WO2001038671A2

WO2001038671A2 - Ratcheting pawl latch

Info

Publication number: WO2001038671A2
Application number: PCT/US2000/042327
Authority: WO
Inventors: Loc B. Tieu; Christopher J. Pinkow; Jeffrey L. Antonucci; Gerry Clisham; Ralph C. Ulisse
Original assignee: Southco, Inc.
Priority date: 1999-11-29
Filing date: 2000-11-29
Publication date: 2001-05-31
Also published as: WO2001038671A3; AU4137901A

Abstract

A pawl latch assembly (10) with a handle (11), a housing (12), a pawl (28) rotatably mounted on the housing (12), and a spring locking member (53) having its own internal spring force for enabling a force from the handle (11) of the assembly to be transmitted to the spring locking member (53) to release a pawl (28) from engagement with a keeper (100), where the handle (11) has an aperture (70) which provides access to the pawl (28) and wherein the handle aperture is disposed at a location to permit the handle to rotate to release the locking member (53) from its engagement with the pawl (28), the handle (11) having an aperture (70) therein wherein the pawl (28) accesses a keeper (100) through the handle aperture. A remote latching mechanism (80) is provided for remote actuation of the latch at a location away from the location where the latch is installed.

Description

RATCHETING PAWL LATCH CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U S Pat App No 08/928,266, filed on Sept 12, 1997, now abandoned, U S Pat App No 09/050,806, filed March 30, 1998, now U S Pat No 5,927,772, issued to Jeffrey L Antonnuci et al on July 27, 1999 and assigned to Southco Inc , U S Pat App No 09/299,246, filed April 26, 1999, U S Pat App No 09/400,033, filed on September 21, 1999, and U S Pat App No 09/450,474, filed on Nov 29, 1999, the complete disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference This application is a continuation-in-part of U S Pat App No 09/400,033, which is a continuation-in-part of U S Pat App No 09/299,246, which is a continuation-in-part of U S Pat App No 09/050,806, which is a continuation-in-part of U S Pat App No 08/928,266 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention. The invention relates to the field of latches and more particularly relates to an improved ratcheting pawl latch having an improved actuation mechanism and remote operating mechanism

2. Description of the related art.

Latch assemblies are relied on in many applications for securing items, such as panels, together Various latches are also utilized for securing one or more panels to a frame, such as, for example, fold-out, or hinged panels Containers, cabinets, closets, compartments and the like, for example, may be secured with a latch An important use for latches is in the automotive field, where there is a desire and need to access automotive compartments, such as, for example, the trunk or passenger compartments of vehicles, as well as interior compartments such as a passenger compartment Often in connection with passenger and cargo compartments, there is the need for respacing of the compartment by the repositioning of removable and/or foldable seats and panels

Various latches for panel closures have been employed where one of the panels, such as a swinging or folding panel, is to be fastened or secured to maintain itself along with other panels or a frame in multiple positions which are permitted by the latching operation

Some known examples of latches include an arm which is disposed on one panel and a catch on a second panel, where the arm can be releaseably secured to the catch in order to secure the panels in a first position, such as, for example, a folded position, and be released from the catch to permit the panels to be deployed in one or more additional positions It is also known to provide latches which will lock upon engagement with a keeper member, such as, for example, slam-action latches The prior art devices generally utilize a locking member which is spring loaded, externally, by one or more separately provided torsion springs For example, some prior art devices rely upon a lock which comprises rigid metal parts and requires additional biasing members for operation of the assembly In applications where a latch is utilized in a passenger compartment of an automobile, the latch parts, even if covered in a housing, can be subject to inadvertent contact with debris and other items which can directly spill, or work their way, into the latch Where one or more separately provided springs are employed to govern the movement of a locking member, there is an increased opportunity for debris to affect the latching operation, especially over time, if the dust and debris is permitted to accumulate

