US2121758A - Disappearing door handle for automobiles - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 1938. E. JONES ET A1.

DISAPPEARING DOOR HANDLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -6INYENTOR .YBY )maW AMW ATTORNEY June 21, 1938.

E. JONES ET AL- .DISAPPEAHIHG DOOR HANDLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 12; 19:54

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (g lN VEN IOR ATTORNEY Patented June 21, 1938 PATENT OFFICE DISAPPEARING DOOR HANDLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Emile Jones and Jesse G. Fineout, Lansing, Mich., assignors to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application June 12, 1934, Serial No. 730,342

Claims. (Cl. 70-208) This invention relates to disappearing door handle locks such as are used in connection with the doors of automobile vehicles, and it belongs more particularly withthat type of door handles 5 and locking mechanism wherein the shank of the handle is pivoted at its inner end, and the handle may be turned up and down into and out of a suitable cavity in the door.

This invention is not limited to the particular shape of the handle set forth in this application, but is concerned with the special construction and arrangement of the various parts whereby the handle may be locked in the cavity of the door either from the outside or the inside of the door and the handle may also be raised from the cavity and within convenient position to be grasped by the hand by a person either on the outside or inside of the automobile. It is intended that when the door is closed the handle may be turned into the cavity of the door, from which position it cannot be easily released from the outside, and affords no projecting portion to be acted upon by any implement in the hand of an unauthorized person seeking to open the door. In addition to thus occupying its seat in the cavity, the handle may be locked therein either from the outside or from the inside of the door.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the special parts of this invention and the combinations thereof.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a portion of the outside surface of a door showing the lock, with the handle seated in the cavity of the door, and certain 35 operating parts indicated by broken lines to disclose their positions.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the lock plate casing, taken from the inside, and showing the lock plate or bolt projecting.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the lever connections illustrated in the upper left hand portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the bolt casing taken on the broken line 44'of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of a portion of a door with this invention applied, and shows the handle raised out of the cavity provided for it in the door.

Fig. 6 is an outside view of a portion of a door provided with a slightly modified form of this 50 invention.

Fig. '7 shows the side view of the member termed the locking bar, and its connection with the operating connecting bar.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the broken 55; line 8-8 of Fig. 6 illustrating the internal locking members of the modification set out in Fig. 6.

Throughout the drawings and the following description the same number is employed to refer to the same part.

Considering the drawings, the door I has a suitable casing for the sliding bolt 3. The terms herein given are only for the purposes of this explanation.

Best shown in Fig. 2 is the roll back l arranged to contact with the bolt at the point 5, and operated by means of the roll back lever B through the agency of the bar I attached to and turning the roll back upon its center piece la. The roll back lever 6 has a pivot 8, and the end of the lever as shown in Fig. 1 is attached to the inner pivoted end of the L-shaped handle 9 by means of the link [0. The inner end of the handle is pivotally secured in its seat by the pivot l I. As best shown in- Fig. 5 a light spring I2 acts to raise the handle from the cavity when released, and the spring moves the handle outwardly far enough to be easily grasped by the hand and further raised and the door pulled open. The handle is retained and released by a locking bar l3 which has as illustrated in Fig. 7 two branches. The longer branch I30; has its end movably located under the inner end of the handle, so that when the locking bar is held against movement, the handle is held in the cavity out of reach from outside the door. But when the cam I4 is turned by means of the lock IS, the branch l3a of the locking bar is moved downwardly out of the way, and the handle is released and raised by the spring l2. As the handle is raised into the position set out in Fig. 5, the pull on the roll back lever 6 moves bar I and rotates the roll back against the contact point 5 of the bolt 3 which is thus drawn in. The locking bar l3 has a pivotal junction IS with a vertical connecting bar I7, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, connecting bar I! is pivotally connected to a lever I8 that has the suitably lengthened pivot rod 20. The connection between rod I! and lever I8 is marked l9, and the lever may be termed the internal locking bar. It is attached to the pivot rod 20, and is raised and lowered by the operating handle mm as shown in Fig. 1. It will be understood, therefore, that the connecting bar ll will be moved correspondingly lengthwise.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2, a pivot 22 carries a bell crank 23, the function of which is to rock the lever plate 24 by means of the connecting link 25 passed through the hole 24a. and moving the nose 2% of the lever 24 thereby moving the connecting bar [1 in the direction of its length.

" by the lock directly beneath the upper and shorter The engagement of the nose 24b and the recess |'|a of the bar II is best set forth in Fig. 4. Lever 24 is pivoted at 26. To support the pivot 26 a plate 21 is secured to the wall of the casing 2. It will be observed in Fig. 4 that the end of the bell crank 23 is in the path of the head of the bolt 3, and is moved by the bolt. Also there is shown in Fig. 2 the draw bar 28 connected with the bolt and adapted to withdraw the bolt from the inside of the door when the handle 29, indicated in Fig. 1 by broken lines is operated.

In Fig. 1 the cavity in the outer surface of the door I bears the reference number 2|, and in Fig. 2 there is shown the convolute spring 3!] which acts upon and projects the head of the bolt 3.

In the modified form of this invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, the door 3| is provided with a handle equipped with a lock 32 having a pin or member 33 engaging and operating the latch bolt 34 when the lock is turned. The bolt 34 moves outwardly and inwardly in an extended rear portion 3'! of the handle as shown in Fig. 8, and in a cavity 35 a spring 36 is placed which presses the bolt 34 outwardly. The handle has the seat or cavity 38 for its reception in the door, as before described. The handle is provided with a pivot 39 upon which is secured the end of the spring 49 which acts to raise the handle more or less from the cavity 38 when the bolt 34 is withdrawn. The angle piece 4| carries the pivot 39 and the spring 40. The upper V-shaped end of the handle beyond the pivot 39 is marked 42 in Fig. 8 and has a hole 43 for connection with the link ll] shown in Fig. 5. The purpose of the modified form of this invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8 is to eliminate the cam l4 and the structure accompanying it, as it is found that the modified construction is preferred by some users.

In explanation of the operation of this invention, considering Fig. '7. If the cam M is turned branch of the locking bar IS, the bar cannot turn downwardly, and as the end of the branch |3a of locking bar I3 is in the way of the inner end of I the handle shank, as shown in Fig. 5, the branch l3a' cannot move downwardly' and the handle cannot be raised from its cavity seat. But if the cam M is turned into the position indicated by the broken lines in Fig. '7, the branch |3ct is moved downwardly from the inner end of the rotating the roll back and withdrawing the head of the bolt permitting the door to be pulled open. The person enters the car and shuts the door in the customary manner. The spring 3|] shoots the bolt into the closed position. By reference to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be understood that a person on the inside of the car, the door being closed, applies an upward pressure to the handle 20a of the internal locking mechanism. This action exerts a downward force upon the connecting bar Bar moves the lock bar 3 into the position shown in full lines in Fig. '7, and the longer branch or extended portion of the locking bar |3a is moved upwardly, and in so doing retracts handle 9 into the cavity 2| of the door l. Thus the door is locked from the inside. A person in the car desiring to get out, turns the handle mechanism 29 in such manner that a backward pull is applied to the draw bar 28, which in turn pulls the bolt 3 back and out of engagement with the door jamb, thereby unlocking the door. As the bolt 3 moves inwardly it engages the bell crank 23 which is pivoted at 22. The crank 23 pulls the link downwardly,and the link in turn draws the end of the plate lever 24 down correspondingly. Plate lever 24, pivoted at 26, when moved in that manner raises the nose 24b in engagement with the notch or recess Ila of the connecting bar l1, forcing the bar upwardly, and in doing so pulls the branch |3a of the locking bar |3 out of its retaining position next to the inner end of the handle 9, and the handle is released and raised fromthe cavity 2| by the spring 12 as explained.

