US2634151A - Latch casing - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1953 F. J. RUSSELL ET-AL LATCH CASING 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June l, 1950 L N STVNO $5M? m d w ak; 2M2 0M2 53 Z Ra mp w U H Patented Apr. 7, 1953- UNITED STATES PATENT- Lmren CASING- Frefiiqliussell; Beverly Hills-Raymond Wi-Diet" rich; Bel-l; and-George B. s'olevieff, Sent-h- Gate,

Ga2li'f., assignors, by mes'ne assignments, to-

'Ii0yola University Foundatidm Los A nge'lesg.

fialifi aznonprofit corporation of California AppIicafibnJune 1 1950, serial N 1651528" 3 Claims; Cl. 2925-337) 'i'n' alatch combination a latch casehou'sing the latch 'eleinentsfiand embodying mating case parts wHi'charefioinameto complete-- the case and providing' an interlocking-throat arrangement f'unc tio'ningf'asone of fiheprima-rymeans for rigidly securing the-case parts to'getlier'and as a mounting means for attaching the latch assembly-to-th'e edge of" a door:

-A'n= a'ddi'tio'nal object of theinventi'on is to pro vide' post indexing means in ala'tch combination whereby aligned holes the-latch case" receive in dex posts extending from the knob assembly mounting plateor" an equivalent; to align the latch assembli longitudinally and support the sam*e*but permittinglateral adjustment required by the tliiok-ness of the door" and the lateral positioning as governedby the mounting of a cooperatingface plate and mounting means asseeiated with the throat of the-latch ease.

- l lese and other" sweets and advantages 'will Ice-made furthen apparent "from a consideration of the followingdescription-takeri irrconjunction with the drawings;

-Iii-t-l'i'e drawings:

--Figure*--1-is ahorizontal plan view e f our latchassembly ihcombihatibm with adoor' knob -as- Sammy; mounted in adoor," the-latter and a, door jamb being illustrated -in-section.

Fig-use 2 1s: viewtakenon :line 2- -2 of Fig ure -l r 1 Figure 3 is a perspective View or the latoh as-= sembly shown in Figuresi and 2 with a cooper at-ihg'. face -plate: separated th'erefrom'.-

Figure: e in amemargedi section: taken. on the:

linees eofiiiigureaziu EigurezS isia sectionztahen onthei line: fiz-aofst 7 Figures 4;.

Figure 6 is azse'ction; takemonathezlineia-tlof Ei'gnrei'Tis-la .sectiom taken on" the liner I -"l of Eigure: 5.

Eigure.- 8: 18 32566191011: taken on line-u8--8-- oft:

Fig-11118: 5

Figures-1 9: is a .perspeotivezvievw oftthe-latehrzcase with the two mating SeGfiibTlS" separated, and-the;

'Our' latch assembly "20" isillustrated in asse i elation with door knobassemblies- 2-1 mounted -in a door 22Whioh is in proximity to a dooi janib 23 on which a strike plate 24 is fixed;

The latch assembly is characterized by 'a ease 2% embodying novel structural an'd functiiii'ial features which will" become apparent as the: de

scription proceeds.

The latch case: 25* comprises matinghalves 26 I and 2-7 secured: together at the throat? 281w self-contained tab and slot combinations. which;

will be described subsequently in more detail;

The two halves: as: and: 2 1 are identical; but may The case' emhodie's, in addition t'o the most 2%; a central IlOuSil'lgiZSQflnd a sspringc channel end 'sfia Thethroat guidesia: sliding; latch bolt;

3 5 the central: housing? confines'and suppoitts many of the latch operating parts; toxbe rde. scribed,and thesprin'g channel end'tlooateaand- ,houses a; pair oil springs-"352 whichz normally ad vanoe atm'ain slide; member: 36.

