US2929649A - Door handle and locking assembly - Google Patents

Description

March 22, 1960 H. A. coE

DOOR HANDLE AND LOCKING ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 12, 1958 FIG. l. 33 i"""'2"""""` Y FIG. 2. i

INVENTOR HERBERT A. COE

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ATTORNEYS.

DOOR HANDLE AND LOCKING ASSEMBLY Herbert A. Coe, Levittown, Pa., assigner to Magna Enterprize, Inc., Fairless Hills, Pa., a corporation of Penn- Sylvania Appiication February 12, 1958, Seriai No. 714,882 6 Claims. (Ci. 292-169) This invention relates to an improved door handle and locking assembly for fastening a door latching device to a door.

The invention contemplates the use of the conventional door latch mechanism employing the familiar distensible and retractable latch bolt encased in a latch housing. ln the conventional latch mechanism, the spring-biased latch bolt projects from its housing to engage a catch plate on the door jamb. The bolt is retracted by turning of the door knob from which a latch bar extends to register with a square hole in a turnable cam regulating member of the mechanism. In the illustrated embodiment, each door knob is provided with its own latch bar in register with a respective one of a pair of regulating cams. Each cam and thus each door knob is able to operate independently latch bolt movement. Consequently, turning of either one of the door knobs will retract the latch bolt against the latch spring, whereas release of the door knob will cause the bolt to return to its distensible position.

lt will be understood that the invention is applicable to all types of door handle and locking assemblies of the general type illustrated herein.

lt is the main object of the instant invention to provide a door handle and locking assembly made up of a pair of door knobs and associated members by which means the assembly may be installed and fastened to a door of any width in a relatively short time and without the use of screws or other extraneous fastening devices.

it is a further object of the instant invention to provide door handle and attaching means therefor wherein the installation and assembly of a door latching device to a door is easily and quickly accomplished by boring a hole into the edge of the door into which the latch mechanism is inserted and by boring another hole across the door from one to the other of its sides (the second hole intersects the first hole) into which a pair of door knobs and associated parts constituting the handle and locking assembly are inserted. Each door knob is inserted into the transverse hole from an opposite door side. The locking assembly includes mutually interlocking means such that when the clasping parts of the pair of knobs are joined upon insertion of the knobs into the transverse hole, the entire door latch device becomes firmly clamped to the door and ready for operation. One notable advantage of the invention is that the holes need not be precision-made, nor need the alinement of these holes be exact. The interlocking assembly includes means which automatically aline and retain the interlocking handle assembly in proper assembled relationship to the door. Consequently, installation of the foregoing door handle and locking assembly may be effected with a minimum of skill, attention and labor by the person doing same. The design incorporating the invention is such that the possibility of incorrect assembly is practically eliminated so that a person not skilled in such work may without any difficulty install the door latch within a relatively short period of time.

nited States Patent C ice It is a further object of the instant invention to provide an improved door handle assembly which affords a solid attachment of a door latch device to a door wherein end play and rattling of the door knobs and other associated parts of the assembly is practically eliminated during use.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the figures, in which:

Fig. l is a plan elevational view of the door handle assembly showing a pair of door knobs and associated locking mechanism mounted in juxtaposition with respect to a door, which door is shown in phantom in the gure;

Fig. 2 is a plan view looking in a direction of line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and illustrates the locking mechanism members associated with the lefthand door knob shown in Fig. l; whereas Fig. 3 is a corresponding view for the righthand door knob;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary and sectional view of the door handle assembly taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan elevation of the latch mechanism employed with the door handle assembly illustrated in the aforesaid figures;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the latch mechanism taken in the direction of line 6-6 of Fig. 5', and

Fig. 7 is a plan elevation of a retaining plate used in the aforesaid handle assembly.

Referring in detail to the figures, the invention contempiates use of a'conventional door latching mechanism 10 employing the familiar distensible and retractable latch bolt 11 encased in its latch housing 12. Latch bolt 11 generally projects from its housing 12 through an opening in the housing end plate 13 to engage a catch plate, not shown herein, on the door jamb under the force of a compressed latch spring also lodged in housing 12. Bolt 11 may be retracted against the forceV of the latch spring by turning a door knob which is connected to an operating latch bar. The latter generally registers with a square hole of a regulating cam of the locking mechanism 10. It will be understood that turning of the cam causes retraction of bolt 11 into its housing 12, whereas the latch spring causes bolt 11 to return to its distensible position upon release of the door knob.

