US2956829A

US2956829A - Strike

Info

Publication number: US2956829A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sol R Gerth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-02-19
Filing date: 1959-02-19
Publication date: 1960-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 1977-10-18

Description

STRIKE sol R. Gerth, sterling Industries, Inc., 2024.12. 70th sf., Cleveland 3, Ohio Filed Feb. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 794,384

2 Claims. (Cl. 292-341.15)

This invention relates to an improved strike for use in door latching arrangements of the type where the yielding element is fixed to the door frame rather than swinging with the door. In this type of latching arrangement the door carries a bolt which may be pivoted around an axis parallel to the plane of the door by manipulation of a door knob or handle. The bolt has a camming face and a latching face and when the door handle or knob is normally positioned and the door is ciosed the latching face of the bolt engages the yielding element of the strike and displaces it as the door approaches its fully closed position. As the door reaches its fully closed position, the camming face of the bolt clears the yielding element of the strike and the yielding element springs back into latching engagement with the latching face of the bolt. The door is thus latched closed until such time as the handle or knob is turned to pivot the latching face of the bolt out of 'latching engagement with the yielding element of the door.

lt is to be understood that the bolt structure associated with the door forms no part of the present invention but is mentioned here merely to describe the typical environment of the invention. The invention may be used with types of door latches other than that mentioned above, but in all cases the overall latching arrangement is such that the yielding element is fixed to the door frame or equivalent stationary structure rather than swinging with the door.

A number of strikes of the general type to which the invention relates have been provided in the past. An object of this invention is to improve on these strikes of the prior art by a design which more favorably combines the factors of cost, size for a given capacity, reliability, simplicity, appearance and performance.

One more particular object of this invention is to provide a strike which is less bulky than those of the prior art by arranging the elements of the strike in such a way that the spring element of the strike is not retained within the strike housing by back walls, backplates, abutments, bridges or the like at the back of the housing chamber, but rather extends to and is tensed against the door frame or other fixed member on which the strike housing is mounted. The back of the housing chamber is fully open and the thickness of the entire striker structure is reduced by the considerable extra thickness that used to be required to provide a back wall or the like. At the same time, the parts are arranged so that the strike assembly will be retained in assembled condition during storage, shipping and handling prior to installation on a door frame or the like.

lf desired, the invention can be exploited advantageously by increasing the range of movement of the yielding member While adhering to the dimensions of strikes now in use, rather than by decreasing the dimensions of the strike, or an intermediate combination of these two advantageous factors may be employed.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of one States Patent O vce 2 embodiment of the invention, which is given by `way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan View of a housing employed in one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the reverse side of the structure seen in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken from the plane of lline 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the housing with the striker bar and spring installed.

Figure 5 is a cross section on an enlarged scale taken from the plane of line 5 5 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the strike bar.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the spring.

Figure 8 is a plan view of th'e spring.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the spring.

The illustrated strike comprises a unitary casing 10 having a bottom side 11 and va recess 12 which extends inwardly from the bottom side. The casing 10 has a top wall 13 in which an opening 14 is formed communieating with the recess 12. The top wall 13 forms together with the recess 12 a pair of chambered aligned

bosses

15 and 16 between which the opening 14 is disposed.

Toward the bottom side of the casing 10 there may be provided a ange 20 having slots or holes 21 provided therein for the reception of mounting screws or other fasteners.

Midway along the length of the recess 12 and on opposite sides thereof are formed the notches 25. Each of the notches 25 extends from the edge of the opening 14 downwardly toward the bottom side 11 and becomes progressively shallower toward the bottom side until preferably the notches disappear entirely at or adjacent the bottom side although if desired the notches may be caused to extend all the way to the bottom side in some circumstances.

Floatingly disposed in the recess 12 is a strike bar 30 which extends from one to the other of the

bosses

15 and 16. The length of the strike bar 30 conforms to the length of the recess 12 and the diameter of the strike bar 30 conforms to the width of the recess 12.

A flat spring 34 is also provided which has a bow 35 and two free ends 36 which are preferably provided with shallow concavities at their edges as indicated in the drawings. At the sides of the bow 35 midway along the length of the spring are formed a pair of ears 37 extending integrally from the sides of the bow. These ears engage the sides of the recess 12 and are in register with the notches 25. The notches 25 hold the spring in its centered position along the length of the recess 12. The engagement of the ears 37 with the sides of the recess 12 holds the parts in assembled condition prior to installation of the strike on a door frame or the like.

As should be clear from the draw-ings, when the strike bar is installed on a door frame or the like the bottom side 11 will be positioned against the face or surface of the door frame. When the yielding member consisting of the strike bar 30 is depressed as by the door latching bolt the spring is tensed between the strike bar and the surface of the door frame against which the bottom side 11 is positioned.

Since no backing plate or abutment or bridge or similar retaining member is employed, the full distance from the strike bar 30 to the door frame is available for the spring to flex in. Accordingly, the height of the structure may be correspondingly reduced or increased strike bar movement for a given height may be accomplished.

The above description of the invention should make it apparent that some details of the structure embodying the invention may be varied without departing from the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not to be limited to precise details of the specifically described embodiment but is to be defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A strike comprising a unitary casing having a bottom side and a recess extending inwardly from the bottom side and a top wall having an opening therein in communication with said recess and forming two chambered aligned bosses with said recess, said opening being disposed between said bosses, notches in opposite sides of said recess midway along the length thereof, said notches each extending from the edge of said opening downwardly toward said bottom side and becoming progressively shallower toward said bottom side, a strike bar oatingly disposed in said recess and extending from one boss to the other and exposed at said opening, the length of said strike bar conforming to the length of said recess, the diameter of said strike bar conforming to the width of said recess, a at spring having a bow and two free ends with a pair of ears extending from the sides of said bow, said free ends engaging said strike bar and said bow extending toward said bottom side with said ears engaging the sides of said recess in register with said notches, said spring being tensed between said strike bar and the surface against which said bottom side is positioned when said strike bar is depressed as by a door latching bolt.

2. A strike comprising a unitary casing having a bottom side and a recess extending inwardly from the bottom side and a top wall having an opening therein in communication with said recess and forming two chambered aligned bosses with said recess, said opening being disposed between said bosses, notches in opposite sides of said recess midway along the length thereof, said notches each extending from the edge of said opening downwardly toward said bottom side and becoming progressively shallower toward said bottom side, a strike bar oatingly disposed lin said recess and extending from one boss to the other and exposed at said opening, the length of said strike bar conforming to the length of said recess, the diameter of said strike bar conforming to the width of said recess, a flat spring having a bow and two free ends with a pair of ears extending from the sides of said bow, said free ends engaging said strike bar and said bow extending toward said bottom side with said ears engaging the sides of said recess in register with said notches with said bow displaceable beyond the level of said bottom side, said spring being thus exposed at said bottom side for tensing directly against a surface on which said bottom side is positioned when said strike bar is depressed as by a door latching bolt.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Loeb Oct. 25, 1955 Art