The latch bolt 3| is fOImEdLWithI a socketfik:

which receives a: tubular member 38; the latter bei'ngfrigidly connected WithithEl bolt by) a trans -q: verse p'inzfifi which is1staied H l A compression springxifli seats: within the? tubular member 38,

hearing" at. oneen'di against the pinz 39-. Its: other: end? bears: against" a spri'ngseat lzlodged against? a; fixedzspacer i3.v The spring: lWyieldablyurges' the: bolt 3;] to! its advanced .position-..-

The:- spacer-"N, seen in elevation: in' Figure: 8;; has-straightp'ara-lleh edges 44 and-a 45.-correctly:1 dimensioned: to. space the case: halves 26: and: 25!? of the: latch: case- 25. oppositely-extending; tabs: 4.6 4 and- 41' extend: throughs1ots-48 and= 49 in the casewh'alves; and are: staked to assist" in securingv the# two: halves together. i

The: main slide member 3% is:'- a; U-shaped ele-' ment, the legs of which have an arcuate cross section: as seen in' Figure 8 and: which: are supported and guided bythe. interior walk surface-of the case. The enclcross piecewhich'closesthew U engagesagainstkthe for-wardeface firfiv-of alflangea or block 5 7 at the-inner endiofs the tubularmember 38. Retraction ofthe'main'slide member with;

suffioientifonceto overcome the: resistance of I the springs 35-and 46 will draw thelatchnbolt inI-- wardly. i 1- has free reducedends- (iii engaging, the compression springs" 352 The opposite ends of these springs seat against? Thev main slide member .36

5 the; end Wall 66 of; the cases i I *sh ed-: c r fi 'at-therear or messes:-

3 formed with side plates 68 which are parallel to the chord of the arc defined by the curve at the top and bottom of the case as seen in Figure 8 and their free ends terminate at the rear end wall 66. I Slots H are provided in the plates for supporting and guiding the springs 35. The diameter of the springs is greater than the width of the slots 1|, and the springs are so confined by case halves 26 and 21 as to be always in slidable, guided engagement with slots 1|, nested between the latch case and the walls of the slots.

The forward end piece 69 of the spacer 61 is provided with ears 12 which extend through slots 13 in the case and are staked to assist in securing the case halves together.

The main slide member has the primary function of retracting the latch bolt 3| by operation of knob mechanism or equivalent mechanism while actuated against pressure of the springs 35 and 4|) either by a rotatable hub 15 or a slide bar (not shown) attached to a tab I6 in a position on the outside of the case 25 when a grip handle mechanism is used in place of a knob. The case provides slots 11 for the tabs 16 to extend through.

The hub 15 is formed with annular bosses 88 which have rotatable bearing support in bearings 8| struck from the case halves 26 and 21. A square hole 82 extends axially through the hub for reception of a square spindle 83 actuated by one of the knobs 84. The hub comprises two annular discs 85 spaced by a cam element 86. This cam has identical ends 81 engageable with cam followers 88 in the form of projections struck inwardly from the main slide member 36 and accommodated in the space between the two discs of the hub 15. Rotation of the hub will cause one of the cam ends 81 to push its companion follower 88 back, thus retracting the main slide member. When the cam 86 is in neutral position (Figure the ends 81 are both in contact with the cam projections 88, and this engagement limits the forward movement of the main slide member.

In constructing the latch assembly, the operating parts are assembled in the case half 21, and the other half 26 is closed over them.

. The throat 28 provides interlocking means as follows: Transverse tabs 90 project through slots 9|. The threat section 92 of each case half is formedwith a wing 93. At the corner angle of the throat section and wing is a slot 94 for the reception of a longitudinal tab 95 which is bent at a right angle as shown in Figure 3. throat is reinforced by the overlapping throat sections, the parts are firmly interlocked against both transverse and longitudinal displacement, and a substantially rectangular cross section is provided to function as a bearing guide for the latch bolt 3|. The wings 93 are in a common plane.

These wings have holes 96 for the reception of locating bosses 91 provided in a face plate 98 and these bosses are secured by staking (see Figure 5); The latch assembly and face plate are mounted in a door by wood screws |90 passed through holes 99 in the bosses 91.

Knob assemblies 2| which include the knobs 81 are secured on opposite sides of the door by the following means. A mounting plate H has extending from it hollow threaded posts I62 and I03 which extend through aligned holes I04 and ['05 in the latch case. Machine screws H16 and I0! pass through a mounting plate I08 and are threaded into the posts 102 and I03. This ar- The '4 rangement enables the latch assembly to be installed in doors of different thicknesses without any adjustments in the knob assembly or latch assembly, as the latch case can be shifted laterally parallel to the axes ofthe hollow mounting posts.

While the holes I04 and "35 are illustrated as mounting post index locators, eyelets, sockets, indentations or slots could be employed as equivalentsf The operation should be clear from the foregoing description. When the door, being open, is pushed shut, the bevelled face of the latch bolt 3| will engage the strike plate 24 and be pushed inwardly against the yielding pressure of the spring 46 until the latch bolt has cleared the edge N6 of the strike plate, whereupon the latch bolt will advance under spring pressure into the opening I provided in the jamb. This action is accomplished without any movement of the main slide member 36. Outward movement of the latch bolt is limited by engagement of the block 51 with the inside face of the cross piece 55 of the main slide member.

When it is desired to open the door, one of the knobs B4 is turned, which rotates the square spindle 83 and consequently the hub 15 and cam 86, as the result of which one of the end portions 81 is urged against one of the cam projections 88 which forces the main slide member 36 rearwardly against the yielding pressure of the spring 35 and incidentally against the yielding pressure of the spring 46. Rearward movement of the main slide member takes with it the tubular member 38 of the latch bolt assembly and results in withdrawing the latch bolt until it is clear of the strike plate, whereupon the door may be opened.

The end piece 55 of the U-shaped main slide member 36 substantially fills the latch case from top to bottom and along the sides, and the central portion substantially fills the case from side to side. A sliding fit in the case and the dual springs 35 oppositely disposed assure a free guided movement of the main slide member.

The whole device is compact, well balanced and smooth in operation. It is easily installed in a door of any thickness, provides indexing holes for alignment of knobs or equivalent trims, and requires no adjustments.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to-be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

For example, the latch mechanism illustrated and described may be modified in various ways either to further simplify the same or to add additional features to it, such as the dead-locking mechanism described and claimed in our copending application Serial No. 140,986, filed January 28, 1950. A slightly modified form of the latch case of the present application is shown and described in the said copending application, and the present application is therefore a continuation in part of the said copending application.

The specific form of the latch case comprising two identical halves is convenient and satisfactory from a manufacturing standpoint, but at some sacrifice of manufacturing economy may be fabricated of non-identical halves. The exact location and the number of the spacers is not critical, those here shown being by way of illustration and not of limitation.

The feature of an open interlocking throat providing a slide guide for the latch bolt and in tegral mounting means in the form of wings or equivalent, which, in cooperation with a correctly designed face plate, permits a secure mounting against the face of the door, is imlatch bolt, each half having side walls and a bottom and each half comprising an end piece on one of said walls at the open end, said end piece having a transverse'tab and a longitudinaltab, a throat section on the other of said walls opposite the end piece of the opposite half, one edge of said throat section being joined to the bottom, and a wing joining the throat section atright angles thereto and to the bottom, means forming a slot at the junction of the throat section and side wall adapted to receive, said transverse tab of the opposite half, and means forming a slot at the junction of the wing and throat section adapted to receive the longitudinal tab of the opposite half.

2. A latch casing comprising a pair of oppositecomplementary halves having an open endfor a latchbolt and an apertured face plate over'said open end, each half having side walls and a bottom and'each half comprising an end piece on one of said walls at the open end having a transverse tab and a longitudinal tab, a throat section on the other of said walls opposite the end 6 ing a slot at the junction of the wing and throat section adapted to receive the longitudinal tab of the opposite half, and staking means respectively on the halves and plate adapted to anchor said plate to said wings.

' 3. A latch casing adapted to the reception of a reciprocating spindle actuated latch bolt mechanism comprising a pair of opposite complementary sheet metal halves having an open end for the latch bolt, and an apertured face plate over said open end, each half having side walls and a bottom and each half comprising a separate end piece on' one of said walls at the open end having a transverse tab and a longitudinal tab, a throat section on the other of said walls opposite the end piece of the opposite half, one edge of said throat section being joined to the bottom, and a wing joining the throat section at right angles thereto and to the bottom, means on each half forming a slot at the junction of the throat section and side wall adapted to receive said transverse tab of the opposite half bent over therein, and means on each .half forming a slot at the junction of the wing and throat section adapted to receive the longitudinal tab of the opposite half bent over therein, each wing having a hole therein and apertured bosses on the faceplate adapted to be received in said holes for staking the halves and plate in assembled position.

FRED J. RUSSELL. RAYMOND W. DIETRICH. GEORGE B. SOLOVIEFF.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,177,948 Schindler Oct. 31, 1939 2,382,663 Quigley et a1. Aug. 14, 1945 2,454,145 Erkkila Nov. 16, 1948 7 2,486,268 Erkkila Oct. 25, 1949

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