US2715542A - Anti-rattle door latch - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1955 o. o. GOULD 2,715,542

ANTI-RATTLE DOOR LATCH Filed D60. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 m; 4 Wm &@ M r w Gm 0 F H S M n n o Y 2 2 B 0 w f6 5 & A V M 6, 1955 o. o. GOULD 2,715,542

ANTI-RATTLE DOOR LATCH Filed Dec. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OTIS O. GOULD INVENTOR v United States Patent ANTI-BATTLE DOOR LATCH Otis 0. Gould, Portland, Oreg., assignor of one-half to Wayne C. Harrigan, Seattle, Wash.

Application December 29, 1952, Serial No. 328,398

6 Claims. (Cl. 292--341.15)

This present invention relates to the general class of door latches and while it may be used for any type of door or gate it is particularly adaptable to automobile doors due to the fact that it is both silent and secure in its locked position. This door latch consists essentially of a sliding detent which engages a grooved cam cut in the outer surface of a roller which is revolvable and is mounted with its axis parallel to the movement of the detent at the time the door is closed.

Many types of door latches have been conceived, usually each latch being designed with some particular purpose in mind. In this present instance this door latch is particularly adapted to doors and automobiles, or on boats where vibration is more or less constant and where it is desirable to insure maintaining the door in a closed position at all times. In this present invention the rotary lock movement is held against the bolt or detent, by spring action, which tends to rotate the bolt and the final locking is secured on a slight reverse inclined surface so the closure tends to seat more fully under conditions of vibration and this same characteristic enables the same to compensate for wear or particularly for the crushing, through use, of the various sealing means used on many of the automotive doors.

The principal object of this present invention therefore is to provide a door latch which is very simply constructed and in which the locking member is resiliently held in position so that there will never be any slack developed and thus a rattle-proof latch is provided.

A further object of this invention is to provide a doublesloped grooved cam so arranged that the locking bolt can, with very little pressure, operate the rotary lock member, and when the limit of rotation is achieved, the bolt descends on a steeply pitched surface which provides locking security without coming to the bottom of the possible travel except under conditions of extreme wear so that a long life can be expected from this latch.

A further object of this mechanism is to provide a latch mechanism that is certain in operation and which can be opened with the minimum of applied efiort.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple latch mechanism that can be used under all the various conditions where it is desired to latch a door.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent in the device.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an automobile showing the general location of the components of the present latch member when in use;

Figure 2 is a typical horizontal sectional view through a latch mechanism as believed to be most suitable for use on automotive equipment;

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the normal sequence of engaging this latch and showing it in its final locked position;

2,715,542 Fatented Aug. 16, 1955 Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating the rotary lock member;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the rotary lock member but illustrating the opposite end from that shown in Figure 7, and showing a typical face-plate housing in dashed lines;

Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating a door casing, partly in section, employing this invention and showing the external portions of the face-plate and how it is adapted to a conventional door as used in housing; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, showing the locking bolt and turn-knob units as mounted on a door and as used in conjunction with the door framing of Figure 9.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the numerals it and 12 designate respectively the lock bolt and the rotary locking member which con stitute the principal parts of this present door latch mechanism. The bolt 10 is normally provided with spaced bearings as 14 and 16 which insure the axial positioning of bolt 10 and provide the necessary means for guiding the same as it is reciprocated along its axis during the unlocking operation. The bolt preferably is urged outwardly as by means of compression spring 18 and is seated against bearing 14 on some cushioning member as the fiber washer indicated at 19. Some convenient means is employed to retract the bolt when it is desired to unlatch or unlock the mechanism. One fonn of this device is illustrated in Figure 2 in which a bell crank 22 is disposed upon a fixed pivot 24 and operated by a springback push button 26, button 26 thus actuating the bolt by means of the spaced pins 21. This is normally employed in conjunction with some form of handle as that illustrated at 28 so that the door 30 after being unlatched may be conveniently opened. It will be apparent, it is believed, if this latch mechanism is employed on house doors and the like that any of the various turn knob mechanisms 31, as illustrated in Figure 10, generally may be employed.

