US3042436A - Releasable fastening devices - Google Patents

Description

July 3, 1962 P. s. JEAVONS RELEASABLE FASTENING DEVICES 5 Sheec-Sheet 1 Filed OOc- 15, 1957 IN v EN-roR PH/L/ P 5/V/N6 sw op JEAN/0V3 ATTORNEY y 1962 P. s. JEAVCNS 3,042,436

RELEASABLE FASTENING DEVICES Filed Oct. 15. 195'! 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3. 22

l I I \L INNEN'TOR pH/L/P S HA/65141900 dim m4:

ATTORNEY y 3, 1962 P. s. JEAVONS 3,042,436

RELEASABLE FASTENING DEVICES Filed Oct. 15, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet s lNVEN'TOR 9W 1% mm ATTORNEY July 3, 1962 P. s. JEAVONS 3,042,436

RELEASABLE FASTENING DEVICES Filed Oct. 15, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTOR NEY July 3, 1962 P. s.-JEAvoNs RELEASABLE FASTENING DEVICES s Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 15, 1957 INVENTOE ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,042,436 Patented July 3, 1962 3,042,436 RELEASABLE FASTENING DEVICES Philip Swingewood Jeavons, Birmingham, England, as-

iignlor to Wilmot-Breeden Limited, Birmingham, Eng- Filed Oct. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 690,293 Claims priority, application Great Britain Oct. 16, 1956 17 Claims. (Cl. 292-221) This invention relates to releasable fastening devices, more especially for doors, and has particular tho-ugh not exclusive reference to vehicle door fastenings.

By reason of the various different requirements with which motor vehicle door fastenings have to comply, apart from merely preventing the doors from inadvertently opening, such as to provide adequate reinforcement of the body structure when the doors are closed into the door openings in order to ensure its structural stability, to permit overtravel of the doors beyond their closed positions, while yet requiring very little overtravel in order to perform the door-fastening operation, such fastenings as at present constructed are complex mechanisms, comprising not only outside or Visible interengaging elements fixed to the door pillar and body pillar of the Vehicle but also inside locking mechanism, i.e. components hidden from view within the panelling,

In addition to the foregoing requirements the fastening device has to perform the door-fastening operation very rapidly, i.e. during the fraction of a second occupied by the door in completing the last inch or thereabouts of its inward travel. Moreover the door fastenings must be readily releasable despite the pressure due to the peripheral door seals which is acting constantly outwards.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a releasable fastening device which, While capable of use in other fastening, latching or coupling applications, is peculiary suited to construction as a motor vehicle door fastening which is more simple, and consequently capable of more economical production, than the forms of such vehicle door fastenings at present in use. Another object is to provide a releasable fastening device with which only light operating loads are required to release the fastening.

As a further aim, the invention seeks to provide an improved releasable fastening device which will correctly perform the fastening operation regardless of the position of the parts of the device prior to the fastening move ment between the respective parts, for example a door and door pillar, that is to say a device which cannot be faulted by incorrect setting of the parts prior to the fastening operation. Finally, the invention provides a releasable fastening device which will perform the fastening operation, even at the speed with which this is required to be performed in the case of vehicle door fastenings, without reliance having to be placed on the assistance of spring means for this purpose, although usually such spring means will be provided.

According to the invention the releasable fastening device comprises two parts between which relative translatory movement substantially in parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation and, due to a portion of one of the parts projecting into the plane of the other part to engage the latter, causes relative angular movement between the parts, about an axis substantially normal to the planes of said translatory movement, into a fastening position, means being provided for manually effecting relative angular movement in the reverse direction to release the fastening.

The said other part preferably comprises spaced portions at its leading end with one or other of which the said projecting portion of the first part engages during the fastening operation dependent on the initial angular position of said first part, engagement with one of said portions effecting initial angular movement of said first part in one direction While engagement with the other of said portions effects initial angular movement of said first part in the opposite direction, in both cases further angular movement of said first part occurring in one and the same direction irrespective of the direction of its initial angular movement Between the aforesaid spaced portions or" the said other part, surface portions of the latter extend with one or the other of which the projecting portion of the first part engages during the fastening operation, said surface portions being of such form that forces exerted between them and said projecting portion due to relative translatory movement in the reverse direction pass substantially through said centre whereby substantially no torque is applied to the first part. One of said surface portions is engaged by the projecting portion of the first part in the fully locked engagement of the parts while the other provides a safety lock condition when full lock is not achieved.

