US2803476A

US2803476A - Latch device

Info

Publication number: US2803476A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ivanhoe Morris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-01-06
Filing date: 1954-01-06
Publication date: 1957-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 1974-08-20

Description

Aug. 20, 1957 M. IVANHOE LATCH DEVICE Filed Jan. 6, 1954 MORRIS IVANHOE INVENTOR.

P. krill/42227771 United States Patent Ofiice 2,803,473 Patented Aug. 20, 1957 LATCHDEVICE Morris Ivanhoe, Great Neck, N. Y. Application January 6, 1954, Serial No. 402,469

4 Claims; (Cl. 292'3G) This invention relates to a latching device and more particularly a latching device adapted for use in conjunction with a storm window, screen or similar structure.

It is an object of this invention to provide a latching device which may be simply and efficiently manufactured on a large scale and which is particularly adapted to lock a vertically movable sash-type storm window or screen in a simple and effective manner.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a latching device of one piece construction which is capable of being mounted in a channel shaped member usually employed to frame a storm or screen sash without the use of any additional securing or mounting means, said latch serving to automatically lock the sash in closed position as it is lowered against the sill, and being readily opened and released therefrom by simple manual manipulation.

ln'order'to accomplish these and other purposes, a suitably formed strip of resilient metal is provided having a portion adapted to be inserted in a channel shape formingo'ne of the rails of a sash frame and a catch portion adapted to spring into engagement with the sill of a window framing member within which said sash is slideably mounted.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent from the description thereof contained in the annexed specifications, or will otherwise become obvious. It will be understood that the invention here disclosed may be employed for other purposes to which the structurand arrangement are adapted.

Figure l is an elevational view of a fragment of a storm window sash and sill framing member showing the latch in locked position as viewed from the inside of the window;

Figure 2 is a cross-section of Figure 1 showing the sash. in raised position;

Figure 3 is a cross-'s'ectionof'Figure'l taken along line 33 thereof and showing the sash in lowered position andthe latch in locked position;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a latch in accordance with the present invention.

In storm window construction it is customary to form an auxiliary frame which is mounted upon and extends over the existing window frame of a building. Such auxlliary frame is formed with vertical side members or stiles which are connected along their top and bottom portions by means of horizontal members comprised of a header and sill respectively, not completely shown. The storm sash which may carry a window pane or screen is usually comprised of a frame formed of extruded metal within which a window pane or screen is mounted. The vertical stiles of the auxiliary frame are provided with suitable channels within which the sash frame is mounted for vertical sliding movement.

Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary portion of a storm sash and sill of an auxiliary frame as hereinabove described showing so much thereof as is pertinent to the instant invention and whereon is mounted a latch in accordance with the present invention. The latch is designated generally by the numeral 10. As may be seen from said figure and Figure 3, the sill portion 11 of the auxiliary frame is comprised of an angle shaped memher having a lateral portion 12 which is adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the usual building window sill 13. The laterally extending portion 12 of auxiliary sill 11 is provided with a depending portion 14 which overlies the face of the existing window frame. The lateral portion 12 of the auxiliary sill extends inwardly beyond the main sill 13 and provides extension 15 against which the latch my conveniently operate.

As heretofore indicated, the sliding sash 16 is comprised of a frame which may conveniently be formed of an extruded metal channel providing a suitable channel-shaped recess within which window pane 17 may be advantageously mounted. Only a portion of the lower rail 18 of the sash frame is shown. It is formed of a substantially H-shaped channel member 19 which is formed of a pair of substantially parallel walls connected by a transverse web. The window pane 17 is mounted in the upper channel portion 20 of the rail. A laterally extending projection 21 is provided along the upper edge of the channel and forms a suitable hand grip for raising or lowering the sash. It should be noted that the lower channel 22 is provided with a longitudinally extending rib 23 on the interior surface of the walls thereof.

As shown in Figure 4 the latch 10 is formed of a single strip of resilient sheet material such as spring steel, although it will be understood that other similarly suitable materials may be used for this purpose. The metal strip is bent to form the shape indicated in said figure and is comprised of a body portion 24, the upper end of which is bent to form a laterally extending shoulder 25 which serves to offset cap portion 26 from the body 24 of the latch. Cap portion 26 of the latch is formed in substantially the shape of an inverted U and thus comprises a channel having vertical side wall 27, horizontal top wall 28 from which side wall or tongue 29 depends. Side wall 27 and tongue 29 are advantageously divergent downwardly so that they may be slightly compressed to: ward each other when the latch is mounted between paral lel channel walls. The lower end of the body portion of the latch is wedge shaped and thus forms the catch portion of the latch. Said catch is formed by bending the lower end of the strip upon itself to thus form cam portion 30, the free end of which'is again bent to form inwardly extending lip 31.

