US2070149A - Door lock - Google Patents

Description

Feb- 9 l937- J. TURNER 2,070,149

DOOR LO CK Filed May 17, 1954 .....niul

Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 17, 1934,

Claims.

This invention relates to latch and lock mechanism for doors.

One object of the invention is to simplify the latch construction so as to reduce the number of parts which must be made specially and to use parts which are standard commercial products employed generally for a variety of purposes. To this end the latching element, as well as certain other elements, are formed as balls.

A further object is to provide a construction which is mainly tubular in form so that no mortising of the door or door jarnb is necessary, requiring only that a round hole be bored in each for the main portions of the mechanism.

A still further object is to produce a lock for automobile doors and the like by which the door is secured at a plurality of points, the constructions being similar at all of these points.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a detail horizontal section through the cooperating parts of the lock in the door and jamb and showing a lock particularly suitable ior a house door.

Figure 2 is a detail section on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to a portion of Figure 2, but showing the parts in released position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to a portion of Figure 1, but showing a modified construction.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the escutcheon plate of the lock showing the handle in position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary central vertical section through this plate and associated parts.

Figure 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but showing the arrangement for a barrel key-actuated lock.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the barrel lock.

Figure 10 is a View similar to Figure 5, but showing the key-actuated lock of Figures 8 and 9.

Figure l1 is a fragmentary section showing a 'i multiple lock, particularly suitable for application to a motor vehicle door, the section being taken on line II-II of Figure 13.

Figure 12 is a View similar to a portion of Figure l1, but showing the latch released.

Figure 13 is a horizontal section through the portion of the motor Vehicle door lock for the right hand front door.

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13, but for the left hand door or doors of the vehicle,

Serial No. '726,063

(Cl. 'l0- 29) Figure 15 is a detail section on line I5-I5 of Figure 13.

Figure 16 is a fragmentary detail showing a manner of securing the escutcheon plate suitable for motor vehicle doors. 5

In the accompanying figures, FiguresV 1 to 10 show a construction particularly suitable for use with house doors and this form of the invention will be first described. Referring first to Figures l, 2, and 3, at I is indicated a tubular casing which may be set in the door 2 in an opening bored therein as by a suitable auger. This casing I is provided with an outer end portion 3 of reduced internal diameter. Its inner end portion is closed as by means of a plug 4. This tubular casing slidably encloses a pair of elements shown as balls 5 and 6, the ball 5 being adapted to project partly through the end portion 3 of the tubular casing, but being retained by the reduced diameter portion thereof from escape, the ball 5 being shown in its projected position in Figures l, 2, 3 and 4. In this projected position the ball 5 may cooperate with a latch keeper I0, which, in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 is provided with a latch plate II provided with an opening I2 into which the ball 5 may extend so as to latch the door in closed position. This latch plate II may be provided with the usual inclined portion I3 against which the ball 5 may impinge when the door is being closed.

