US3792887A

US3792887A - Latch bolt assembly

Info

Publication number: US3792887A
Application number: US00261517A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Ramsey
Original assignee: Acme General Corp
Current assignee: Acme General Corp
Priority date: 1972-06-09
Filing date: 1972-06-09
Publication date: 1974-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1991-02-19

Abstract

A cylindrical latch bolt assembly insertable in a door edge for cooperation with a door latch operating assembly is described. The housing for the latch bolt has a pair of slits on the sides adjacent the door faces so that the outer end of the housing can tilt relative to the inner end and the exposed face can conform to the edge of a beveled door. An elastic U-shaped spring retainer permits easy assembly of the latch bolt into the housing.

Description

Ramsey 1 1 Feb. 19, 1974 LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Joe B. Ramsey, Walnut, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Acme General Corporation,

Monrovia, Calif.

[22] Filed: June 9,1972

21 Appl.No.:26l,5l7

[52] US. Cl 292/169.21, 292/337, 287/23 [51] Int. Cl. E05b 9/02, E05c 1/08 [58] Field of Search 292/1, 163, 337; 248/49;

Schlage 292 337 x Check. 70 450 x Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Assistant ExaminerRichard P. Tremblay Attorney, Agent, or FirmChristie, Parker & Hale [5 7] ABSTRACT A cylindrical latch bolt assembly insertable in a door edge for cooperation with a door latch operating assembly is described. The housing for the latch bolt has a pair of slits on the sides adjacent the door faces so that the outer end of the housing can tilt relative to the inner end and the exposed face can conform to the [56] References Cited edge of a beveled door. An elastic U-shaped spring re- UNITED STATES PATENTS tainer permits easy assembly of the latch bolt into the 1,808,318 6/1931 Pleister 292/1 UX housing 2,878,049 3/1959 Linton 292/337 X 2,937,897 5/1960 Soderberg 292/337 X 14 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures M4 4 we K M6 M9 A22 *4? 111M111 v- X! "I I I l I //g 1 /z/ 1 LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND Many doors are made with their side edges perpendicular to the faces of the door so that it makes no difference from a structural point of view which face of the door is inside or outside when the door is closed.

Some doors that fit closely into their frames are provided with a bevel on the edge adjacent the latching edge of the door, this permits the leading corner of the door as it closes to clear the jamb while still maintaining a very close spacing between the edge of the door and the jamb when the door is closed. When such doors are closed only a very thin crank is seen between the trailing corner of the door and the jamb. Absent such a bevel on the door edge, the leading corner of the door might strike the jamb. Such a bevel on the door edge is typically only two or three degrees from being normal to the face of the door.

In some types of latches a rectangular flange is fastened to the door edge by screws after a recess has been mortised. Such an arrangement presents no substantial problems when mounted on either a normal or beveled door. e

Door latches have been devised wherein the housing in which the latch bolt is-mounted is merely hammered or pressed into a hole in the edge of the door. The latch bolt assembly may be held in place by interlocking with a latch operating assembly inserted into an opening through the door. The latch bolt housing typically has an exposed end face surrounding the latch bolt, which preferably is flush with the door edge. Typically, the housing may have a small flange at its outer end which becomes imbedded in the wood of the door when driven in place without any requirement'for mortising.

The end face flange is flush with the door edge when the door has a normal or perpendicular edge. In the case of a door with a beveled edge, the flange will typically be raised above the edge of the door nearer its leadingfac'e which is unsightly and may actually interfere with the striker plate on the door jamb. It is therefore desirable to provide a latch bolt assembly wherein the same latch bolt housing can be used for either normal or beveled edge doors.

A door latch operating assembly and a generally similar latch bolt assemblyare described in US. Pat. No. 3,580,622, filed May 12, 1969, by Philip R. Morgan. Many of the parts disclosed in this patent are suitable for use with the improved latch bolt assembly described and claimed herein.

