US3155409A

US3155409A - Magnetic door catch

Info

Publication number: US3155409A
Authority: US
Inventors: Schlissel Fred
Original assignee: PENN AKRON CORP
Current assignee: PENN AKRON CORP
Priority date: 1960-09-23
Filing date: 1960-09-23
Publication date: 1964-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-03

Description

Nov. 3, 1964 F. SCHLISSEL umcnmc DOOR CATCH Filed Sept. 23, 1960 73 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Delaware Filed Sept. 23, 196%, Ser. No. 58,105 it) Claims. ((Il. 292-4515) The present invention relates to a magnetic door catch, and it particularly relates to a magnetic door catch having a plastic housing.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a magnetic door catch with a plastic housing which may be readily mounted upon the side of a swinging or fixed member of a door or 'jamb, and which will be automatically adjustable to hold the door in position.

Another object is to provide an inexpensivereadily adjusted and mounted door catch combination having a nonmetallic housing which may be readily positioned in or about a swinging door or jamb, therefore, so as to hold the door in closed position.

till further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it has been found most suitable to make an enclosure or carrier for the magnetic element which will enable the magnet to be readily placed in position and which will enable the metal elements securely held in position without exerting any stress or shearing force on the plastic housing.

It has been found that the plastic housing is most suitably formed of a flexible polyethylene or similar polymer which is desirably formed into a U-box construction with three closed sides and with three open sides so that the cross section of the enclosure takes the form of an inverted U.

Desirably, the interior of the box may be provided with.

a central post projecting transversely into the box which post may be integral with the plastic housing and loosely fit within the central openings within the'plastic plate or wafer, to hold the sarne in position.

In lieu of such a post or in addition to such a post, it is possible to use recesses or projections in the interior side faces of the legs of the box like enclosure which will engage similar recesses or projections in the magnetic Wafer and enclosing plates to hold the same in position.

Where the side grooves or recesses are solely depended upon to hold the magnetic wafer in position, the central post may be eliminated.

Desirably, the box with its magnetic Wafer is held in position by feet which consist of elongated flanges extending outwardly and transversely from the edges of the box enclosure.

These feet are provided with elongated slots and may extend beyond one side edge of the box so as to permit an adjustable mounting.

Desirably, the legs may be serrated on both their upper and lower faces to better grip the attachment element whether they will be screws or nails, and in the preferred 3,155,469v Patented Nov. 3, 1954 form of the invention, there is an elevated peripheral projection around the elongated slot in the feet to enhance the mounting structure.

Desirably, the removal or insertion of the magnetic wafer may be most conveniently accomplished by bending the legs of the box outwardly against the back or base to permit the magnetic wafer to be removed or inserted.

The side legs may have integral inward tabs or lugs to hold the magnetic wafer in position.

In the preferred form, the wafer is enclosed between two steel or other magnetic metals which will conserve the magnetism thereof.

The magnetic block or wafer itself may be formed of a magnetic alloy such as Alnico or Ferrite.

In the preferred form, the cross sectional area of the keeper plates on each side of the magnetic element or wafer are slightly wider and longer than the magnetic wafer, and they are desirably provided with the grooves 'or projections which hold the combination of magnetic wafers or keepers in position.

Where the central post is omitted extending integral into the box from the base wall of the plastic member, the keeper plates may be indented so as to have portions projected into a central opening in the magnetic wafer and thus hold the magnet-keeper assembly together.

It is an important feature of the present invention that there may be relative movement between the keepermagnet Wafer assembly, and the plastic enclosure box and to a lesser degree, there may be relative movement between the keepers and the magnetic wafer itself in the keeper-magnetic wafer assembly.

This will aid in permitting the door to strike the magnetic element Without tending to shear or rupture the plastic housing.

7 It is desirable that the keeper-magnetic wafer assembly project beyond the box on both sides, and in the preferred assembly, the side edges of the box are obliquely disposed so as to extend across the ends of the projecting keepermagnetic wafer assembly.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to, which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section showing the swinging door and the magnetic stop of the present invention mounted upon a jamb.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the assembly of the magnetic wafer and plastic enclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view similar to but upon a slightly enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 2 showing side groove and tongue arrangements for holding the keepermagnetic wafer unit in position and with a central post depending from the base of the plastic box.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view similar to FIG. 3 but with the central integral plastic post eliminated, and with lugs serving to hold the keeper-magnetic wafer in position.

FIG. 4a is an alternative construction of the arrange- F in position. ment in the direction 24 so that the closing of the door A 3 ment of FIG. 4 showing the reversal of the projection and groove of FIG. 4 for holding the keeper-magnetic wafer in position.

FIG. 5 is a transverse partial fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing the manner in which the keeper-magnetic wafer may be readily removed or inserted with the plastic box.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a swinging door A having a magnet metal striker plate B mounted thereon.

