US1774260A - Latch - Google Patents

Description

` Aug. 26, 1930.

v s. FlEsToNE Er AL L ATGH vFiled Nov. l2, 1928 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Aug. 26, 1930. v. s. FlREsToNE ET AL 1,774,260

LATCH v Filed Novylz, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 N ,7m Z1 NN-MQm/bw l QN NN W f l vzce 376.520726,

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Patented Aug.` `26, 1930 s c l 1,774,2ee

UNIT-Ensures lPaiferrr romer.

VANCE S. .FIRESTONE AND-DELBERT SWARD, OF F'REEPORT, ILLNOIS, ASSIGNORS TO ARCADE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OE FREEPORT, ILLNOlS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS yApplication fue@ November 12, 192s.

Our inventionrelates more particularly to latches for refrigerator doors.

One of our objects is topprovide a con.-

struction of latch which will operate auto- 5 matically, without the use of springs which are objectionable,y to lock the door by :the mere act of closing'the door and by which the more forcibly, the doorfis swung toward closed position, the tighter the door will close. Another objecty is toprovide a .construction operating as above stated and Vwhich shall comprise a single handlemember for the unlatching andopening of the door.

Another object is`to'- provide a rlatch coastruction comprising leverage means operative to effect the initial movement of theJ door towards open position to the end that such movementof the doormay be effected with the exertion of relatively slight force even though the door ybe inv tightly closed condition. y Another obj ect is to providea construction of latch device of the type which automatically latches the door upon ing the door to closed position which will bemore positive in vices as hitherto constructed; and other ohjects as will be manifest from the 'following description.

VfR-eferring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a broken face view of the front of a refrigerator structure containing an opening equipped with a door hinged thereto and-provided with latch means for the door in acc-ordance with our invention, the door being shown in tightly closed condition.

Figure 2 is an edge View of the structure of Fig. 1 showing the door in partially open condition.

Figure 3 is a side view of the keeper form ing one of the parts of the latch mechanism, this View showing the side of the latch opposite that shown in Fig. 2.

Figure `the irregular line lf-4 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction ofthe arrows; and Figure 5, a similar view showing the positions occupied by the parts of the latch the act of swing.

its operation than de- 4; is a plan Sectional View taken at4 to the right, in Figsl LATCH seriai No. 318,765.

mechanism Jfollowing the initial opening of the door. y l v l h Y l Referring to the drawings, 6 represents a refr1gerator structure containing an opening" 7 inits wall, and ,8 a door forming a clo- 'sure for said opening and hinged to the structuren as represented at 9kr and 1n accord ance with common pract1ce.

VThe particular'.illustrated embodiment of i ourinvention'comprises'a keeper 10 for` attachment tothe outer face of the structure G adjacent the side of the opening7 opposite lthat at which the door is hinged, Vthis kecpl rwhich it is; attached to the structure 6, as by. screws 12, and j er comprising aplate 11 at Y a forwardly projecting'portion 13 having a depending extension 14 presenting at its forf ward extremity a rearwardly and downwardly curved surface 15 and, to the rear of said dly and rearwardly in- 'i surface, an upwar clined cam-forming, or wedge, surface `16.

The latch mechanism Y also comprisesa` latch-lever 17 pivotally connected between its endsv at 18 to aplate 19 attached to .the

face' of the doorS adjacent the keeper 10,l

VThe lever 17 presents the hany v deiiected outwardly to extend in spacedv relation to the door S asshown in Fig. 4 and'by which the im?V latching of the door and V y i latter iseii'ected. The pivoting of the leverv 17 is on substantially horizontal axis in a Vplane .su'hstane by screws 20. dle portion 21 which .is

whereby this lever swings tially parallel with theface of the'door 8 and the end thereof opposite the handle portion 21 and represented at L2 is providedfor latching with the keeper 13. c o Y The latch mechanismgalso comprises a dog,

representedfat 23, andpivoted on a'snhstair tially vertical pin24c mounted'in vertically spaced lugs 25' and 26 on the plate 19, the dog 23 rextending'@into the spacev betweenV these lugs and thus adapted to rock in a substantially horizontalv plane; I

rl`he dog 23 is of general bell crank form as shown providing the angular..y disposed arms 27. and 28 provided for engagement,

Vwith the top of the lever 17 respectively,

and 4l, of the pivotthe opening oli 'the of this lever and with an abutment 29 formed rigidly on the keeper 10.

The arrangement of the parts shown and described is such, as shown, that assuming the door to be open, in which .position of the door the unbalanced lever 17 assumes substantially horizontal position, its left-hand end abutting the underside of a depending stop-lug on the dog 28, the swinging of lthe door toward closed position causes the end portion 22 of lever 17 to ride against the cam-surface 15 of the keeper thereby causing the lever 17 Ato be rotated in counterclockwise directionin Fig. 1, to a position in wh'ch it clears the lower extremity of.' the keeper pertion-14. As the door nears closing` ,osition the arm 27 of dog`23 engages the abutment- 29 thereby rotating the dog in counte'rclockwise direction in Fig. at and by the engagement of its arm portion 28 with the upper surface of the` portion 21 of lever 17, forcibly rotates this lever in clockwise direction in Fig. 1 which causes the lever-portion 22 to travel up the inclined surface 16 of the keeper and iirmly force the door inwardly to closed position shown in Fig. 4, it being understood from the foregoing that the greater the force applied by the operator in closing the door the more tightly the parts of the latch meclianism intereng( ge for forcing the door to closed, latched, condition.

To open the door the operator grasps the handle portion 21 of lever 17'and rotates this lever in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 1 for downwardly swinging the portion 22 of this lever out of interlocking engagement with the keeper. During the movement of the lever as stated, thelatter engages the arm 28 `of dog 23thereby rotating the latter in clockwise direction in Figs. 4; and 5 and engaging the arm 27 of this dog with the stopabutment 29 whereby continued rotation of the lever 17 as stated results in the initial opening', or cracking, of the door as shown in Fig. 5, in which position the lever 17 is entirely clear-fof the keepery and the operator by merely pulling outwardly on the lever swings the door from the initial open posiytion to the final open position desired.

v lVliile we'have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying our invention, we do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the saine may be variously modified and altered without departing' from thespirit of our invention.

`What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A latch mechanism for a door adapted -to close an opening lin a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casa lever pivoted-on said door for interlocking with said keeper, and a dog of general bell crank form pivotedl on said door and so n positioned that, in the closing of the door,

one arm of said dog engages a stationary 'to close an opening in aV casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a lever for interlocking with said keeper and pivoted on said door to swing in a plane substantially parallel with the face of the door, and a dog pivoted on said door and so positioned that, in the closing of the door, one portion of said dog engages a stationary part ot the structure and another part thereof presses against said lever and rocks the latter into tight engagement with said keeper.

. 3. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a vmember on said casing and having a rearwardly and upwardly inclined rear surface, a lever for interlocking with said keeper at said surface and pivoted to said door to swing in a plane substantially parallel with the face of the door, said lever normally extending substantially horizontally and said keeper being provided with an abutment, and a dog pivoted on said door on an aXis extending at an angle to the ain" about which said lever rocks, said dog being of general bell crank form and so positioned that. in the closing of the door, one arm of said dog engages said abutment and its other arm presses against said lever and rocks the latter into tight engagement with said keeper. e Y

VANCE S. FIRESTONE. DELBERT SVVARD.

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