Mounted fixedly Within the body framework, or the door frame in the case of a building, is the housing member 32. Vithin the housing 32 is provided a lined bearing for an axle or pin 34 and upon this pivot is mounted the rotary lock member 36. Member 36 may be made of any suitable material and a preferred form is illustrated in Figures 2, 7, and 8. It is to be noted that it is generally cylindrical in form, having the grooved cam 38. Grooved cam 38 is of a size to accept the end of bolt 20. It has been found desirable under certain circumstances to provide a roller engaging member as 40 secured on the end of bolt 20 so that friction may be reduced to a minimum. It will be noted from the various views, particularly in Figures 3 through 6 that groove 38 is angularly disposed with respect to the generating line of cylinder 36. Consequently as the end of bolt 20 engages groove 38 and as bolt 20 is fixed, except for its ability to reciprocate along its axis, the resultant action is to revolve member 36 about pin 34. The revolving of member 36 is resisted to a degree by some form of spring action. In Figure 8 a convenient arrangement is shown in that a tension spring 42 is employed. This spring is anchored at one end to 2. lug 44 formed as part of housing 32 and its other end is secured to an outstanding detent or post 46 which is fixedly secured to member 36 and preferably projects outwardly through an arcuate slot 48 formed in one Wall of housing 32. In this manner a convenient limiting means is provided so that the outer end 50 of groove 38 will always be accurately positioned for the receptionof bolt 20.

It will be noted in'Figures 3 and 4 that the movement of bolt 40 to the right, as viewed, has revolved memis commonly found in automotive type of doors.

3 ber 36 partially as roller 40 progresses up through groove 38. Finally roller 40 passes over the peak 52 of the cam'surface and descends down the inclined lock surface Itis to be understood in this operation'that actually bolt 20 is fixed in its horizontal position and apparent movement of roller 40 with respect to the Figures 3 through 6 is caused by the rotation of the lock member 36, first by the camming action of detent 20 and finally by action of spring 42. The position shown in Figure 5 is probably the most desirable lock position for this latch mechanism when newly installed and ,modate the latch to all normal wear over an extended period and also to take care of any permanent set that may occur in the packing or sealing strip as 56 which Such a strip is usually of rubber or some rubberlike material which has a dual function of sealing the opening ,so that tight engagement of the door and frame is not necessary, it acts as a cushion in the closing operation, and further prevents rattling which is so common when vibration or road jolts occur. The exact angle of surface 54 is normally a matter of design to suit the intended use and is somewhat a function of the operating conditions and strength of the spring employed to revolve member 38. Experience has shown that the best 7 results are obtained in normal operating conditions with Method operation f Assuming that the door upon which this mechanism is employed is open, it Will be found that spring 18 has positioned the extreme end of bolt 20 outwardly so that it extends beyond the door face 60; When the door is closed and begins to meet its complementary frame, the outwardly extending end of bolt 20 is engaged in groove 38 which is in eifect a grooved cam. This sequence of operations shown in Figures 3, 4, and takes place as the door is pushed into the closed position. As bolt 20 is fixed about its longitudinal axis the action is to revolve the rotarymember 36 until finally bolt 20 reaches the descending locking surface 54 and comes to rest. In this position the spring 42 of course is tending to rotatemember 36 'so that the bolt would tend to go further down on surface 54. It is arrested in thismovement however by the compression of the sealing strip 56m in the case of a door frame in a building, by the door stop member 62. Whilein use on automobile doors the compression of sealing strip 56 may allow the bolt 20 to come to rest at the bottom of cam surface 45, as shown in Figure 6, which is the neutral or starting position of roller 36.v In a household door however the resilient sealing strip is not present andthe door is in tight contact with the door step 62 when the bolt and roller are in the relationship shown in Figure 5. In this position the roller 36, is partially rotated so that the outer end 50 of groove 38 is below the slot in housing or cover plate 32 which in eifect closes it off. When it is desired to latch the mechanism and maintain it in its locked po- 4 sition. It therefore follows that both the closing and opening of this locking mechanism can be operated With a very minimum of elfort, the principal effort being required in unlocking is the compression of spring 18 which again can be relatively light.

