US1639434A - Latch for automobile doors and the like - Google Patents

Description

1,639,434 All@ 16 1927' J. MORGAN LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE DOORS AND THE LIKE /5 f//riled F649. 14, 1922 7%5' if 2f I TTORNEYS,

Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

Lnwrs J. Menem, or sYnAcusE, Naw Yoan LATCH Foa AuroMomLn noone AND THE Lm.

Application tiled February 1,4, 1922. SeralNoi. 536,592.

This invention relates to latches fordoors and has for its object a particularly simple and eliicient latch for doors as automobile doors by which the handle can be adjusted y into different angular positions to conform to the incline or angle of the door and the curves ofthe outer surface of the door.

The invention consists in the novel 'fea-l tures and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

ln describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying .drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views. Y

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional View through one embodiment of my door latch and the contiguous ortion of the door.

Figure 2 is an e left in Fig. 1. v

Figure 3 is an elevation of the door also shown in Fig. 1, the door being omitted and the shank or shaft of the handle being in section.

Figure 4 is an enlar ed sectional view on line 1 -4, Fig. 3, parts eing omitted. p

Figure 4a is a view similar to Fig. 4 'of a slightly modified form of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

Figures 5 and 6 are opposite inner face views of the sections of the cam member shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 7 is a detail view ofthe ball member.

Figure 8 is an elevation of this detached cam and ball membershown in Fig. 1.

Figures 9 and 10 are a side elevation and edge view of a combined cam and ball member of a modified form showing the camcombined with the ball member.

Figure 11 is ahsectional view on line ll--K modified forms of a socket member for `the p combined cam and ball members shown in Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 13.

Figure 17 is a sectional view through the arm of the latch member showing a concave face thereon with which the cam members of Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 13 coact.

evation looking to the finish for the inner end'of the shank o the handle, the contiguous part of the lock being also shown..

Figure19 is a detail view of one of the parts shown in Fig. `18. f

' Figure 18 is a sectional view of the ca or yeov Figure 20 is a sectlonal view online 2o, Fig. 19.

As it well known -by those skilled in the i l art, the doors of automobiles are slightly inclined out of a vertical plane and also the doors and especially the outer surfaces thereof curve or bulge to conform to the lines of the car body. I

This invention relates to means whereby the handle of the latch member can be positioned at any desired an le irrespective of the incline of the door an the latch casing, and of the curves or bulge of the outer surface of the door.

v This door latch comprises generally, a casing, a latch member movable in the casing, and actuating means comprising a handle mounted to have a universal action relatively to .the casing, it being connected to the part of such means which cooperates with the lat-ch member to rock such part and to have.

a universal or ball and socket action relatively to the casing alone or to the casing and such part, the rock shaft extending in a. general direction ata right angle to the rocking action of such part.

1 designates the casing which may be of any suitable form, size and construction. 2 is a latchvmember here shown as a bolt reciprocally movable in the casing between op-` posing walls thereof and pressed in one direction by a spring 2a, this latch member eX- p l tending through the edge ofthe casing and having a latch portion 3 for coacting with the keeper plate on the door frame.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 inelusive, the actuating means includes a part or member as a rocking cam member coacting with an upwardly extending arm 5 on the bolt 2 and a handle 6 having a shank or shaft 7 connected to the cam member 4 by a universal or ball and socket joint. In Figs. 1 to 7 the cam member is shown as provided with a hub portion 8 journaled in opposite openings in the casing 1 and formed with a spherical socket 9 and with anupwardly ex-- tending arm or cam portion 10 coacting with the arm 5; and the handle or shank 7 thereof-is connected to the cam member 4 by a shaped about the center of the socket and the the casing by a universal joint. 1 15 and 16, the casing 15 is shown with a trunnions 12 thrust at their ends against the bottom of the grooves. In Fig. 4 the socket StL is shown as cylindrical, and the slots 13 as arc-shaped, hence the trunnions perform the dut of centering the ball in its cylindric socket. The member 4 is preferably formed of two halves which divide the socket into two parts so that the ball can be inserted.

ln operation, the casing 1 is attached to the inner side of the framing 14 of the door and the hole for the shaft can be located in any desired position or angle and the shaft inserted in the axial hole of the ball 11 irrespective of the incline of the door alnd the bulge of the outer face of the door.

In Fig. 2, the door and casing which are shown as inclined and two angular positions are shown of the shaft 7 and two different bulges or curves of the door are shown, one being shown in full lines, and the other by the dash line A-A.

ln Figs. 9, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 16, the entire cam member is shown as connected to In Figs.

socket 16 and the cam member 17 is shown as provided with a ball 18 fitting the socket 16.

The cam member is pivotally mounted at 19 on the ball, the pivot extending transversely of the axis of the ball.

In the construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the cam member is formed with a spherical convex or spherical bearing face 20 coacting with the concave face 21 on the arm 22 of the latch member and owing to the pivot 19 the cam member 17 can remain centered on such face when the ball is adjusted in its angular position to conform with the angular position of the shaft 7.

ln Figs. 12 and 13, the cam member 23 is shown as rigid with the ball 24 and provided with a convex bearing face 25 for coactng with the flat face on the arm 5, the face 25 being of less width than the face 21 in order to find a bearing thereon in any angular adjustment of the ball 24.

