US2956429A

US2956429A - Garage door lock

Info

Publication number: US2956429A
Application number: US716067A
Authority: US
Inventors: John A Mahrley
Original assignee: Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1958-02-19
Filing date: 1958-02-19
Publication date: 1960-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 1977-10-18

Description

Patented Oct. 18, 1960 GARAGE DOOR LOCK John A. Mahrley, White Plains, N.Y., assignor to The Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Feb. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 716,067

3 Claims. (Cl. 70-145) This invention relates to a lock of the class that is utilized for locking a bolt mechanism on an overhead garage door.

In the locks of the particular class, it is quite customary to utilize a spring-pressed bolt that is adapted to coact with a latchbolt operating member, whereby to prevent manual release of the latchbolt. The lock is equipped with a key plug that can be actuated by a key at the outside of the door to move the spring-pressed bolt to release position, and manual means are utilized for that purpose at the inside of the door. In addition, such locks have holdback means that are adapted to hold the spring-pressed bolt in retracted position so that the latchbolt can be manually operated at will, from either the inside or outside of the door. To achieve the type of operation that is desired, it is preferred that the holdback means not be actuated from the outside of the door. Thus, it has been proposed that the locks of the particular class enable the bolt to be retracted by the key, and also released from its holdback position by the key, but with the arrangement such that the key cannot effect the movement of the bolt to holdback position. Then, when it is desired to piece the bolt in holdback position, it is necessary to do so from the inside of the door.

I have conceived by my invention an exceedingly novel garage door lock that will enable me to achieve the desirable operation that I have described, and that has very considerable advantages over the earlier locks of the particular class. As an important feature of my invention, I utilize a cam that moves a bolt in a linear direction to a release position, and that will be efiective when particularly actuated to hold the bolt in that release position. I equip my lock with a key plug that will enable a person at the outside of the door to move the cam, but I utilize stop means that will limit the movement that is imparted by the keyplug so that the cam will not then be effective to hold the bolt in release position. A person at the inside of the door can move the cam beyond the position to which it is moved by the key, the cam then being effective as a holdback for the bolt.

As a preferred feature, 1 form the cam with a stop portion that will limit the movement that the key plug imparts to the cam. \Vhen moved in a linear direction beyond its release position, the bolt will move out of iimit relation to the stop portion of the cam, thus enabling the cam to be moved into holdback position relatively to the bolt. The cam will be so moved through manipulation of the bolt and cam at the inside of the door, and will not be so moved simply through the operation of the key plug.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detaiied description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows my novel garage door lock together with the latchbolt operating member controlled by the lock.

Fig. 2 shows the lock as it appears at the inside of the door.

Fig. 3 is somewhat like Fig. 2, but shows the cam and bolt in release position.

Fig. 4 shows the holdback position.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view showing parts of my lock.

As is usual with locks of the particular class, my novel garage door lock, that I indicate generally by the numeral 10 in Figs. 1 and 2, will be mounted on the inside surface of a garage door as by screws 11. A bolt 12 on the lock will then be in position to coact with a latchbolt operating member 13 on the door. I believe it will be urnecessary to describe the latchbolt operating member 13 in detail, since that member simply operates a pair of latchbolts in a conventional manner. It is necessary to know merely that the operating member 13 will be manually rotated to move the latchbolts through operating rods 14, with the bolt 12 on the lock 10 adapted to engage in a notch 15 in member 13 whereby to dog that member in position corresponding to the locking position of the latchbolts.

In the construction that I prefer to utilize, my garage door lock 11) has a one-piece sheet metal base 16 that is best seen in Fig. 5 of the drawing. That base 16 has a guide surface 17 for the bolt 12, and is formed with opposed upper and

lower flanges

18, 19, having openings 20 in which the bolt slides. For reasons that will appear, it is important to understand that the

flanges

18, 19, will support the bolt 12 to slide in a linear direction on the guide surface 17 of the base.

Preferably, the bolt 12 is formed from sheet metal, with

opposed sides

21, 22, which are the parts that actually slide in contact with the guide surface 17 on the base. A coil spring 23 acts between an upper end portion 24 of the bolt and a lug 25 on the base 16, whereby to press the bolt 12 to a locking position. Also, I show the bolt 12 formed with a finger piece 26 that can be utilized to press the bolt against its spring pressure to a release position.

In the exceedingly novel construction that I have conceived by my invention, I utilize for controlling the bolt 12 a rotating cam 27 that is well shown in Fig. 5. Preferably that cam 27 when assembled will lie against the guide surface 17 on the lock base 16. The bolt 12 will then be utilized to hold the cam 27 in position between

guide portions

28, 29, that are struck out of the base, and that guide the cam for rotating movement on surface 17. For the particular purpose, I show the

opposed Sides

21, 22, of bolt 12 formed with

slots

30, 31, that Will accept portions of the cam 27 while allowing it to rotate and also enabling the bolt 12 to slide. I equip my lock with a rather conventional lock cylinder 32, Fig. 1, having a rotating key plug 33, the cylinder 32 in my preferred construction being formed with a flange 32a that is secured to the lock base 16 through screws 34. The key plug 33 has a connecting bar 35, Figs. 2 to 5, that is engaged in an opening 35a in cam 27 and adapted to coact with lugs 35b in that opening, as in Fig. 3. Thus, key plug 33 is adapted to rotate cam 27, but with lost motion between the cam and connecting bar 35 to enable the cam to be rotated independently of the key plug, as

r 3 will be understood by those skilled in the art. As best seen in Fig. 5, cam 27 has an arm portion 27a that is somewhat offset whereby to have clearance relatively to the guide lug 29 on base 16, and that can be utilized as a finger piece for rotating cam 27.