Previously complex structures have been required for assembling a latch bolt into the housing or as in the Morgan patent the spring retainer has been forced into place by deforming the housing. This has required rather high forces that-usuallynecessitate mechanical means for assembly. It is desirable to have a latch bolt assembly that can be put together by hand.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is, therefore, provided in practice ofthis invention according to a presently preferred embodiment, a latch bolt assembly having a latch bolt housing with a first slit through the side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the leading door face and a second slit through the housing on the side adjacent the trailing door face; A web between each of the ends of the'first and second slits on opposite sides of the housing is sufficiently bendable for. opening the trailing slit and closing the leading slit so that the leading edge of the hous ing can tilt relative to the trailing edge thereof enough to conform to a beveled door. The latch bolt is preferably retained in the housing by a spring and spring retainer that is elastically bendable for easy insertion in the housing. The inner end of the latch bolt is preferably split and elastically collapsible to fit through the hole in a door during installation while still retaining adequate width for use in the assembled door latch.

DRAWINGS These and other features and advantages of the invention will be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. 1 illustrates in longitudinal cross section a latch bolt assembly constructed according to principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the housing for the latch bolt assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an inside end view of the housing of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a face view of the latch bolt of the assembly of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION in their assembled relation in the longitudinal cross section of FIG. 1. The latch bolt housing 101 is in the general form of a hollow cylinder so that it can be easily driven or pressed into a cylindrical hole (not shown) bored into the edge of a door. A pair of opposed ribs 106 on the exterior of the housing prevent it from rotating in the hole once it is driven in place.

At its inner end the housing has a pair of flat bottomed grooves 107 which engage a portion of the latch operating assembly (not shown) with which the latch bolt is used. The latch bolt operating assembly is fastened in an opening through the door from one face to the other and serves to retain the latch bolt assembly by way of the grooves 107.

The interior of the latch bolthousing is cylindrical except for a flat 108 near its outer end, namely that end adjacent the edge of the door. The flat 108 is opposite a corresponding flat longitudinal side 109 on the latch bolt 102 so that when the latch bolt is installed in the housing it is prevented from rotating.

The latch bolt has a beveled face 111 opposite the flat face 109. These faces on the latch bolt cooperate with the striker plate (not shown) on the door jamb in a conventional manner for latching a door.

At the opposite end (inner end) of the latch bolt from the striker plate engaging faces are a pair of approximately parallel legs 1 l2 spaced apart by a central longitudinal slot 113, a ramp 114 on each of the legs 112 cooperates with the latchoperating assembly for retracting the latch bolt in a manner described in greater detail in my copending US Pat. application, Ser. No. 261,516, entitled IMPROVED DOOR LATCH.

The latch bolt has a central longitudinal slot 1 16 between side walls 117. A. raised spring seat post 118 is integral with the latch bolt in the central slot near its outer end. One end of the coil spring 103 is seated on the spring seat 118. The opposite end of the coiled spring is seated on a similar post 119 on the spring retainer 104. The spring retainer is in the form of a flat, generally U-shaped plastic member having the bight of the U seated against a transverse stop web 121 at the inner end of the central longitudinal slot 116. The legs 122 of the spring retainer 104 have an outwardly flaring portion near their extreme ends to .provide a ramp surface 123 on the outside of the U.

To assemble the latch bolt into the latch bolt housing the spring and spring retainer are assembled on to the latch bolt in a position with the legs 122 straddling the transverse web 121 substantially as shown in FIG. 1. This sub-assembly is then pressed longitudinally through the latch bolt housing from its inner end. The ramp surfaces 123 on the legs bear against the end of the housing and elastically bend the legs inwardly to fit into the cylindrical bore of the housing. The subassembly easily slides along the length of the housing until the ends of the legs 122 reach a pair of transverse apertures 124 in the side of the housing, this permits the legs to snap outwardly and, to some extent, limit further insertion of the latch bolt sub-assembly into the housing. The ends of the legs of the spring retainer bear against the walls of the apertures 124 and enable the coil spring 103 to bias the latch bolt towards its extended position for engagement with a striker plate.

At its outer end the latch bolt housing has a tapered peripheral flange 126 that limits the extent the latch bolt assembly is pressed into the door. The outer face of the peripheral flange is flush with the edge of the door when the housing is pressed or hammered into place. Near its outer end the housing 101 has a pair of opposed slits 127a and 127k extending through the wall on the portion nearer the trailing and leading faces of the door respectively. Between the ends of these transverse slits are webs 128 which connect the inner and outer end of the housingxThe slits provide a localized weakening of the wall of the housing, and the webs are sufficiently bendable that the outer end of the housing can be tilted with respect to its axis. Thus, in effect, the housing is made of an inner cylinder of substantial length'that fits into the hole in the door and typically is parallel to the faces of the door when it is installed, and a second shorter cylinder near the outer end and also fittable into the hole in the door. These two cylinders are interconnected by the webs 128 which are bendable so that the outer cylinder can tilt relative to the innercylinder.

When the latch bolt assembly is installed in a door that has an edge normal to its faces the two cylindrical portions of the housing remain aligned. When the latch bolt assembly is inserted in a door with a beveled edge the webs bend slightly and the outer cylindrical portion tilts so that the peripheral flange 126 is flush with the beveled edge. Such a tiltingv may be only l to 3 in conventional beveled edge doors.

This tilting of the outer cylinder also tends to close up the leading slit 127b nearer the leading face of the door and widen the trailing slit 127a. The extent of such opening and closing is relatively small but there was a concern that the slight steps introduced into the interior of the housing could catch on some portion of the latch bolt as 'it moves through the housing and thereby impede its operation. The slits 127 are therefore made quite narrow near the root adjacent the inside wall of the housing. They are made relatively wide near the outside of the housing to assure complete clearance for the required tilting and also to provide adequate strength in the molds preferably used for injection molding of the plastic housing.

The concern for catching of the latch bolt on any minor steps introduced by tilting of the outer end of the housing is also evidenced by a very thin web 129 at the root of the slit 127b which becomes more closed when the assembly is inserted in a beveled door. This web is typically less than about 0.010 inch thick and has little, if any, effect on the ability of the outer cylindrical end of the housing to tilt. This web does,'however, provide a smooth transistion between the tilted and untilted portions of the housing and further guarantees that the latch bolt will not catch on any slight step in the interior of the housing. This is clearly an optical feature and may be deleted, if desired, leaving .a completely open slit at each side of the housing. It might also be noted that a very thin web can be left at the root of each of the slits, if desired, to guarantee a smooth transition between tilted and untilted portions of the housing. This can be done effectively without substantially impairing the tiltability of the outer end of the housing but it is a difficult matter for injecting molding. It has not been found to be necessary and the risk of undesirable flash due weight imperfect webs could be more serious than the very slight steps actually encountered in the illustrated arrangement.

The parts of the latch bolt assembly with the exception of the coiled spring are preferably made of an injection moldable plastic material. This provides a light weigh economical construction that has been found to operate satisfactorily over long periods of time. A broad variety of suitable plastic materials are available and some are disclosed in the aforementioned Morgan Patent.

Many other modifications and variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art and it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a latch bolt assembly having a cylindrical housing fittable into a hole in the edge of the door, an improved housing comprising:

a relatively longer inner cylinder insertable in the hole in the edge of the door for alignment with the hole in the door;

a relatively shorter outer cylinder coaxial with the inner cylinder and including a door edge engaging flange; and

a pair of webs interconnecting the inner and outer cylinders on the sides of the housing nearer the top and bottom of the door when installed, said webs being sufficiently bendable to tilt the outer cylinder relative to the inner cylinder enough to bring the flange into engagement with the bevel on a standard door.

2. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 1 an improved housing wherein the inner cylinder includes a plurality of longitudinally extending raised ribs for inhibiting rotation of the cylinder'when installed in a hole in the door.

3. In a latch bolt assembly having a cylindrical housing fittable into a hole in the edge of the door, an improved housing comprising:

an inner cylinder insertable in the hole in the edge of the door;

an outer cylinder coaxial with the inner cylinder and including a door edge engaging flange;

a pair of webs interconnecting the inner and outer cylinders on the sides of the housing nearer the top and bottom of the door when installed, said webs being sufficiently bendable to tilt the outer cylinder relative to the inner cylinder enough to conform to the bevel on a standard door; and wherein the inner and outer cylinders are separated by transverse slits in the housing wall extending between the webs; each of the slits being relatively narrow nearer the inside of the housing and relatively wider near the outside of the housing 4. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 3 animproved housing further comprising a thin transition web across at least a portion of one of the slits adjacent the inside surface of the housing.