Mounted on the jamb C is the magnetic catch unit D having the plastic enclosure box E and the keeper-magnetic wafer assembly F.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the door or swinging member A has the strike plate B mounted thereon by means of the screw or screws 10.

The plastic housing E has the base 11, the side legs 12, and the outstanding feet 13.

The base 11 desirably has the thickest cross section whereas the side legs 12 are of thinner cross section.

It will be noted that the

side edges

14 and 15 of the legs diverge downwardly so that the side walls are longer adjacent the feet 13. The feet 13 have substantial projections 16 beyond the rear edges 15 of the walls 12, and desirably, the legs are held in position by one or more screws 13 positioned in elongated slots 17.

The slots 17 commence inside of the forward edges 14 but extend beyond the rearward edges 15 of the box E.

Desirably, the box E is made of a flexible polyethylene which will permit the legs 12 to bend outwardly as indicated in FIG. 6 with a slight bowing of the base 11 to permit the wafer assembly F to be removed or inserted.

The Wafer assembly F projects both forwardly at 19 and rearwardly at 20 beyond the

edges

14 and 15 of the side walls 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is a relatively wide opening 21 extending through the assembly F and receiving the integral post 22. The lower end of the post 22 has the lower outstanding lip or knob 23 to hold the unit The post 22 will permit substantial moveagainst the unit F will not tend to shear the post 22.

At the same time the strike plate B will contact the edge '14 of the side wall 12 before the space 21 around the post is taken up.

The magnetic unit itself consists'of the central wafer 25 with the covering pole or keeper plates 26.

Normally, the striker plate B will strike at its lower corner 27 against the oblique edge at 28 so that there will be no strain upon the central integral post 22.

In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 3, in addition to the'post 22 and the lip 23, the grooves 40 of rectangular cross section are positioned in the side walls 41 and they receive the projecting portions 42 in the pole plates 43. The top faces of the feet 44 are desirably elevated at 45 around the elongated slots 46 so as to form a better grip for the heads of the screws 18 of FIG. 1.

Desirably, the edges 43 and 47 of the keeper'or pole plates may project beyond the

edges

48 and 41 of the side walls. Thus the edges 43 of FIG. 3 (as well as the edges 19 of FIG. 2) will contact the strike plates B of FIG. 1

before it strikes the side walls 48.

In the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the central post 22 of FIGS. 1 to 3 has been eliminated and inturned legs 66 are employed to hold the. unit M with the bottom pole plate61 in position.

As shown in FIG. 5, each of the pole plates 61 has a central indentation 62 which fits in the opening 63 in the central magnetic wafer 64.

The side edges of the pole plate may have the projections 65 to fit into the recesses 66 in the side walls 67 of the plastic box 68.

Alternatively, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a, the recesses 65' are placed in the side edges of the plates 61, and the side walls of the plastic box will have the projections 66.

In FIG. 4a, the same numerals are shown as in FIG. 4, however, being primed.

The base wall 6? will be the thickest wall.

The side feet 70 will have the slots 7d. with the projecting edge portions 72 which like the projections 45 engage under the heads of the screws 18.

To remove the unit of FIG. 5, the side legs 66 may be moved or bent outwardly as indicated by the double arrow 73 whereupon a new unit of pole plates 61 and magnetic wafer 64 may be inserted.

It is apparent that the applicant has provided a novel plastic box preferably of rigid linear polyethylene, but which also may be made of nylon or polystyrene or cellulose acetate, and which will serve .as an enclosure for a magnetic wafer assembly to serve as a magnetic door stop or latch.

The entire unit is inexpensive, is quite durable, is readily installed and lends itself to ready and convenient installation and operation on the side of a door or jamb as the case may be.

As many changes could be made in the above magnetic door catch, and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. A magnetic door latch construction for a door including a swinging door element and a fixed jamb element, one of said elements having a contact armature plate and the other element having a catch comprising a plastic box-like enclosure having closed top and side walls and open end and bottom walls, said side walls having edges adjacent the plate, and attachment feet mounted on the lower side edges of said side walls and extending outwardly trannversely and a magnetic wafer mounted movably between said walls and projecting beyond the edges of said side walls so as to contact said plate before the plate contacts the edges of the side walls, and means formed in said enclosure to retain the wafer in position, the side edges of said side walls adjacent to and contacting the plate extending obliquely downwardly from the top wall toward the attachment feet so that the edges thereof adjacent the attachment feet will contact the plate after a slight movement of the magnetic wafer, said oblique direction being toward the plate away from the top wall and said magnetic wafer including a central magnetic element and upper and lower pole pieces and having a central opening extending therethrough.

