US3431001A - Securing means for doors and the like - Google Patents

Description

March 4, 1969 LA VERNE R. OLSEN 3,431,001

SECURING MEANS FOR DOORS AND THE LIKE Fil'ed Sept. 19, 1967 Sheetof 2 n. m fi mmw mm m m m NM 6 ow 2 w. R M QM, v 0.6%. M m\ J, M m m?) 8. mm {mm W vw L Y L wmw E NW mm s March 4, 1969 LA VERNE OLSEN 3,431,001

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Laverne R. Olsen A r TORNE Y8 United States Patent Ofi ice 3,431 ,001 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 3,431,001 SECURING MEANS FOR DOORS AND THE LIKE La Verne R. ()lsen, Rte. 2, Box 152, Osage, Iowa 50461 Filed Sept. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 668,891 US. Cl. 292-218 Int. Cl. Ec 3/04 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements in a latching device for use in securing a pair of large doors or similar structures, and which may also serve as handles for moving the doors. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a mechanism that is capable of securing two relatively large movable members to prevent relative movement between the members at their meeting edges.

Barns and other outbuildings used for housing livestock or the storage of various forms of materials, including large mobile mechanisms, will frequently have a very large opening which is closed by a pair of movable doors or panels. There may be variations in the manner of normally supporting the doors, either by hinging the same for rotative movement, or alternately, by sliding the same laterally between open and closed positions. Regardless of how the doors are supported for movement, some form of latching mechanism is generally provided to secure the doors in closed position to protect and safeguard the materials therein. There are a number of problems which are associated with the securing of large doors, and one such problem is the effect of wind. In general, the wind will produce relative movement between the doors, and this is particularly true if it can gain entry through other openings in the interior of the building so as to produce an outward movement of the doors. Such outward movement on the individual doors will tend to cause them to separate along their meeting edges, and such movement will distort or destroy any normal latching mechanism.

One embodiment of the present invention uses as a latching mechanism a form of structural truss that serves a double function of providing handles for moving the doors between open and closed positions, and also a latching mechanism that will securely hold the doors against relative movement. Each portion of the latching mechanism includes two parts that are rigidly held in spacedapart right angle relationship to the door portion with a pivotally mounted member carried by one portion, and which secures the other portion to eliminate or minimize relative movement of the two doors, because of the two point contact between the pivoted member and the portions of the other structure with which it cooperates.

An object of the invention is to provide a latching mechanism for large doors composed of two individual portions each secured to a respective door, and which portions are locked with respect to each other by a pivoted member carried by one portion, which engages the other portion at two laterally spaced points of contact.

A further object is to provide a locking mechanism for large doors, composed of two parts, each of which embodies a truss-like construction, and further embodying a double latching feature that holds the adjacent edges of the two doors in relatively immovable relationship with each other.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention may become evident from the following specification and claims, and from the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the latching mechanism with the parts in open position with respect to each other;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the latching mechanism in the same position as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a barn or outbuilding showing one possible use of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a detail of a portion of the construction shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention will be described in detail. Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, general reference numeral 10' indicates in its entirety a latching device for use on large doors. The structure is composed of two separable parts which are respectively indicated by general reference numerals 12 and 14. The portion 12 includes a bar 16 which carries two ears or attachments 18 and 20, each of which has apertures formed therein for securing the member 16 to the surface of a door. A second bar 22 is held in spaced relationship to the bar 16 by rigid connecting members 24 and 26, and said bar is attached to the bar 16 by an angular portion 28 which joins bar 16 adjacent the securing ear 18. The member 14 is of similar construction, being composed of a base bar 30 which carries the securing ears 32, 34, both of which are formed with opening therein to receive securing means to attach the member 14 to the other door, as best seen in FIG. 3. Another bar 36 extends parallel to bar 30 and is secured to the latter by a spacing member 38, and an angular portion 40, the outer end of which is secured to the bar 30 adjacent the fastening ear 34. There extends between the members 30 and 36 a rod 42 whose outer ends 42a and 42]; extend through openings in the bars 30 and 36 so as to be pivotally rotatable with respect to those bars. Rigidly secured to the pivotal member 42 for movement with said member is a long link 44 and a shorter link 46. The link 44 has an outturned handle 48 adjacent its outer end. Said link 44 and the link 46 are each formed with a slot indicated respectively at 50 and 52 that are aligned with each other and so located that when these links are rotated relative to member 12, the slots 50 and 52 will circumscribe the connecting member 24 adjacent the members 16 and 22, thus forming two points of contact between the pivoted links 44, 46, and the connecting member 24. The link 44 has formed therein an aperture 54 which coincides with an aperture 56 in member 22 that will permit the insertion through the two members of a lock as a security means.