In Fig. 15, the socket is shown as provided in the casing 15 by attachingadditional plates 26 within the casing and in Fig. 16, the socket is shown as provided by forming outwardly extending flanges 27 around the bearing for the ball 24.

In all of the exemplications of my invention, the handle includes a shaft which is mounted relatively to the casing to effect y1,639,4sA.

universal joint action, that is, the .operating means includes a part as a ball mounted to have a universal action.

The shaft or shank 7 may be held from axial dis lacement in any suitable manner,

- the outer face of the door.

The plate or head 30 is here shown as a disk having a central hole 33 for the screw 31 and a dlshed spherically curved margin 34 which overlies a keeper plate 35 or disk on the casing 1, the plate 35 having a margin 36 around the central opening thereof shaped to form an outstanding spherically curved annular flange which forms a bearing for the margin 34 of the head 30. A suitable cap 37 encloses the outer end of the shank, the head 30 and keeper plate 35, the cap having its inner face spherically curved to conform to the outer faces of the margin 34 of the head 30. The head 30 is also formed with lugs 28 which engage the side faces of the shank 7. The cap and keeper plate is held in position by suitable means as one or more screws 39. This cap and the keeper plate may overlie the finish or upholstery of the door and hence, the lock is accessible without removing the finish or upholstering.

As is obvious, this latch is particularly advantageous as the handle can be readily adj usted into the desired angular position with respect to the incline of the door and the bulge of the outer face of the door.

The bolt 2 may be locked from movement to prevent opening of the door by a suitable key operated locking mechanism supported within the casing 1, said mechanism being here shown as a bolt 40 movable in a casing 41 located within the casing 1, this bolt 40 being movable behind a shoulder 42 on the bolt 2 when the bolt 2 is in its normal position, the lock bolt 40 operated by a suitable mechanism as a rocking cam 43 mounted in the casing 41, this cam being connected to the casing to have a universal action similar to and for the same purposes as the operating mechanism for the bolt 2. Suitable key operated lock mechanism is attached to the cam 43 to partake of the universal adjustment thereof, said mechanism having a shank for fitting the square hole 44 in the cam 43.

What I claim is: i

1. A door latch mechanism comprising a casing, a latch member movable in the casing and operating means for the latch member comprising a part coacting with the latch member and a universal joint located in the latch casing and operable relatively to said part without dist-urbing the relation of said part to the latch member and a handle having a shank fixed to one member of the universal joint to move into a different angular position therewith relatively to said part.

2. A door latch mechanism comprising a casing, a latch member movable in the casing, a rocking cam member mounted in the casing and formed With a spherical socket concentric with its axis and With transverse radial grooves opening into the socket, a ball in the socket and having trunnions extending into the grooves, and a handle having a rocking shaft connected to the ball to rock the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A door latch mechanism comprising a casing, a latch member movable in the casing, a rocking cam member mounted in the casing and formed with a spherical socket concentric With its axis and with transverse radial grooves opening into the socket, a ball in the socket and having trunnions extending into the grooves, the grooves having arc-shaped bottoms concentric with the center of the ball and the trunnions bearing at their ends against the bottoms of the grooves and a handle havin a rocking shaft connected to the ball to roc the same, substantially as and for the purpose described..

4. A door latch mechanism comprising a casing, movable latch operating means for the latch comprising a ball and socket joint, and a handle having a. shank arranged coaxially of the ball and slidable axially of the ball, and retaining means coacting With the casing to prevent axial displacement of the shaft, comprising a member on the shank and mounted to have ball and socket action relative to the casing and conforming to the angular adjustment of the shank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. A door latch mechanism comprising a casing, movable latch operating means for the latch comprising a ball and socket joint, and a handle having a shank arranged coaxially of the ball and slidable axially of the ball, and retaining means coacting with the casing to prevent axial displacement of the shaft, comprising a member on the shank and mounted to have a ball and socket action relative tothe casing and conforming to the angular adjustment of the shank, said member being located on the outside of the casing, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A door latch mechanism comprising a casing, movable latch o-perating means for the latch comprising a ball and socket joint, and a handle having a shank arranged coaxially of the ball and slidable axially of the ball, and retaining means coacting With the casing to prevent axial displacement of the shaft comprising a keeper plate on the outside of the casing, and a head on the inner end of the shank the plate and head being shaped to have a ball and socket coaction to conform with the angular adjustment of the shank. substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. A door latch mechanism comprising a casing, movable latch operating means for the latch comprising a ball and socket joint, and a handle having a shank arranged coaxially of the ball and slidable axially of the ball, and retaining means coacting with the casing to prevent axial displacement of the shaft, comprising a member on the shank and mounted toy have a ball and socket action relative to the casing and conforming to the angular adjustment of the shank, and a cap mounted on the casin and enclosing said member, substantialf as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A door latch mechanism comprisin a casing, movable latch operating means or the latch comprising a ball and socket joint, and a handle having a shank arranged coaxially of the ball and slidable axially of the ball, and retaining means coacting with the casing to prevent axial displacement of the shaft comprising a keeper plate on the outside of the casing and a head on the inner end of the shank, the plate and head being shaped to have a ball and socket coaction to conform with the angular adjustment of the shank, and a cap mounted outside of the casin and enclosin the head and the keeper p ate, substantia ly as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 30th day of December, 1921.

LEWIS J. MORGAN.

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