2. A magnetic door latch construction for a door including a swinging door element and a fixed jamb element, one of said elements having a cont-act armature plate and the other element having a catch comprising a plastic box-like enclosure having closed top and side walls and open end and bottom walls, said side walls having edges adjacent the plate, and attachment feet mounted on the lower side edges of said side walls and extending outwardly transversely and a magnetic wafer mounted movably between said walls and projecting beyond the edges of said side walls so as to contact said plate before the plate contacts the edges of the side walls, and means formed in said enclosure to retain the wafer in position, said last mentioned means consisting of an integral post extending downwardly from the top wall and the magnetic wafer having a central opening loosely receiving said post, the side edges of said side walls adjacent to and contacting the plate extending obliquely downwardly from the top wall toward the attachment feet so that the edges thereof adjacent the attachment feet will contact the plate after a slight movement of the magnetic wafer, said oblique direction being toward the plate away from the top wall and said magnetic wafer including a central magnetic element and upper and lower pole pieces and having a central opening extending therethrough.

3. A magnetic door latch construction for a door'including a swinging door element and a fixed jamb element, one of said elements having a contact armature plate and the other element having a catch comprising a plastic box-like enclosure having closed top and side walls and open end and bottom walls, said side walls having edges adjacent the plate, and attachment feet mounted on the lower side edges of said side walls and extending outwardly transversely and a magnetic wafer mounted movably between said walls and projecting beyond the edges of said side walls so as to contact said plate before the plate contacts the edges of the side walls, and means for-med in said enclosure to retain the wafer in position, said last mentioned means including tongue and groove arrangements on the internal face of said side walls, the side edges of said side walls adjacent to and contacting the plate extending obliquely downwardly from the top wall toward the attachment feet so that the ed es thereof adjacent the attachment feet will contact the plate after a slight movement of the magnetic wafer, said oblique direction being toward the plate away from the top wall and said magnetic water including a central magnetic element and upper and lower pole pieces and having a central opening extending therethrough.

4. A magnetic door latch construction for a door including a swinging door element and a fixed jamb element, one of said elements having a contact armature plate and the other element having a catch comprising a plastic box-like enclosure having closed top and side walls and open end and bottom walls, said side walls having edges adjacent the plate, and attachment feet mounted on the lower side edges of said side walls and extending outwardly transversely and a magnetic wafer mounted movably between said walls and projecting beyond the edges of said side walls so as to contact said plate before the plate contacts the edges of the side walls, and means formed in said enclosure to retain the water in position, said side walls being swingable outwardly on said top wall to permit insertion and removal of the magnetic wafer through the open bottom wall, the side edges of said side walls adjacent to and contacting the plate extending obliquely downwardly from the top wall toward the attachment feet so that the edges thereof adjacent the attachment feet will contact the plate after a slight movement of the magnetic wafer, said oblique di- I rection being toward the plate away from the top wall and said magnetic wafer including a central magnetic element and upper and lower pole pieces and having a central opening extending therethrough.

5. A magnetic door latch construction for a door including a swinging door element and a fixed janrb element, one of said elements having a contact armature plate and the other element having a catch comprising a plastic box-like enclosure having closed top and side walls and open end and bottom walls, said side walls having edges adjacent the plate, and attachment feet mounted on the lower side edges of said side walls and extending outwardly transversely and a magnetic wafer mounted movably between said walls and projecting beyond the edges of said side walls so as to contact said plate before the plate cont-acts the edges of the side walls, said side walls having lateral projecting portion to hold said magnetic wafer in position and pole plates enclosing each side of said magnetic wafer and means extending through said pole plates engaging the central portion of said magnetic wafer, the side edges of said side walls adjamnt to and contacting the plate extending obliquely downwardly from the top wall toward the attachment feet so that the edges thereof adjacent the attachment feet will contact the plate after a slight movement of the magnetic wafer, said oblique direction being toward the plate away from the top wall and said magnetic wafer including a central magnetic element and upper and lower 6 pole pieces and having a central opening extending therethrough.

6. A magnetic door latch construction for a door including a swinging door element and a fixed jamb element, one of said elements having a contact armature plate and the other element having a catch comprising a plastic box-like enclosure having closed top and side walls and open end and bottom walls, said side walls having edges adjacent the plate, and attachment feet mounted on the lower side edges of said side walls and extending outwardly transversely and a magnetic wafer mounted movably between said walls and projecting beyond the edges of said side walls so as to contact said plate before the plate contacts the edges of the side walls, and means formed in said enclosure to retain the water in position, said contact plate acting to strike the edges of the side walls of said box-like enclosure, and said side edges being obliquely disposed downwardly toward the attachment feet so as to extend obliquely across and along the outer edges of the magnetic wafer, and said contact element striking the edges of the side walls adjacent the attachment feet immediately after contact with the magnetic water so as to eliminate shearing tendency on the attachment of the magnetic wafer between the walls.