5. In a latch bolt assembly having a housing suitable for insertion in a hole in the edge of the door and a latch bolt in the housing, said latch bolt being longitudinally slidable in the housing and engageable with a latch bolt operating assembly, an improved latch bolt housing comprising:

a first slit through a side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the leading door face;

a second slit through the side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the trailing door face; and

a web between each of. the ends of the first and second slits respectively on opposite sides of the housing, said webs being sufficiently bendable for relative opening of the trailing slit and closing of the leading slit so that the leading edge of the housing can tilt relativeto the trailing edge of the housing enough to conform to a beveled door.

6. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 5 an improved housing further comprising a peripheral flange at the outer end of. the housing for resting flush with a door edge.

7. In a latch bolt assembly having a housing suitable for insertion in a hole in the edge of the door and a latch bolt in the housing and engageable with a latch bolt operating assembly, an improved latch bolt housing comprising:

a second slit through the side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the trailing door face;

a web between each of the ends of the first and second slits respectively on opposite sides of the housing, said webs being sufficiently bendable for relative opening of the trailing slit and closing of the leading slit so that the leading edge of the housing can tilt relative to the trailing edge of the housing enough to conform to a beveled .door; and wherein each of the slits is relatively narrower nearer the inside of the housing and relatively wider near the outside of the housing.

8. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 7 an improved housing further comprising a 'thin web exa 6 tending across at least a portion of the first slit at the inside of the housing for providing a smooth transition across the slit.

9. In a latch bolt assembly having a housing suitable for insertion in a hole in the edge of the door and a latch bolt in the housing and engageable with a latch bolt operating assembly, an improved latch bolt housing comprising:

a web between each of the ends of the first and second slits respectively on opposite sides of-the housing, said webs being sufficiently bendable for relative opening of the trailing slit and closing of the leading slit so that the leading edge of the housing can tilt relative tothe. trailing edge of the housing enough to conform to a beveled door; and

a pair of transverse apertures through side edges of the latch bolt housing adjacent the end further from the door edge; and further comprising:

a spring having one end in engagement with the latch bolt; and

a U-shaped spring retainer extending transversely to the latch bolt and having a bight portion in engagement with the other end of the spring, a portion of the legs of the spring retainer fitting into the apertures in the latch bolt housing and preventing translation of the spring retainer towards the inner end of the latch bolt assembly, said spring retainer being sufficiently elastically deformable for insertion through the inside of the latch bolt housing.

10. In a door latch to be mounted on a door having an opening therethrough adjacent one edge and having a hole in said edge into the opening, and having a latch operating assembly insertable into the opening, an improved latch bolt assembly insertable into a hole in the door edge comprising:

a latch bolt cylinder;

a pair of transverse apertures through side edges of the latch bolt cylinder adjacent the end further from the door edge;

. a latch bolt extending longitudinally through the latch bolt cylinder and including a longitudinal opening therein and means for retaining a spring in the opening;

a coil spring having one end in engagement with the means for retaining; and

a U-shaped spring retainer extending transversely through the opening in the latch bolt and having a bight portion in engagement with the other end of the coil spring, an end of each of the legs of the spring retainer fitting into each respective aperture in the latch bolt cylinder and preventing translation of the spring retainer towards the inner end of the latch bolt assembly, said spring retainer being sufficiently elastically deformable for insertion longitudinally through the inside of the latch bolt cylinder.

11. In a door latch to be mounted on a door having an opening therethrough adjacent one edge and having a hole in said edge into the opening, and having a latch operating assembly insertable into the opening, an improved latch bolt assembly insertable into a hole in the door edge comprising:

a latch bolt cylinder;

a latch bolt extending longitudinally through the latch bolt cylinder and including a longitudinal opening therein and means for retaining a spring in I the opening;

a coil spring having one end in engagement with the means for retaining; and

a U-shaped spring retainer extending transversely through the opening in the latch bolt and having a bight portion in engagement with the other end of the coil spring, a portion of the legs of the spring retainer fitting into the apertures in the latch bolt cylinder and preventing translation of the spring retainer towards the inner end of the latch bolt assembly, said spring retainer being sufficiently elastically deformable for insertion through the inside of the latch bolt cylinder; said latch bolt cylinder comprising:

an inner cylinder insertable in the hole in the edge of the door;

an outer cylinder coaxial with the inner cylinder and including a door edge engaging flange; and

a pair of webs interconnecting the inner and outer cylinders on the sides of the housing nearer the top and bottom of the door when installed, said webs being sufficiently bendable to tilt the outer cylinder relative to the inner cylinder enough to conform to the bevel on a standard door.

