US2745132A

US2745132A - Door mounting and latching means

Info

Publication number: US2745132A
Application number: US382264A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Clark; James J Devery
Original assignee: Philco Ford Corp
Current assignee: Space Systems Loral LLC
Priority date: 1953-09-25
Filing date: 1953-09-25
Publication date: 1956-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-15

Description

May 15, 1956 Filed Sept. 25, 1953 w. J. CLARK ET AL 2,745,132

DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet l F76. A34. 3! i4 497 1/ 37 Ti. Illlll F76 //z5 nvvszvroa:

May 15, 1956 W. J. CLARK ET AL DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS Filed Sept. 25, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1956 w. J. CLARK ET AL DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS Filed Sept. 25, 1953 BY W flan/9W AGE/V71 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 QF'ma/Z.

May 15, 1956 w. J. CLARK ET AL 2,

DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS Filed Sept. 25, 1953 5 Sheets-Shack 4 i9 INVENTORS W/ZA/AM J. CAM/K May 15, 1956 w. J. CLARK ET AL I 2,745,132

DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 25, 1953 WWW United States Patent DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS William J. Clark, Philadelphia, and James J. Devery,

Ambler, Pa., assignors to Philco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 25, 1953, Serial No. 382,264

' 7 Claims. c1. 16-147) The invention hereinafter described and claimedrelates to closures for cabinets, such as refrigerator cabinets or the like. More specifically, the invention has to do with means for mounting the closure upon the cabinet in'a manner whereby the closure may be opened from either the right or the left side of the cabinet, selectively.

in the past, most cabinets of the one door type have been provided with doors that open and swing toward the right, and where conditions were encountered requiring a door to swing toward the left, it has been necessary to order a special structure. In refrigerator construction, it is diflicult and expensive to provide both right and left hand models, and in most cases homemakers have contented themselves with the standard right hand door.

It has long been the desire of many homemakers to have a refrigerator including a door which may be opened from either side, thereby greatly increasing the refrigerators usefulness in the kitchen. This increased usefulness would be afforded by the adaptability of the refrigerator for placement in positions where its door can conveniently be opened only from either the right or the left side, or where it can be opened from either side, according to the convenience of the user. Manufacturers have been aware of this desire on the part of homemakers, and many have attempted to design door hanging mechanisms suitable for this purpose. However, none of these previous structures have met with commercial success.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide an improved and completely practical cabinet door mounting which will permit the door to be opened from either its right or left hand side, selectively.

Another important object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism having means preventing inadvertent opening of the door from both sides simultaneously, but which means may be rendered inoperative should'it be desired to remove the door from the cabinet.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a mechanism of this type which includes the high draw-in char acteristic of modern latch design, whereby the door is tightly sealed when closed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism including means to prevent rebound of the door to an open or ajar condition during closure thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a door mounting of this type including means supporting the door against sagging when swung open to either side, and which is sturdy and dependable,positive in operation and latching function, and which may be operated by a single actuator or handle.

More specifically, our invention is featured by the provision of novel apparatus including latching means which serve also to support the weight of the door.

To the foregoing general ends, the invention provides door supporting apparatus comprising: at least a pair of hinging assemblies, one secured to the cabinet at one side of the cabinet opening and the other secured to the cabinet at the opposite side of the cabinet opening, each assembly comprising supporting means carried by the cabinet and 2,745,132 Patented May 15, 195 s latch bolts disposed at opposite sides of the door, said latch bolts being selectively movable into and out of en- 'g'agement with said strike means. The weight ofthe door is carried solely through the interengaging bolt and strike elements.

These and other objects of the invention, and the construction of preferred apparatus embodying said invention, may be fully understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings,'in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying apparatus in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the'refrigerator of Figure 1, showing the door slightly opened about its left side;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but looking at the cabinet from its left side and showing the door slightly opened about its right side;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the door, taken along the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view, with parts broken away, showing one form of the combined latch-hinge mechanism embodying the invention, with the door in closed position latched against the cabinet;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showingthe door slightly ajar and the latch mechanism in its retracted or cocked position;

Figure 7 is a view of the latch mechanism taken substantially along the line 7-7 of Figure 5;

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are somewhat diagrammatic views of the latch actuating mechanism looking in the direction of the arrows on line 88 of Figure 4; v

Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the actuating mechanism of Figures 8, 9 and 10, showing its condition after one latch has been actuated and the handle released;

