US1671328A - Latch for lockers - Google Patents

Description

May 29, 1928.

J. STURM ET AL LATCH FOR LOCKERS Filed June 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 a ;F a:

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' May 29, 1928. I 1,671,328 I J. STURM ET -AL LATCH FOR LOCKERS Filed June 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /6 /7 gmmtoz 1 i g i wax/w 6702/ 2 W/zA/wv A a ar/:24.

Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH STURM AND WILLIAM L. CALDWELL, OI CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE BERGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

m'rcn FOR nooxnns.

Application filed June 12, 1920-. ..8er1al mi. 115,538.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements inlockers of the knock-down type, but is adapted for use in connection with various other closures.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction of the latching means for a locker, whereby upon swinging the door of the locker inwardly, it will readily and positively close, and remain closed, until the handle on the door is lifted, and the door pulled outwardly. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a vertically movable latching bar, which, in conjunction with a novel type of hook or keeper, will operate to effectively maintain the locker door in closed position. Another'ancl more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel form of latching bar, which is of rugged construction.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a novel form of keeper which will efiect a downward movement of the latching bar, independently of, or regardless of the force of gravity acting on said bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel type of handle, which cogperates in a novel manner with the latching ar. "Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangement of parts and application of principles, constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated, will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein we have illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of our invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the locker with the door thereof in open position.

Fig. 2 is a verticalsection through the housing on the door, showing also in crosssection, the latching bar'and latching clips attached thereto.

' Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the door and adjacent portions of the locker body on the line 3- 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the handle and ad'aeent portions of the-jamb strip and door 0 the locker.

, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the vertical housing, latching bar and keeper.

Fig. 6' is an exploded view, showing the manner in which the handle is inserted into the vertical housing and the latching bar.

Hitherto in locker constructions of a type similar to that herein described, a gravity latching bar has been employed, but on shutting the door of a locker of this type with more than a small degree of force, the door would in practically every instance rebound, because no effective means was provided to prevent such rebound. In many instances the user of such a. locker, would, in order to prevent the rebound, close or push the door very gently, so gentlyin fact, that the door would not close and the consequent temptation to pilfer the contents of the locker would be offered. In order to overcome this difiiculty, it has been customary to make the, door hinges tight, so that the rebound would be prevented by excessive friction at the hinges. This method has however proven unsatisfactory, because ofthe resulting stiffness of movement of the door and the temporary nature of the remedy.

T e herein described novel latching means has been designed to obviate the aforesaid difficulties, by providing a mechanism which will enable the door of the locker to be closed positively and effectively, regardless of the degree of force which is employed in closing the door. In view of the fact that locker doors are in a great many instances shut with more than the usual degree of force necessary to effect a closing thereof, the practicability and advantages of the imroved locker construction will become read- 11y apparent.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals, the locker consists of a sheet metal body' l, with a door 2 hinged thereto. The door. 2

has vertical box flanges 3 and 4, extending" the full length of the door, and formed in the manner shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6. The top open ends of the box flanges-fare closed by forming the flange 5 thereover.

The bottom ends of the box flanges" are-left open to facilitate the insertion and removal of the latching bar when necessary.

The door is hin ed to the locker 1, as indicated at 6, and when closed, abuts the amb 'such as is disclosed in the strip 7, which extends the full length of the locker.

Slots 8, 9 and 10 are formed on the inner face of the box flange 3, and these slots are adapted to receive keepers 11, 12 and 13, which are riveted or otherwise attached to the flange 14, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

Located in the box flange housing 3, is a vertically movable latching bar 15, formed with a web portion 16, abutting the inner face of the locker door, and flanges 17 and 18, extending" inwardly and parallel to the sides of the box flange housing 3 and preferably in sliding contact therewith. Spot welded at approximately the middle portion and thetwo ends of the web of the latching bar, are -latching clips 19. These clips have vertical slots 20 formed therein, which are adapted to receive the keepers 11, 12 and 13, and the clips are preferably formed of a heavier gauge of sheet metal than the latching bar 15, in order to better Withstand the thrusts of the keepers.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 2, that when the-door is closed, the upperedge. 21 of the slots 20 in the latching clips, will ride up over the inclined top edge 22 of the keepers, until the upper point 23 is reached.

In the use of theordinary type of keeper, patent to E. D. Kaser, No.1,532,245, dated-April 7, 1925, when the door is closed with a great degree of force, the upward momentum imparted to the latching bar, would tend tocause the bar to continue in an upward direction, until it struck the door jamb, and then rebound from the door jamb, before gravity would enable the bar to fall downward iiito the seats 24, and the door would open.

'This difficulty is common to all ty es of construction in which the downwar and final latching movement of the bar is dependent solely on the actionof gravity.

In our construction the downward movement of the bar to eflect latching, is accomplished independently of the action of gravity, by forming the lower edge of the keeper in the manner shown at 25 in Figs. 2 and 5. It will be apparent that when the point 23 is reached by the upper edge 21 of the slot 20, the lower edge 26 of the slot will begin to contact with the downwardly sloping edge 25 of the keeper and the edge 21 of the latching clips will be actually forced to move down into the seats 24. In this manner the door is effectively shut or latched, regardless of how great a force is used to effect the closure.

Another feature of this invention resides in the novel form of handle shown in Figs. 2 and 6. This handle is formed by bending 1a flat strip 27 to a Ushape and providing Qtenoned portions 28 at the ends thereof.

These tenoned portions are forced into mortised portions of the flat strip 29, as shown lower end of the latching. bar 15. The baris then pushed upwardly until the slots 36 therein register with the slots 37 in the locker door, and the slot 38 registers with the slot 39 in the door. The handle is then moved forward with the other hand in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig 6, whereupon the tenoned portions 28 will enter the slots 36 and 37, the screw 31, will enter the slots 38 and 39, and the strip 29 will contact the front face of the locker. The finger of the hand is then removed from the opening 35, and the latching bar will fall and securely lock the handle against outward movement, as shown in Fig. 2.