Between the balls 5 and 6 is shown positioned a relatively light spring I5. This spring bears at its ends against the peripheries of the balls 5 and 6 and is unsecured in the casing I. Cooperating with the ball 6 remote from the ball 5 is a cam 20 shown as carried by a rock shaft 2| square in cross section. This rock shaft 2| extends through the door transversely of the casing I and may be provided at opposite ends with suitable actuating handles 22. The cam 20 has an eccentric cam face 25, which, when the shaft 2l is in its normal angular position, bears against the ball 6 in the position shown in Figure 2, forcing this ball against the ball 5 and the ball 5 projected through the reduced end portion 3 of the casing, and when the door is in closed position, as shown in Figure 2, this holds the ball 5 in operative relation to the keeper so that the door cannot be opened except by the use of extraordinary force. By rocking the cam to the position shown in Figure 3, however, the ball B is permitted to retract from the ball 5 under the action of the spring I5, whereupon the ball 5 is yieldingly held in its outward position so that by exerting opening force on the door it may be 55 'at one the spring l5. As shown this means comprises a third ball 38 also slidably mounted in the casing l and engaged by a spring 3l which reacts be- 30 and the closure plug 4 at the inner end of the casing. By using -a springl .of greater strength than spring l5 the Yoperating handle is normally held in door-latched position, but the handle may be turned to therele'asing position shown in Figure 3, pressing the ball 38 .rearwardly Atoward the casing closure 4, whereupon the ball 5 is retained only by the spring -|5 lin projected position. The ball 3D, pressed `t'orward lby the relatively strong spring 3|, normally holds the cam 25 turned to the position shown in Figure 2. The oblique engagement of the ball 5 on the keeper plate I8 is such that the -friction is too great to permit a pull on the door to :rock the cam, which is nearly in an absolute locking position, backwardl-y, but it permits the door to be slammed shut from open position, the 13211135 riding up the more gradually inclined latch vplate 40 and through the ball 6, forcing the cam 2-.5 to turn backwardly.

In Figure 4 is shown a modified form of latch 'keeper which may be adjusted in accordance with `any shrinking or swelling of the door or door jamb so that it may be made to cooperate properly with the door latch. As shown in -this ligure, it comprises a member 35 having a tubular portion 36 'which may y'be extended into a tubular socket 31 bored into lthe door lamb 38. A spring 39 may be `positioned in the socket 31 bearing between the "base of Athe socket and the back face of the portion 36. The member 35 may be provided with the usual curved or inclined latch plate 46. Screws, such as 4I which pass through the base of the portion 36, and 42 which pass through the 'latch plate portion, may be used to secure the keeper to the jamb, the extent to which these screws are screwed home determining the amount o which the portion 36 projects into the socket 31. By 'backing off on these screws the spring 39 causes 'the latch keeper to move outwardly. Thus by manipulation of these screws the keeper may be adjusted to the proper position for best cooperation with the door latch.

Means may be provided for holding the rock shaft 2| ,in position to hold the door closed, preventing turning of either of the handles 22 to Vdoor-releasing position. As shown best in Fig- `ures 5 to 10, this may be done by providing in a recess 40 on the back face of the escutcheon plate 4| which is secured to one or both faces of the door, a locking slide 42 provided with a notch 43 end which can be projected to engage the squared rock shaft 2 l. As shown best in Figures 6, 7 and 8, this plate 42 may be secured to the escutcheon plate by means of a slot and screw as `at 45, so that it may be slid lengthwise into ror yout of cooperative relation to the shaft 2l.

Where it is desired to accomplishv this without the use of a key, the plate 42 may be secured as by a screw 46 to a slide piece 41 which may be engaged by the fingers, this screw 46 passing through a slot 48 in the escutcheon plate. When this finger piece 41 is in its downward position, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the slide 42 is in unlocked position, but by raising this linger slide 41, the plate 42 is moved to engage about the rock shaft 2l so that the shaft 2l may be prevented from turning and be held in the position shown in Figures l and 2. In case it is desired to actuate the locking plate 42 by means of a key, a .suitable key-actuated lock, herein shown as of the barrel type, at 56, may be secured to the escutcheon plate and have its operating part =5l extended through a slot 52 in the lock slide as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

