism of vunsanitaryY appearance. In addition, torsional springs are subject to breakage which necessitates their replacement, during which time the latching means are temporarily rendered inoperative. l

In order vto `overcome the above Vdisadvantages, my invention provides for placing the spring within the door, and it is so arranged that it may directly cooperate with the usual plunger rod which is employed' to release the latching means from within the door. Thischange in `location of the spring enables me top ro-vide for a different action thereof, as the spring may operate through its expansive action to retain-the latching roller in its normal locking position. Obviously, with compressive springs, the breakage of the spring between its ends does not render the latching means inopera-lv tive, .because the rspring may still be compressed, while with the torsion'spring,.if the spring were to break, its entire effectiveness tothrow the latching roller would be destroyed. The change in location ofthe spring enables me to position the outer Op@ erating lever for releasing the roller jlatch as close to the edge of thedoor as is desirable and thus provide for the easy 'opening of the door thereby. In addition, the spring is removed from a position where it can gather moisture, dust, grease and the like, and thus maintains the latch in a sanitary condition. f

I The invention may be better understood by referring to the following description and the drawing, inl Which-`` Fig. l is a plan'view of Vthe improved latching device with the outer end of the outside operating lever broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front View of the latching device with a portion `of the outer Operating lever removed, and l Fig. 3 is a view showing the latchin mechanism together with the plunger ro and sprin for operating the latch from the inner side of the door and normally holding the latching roller` in locking position, the view bein taken on line IIe-II, Fig. 2.V

Fi 4 1s a modified form `of theconnection etween vthe plunger rod andthe arm for'operating the latching roller.

Y In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, the latching device comprises a supporting plate 4 from which project bearings 5 in which a shaft 7 is journalled "to rotate freely therein. One end of the shaft is disposed adjacent to the edge of the door and is provided with a'rigid arm 8 extending at right angles therefrom.

Y The end of the arm is provided with a roller 9,Which is adapted to engage a keeper 11 integrallfw'ith a foot plate 12 which may be fastened to the jamb of the refrigerator in any; desirable manner. The keeper 11 has an inclined face 13 which is adapted to force the roller upwardly so as to rock the shaft 7, thus placing a spring, tolbe described hereinafter, under compression.V The.

keeper has an undercutportion 13` in which the roller snaps after it has ridden overthe inclined face 13, thus securing the door firmly in locked engagement with the refrig era-tor casing or jamb thereof. i

In order to open'the door from `the outer side with the least possible exertion, I provide a'lever 14, which has a" hub portion 15 pinned at 16 to the shaft 7. As Vwill be noted from Figs. 1 and 2, lthe lever 14 is located substantially in line withv the edgel of the door, thus affording the greatest amount of leverage with which to open vthe same with I respect tothe pivotal support of the door.

VThe vdoor maybe opened from the inner .sideby means of a plunger rod 17 which has a knob 18 on its inner end and'has itsA outer end 19 connected to an `arm 21 kWhich latter is pinned to the shaftf7 at 22. The

connection between the plunger rod 17 and vengages a curved slot or opening 24 in the The .curvature of they slot 24 is such that the longitudinal move' ment of the rod is substantiallyat right end of the arm 21.

angles to 'a` tangent to the curve at the point of contact of the pin with the curve atV any point of its movement. The arm211may be vertically slotted at 24 to provide for moveV ment of the rod 17.

of a com ression spring 27 may abut. The other enti, of the ring 27 engages the supporting late 4. t will thus be seen that upon a t rust or endwise movement of the plunger rod 17 toward the face of the-door that the sprin 27* will be placed under compression and t at the end 0f the plunger rod "operating upon the arm 21 will rock the" shaft 7 and the arln 8 carrying the roller 9 from its engagement with the keeper 11. Upon releasing the pressure upon the knob 18, the potential energy stored in the spring Will rotate the shaft 7 and the armv 8 tov its Y normal locking position, so that when the door is closed the latch will'automatically like, and also t at it functions in a diiferent manner from the springs heretofore in use and which depended upon atorsional action. v Y

In orderrto prevent the shaft 7 from being moved longitudinally fromits bearings 5, a collar 28 may be pinned, as at 29, thereon. The rigid arm 8 prevents an opposite longitudinal movement 0f the shaft 7.

