US2172586A

US2172586A - Compartment door latch

Info

Publication number: US2172586A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1939-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1956-09-12

Description

Sept. 12, 1939. E, N JACOB" 7 2,172,586

' COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH Filed Dec. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Edward EJ270017! I Sept. 12, 1 939. 1 E. N. JACOB! 2,172,586

COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH Filed Dec. 9, 1937 2 Sheets$heet 2 5 W naw Eawrd $750M ,z

Briggs, dated December 5,

Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Briggs & Stratton Corporation,

Milwaukee,

Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application December 9, 1937, Serial No. 178,954

,15 Claims. This invention relates to door latches and refers particularly to latches for use on glove compartment doors in automobiles.

Modern automobiles are now general equipped with compartments located behind the instrument panel and provided with doors hinged at the bottom and held closed by a suitable latch mechanism.

Patent No. 1,937,942, issued to Stephen F. 1933, illustrates a latch construction for compartment doors like that for which the present invention is designed.

As in the aforesaid patent, the present invention employs a spring pressed latch bolt which snaps into its operative position upon closure of the door and as long as the door remains unlocked, can be overcome by a smart pull on the knob as distinguished from constructions in which actuation of a releasing mechanism is necessary preparatory to opening of the door.

With constructions of this type, the door is locked by turning a locking cylinder into a position at which movement of the latch bolt necessary to permit opening of the door is restrained; and it is an object of this invention to provide a construction of the character described which is so designed that this result is eiiected without imposing objectionable stress upon the cylinder.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a latch construction of the character described wherein the latch bolt is secured in its operative position by interposing a projection on the lock cylinder between a part of the latch bolt and the wall of the bore in which the cylinder turns.

Another object of this invention is to provide simplified means for assembling the latch mechanism with the door.

Another object of this invention is to. provide a simple construction for recessing the door knob below the outer plane of the door.

It is also an object of this invention to provide the lock casing or body with projections opposite its tumbler grooves to serve as reinforcements at these portions of the casing and to also act as keys to prevent rotation of the casing in the door knob in which it is mounted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction of the character described which is so designed that it can be readily adapted to a non-locking latch by merely substituting two stamped plugs for the lock cylinder, these plugs being so retained in position as to be removable to permit replacement thereof by a lock cylinder.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view through a portion of a glove compartment door and a part of the compartment, showing the application of this invention thereto;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View through the structure shown in Figure l, with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is an inner end view of the latch mechanism per se removed from the door;

Figure .4 is a top view of the door knob;

Figure 5 is a side View of the knob;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lock casing or body showing particularly the construction of its inner end;

Figure 7 is a cylinder;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the retaining cap which is secured to the inner end of the casing or body to hold the mechanism assembled with the door;

7 Figure 9 is a like latch bolt;

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view taken on the line Ill-Iii of Figure 1; and

Figure 11 is a longitudinal sectional view through the latch structure showing the manner in which it may be transformed into a nonlocking latch.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates generally a glove compartment provided with a hinged door 6. The specific construction of the compartment and the manner in which the door is hingedly mounted forms no part of this invention, and therefore, has not been shown. Suffice it to say that the door is generally hinged at its bottom edge and that the compartment is in back of the instrument panel of the automobile with its entrance opening through the panel,

At its upper free end portion, the door 6 has a horizontally disposed round bottomed recess 1 into which a similarly formed finishing shell 8 is nested. A hole 9 through the bottom of the recess and the finishing shell provides for the mounting of a latch mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral I 0.

This latch mechanism includes a knob ll disposed in the door recess and preferably of a size to lie wholly within the recess and not project beyond the face of the door. This knob may be perspective view of the lock perspective view of the hookmade by plastic molding and has a shank portion I2 shaped at its inner end to fit the curvature of the shell 8 and provided at its outer end with a substantially rectangular shaped head l3 which provides a grip by which the knob may be grasped to apply an opening pull on the door.

The shank 12 of the knob has a bore l4 pro-'- vided with a counterbore [5 at its outer end to receive a lock casing or body I6. This casing or look body is of a diameter to just fit the hole 9 and has a flange ll on its front end which is received in the counterbore 15. A finishing shell It? in the form of a ring is clinched over the flange I1 and to secure the casing or body against rotation in the knob, two diametrically opposite projections 19 extend outwardly from the cylindrical surface of the casing to be received in longitudinal recesses 20 in the knob.

These projections 19 are in line with tumbler receiving grooves 2! opening to the bore of the casing or body so as to strengthen the casing at these points without unduly increasing the overall dimensions of the unit.

