US2075948A

US2075948A - Flush handle latch

Info

Publication number: US2075948A
Application number: US757339A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert P Kuszmaul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-12-13
Filing date: 1934-12-13
Publication date: 1937-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 1954-04-06

Description

l April 6, 1937.

lO-f

R. PL KUSzMAuL FL'UsH HANDLE LATCH Filed Dec. 1s,4 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 6, 1937 R. P. KuszMAuL 2,075,948

FLUSH HANDLE LATCH Filed Deo. 13, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MM5/mm Attorneys.

Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED-STATES awsleus 'PATENT oFFlcE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to latches and particularlyk to a latch which may be operated by a handle swinging in a horizontally described arc. A primary object of the invention is to provide a 'latch operating mechanism of a very simple and inexpensively formed construction with which an operating handle may be employed to be sunk within the door or movable member to which the latch is appliedwhereby the handle 'will not project beyond the outer surface of that door or member. Y. A further important object of the invention is to rprovide along with the Alatch mechanism simple means for locking or rendering the latch operating means ineffective from one side of the door by simple reverse movement of an operating handle and also to provide a key operatedA locking structure for controlling the locking of the mechanism from the yother side of the door. '1

A still further importantfobject of the invention isto Aprovide in the latch mechanism those features which vwill permit'theV door to be vclosed even though theinner or outer locking devices have been previously set to lock the mechanism,`

and further to include that feature wherein the latching mechanism is returned to a normal un-` locked position feature.

tionfwil1 vbecomeapparentto thoseversed in the v i end xed to the plate I0 and extends around from as; illustrated by the accompanying drawings,

art inthe following description of the invention A inV which -`door to which my'invention is applied;

l nism' assembly;

` l Fl'g. 3, a'detaillihverticall'transverse"section frias, a horizont-.a1 transverse section through a door indiatingthe j'4 relative positionsiof the-l latch mechanismand conti-ol, and' H Fig. 6, a similar transverse section but indicating 4a latchpontrol in" reversed position.'

@Like characters o i reference indicate like'parts throughout `the'd'sevvewral` vviews in4 the drawings.l

o For convenience I employa mounting plate I0 to have one end `I2 be'nt therearound to extend jfrmtheplatefatright angles thereto"and va "l hole iscutfthrou'gh' this extension 'I2 to slidably 60 receive therethrough the latch bolt I3l which i g. `2, an 'inside' elevation ofthe latch mecha Fig. 4, a vertical` transverse1l section.' on; the line,`

llixi'n Fig. i

with-the latch mechanism f (ci. 'io-146) extends from the plate end I2 along the inner face of the plate in sliding relation thereover to be secured and supported bythe plate so as to permit longitudinal travel. In the form herein shown, the latch bolt I3 is provided with a longitudinally disposed slot Il through which a member I5 passes to be rigidly held by the plate A I0, the member I5 being here shown as a screw. The member I5 is provided with an outer head or retaining member here shown as a washer II so that the latch bolt I3 is constrained to longitudinal travel within the limits of the slot I4, the outer end of the latch bolt being supported by the plate end I2 through which it passes.

A rocker bar II is carried by the plate I0 to hang normally in a. vertical position as indicated' in Fig. `2. This bar II is provided with a' slot I8 extending along the vertical center line of the bar and a supporting member I9 rigidly held by the plate I0 extends through the slot I8 and has a head on the outer end so as to hold the bar I1 in slidable contact with the plate I0. In the form herein shown, this member I9 is a screw and the head isformed by a washer 20 under the vhead of the screw and over the bar I1. The upper end of the bar I'I i's turned outwardly from the plate Ill t'o'have' a horizontally extending arm v2l formedl thereby, Figs. 2 and 3, and the outer- I 4most 'end' of this arm 2 I is preferably turned downwardly to form a lip 22. A spring 23 has one lthat iixed connection overthe upper end of: the bar I1. to compressibly engage by its free vend against the top'slde of the arm 2I, thereby tending to push the bar I1 downwardly along the member I9 until the upperLend of the slot I8 contacts therewith.

TheA rocker bar `II extends downwardly in slidingl vcontact. with the plate III to immediately above *the latch: bolt II3 and is then carried out- /wardly'from theplate III and thence downwardly over the latch# bolt` I3 iny close proximity thereto, but with suilicient clearance to prevent interference with the horizontal movementof the latch bolt. The Vbar II is carrieddownwardly a distance below' the latchbolt Il inthe same planetand is then bent rearwardly andthen 1 downwardly tohave its lower -end insliding contactlwith the plate III.