llI/nl'igures 11 to 15 is shown a construction particularly suitable for use on motor vehicle doors. Referring iirst to Figure 1l, a plurality of locksmay be provided spaced along the length of the door, it being highly desirable to effect a secure fastening of a motor vehicle door to produce locking engagement at more than one place along its length. To this end any desired number of similar latch mechanisms may be employed. Each, as shown in this figure, comprises a tubular casing 66 having a reduced internal diameter end portion 6l and slidably supporting therein the balls l5 and 6 with their interposed spring l5. These parts `may be controlled as in the construction shown in Figures l, 2 and 3, the two balls being pressed together with the ball 5 projecting and the may trated the key-actuated door where it is desired -J to permit key-unlocking from the outside and hand-unlocking from the inside. To this end the latch actuating means is provided with two alined actuating rock shafts 65 and 66. 'Ihe shaft 65 has secured 61 and the shaft 66 is provided with the outer actuating handle 68. Fixed to the shaft 65 and extending through the door frame member 10 is a rock arm 1I, while secured to the rock shaft 66 is a similar arm 12. cut away at 13 at their rear ends so as to engage on either side of a cam bar 14. This cam bar, as shown in Figure 11, is provided with a cross pin 15 on one end of which the arm 1I may impinge and on the other of which the arm 12 may Preferably each of these arms has a notch portion 16 at its rear end into which they pin 15 may engage at suitable times. In order that the angular extent of rocking motion of the handles to operate the latches the arms 1l and 12 are extended lengthwise so that it may be inconvenient for the cam bar 14 to directly engage with the ball 6, and to provide for this extended length one or more ller elements between the cam bar and the balls 6 such as the balls 88 may be employed, each slidable within its casing 50 and bearing between the cam bar 14 and the ball 6. Thus the balls 5, 6 and 88 may all be of the same size, each being slidable within its tubular casing 60.

' The cam bar 14 is slidable transversely through the several casings 68 and is provided with cam face portions 8| and 82 which merge with each other. In the position of the cam bar shown in Figure 1l, the cam portions 8! of the cam impinge.

thereto the inner actuating handle These arms are shown as may be reduced,

r a tubular casing bar 'Hi bear against the balls 8B and press the balls Se, E and close together, the balls 5 being projected beyond the edge of the door, and when the door is closed, into locking engagement with the keepers 85. By rocking either of the handles i'l or 68, however, their respective rock arms ll or 'l2 may be pressed downwardly to depress the latch bar 14 so that the balls 3E may engage on the cam portions 82, as shown in Figure 12, permitting the springs l5 to separate the balls 5 and This permits the balls 5 to be sprung hack into their casings and permits the door to open when pressure is exerted thereon in an opening direction.` t will be noted that either of the handles El or (i8 may beoperated independently of the other to produce such action. The cam bar T4 is normally held in its locking position as by means of the spring 99, shown in Figure 11., which as shown reacts between a pin el extending transversely ci the latch bar and one of the casings ill. The outer door handle E8 may be provided with a key-actuated lock so that the rocking of this handle 63 to doorreleasing position may be prevented. Such a lock may comprise the slidable locking plate 92 similar to the locking plate e2 shown in Figure 8 and similarly actuated. Y

In order to prevent anyone from breaking off the handle 68 and thus gaining access to the locking plate, the escutcheon plate '95 on the outside of the door may be made heavy, housing the lock barrel, and the handle and plate may be formed with cooperating faces at 5l and 98 (Fig. 15) which limit the extent of rocking motion of the handle, these heavy cooperating parts acting to effectually prevent breaking off of the handle and unauthorized access to the lock parts.

The other doors of the motor vehicle which are not key-actuated may be formed as shown in Figure 14 with a single rock shaft liiii extending entirely therethrough to which is secured a single cam bar actuating arm lill having a slot le?. through which the cam bar 14 passes, a suitable manually actuable lock plate being provided on the inner face oi the door as shown at m3 which may be of the type shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7.

As shown in escutcheon plate a5 on the outside of the motor vehicle doors may be secured in position by screws as HB5 passing through the door from the inside and engaging therein so that there is no means on the outside oi the door accessible for removing parts and obtaining access to the lock mechanism.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as dened by the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing having an end portion of reduced internal diameter, a pair of balls slidably tting said casing, one of which balls may project through said portion for latching engagement with a latch plate, a spring tending to separate said balls, and cam means operatively engageable with the other of said balls remote from said one ball and actuable to force said balls together and said one ball projecting through said portion, or to permit said balls to separate through the action of said spring.

