US2611360A - Combined bracket and latch for oven doors - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 23, 1952 v. A. BENSON COMBINED BRACKET AND LATCH FOR OVEN DOORS Filed Oct. 21, 1950 IN VEN TOR. Victor A. Benson HIS ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 23, 1952 OFFICE COMBINED BRACKET AND LATCH FOR OVEN DOORS Victor A. Benson, Santa Clara, Calif. Application October 21, 1950, Serial No. 191,426

2 Claims.

This invention relates to brackets and latches and more particularly to a combined bracket and latch for an oven door.

The invention herein has been shown embodied in an oven door structure formed as a part of a barbecue fire box of either the permanent or portable type. The invention contemplates the provision of a bracket structure for a door hinged along its lowermost horizontal margin which bracket serves as a means for latching such door in closed, vertical, position.

Another object is to provide a novel latch for holding an oven door in closed condition but free to open when a predetermined pressure or pull is exerted upon such door.

Another object is to provide a door bracket arrangement for a door hinged along its lower edge which bracket effects an over center action when the door reaches a predetermined angular disposition relative to closed position to thereby urge such door into closed condition.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the following description when read in the light of the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portable barbecue unit embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section through the portable barbecue unit shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section through a permanent barbecue pit embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawings Fig, 1 illustrates a portable barbecue unit Ill comprising a rectangular frame I! having legs l2. Secured to the legs l2 midway their ends are angle irons I3 to which are secured side and back walls l4, l5 and |6 in the form of panels H. A front wall It! has its lower edge l9 disposed substantially above the lower angle iron l3. An angle iron I3 is secured to the edge I9 to provide a lintel for a door frame 20, the sides of which frame are formed by the inturned flanges I2 of the legs |2.

The upper edges of the front, back and side walls are girded by angle irons 2| having their flanges 22 extending outwardly. The angle irons 2| are secured to the upper ends of the legs |2 and form a support for a fire box 23, the lower portion 24 of which is suspended above a floor 25 secured to the angle irons I3. Thus the area between the fire box 23 and the floor 25 constitutes an oven 26 which is heated by the coals burning in the fire box. However, it will be apparent that tance below the fire box 23 to provide an oven 26'.

' The front wall l8 of the unit l0 has an opening 30 therein in which an angle iron door frame 3| is set and secured in the conventional manner, the lower margin 32 of frame 3| being in alignment with the floor 25 so that access to the oven 26' is gained through the opening 30. This is substantially the same structure as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein the inturned flanges l2 of legs |2 form the side margins of the door frame 20, the lower angle iron I3 being in alignment with the floor 25 and the angle iron I31 at the lower edge of wall l8 forms the lintel over the door opening 30.

The door and combined bracket and latch therefore is generally designated by reference numeral 35 in the drawings. It includes an angle iron mounting member 36 having one of its flanges 31 secured to the lowermost angle iron l3 or 32 as the case may be in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The other flange 38 of the member 36 extends outwardly from the oven and has one wing 39 of a hinge 40 secured to its lower surface. The other wing 4| of the hinge 40 is secured to the front face of a door 4'2, the axis pin 43 of the hinge being so disposed relative to the end of the flange 38 of mounting member 36 that the door 42 will swing into parallelism with the front face of the oven.

The door 42 comprises a flat panel 44 of sheet metal having one of its edges 45 abutting the hub 46 of the hinge 40. The opposite edge 41 of panel 44 is bent at right angles to provide an inturned flange 48 on the inner face of the door 42. Theside edges 49 and 50 of the panel 44 are similarly provided with inturned flanges 5| and 52, respectively. The depth of the inturnedflanges 48, 5| and 52 are such as to engage the outer surface of the frame 20 or 3| around the opening 30 to the oven, the lower edges 53 and 54 of side flanges 5| and 52, respectively, engaging the horizontal flange 38 of the mounting member 36 to thus completely close the opening 30.

Each side of the door 42 is preferably provided with a combined bracket and latch 55 comprising a straight metal strap 56, and a vertical slot 51 formed in the respective inturned flange 3 l2'l2" of the side margin of the frame 20 or 3!, respectively. The strap 56 has an enlarged head 58 at one end and has its opposite end 59 extended through its respective slot 5'! for pivotal connection, as at 60, to the inner face of the adjacent side flange 5! or 52. The pivotal connection 60 in each case is preferably at least two third the radial distance of the upper flange :13 of the door from the hinge 40. The slot 52-, as best seen. in Fig. 2, is disposed a slightly lesser distance from the hinge 40 than is the pivotal connection 68 so that when the door 42 is raised into a position beyond two thirds closed position scope of the appended claims.

(see dot-dash illustration) the floor 61 of the slot 51 will support the strap 56 in substantially horizontal disposition. Consequently, as the door 42 is moved further toward closed position the ends of the straps 56 within the oven become counterweights. In this manner the counterweight ends of the straps effect an over-center action relative to the floor SI of the slots 5'! and thereby tend to pull the door 42 from partially closed position toward fully closed-position. In other words, the enlarged heads 53 of the straps and the greater portions of the straps 55 being extended within the oven in cantilever fashion act as counterweights opposing the tendency of the door to fall toward open position. The weight of the enlarged ends 58 of the straps 5'6 and the length of the inwardly extending portions thereof are calculated to cooperate with the floor 6| of the respective slots 57 to urge the, door 52 into fully closed position. 7

.When the door 42 is in fully closed position (dotted lines Fig. 2) it will be noted that the pivotal connection 80 of the straps 56 with the side flanges (5 |52) of the door is slightly higher than the floor 61 of the slots 51. Thus the floors '6! of the slots serve as fulcrums cooperating with the counterweight ends of the straps to automatically effect a lever action in latching the door in fully closed position. However, any outside force such as manually pulling the door open or any undue pressure from within the oven, as by a minor explosion, will counteract the foregoing latching effect of the straps 5.5 to allow movement of the door 42 toward open position. This is important, especially in connection with ovens heated by natural gas wherein a safety factor is required to prevent destruction of the oven in the event of an explosion. within the oven.

In addition to the foregoing latching effect of the straps. 56 relative to the oven door, these strapssimultaneously serve ashanger brackets for supporting the door 42 in a horizontal position when opened. In this connection the lengths of the straps which act as part of the counterweight are suitable to extend from the horizontally disposed door to the upright angle irons l2"l2 Moreover the enlarged ends 58 of the straps, which also act as part of the counterweight, serve as a stop adapted to abut against the inner sur faces of the angle irons i2l2" in which the slots are formed. In the latter connection the enlarged ends 53 of the straps 58 are each provided with an abutting surf-ace E2 adapted to engage the inner surface of the respective angle irons l2! 2 above the slot formed therein. In

this manner the straps 53 serve as hanger brackets for the door 42.

In addition to the foregoing the straps 56 sliding in the slots 51 serve to guide the door 42 in which the slots 5'! are formed.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A door structure for a barbecue warming oven comprising an upright door frame, an outwardly extending hinge support element mounted at the lower edge of said frame, a door hinged along its lower edge to an outer portion of said hinge support element, and of a thickness to close against said frame, a combined bracket and latch for said door comprising a strap having a sub.- stantially straight lower edge and pivotally connected to said door a predetermined distance from its hinged lower edge, said strap extending through a slot formed in said door frame and having an enlarged end engageable with said frame to hold said door in open position, and a floor in said slot acting as a fulcrum to cooperate with said strap when said door is raised a predetermined distance toward its closed position to effect a counterweighted lever action by said strap, between said slot floor and said door for urging the latter toward closed position.

2. A door structure for a barbecue warming oven comprising a rectangular door frame having a slot in each side thereof, a door support flange mounted along the lower edge of said door frame to extend outwardly therefrom, a shallow pan shaped door hingedly mounted onthe outer edge of said door support flange, said door pan being, of a depth to close with its marginal edge in contact with the door frame, a door control strap pivotally mounted on each side of the door pan and extending through one of said slots, the inner end of each strap being larger than the slot through which it extends to limit the opening movement of the door, and a floor in each slot comprising a sliding fulcrum over which the strap moves slidably in opening and closing said door, the slot floor being spaced inwardly a short distance relative to the length of the strap from the strap pivot when the door is in closed position, and at a height relative to the strap pivot to incline the strap downwardly when the door is in closed position to exert a counterweighted door closing lever action on the closed door.

VICTOR A. BENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,511,841 Rankin Oct. 14, 1924 1,621,500 Fitch Mar. 22, 1927 1,735,661 Trenkamp Nov. 12, 1929 2,513A14 Jones et al July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,836 Switzerland Oct. 23. 1899

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