The cam 27 in my preferred construction has a cam surface 36 on its arm portion 27a, that surface 36 acting against a notch 38 on the spring-pressed bolt 12 whereby to move the bolt to retracted position when the cam rotates, as is well shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Thus, the key plug 33 by rotating will move the bolt 12 linearly on its guide to a retracted position. I form the cam 27 also with a stop portion 39 that is juxtaposed to the outer end of cam surface 36. That stop portion 39 will move against a limit surface 33a on the bolt 12 when the cam 27 moves the bolt to release position, as shown in Fig. 3, thus limiting the rotating movement that will be imparted to cam 27 by the key. By so doing, the stop portion 39 will maintain the cam surface 36 and the bolt 12 in coacting relation to one another, enabling the spring pressure of the bolt 12 to rotate the cam so that the bolt 12 may move .to locking position upon release of key pressure.

I further form the cam 27 with a holdback portion 40, Figs. 2 to 5, that is adapted to coact with bolt 12 when the cam 27 is rotated beyond the position to which it is limited by the limit surface 38a. To place the holdback portion 40 in coacting relation to bolt 12, the bolt first will be moved somewhat beyond its release position in a linear direction, as through manual pressure on the fing r piece 26. Thereby limit surface 33a on the bolt will moveout of limit relation to the stop portion 39 on the cam. It will then be possible to rotate the cam 27 to the holdback position shown in Fig. 4, as through manual pressure on finger piece 27a, whereby to dog the bolt 12 in release position. Naturally, that can be accomplished only by a person at the inside of the door, since the cam 27 will not move to'hold back position when merely rotated by the key plug 33. It may be observed further that the operation of placing cam 27 in holdback position will normally be a two-handed operated, since it requires maniplation of both the bolt 12 and cam 27. That in itself is a desirable feature, since it minimizes the possibility that the cam will be moved to holdback position through accident.

I believe that the very considerable advantages of my novel garage door lock will now be understood by those persons skilled in the art. Through my extremely novel concept, I am able to achieve the particular type of operation that is desired in locks of this class, yet I do this through the utilization of means that are easy to fabricate and that actually are very simple. In fact, I am able to utilize in my invention a sheet metal construction that is very satisfactory, but that is inexpensive and has relatively few parts. I believe, therefore, that the merits of my novel garage door lock will be fully appreciated.

I now claim:

1. In a lock of the class described, a lock bolt, a lock base having a guide surface for said bolt, portions on said lock base supporting said bolt for sliding movement in a linear direction on said guide surface, a spring pressing said bolt on said guide surface towards a locking position, a cam mounted to rotate on said base, means for rotating said cam, a cam surface on said cam extending outwardly from the center of rotation of said cam and engageable with a surface on said bolt to retract said bolt as said cam is rotated, a' stop projectionformed on said cam at the outer end of said cam surface, a limit surface on said bolt engageable by said stop projection to stop further rotation of said cam and therefore further retraction of said bolt by rotation of said cam after said bolt has been retracted to a release position, said lock bolt being further retractable independently of said earn as by finger pressure to move said limit surface away from said stop projection whereby said cam may be further rotated, and a stop surface on said cam beyond said stop projection movable against a surface on said bolt upon said further rotation of said cam to hold said bolt in release positlon.

2. In a lock of the class described, a lock bolt, a lock base having a guide surface for said bolt, portions on said lock base supporting said bolt for sliding movement in a linear direction on said guide surface, a spring pressing said bolt on said guide surface towards a locking position, a cam mounted to rotate on said base, a key plug at the outside of said lock base for rotating said cam, a cam surface on said cam extending outwardly from the center of rotation of said cam and engageable with a surface on said bolt to retract said bolt as said cam is rotated, a stop projection formed on said cam at the outer end of said cam surface, a limit surface on said bolt engageable by said stop projection to stop further rotation of said cam by said key plug and therefore further retraction of said bolt by rotation of said cam after said bolt has been retracted to a release position, said lock bolt being further retractable independently of said cam as by finger pressure to move said limit surface away from said stop projection whereby said cam may be further rotated, and a stop surface on said cam beyond said stop projection movable against a surface on said bolt upon said further rotation of said cam to hold said bolt in release position.

, 3. In a lock of the class described, a lock bolt, a onepiece sheet metal lock base having an inside guide surface for said bolt, flange portions on said lock base holding said bolt assembled to said base for sliding movement in a linear direction on said guide surface, a spring acting between said base and bolt to press said bolt on said guide surface towards a locking position, a cam mounted to rotate on said guide surface, a key plug at the outside of said lock base for rotating said cam, a cam surface on said cam extending outwardly from the center of rotation of said cam and engageable With a surface on said bolt to retract said bolt as said cam is rotated, a stop projection formed on said cam at the outer end of said cam surface, a limit surface on said bolt engageable by said stop projection to stop further rotation of said cam and therefore further retraction of said bolt by rotation of said cam after said bolt has been retracted to a release position, said lock bolt being further retractable independently of said cam as by finger pressure to move said limit surface away from said stop projection whereby said cam may be further rotated, and a stop surface on said cam beyond said stop projection movable against a surface on said bolt upon said further rotation of said cam to hold said bolt in release position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 91,479 Ochsner June 15, 1869 355,311 Furbish Jan. 4, 1887 720,986 *Voight Feb. 17, 1903 1,309,439 Keefer July 8, 19:19

1,771,677 Hennicke July 29, 1930 2,564,161 Koreska Aug. 14, 1951 2,682,763 Williams July 6, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 477,079 Great Britain Dec. 21, 1937