2. A device of the class described, comprising having an end portion of reduced internal diameterja pair of balls slidably tting said casing, one of which balls may project through said portion for latching engagement with a latch plate, a spring tending to separate said balls, cam means operatively engageable with the other of said `balls remote from said one ball and actuable to force said balls together and said one ball projecting through said portion, or to permit said balls to separate through the action of said spring, and yielding means of greater strength than said spring nor* mally holding said cam means in said first-mem tioned position.

3. A` device of the class described, comprisin a tubular casing having an end rportion of reduced internal diameter, a pair of balls slidable in said casing and retained therein by said end portion through which the next adjacent ball may project to cooperate with a latch plate, a coil spring within said casing and between said balls tending to separate said balls, cam means operatively engaging the other of said balls remote from said one ball to press said balls together and said next adjacent ball projecting from said casing or to permit said balls to sepn arate under the action of said spring, and manual means for actuating said cam means.

4. A device of a tubular casing having an end portion of reduced internal diameter, a pair of balls slidable in said casing and retained therein by said end portion through which the next adjacent ball may project to cooperate with a latch plate, a coil spring within said casing and between said balls tending to separate said balls, cam means operatively engaging the other of said balls to press said balls together and said next adjacent ball projecting from said casing or to permit said balls to separate under the action of said spring, manual means for actuating said cam means, and yielding means normally holding said cam means in the first-mentioned position.

5. A- device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing having an internally reduced end portion, a pair of elements slidably mounted in said casing, one of said elements having a portion projectable through said reduced end portion and the other of said elements being a ball, a spring within said casing between and supported by said elements tending to force said elements apart, and means actuable at will on said ball element and remote from the other of said elements to force said elements together with said portion of said one element projecting from said casing, or to permit said elements to separate under the action of said spring.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing having an internally reduced end portion, a pair of elements slidably mounted in said casing and limited by said casing to move in the same linear direction, one of said elements having a portion projectable through said reduced end portion and thc other of said elements being a ball, a spring within said casing between and supported by said elements tending to force said elements apart, and means actuable at will on said ball element and remote from the other ci said elements to force said elements together with said portion of said one element projecting from said casing, or to permit said elements to separate under the action of said spring.

'7. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing having a reduced internal diameter end portion, a pair of balls slidably carried in said casing, a coil spring in said casing the class described, comprising between and supported by said balls and tending to separate said balls and project a portion of one of said balls through said end portion to cooperate with a latch plate, a cam bearing on the other of said balls, a shaft carrying said cam, said cam being shaped to cause rocking of said shaft in one direction to cause said cam to press said other ball toward said one ball and to cause rocking of said shaft in the other direction to retract said cam and to permit said balls to separate under the action of said spring, a third ball slidable in said casing and bearing on the opposite face of said cam, a closure for the opposite end of said casing, and a spring bearing between said closure and said third ball and of greater strength than said first-mentioned spring normally holding said cam in said first-mentioned position.

8. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing having a reduced internal diameter end portion, a pair of balls slidably carried' in said casing, a coil spring in said casing between and supported by said balls and tending to separate said balls and project a portion of one of said balls through said end portion to cooperate with a latch plate, a cam bearing on the other of said balls, a shaft carrying said cam, said cam being shaped to cause rocking of said shaft in one direction to cause said cam to press said other ball toward said one ball and to cause rocking of said shaft in the other direction to retract said cam and to permit said balls to separate under the action of said spring, a third ball slidable in said casing and bearing on the opposite face of said cam, a closure for the opposite end of said casing, a spring bearing between said closure and said third ball and or" greater strength than said first-mentioned spring normally holding said cam in said rst-mentioned position, and means for locking said shaft in said rst-mentioned rocked position.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing having a reduced internal diameter end portion, a pair of balls slidably carried in said casing, a coil spring in said casing between and supported by said balls and tending to separate said balls and project a portion of one through said end portion to cooperate with a latch plate, a cam bar slidable transversely of said casing and operatively engaging said other ball and having a cam face provided with a portion shaped to force said balls together with said one ball projecting from said casing and another portion shaped to permit said balls to separate under the action of said spring, and means for moving said cam bar.

10. A device of the class described, comprising a, tubular casing having a reduced internal diameter end portion, a pair of balls slidably carried in said casing, a coil spring in said casing between and supported by said balls and tending to separate said balls and project a, portion of one through said end portion to cooperate with a latch plate, a cam bar slidable transversely of said casing and operatively engaging said other ball and having a cam face provided with a portion shaped to force said balls together with said one ball projecting from said casing and another portion shaped to permit said balls to separate under the action of said spring, means for moving said cam bar, and yielding means tending to hold said cam bar with its iirst-mentioned portion in operative position.

l1. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing'having a reduced internal divrock shaft extending ameter end portion, a pair of balls slidably carried in said casing, a coil spring in said casing between and supported by said balls and tending to separate said balls and project a portion of one through said end portion to cooperate with a latch plate, a cam bar slidable transversely of said casing and operatively engaging said other ball and having a cam face provided with a portion shaped to force said balls together with said one ball projecting from said casing and another portion shaped to permit said balls to separate under the action of said spring, said casing being adapted to be carried by a door, a through said door, and an arm carried by said rock shaft for engagement with said cam bar and actuable on rocking of said shaft from a normal angular position to move said cam bar to bring said other portion of said cam bar into operative position.

12. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing having a reduced internal diameter end portion, a pair of balls slidably carried in said casing, a coil spring in said casing between and supported by said balls and tending to separate said balls and project a portion of one through said end portion to cooperate with a latch plate, a cam bar slidable transversely of said casing and operatively engaging said other ball and having a cam face provided with a portion shaped to force said balls together With said one ball projecting from said casing and another portion shaped to permit said balls to separate under the action of said spring, said casing being adapted to be carried by a door, a pair of alined rock shafts carried by said door, each accessible for rocking actuation from one side only of the door, an arm carried by each rock shaft and independently actuable by turning of its rock shaft from a normal angular position to move said cam bar to present said second-mentioned portion into operative position, and means for independently rocking each of said rock shafts from its normal angular position.

13. In combination with a door and its jamb, of a plurality of tubular casings in substantially parallel relation in said door each having a reduced internal diameter end portion presented at the door edge adjacent to said jamb, a pair of balls slidable in each casing, the outer ball of each pair being projectable to extend outwardly of its casing end for cooperation with a latch keeper on said jamb to hold the door closed, a spring between the balls of each pair tending to separate said balls, a bar slidably mounted transversely to said casings, said bar having cani portions operatively associated with the other balls of each pair to hold the balls of each pair together in one position of said bar and to permit the balls of each pair to separate in another position of said bar, yielding means tending to hold said bar in said iirst-mentioned position, and manually actuable means for moving said bar to the other of said positions.

14. A door latch comprising a tubular casing having an internally reduced end portion, a pair of elements slidably mounted in said casing, one of said elements being a ball partly projectable through said reduced end portion, a spring within said casing between and supported by said elements tending to force said elements apart, and means actuable at will on the inner of said elements and remote from said ball element to force said elements together with said ball portion projecting from said casing, or to permit mais s said elements to separate under the action of said spring.

15. A door latch comprising a tubular casing having an internally reduced end portion, a pair of elements slidably mounted in said casing and limited by said casing to move in the same linear direction, one of said elements being a ball and having a portion projectable through said reduced end portion, a spring Within said casing between and supported by said elements tending to force said elements apart, and means actuabie at will on the inner of said elements and remote from said ball element to force said elements together with said ball portion projecting from said casing or to permit said elements to separate under the action of said spring.

JOHN TURNER.

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