12. In an improved latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 1 1, an improved housing wherein the inner cylinder includes a plurality of longitudinally extending raised ribs for inhibiting rotation of the cylinder when installed in a hole in the door.

13. In an improved latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 11 an improved housing wherein the inner and outer cylinders are separated by transverse slits in the housing wall extending between the webs, each of the slits being relatively narrow nearer the inside of the housing and relatively wider near the outside of the housing.

14. In an improved latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 13 an improved housing further comprising a thin transition web across at least a portion of one of the slits adjacent the inside surface of the housing.

iPo-wso v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. iPatent No. 3 71 887 v Dated F m 1.313 19,

Inventor(s) Joe B Ramsey It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent P and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

- In the specificationQColumn 4, line 20, "optical" W should read optional line 2 8, "injecting" should 1 read injection line 30, "weight" should read to 5 line 33, "of" should read for line 36, "'wei'gh" should f read weight Column 6, line 64; claim ll, after 5 "cylinder;" insert indented paragraph a pair of transverse f apertures through side edges of the latch bolt cylinder adjacent the and further from the door edge;

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

' McCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N0. 3,792,387 Dated February 19, 1974 Inventor'('s) Joe B. Ramsey It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

p In the heading on the patent there should be included: .--[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 2', 1972; Mexico; l35,924.-- I

In the specification:

. Column 4, line 20, "optical" should read optional linei, "injecting" should read injection line. '30, "weight" should read to 11mm, "of" should read for line, '36, "weigh" should read weight Column 6, line 64, claim 11, after "cylinder f insert indented paragraph a pair of transverse apertures through side edges of the latch bolt cylinderadjacent the end further from the door edge;

Signedand-sealed this 30th day of July 1974.

i (SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON, JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. In a latch bolt assembly having a cylindrical housing fittable into a hole in the edge of the door, an improved housing comprising: a relatively longer inner cylinder insertable in the hole in the edge of the door for alignment with the hole in the door; a relatively shorter outer cylinder coaxial with the inner cylinder and including a door edge engaging flange; and a pair of webs interconnecting the inner and outer cylinders on the sides of the housing nearer the top and bottom of the door when installed, said webs being sufficiently bendable to tilt the outer cylinder relative to the inner cylinder enough to bring the flange into engagement with the bevel on a standard door.

2. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 1 an improved housing wherein the inner cylinder includes a plurality of longitudinally extending raised ribs for inhibiting rotation of the cylinder when installed in a hole in the door.

3. In a latch bolt assembly having a cylindrical housing fittable into a hole in the edge of the door, an improved housing comprising: an inner cylinder insertable in the hole in the edge of the door; an outer cylinder coaxial with the inner cylinder and including a door edge engaging flange; a pair of webs interconnecting the inner and outer cylinders on the sides of the housing nearer the top and bottom of the door when installed, said webs being sufficiently bendable to tilt the outer cylinder relative to the inner cylinder enough to conform to the bevel on a standard door; and wherein the inner and outer cylinders are separated by transverse slits in the housing wall extending between the webs; each of the slits being relatively narrow nearer the inside of the housing and relatively wider near the outside of the housing.

4. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 3 an improved housing further comprising a thin transition web across at least a portion of one of the slits adjacent the inside surface of the housing.

5. In a latch bolt assembly having a housing suitable for insertion in a hole in the edge of the door and a latch bolt in the housing, said latch bolt being longitudinally slidable in the housing and engageable with a latch bolt operating assembly, an improved latch bolt housing comprising: a first slit through a side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the leading door face; a second slit through the side wall of the housing on thE side adjacent the trailing door face; and a web between each of the ends of the first and second slits respectively on opposite sides of the housing, said webs being sufficiently bendable for relative opening of the trailing slit and closing of the leading slit so that the leading edge of the housing can tilt relative to the trailing edge of the housing enough to conform to a beveled door.

6. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 5 an improved housing further comprising a peripheral flange at the outer end of the housing for resting flush with a door edge.

