US3041097A

US3041097A - Sliding door latch

Info

Publication number: US3041097A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles L Eads
Original assignee: Adams Rite Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Adams Rite Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1959-11-09
Filing date: 1959-11-09
Publication date: 1962-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1979-06-26

Description

June 26, 1962 C. L. EADS SLIDING DOOR LATCH Filed Nov. 9. 1959 la 2/ 22 I7, 32

(HA/P159 L. 5405,

INVENTOR.

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SLIDING DQOR LATCH Charles L. Eads, North Hollywood, Calif., assignor to Adams Rite Manufacturing Company, Glendale, C'alif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 9, 195?, Ser. No. 851,744 3 Claims. (Cl. 292-113) The present invention relates to generally to latch mechanisms, and is more particularly concerned with a latch mechanism of the type utilized with sliding doors.

Heretofore latches for sliding doors have been relatively expensive due to being constructed so as to prevent damage in the event that it is attempted to close the sliding door while the latch is in an extended or latching position. In these constructions the problem was solved by providing latching mechanism having the characteristics that, if the latch is in extended or latching position when the door is closed, the latch is able to collapse to its normal unlatched position.

It is an object of the present invention to simplify the construction of the latch mechanism, and yet provide a construction which will prevent damage to the mechanism in the event that the door is closed while the latch is in extended position. To this end, the present invention proposes to provide an arrangement wherein the latch is not collapsed to its unlatched position, but wherein the latch may be depressed from its extended position against a spring force which will act to return the latch to its extended position when the collapsing force is withdrawn.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of mounting lugs which will permit the latch mechanism housing to be mounted in a recess or a cut out of the door structure or a frame, or a handle structure associated with the door, and which will permit reversal of the mounting without change to obtain right and left-hand operation in accordance with installation requirements.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention Without placing limitation thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a latch mechanism embodying the present invention as applied to a sliding door, the housing cover being cutaway to show the working parts, the latch being in latched position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the position of the working parts, when the latch is in unlatched position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the latch member in depressed collapsed position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the latch, taken substantially on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the housing showing the interfitting relationship of the housing cover, and the mounting lug position; and

FIG. 6 is a side edge view of the housing showing the opening through which the latch is movable to extended and retracted positions.

Referring now more specifically to the various figures of the drawings, the sliding door latch of the present invention as generally indicated by the numeral 10 is shown as being carried by a sliding door 11, the latch mechanism being mounted in a cutout or recess 12 which may form a part of the door frame or the actuating handle structure for the door. In any event, the latch mechanism is so mounted that a hook part 13 of a latch member 14, when in extended latched position, will be adapted to extend through an opening 15 into latching engagement with a part of an associated door jamb 16.

3,Ml,097 Patented June 26, 1962 More specifically, the latch mechanism is mounted within an elongate substantially rectangular housing or casing 17 of two part construction. One of the casing parts 17a is constructed to form the main case while the other as indicated at 1712 may constitute the cover portion of the housing or casing.

The housing part 17a comprises a side plate 18 with integrally formed side flanges which form

side edge walls

19 and 20. At the ends of the side plate 18, integrally formed end lugs 21 project from an end edge wall 22. The plane of the end lug is parallel to the surface of the side plate and the lug is positioned substantially midway of the depth of the side edge walls. The other part of the casing forms a cover or top portion which includes a side plate 23 of a width to fit between the

side edge walls

19 and 20. At its ends, the side plate 23 is provided with an end wall forming portion 24 which is adapted for interfitting relation with the end wall 22.

The latch member 14 is mounted for pivotal movement between a retracted unlatched position and an extended latched position in which the hook part 13 projects through an opening 25 in the side edge wall 19. For such mounting, the latch member 14 is provided with a pivot pin 26, the ends of this pin being positioned respectively in arcuate slots 27 formed respectively in the

side plates

18 and 23 of the housing and being transversely aligned. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin 26 is normally resiliently retained at one end of the slots 27 by means of a spring 28, this spring being anchored at one end on a post 29, and having its other end as shown at 3!) looped around the pivot pin 26. It will be appreciated that the pin and slot mounting for the latch member may be reversed without changing the operation of the device. That is, the pin may be made stationary and supported on the casing, while the slot is arranged in the latch member.

For actuating the latch member, an actuating lever 31 is provided. As shown primarily in FIGS. 1 and 4, this lever is composed of a pair of

side plates

32 and 33 which are retained in spaced apart relation by means of one or more spacing elements 34- in a handle forming projecting end 35. The other ends of the

side plates

32 and 33 are enlarged to provide a generally triangular end portion 36. Each of the end portions 36 is provided with an integrally formed outwardly struck circular boss 37. These bosses are transversely aligned and form pivotal supports for the lever, the bosses respectively being rotatably supported in appropriate openings 38

side plates

17 and 18. The bosses 37 may be provided with aligned rectangular openings as indicated by the numeral 38' for removably receiving an actuating member in lieu of operation by the handle 35.

One set of corner portions of the spaced apart triangular end portions 36 are positioned on opposite sides. of the latch member and are connected to the latch member so as to form an articulate connection therewith. For such purpose, a pin 39 carried by the actuating lever extends through an elongate slot 40 in the latch member. It will be appreciated, however, that this pin and slot connection may be reversed without changing the operation of the parts. That is, the pin may be carried by the latch member and the slots formed in the end portions 36. In either case, it will be apparent that the latch member and actuating lever as thus connected form in effect a toggle between the pivotal mounting of the latch member and the pivotal mounting of the actuating lever, this toggle being Operable through a dead center position as the handle 35 of the actuating lever is moved from one limit to another limit of pivotal movement. A compression spring 40 which is anchored at one end to a post 41 and connected at its other end to the end portion 36 as by a pin 42 functions to resiliently move the actuating lever from dead center position towards its respective limits of movement.