Preferably the said parts comprise a striker and a latch member, the latter having a striker-engaging portion pro jeeting from the plane of the latch member into the plane of the striker. Although in certain cases the fastening device may be arranged so that the striker performs translatory movement during the fastening operation with the latch member remaining stationary in a translatory sense, it is preferred that such translatory movement be made by the latch member which may also undergo said angular movement, the striker remaining fixed in both the translatory and angular sense.

Two modes of carrying the invention into effect in connection with a motor vehicle door fastening in which the striker remains fixed in both the translatory and angular sense will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the inside locking mechanism of the fastening device, such mechanism being carried by the door pillar of the vehicle, the figure also showing a latch pin forming one of the outside elements of the mechanism,

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrow A of that figure,

FIGURE 3 is a part-sectional top view of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrow B of that figure, certain of the elements being omitted,

FIGURES 4 to 7 are diagrammatic side elevations on a smaller scale showing the various stages by which the parts move into the fastening position,

FIGURE 8 is a detail view on a larger scale of portions of a guide plate and the striker shown in FIGURE 7,

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of a second form of the fastening device constituting an alternative and simplified form of the invention, the parts being shown in the engaged position and the operating pushbutton being omitted,

FIGURE 10 is an end view of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 9 looking in the direction of the arrow in that figure,

FIGURE 11 is a similar view to FIGURE 9 but showing the inside locking mechanism in the position in which the fastening is locked against release.

FIGURE 12 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 9 of the mechanism shown in that figure, and

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view on the line XIIIXIII of FIGURE 12, the guide plate and latch pin being omitted.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 7 of the drawings, the motor vehicle door fastening device shown therein comprises a striker 21 which is mounted on the body pillar of the vehicle so as to be stationary not only in the translatory sense during the fastening operation but also in the angular sense. The door pillar, not illustrated, of the vehicle has fixed thereto a substantially rectangular plate 22 flanged along three sides, as shown generally at 23, to form a ,U shape laid on its side with its leading end 24 open. At such end 24 the flange portions 23 are outwardly flared or funnel shaped, as shown at 25, to receive the striker 21 with which the flange portions engage and form a guide so that the cooperating parts of the mechanism are correctly presented to each other during the fastening operation in which the guide plate 22 moves in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGURE 4. In the flanged guide plate 22, hereinafter termed the dovetail plate, an arcuate opening 26, FIG- URES 3 to 5, is formed through which a latch pin 27 projects so that, during a door-closing operation, the

striker 21 engages the latch pin. The striker 21 and the latch pin 27, together with the dovetail plate 22, form the only outside elements of the fastening 20.

The inside elements of the latter are all carried by a backplate 28, FIGURES l to 3, which is fixed to the inner surface of the panelling 29 of the door pillar. Preferably the backplate 28 carries a plurality of clinch nuts 30, 30a into which the fixing screws for the dovetail plate 22 on the outer surface of the panelling 29 engage, the panelling being sandwiched between the dovetail plate and the backplate and having an aperture corresponding to the opening 26 in the dovetail plate to permit passage of the latch pin 27 therethrough. The inside elements carried by the backplate comprise essentially a latch plate 31 which carries the latch pin 27, a contactor 32 and a remote control lever 33, each of these three parts being in the form of a lever, i.e. each being pivoted and capable of angular movement about a centre. A main pivot pin 34 projecting outwardly from the backplate 28 serves for the mounting of the latch plate 31 which is of generally semicircular shape with its arcuate surface struck from the centre of the main pivot pin. In addition to the latch pin 27, which projects outwardly from the latch plate more or less symmetrically of such plate, the latter carries an operating peg 35 which projects inwardly and engages an operating edge 36 of the contactor 32. At one extremity the latch plate 31 is formed with 2. lug or the like 37 which provides an anchorage for an overcentre tension spring 38 which lightly loads the latch plate against the contactor 32, a stud 39 on which forms the other spring anchorage.