In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of similar door knobs 14, 15 are each provided with their own operating latch bars 16, 17 in register with square openings 18 of respective ones of two cams 19, each separately capable of causing bolt movement. The figures show only one of such regulating cams 19, note Fig. 5. It will be understood that the other cam is similarly disposed on the opposite side of latch mechanism 10. Consequently, turning of each knob 14, 15 independently operates latch bolt movement.

In order to assemble the door` latch to a door 29 (which door is shown in phantom in Figs. 1 and 4), a hole 21 is formed in the door from its edge 22 into which latch mechanism 10 will be inserted. In addition, a second hole 23 is bored through door 20 from one to the other of its two sides to receive the door handle assembly. As noted hereinbefore, holes 21, 23 need not be precision made in respect to size and alinement in order to achieve attachment of latch mechanism 10 and door knobs 14, 15 in proper assembled relationship to door 20.

The invention contemplates a housing end plate 13 provided with diametrically spaced and inwardly turned stabilizing stakes 24. The use of stakes 24 as shown herein eliminates the relatively diicult carpentry normally attending the installation of prior art door latches wherein the latch is inesrted into the hole 21 and then removed after door edge 22 is suitably marked. 1 The marked area is chiseled out in order to recess the end plate of the prior art latch when said latch is nally Icolla finnish@ the foregoing described marking and chiselin'g. Since the periphery of end plate 13 overlaps the open end of hole 21 inthe planeV of door `edge 22, stakes 24 are adapted to be driven into door edge 22 as latch mechanism 10 is being inserted into bore 21. A hammer blow will accomplish this.v Desirable alinement of latch mechanism iti in hole 21 is made possible by arranging stakes 24 so that theygwill lie along a vertical line.

Upon mounting kthe door handle assembly to the door, each door knob 14, 15 confronts a correlated end'of transverse opening 23 on opposite sides of the door. Each knob '14,15 has a spindle 25, 26; The terminating end of each spindle 25, 26 is provided with an operating and Vsquare shaped latch bar 16, 17; VEach spindle also has aV shoulder stop 27, 28 andan adjacently spaced grooved collar 29, 30. Similar escutcheous 31 are mounted on each spindle.. Escutcheons 31 have inner faces spaced from, confronting and. radially overlapping opening 23 on the opposite sidesof the door. Escutcheons 31 also have Ysurrounding peripheral anges 33, the inner edges of which are adapted to bear directly against the door sides. i

' Locking member 34 is provided with a central open ing and is mounted on one of the door knob spindles, such as knob 14. Locking member 34 is provided with a'relativelyat face confronting shoulder stop 27 and with a pair of spaced'ratchet arms 35,36 and also with a lug 37.

It willjbe understood that knob-14is free to turnin respect to lockingV member 34 without binding between these parts. When knob 14 ismounted to the door, arms 35, 36 extend axially into opening 23r toward the opposite doot knob .and straddle latch mechanism 10, whereas lug 37 registers with a slot 38m iatch mechanism 10. Irrsertion of lug 37 into slot 38 suitably, alines ratchet arms 35,V 36 inopening 21 to facilitate-interlocking connections with parts associated with the other door knob when the latter knob is mounted to the door. it will be under Vstood thatupon insertion of knob 14 into bore 21, the

knob is turned so that its Vlatch bar 16 registers with the correlated square hole opening 18.

Locking member y34 is. retained in assembled relationship on spindle 2S my a rectangular shaped and contiguous retaining plate39 provided with a multiple diametered opening'40a, b. The larger diametered portion' 4tn of` said opening permits mounting of plate 39 over v grooved collar 29. The edge of the vsmaller diametered locking'of the door handle assembly'. V'I`l1ecombined Y effectY of lug 37 in register with slot 38 and spikes 46 serves to hold latch mechanism 10 against forward move ment out of hole 21. This structural arrangement locks latch mechanism 10 in place and, in addition, retains theI disclosed door handle assembly relatively iirm and solid in assembled relationship duringjuse.

A second locking member is provided with a central opening and is mounted on the other door knob spindle 26. Locking member 50 is provided with a relatively iiat face confronting shoulder stop 28. Locking member 50 yhas a pair of spaced rockable'arms V51, 52 mounted for Ypivoting about axes parallel to .theaxis ofr 53a, band 54a, 'b. An end 55 of Veach arm 51, 52 is outwardly turned and passes through respective openings 56 in locking member 50Yso as to abut against inner surface 32 of the associated escutcheon. This determines the maximum'diverging turning allowed the two arms 51, 52 about their pivotal'axes. The inner ends of pivotal arms 51, 52 are provided with pawl lingers 57, 58 and opposed upstandin-g guide lugs'59.V

Lockingmember 50 is retained; adjacent shoulder stop 28 by a resilient and H-shaped retaining .plate 60` provided With a relatively at web portion 61 from which opposed Vpairs of legs 62, 63 extend radiallyso as to overlap opening 23. Legs62, 63 are vnormally bowed to press resilientl-y against the' correlated door- V side upon mounting knob 15 to the door. r Retaining member 60 is also provided with a .multi-diametered opening 64.Y

parts assembled'thereron. Locking member'50 also basan extension folded-over the web 61 of retaining member ,60 to prevent buckling or .jamming of the web portion 61 against collar 30 when pressure is applied to legsf62,

portion v40h of said opening, which serves as a retaining slot, registers with the groove of collar 29 upon Vlateral movement of plate 39 with respect Vto member 34. Plate 39 retains member 34 adjacent, but not binding against, shoulder stop 27. It'will also'be understood that the -edge of. hole 10b is loosely engaged in vthegroove of collar 29 sothat knobl4 and spindle 25 integral therewith fdoes not Vstickbut. is free toturn Vrelative to the parts asf sembled thereon. Retaining plate 3 9 is also provided with elongated slots. 41 through which ratchet arms 35,

36 project. Slots 41 also serve toY prevent rotation of plate 39 relative to member 34. Y

Locking member34 is also provided with depressed recesses 42, 43 at its opposite-ends. lRecesses 42, 43 are .adapted to snap under detents 44, 45 in liange 33 of the associated escutcheon so as to hold saidescutcheon rmly to knob 14. llt will be observed fromFig. 4 that the o uter peripheral edges 49 of the underneath locking member 34 terminate within the overlapping, opposite and `depressed ends. 42, 43 of retaining plate 39. VThisprevents shifting or detachment of the associated parts byrea'son ofY theshifting ofv edge of Vhole 491i out of the grooveof relationship. Y A e v lnwardlyturned spikes V46 'are `providedon radial legs of Ythe` underneath locking `rne'rnber 34. Spikes A46y vare Y adapted to Ybite into the door side when knob- 14' and its r 29 after these parts are mounted in asseml'iltulV 63.V Web-61 is notched at 48 to recess folded extension 65. A coil spring 66, V67 is mountedV on the vjournal of each rockable arm 51, 52. Each spring 66, 67 isproyided with an end loop 68, 69 extending-radially'tow'ard flange 33 o fwrits associated escutcheon. .The opposed peripheral ends 70, 71 of retaining .plate 60 -arelrecessed rto-receive respective ones ofthe- spring end loops 68, 69,. .The'esfcutcheonis detachably retained to its associated parts 5.0., 6() by opposed detents 72, 73 initsperipheral flange 33.v Detentsv72, 7 3 are designed to snap over Vand V'engagespring endloops 68, 69. Springs 66, 67 are put under tension when end loops thereof 68,769-are drawnback'and held Vby detents 72, 73. 'Since the other ends of said springs bear against the back surfaces 74, "75 of rockable arms 51, 52, thetensioned springs piv- V'roftally Yurge the vkrockable arms to diverge whereby the pai/vl lingers 'thereof are di'posed to engage correlated ones Vof saidratchet arms 35, 36.

Upon insertion of door knob 15 and the parts mounted thereto 'to thedoorythe divergingrrockablearms 51, 52 extend relatively yaxially into opening 23 and the pavvl tinfgers'the'reoffSZ158 interlock with respectiveones of v YP "'sid'e's.` It will 'be'under'stood thatuponfinsertion of knob 15, it will be turnedA so 'that its operating bar 17 engages .r`at"chet:arms r35, 36 :so that each of fonepar clasps a'cor'related onelof the otherpair., lhe a.foresaidstifuc Y ture provides automatic 'and mutual interlocking ofthe handle assembly'wherein'each door knob VV14,15 andthe "associated therewith 'become clampedfto the door tliesquare hole 18Aofthe'regi1latin'g'cam on itsfdoor side. Ratchet anis 35, 36 iclude'fa plurality of spaced vvrefesses 16,' 77 for receiving pawi nngersfsa'ss; inselepctive ones of said recesses as determined bythe ik'or width.

Consequently, the'spacing between the Vinterlocked door knobs 14, 15 may be regulated to accommodate doors of dilerent widths. In addition, the inner ends of ratchet arms are inclined at 78 to facilitate interlocking engagement of the arms as they are brought together. It is also desirable to make two of the bracket arms, such as 53a and 54a, from which rockable arms 51, 52 are journaled, of sufficient length so that they straddle along theltop and bottom of latch mechanism when knob is mounted to the door. This arrangement provides a structural support to latch mechanism 10 to help retain it properly in bore 21.

Mounting of knob 15 to the door causes resilient legs 62, 63 to press against the door side. This arrangement retains the door assembly relatively tight and in place even if the door should shrink during use. In addition, springs 66, 67 in the region 79 adjacent their end loops are adapted to press against the door side when knob 15 is mounted thereto. This arrangement automatically retains spring tension so that during use of the handle assembly, rockable arms 51, 52 are always pivotally urged to retain interlocking engagement with ratchet arms 35, 36.

It is desirable to provide spacing lugs 80 turned outwardly from the ends of locking member 50, four lugs 80 are employed in the illustrated embodiment. Lugs 8G engage inner face 32 of the associated escutcheon for the purpose of properly spacing said inner surface from the confronting parts associated therewith.

The mounted and interlocked door handle assembly may be easily detached from the door. This is done by tirst prying loose the righthand escutcheon from detent engagement with spring end loops 68, 69 in order to expose rockable arms 51, 52. A suitable tool, such as a screwdriver, may be used for this purpose. The escutchcon can be pushed away from the door and toward knob 15 because it will slide along spindle 26. Either one of the rockable arms 51, S2 will then be depressed so as to pivot its pawl nger out of locked engagement with the correlated ratchet arm. This may be done by depressing the top of one of the lugs 59 adjacent the pawl nger with the screwdriver or other tool` Separation of the two knobs is then possible.

The foregoing described door handle assembly is applicable to all latch devices of the general type disclosed herein including the type of latch device which includes means whereby the door may be locked from one side by a depressible pin so that it cannot be opened from the other side. ln such devices, a depressible pin 81, shown in phantom, extends through alined holes 82 in one of the escutcheons and associated locking member and engages a depressible lock member 83 in latch mechanism 12. Upon depression of pin 81, latch bolt 11 cannot be retracted by the door knob mounted on the opposite side of the door.

It it is desired to operate pin 31 from the righthand door knob 15, alined holes 82 in locking member 50 and its associated escutcheon should be disposed to lie aiong the vertical axis but below the horizontal axis as viewed in Fig. 3, This will require orienting or angularly displacing member 50 and retaining plate 6G one hundred eighty degrees from the position shown for these parts in Fig. 3 when mounting same to spindle 26 in order to aline holes 82 with depressible locking member 83. It will be understood that latch mechanism 10 has a depressible locking member S3 on both of its sides. As seen from Fig. 3, the righthand door knob assembly is symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis for the purpose of eiecting interlock engagement of the two pairs of arms 35, 36 and 51, 52. Moreover, when the part-s are so mounted to knob i5, the long brackets 53a, 54a will straddle latch mechanism 16, as shown in phantom in Fig. l, forward of the alined axes of the two spindles.

