US2993718A

US2993718A - Strike for spring catches

Info

Publication number: US2993718A
Application number: US647778A
Authority: US
Inventors: Axel W Ahlgren
Original assignee: Amerock Corp
Current assignee: Amerock Corp
Priority date: 1957-03-22
Filing date: 1957-03-22
Publication date: 1961-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 1978-07-25

Description

July 25, 1961 A. w. AHLGREN 2,993,718

STRIKE FOR SPRING CATCHES Filed March 22, 1957 flo n. WAI:

United States Patent O 2,993,718 STRIKE FOR SPRING CATC'HES Axel W. Ahlgren, Rockford, Ill., 'assignor to Amerock Corporation, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 647,778 1 Claim. (Cl. 292-4340) This invention relates to catches for holding closure members such as doors in the closed position and, more particularly, to a catch which includes two helically wound coil springs spaced apart to receive the enlarged head portion of a strike between them.

T'he general object of the invention is to provide a new and improved strike which is comparatively inexpensive, easy to mount, durable and relatively noiseless.

A more detailed object is to shape the head of the strike in a novel manner so as to reduce the wear of both the head and the springs.

The invention also resides in the novel means for mounting the strike.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE l is a fragmentary sectional view of a cabinet employing a catch and a strike embodying the novel features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3 3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the strike.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the strike.

As shown in the drawings ffor purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a catch for holding a closure member, such as the door of a cabinet, in the closed position. In the present instance, the cabinet parts are made of sheet metal, the edges of the door being formed with a flange 11 of U-shaped cross section to provide a hollow portion extending along these edges. The ange 11 opposes a similar ange 12 on the wall 13 of the cabinet and the catch 14 is mounted on the flange 12.

Herein, the catch 14 comprises a box-like casing 15 which is mounted in a hole 1694 in the flange 12 and is open at its front to receive a strike 16 attached to the ilange 11 of the door 10. Disposed within the casing are two helically wound springs 17 spaced apart and arranged with their axes parallel. The springs are held in place by ears 18 (FIG. 3) struck from the sides of the casing and projecting into the ends of the springs.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the strike 16 includes a body portion 19 having a shoulder 20 abutting against the ilange 11 on the door 10. The body portion decreases in cross section outwardly from the flange and then merges with an enlarged head 21. The cross section of the latter is greater than the space between the springs 17 while the neck 22 immediately behind the head is narrower than this space. Thus, when the door is closed, the head 21 enters between the springs and flexes them apart. As the head crosses the axes through the springs to the position shown in FIG. 2, the springs return toward their normal position in which they are behind the head and hold the door closed. The door is kept from rattling by a rubber stop 23 fastened to the door flange 11 and abutting against the flange 12.

In order to reduce the wear on both the strike 16 and the springs 17, the present invention contemplates shaping the head 21 in a novel manner so as to provide near maximum surface contact between the head and the springs as the head passes between the springs. This is achieved by elongating the head in the direction of the spring axes and by forming the head with a longitudinal Patented July 25, 1961 "ice cross sectional shape which is generally complementary to the shape the springs assume when flexed.

Thus, since the springs 17 are ilexed more at their centers than near their ends, the head 21 is made with its maximum cross section at the center and is tapered from the center toward both ends. As shown in FIG. 4,

.the head has a `circular cross section and it thereby assumes a barrel shape. While only the center portion of the head need be greater in diameter than the space between the springs, it is preferred to make the head wider than the springs throughout its entire length.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a novel means is provided to secure the strike 16 to the door 10 and is so constructed as to permit the strike simply to be snapped into place. This means comprises a resilient U-shaped portion 24 which is rigidly connected at the ends of its legs 25 to the rear of the body 19 and is inserted in a hole 26 in the door llange 11.

At the closed end of the U, the portion 24 is smaller than the hole 26 and this portion gradually increases in size to a point spaced a short distance behind the shoulder 20 at which point the cross section of U-shaped portion 24 is greater than the size of the hole. Immediately behind the shoulder, the portion 24 is reduced to conform generally to the size and shape of the hole thereby forming a groove or recess 27 which is about as wide as the thickness of the sheet metal from which the door 10 is constructed.

With the foregoing arrangement, the strike 16 is mounted by inserting the U-shaped portion 24 into the hole 26. During this insertion, the U-shaped portion yields since it is larger than the hole. Such yielding is permitted `because of the resilient material from which this portion is made and because it is hollow due to its U shape. When the shoulder 20 abuts against the flange 11, the U-shaped portion snaps back to its normal position and the flange is received in the groove 27 which prevents the strike from moving in either direction. Preferably, the hole 26 and the reduced forward end of the portion 24 are given a square shape to prevent the strike from turning and thereby hold the head 21 parallel t0 the springs 17.

A strike constructed in the manner described above may easily be made as a single molded piece of resilient plastic material such as nylon or zytel. This provides a comparatively inexpensive and relatively noiseless strike.

I claim as my invention:

For use with a catch having two helical springs paralleling each other and spaced apart a predetermined disstance, the combination of, a strike comprising a body portion and an enlarged head portion rigid with one end of said body portion to enter between said springs and elongated in a direction paralleling the springs, said head portion having a generally circular cross section throughout its length with the diameter of the central part being greater than the diameter at the ends to give the head portion a barrel shape, the diameter of said head portion throughout the length of the latter being greater than said predetermined distance.

FOREIGN PATENTS 845,808 Germany Aug. 4,