US529575A - Latch - Google Patents

Description

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4 Pathted Nov. 20,1894.

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NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

EDWARD S. WINCHESTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

;, LATCH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 529,575, dated November 20, 1894.

Application filed March 19,1894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. WINCHES- TER,of Dorchester, (Boston,) countyof Sufiolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to latches for doors, 850., the objects being to provide for the convenient and easy application of the latch to the door; to avoid the difficulty in operating the same which results from the shrinkage or swelling of the wood; to prevent the projection of the latch bolt while the door is open; and to provide a latch which will be neat in appearance, and which will operate edectively.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a latch of improved form embodying various features and constructions fully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the rail of door, and a latch having my invention embodied therein, the devices for automatically releasing the latch bolt when the door is closed, being shown in ele vation. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 of the preceding figure, looking toward the left. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the upper edge of the door showing thelever for automatically releasing the latch bolt. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig.- 6. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a portion of the rail of the door, and the face plate of the latch casing. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, the latch bolt being shown in a retracted position. Fig. 7 is a similar view with the latch bolt projected.

' Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the casing composed of two side Walls 2 and 3, a face plate 4 and top and bottom end plates 5 connecting the face plate and side walls, the casing being thus left open at its rear, through which opening a rocker arm 6 extends to the interior of the casing, as more fully described hereinafter. The top and bottom end plates of the casing incline from the face plate toward each other, the face plate being extended beyond the ends of the casing, which extended portions are formed with openings to receive screws 7 by which the Serial No. 504,226. (No model.)

trouble and more quickly than is required for a mortise with parallel ends, for the reason that there is less wood to be removed and less difficulty encountered in theformation of the inclined ends. v

The face plate ofthe casing is formed'with an opening through which a latch bolt 8 swings, it being mounted loosely at one end on a vertical pivot pin 9 fixed to the face plate of the casing, the bolt being urged constantly forward by a spring 10, which encircles the pivot pin and has one end fixed tothe side wall'of the casing, while its opposite end bears against the latch bolt as shown in Fig. 7. The arrangement is such that when the bolt is retracted, as shown in Fig. 6, its front face will be flush with the face plate of the casing, and when projected it will occupy the position shown in Fig. 7.v In its rear side the bolt is formed with a cavity in which a vertical pin 11 is fixed near one side, and on this pin are loosely mounted. the front ends of two arms 12, which arms are connected together at their rear ends by a cross bar 13, the arms and bar constituting a frame pivoted to the latch bolt. This frame is acted on by the ends of two coiled springs 14, which encircle and are fixed to'the pin, while-their free ends bear upon the two arms, as shown in Fig. 4. The cross bar of this frame is extended at its ends beyond the arms, forming cars 15, which are engaged by swinging lever-plates 16, operated by the rocker arm, before alluded to; These lever-plates are triangular in form and are pivoted between the walls of the casing as at '17, and are urged constantly toward each other by spring arms 17 fixed to the plates The rocker arm 6 has its free end formed with two oppositely extending fingers 20, against which the two straight edges of the plates bear, and between the fingers a friction roller 21 is mounted on a central spindle 22 and revolves against the sides of the casing as the arm is rocked to operate the latch.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the free end of the rocker arm is moved either upward or downward by turning a spindle 22 to which it is connected, it will tip one or the other of the swinging plates on its axis, and cause it to move rearward at its free end, the front wall of the re cess in the plate engaging the projecting ear on the pivoted frame and causing the latch bolt to be retracted within the casing. On the release of the spindle, the swinging plate under the influence of its spring, will restore the rocker arm to its normal position. The spindle is connected to one of the knob stems 23 and is square in cross section and extends through a hub 24 on the end of the rocker arm. The extreme end of the spindle beyond the hub is threaded exteriorly and screwed into the other knob stem 25, a spiral spring being provided between the hub and knob stem 23 to prevent the parts from rattling.

Instead of mounting the spindle in bearings in the casing, as has been the case heretolore, in the present invention it is disconnected from the casing and has its bearing only in knob roses 26 and 27, which are applied to the opposite side of the door around the opening located at the rear end of and communicating with the mortise in which the latch casing is mounted These two knob roses constitute the sole bearing for the spindie, the rose 26 being provided with the usual annular flange 28, which bears against the rail of the door, from which flange three posts 29 extend into the opening. On the ends of these posts an exteriorly threaded ring 30 is fixed, upon which an interiorly threaded neck 31 extending from the flange of the rose 27 is screwed. By thus sustaining the threaded ring by the three posts, the rocker arm is enabled to extend between the posts and be moved to operate the latch.

As aresult of the disconnection of the spindle and its rocker arm from the casing, the shrinkage or swelling of the wood cannot afiect the movement of the spindle, for the reason that it is free to move to a limited extent relatively to the casing. Were it otherwise, and were the spindle mounted in the latch case and also in the knob roses, the shrinkage or swelling of the wood would cause the parts to bind, and in this way would seriously interfere with the turning of the spindle. Another advantage resulting from this arrangement, is that the spindle may be ap plied to the true center of the rail of the door without regard to the location of the latch casin On reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that on account of the extended straight parallel edges of the swingingplates, the rocker arm is enabled to operate them either when occupying the position indicated or when located farther to the rear, as indicated in dotted lines. In other words, the rocker arm and the spindle carrying the same, have a limited lateral adjustment with respect to the latch casing in which the operative parts are mounted.

In order that the latch bolt may be temporarily held in a retracted position when it is operated to open the door, I provide a spring detent in the form of a pin 82, which pin is mounted on the end of an angular spring arm 33. fixed to the outside of the side wall 2 of thecasing. The pinextendslaterallythrough the casing, and has its end in position to extend beyond the cross bar of the frame which is pivoted to the latch bolt, as shown in Fig. 6. The pin is beveled so that the frame may ride thereover and beyond the same, when the bolt is retracted.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the spindle is operated, the latch bolt will be withdrawn and the pivoted frame will engage the beveled end of the pin, be lifted, drop behind the same, and will be held in this position by the pin. The spindle will then be restored to its former position by the spring actuated swinging plate. It will be seen that the latch bolt is locked in aretracted position with its front face flush with the face of the casing. This is of advantage in that while the door isopen, there will be no projecting parts to be tampered with, and the latch will present a neat and finished appearance. In order that when the door is closed the latch bolt may be automatically released and allowed to be projected, I provide connections extending to the top of the door,

which connections are adapted when the door is closed to automatically move the locking pin and cause the same to be disengaged by the latch bolt. This action is effected in the following manner: To the side wall 2 of the casing, a lever 34 is pivoted, the lower end of the lever extending beneath the spring arm 33, while its upper end terminates at the upper end plate of the casing. At this point, the end of the lever is extended through the end of an arm 35, which is fixed to a vertical rock shaft 36, from which a vertical rod 37 extends through an opening in the door rail to the top of the same, where it is provided with an arm 38 fixed thereto and having on its end a vertical finger 39. Near its upper end the rod is encircled by a spiral spring 40, which tends normally to hold the arm in the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 3, in which position the vertical lever 34 will have its lower end held normally as shown in Fi 2, the locking pin extending in front of the frame of the latch bolt, and holding the same in a retracted position. The parts being in this position, when the door is closed the finger 39 on the arm will come in contact with the jamb of the door and the movement of the door being continued, the arm will be moved to the position indicated by dotted ITO lines in Fig. 3, which movement will rock the vertical shaft and throw the lower end of the vertical lever 34 outward, thereby forcing the spring arm 33 outward and disengaging the locking pin from the frame on the latch bolt, which latter will by its actuating spring, be projected.

When the door is to be opened, the spindle is turned, and the latch bolt retracted to the position shown in Fig. 6. The spindle is held in this position, until the door is opened far enough to allow the arm 38 to be moved to its normal position byits spring, which will throw the lower end of the lever 34 inward and permit the locking pin to engage in advance of the frame of the latch bolt.

In order that a tight joint may be formed between the, rail of the door and the knob roses to prevent rattling,I interpose between the flange of the rose 26 and the side of the door, a ring 41 of rubber or other elasticmaterial.

It will be understood, of course, that the devices for operating the locking pin to release the latch bolt may be actuated by engagement with the door frame instead of the door jamb, as shown and described, the essential requirement in this regard being, when the door is closed the devices will contact with some fixed portion of the frame and release the latch.

,While I have described the spindle as being separate from the knob stems, it is in fact a continuation of the stems and in the claims it is to be understood as such.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The combination of the casing, the latch bolt pivoted therein, two swinging plates in position to engage the latch bolt and formed with adjacent straight edges, the spindle mounted in bearings disconnected from the casing, and the rocker arm connected at one end to the spindle and having its opposite end extended between the two adjacent edges of the swinging plates in position to engage the same.

2. The combination of the casing, the latch bolt mounted therein, the two oppositely disposed lever-plates pivoted respectively at opposite sides of the latch bolt and having their free ends arranged to engageand move the latch bolt when swung outward, the spindle, and the rocker arm thereon having its free end extended between the free ends of the swinging lever -plates; whereby the movement of the rocker arm in either direction will swing one or the other of the plates outward and act to retract the latch bolt.

3. The combination of the latch bolt, a spring detent for temporarily holdingth'e bolt in retracted position, a lever fulcrumed at the side of the case for throwing the detent out of action, a rock shaft extending to the top of the door and havingan arm in engagement with said lever for actuating the latter and an arm to engage the door frame and rock the shaft when the door is closed.

4. The combination of the casing, the latch bolt therein, a spring detent for temporarily holding the latch bolt in a retracted position, a vertical rock shaft arranged to be operated by the closing movement of the door and adapted to retract the detent and release the bolt. V 5. The combination of the casing, the latch bolt therein, the laterally movable detent for temporarily holding the same in a retracted position, the vertical rock shaft, the arm on the lower end of the shaft, the lever between said arm and the detent, and the arm on the upper end of the shaft arranged to be moved by the closing movement of the door and to operate the detent and release the latch bolt.

6. The combination of the casing, the latch side of the casing, the pin on the end of the arm extending through the casing in position to engage the latch bolt when the same is retracted, the lever pivoted to the casing and having its lower end in engagement with the spring arm, therocking arm connected to the upper end of the lever, the vertical rock shaft .connected to the arm, the horizontal lever at the upper end of the door in position to be engaged by the frame, and the rod connecting said lever with the rock shaft.

7. The combination with the casing, of the latch bolt pivoted near its end therein, the frame pivoted near the opposite end of the latch bolt, means for retracting the bolt, the spring detent in position to extend in advance of and engage the pivoted frame when the latch bolt is retracted, and means for retracting the detent to release the bolt.

8. The combination of the swinging latch bolt, a frame pivoted thereto and provided with lateral ears, a plate pivoted at one end bolt therein, the spring arm fixed to the outer and formed in its free end with a recess corresponding in length to the throw of the latch,

a spindle, a rocker arm connected to the spindle with its free end in position to engage the free end of the plate and swing the same outward on its pivot and retract the belt, a detent arranged to engage said pivoted frame and hold the bolt temporarily in a retracted position, and means adapted to be actuated by the door frame to release the bolt when the door is closed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 12th day of March, 1894, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

EDWARD S. WINCHESTER.

Witnesses:

J. BROWN LORD,

GEO. HALL.

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