it is believed that it will be clearly apparent. from the above description and the disclosurein the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of an anti-rattle door latch.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim: l. A movable keeper for a door latch positioned in one or" the two abutting members consisting of the closing edge portion of a door and the adjacent jamb and the other abutting member havinga bolt, comprising: a lock housing positioned in said one abutting member having a bolt-receiving groove in its face having'an open entrance end at the edge of said jamb which the bolt approaches in closing; a substantially cylindrical rotary locking member journaled in said housing to rotate about a horizontal axis which is normal to the longitudinal axis of said bolt, said rotary member having a locking groove in its face which has an open entrance end coinciding with the entrance end of said housing groove in a first position, spring means biasing said rotary locking member toward 'said first position and stop means preventing rotation of said locking member past said first position by said spring means, said locking groove being L-shaped witha first leg portion extending from said open entrance forming an acute angle with the line of generation of the member and having a secondleg portion forming an acute angle with the adjacent end portion of the rotary member,-

axis which is parallel to the face of the jamb, said rotary member having a locking groove in its face which has an open entrance end coinciding with the entrance end of said housing groove in'a first position, spring means biasing said rotary locking member toward said first position and stop means preventing rotation of said locking member past said first position by said spring means, a said locking groove being L-shaped with a first leg portion extending from said open entrance forming an acute angle with the line of generation of the rotary member and having a second leg portion forming an acute angle with the adjacent end portion of the rotary member, whereby in closing said door a bolt in the door may ride along said first leg portion rotating said rotary member against said spring means and then be caught behind said second leg portion. a V

3. A door latch keeper positioned in a jamb adjacent the closing edge portion of a door, comprising a'rotary locking member journaled in saidjamb to rotate about a horizontal axis which is parallel to the face of the jamb, said rotary member having an L-shaped locking groove in its face forming first and second leg groove portions and spring means biasing said rotary member toward a first position, said first and second leg portions 7 of said L-shaped groove each forming an acute angle with the horizontal so that in closing the door a bolt on the door may enter said first leg portion in said first posi-' tion and may ride along said first leg portion rotating said rotary member against said spring means and then be caught behind said second leg portion.

4. A door latch keeper positioned in a jamb adjacent the closing edge portion of a door, comprising: a rotary locking member journaled in said jamb to rotate about an axis extending laterally of said jamb, said rotary member having an L-shaped locking recess in its face forming first and second leg recess portions and means biasing said rotary member toward a first position, said first leg portion of said L-shaped recess forming an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the jamb so that in closing a bolt on the door may enter said first leg portion in said first position and may ride along said first leg portion rotating said rotary member against said means and then be caught behind said second leg portion of the L-shaped recess.

5. A door latch keeper positioned in one of the two abutting members consisting of the closing edge portion of a door member and the abutting adjacent jamb, comprising: a rotary locking member journaled in a first of said abutting members to rotate about its axis, said rotary member having an L-shaped locking recess in its face forming first and second leg recess portions and spring means biasing said rotary member toward a first position, said rotary member and said leg portions of said L-shapcd recess being positioned so that in closing said door a bolt on the second of said abutting members may ride along said first leg portion rotating said rotary member against said spring means and then be caught behind said second leg portion.

6. A door latch keeper positioned in a jamb adjacent the closing in edge portion of a door, comprising: a locking member positioned in said jamb, said locking member having an L-shaped locking groove in its face forming first and second leg groove portions and the portion of said locking member having said groove being movable substantially vertically and spring means biasing said locking member toward a first position, said first and second leg portions of said L-shaped groove each forming an acute angle with the horizontal so that in closing a bolt on said door may enter said first leg portion in said first position and may ride therealong moving said locking member against the force of said spring means and then be caught behind said second leg portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,790 Miltier Oct. 4, 1898 1,070,580 Breithaupt Aug. 19, 1913 1,459,701 Willis June 19, 1923 1,558,980 Halinka Oct. 27, 1925 1,572,293 Judge Feb. 9, 1926 1,991,822 Snipes Feb. 19, 1935 2,113,747 Roedding et a1. Apr. 12, 1938 2,616,739 Allen Nov. 4, 1952 2,647,781 Craig Aug. 4, 1953

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