The screw 31, which is freely movable vertically in the slots 38 and 39, serves to act as a stop against the lower edge of the slot 38, and thereby prevents the slots 36 from rising sufiiciently to permit the tenoned portions 28 of the handle to become disengaged from the latching bar and door, when the handle is raised to unlock the door. If the screw 31, were not present, the handle when being lifted to unlock the door, might become disengaged therefrom, but as long as the screw is in place, there is no possibility of such an occurrence. In order to remove the handle from the door, it is necessary to first unscrew the screw 31 sufficiently to clear the slot 38, and when this is done, the latching bar 15 can be raised sufiiciently to permit the tenoned portions on the handle to clear the slots 36 and 37.

It will also be apparent from the disposition, of the various slots 36 to 39 inclusive, that the latching bar can rise and fall to effect latching with the keepers, and the handle will remain stationary at all times. This is of practical advantage because the latching bar can in this manner be raised to effect latching without manual lifting of the handle. In previously known constructions, the handle has in every instance been securely fastened to the latching bar, and consequently would have to be lifted or would have to rise with the latching bar when effecting closure of the door. The door will thus close even if the weight of the hand rests on the handle.

Another feature of construction in our present invention, is the provision of curved Ill) concealed portion of the padlock keeper with a keylock having a bolt adapted to abut the lower face 41 of the middle keeper 19.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as. illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense.

Claims: 1. In combination with a locker comprising a body having a hinged door and a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of the door, and arranged to form a vertical housing, a keeper mounted on said body and arranged to extend into said housing when the door occupies its closed position, and a latching bar vertically disposed in said housing and adapted to be first lifted from its normal position by said keeper andthen forced downwardly into its normal and latching position by the keeper when the door is closed.

bar in said housing, said bar being channel shaped in cross section, the web of said channel being disposed in contact witli the inner face of the door, and the flanges thereof being disposed in planes parallel to the sides of the locker and towards the rear thereof. a

4; In combination with a locker body and door hinged thereto, a latching bar vertically disposed at one edge of said door, said bar comprising a channel member haw ing its web disposed in contact with the inner face of the door and its flanges dis posed in planes parallel to the sides of and extending towards the rear of the locker body and having latching clips attached to the web of the hair at spaced intervals,

5. In combination with a locker body and door hinged thereto, a latching bar disposed at one edge of said door, said bar comprising a channel member having its web disposed in contact with the inner face of the door and its flanges disposed in planes parallel to the sides of and extending toward the -rear of the locker body, and having latching clips attached to the web. of the bar at spaced intervals, keepers mounted on the locker body and adapted for interlocking engagement with the latching clips when the door is closed.

6. In combination with a locker body and door hinged thereto, a latching bar disposed at one edge of said door, said bar comprising a channel member having its web disposed in contact with the inner face of the door and its flanges disposed in planes parallel to the sides of and extending toward the rear of the locker body, and having latching clips attached to the web of the bar at spaced intervals thereon, keepers mounted on the locker body and adapted to first force the clips upwardly and then downwardly into latching position therewith when the locker door is closed.

7. Latching mechanism for a locker comprising a vertically disposed bar, channel shaped in cross-section, latching clips at tached to the web of said barat spaced intervals thereon, said cli s having vertically disposed slots therein, lice ers for attachment to the body of the loc er and adapted to enter the slots in said clips for interlocking engagement with the clips.

8. Latching mechanism for a locker comprising a vertically disposed bar, channel shaped in cross-section, and formed of light gauge sheet'metal, latching clips attached to the web of said bar at spaced intervals thereon, and formed of heavier gauge sheet metal than said bar, said clips having vertically disposed slots therein, keepers for attachment to the body of the locker and adapted to enter the slots in said clips for interlocking engagement with the clips.

9. Latching mechanism for a locker comprising a vertically disposed bar channel sha ed in cross-section, latching clips attac ed to the web of said bar at spaced intervals thereon, said clips having vertically disposed slots therein, keepers for attachment to the body of the locker and adapted to enter the slots in said clips, said keepers first acting against the top edge of the slots to force the latching bar upward, then acting against the bottom edge of the slots to force the bar downward to thereby effect in terlocking engagement between the keepers keepers mounted on a locker body.

12. A locker latching mechanism comprising a vertically disposed channel bar, having latching clips attached to the web thereof at spaced points thereon, said clips having vertlcally disposed slots "therein, keepers attached to the body of the locker and adapted to enter the slots in said clips in such manner that the keeper will first engage the top edge of the slot and then the bottom edge of the slot, to effect interlocking engagement with the clips.

13. A keeper for a locker latching mechanism, comprising a hook-like member having upwardly and downwardly sloping edges, the

downwardly sloping edge being approximately twice as long as the upwardly sloping edge, and effective to force a latching bar downwardly into latching position after the bar has passed the limit of the upwardly sloping edge. I

14. In a latch for a locker the combination ot a handle and a latching bar,.said

is closed, and having slot-s therein adapted to receive tenoned portions on said handle, to thereby retain the handle on the door, but there being no fixed connection between said handle and latching bar.

16. In combination with a locker comprising a body having a hinged door and a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of the door and arranged to form a housing, a keeper mounted on said body and arranged to extend into said housing when the door occupies its closed position, and a latching bar disposed in said housing and adapted to be first moved from its normal position by said keeper and then forced into its normal" and latching position by the keeper when the door is closed.

JOSEPH STURMr WILLIAM L. CALDWELL.

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