It will be understood that during this part of the operation, the cam I4 is in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 7. In the modified form of this invention the cam I4 is eliminated and the handle is released by the operation of the lock The spring 4|! moves the handle out of the cavity or seat 38 as before explained respecting the spring I2. Each of the other steps in the operation may be carried out in connection with the modified form.

Itis believed to be-within the purview of this invention to vary the shape or contour of the handle, as well as the size and form of the other cooperating members.

Having now described this invention and the manner of its use, we claim:-

1. In a door lock of the character described, in combination with a door having an L-shaped cavity, a handle and shank constructed to fit said cavity flush with the outer surface of the door, a spring arranged to move the handle out of the cavity, the inner end of said shank being pivotally secured in said cavity, a sliding bolt, a spring arranged to project the bolt, a roll back arranged to move said bolt, a pivoted roll back lever, a link connecting said lever and the inner end of the handle shank whereby the movement of the handle outwardly withdraws the bolt, means for locking the handle from the outside of the door, and devices operated by the movements of the bolt for releasing and replacing the handle with respect to said cavity when the locking means are unlocked.

2. In a door lock of the character described, in combination with a door having an L-shaped cavity, a handle and shank adapted to fit said cavity flush with the outer surface of the door, the inner end of the handle being pivotally secured in the cavity, a spring adapted to move the handle out of the cavity, a sliding bolt, a spring arranged to move the bolt into its locking position, a roll back arranged to move said bolt, a pivoted roll back lever, a link connecting said lever and the inner end of said handle shank, means for locking the handle from outside the door comprising a lock and a cam turned by the look, a pivoted locking bar having twobranches acted upon by said cam, one of said branches having its end movably arranged to retain said handle in said cavity and to release the same, a bell crank operated by the movements of said bolt, connections with said crank whereby said branched bar is actuated by the bolt.

3. In a door lock of the character described, in combination with a door having an L-shaped cavity, a handle and shank constructed to fit said cavity flush with the outer surface of the door, a spring adapted to move the handle out of the cavity, a sliding bolt, a spring arranged to project the bolt,-a roll back arranged to move said bolt, a pivoted roll back lever, a link connecting said lever and the inner end of the handle shank, the said inner end of the shank being pivotally secured in said cavity, a lock for locking the handle in the cavity from the outside of the door, and devices operated by the movements of the bolt and controlled by said lock for releasing and replacing the handle in the cavity.

4. In a door lock of the character described, in combination with a door having a cavity, a handle and shank adapted to fit in the cavity, the inner end of the handle being pivotally secured in the cavity flush with the outer surface of the door, a spring adapted to move the handle out of the cavity, a sliding bolt, a spring arranged to move the bolt into its locking position, a roll back arranged to move said bolt, a pivoted roll back lever, a link connecting said lever and the inner end of said handle shank, means for locking the handle in the cavity from the outside of the door comprising a lock and a cam turned by the look, a pivoted locking bar having two branches in the path of said cam, one of said branches being the longer and said longer branch having its end movably arranged to retain said handle in the said cavity and to release the same, means operated by the movements of the bolt whereby said branched bar is operated by the bolt.

5. In a door lock of the character described, in combination with a door having a cavity, a handle and shank adapted to fit said cavity flush with the outer surface of the door, a spring arranged to move the handle out of the cavity, the inner end of the shank being pivotally secured in the cavity, a sliding bolt, a spring arranged to move the bolt into its locking position, a roll back arranged to move said bolt, a pivoted roll back lever, a link connecting said lever and the inner end of said handle shank, means for locking the handle from the outside of the door comprising a lock and a cam turned by the lock and a pivoted locking bar having separated portions arranged in the path of the cam, one portion of said bar being movably arranged to retain said handle in the cavity and to release the same, a bell crank operated by the movements of the bolt, a link connected with said crank, a lever operated by said link, a connecting rod operated by said lever and connected with said bar whereby the bar is actuated by the bolt.

EMILE JONES. JESSE C. FINEOUT.

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