Figure 12 is a still further enlarged side elevational view of the mechanism shown inFigures 8-11, with parts broken away;

Figures 13A and 13B are sectional views taken along lines l3A--.13A and 1313-133 of Figure 5, and showing one condition of disconnectable hinges positioned above and below each of the latch-hinge mechanisms;

Figures .14A and 14B are sectional views similar to Figures 13A and 13B, but illustrating another condition of the hinges;

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing another form of door mounting and latching means constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Figures 16, 17 and 18 are operational views of the mechanism of Figure 15, showing the apparatus in latched condition, unlatched condition, and a safety or intermediate condition, respectively;

Figures 19,20 and 21 are views of the latch actuating mechanism, taken along line 19-19 of Figure 23;

Figure 22 is .a fragmentary view taken substantially along the line 2222 of Figure 16; and p Figure 23 is a sectional view taken along line 23-23 of Figure 19.

With detailed reference to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 thereof, the numeral designates a domestic type refrigerator comprising, generally, a cabinet 31 and a door '32. As seen more clearly in Figure 4, the door comprises an inner panel 33, and an outer panel 34, joined about their peripheries at 35 in any suitable manner, and with a resilient sealing gasket 36 secured to the door at this junction.

Disconnectable hinges 3'7 are mounted at the top and bottom of each side of the door, and as is shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6, the hinge at the top comprises a leaf 38 secured to the cabinet adjacent the door ja'tnb,

and a leaf 39 fixed to the edge of the door. These hinges are of well known type which may be disconnected by relative movement of the leaves in the plane of the side wall of the cabinet, but which become locked together when one leaf is rotated relative to the other while they are connected.

As shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6. hinge leaf 38 includes three forwardly protecting knuckles 41 and a hinge pin 42 secured between the lower two of the knuckles, the upper knuckles being provided with a slot 43 at its forward edge, see Figure 13A. Hinge leaf 39, secured to the door, likewise is provided with three knuckles 44. similar to those of leaf 38 but offset relative to the knuckles of leaf 38 so as to intermesh therewith when the leaves are moved together. In leaf 39, the hinge pin 45 is secured between the top two knuckles while the lower knuckle is open ended, as indicated at 46. Thus, as shown in Figures 13A and 1313, when the hinge leaves are brought together with the forked or open ends of the knuckles aligned with each other, each engages the pin of the other leaf in a manner permitting it to be disconnected by reversing the movement. It is seen, however, in Figures 14A and 1413, that as soon as these elements are rotated relative to each other, the open ends of the knuckles are out of alignment and it is impossible to separate the hinge leaves until the slots are again brought into alignment. Thus, the hinge portions on one side are locked together when the door is opened from the other side. With regard to the bottom hinge 37 (Figure 5), it will be noted that it is exactly the same as the top hinge except that it has been rotated through 180. Because of this, the position of the respective hinge leaves is reversed, leaf 39a is secured to the cabinet and leaf 38a to the door. its operation, however.

Mounting the door to the cabinet and positioned on each side thereof, intermediate the upper and lower hinge members, is one form of combined latch-hinge mechanism 50, built in particular accordance with this invention. The mechanism includes latch bolt 51 adapted releasably to engage a strike 52 carried upon the swinging leaf of a hinge 53 secured to the side of the cabinet with its axis aligned with the axes of hinge members 37.

Each latch structure, as seen clearly in Figures 5, 6 and 7, includes in addition to the latch bolt 51, an actuating link 54 mounted between the sides of a U-shaped housing 55 (Figures 4 and 7), for straight line reciprocal movement in vertical directions, as by pins 56 fixed to said housing and extending through slots 57 in the link. Link 54 is maintained normally in its upper position, as seen in Figure 5, with the bottoms of slots 57 urged against pins 56, as by coil spring 58 having its lower end anchored to portions 59 struck inwardly from housing 55 (Figure 7), and its other end biased against the link, as indicated at 60. For convenience and compactness of construction, spring 58 is positioned in an elongated slot 61 in the link.

Downward movement of link 54 is obtained by actuating means, including a crank 63 (see Figure 4), the major portion of which is positioned within the door structure. The inner end 66 of the crank lies in the path of movement of a single door handle 67 in a manner more fully explained hereinafter, while its outer end 64 (Figure 5), is turned between a pair of pins 65 secured to link 54.