7. A plastic housed magnetic door latch for a swinging door element and a fixed element, said door element having an armature strike plate and said fixed element carrying a m agnet plastic-housing box combination, said combination including an integral molded flexible and bendable plastic housing box construction with integral top and side walls and an open bottom and an Open con tact end and an open opposite non-contact end, said side walls having side edges at the open contact and non-contact ends and said box having integral outwardly extending side flanges parallel to the top wall with mounting openings extending parallelly to the side walls and a central wafer laminate located parallel to the top wall and transverse to the side walls enclosed within said box with a central magnet plate and a parallel metal keeper plate held closely together in said laminate with the laminate having opposite side edges parallel to the side walls of the box and open end edges at the contact and non-contact ends of the box, holding means to hold the laminate in position within the box and anti-shearing means to prevent shearing of the plastic box construction upon contact of the plate and the combination, said anti-shearing means including oblique edges on the ends of the side walls of the plastic box housing extending obliquely toward the contact with the plate from the top wall toward the side flanges.

8. The latch of claim 7, said holding means including central tongue and groove connections between the lami nate and the interior of the side walls.

9. The latch of claim 7, said holding means consisting of an integral post with an enlarged end. i

10. A plastic housed magnetic door latch for a swinging door element and a fixed element, said door element having an armature strike plate and said fixed element carrying a magnet-plastic-housing box combination, said combination including an integral molded flexible and bendable plastic housing box construction with integral top and side walls and an open bottom and an open contact end and an open opposite non-contact end, said side walls having side edges at the open contact and noncontact ends and said box having integral outwardly extending side flanges parallel to the top wall with mounting openings extending parallelly to the side walls and a central wafer laminate located parallel to the top wall and transverse to the side walls enclosed within said box with a central magnet plate and a parallel metal keeper plate held closely together in said laminate with the lamin-ate having opposite side edges parallel to the side walls of the box and extending beyond the open end edges at the contact and non-contact ends of the box, said magnet plate and said keeper plate having central aligned circular openings and having the same length parallel to the side Walls and the central magnet having a shorter Width transverse to the side Walls and a central plastic post having a heat peened lower end extending through aligned openings integral with said top wall, the lower end of said post terminating above the upper faces of the side flanges, said post serving to hold the laminate in position within the box and anti-shearing means to prevent shearing of the plastic box construction upon contact of the plate and the combination, said anti-shearing 10 means including oblique edges on the ends of the side walls of the plastic box housing extending obliquely toward the contact with the plate from the top wall toward the side flanges and said outwardly extending side flanges having upper elevated gripping portions to enable better grip for attachment screws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,690,348 Teetor Sept. 28, 1954 2,690,349 Teetor Sept. 28, 1954 2,914,818 Pritzert Dec. 1, 1959 2,935,352 Heppner May 3, 1960 2,935,353 Loe'b May 3, 1960 2,943,881 Duhm July 5, 1960 2,962,318 Teetor Nov. 29, 1960 3,003,802 Wilson Oct. 10, 1961

Claims

1. A MAGNETIC DOOR LATCH CONSTRICTION FOR A DOOR INCLUDING A SWINGING DOOR ELEMENT AND A FIXED JAMB ELEMENT, ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS HAVING A CONTACT ARMATURE PLATE AND THE OTHER ELEMENT HAVING A CATCH COMPRISING A PLASTIC BOX-LIKE ENCLOSURE HAVING CLOSED TOP AND SIDE WALLS AND OPEN END AND BOTTOM WALLS, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING EDGES ADJACENT THE PLATE, AND ATTACHMENT FEET MOUNTED ON THE LOWER SIDE EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING INWARDLY TRANNVERSELY AND A MAGNETIC WAFER MOUNTED MOVABLY BETWEEN SAID WALLS AND PROJECTING BEYOND THE EDGES OF SAID WALLS SO AS TO CONTACT SAID PLATE BEFORE THE PLATE CONTACTS THE EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS, AND MEANS FORMED IN SAID ENCLOSURE TO RETAIN THE WAFER IN POSITION, THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS ADJACENT TO AND CONTACTING THE PLATE EXTENDING OBLIQUELY DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP WALL TOWARD THE ATTACHMENT FEET SO THAT THE EDGES THEREOF ADJACENT THE ATTACHMENT FEET WILL CONTACT THE PLATE AFTER A SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE MAGNETIC WAFER, SAID OBLIQUE DIRECTION BEING TOWARD THE PLATE AWAY FROM THE TOP WALL AND SAID MAGNETIC WAFER INCLUDING A CENTRAL MAGNETIC ELEMENT AND UPPER AND LOWER POLE PIECES AND HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH.