US1781172A - Latch - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 11, 1930. GRAF 1,781,172

LATCH Filed April 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (\iTomea E. F. GRA F Nov. 11, 1930.

LATCH Filed April 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 luau Tor Tdua'd Y. Gmi

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Patented Nov. 11 1930 UmrsnsTATE-s PATENT OFFICE EDWARD F. GRAEOF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIIIGN'OR TO WINTERS 86 CRAMPTON MFG. 00., F GRAND, RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ,ACORPORATION OF MICHIGAN LATCH Application filed April 15,

This invention relates to a latch construction particularly adapted for refrigerators though in no sense limited in use thereto. It is a primary object and purpose ofthe prescut invention to provide a latch structure which is reversible in use, that is, one which may be applied to either doors swinging'to the right or tothe left, the change in adapting the latch for useon one type ofdo'or to the other being a very simple one and one which requires no variation whatever inthe manufacturing process of the parts which are assembled to make the latch. 7

r A further object of the invention is to-pro.-

vide a latch in which when the latch lever thereof is manually disengaged from the keeper it is held in a position such that the keeper engaging end of the latch lever passes 7 above the keeper hook and is entered backof said keeper hook automatically as the door is finally closed through a cam operation upon the latch lever which swings the same from its keeper disengaged position to a pointwhere a spring means, which previously has acted to hold the lever in keeper disengaged position, is caused'to act to force the latch lever into wedging engagement with the keeper hook.

An understanding of'the invention and the constructions embodying the same may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which, I

Fig. 1 shows a front and a side elevation 5' of the latch structure appliedto a door'and door jamb with the lever in the position it occupies when it is disengaged from the keeper on opening the door, the housing for the latch lever mechanism being shown in section.

h, .is a like front andside elevation illustrating the 'latchilever engaged with the keeper.' w

Fig. .3 is a view similar to the front elevation shown' in Fig. '1, showing the latch applied to ,adoor which swings ina direction opposite tothat shown in Fig. 1. f

.FigAis a transver'se section through latch structure appliedtothe door.

I reference to the latchlever.

1929. Serial No. 255,120.

Fig. is alongitudinal section through said latch structure. Fig. 6 is afbottom elevation of the latch construction. 5 r I I Fig. '7 is a. fragn'ientaryenlarged constructive detail in elevation and vertical section showing the assembly ofthespring control means of the'latch construction withfthe latch lever 'a-nd the housing or casing therefor, and Fig. 8 is a view similar tothat shown in Fig. 7 illustrating a-slight change and addi-'. tion to the construction shown in Fig. 7 Like referencecharacters refer to like parts in different figures of the drawings. g

In the construction showm'the latch lever assembly is secured to the face of a door l nearflthe free vertical edge thereof. Said construction includes housing 2 of sheetmetal which has a top and inwardly extending sides and ends with ears 3 turned outwardly from the inner edge portions of each side of the housing through which screws 'or equivalent fastening devices pass to secure the casing to the'door. Openings 4 and 5 aremade through the opposite ends of the latch housingand a bottom plate 6 closes the lower side of the housing, said plate being a-platef'o'f flat'metal in which two ton gues'7, as shown in Fig. 6, are provided located symmetrically with respect to. a plane through the pivot of the latch lever, hereafter described, and disposed midway between the opposite upper and lower sides of said housing. The" use of the tongues 7 will appear later with The latch lever 8 extendsthrough the lionsing, passing through said openings 4.- and 5 and atone end' is formed into an operating handle 9. The other end 10 may directly" engage with the keeper hook or a keeper hook engagingroller 11 may be mounted thereon.

The lever 8 is formed from fiat metal and shaped so that the intermediate portion thereof within the housing ,is of channel form, having an upperweb and inwardly eX- tending spaced apart flanges 12. Within through the web described and the end the housing an elongated opening 13 iscut thereof, adja'cent the pivot, the opening is formed with two concaved seats iltseparated fbya centralproj'ection 15,"as shown. The

pivot pin 16 is a sleeve which passesthrough T the bottom 6 and is received at its upper or outer endin a bearing 17 which, preferably,

7 inwardlyand having the'bearing 17' formed j is formed-inthe'metal ofthe housing displaced when the.

openings is madevat one side ofithehousin'g, sa d metalbeingturned therein, as shown in Fig. 5. The lowerend of the pivot sleeve "16 isspun outwardly side of the base plates, (Figs. 5 and 6), thereby, serving to connect and secure the pivot sleeve against the under. as indicated at 16 in place.

I 7 A barlS 1s formed atone end witharight angularly extended head 19, .the bar being 7 located withinthe housing between the outer sidefof the housing and'the upper or outer side of the latch lever.

into the opening-13 andseats, 14 described] A-coiled spring 20 is locatedjaround the bar 18,}pressing against the head 19 atone end Y 'andat the opposite end bcaringagainst an end of the housing above the opening 5.

I Said housing is formed withaninwardly. pressed-projection 21 as. a locating and hold- Y 'ing means for the end of the spring;

.Thelatch', lever assembly-described is one in Which,1when the lever is turnedto the po- 'sition shown in Fig.- 1, the line of force of thes ringQO"passes'slightly above the axis oflthe pivot 16 an l: serves to hold the lever yieldingly in thelpostion there shown. a But on 'turning the lever about its pivot,- the' line of force ofjthe springlpasses across the axis;

of'the pivot 16to below such axis and thereupon acts to turn the' leverfiinthe opposite i in Fig. 4: to serve asfa limit stop'for the leven -When t he. constructionis to be used on a. door swinging to the" left, 'as illustrated in 'lliand theitongue 7 which is bentinWardly direction.

Fig.3, the headl9 is seated in the otherseat J Eis the oppositetonguej z, though it will be a theflower side of the lever.

- The keeper hook which is be attached 'to thedoorjamb-22, comprisesja-baseplate 23 Withanoutwardlyfextendi'ngpost Qi iri -J the post terminatinginfan The head 19 extends lVhen the construction is to be jused,on.a door swinging to 'the right, as shown in Fig,';1,the head 19 is seated in} onexoi 'the seats 14: andzo'ne'fof the tongues 7, is pressed inwardly. into the housing as shown a. screw their scope.

to turn the keeper engaging end of the lever downwardly as the door is closed, and cause the spring 20 to act upon the lever, after its line of force has passed across the aXi-s'of the pivot pin 16,'to "force the keeper engaging end of the lever intofsnug wedging engagement therewith.

In Fig. 8 a slightlydiflerent form of construction is'shown with'respect to the latch leverhlnstead of makingthe seats 14"for the head 19 in the web'oigthe lever itself, a

metal plate 27 is placed against the upper "side of the lever 8, the pivot l6passing therethrough, and extends to the opening 13 in 5 the'lever, having" a projection 28 which ejX- tends into said opening and provides. two

oppositely disposed seatsor sockets29, The 'n'1ateri al]fro1n which the plate 27 and the sockets 29flare made may be of steel sothat it can behardened to sustain wear,

The c structi "s r H I nofvlatch ls very slmple fand' econom cal fromja manufacturing and assembly standpoint. Thegparts" are easily fabricated and assembled. WVhen the door isopen the latch lever will be in the poistion shown in either Figs. 1 or 3, .depending 'up'on whetherit is a right orleft'hand swinging door, and the leverswill beheld in the. post 1 tion'shown by the force of spring 20; On closing the door the keeper engaging end of the leverfpasses'above the hook 25i offthei keeper, strikesagainst the-cam dge of the finger2,6 and' the lever is automatically turned so as to change 'the' action of the.

.springQO to cause. the .lever thlen to swing so as to forcethe keeper'engaging end'joi' the lever -nto close;wedg ng" engagement? with the; keeper. hook. .Th' disengagement of; the-leverfrom thekeeper is accomplished Q, i 7' by graspingthe handle "9 andxturning. the.

lever in a clockwise direction, in Fig. 1, or a counterclockwise direction with the construe- V tion shown in" Fig. 2.

opening through the base plateli beingvmade directly at the head 19foracc'esstheretoiby it driver or similar tool tQjShiftjt-hef head-I1 'maybejdesired. f

' ;;The 'claims appended hereto define;

Y which is to'befconsidered"comprehensive of all forms of structure vconiing'within' Iclaim'a v (1 i 1.1 In a latch. construction, a housing, a lever extending through the housing: and .p'ivot'allymounted between its ends withinkand adjaf cent'one end of the housing, said 1ev-eritav ingtwoseats between th'e'pivot and-the oppoin site end of thehousing, one being locatediat each sideofthe longitudinal 'center lineof 1. the lever, a barh'avingia headlocated in one i v of, saidseats; said: head being changeable in position to seat in the other of saidseats, and

The head 19 on har 18 a changed from one seatl la or '29- to the other;

,7 11 0 after the latch is completely assembled, an.

, sides and ends, said ends having openingstherethrough and one of said ends having the spring means around the bar between said head and the opposite end of the housing, for pressing the head against the seat on which it is located.

2. A latch construction comprising, a housing, a latch lever extending through the housing, a pivot pin carried by said housing extending through the lever adjacent one end of the housing, said lever being of channel cross section and having a part of the web cut away to provide an opening in the lever between the pivot and the opposite end of the housing, seats on said lever in said opening one of sald seats being.

adjacent the pivot, located at each side of the longitudinal center line of the lever, and spring actuated means between the opposite end of the housing and said seats carried by the lever, said spring means pressing agalnst a selected seat andbeing shiftable to act upon either seat;

8. A latch construction comprising, a-housing having a top and inwardly extending material at said opening extending inwardly into and underneath the top of the housing, a

substantially parallel thereto, a sleeve on said last mentioned material extending between the same and the top of the housing, a lever passing'through the housing and through the ends thereof, a base closing the inner side of the housing, and a pivot pin passing through said base, lever and received in said sleeve.

4. A latch construction comprising a housing having an opening in opposed ends thereof, a latch lever extending through the hous- J ing and the openings in its ends, a pivot carried by the housing and passing through said latch lever near one end of the housing, said latch lever within the housing being'channel shape in cross'section and having an opening made in the web of the channel between the pivot and the opposite end of the housing,

said opening at the end adjacent the pivot b e-, ing equipped with two seats, one located at each side of the longitudinal center lineof the lever, a bar disposed between the lever and the outer side of the housing, a head on said bar extending into the opening in the lever and bearing atits free end against one of said seats and a coiled compression spring around said bar bearing against said head at.

one end-and against said opposite end of the housing at the other end, said head being shiftable from one seat to the other.

In testimony i EDWARD'F. GRAF.

whereof I aflix my signature.

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