Since many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this inventioncould be made without departingV from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter con-l tained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a door handle assembly for operating a distensible and retractable latch bolt wherein said bolt is encased in a latch housing recessed in a bore and which bore extends into the door from one edge thereof and wherein said door also has a through opening intersecting said bore and extending from one to the other of its two sides, the combination comprising, a pair of door knobs mounted in said opening from the opposite sides of said door, each door knob having a spindle extending axially into said opening from a correlated door side, a latch bar at the ends of said spindles for operatively regulating movement of said latch bolt wherein alternate rotation of either door knob elects retraction and distension of said bolt, an escutcheon in assembled relationship on each spindle and having an inner face spaced from and confronting a correlated one of said door sides, a locking member mounted on each spindle, means retaining said locking members in assembled relationship on said spindles, the irst of said locking members having spaced ratchet arms extending axially into said opening toward the opposite door knob so as to straddle said latch housing, the second of said locking members having spaced rockable arms extending axially into said opening toward the other of said door knobs, the latter pair of arms having pawl ngers adapted for interlocking engagement with respective ones of said ratchet arms, resilient means operatively associated with said rockable arms and including pivotal means for applying tension to said resilient means and for urging and retaining said rockable arms in interlocked engagement with said ratchet arms when the door handle assembly is firmly secured to said door so that each arm of one pair clasps a correlated arm of the other pair.

2. Apparatus as dened in claim l, wherein said latch housing is provided with a slot, and a lug extending axially from the lirst of said locking members and for registering with said slot upon insertion of its associated door knob and the parts connected therewith into said opening, whereby the ratchet arms associated with the aforesaid door knob are suitably alined to receive the engaging pivotal arms upon insertion of the other door knob into said opening, said slot and lug engagement also preventing spurious movement of the interlocked door handle assembly.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rstmentioned retaining means comprising, a pair of retaining plates, each plate being mounted on a respective door spindle and directly against the locking member thereon, each spindle having adjacently spaced shoulder stop and grooved collar, each locking member having a substantially at face confronting the shoulder stop of its associated spindle, said plates having means defining retaining slots in register with the collar groove of its associated spindle, whereby each locking member is retained in assembled relationship adjacent a shoulder stop.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, further including, means for preventing rotation of said first locking member relative to its adjacent retaining plate, said rst locking member and adjacent retaining plate having engaging peripheral edges for preventing accidental disengagement of said retaining plate from its associated grooved collar, said first locking member having inwardly turned stakes adapted to bite into the correlated door side upon being drawn thereto by the interlocking engagement of the opposed door knobs, the aforesaid peripheral edges of said members lying within a peripheral ange of the associated escutcheon, and spaced detents in said escutcheon flange, said rst locking member having depressed recesses in its peripheral edge for snap engagement with said" detents, whereby' said escutcheon and theparts associated therewith" areretained* in assembled relationship against! said door;y Y 5; Apparatus vas definedr in claim 3, wherein the retaining plate adjacent to said second' locking member besembly, theYY ss'oi'atedv escutcheon Yhaving a peripheral Aflange surrounding the peripheraledge of said second locking nien-,ther and Vtheoutwardly'extending legs of said retaining plate, said resilient'frn'eans being springs,Y one Y Y for each `pivotal arm, and having portions Voperativelyrengag'ingrespective pivotal arms and end loops projecting radially 'toward the surrounding esc'u'tcheon hangs, and detent's' in said escut'cheon flange for snapping over the endE loopsof said springs, whereby said esctcheon and the parts associated therewith are retained in assembled relationship against said door, said springs being adapted 2 a 'relative atj web portionrfromrl whih opposed to pressA against side of. the doorv upon said assen'lblagfe:`

Ybeing mounted to the door and interlocked-fwith the other` doorV knob :assemblage` wherein said springsy vare held` under tension to retain said rockable arms in interloekedrelationship with saidratche't-arms.v

6 Apparatus as defined. in claim^5,'wherein said sec ond locking member has an extension foldedV over the web of its associated retaining plate to prevent jammingi of said plate against the grooved collar engagedthereby;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS V.Slater Oct. 8,'1'8'89 412,551 2,344,484 Lesina a1.v Mar. 14, 1944 2,646,301 cerf July 21, v1953y 2,804,384 schlage Aug.V 27,1957 2,846,255 Y wardweu, Jr. Aug. 5, 1958` FOREIGN PATENTS 17,918 Great Bn'tain Nov. 11, 1889'l 65,211 Denmark V Nov 25, 1946

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