In the embodiment illustrated the contactor 32 is of bellorank form and at its :lower extremity 32ait is provided with a projecting portion 40 having an arcuate edge 41 adapted to be engaged by an upturned part 42 of a pushbutton shaft 43 of the fastening. Such part 42 protrudes through an L-shaped slot 44 formed in the backplate 28, whilst the other extremity 32b of the contactor 32 is adapted for engagement by the remote control lever 33. The latter is substantially in the form of a quadrant and is provided with an arm 45 which projects upwardly from the quadrant-shaped portion 46 of the lever. At the centre about which the latter portion is formed the remote control lever 33 is mounted on a pivot 47 secured to a portion 48 of the backplate 28 which runs inwardly substantially at right angles to its main portion so that the plane in which the remote control lever turns is transverse to the planes of the latch plate 31 and contactor 32. Of the two latter levers, the latch plate 31 is preferably disposed outermost, i.e. next to the panelling 29, whilst the contactor 32 is mounted so as to lie inwardly of the latch plate but still outwardly of the backplate 28. The arm 45 of the remote control lever 33 is disposed more or less vertically above its pivot 47 and is adapted for con nection by means of a link to the inside handle, not illustrated, of the door. Along its peripheral edge the portion 46 of the remote control lever 33 is formed with two recesses 49, 50, the upper recess 49 providing an extremity 51 of the lever which cooperates with the extremity 32b of the contactor 32. The lower recess in the remote control lever 33 provides two radial faces 52, 52a which cooperate with a locking lever 53 interconnected with the pushbutton shaft 43 in a manner later to be described.

The striker 21 illustrated in FIGURES 4 to 7 is a plate of substantially G shape fixed to the body pillar of the vehicle so that the G shape is in an upright position with its open side 54 facing the direction of movement of the latch pin 27 during door closure. The inner periphcry or cavity 55 of the G shape is formed as a cam surface the function of which is to oscillate the latch plate 31, by engagement of the latch pin 27, and move the tension spring 38 extending between the latch plate and the contactor 32 over the main pivot centre 34a of the latch plate whereby the latch pin is snapped positively into the lower portion 56 of the G shape. At the open side 54 of the G shape its upper jaw 57 is formed with an inward bulge 58 which provides a position of safety lock when the latch pin 27 lies immediately inwards of such bulge, as shown in FIGURE 6, inasmuch as, with the pin in such position, relative translatory movement of the parts 21, 27 in the reverse direction merely causes the pin to bear hard against the inner periphery 58a of the bulge 58 of the upper jaw of the striker 21 without sliding beneath the forward end of such upper jaw.

With the latch plate 3-1, latch pin 27 and contagtor 32 in their correct angular positions at the commencement of a door-closing operation, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, the latch pin 27 is engaged, as shown in FIGURE 5, by the upper jaw 57 of the G shape of the striker 21 where it curves downwardly and rearwardly to form the outer periphery 58b of the inward bulge 58 over the surface of which it rides upon further movement of the door into its body seating, the latch pin 27 being urged slightly downwards against the action of the overcentre spring 38 from the position which it occupied at the upper end of the arcuate opening 26 in the dovetail plate 22. As soon as the bulge 58 has been passed the spring 38 returns the latch pin 27 to the upper end of the arcuate opening 26 and causes the latch pin to lie near to the inner periphery 58a of the bulge 58 of the upper jaw of the striker, as shown in FIGURE 6.

With the latch pin 27 and striker 21 in the relationship shown in FIGURE 6, if the closing movement of the door were reversed the latch pin would press against the inner periphery 58a of the bulge 58. Due to the fact that the are forming the inner periphery 58a is struck from the centre 340 of the main pivot 34 of the latch plate 31 in the position which it occupies at this moment, the relative peripheral contact between the latch pin 27 and the surface of the striker 21 is such that the resulting force passes through the centre of rotation of the latch plate and accordingly no torque about the centre 34a is exerted on the latter. As already mentioned, engagement between the latch pin 27 and striker 21 at this point fulfils the function of safety locking in which if the door is not closed with suflicient force to complete the latching operation, the latch pin is retained in the foregoing position to prevent relative translatory movement between the parts in the opposite direction, i.e. to allow the door to open.

If the door-closing process is continued the latch pin 27 engages with the cam surface 55 of the closed portion of the G shape which is of such form as to urge the latch pin downwardly, against the action of the overcentre spring 38, until it occupies the lower end of the arcuate opening in the dovetail plate, the latch pin then taking up the position indicated in broken lines at 27a in FIG- URE 7. At this stage the door has overtravelled with respect to its bodyseating and, due to the door seals throwing it outwardly again, the latch pin 27 encounters the inner periphery 56 of the upturned lower jaw or tail 59 of the G shape and prevents any further movement in that direction. This is the condition of full lock in which the latch pin 27 is in the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 7 and, again, the inner periphery 56 of the G shape at this point is of such form that forces between the latch pin and the striker 21 pass substantially through the centre 34a of the pivot 34 on the latch plate 3i.