As may be seen from Figures 1 and 2 the latch is mounted within the lower portion of-rail 18 by forming a recess or slot 32 in one of the walls thereof. Said slot 32 may be conveniently formed by cutting away a portion of the channel wall. The latch is then mounted in the channel by simply inserting the cap portion thereof into the interior of the channel until the lower or free edge of tongue 29 springs into position over the longitudinally extending rib 23 formed on the interior wall of the channel. The cap portion of the latch being complementary in configuration to the interior of the channel fits snugly therein and is locked firmly in position as the tongue snaps into position over the rib by reason of the resiliency of the material from which the latch is formed. The side wall and tongue of the cap are compressed toward each other and resiliently press against the interior walls of the channel. It should be noted that the free longitudinal edge of tongue 29 abuts with longitudinal rib 23 in the interior wall of the channel and thus locks the latch in position preventing the withdrawal thereof by reason of any pull applied to the catch portion and further prevents any lateral swinging movement of the latch. The latch is thus firmly retained and locked in position.

In operation, as the window is lowered, cam portion 30 of the latch bears upon the edge of extension 15 'of the sill member and flexes the body and shoulder portion of thelatchtoutwardly vuntil lip 31 clears thelower surface of extension 15 sufficiently to spring thereunder. As the cap portion springs below extension 15, the sash is firmly locked against the sillas may be more clearly seen in Figure 3. In order to release the catch from its looking engagement with the sill it is merely necessary to manually pull back upon the catch portion of the latch thereby flexing the latch outwardly and away from the extension until it clears the edge of the extension 15 whereupon the sash may be raised.

It will be noted that the extension 15 on the sill portion of the storm window frame is provided with an up- Wardly extending rim 33 which acts as a weather seal bv tween the sill and'lower sash rail l8. It has therefore been found. advantageous to form shoulder 25 on the latch so that the offset formed thereby is slightly less than the thickness of the channel wall and rim wall combined. As a result of this arrangement, when the latch is in closed position as illustrated in Figure 3, the body portion thereof is flexed and bears resiliently against the 7 surface of the rim edge thereby effectively drawing the channel forming the lower rail of the sash against the upstanding rim to thus provide a tighter and a more efficient weather seal between the sill and sash rail. Additionally, lip 31 is bent inwardly and at substantially right angles with respect to cam portion of the latch. Thus the body of the lip extends at an angle with respect to the lower surface of the sill. This arrangement permits the lip to flex resiliently and thus draw and hold the sash rail toward the sill more tightly. It also permits the catch portion of the latch to compensate for some variation in thickness and position of the parts.

Although the instant invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with storm window and screen arrangements wherein many of the benefits of the arrangement may be realized, it will be understood that the latch may be utilized in conjunction with other arrangements wherein it is desired to provide a latching arrangement for relatively movable parts. The simple economical and effective features of the instant device may be readily realized in other types of structures and arrangements to which it may be suitably applied.

I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It will be apparent, however, that this invention is not limited to this embodiment and that many changes, additions and modifications can be made in connection therewith without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vertically slidable storm sash mounted within an auxiliary window frame, said auxiliary frame having an inwardly extending sill and said sash having a channel-shaped lower rail provided with a loni gitudinally extending rib along the interior surface of one of the walls thereof, a latch adapted to releasably secure said sash in abutting relation with said sill, cornprising a strip of resilient material formed to provide a body portion, a channel-shaped cap of substantially complementary configuration to the interior wall of said channel-shaped rail, said cap being oifset from said body portion by means of a laterally extending shoulder, one of the walls of said cap being formed to provide a depending tongue whereby the latch may be secured within said rail by inserting the cap into the interior of said channel so that said tongue springs resiliently over the rib and bears against the interior wall of the channel, a catch formed on the other extremity of said body portion adapted to spring into engagement with said sill.

2. In combination with a vertically slidable storm sash mounted within an auxiliary window frame, said auxiliary frame having an inwardly extending sill, said sash having a channel-shaped lower rail provided with a longitudinally extending rib along the interior surface of one of the walls thereof, a latch adapted to releasably secure said sash in abutting relation with said sill, comprising a strip of resilient material formed to provide a body portion, a channel-shaped cap of substantially complementary configuration to the interior wall of said channel-shaped rail, said cap being offset from said body portion by means of a laterally extending shoulder, one of the walls of said cap being formed to provide a depending tongue whereby the latch may be secured within said rail by inserting the cap into the interior of said channel so that said tongue springs resiliently over the rib and bears against the interior wall of the channel and a catch formed on the other extremity of said body portion extending at an acute angle with respect thereto, thereby forming a cam-surface adapted to bear against the edge of said sill as said sash is lowered into abutment therewith thus flexing said body portion so that the catch may pass said sill and spring into engagement thereunder.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the free extremity of said catch is provided with an inwardly cx-.

the edge of said sill after said catch has sprung into en gagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 553,499 Fisher Jan. 21, 1896 831,803 Schindewolf Sept. 25, 1906 2,249,132

Haslam July 15, 1941