Latch bolt 51 is pivotally mounted upon housing 55 as by pin 68, and is provided at its upper end with a cam slot 69 through which extends a pin 70, fixed to the lower end of link 54. The slot projects downwardly to the right, whereby straight line downward movement of link 54 will move pin 76 against the sloping wall of the slot and thus cause bolt 51 to rotate about pin 68 in a counterclockwise direction. When pin 70 reaches the bottom of the slot, spring 71 moves the bolt still further This makes no difference in i in the same direction until it reaches the end of a lateral extension 69a of the slot. This is the fully cocked position of the bolt, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 6. Spring 71 is wrapped around pin 68 with the ends thereof bearing against housing 55, and its mid-portion hooked under projection 72 on the latch bolt. Rotative movement of latch bolt 51, as described above, disengages the forked lower end 51a thereof from keeper or strike 52, thus permitting the door to be opened from that side of the cabinet.

Returning to Figures 5 and 6, it is seen that strike 52 is carried solely by the loose or swinging leaf 73 of hinge mechanism 53. This is true of the apparatus on both sides of the cabinet and, when the door is closed, its full weight is carried by hinges 53 through the agency of the pair of latch bolts 51. The disconnectable hinges 37 merely assist in holding the door aligned with the cabinet. When the door is open, its full weight is carried only by that one of the hinges 53 about which the door has pivoted to open position. Under this condition, hinges 37 prevent the door from tipping and becoming disengaged from the cabinet. When the door is opening, it swings about the common axis, identified by the numeral 74, extending through the three aligned hinge mechanisms.

Each of the hinges 53 includes the leaf 75 fixed to the side of the cabinet, and the swinging leaf 73 carrying strike 52, pivotally mounted upon leaf 75 as by pivot pin or pintle 76. Leaf 73 is urged to its normal position extending away from leaf 75 in the plane of the side of the cabinet, by coil spring 77. In this position, strike 52 is in line with the path of movement of forked end 51a of latch bolt 51 when the door is moved to its closed position, and thus the two parts may easily be engaged or disengaged.

As mentioned above, and as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the above described combined latch-hinge mechanism is duplicated on the opposite side of the refrigerator, but opposite hand of course, thus making it possible by selective actuation of handle 67, either toward the left or toward the right, to open the door from either side selectively.

Now with reference to Figures 8 through 12, the apparatus enabling the single handle 67 to actuate the latch mechanism on either side of the door to the exclusion of the other, and simultaneously prevent actuation of the said other side while the one side remains open, will be described.

When the door is closed and latched against the cabinet, the actuating apparatus is in the condition shown in Figure 9, with the inner ofiset ends 66 of both cranks 63 in the same plane and immediately beneath a pair of

pins

81 and 82, extending rearwardly from a rotor member forming the hub 83 of handle 67. The hub extends through an escutcheon plate 84 in door panel 34 (Figure 12). Looking at Figure 8, it is seen that rotation in a counterclockwise direction of handle 67, shown diagrammatically above the mechanism, moves pin 81 downwardly against the end 66 of the left hand crank 63, thus to actuate latch bolt 51 on the left side of the cabinet (looking from the rear, the right hand side if looking from the front), so that the door may be opened from that side. With reference to Figure 5, it will be noted that the lateral offset 69a of slot 69 includes a rest portion 85 against which pin 70 is urged as by spring 56, tending to move link 54 upwardly when handle 67 is released, thus to hold the latch mechanism in cocked position, as seen in Figure 6. Also, when the handle is released, hub 83 returns to its normal position, as urged by spring 86 which, as more clearly seen in Figures 11 and i2, is wrapped around a centrally positioned stud 76 extending outwardly from hub 83, with its ends 88 biased against a pair of fixed studs 89 projecting from escutcheon plate 84.

Between the ends of spring 86, and fixed to hub 83,

' latch mechanism on the other side of the door.

is a spring biasing element 91 which, when the handle is rotated in either direction, as seen in Figures 8 and 10, moves one end of the spring in the direction of rotation while the other end thereof remains against one of studs 89, thus loading the spring. When the handle is released, the force stored in spring 86 urges element 91 clockwise to its normal position, and thereby returns the handle to its centered position. Crank 63 stays in its advanced operative position by reasonof its outer end '64 being held captive between pins 65, see Figure 6.

Pivotally mounted, as by pin 92 projecting from escutcheon plate 84, is a forked link 93, which has its forked end 94 terminating just beneath pin 87 (Figures 11 and 12). A stud 95 fixed to hub 83 extends through the forked end of the link and acts to rotate the link about pin 92 during rotation of the hub, see Figures 8 and 10. Normally rotation of link 93 has no effect upon the operation of the mechanism, but when the door is open and the end 66 of either of cranks 63 is moved to its operative-position (see for example the right hand crank shown in Figures Hand. 12), it will be seen that the end surface 96 of the actuated crank is in the path of rotation of the link, which has been returned by hub 83 to its normal position, and thereby prevents actuation of the handle to open the door from the other side while the one side is still open. Thus there is provided apositive mechanical interlock preventing inadvertent actuation of the mechanism on both sides of the door, sequentially, without first closing the door. In this way, the door is prevented from becoming completely 'disassociated from the cabinet.

With reference to Figure 6, it is seen that when the door is swung from open to closed position, the longer side 97 of the forked end of latch bolt 51 contacts strike 52 causing clockwise rotation of the bolt. This moves rest or detent 85 from engagement with pin 70 permitting springb to raise actuating link 54 to its uppermost position, as shown in Figure 5. During this movement of the link, pin 70 moves against the sloping side 93 of cam slot 69, thus to rotate the bolt into a straight line position, moving or drawing-in the door gasket 36 tightly against the cabinet, thereby sealing it for airtightness. Any tendency for the door to rebound is resisted by the steep slope of wall 98 of the cam slot.

If it becomes necessary to remove the door completely from the cabinet, this may be accomplished by first opening the door from one side and then kicking, or otherwise forcibly rotating the cocked bolt 51 in a clockwise direction so that spring 58 can move link 54 to its totracted uppermost position, thus rendering the interlock apparatus inoperative and permitting, actuation of the The hinges on the said other side may he disengaged by first moving the door toward its fully closed position, then moving it bodily away fromthe cabinet.

Now with reference to Figures 15 through 21, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. This embodiment is simpler, in certain respects, than the form previously described.

As shown in Figure 15, the apparatus is applied to a domestic refrigerator cabinet 100, similar to that described in connection with the first form of the invention and shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. As a matter of convenience, the mechanism illustrative of this second form of the invention is shown only on the right hand side of the cabinet, it being clearly understood however, that similar mechanism-opposite handis provided on the left side also.

The mechanism, as seen in Figures 16-18, comprises generally an elongated actuating link 101, including at opposite ends thereof, latch

bolts

102 and 103 adapted for latching engagement with combined hinge and latch strike mechanisms 10 i and 105*, respectively.

With particular reference to Figure 16', it is seen that the link 101 is mounted in a u sha'ped housing 106, as by pins or studs 1'07 fixed tothe walls of the housing. and

6 extending through slots 108 in the link in a manner permitting reciprocal movement of the link in straight line vertical directions. Link 161 is maintained normally in its uppermost position with the bottom of slots 108 urged against pins 107, as by coil spring 109 having its lower end anchored to portions 110 struck inwardly from the walls of housing 106, and its other end biased against the link, as indicated in 111. For convenience and compactness of construction, the spring is positioned in an elongated slot 112 in the link.

Downward movement of the link is obtained by actuating means, including a crank 113, the major portion of which is mounted within the door structure in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 4. Its outer end 114 extends through the door panel and is turned between a pair of studs or pins 115 on link 101. The other end 116 of the crank (see Figures 19 through 21), extends into the path of movement of, and is actuated by, the single door handle 113 mounted centrally on panel 117 of the door, and as more fully explained hereinafter.

Still with reference to Figure 16, it is seen that latch bolt 103 is similar to latch bolt 51 in the first described form of the invention, and is actuated in like manner. The bolt is pivotally mounted upon the housing 106, as by pin 119, and is provided. in its upper portion with a cam slot 120, through which extends a pm 121 fixed to the lower end of link 101. The slot extends downwardly to the right, whereby downward straight line movement of link 101 will move pin 121 against the sloping wall of the slot and thus rotate bolt 103. about pin 119 in a counterclockwise direction, until the pin reaches the bottom of the slot. Spring 122 will then move the bolt still further in the same direction until pin 121 reaches the end of a lateral extension a of the slot. This is the fully retracted or cocked position, as is clearly shown in Figure 17. Spring 122 is wrapped upon pin 119 with one end thereof against housing 106, and its other end hooked behind the lower portion of bolt 103.