Although, when the parts are properly positioned as shown in FIGURE 4 for a door-closing operation, the latch pin 27 is engaged by the upper jaw 57 of the striker 21, if the latch plate 31 is by inadvertence turned about its centre 34a so that the latch pin 27 is in the position indicated in broken lines at 27b in FIGURE 5 and is engaged by the lower jaw or tail 59 of the G shape, instead of by the upper jaw 57, latching will still be achieved. The latch pin 27 will ride up the rearwardly inclined forward surface 60 of the tail 59 and be moved upwardly from the lower end of the arcuate opening 29' against the pressure of the overcentre spring 38 which moves over centre and throws the latch pin across to the cam surface 55 of the cavity of the G shape. Thereafter, on con tinued door-closing movement, the pin passes to the full lock position as already described. During this process the spring 38 again moves over centre in the reverse direction and the latch pin 27 finally lies in the lower or closed portion 56 of the G shape, as before. In order to prevent the latch plate 31 turning under the influence of the spring 38 to a position in which the latch pin 27 lies below the forward surface 60 of the tail of the G shape, a projection 31a is provided on the latch plate which makes contact with the clinch nut 30a and limits movement of the latch plate in an anti-clockwise direction.

Means are provided for effecting release of the fastening 20 which act to impart angular movement to the latch plate 31 in the reverse direction to that which occurs on fastening, i.e. release is effected by imparting anti-clockwise movement to the latch plate as shown in FIGURE 1. The release means are arranged to operate through the contactor 32, either by means of the remote control lever 33 or directly by the pushbutton shaft 43, as already mentioned, the outer end of such shaft being connected to a pushbutton 64. Release of the fastening by means of the remote control lever 33 is achieved by turning the latter as shown in FIGURE 2 in a clockwise direction so that the arm 45 moves to the position indicated at 45a. Such movement of the arm has the effect of raising the extremity 51 of the lever to the position indicated at 51a in consequence of which the extremity 32b of the contactor 32 moves to the position indicated in FIGURE 1 at 32c and the fastening is released. The extremity 51 of the remote control lever moves in a recess 65 formed in the backplate, the upper end 65a of such recess forming a step which limits upward movement of the extremity. In either case angular movement in the same direction is imparted to the contactor 32 which in turn causes the angular movement of the latch plate 31 through the agency of the operating peg carried by the latter.

To enable release of the fastening 20' from the position of safety lock shown in FIGURE 6, and also to prevent the latch pin 27 moving to the safety lock position when released from the full lock position, a further and lower inwardly projecting peg 61, FIGURE 1, is provided on the latch plate 31. In the position of safety lock the peg 61 is in the position shown at 61a in FIGURE 1 and engages a lower edge 62 of the lower extremity 32a of the contactor. Consequently operation of the pushbutton shaft 43 or remote control lever 33 will move the con tactor 32 in a clockwise direction to impart suflicient clockwise movement to the latch plate 31 to allow the latch pin to pass outwardly beneath the inward bulge 58 of the G shape. Such clockwise movement is, however,

6 insufficient to cause the overcentre spring 38 to move over centre.

Means operable either when the door is open or closed are provided to ensure that the door when in its fastened position is locked. Such means may be operated either by a key applied externally of the door or by appropriate actuation of the inside handle of the latter. In both cases the result is achieved by disconnecting the upturned part 42 of the pushbutton shaft 43 from engagement with the contactor 32. The pushbutton housing 63 is carried by the backplate 28 and the interior locking mechanism 64a is such that a key can be inserted therein and turned to turn the pushbutton shaft 43 about its axis so that the upturned part 42 thereof moves to a position in which it is removed from the plane of the contactor 32 and cannot make contact with the arcuate edge 41 thereof, the interior locking mechanism then returning to its central position leaving the part 42 in its non-contacting position. Locking of the fastening is thus effected by key.