In the lower end of the rocker b ar I'I ispro- 'which may bea separate unit ori-may be an integral part of the'door I I. 'I have herein shownA j the plate I Ilto be aseparate-'element and whenf'liso employed, the' latch mechanismfmayibe as 55 sembled. thereon as'a unit 'before applying the g mechanism to the doorl This plate I0 is formed` plate III. The location oithe post 2 5 'is such vided a :vertically disposed yslot M Ithrough which extends apost25 here shownasin theformof a screw; rigidly..` supported by the.` plate' II),l lto' h'ave l1a-retaining head orI member 28. a i'ivashe'rv in the `'forni shown, so'that` theA lower endfoifthe bar *I1 isfretainedfin kthatslicii ng,'contact with the thatl 1t: will be-at. the-upper end fgt thejslot 24 -when the bar I1 isin its lowermo'st position in respect to the upper post I9. I

lower post 25 as the end swings therepast. In

this connection, the slots I3 and 23 are so' formed and the posts I9 and 25 are so located that the rocker bar I1 may swing as indicated without causing the rocker bar I1 to bind on the latch bolt I3. I

The latch bolt I3 is provided with a horizontally out-turned lug 29 to be immediately back of and normally in contact with the back vertical edge of the rocker bar I1. A torsional spring 30is fixed by one end to the plate III and is carried from that fixed point upwardly and toward the l rear end of the latch bolt I3 and thence extends upwardly and rearwardly to leave a hump 3| in compressive contact with-that rear end of the. 25 latch bolt I3. This spring 33 thus normally urges the latch bolt I3 to carry the lug 29 into engagement with the rocker bar I1. I provide an arm 32 to extend from the rocker bar I1 at some point below thevpost I9 as a means of rocking the bar I1 back against/the lug 29 to retract the latch bolt I3. 'I'his arm 32 is here shown as being located on the forward edge of the rocker bar I1 to extend outwardly from that portion immediately below the latch bolt. I3 although the exact location is immaterial and is dependent upon the desired location of the outer latch operating handle 33.

Referring to Fig. 5, the door II is provided with a recess or countersink 34 within which the handle 33 may lie normally so that its outer surface will5 not project beyond the outer face of the door. 'Ihe forward end of the metal dening the countersink 34 is cut through to permit the handle to extend through that metal to within the door to have the handle rockably mounted on a vertically disposed pin 35 supported by a bracket 39 preferably secured to the inner side of the door. 6From the pin 35 an arm 31 extends integrally from the handle against the plate end I2, and from the contact therewith the arm extends Vbaclrwardly to have its end adjacent the arm 32 carried by the rocker bar I1 with a slight clearance therebetween. In order to maintain the handle 33 normally within thev countersink 34, I provide a torsional spring 33 which is wrapped about the pin 35 to have one arm turned around into engagementV with the handle arm 31 and the other end of the spring turned to have a foot 60 39 bearing against the inside of the door or the bracket 33. It is thus to be seen that regardless of the position of the rocker bar I1, the spring 33 normally retains the handle 33 in the countersink 34 by having the arm 31 in abutment with 75 to its normalposition and to permit the spring latching mechanism within the door.

tended position.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the portion of the handles 33 which travels throughthe opening in the metal 4U forming the #exterior of thev door II isso shaped ,that regardless of the position in which'the handle 33 may be carried, there is no opening left between the handle and that metal through which any wire or otherinstrument may be inserted to operate he is feature is obtained by the particular formation of the handle member as will now be described.

The handle 33 is formed with a heel 42 which is that part that travels through the opening in the metal 40. 'I'he vertical face 43 of this heel portion 42 'is formed to have a curvature, the a these two faces 43 and 44 are made to be such that the faces are in very close proximity with the vertical edges of the opening through the metal 40 so as to leave substantially no clearance. The heel 42 thus formed extends inwardly iirst and then outwardly to around the pin 35 so as to provide the necessary clearance between the face 43 and that portion which surrounds the pin 35. v