As best shown in Figure 6, the inner end of the lock casing or body is has a substantially diametrically extending slot 23 communicating with the inner end of its bore 24. This slot 23 is open at its top and at the inner end of the casing, but is closed at the bottom by a wall 25 which projects from the end of the casing. The opposite side walls of the slot have bearing sockets 26 formed therein which are open at their forward ends and communicate with passageways 21 also cut into the side walls of the slot.

These bearing sockets pivotally receive trunnions 28 projecting from opposite sides of a hook-like latch bolt 29 to pivotally mount the latch bolt from the inner end of the casing To assemble the latch bolt with the casing, it is only necessary to pass the trunnions along the passageways 21 a sufficient distance to permit their entrance into the bearing sockets.

The undersurface of the latch bolt has a tit 30 projecting therefrom to engage one end of a compression spring 3| which is confined between the bottom of the latch bolt and a spring seat provided by the wall 25. The spring seat is inclined, as best shown in Figure 1, so that the spring stands at an angle tending to push the trunnions of the bolt into the bottom of the bearing sockets and also tending to turn the bolt clockwise about its pivotal mounting to yiel-dingly maintain the same in an operable position engageable with a striker plate 33 suitably secured to the upper wall of the compartment, or any other fixed structure.

To guard against displacement of the lower end of the spring, the wall 25 has as overhanging ledge 34 directed inwardly to overlie the endmost coil of the spring. The lock body or casing being die-cast, the formation of the overhanging ledge 34 is conveniently formed by pulling a core radially out from the surface of the casing which results in a hole 35. The core required to form the ledge may be pulled by the same bar used to pull the core which forms a hole 36 through the wall of the casing necessary for the insertion of a cylinder releasing tool to free the lock cylinder 3! for withdrawal from its casing.

The spring propelled motion of the latch bolt is limited by the engagement of a shoulder 38 on the bolt with the inner end of the casing, as clearly shown in Figure 1, and as will be readily apparent, the inclined upper edge portion 39 of the bolt serves to cam the same past the striker plate during closure of the door. To open the door, it is only necessary to exert a pull on the knob as the relationship of the pivotal axis of the bolt to the striker plate is such that the force of the spring can be overcome with a pull of reasonable force.

The invention contemplates either a locking latch mechanism employing the lock cylinder 31 held in place by a detent in the form of a spring clip 36 engaged in a groove 3'! in the cylinder and which enters an annular groove 40 formed in the wall of the casing bore in line with the hole 36, or a non-locking latch structure in which the cylinder is replaced by two plugs 4| and 42 (see Figure In each instance, however, means must be provided to prevent detachment of the bolt trunnions from the open bearing sockets, especially during closure of the door when the engagement of the bolt with the striker plate tends to move the bolt forwardly. For this purpose, the bolt has a forwardly extending projection 43, the outer end of which is preferably concentric to the axis of its trunnions and which engages either the inner end of the cylinder 31 or the plug 4|.

The lock cylinder 31, as stated, has a detent 36' to enter the annular groove 40 and removably secure the cylinder in the bore of the lock body or casing, this detent being movable out of the groove 40 by a tool inserted through the hole 36.

The lock cylinder also has the customary tumblers 44 which enter the tumbler receiving grooves 2! to secure the cylinder against rotation except when a proper key (not shown) is inserted which retracts the tumblers and frees the cylinder for rotation. With the cylinder in its locked position of rotation, as shown in Figure 1, a projection 45 extending from its inner end is interposed between the top of the forward projection 43 on the latch bolt and the adjacent wall of the casing bore so as to prevent motion of the latch bolt necessary to permit the same to pass the striker plate. It is to be observed that this manner of securing the latch bolt in its operative position imposes no endwise strain upon the lock cylinder and merely applies a negligible crushing force on the projection 45.

The latch mechanism is secured in position on the door by attaching a cap 46 to the inner end of the casing. This cap, as best shown in Figure 8, has a cylindrical portion 41 to telescope over the inner end of the cylinder casing or body and engage the outer curved surface of the recess 7 and has a flat end Wall 48 cut away as at 49 to accommodate the latch bolt. The cylindrical portion 41 of the cap is also cut away to expose the bolt.

Two holes 53 in the flat end wall of the cap are provided, one of which receives a dowel pin 5i projecting from the end of the casing, and the other providing for the insertion of a screw 52 by which the cap is secured to the body or casing, as clearly shown in Figure 2. By tightening the screw 52, the cap 46 is drawn down tight against the outer wall of the recess 1 to clamp the door panel between the knob II and the cap 45.

Where the non-locking latch structure, shown in Figure 10, is employed, both of the plugs 4i and 42 can be punched out at any time by merely inserting a punch through the slot 49 in the cap 46 when the door is open and striking a light blow.