The upper latch bolt 102 is pivotally mounted on housing 106, as by pin 123 secured to the housing walls. The upper end of the bolt is provided with a cam slot 124 through which extends a pin 125 fixed to the upper end of link 101. The slot extends downwardly to the left, whereby the aforesaid downward movement of link 101, and consequently pin 125, will rotate the bolt about pin 123, in a clockwise direction, until it reaches the bottom of the slot at which time coil spring 126 will move the bolt still further in the same direction until it reaches the end of a lateral extension 127 of the slot. This is the fully retracted or cocked position, andis clearly shown in Figure 17. It will be noted in this figure that with the bolt in this position, pin 125 is resting against the left side of extension 127. It Will also be noted that the extension includes an olfsetextending r upwardly from the pin, for a reason which will be described hereinafter. The rotative movements, as described, of

latch bolts

102 and 103, disengage forked ends 128 and 129, of each bolt, from

strikes

130 and 131, respectively.

Strikes 130 and 131.are mounted between the side walls of U-shaped brackets 132 (see Figure 22), the bases of which are pivotally secured to the ends of pintles or shafts 133, rotatably mounted in the hub 135 of each

hinge

104 and 105, as by roller bearing 134. Referring to Figure 16, it will be seen that only the lower hinge 1.05 has been completely illustrated, it being understood that hinge 104 is similar to hinge 105 except that the strike depends from, rather than being supported above the hinge.

While not considered absolutely necessary, it has been found helpful to provide a pair of fingers 136, one at the top and the other at the bottom,

adjacent bolts

102 and 103. These fingers are secured to the door in any suitable manner as at 137 and are provided with proje'ctions 1 38. Each finger is of a width (Figure 22) substantially equal to the spacing between the side walls of U-shaped bracket 132, and when the door is closed the fingers are received within the brackets (see Figure 22) in a manner positively positioning the door structure relative to the cabinet. Brackets 132 are held with their open ends in the path of movement of said fingers and said bolts, as by coil springs 132a. When the door is open the fingers on the pivotal side of the door prevent swaying of the door, which might occur should the latch bolts be the only means holding the door in alignment with the cabinet. the forked ends of

latch bolts

102 and 103 may be con structed of sufiicient width to align the door properly with the cabinet when the door is open. However, because of manufacturing tolerances, it has been found more expedient to utilize the fingers.

It should be understood too, that these fingers do not in any way support the weight of the door which is carried solely upon the lower pivotally mounted strikes 131 at each side of the door; the other bolts, strikes and finger mechanisms act in conjunction therewith only to hold the door aligned with the cabinet.

To open the door, crank 113 is rotated in a clockwise direction moving link 101 downwardly to the extent shown in Figure 17, and as limited by the upper end of slots 108. latch bolt 103 has been rotated in a counterclockwise direction, and that upper latch bolt 102 has been rotated in a clockwise direction. Thus both bolts are disengaged from their respective strikes, and it is possible to swing the door about the mechanism on the other side of said door. The actuating link is held in its advanced position, Figure 17, by the engagement of pin 121, with the offset portion 120a of slot 120.

With the mechanism in the condition shown in Figure 17, it is possible by exerting a force, such as a kick, in a clockwise direction against the lower latch bolt 103, to unseat pin 121 from behind the lateral extension 120a of slot 120. Should this occur, spring 109 would move actuating link 101 upwardly and latch bolt 103 to its uncooked position. An important feature of the invention is to prevent complete actuation of the link 101 to its completely retracted position under these conditions. It is for this reason that the upward extension of slot offset 127 is provided.

As will be seen in Figure 18, when the lower latch bolt has been inadvertently unseated or moved to its uncocked position, as described above, pin 125, at the upper end of link 101, will move into the upward offset or" extension 127 of slot 124 after very slight upward movement of link 101, and thus, as will be described hereinafter, prevent actuation of the mechanism on the other side of the door. With pin 125, in the offset, it is extremely difiicult inadvertently to move latch bolt 102, whereby the mechanism would be completely uncooked and permit actuation of the mechanism on the other side of the door.

With particular reference to Figures 19, and 21, the link actuating mechanism will now be described. This mechanism enables the single handle 118 to actuate the latch mechanism on either side of the door to the exclusion of the other, and simultaneously provides a mechanical interlock preventing actuation of the said other side while the one remains open.

With the door closed and latched against the cabinet, the actuating apparatus, identified generally by the numeral 140, is in the condition shown in Figure 19, with inner ends 116 of cranks 113 positioned beneath and adjacent a pair of pins or

studs

141 and 142, extending rearwardly from rotor 143, forming the hub of handle 118. Hub 143 extends through the escutcheon plate 144 (Figure 23), mounted on the outer panel of the door, and into the space between the door panels, similarly to hub 83 in Figure 4.

Looking now at Figure 20, it is seen that rotation of the handle in a counterclockwise direction moves pin 141 downwardly against the ofiset end 116 of the left It should be clearly understood, however, that When in this condition, it is seen that lower hand crank 113, thus to actuate the latch mechanism on the left side of the cabinet so that the door may be opened from that side. At the completion of this movement, the lower latch bolt 103 will have moved to the position, shown in Figure 17, where pin 121 is urged against the offset portion a of slot 120, thereby to hold the latch mechanism in its retracted, cocked position, and the end 114 of crank 113 in its turned position, by reason of its captivity between studs 115 on the actuating link 101 (see Figure 16). Thus the inner end 116 of the left hand crank will be held in its rotated or lowered position, as shown in Figure 21.

Returning to Figure 19, it is seen that the apparatus includes a vertically positioned link 145 having an outwardly turned upper end portion 145a biased upwardly against the inner end 116 of crank 113, as by coil spring 146. It will also be noted that a similar link 147 is biased against the inner end 116 of the right hand crank 113, as by spring 148. Attached to the lower extremity of hub 143, and extending outwardly therefrom in a position between

links

145 and 147, is a key member 149 of slightly less width than the space between the vertical portions of these link elements. As seen in Figures 20 and 23, rotation of hub 143 in a counterclockwise direction moves key 149 through a notch 150 in the edge of link 147 which remains stationary, while at the same time a similar notch 151 in the edge of link 145 is moved downwardly with the link to a position offset from the path of movement of key member 149.

Means for returning the hub, and consequently the handle, to its normal position after actuation of the latch mechanism is provided by a link element 152 having ear portions 153 biased against the underside of pins 141 and 142 (Figure 19), as by coil spring 154. Element 152 is mounted over a stud 155, fixed-to the center of hub 143, and extending through an elongated slot 156 in the element. Rotation in either direction of hub 143 moves element 152 downwardly, as shown in Figure 20, but as soon as the handle is released, spring 154 moves the element back to its normal upper position, as seen in Figure 19, and thus, by reason of cars 153 bearing against

pins

141 and 142, returns hub 143 to its normal position. This is illustrated quite clearly in Figure 21, which shows the condition of the apparatus after the latch mechanism on the left hand side has been actuated, as shown in Figure 20, and the handle has been released.

With the apparatus in the position shown in Figure 21, it will be seen that it is impossible to rotate hub 143 in a clockwise direction for more than a very minute distance, as member 149 would almost immediately contact the side of vertically positioned link 145, by reason of the fact that the notch 151 in this link is offset from the path of movement of key member 149.

Thus, it is seen that this mechanism, like that described in connection with the first form of the invention, provides a positive mechanical interlock preventing actuation of both latch mechanisms sequentially Without returning the first'actuated to its latched condition.

Referring now to Figure 17, it is seen that the closing of the door brings the

longer sides

128a and 129a of the forked ends of

latch bolts

102 and 103 against

strikes

130 and 131, causing rotation of each bolt in a direction toward latching engagement with said strikes. Clockwise rotation of lower latch bolt 103 moves the bolt from.

its cocked position to a position aligning pin 121 with slot 120. Simultaneously, pin 125 of bolt 102 is brought into alignment with slot 124. Actuating link 101 then moves upwardly, as urged by spring 109, moving

pins

121 and 125 against the sloping sides of their respective slots, and thus positively drawing-in the door tightly against the cabinet gasket 157. Any tendency for the door to re-bound is resisted by the steep angle of the walls of

slots

120 and 124.

In addition to the features mentioned, above, this mechanism also provides means facilitatingthe easy and complete removal of the door from the cabinet. This may be accomplished by first opening the door'from' one-side, as described above. The latch mechanism on the open side is then in the condition shown in Figure 17, with the interlock operative to prevent actuation of the latch on the other side. Upper bolt 102 is then manually rotated in a counterclockwise direction as f ar'as possible, whereby pin 125 is aligned with slot 124, then lower latch bolt 103 is kicked, or otherwise moved in a clockvolves inventive principles in the latch-hinge structure per se. In this regard, it should be understood that separate handles, or actuators, could be provided for the mechanism on each side of the door. U

From the above description of the'tw'o illustrative forms of the present invention, it can be seen that it provides a combined latch-hinge mechanism which is sturdy, de'

pendable, and positive in latching function.

We claim: Y 7

1. In combination: a cabinet having a. front opening; a door; a plurality of combined latch-hing'emechanisms mounting said door over saidlfront opening in a manner whereby said door may be opened from its right or its left hand side, selectively, said cabinet having side walls and said door being of a width spanning the distance between said side walls; a pair of latch-hinge mechanisms disposed toward the lower portion of the cabinet and serving to support the weight of the door; an additional pair of latchhinge mechanisms disposed toward the upper portion of said cabinet and serving to hold said do'or against tilting movements about said pair first mentioned; each of said latch-hinge mechanisms including a strike pivotally mounted upon a side wall of said cabinet adjacent said front opening, and a latch member mounted upon saiddoor in position for releasable en a ement with said strike; means for releasing said members from said strikes, selectively, whereby said door maybe swung open about the latch hinge mechanisms on either side of the cabinet; a handle rotatably mounted in fixed door structure; a link movably mounted upon each side of said door, said link including means at opposite end portions thereof to actuate said latch members; crank means connecting said links to said handle; means actuated by said handle for rotating said crank means whereby movement of said handle in one direction actuates the link on one side of said door to release said latch members on said one side from the associated strikes to provide for opening of said door about the combined latch-hinge mechanisms on the other side of said door; and interlock said pair first mentioned, said latch. members beingv mounted for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane between advanced and retracted positions into and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when said door is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mounted strikes to move said latch on the opposite side to advanced position engaging the other pivotally mounted strike; means for releasing either of said latch members from its associated strike for movement 10 to retracted position providing for swinging movement of said door upon the opposite engaged latch member and strike; rod means associated with each of said latch members, each of said rod means extending through the door structure'andhaving inner ends disposed inadjacency; a handle; meansassociated with the inner ends" of said rod means and actuatable by saidhandle to operate either one of said rod means, selectively; means associated with each of said latch members releasably to hold said rod means in actuated position; and means actuated simultaneously with each of said rod means to prevent actuation of the other rod means until the rod means first'actuatcd is returned to normal position.

3. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door 7 latching and hinging means for connecting said door to said-jamb structure, whereby said door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pair of pivotallymounted latch strikes, and a pair of latch members, one pair carried by thevjamb structure at opposite sides thereof and the other pair supported upon the door in position to engage said pair first mentioned, said latchrnernbers being mounted for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane between advanced and retract'ed positions into and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when said door is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mounted strikes to move said latch on the opposite side to advanced position engaging the-other pivotally mounted strike; means for releasing eitherof said latch members from its associated strike for movement to retracted position providing for swinging movement of said door upon the opposite engaged latch member and strike; a handle including a hub rotatably mounted in s'aid'door; a crank associated with each or said latch 'rnemb'ers, and means carried by said hub for rotating said cranks, selectively, out of normal I rest position, to actuate either of said latch members;

and interlock means movable by said hub in a manner to prevent actuation of said cranks sequentially without returning the previously actuated crank to its normal position.

4. In combination with a'door and jamb structure, door latching and hinging means for connecting said door to said jar'n'b structure whereby said' door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pair of pivotally mounted latch strikesand a pair of latch members,

one pair-carriedby the jamb structure at opposite sides.

thereo'f'and the-other pair supported upon the door' in position to engage said pair first mentioned, said latch members being mounted for swinging movement in asubstantially vertical plane between advanced and re- 't'racte'd'positions into and out of enga ement with said strikes; means actuated when said door is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mounted strikes to move said latch on the opposite side to advanced positionenga'ging the other pivotally mounted strike;

means for releasing either of said latch members from its associated strike for-movement to retracted position providing for swinging movement of said door upon the opposite engaged latch member and strike; a handle including a hub rotatably mounted insaid door; a crank associatedwith each of said latch members, and means carried by'said hub for rotating said cranks, selectively, out of normal rest position, to actuate either of said latch members, and interlock means movable by said hub in a manner to prevent actuation of said cranks sequentially without returning the previously actuated crank to its normal position, said interlock means including; a key element attached to and projecting from said hub and a link positioned on each side of said key element and in the path of movement thereof, each of said links having a notch through which said key element may pass when said hub is'rotated, one of said links being positioned in the path of movement of one of said cranks, and the other of said links being positioned in the path of movement ofthe other of said'cranks, whereby rotation of said hub to actuate one of said cranks moves said key ele- 11 ment through the notch of the link associated with the sai other crank and simultaneously moves the notch ang the said other link out of the path of movement of sai key element, whereby rotation of said hub in the opposite direction to actuate said other crank is prevented until said other link is returned to normal position.

5. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door latching and hinging means for connecting said door to said jamb structure, whereby said door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pair of pivotally mounted latch strikes, and a pair of latch members, one pair carried by the jamb structure at opposite sides thereof and the other pair supported upon the door in position to engage said pair first mentioned, said latch members being mounted for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane between advanced and retracted positions into and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when said door is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mounted strikes to move said latch member on the opposite side to advanced position engaging the other pivotally mounted strike; means for releasing either of said latch members from its associated strike for movement to retracted position providing for swinging movement of said door upon the opposite engaged latch member audstrike; a handle rotatably mounted upon said door; a link moveably mounted upon each side of said door and jamb structure; pins secured to end portions of said links, each pin engaging a cam portion provided in a corresponding one of said latch members; and means connecting said links to said handle whereby movement of said handle in one direction actuates the link on one side of said door and jamb structure to rotate its associated latch member and to release said member from its strike.

6. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door latching and hinging means for connecting said door to said jamb structure, whereby said door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pair of pivotally mounted latch strikes, and a pair of latch members, one pair carried by the jamb structure at opposite sides thereof and the other pair supported upon the door in position to engage said pair first mentioned, said latch members being mounted for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane between advanced and retracted positions into and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when said door is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mounted strikes to move said latch member on the opposite side to advanced position engaging the other pivotally mounted strike; means for releasing either of latch members from its associated strike for movement to retracted position providing for swinging movement of said door upon the opposite engaged latch member and strike; manually actuatable latch releasing means; a link moveably mounted upon each side of said door and jamb structure; drive means secured to end portions of said links, each drive means engaging a corresponding latch member; and means connecting said links to said manually actuatable latch releasing means, in such manner that movement of said latch releasing means in one sense actuates the link on one side of said door to rotate its associated latch member, through said drive means, and release said member from its strike, and movement of said latch releasing means in another sense actuates the link on the other side of said door to rotate its associated latch member, through said drive means, and to release the latter member from its strike.

7. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door latching and hinging means for connecting said door to said jar'nb structure whereby said door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pair of door supporting strike members, each including horizontally disposed load-bearing means, one strike member being carried by said jamb structure at one side of said door and the other strike member being carried by said jamb structure at the other side of said door, the horizontally disposed loadbearing means of each strike member being mounted for pivotal movements about a generally vertical axis whereby to provide for opening movements of the door about either strike member; a pair of bifurcated latch members each confronting a corresponding strike member, one latch member being mounted on one side of said door and the other latch member being mounted at the other side thereof, and each latch member being adapted for releasable engagement with a confronting one of said load-bearing means to support the door upon said means; means including a camming connection mounting each of said latch members for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, extending transverse the plane of the door opening, downwardly toward its confronting load-bearing means during closing and latching of the door, and upwardly away from its confronting load-bearing means during opening of the door; resilient means associated with said door and with the camming connection of each latch member, said resilient means being effective to bias said latch members for the stated downward swinging movements, said camming connections being so configured as to provide for movement of said latch members, when released from engagement with said load-bearing means, to an upper, retracted position in which said latch members remain cocked and free for the stated swinging movements downwardly under the influence of said resilient means, the construction and arrangement being such that as the door swings toward closed position, pivoting upon the loadbearing means of one of said strike members, the retracted, cocked, bifurcated latch member on the free side of the door is actuated by contact with its confronting load-bearing means to cause said latch member to move to uncocked position and swing downwardly toward and into straddling engagement with said confronting load-bearing means, whereby to latch the door and to support the same upon the latter means; and means for releasing said latch members, selectively, to accommodate opening of the door from either side.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,813,145 Cavicchioli July 7, 1931 1,929,775 De Voe Oct. 10, 1933 1,933,009 Epton Oct. 31, 1933 2,166,534 Rosenfeld July 18, 1939 2,195,991 Lovett Apr. 2, 1940 2,261,147 Dow Nov. 4, 1941 2,275,128 Campbell Mar. 3, 1942 2,357,397 Fuller Sept. 5, 1944 2,636,212 Cohun Apr. 28, 1953 2,650,388 White Sept. 1, 1953 2,650,846 Allen Sept. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,840 Great Britain Oct. 4, 1909 up ma