In order to lock the latch bolt I3 in the latched position, I provide a locking mechanism which is herein shown in the form of a cylinder lock 45, Fig. 3. This cylinder 45 is of the usual and well known mechanism which may be pushed inwardly within a sleeve 46 to a locked position and 'then be released by inserting a key into the cylinder. I mount the sleeve-46 in the present form as shown to be carried by the door II to extend inwardly from the outer side to have its inner end terminate adjacent the outwardly turned end of the arm 2I. The inner end of the 'cylinder 45 is provided with a tapered member 41 which is pushed under the downturned lip 22 .of the arm 2| as indicated by the dash lines, Fig. 3, when the cylinder 45 is pushed inwardly to its locked position. In this travel* of the member 41, the rocker bar I1 is lifted as the innerend of the member 41 exerts'a wedge-like action under the lip 22. When the rocker bar I1 is thus lifted to travel along the posts I9 and 25, .the slot 23 is carried above the post 25 so that the post is then in the 'lower portion of the vertically disposed slot 24 and no rocking of the bar I1 may then be had. Also as the bar I1 is lifted, the leg 32 is carried upwardly `out of the path of the inner end of the handle arm 31 so that even though the handle 33 .may be. pulled outwardly, that inner end of the arm 31 strikes nothing and consequently such movement of the handle 33 is in effective as to causing any movement of the latch bolt I3 or any other parts connected therewith. The spring 30 oi.' course retains the latch bolt I3 in the latched position and the spring 33 returns the handle 33 when released. Upon inserting the required keyinto the cylinder 45, the locking pin is released from engagement withthe sleeve 43 and the return spring 43 carries the cylinder outwardly to permit the spring 23 to return the rocker bar I1 to its lower position as the member 41- recedes from under the lip 22 so as to restore the bar I1 to the position whereby it may be rocked by outward movement of the handle 33.

It is necessary of course to provide some means for controlling the latch bolt I9froin the inside 1 by rocking the inner handle Il. the handle may of the door. For this purpose I mount a stub shaft 49 on the plate I9 to have its axis horizontally disposed, and in the form herein shown to be above the latch bolt I 9. I mount the ordinary operating handle 59 on the outer end of this shaft 49, here shown as by telescoping the handle over the end of the shaft 49 and inserting a pin 5 I through both members and then placing 10 a collar 52 to be urged outwardly to conceal that pin by a spring 59. The inner end of the shaft extends sufficiently through the plate I9 to carry a gear sector 54 thereon in fixed relation thereto. Inward shifting of the shaft 49 is prevented by 'means of a horseshoe washer 55 which is forced down over the shaft across an annular groove therein as indicated in Fig. 2. The toothed periphery of the sector 54 is turned toward the latch bolt I9 and a slide 59 is provided with a rack 51 to be engaged by the teeth of the sector while the opposite edge of the slide bears with sliding contact against the longitudinal edge of the latch bolt I3.

'I'he slide 56 is constrained to horizontal longitudinal travel by means of two spacedv apart posts 56 and 59 passing through a horizontally disposed slot 69 through the slide 56, the

posts

59 and 59 being rigidly carried by the plate I9 and having heads or washers on their outer ends to maintain the slide in sliding contact with the inner face of the plate I9.

'I'he end of the slide 59 which is directed toward the rocker bar I1 is provided with a foot 6I, the outer face of which is sloped downwardly and outwardly toward that bar to provide a cam or wedge-like member. As the slide 56 may be carried toward the bar I1} the lower outer point of the foot 6I enters under the shoulderof the bar I1 immediately above the latch boltA I9, that 4 shoulder being formed by the off-set portion of the bar. I1 which is carried around and down over the outer side of the latch bolt I9. Continued travel of the slide 56 will thus cause the foot 6I to lift the rocker bar I1 vertically to 45 bring the bar into that upper position wherein the lower end of the slot 24 engages labout the post 25 so as to prevent any fore and aft rocking of the bar I1, thus preventing `any movement of the latch bolt I9 from the outside of the door II 50 by movement of the handle 99. This position of the slide 56 is maintained by the spring 99 which has its upper end carried upwardly from the hump 9| and bent around to form an upper slide contacting foot 62 which yieldingly bears against 55 the edge or side of the slide 56. 'Ihat portion of the under side of the slide 56 which is in the path of the spring foot 62 is formed to have an initial horizontally disposed surface 69 spaced upwardly in the form herein shown from ythe under side of the slide 56 so that when the slide 59 is in its normal position, the lower point of the foot 6I is justin contact with the bar I1 and .the spring foot 62 is in contact with the shoulder w'joining the forward end of the surface 69 with the under edge of the slide as indicated in Fig. 2. From the rear end of the horizontal portion of the surface 69, the under side of the slide 56 is formed to have a downwardly extending button 0 or cam 64 back of which is a recess 65 so that when the slide 56 is moved sufficiently to lift the rocker bar I1 to` its Vuppermost position, theA spring foot*v 92 will have been depressed by the ham 94 and then reposes withi the recess 95 so 75 as to retain they slide 56 in` t t position. Thusbe turned to that position wherein the gear sector 54 hascarried the slide 59 to lift the bar I1 out of influence from the handle 99 and the spring 99 will maintain that position of the various members, it being noted that the hump 9I of the spring is still in contact with the inner end of the latch bolt I9 so as to maintain it. at the same time in the latched position.- Rocking of the inner handle 59 in the reverse direction will cause the cam 94 to depress the spring foot 92 sufnciently to allow the cam 94to ,pass thereover as the slide 59 returns to its normal position. It is further to b e noted that the spring 29 pushing downwardly on the rocker bar I1 serves effectively through the contact of the bar I1 with the sloped face'of the foot 9| to retainfthe slide 59 in that normal position bearing against the spring foot 92.