The retracted or unlatched position of the latching mechanism of the present invention is shown clearly in FIG. 2. The spring 4% acts to resiliently retain the latch member in a position wherein its hook part 13 is disposed within the casing or housing. sliding door, with which the latch mechanism may be associated, is readily accomplished by merely moving the handle end 35 of the actuating lever from a downwardly extending angular position of its limited movement to an upwardly extending angular position of its limited movement as shown in FIG. 1. In accomplishing the latching operation, the toggle formed by the articulate connection of the latch member 14 and the actuating lever 31 will move through a dead center position to a dead lock position as shown in FIG. 1, wherein the hook part 13 will be in latching engagement with the door jamb 16.

In this position, the latch member is held against rotational movement about its pivot point in a reverse direction to an unlatched position by pressure exerted against the finger part 13.

The latch member in being moved by the actuating lever from an unlatched retracted position to a latched extended position rotates about a pivot point having a fixed position. The pivot point is relatively fixed for the reason that the pivot pin 26 is resiliently retained in the left end of the slot 27 by the action of a spring 28, as shown in FIG. 1. However, with the hook part 13 extended as shown in FIG. 1, it will be noted that the pin 39 is at the center of radius of the slot 27. While the latch member is dead locked in extended position against rotative movement about its pivot point, as established by the pin 26 and associated slot 27, the latch member may be rotated in a clockwise direction about the pin 39 as a center by the application of a collapsing force applied against the outer edge of the hook part 13. Such a force might be occasioned by the hook part striking against the door jamb, when attempting to close the sliding door when the hook part 13 is in extended latched position. When such force is applied against the hook part, the latch member is free to rotate in a clockwise direction, the pin 26 moving along the slot 27 until the hook part of the latch member occupies a position within the casing or housing, as shown in FIG. 3.

Upon relieving the collapsing or moving force applied against the hook part 13, the spring 28 will act to rotate the latch member in a counterclockwise direction so that the hook part again assumes an extended position as shown in FIG. 1. Damage of the latching mechanism under such conditions is thereby prevented. Return of the latch mechanism to unlatched condition is readily accomplished merely by swinging the handle 35 of the actuating lever from its upper limit, as shown in FIG. 1, to its lower limit position as shown in. FIG. 2.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Latch mechanism, comprising: a housing having an opening therein; a latch member having a hook part; means pivotally mounting said latch member for movement in a counterclockwise direction to a position in which the hook part lies within the housing, and ,in a clockwise direction to an extended position in which the hook part extends through said opening to the exterior of the housing, said means including a slot in an Latching of the adjacent wall of said housing and a pin movable therein carried by said latch member; means for actuating said latch member including a lever having an articulate connection movable through a dead center position to a dead locked position when the hook part is in said position exterior of the housing; and spring means resiliently opposing movement of said latch in a direction to cause relative movement of said pin in said slot, but enable said relative movement and the further movement of said hook part in a clockwise direction from its extended position to a position within the housing upon the application of a collapsing force sufficient to overcome the action of said spring means.

2. Latch mechanism, comprising: a housing having an opening therein; a latch member having a hook part; means pivotally mounting said latch member for movement in a counterclockwise direction to a position in which the hook part lies within the housing, and in a clockwise direction to an extended position in which the hook part extends through said opening to the exterior of the housing, said means including an arcuate slot in an adjacent wall of said housing and a first pin movable therein carried by said latch members; means for actuating said latch member including a lever having a second pin and slot connection with said latch and providing a toggle movable through a dead center position to a dead locked position when the hook part is in said extended position exterior of the housing; and spring means resiliently opposing movement of said latch in a direction to cause relative movement of said first pin in its associated slot, but enable said relative movement and the further movement of the latch in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin of said second pivot pin and slot connection of said lever with the latch so as to position said hook part within the housing upon the application of a collapsing force suliicient to overcome the action of said spring means.

3. Latch mechanism, comprising: a housing including a wall having a slot therein; a latch member in said housing; a pin carried by said latch positioned in said slot for supporting said latch for movement in a clockwise direction to extended position and in a counterclockwise direction to a retracted position; spring means normally retaining said pin at one end of said slot during said latch movements; a manually operable actuating lever pivoted for swinging movement through a dead center point from one limit position to another limit position; means biasing said lever from said dead center point towards each of said limits; and articulate means including a pivot and slot connection between the swingable end of said lever and said latch forming a toggle movable through a dead center position to a dead locked position with respect to the extended latch, when the lever is in one of its limit positions, and said pivot in the extended position of said latch forming a pivot point about which said latch is pivotally movable in a clockwise direction under an applied collapsing force while the lever is in said deadlocked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,701,157 Le Bon Feb. 1, 1955 2,742,309 Hillgren Apr. 17, 1956 2,789,852 -Eads Apr. 23, 1957 2,924,475 Russell Feb. 9, 1960 2,928,689 Mineah Mar. 15, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,041,097 June 26 1962 Charles L. Eads It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column l line 9, strike out "to", first occurrence; line 42, for "limitation" read limitations column 4, line 23 for "members" read member line 63, for "Le Bon" read Le Bon III Signed and sealed this 20th day of November 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID D Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents