US416082A - Latch for sliding doors - Google Patents

Description

(No Model)" 7 W. H. THOMAS. LATCH FOR SLIDING DOORS,

No. 416,082. Patented Nov; 26, 1889.

INVENTEIH:

- ,mw. M

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM H. THOMAS, OF JENKINTOIVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

LATCH FOR SLIDING DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,082, dated November 26, 1889.

Application filed April 27, 1889. Serial No. 308,825. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

. Be itknown that I, IVILLIAM I-l. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Je nkintown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Sliding Doors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and exact description of the invention.

My invention relates to fastenings for sliding doors of that character which are usually employed on barns, stables, or other buildings where the same roll or slide on suitable hangers or ways on either side of the walls of such buildings instead of between thesame.

My invention consists in the provision ofa new and improved form of pivoted latch having an enlargement or head 011 its opposite end from that of its pivot projecting at right angles with the vertical plane of the latch bar or arm, said head having its outer end beveled or rounded and its inner end straight, forming an angular shoulder, the said rounded surface striking the upturned end of the latch-hook or catch and riding over the same, thus allowing the latch-bar to drop into the space or notch between said upturned end and the post or door and rest on the shank of the catch, preventing the swinging of the door on its hangers and the shoulder of the head to engage with the rear surface of the upturned end of the catch, thus preventing the sliding of the door until the latch is raised.

The above features will be more particu larly described and claimed hereinafter, and will be clearly understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvements in position for use with the latch about to engage with its catch. elevation of the latch and catch in engagement, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modified use of the latch.

A represents the latch bar or arm, pivoted on the screw to in the door B and having on its outer end the enlargement or offset 0, extending laterally relatively to the vertical plane of said latch-arm and having the rounded outer end 0, which is double the width of the thickness of the arm A, and hav- Fig. 2 is an staple or retainer D, having its ends embedded in the door B, and is secured in place thereby. The latch-hook or catch E is secured in the door F, as in Figs. 1 and 3, or the post G, as in Fig. 2,by means of its shank 6 being partly driven into said door or post, said catchhaving the upturned end 6", with its outer upper-and lower edges rounded off. The purpose of rounding off the edges of the catch E and the end of the head C is to guard against injury to horses and cattle when coming into contact therewith while passing through the open doorway, which injury would be most likely to result if the head were made wedge-shaped, although either form of head will operate equally as well.

When the door is slid or otherwise propelled into the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rounded end 0 of, the latch-head (C will strike against and ride over the end 6 of the catch E and drop back of or on the opposite side of the catch from which it struck, the square shoulder of said head abutting against the face of the catch in such position and preventing the sliding or opening of the door. The portion of the latch-arm A contiguous to the head C rests, when the head is in the position above described, in the notch or space between the upturned end e and the door or post and 011 the shank e, thus preventing the swinging of the door and the disengagement of the latch with its catch until the said latch is raised.

In order to facilitate the raising of the latch-arm A preparatory to opening the door 13, I have shown the use of an ordinary thumb-lever II, projecting through an opening in the door and in an opening in the the usual plate It, secured to said door; yet I do not confine myself to this form of latchraising device, as any other suitable or desired means, as a knob or the like, can be used to the same advantage. I11 fact, as

shown in Fig. 3, a raising-lever or other device is not absolutely necessary, for the mere provision of an opening I) in the door B to the rear of and partly below the latch-arm A will serve to permit of the insert-ion of the finger from the inside of the door, thus affording an easy mode of raising said latch-arm.

It will be observed that the space between the upturned end 6 of catch E and the door or post is only sufficient to permit of the entrance thereto of the latch-arm A, thus preventing the rattling of the door and keeping said door and post or doors in alignment when closed. In the event of the disalignment of the edges of the door or doors with the post, due to springing or warping of the same when the same are unlatched, it is only necessary to press them inwardly when closed until the latch-arm drops into the recess in the catch, where it will be securely held.

With the above form of fastening for sliding doors, where the same are outside of the walls of the building, the old methods of fastening are superseded by a latch, by means of which the securing of the doors against opening accidentally is accomplished by the single operation of closing the door, while the head on the latch-arm serves to facilitate the operation and keep the said arm in its place in the catch by reason of its weight.

What I claim as my invention is as follows: 1. A latch for sliding doors, consisting of a bar or arm pivoted at one end on said door and having on its other end an enlargement or head with a lateral offset or shoulder thereon and having its outer end beveled or rounded, said end when the door is closed striking against and riding over a catch on the other door or post, the shoulder engaging With the rear side of said catch and the latcharm resting in the recess therein, said arm being provided with suitable means for raising or unlatching it, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a latch for sliding doors, the combination, with the arm A, pivoted on the screw a in the door B and limited in its movements by the retainer D on said door, said arm having the head C, with the rounded end 0 and the shoulder a, for engagement with the rear side of the upturned end 6 of the shank e of the catch E on the other door or post F when the door is closed, of the thumb-lever H, pivoted in an opening in the door B, the end thereof projecting through an opening in the plate It and under said arm A, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 22d day of April, A. D. 1889.

WVILLIAM H. THOMAS.

\Vitnesses:

WILL l-I. POWELL, R. DALE SPARHAWK.

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