I und it desirable to provide a lug 96 on that edge of the latch bolt I9 which is in sliding contact with the slide 56 and to provide the slide itself with a slot 91 into which this lug enters. Preferably this lug 69 is formed to have its fore and aft edges or faces sloped from the upper end both inwardly toward the vertical axis of the lug and also to form the ends of the slot 91 with correspondingly sloped faces in a somewhat dove-tailed manner so that when the slide 59 reaches either end of its travel along the latch bolt I9, there will be no tendency for either end of the slide 59 to lift away from the latch bolt I9.

The lug 66 serves for a further purpose in that when in contact with the forward end of the slot 61 as indicated in Fig. 2, the inner door handle 59 may be rocked clockwise in respect to Fig. 2 to cause the gear sector 54 to carry the slide 56 backwardly and thus push against the lug 96 and carry the latch bolt I9 backwardly to an unlatched position in opposition to the spring 99. The length of the slot 61 is proportioned in respect to the lug 99 so that the slide 56 may travel toward the bar I1 from its normal position without interference by the lug but when traveling backwardly from the normal position will carry the lug 66 therealong and thus shift the latch bolt I9. In this backward shifting of the latch bolt I9 into the retracted position, the rear end of the latch bolt I9 pushes against the hump 9I of the spring 99 to carry the spring around into some such position as indicated by the dash lines, Fig. 2, where the end 62 is out of contact with the slide 56. However spring pressure is maintained through the train of elements back to the handle 59 by reason of the spring still'bearing against the latch bolt I9 and the lug 66 being in contact with the forward end of the slot 61. By reason of the peculiar formation of the spring 99, it is to be seen thata sufficient pressure may be maintained against the latch bolt I9 to insure positive travel thereof while at the same time the end 62 may spring downwardly, bending within the hump 9| without undue pressure in a vertical direction against the slide 56.

Now should the door'handle 59 inadvertently or otherwise have beeh rocked to carry the slide 56 outwardly to have shifted' the rocker bar I1 upwardly out of influence from the handle -99 when the door II is in an open position, the door may be safely slammed shut without in any Way damaging the mechanism since the latch bolt I9 will push inwardly against the spring 99 to tend to rear end-of the slot 61. Thus as the door is shut. the slide 56 will be pushed back to its normal position thereby releasing the bar I1 and permitting it to drop under the inuence of the spring 23. 'I'he door vmay then be locked from the outer side by the lock 45 or may be secured from the inside by rocking the handle 5U forwardly or toward the outer end of the latch bolt I3.

In some installations, the latch bolt I3, Fig. 6, may have to be mounted to be in reversed position from that shown and described previously and at the same time maintain the handle in the same position. For such installations, the latch mechanism independently of the handle 33 above described may be installed in reverse position.

Now in place of the handle 33, a handle 68 is provided to be normally carried in the form as herein shown Within the recess or countersink 69 and has a heel 10 slidably passing through an opening in the metal 40 in such relation to the handle pivot pin 1 I fand so formed with the

arcuate surfaces

12 and 13 that no opening is left at any time between'the edges oi the hole through the metal and heel 10 as it swings through that opening. An arm 14 extends from around the pini' the handle 68 to its normal position within the countersink 69. Some support is, of course, given to the link 11, here shown as by a bracket 80, to maintain the free end of it in proper relation to the leg 32.

Of course, when the device is to be employed on automobiles, it is not necessary to employ the outside lock on but one door, and in such event, the upper arm 2| and lip 22 on the bar I1 may be omitted on those'doors not having the locking cylinder 45.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one best form as now known to me, it is obvious that structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following-claims.

I claim:

1. In a door latching'device, a latch bolt, a spring urging the latch bolt into latching position, a latch bolt rocker mounted to be swingable into engagement with the latch bolt to retract the latch bolt against the pressure of said spring, an operating arm swingably mounted to travel against said rocker to shift said latch bolt, said rocker being also shiftable to a position out of the path of said arm, spring means normally urging the rocker into the path of said arm, and a lock mechanism having a member engaging and shifting said rocker from said arm path upon placing said mechanism in a locked condition, the shifting of said rocker being transversely oi said'latch bolt, an arm. extending laterally from the rocker to be contacted by said operating arm, and to be removed from said path by said rocker shifting.

2. In a door latching device, a latch bolt, a spring urging the latch boltinto latching position, a latch bolt rocker mounted to be swingable into engagement with the latch bolt to retract the latch againstthe'pressure of said spring', an operating arm swingably mounted to travel against said rocker to shift said latch bolt, said rocker being also shiftable to a position out' of the path of said arm, spring means normally urging the rocker into the path of said arm, and a lock mechanism having a member .engaging and shifting said rocker from said arm path upon placing said mechanism in a locked condition, the shifting of said rocker being transversely of said `latch bolt, an arm' extendinglaterally from the rocker to be contacted by said operating arm, and to be removed from said path by said rocker shifting, an operating handle swingable toward and away from the door,to actuate said operating arm.

3. In a door latching device, a latch bolt, a spring urging the latch bolt into latching position, a latch bolt rocker mounted to be swingable into engagement with the latch bolt to retract the latch against the pressure of said spring, an

operating arm swingably mounted to travel' against said rocker to shift said latch bolt, said rocker being also shiftable to a position out of the path of said arm, spring means normally urging the rocker into the path of said arm, and a lock mechanism having a member engaging and shifting said rocker from said arm path upon placing said mechanism in a locked condition, the shifting of said rocker being transversely of said latch bolt, an arm extending laterally from the rocker to be contacted by said operating arm, and to be removed from said path by said rocker shifting, an operating handle swingable toward and away from the door, to actuate said operating arm, and spring means returning said handle to its normal inoperative position independently of said latch urging spring.

4. In a door latching device, a shiftable latch bolt, spring means urging the latch bolt to a latched position, a latch bolt rocker transversely shiftable across the latch bolt, spring means for shifting the rocker to one end of travel across the latch bolt, a stop on the latchbolt normally resting against said rocker, said rocker being swingable toward said latch bolt stop, stop means limiting reverse swinging of the rocker, an operating member swingable against said rocker to shift the latch bolt through said latch bolt stop against the latch bolt spring, and means for transversely shifting said rocker against the rocker spring and out of the path of said arm, said means comprising a slide having a cam face, a shoulder on the rocker in the path of said face and a handle interconnected with the slide to carry said face against the shoulder to shift said rocker, a slide engaging member carried by the latch bolt permitting said slide to be moved to cause said shifting but being engaged by the slide upon its travel away from said shoulder whereby the latch bolt is carried along with theslide.

5. In a door latching device, a shiftable latch bolt, spring means urging the latch bolt to alatched position, a latch bolt rocker transversely shiftable across the latch bolt, spring means for shifting the rocker to one end of travel across the latch bolt, a stop on the latch bolt normally resting against said rocker, said rocker being swingable toward said latch bolt stop, stop means limiting reverse swinging of the rocker, an operating member swingable against said rocker to shift the latch bolt through said latch bolt stop against the latch bolt spring, and means for transversely shifting said rocker against 'the rocker spring and out of the path of said arm,

said means comprising a slide having a cam face,-

a shoulder on the rocker in the path of said face and a handle interconnected with the slide to carry said face against the shoulder to shift said rocker, said slide Yinterengaging 'said latch bolt with lost motion such that the latch bolt is not moved by the slide upon its travel to shift said rocker, but the latch bolt is retracted by reverse travel of the slide following the return of the rocker to its normal position, said handle being moved in the reverse direction to retract the latch bolt.

6. In a door latching device, a shiftable latch bolt, spring means urging the latch bolt. to a latched position, a latch bolt rocker transversely shiftable across the latch bolt, spring means for sluiting the rocker to one end of travel across the latch bolt, a stop onthe latch bolt normally resting against said rocker, said rocker being swingable toward said latch bolt stop, stop means 20 limiting reverse swinging of the rocker, an operating member swingable against said rocker to shift the latch bolt through said latch bolt stop against the latch bolt spring, and means for transversely shifting said rocker against the rocker spring and out of the path of said arm, said means comprising a slide having a cam face, a shoulder on the rocker in the path of said face and a handle interconnected-with the slide to carry said face against the shoulder to shift said 30 rocker, said slide interengaging said latch bolt with lost motion such that the latch bolt is not moved by the slide upon its travel to shift said rocker, but the latch bolt is retracted by reverse travel of the slide following theV return of the rocker toits normal position, said, handle 4being moved in the reverse direction to retract the latch bolt, said interengaging means comprising a lug on one member entering a slot in the other, the ends of the slot and the lug faces being formed 40 to effect a dove-tail engagement at each end of the slot as the lug travels thereto whereby the slide and latch bolt may not rock away one from the other.

7. In a door latching device, a shiftable latch 45 bolt, spring means urging the latch bolt to a latched position, a latch bolt rocker transversely shiftable across the latch bolt, spring means for shifting the rocker to one end of travel across the latch bolt, a stop on the latch bolt normally 50 resting against said rocker, said rocker being swingable toward said latch bolt stop, stop means limiting reverse swinging of the rocker, an operating member swingable against said rocker to shift the latch bolt through said latch bolt stop 55 against the latch bolt spring, and means for transversely shifting said rocker against the rocker spring and out of the path of said arm, said means comprising a slide having a cam face, a shoulder on the rocker in the path of said 60 face :and a handle interconnected with the slide to carry saidface against the shoulder to shift said rocker, said latch bolt spring also engaging said slide to initially maintain said face normally against said shoulder and thereafter yield- 65 ingly retain the slide in its shifted position of holding said rocker out of the path of its said operating member.

8..In a door latching mechanism, a slidable latch bolt, means constraining the movement of '70,the latch bolt to longitudinal travel, a spring bearing against and urging the latch bolt in one direction of said travel, a swingably mounted rocker bar extending in a direction transversely lof the latch bolt and shiftable longitudinally,

means preventing the swinging of the bar when longitudinally shifted, stop means interposed between said latch bolt and said bar limiting the travel of the latch bolt therepast under the influence of said spring, said bar being provided with means limiting its swing in one direction as induced by said spring through said stop means, a spring normally yieldingly maintaining said bar against longitudinal shifting, a door handle, an interconnecting arm between the handle and said bar, said bar having a member normally in the path of said arm but removed from said path upon longitudinal shifting of said bar.

9. In a door latching device, a latch bolt, a rocker mounted to be swingable along the bolt, an abutment on the bolt against which the rocker may press to shift the bolt, said rocker also being mounted to be shiftable transversely of the bolt,

an abutment preventing swinging of the rc'ickerl when transversely shifted, means for transversely` shifting the rocker, a door handle, swingable toward and away from the door, an arm extending from the door handle to have an end in the,l path of said rocker whereby said handle may swing said rocker when not in its transversely shifted position, said rocker having a face of appreciable area. in the path of said end, and said end carrying'a ball whereby said arm may contact and slide on said face through a range of handle mounting angles.

10. In a door latching device, a latch bolt, a rocker mounted to be swingable along the bolt, an abutment between the bolt and the rocker engageable upon swinging of the rocker, said rocker also being mounted to be shiftable transversely of the bolt, an abutment preventing swinging of the rocker when transversely shifted, means for shifting the rocker transversely of the bolt, a door handle, and an arm extending from the handle .into the swinging path of the rocker.

1l. In a door latching device, a latch bolt, a rocker mounted to be swingable along the bolt, an abutment between the .bolt andthe rocker engageable upon swinging of the rocker, said rocker also being mounted to be shiftable transversely of the bolt, .an abutment preventing swinging of therocker when transversely shifted, means for shifting the rocker transversely of the bolt, a door handle, and an varm extending from the handle into the swinging path of the rocker,

said rocker being longitudinally shiftable along guide posts, one of the posts serving as the pivot about which the rocker may swing, and said rocker having an arcuate slot for passing the other of said posts to permit said swinging, the

rocker carrying said slot past the said other post to eiect said abutment when the rocker is shifted transversely of the bolt.

l2. In a door latching device, a latch bolt, a rocker mounted to be swingable along the bolt, an abutment between the bolt and the rocker engageable upon swinging of the rocker, said rocker also being mounted to be shiftable transversely of the bolt, an abutment preventing swinging of the rocker when transversely shifted, a

Ydoor handle actuated member in the path of said rocker formed to effect shifting of said rocker' and means releasably retaining said member in engagement with'said rocker.

ROBERT P. KUSZMAUL.