Locking of the door by means of the remote control lever 33 is eifected by means of the aforesaid locking lever 53 which is of substantially U shape. A. longer upwardly projecting limb 67 of the locking lever 53 is pivotally secured to the portion 48 of the backplate by a stud 68 the axis of which is substantially in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the pushbutton shaft 43. The shorter inner limb 69 of the locking lever 53 carries a boss 70 having a bore 71 formed axially therein to accept the pushbutton shaft 43, a transverse pin 72 carried by the latter engaging with a V-shaped groove 73 formed diametrically across the end face of the boss 70. At its upper end the limb 67 of the locking lever 53 has an inwardly turned portion 74 which engages with the recess 50 formed in the remote control lever 33.

Movement of the remote control lever 33 in an anticlockwise direction to the position indicated at b by means of the inside handle of the door will cause the radial face 52 of the recess to engage the portion 74 of the locking lever 53 and rotate the latter about the axis of the pushbutton shaft 43 until the portion 67 moves to the position shown in broken lines at 67a in FIGURE 2. Rotation of the locking lever 53 also rotates the pushbutton shaft 43 to its inoperative position owing to the engagement of the pin 72 with the groove 73 in the boss and operation of the pushbutton 64 will not effect release of the fastening 20. A stop 75 formed by an inwardly turned portion of the backplate is provided to prevent excessive movement of the locking lever 53. It will be appreciated that, when the fastening device 20 has been locked from inside the vehicle, movement of the remote control lever 33 to release the fastening and en able the door to be opened causes the other radial face 52a of the recess 51? to be brought into contact with the inwardly turned portion 67 of the locking lever 53 to turn the latter back to its original position, in consequence of which the pushbutton shaft 43 is rotated about its longitudinal axis to the operative position.

With the pushbutton shaft 43 in its operative position, pressure on the pushbutton 64 will move the part 42 into the longer limb 44a of the slot 44 so that rotation of the shaft is prevented. Longitudinal movement of the shaft 43 will remove the pin 72 from the groove 73 so that, should the remote control lever 33 be operated to lock the mechanism the locking lever 53 will merely rotate on the shaft without rotating the latter, thus avoiding any strain being placed on the shaft. When the pushbutton 64 is released, the pushbutton shaft 43 moves outwardly under spring loading and the pin 72 re-engages with the groove 73.

Means are provided to prevent locking of the fastening 20 by the remote control lever 33 whilst the door of the vehicle is open, whereby the possibility of either the driver or passengers inadvertently locking themselves out of the vehicle, for example if the keys are left within the latter, by closing the door is precluded. When the plate 31.

Provision is made, however, rendering it possible to lock the door without the use of a key. When the vehicle door is open the protruding latch pin 27 is manipulated so that the latch plate 31 is turned about its pivot pin 34 until the latch pin lies in the lower position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 5. Thereby the portion 76 of the latch plate 31 is removed from the path traversed by the extremity 51 of the remote control lever 33 when the latter is turned to the locking position and the lever can be turned to its locking position. The door can then be closed and locking is achieved without the use of a key. The combined necessary actions of moving the latch pin 27 to the position described and then operating the remote control lever 33 to render the outside pushbutton 64 inoperative are considered to be deliberate actions which are most unlikely to be performed inadvertently.

From the description already given it will be evident that during a door-closing movement the upper and lower surfaces 77, 78, FIGURE 4, of the G shape of the striker 21 engage in the flared leading end 24 of the guide formed by the dovetail plate 22 so that the door is gradually prepositioned in correct relationship to its body seating, in order that on reaching the safety lock and full lock positions the engagement between the latch pin 27 and the striker surfaces is such that the resulting forces between the two elements always pass substantially through the main pivot centre 34a of the latch plate 31. In the safety lock position shown in FIGURE 6 the guiding arrangement permits limited movement of the door before a rigid restraint is imposed so that, with the vehicle on the road, door rattle results, thereby affording a warning that the door is not fully latched.

The striker 21 may be provided along its upper or lower edge, preferably the latter, with a spring-loaded wedge 79 slidably mounted thereon. As the parts reach the full lock position shown in FIGURE 7 the striker 21 becomes fully engaged with flange 23 of the dovetail plate 22, the wedge 79 having been displaced against the loading of the spring 80 along the lower edge 78 of the dovetail plate to the position shown at 79a, to hold the striker firmly in position. In addition to the guiding effect resulting from the coaction of the dovetail plate 22 and striker 21, these parts are preferably also so formed as to cooperate with each other to limit relative movement therebetween in a direction fore and aft of the vehicle. This is achieved by turning the flange 23 of the dovetail plate 22 inwardly at its free end, as shown at 23a in FIGURE 8, to engage with a recess in the edge of the striker. In this manner fore and aft movement between the parts may be limited to such an extent that disengagement of the latch pin from the cavity of the striker is prevented.

FIGURES 9 to 13 illustrate a simplified embodiment of the invention which is more economical in manufacture than the embodiment already described. The striker 21, dovetail plate 22 and latch pin 27 are arranged substantially as in the previous embodiment and interact in the same manner to keep the door in its closed position, a latch plate 31 and contactor 32 being also provided. An L-shaped pivoted remote control lever 33 has an extremity 51 which interengages with the extremity 32b of the contactor 32, when the remote control lever is turned in a clockwise direction to the position indicated at 33a, to raise the extremity 32b and release the mechanism from inside the vehicle. The other extremity 32a of the contactor has an inwardly turned lug 81 against 8 which the inner end of the stem of a pushbutton, not illustrated, presses to effect release of the mechanism from outside the vehicle. Locking of thedoor from outside the vehicle is achieved by means of a key which prevents movement of the button relatively to its mounting in the usual manner.

With the last-described form of mechanism applied to one of the doors of a vehicle, the other doors may be provided with a pushbutton that is not adapted to accept a key but is locked by movement of the remote control lever 33 in an anti-clockwise direction to the position shown in FIGURE 12. This causes the extremity 51 of the lever to bear downwardly on one end 82 of a locking lever 83 pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 34 of the latch plate 31. The locking lever 83 is spring loaded so that its opposite end 84, as shown in FIGURE 9, is urged against the clinch nut 30a which also forms a stop for the latch plate 31. At the end 84 the locking lever 33 is provided with an inwardly turned lug 85 which, when the end 82 of the locking lever is moved downwardly by the remote control lever 33 to the position shown in FIG- URE ll, lies immediately behind the lug 81 of the contactor 32 and prevents pivotal movement of the latter to release the mechanism. Unlocking of the mechanism is effected by movement of the remote control lever 33 in the opposite direction to its neutral position, thus allowing the locking lever to swing back to the position shown in FIGURE 9 under the influence of its spring loading.

It will be appreciated that the wedge arrangement shown at '79 and 80 in FIGURES 4 to 7 is suitable for application to the simplified form of mechanism shown in FIGURES 9 to 13.

1 claim:

1. A releasable fastening device comprising two parts between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation, said parts being arranged for relative angular movement about an axis and one of said parts having a portion projecting into the plane of the other part to engage the latter during the fastening operation in which the projecting portion trails said axis, such engagement producing relative angular movement of the parts in a positive angular direction into a relative fastening position, said axis moving during said fastening operation in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes in which said relative translatory movement occurs and which passes through the area of contact of the parts when in said fastening position, and means for manually effecting relative angular movement of the parts, as a result of direct engagement with one of the latter, in the reverse direction to release the fastening.

2. A releasable fastening device comprising two platelike parts between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation, one of said parts being mounted for angular movement about an axis and having a portion olfset from said axis and projecting into the plane of the other part to engage the latter during the fastening oporation in which the projecting portion trails said axis, such engagement producing relative angular movement of the parts about said axis in a positive angular direction in which said relative angular movement continues to occur until the parts attain a relative fastening position, said axis moving during said fastening operation in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes in which said relative translatory movement occurs and which passes through the area of contact of the parts when in said fastening position, and manually operable means arranged for engagement with said angularly movable part to effect relative angular movement of the parts about said axis in the reverse direction as a result of such engagement to release the fastening device.

3. A releasable fastening device comprising in combination two plate-like parts between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation in which one part is disposed in each plane, an overcentre spring which loads one of said parts, one of said parts having a portion which projects into the plane of the other part to engage the latter during the fastening operation in which the projecting portion trails said aids, such engagement producing relative angular movement of the parts, about an axis transverse to said planes and which moves in a plane transverse to said planes during the fastening operation, in a positive angular direction to cause said overcentre spring to shift from one overcentre position to another and move said parts into a relative fastening position, and means for manually and positively effecting relative angular movement of said spring-loaded part in the reverse direction to release the fastening.

4. A releasable fastening device according to claim 3, wherein said means for manually efiecting relative angular movement of said parts include a pivoted contacting element, angular movement of which in one direction imp-arts angular movement to said part loaded by the overcentre spring, and which is interposed between said spring-loaded part and said means for releasing the fastening which act upon the contacting element to cause angular movement thereof both directly and by remote control.

5. A releasable fastening device comprising in combination two plate-like par-ts between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation in which one part is disposed in each plane, an overcentre spring by which one of said parts is loaded, one of said parts having a portion which projects into the plane of the other part to engage the latter during the fastening operation and such engagement producing relative angular movement of the parts about an axis transverse to said planes and which moves in a plane transverse to said planes during the fastening operation, in a positive angular direction to cause said overcentre spring to shift from one overcentre position to another and move said parts into a relative fastening position, a pivoted contacting element angular movement of which in one direction positively effects relative angular movement of said spring-loaded part in the reverse direction to said positive angular direction to release the fastening, a pushbutton for directly effecting release of the fastening and having a shaft a portion of which bears against said contacting element to operate the latter in said one direction, locking of the fastening against release by the pushbutton being effected by turning the pushbutton shaft about its axis so that said portion is moved out of the plane of the contacting element, and a pivoted control lever for causing angular movement of said contacting element by remote control, said control lever having a portion which cooperates with the contacting element to move it towards the release position, the control lever also serving to lock the fastening against release by means enabling the lever to be operated to turn the pushbutton shaft to move said portion thereof out of the plane of the contacting element.

6. A releasable fastening device according to claim 5, and further comprising means interposed between the control lever and said pushbutton shaft whereby movement of the latter to release the mechanism disconnects said means enabling the lever to turn the pushbutton shaft.

7. A releasable fastening device comprising in combination a plate-like striker and a plate-like latch member between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation, an overcentre spring which loads said latch member, the latter being mounted for angular movement about an axis transverse to said planes and which moves during said fastening operation in a plane transverse to said planes, said latch member having a portion offset from said axis and which projects into the plane of said striker which remains fixed in the angular sense during said fastening operation, to engage a surface portion of the striker during the fastening operation and produce angular movement of the latch member about said axis in a positive angular direction in which said angular movement is continued to cause said overcentre spring to shift from one overcentre position to another overcentre position and move said latch member angularly into a relative fastening position, said striker having a further surface portion with which said projecting portion of the latch member engages under the influence of said overcentre spring when in said one overcentre position to provide a safety lock condition when full fastening between the latch member and the striker is not achieved.

8. A releasable fastening device comprising in combination a plate-like striker and a plate-like latch member between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation, said latch member being mounted for angular movement about an axis transverse to said planes and which moves during said fastening operation in a plane transverse to said planes which passes through the area of contact of said striker and latch member when fastened, said latch member having a portion offset from said axis which trails the latter during said fastening operation and projects into the plane of the striker, which remains fixed in the angular sense dining said fastening operation, to engage a first surface portion of the striker during the fastening operation and produce angular movement of the latch member about said axis in a positive angular direction in which said angular movement is continued until said striker and latch member attain a relative fastening position in which said offset projecting portion of the latch member engages a second surface portion of the striker, said second surface portion being of such form that the force exerted between it and said offset projecting portion due to any tendency for relative translatory movement in the reverse direction passes substantially through said axis and applies no torque about the latter to the latch member.

9. A releasable fastening device according to claim 8, wherein said striker has a third surface portion with which said projecting portion of the latch member engages to provide a safety lock condition when full fastening between the latch member and the striker is not achieved, said third surface portion being also of such form that the force exerted between it and said offset projecting portion due to any tendency to relative translatory movement in the reverse direction passes substantially through said axis and applies no torque about the latter to the latch member.

10. A releasable fastening device comprising two parts between which relative translatory movement substantially in parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation and one of which is pivotally mounted for angular movement about an axis transverse of the planes of said translatory movement, and an overcentre device which loads said one part to cause angular movement thereof about said axis from a neutral position, said parts being formed so that they are brought into contact with each other during the initial stage of the fastening operation to cause said angularly movable part to be turned against the loading of said overcentre device towards said neutral position after which it is turned in one direction about said axis under the loading of said overcentre device to engage the other part to provide a safety lock condition, further translatory movement in the fastening direction causing surfaces of said parts to engage with each other to turn said angularly movable part in the opposite direction past the neutral position to cause it to enter into fully locked engagement with said other part.

11. A releasable fastening device comprising two platelike parts between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes containing said parts occurs during the fastening operation in which a first of said parts is caused to perform angular movement relatively to the other part into a relative fastening position about an axis disposed transversely to said planes and moving in a plane transverse thereof during said fastening operation, such movement resulting from said first part having a portion offset from said axis so that it trails this axis and projects into the plane of the other part to engage the latter during said fastening operation, said other part comprising spaced portions at its leading end with one or other of which said engagement of the projecting portion of the first part occurs dependent on the initial angular position of said first part, said engagement with one of said spaced portions effecting initial angular movement of said first part relative to said other part in one direction while engagement with the other of said spaced portions effects initial angular movement of said first part in the opposite direction, in both cases further angular movement of said first part occurring in one and the same direction irrespective of the direction of its initial angular movement, and means for manually effecting relative angular movement between said parts about said axis in the reverse direction to that of said further angular movement in order to release the fastening.

12. A releasable fastening device according to claim 11, wherein surface portions of said other part extend between said spaced portions thereof, the projecting portion of the first part engaging with one of said surface portions in the fully locked engagement of the parts, another of said surface portions being engaged by the projecting portion of the first part to provide a safety lock condition when full lock is not achieved.

13. A releasable fastening device according to claim 12, wherein said parts comprise a striker shaped substantially in the form of a G and a latch member having a striker-engaging portion forming said projecting portion, said translatory movement being performed by the latch member which also undergoes said angular movement while the striker remains fixed in both the translatory and angular senses, the open side of the G shape facing the direction of translatory movement of the latch member during the fastening operation.

14. A releasable fastening device according to claim 13, wherein said spaced portions and said surface portions form part of a substantially continuous surface of the striker, said spaced portions of the striker comprising external surfaces of the G shape at the outer ends of the upper and lower jaws thereof and the striker-engaging projecting portion engaging with the inner periphery of the lower jaw of the G shape, which forms one of said surface portions, in the fully locked engagement of the parts.

-15. A releasable fastening device according to claim 14, and further comprising an overcentre spring which loads said latch member and which in its two overcentre positions urges said striker-engaging portion towards the upper and lower jaws of the G shape respectively the other of said surface portions which provides the safety lock condition comprising an inward bulge formed at the open side of the G shape on the inner surface of its upper jaw, said relative translatory movement of the parts in the reverse direction causing the projecting portion to bear hard against the inner periphery of the inward bulge without sliding beneath the forward end of the upper jaw.

16. A releasable fastening device according to claim 15, wherein upon further translatory movement of said parts beyond the condition of safety lock said projecting portion engages with a third surface portion of said other part to move the parts into their fastening position.

17. A releasable fastening device comprising in combination a plate-like striker and plate-like latch member between which relative translatory movement in spaced substantially parallel planes occurs during the fastening operation, said striker being shaped substantially in the form of a G the open side of which faces the direction of translatory movement of the latch member during'said fastening operation and said latch member being mounted for angular movement about an axis transverse to said planes and which moves during said fastening operation in a plane transverse to said planes, said latch member having a portion offset from said axis and projecting into the plane of the striker, which remains fixed in the angular sense, to engage a first surface portion of the interior surface of the G shape during said fastening operation and produce angular movement of the latch member about said axis in a positive angular direction in which said angular movement is continued until said striker and latch member attain a relative fastening position in which said offset projecting portion engages a second surface portion provided by the inner periphery of the lower jaw of the G shape, said interior surface having a third surface portion with which said projecting portion engages to provide a safety lock condition when full fastening between the latch member and the striker is not achieved, said second and third surface portions being of such form that the force exerted between them and said offset projecting portion due to any tendency for relative translatory movement in the reverse direction passes substantially through said axis and applies no torque about the latter to the latch member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,275,954 McGowan Aug. 13, 1918 1,703,249 Schrader Feb. 26, 1929 1,865,581 Miller July 5, 1932 2,013,285 Mooney Sept. 3, 1935 2,322,892 Springer June 29, 1943 2,468,644 Springer Apr. 26, 1949 2,569,046 Endter Sept. 25, 1951 2,637,583 Roethel May 5, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 482,889 Great Britain Apr. 4, 1938

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