The plug 4! is preferably formed as a crown-- like stamping having spring fingers 4| which snap into the groove Hi], and the plug 52 which is also a thin stamping, is held in place by having its peripheral edge portion engage over the front of the casing under the finishing ring 18.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that this invention provides a latch structure particularly adaptable to present day glove compartment doors of automobiles wherein the door knobs .are recessed below the surface of the door and the entire structure must be compacted within a comparatively small space.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a lock of the character described: a bored cylinder casing; a latch bolt pivotally mounted on the inner end of the casing; a cylinder rotatable in the casing bore; a part on the bolt movable toward the wall of the casing bore during movement of the bolt toward an inoperative position; and a part on the cylinder movable by rotation of the cylinder between the bolt carried part and the adjacent surface of the casing bore to prevent movement of the latch bolt out of its operative position.

2. In a latching device for hinged doors: a lock body projecting through a hole in the door; a flange on the outer end of the lock body; a knob fitted to the outer flanged end of the lock body and engaging the outer surface of the door; a cap telescoped over the inner end of the lock body and secured thereto with part of the cap engaging the inner surface of the door to clamp the door between it and the knob; a latch bolt pivotally mounted on the inner end of the lock body to swing on an axis transverse to the axis of the lock body to and from an operative position engageable with a fixed striker plate; a spring acting on the bolt to yieldingly urge the bolt to its operative position, said spring being overcome by a pull on the knob to permit disengagement of the bolt from its striker plate; a part on the bolt movable toward the adjacent surface of the bore upon movement of the bolt out of operative position; and a lock cylinder rotatable in the bore and having a part positionable by rotation of the cylinder between said bolt carried part and the adjacent surface of the bore to prevent movement of the .bolt out of operative position.

3. In a lock of the character described: a casing having a longitudinal bore and a substantially transverse slot in its inner end; the side walls of said slot being formed with bearing sockets accessible through passageways opening to the end of the casing; a latch bolt having trunnions to engage the bearing sockets so as -to pivotally mount the latch bolt from the inner end of the casing, said trunnions being engageable with the bearing sockets through said passageways; and a lock cylinder rotatable in the casing bore with its inner end in position to block movement of the bolt.

4. In a lock of the character described: a casing having a longitudinal bore and a substantially diametrical slot at its inner end opening to the bore; a latch bolt having a part extending into the slot; a pivotal connection between the latch bolt and the side walls of the slot, said pivotal connection including bearing sockets opening toward the front of the casing so that disassembly of the latch bolt from the casing requires forward motion of the latch bolt with respect to the casing; and a wall secured in the bore of the casing in position to engage a part of the latch bolt and prevent forward disassembling motion of the bolt.

5. In a lock of the character described: a casing having a longitudinal bore and a substantially diametrically extending open slot communicating with the bore; a latch bolt having a part received in the slot; a pivotal connection between the latch bolt and the side walls of the slot including bearing sockets opening toward the front of the casing so that disassembly of the latch bolt from the casing requires a forward motion of the latch bolt; a forwardly projecting part on the latchbolt having a surface concentric to thepivotal axis of the latch bolt mounting; and a part secured in the bore of the casing and having a wall engageable by said concentric surface to prevent a forward disassembling motion of the latch bolt.

6. In a lock of the character described: a casing having a longitudinal bore and a substantially diametrically extending open slot communicating with the bore; a latch bolt having a part received in the slot; a pivotal connection between the latch bolt and the side Walls of the slot including bearing sockets opening toward the front of the casing so that disassembly of the latch bolt from the casing requires a forward motion of the latch bolt; a forwardly projecting part on the latch bolt having a surface concentric to the pivotal axis of the latch bolt mounting; and a lock cylinder rotatable in the bore with its inner end positioned to be engaged by said concentric surface so that the cylinder prevents forward disassembling motion of the latch bolt.

'7. A door latching device of the character described comp-rising: a casing having a bore; a hook-like latch bolt pivoted in the inner end of the casing; a projection on the latch bolt positioned to move toward the wall of the casing bore during an unlatching motion of the bolt; and a member rotatable in the casing bore and having a part movable between said projection on the bolt and the adjacent wall of the bore to prevent unlatching movement of the bolt.

8. In a latch device of the character described: a bored member having a slot in one end communicating with its bore; a hook-like latch bolt having a portion thereof received in the slot with its hooked portion exposed; means for pivotally mounting the latch bolt from the sides of the slot; a spring acting upon the latch bolt to yieldingly urge the same in one direction about its pivotal mounting; means for limiting spring propelled motion of the latch bolt to define a latching position for the bolt; a projection on the bolt positioned to swing toward the wall of the bore upon unlatching movement of the bolt; and a locking member rotatable in the bore and having a part positionable between said bolt projection and the adjacent wall of the bore to prevent.

trunnions from the bore portion of the latch body toward the slot; a spring acting on the bolt to yieldingly urge the same about its pivotal mounting toward an operative latching position; means for limiting spring propeller movement of the boit to define its operative latching position; a projection on the bolt arranged to move toward the adjacent wall of the bore upon unlatching movement of the bolt; a member rotatable in the bore and engageable with said bolt projection to prevent detachment of the trunnions from the bearing sockets; and a part on said rotatable member positionable between the bolt projection and the adjacent wall of the bore to secure the bolt in its operative latching position.

10. In a latch device of the character described: a body having a bore and an open slot communicating with one end of the bore; a hook-like latch bolt having a portion disposed in the slot; a pivotal connection between the bolt and the side walls of the slot; an outwardly and downwardly inclined spring seat closing the bottom of the slot; a coil spring having one end resting on the spring seat and its other end engaging the latch bolt for yieldingly urging the bolt about its pivotal connection to an operative position, the inclination of said spring seat being such that the force applied to the bolt by the spring has an outward component tending to move the bolt endwise away from the body.

11. In a latch device of the character described: a body having an open slot with substantially parallel side walls; a latch bolt having a portion received between the side walls of the slot and having a hook portion extending outside of the slot; trunnions on the latch bolt extending from opposite sides thereof; bearing sockets in the side walls of the slot having passageways leading thereto to permit assembly of the trunnions with the bearing sockets; disengagement of the trunnions with the bearing sockets requiring endwise motion of the bolt and body toward each other; and a coil spring acting on the bolt to yieldingly urge the bolt to an operative position and applying its force at such an angle as to produce a component urging the trunnions towards the bottoms of the bearing sockets so as to hold the trunnions therein.

12. Means for holding the door of a glove compartment in an auto-mobile closed and for opening the same comprising: an indentation in the compartment door near its free end portion, said indentation providing a recess and having a hole in the bottom thereof; a cylindrical member passing through said hole; a knob fitted to the outer end of the cylindrical member, the inner end of the knob engaging the bottom of the recess at the marginal edge portion of the hole therethrough; a pivoted latch bolt carried by the inner end of the cylindrical member, said latch bolt having a hook portion engageable with a striker plate to hold the compartment door closed; a spring acting on the latch bolt to yieldingly urge the bolt to an operative position engageable with the striker plate, the spring being overcome by a pull on the knob to permit disengagement of the bolt from the striker plate; and a cap telescoped over the inner end of said cylindrical member and secured thereto to clamp the bottom of the recess in the door between said cap and the knob, said cap having a portion thereof cut away to accommodate the latch bolt.

13. In a lock of the character described: a casing having a longitudinal bore and a transverse slot in its inner end opening to the bore; the side Walls of the slot having bearing sockets spaced from the inner end of the casing and passageways leading forwardly toward the front of the look from the inner end of the casing to the bearing sockets; a latch bolt having trunnions engageable in said bearing sockets to pivotally mount the bolt, said trunnions being engageable in the bearing sockets by movement along said passageways and disengagement of the trunnions from the sockets requiring a forward movement of the trunnions toward the front of the lock; and a plug secured in the bore of the casing with one wall thereof in position to at all times block forward movement of the bolt while permitting pivotal movement of the bolt about the axis of said trunnions.

14. A latch device of the character described comprising: a body having a longitudinal bore bearing sockets; disengagement of the trunnions from the bearing sockets requiring movement of the bolt toward said passages; a spring acting on the bolt to yieldingly urge the same to an operative position, said spring engaging the bolt outwardly of its trunnions and applying its force at an inclination for producing a component urging the trunnions toward the bottoms of the bearing sockets; a member in the bore of the body having a wall engageable by part of the bolt to block movement of the bolt necessary to disengage its trunnions from the bearing sockets; and means carried by said member and engageable in said annular groove for securing said member in the bore of the body.

15. A latch of the character described comprising: a body having a longitudinal bore with an open slot in its rear end communicating with the bore and having an annular groove in the wall of the bore, the side walls of the slot having bayonet slots to provide bearing sockets with entrance passages leading forwardly thereto from the rear end of the body; a latch bolt having trunnions projecting from opposite sides thereof for engagement in said bearing sockets; disengagement of the trunnions from the bearing:

sockets requiring movement of the bolt toward the front end of the body; a spring acting on the bolt to yieldingly urge the same to an operative position, said spring engaging the bolt outwardly of its trunnions and applying its force at an inclination for producing a component urging the trunnions toward the bottoms of the bearing sockets; a member in the bore of the body having a wall engageable by part of the bolt to block forward movement of the bolt necessary to disengage its trunnions from the bearing sockets; and means carried by said member and engageable in said annular groove for removably securing said member in the bore of the body so as to enable replacement thereof with another member which is insertable into the bore of the body.

EDWARD N. JACOBI.