Although I have describedand illustrated the plungerrod as being connected by a pin and slot arrangement to the arm 21, IV also contemplate merely an engagement therebetween. In such construction, which is illustrated in Fig. 4, the faceof lan arm 33 adjacent to the end'of a: plungerrod 34 may have an arcuate face 35, and `theendV of the rod 34 may be' provided Withwa roller 36 to facilitate its movement over the curved face of the arm. In such construction, it is essential vthat means be providedl to return the latch to its initial or locking position. This may be readily accomplished by entwining a spring 36 about the shaft 7 and anchoring onel end thereto and having the other end extend up on the inner side of the arm V33, or ka spring of this or other ltypes may be applied to the lever 14.

In order that there may be no consider; able .amount of leakage of warm air intoV the refrigerator through the opening pro- Y vided for the plunger rod, packlngs orV gaskets 37 and 38 may be provided in frictional engagement `with the lunger 17 plication of such insu ating packing is o vious to those skilled in the manufacture of refrigerators and the like. l

' A rubber strip 43may be disposed between theedge ofthe door and the jamb to providefor an hermetic seal. 1 i n yThe refrigerator door may be ofthe usual type consistmg of frame members and anels forming the inner and outer faces of)4 the door, and aninsulating material 41 mayfbe i lag disposed therebetween. ,l

The 'L For the purpose of providing locking means for the present device, the keeper l1 is provided with an aperture 43 through which the bolt of a pad-lock may be passed and locked when the roller 9 is engaged with the keeper. The pad-lock will thus prevent the removal of the roller from the keeper and thus provide an effective lock.

Modifications of my invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art,

but such as come within the terms of the appended claims are contemplated by me as falling within the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A fastener forl doors, comprising a latch for holding the door closed, a hand lever disposed adjacent the edge and upon the face of the door for releasing the latch from the outside of the door, a plunger rod extending through the door, aspring within the walls of said door and surrounding a portion of said rod, said plunger rod being associated with said latch so that the spring is placed under compression when the lever is moved to release the latch and to return the latch to locking position.

2. Afastener for doors, comprising alatch for holding the door closed, a shaft disposed parallel to the face of said door, said latch being disposed on one end of said shaft, a lever *secured to said shaft for releasing the latch from locking position, an arm secured to said shaft and disposed adjacent said lever, and means within the door associated with said arm for throwing the latch to locking position.

3. A fastener for doors, comprising a latch for holding the door closed, a shaft disposed parallel to the face of said door, said latch being disposed on one end of said shaft, a lever secured to said shaft for releasing the latch from locking position, an arm secured to said shaft and disposed adjacent said lever, a rod extending through the door and associated with said arm for releasing said latch, and means disposed around said arm for normally throwing the latch to locking position.

4. A fastener for doors comprising a latch for holding the door closed, a lever arm on and parallel to the edge of the door 'and adjacent said latch for releasing the same, an arm adjacent said lever and remote from said latch, and means including a spring for normally throwing the latch to locking position and operable to release the latch from the inner side of the door.

5. A fastener for doors comprising a shaft parallel to the outer face of the door, a latch arm at one end of said shaft, a swinging lever on and parallel to the edge of said door and adjacent said latch, an arm at the other end of said shaft, a plunger rod extending through the door and engaging said arm, and means surrounding said rod for normally throwing the latch to locking position.

6. A fastener for doors comprising a rock shaft, a latch arm extending at right angles from one end of said `shaft, a lever secured to said shaft and disposed adjacent the end of the shaft upon which said arm is located, an arm secured to said shaft` adjacent said lever, and means within the door for engaging said arm to normally maintain the latch in locking position.

7. A fastener for doors, comprising a. shaft adapted to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the door, an arm secured to one end of said shaft, a latch roller carried by said arm, a stationary keeper having an inclined front surface adapted to engage the latch roller, a spring normally tending to throw the arm on the shaft so as to hold the latch roller in engagement with the keeper, said spring being disposed in said door, a lever for swinging said latch so as to release the same from the keeper, and a rod extending through the doorv and associated with said shaft for releasing the latch roller by operation from Within the door.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3 day of June,

JOHN J. MORROW.

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