Having reference to FIG. 3, reference character 58 indicates in its entirety a conventional form of outbuilding to which the present invention could pertain, such as a barn or storage building. Said building is provided with a large opening, indicated at 60, which is closable by a pair of doors indicated respectively by reference numerals 62, 64. As shown, the two doors 62, 64, are supported adjacent their upper edges for lateral sliding movement on a conventional trolley structure contained within a housing 66. With respect to the opening 60, as illustrated, the lower edges of the two doors are somewhat above the ground surface, leaving a lower space indicated at 68. In many structures of this type, there are no connections between the doors and the ground surface, and the lower edges of the doors are held in guiding relationship to the building 58 by roller devices that are supported on the building surface on opposite sides of the opening 60 and as disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In operation, whether the doors of the building structure are of the sliding nature, as disclosed in FIG. 3, or

whether they are hinged at their outer edges for rotating movement between an open and closed position, is of no significance insofar as this invention is concerned. The truss- like members 12 and 14 may in either instance be suitable to serve as handles for moving the doors 26, 64, between open and closed positions. When it is desired to latch the doors in a closed position, the pivoted member, composed of links 44, 46, and connecting member 42, is grasped by the handle 48 and rotated in the manner shown in FIG. 2 in the direction of the structure 12 so that the slots 50 and 52 engage member 24 adjacent members 16 and 22, thereby forming two spaced-apart points of contact with connecting member 24 within the limits of the truss-like structure 12, and the handle 48 merely rides on the upper surface of member 22. If it is desired to lock the doors in a closed position, a conventional padlock is passed through the openings 54, 56, and secured in that position.

It will be appreciated that if the building is subjected to wind in a direction toward the doors, these can be no appreciable movement of the doors towards the building, because they overlap the edges of the opening 60 of the building. Should the wind enter the building from some other opening and create an outward pressure on the doors, the latching mechanism will hold the adjacent edges of the doors in relatively immovable relationship with each other, and the rollers 70 would hold the doors at their outer edges. If, however, the rollers 70 are not present, or the doors are hinged at their outer edges, they would still be held in a secure relationship to each other at their adjacent or meeting edges by reason of the latching device 10.

It is realized that those skilled in the art might readily conceive of other embodiments of practicing the present invention, such as the combining of the members 44 and 46 into a single piece of metal so as to enclose a substantial length of the member 24. However, a technique such as this would still operate on the principle of using two spaced-apart contact points, since the opposite edges of any slog which would engage the member 24 would provide spaced-apart contact surfaces between the members 16 and 22.

I claim:

1. A latching device comprising a first member adapted to be secured to a surface of one door, a portion of said member extending outwardly at right angles from said door, a second member adapted to be secured to another door and in a position substantially coinciding with said first-named member when said doors are closed, and latching means pivotally carried by said second member and adapted for rotation in a direction towards the outwardly extending portion of said first member, and latchingly contacting said first-named member at two points which are laterally spaced with respect to each other relative to and on one side of the first-named door.

2. A latching device as claimed in claim 1, in which the pivoted latching means comprise a pair of members that are held in laterally spaced relationship with each other.

3. A latching device as claimed in claim 1, in which said first and second members are of a truss-like structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 625,602 5/1899 Potter 292214 891,667 6/1908 Browning 292--238 X 1,378,583 5/1921 Church 292-238 1,394,278 10/1921 Cirac 292-205 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner

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