7. In a latch bolt assembly having a housing suitable for insertion in a hole in the edge of the door and a latch bolt in the housing and engageable with a latch bolt operating assembly, an improved latch bolt housing comprising: a first slit through a side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the leading door face; a second slit through the side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the trailing door face; a web between each of the ends of the first and second slits respectively on opposite sides of the housing, said webs being sufficiently bendable for relative opening of the trailing slit and closing of the leading slit so that the leading edge of the housing can tilt relative to the trailing edge of the housing enough to conform to a beveled door; and wherein each of the slits is relatively narrower nearer the inside of the housing and relatively wider near the outside of the housing.

8. In a latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 7 an improved housing further comprising a thin web extending across at least a portion of the first slit at the inside of the housing for providing a smooth transition across the slit.

9. In a latch bolt assembly having a housing suitable for insertion in a hole in the edge of the door and a latch bolt in the housing and engageable with a latch bolt operating assembly, an improved latch bolt housing comprising: a first slit through a side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the leading door face; a second slit through the side wall of the housing on the side adjacent the trailing door face; a web between each of the ends of the first and second slits respectively on opposite sides of the housing, said webs being sufficiently bendable for relative opening of the trailing slit and closing of the leading slit so that the leading edge of the housing can tilt relative to the trailing edge of the housing enough to conform to a beveled door; and a pair of transverse apertures through side edges of the latch bolt housing adjacent the end further from the door edge; and further comprising: a spring having one end in engagement with the latch bolt; and a U-shaped spring retainer extending transversely to the latch bolt and having a bight portion in engagement with the other end of the spring, a portion of the legs of the spring retainer fitting into the apertures in the latch bolt housing and preventing translation of the spring retainer towards the inner end of the latch bolt assembly, said spring retainer being sufficiently elastically deformable for insertion through the inside of the latch bolt housing.

10. In a door latch to be mounted on a door having an opening therethrough adjacent one edge and having a hole in said edge into the opening, and having a latch operating assembly insertable into the opening, an improved latch bolt assembly insertable into a hole in the door edge comprising: a latch bolt cylinder; a pair of transverse apertures through side edges of the latch bolt cylinder adjacent the end further from the door edge; a latch bolt extending longitudinally through the latch bolt cylinder and including a longitudinal opening therein and means for retaining a spring in the opening; a coil spring having one end in engagement with the means for retaining; and a U-shaped spring retainer extending transversely through the opening in the latch bolt and having a bight portIon in engagement with the other end of the coil spring, an end of each of the legs of the spring retainer fitting into each respective aperture in the latch bolt cylinder and preventing translation of the spring retainer towards the inner end of the latch bolt assembly, said spring retainer being sufficiently elastically deformable for insertion longitudinally through the inside of the latch bolt cylinder.

11. In a door latch to be mounted on a door having an opening therethrough adjacent one edge and having a hole in said edge into the opening, and having a latch operating assembly insertable into the opening, an improved latch bolt assembly insertable into a hole in the door edge comprising: a latch bolt cylinder; a latch bolt extending longitudinally through the latch bolt cylinder and including a longitudinal opening therein and means for retaining a spring in the opening; a coil spring having one end in engagement with the means for retaining; and a U-shaped spring retainer extending transversely through the opening in the latch bolt and having a bight portion in engagement with the other end of the coil spring, a portion of the legs of the spring retainer fitting into the apertures in the latch bolt cylinder and preventing translation of the spring retainer towards the inner end of the latch bolt assembly, said spring retainer being sufficiently elastically deformable for insertion through the inside of the latch bolt cylinder; said latch bolt cylinder comprising: an inner cylinder insertable in the hole in the edge of the door; an outer cylinder coaxial with the inner cylinder and including a door edge engaging flange; and a pair of webs interconnecting the inner and outer cylinders on the sides of the housing nearer the top and bottom of the door when installed, said webs being sufficiently bendable to tilt the outer cylinder relative to the inner cylinder enough to conform to the bevel on a standard door.

12. In an improved latch bolt assembly as defined in claim 11, an improved housing wherein the inner cylinder includes a plurality of longitudinally extending raised ribs for inhibiting rotation of the cylinder when installed in a hole in the door.