Other examples of latches include that described in U S Pat No 4,838,056, issued on June 13, 1989 to L S Weinerman et al Weinerman '056 discloses a latch and lock assembly having expansible latch elements US Pat No 4,850,208, issued on July 2, 1989, also to L S Weinerman 208 describes a latch and lock assembly with spring-biased pivot bolts A similar latch is described in U S Pat No 4,969,916, issued on Nov 13, 1990 to L S Weinerman, and in U S Pat No 5,046,340, issued on Sept 10, 1991 to L S Weinerman et al

U S Pat No 4,91 1,487, issued on March 27, 1990 to M J Rachocki, describes a rotary paddle latch U S Pat No 4,989,907, issued on Feb 5, 1991 to M Edmonds et al , describes a paddle handle latch

U S Pat No 5,098, 141, issued on March 24, 1992 to K A bull, describes a quick release glove box latch mechanism

U S Pat No 5,127,686, issued on July 7, 1992 to S J Gleason et al , describes a door closure assembly

U S Pat No 5,234,238, issued on Aug 10, 1993 to K Takimoto, describes a ratchet type latch assembly

U S Pat No 5,299,844, issued on April 5, 1994 to S J Gleason, describes a sealed latch assembly U S Pat No 5,340,174, issued on Aug 23, 1994 to F F Bender et al , describes a mounting arrangement for a vehicle door handle

U S Pat No 5,413,391, issued on May 9, 1995 to T J Clavin et al , describes a self- closing latch

None of the above patents, taken either singly or in combination, is believed to teach or suggest a ratcheting pawl latch with the improvements as shown and described herein

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a latch for securing one or more panels together, such as, for example, those used with passenger compartments of automobiles, and more particularly, where the panels can secured together by the latch, and then selectively deployed to form a floor or wall of a cargo compartment Often portions of automotive seats are foldable, thus permitting the re-spacing of the passenger or cargo compartment areas For example, where three panels are deployed to unfold to form a floor or cargo compartment wall, it is desirable to maintain the panels in a folded position when they are not in use, with the ability to readily deploy them, as needed or desired by the user With the wide array of uses to which automobiles are put from one day to the next, or even successive trips, it has been important to provide seats which can be moved, either by removing them from the compartment, or folding them within the compartment to reallocate the compartment space Often, in conjunction with such removable or foldable seats, there are provided re- positionable or folding panels which facilitate the use of a compartment, such as the rear passenger compartment of a vehicle, by allowing the user to reform the space For example, the seating space may be reallocated to provide more floor space

The present ratcheting pawl latch can secure a fold-out panel assembly in a first, folded, position until the latch is selectively actuated by the user, whereupon the fold-out panel assembly can then be deployed to form a cargo floor The present invention provides a novel ratcheting pawl latch assembly with a spring locking member, where the locking member has its own, internal, spring force An actuating lever can be provided in the form of a handle or paddle which engages the spring locking member to deflect it against the bias of its own, internal, spring force The spring locking member enables a force from the handle of the latch assembly to be transmitted to release a pawl which selectively engages and disengages a keeper member

When the keeper member and pawl are brought together for engagement with each other (by closing the latch or panel to which it is attached) the pawl is rotated until the locking member is positioned behind the pawl The pawl is provided with a torsional spring member which causes a force load from the spring member to be supplied to the pawl, such that the rotation of the pawl to engage a keeper occurs by forcing the pawl against the bias of the torsional spring

When the paddle is rotated or swingably moved away from the panel surface to which it is attached, the spring locking member is engaged and is lowered and retracted out of the way of the pawl The pawl is disengaged from the keeper with the actuation of the paddle, which causes the spring locking member to release from its engagement with the pawl, whereupon the torsional pawl spring member which provides a force load to the pawl, releases its force load to return the pawl to its unlocked position away from engagement with the keeper The keeper wire is thereby disengaged and the paddle is reset with a spring loading mechanism to its original position

Preferably, the handle of the latch has an aperture therein for permitting the keeper to pass through the handle as the latch is moved into locking engagement with the keeper

The ratcheting pawl latch, preferably, can have a remote actuating mechanism for actuation of the latch at a location remote from that where the latch is installed The locking member can be associated with a remote element which can actuate the locking member to release the pawl

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel latch assembly which is selectively engagable with a keeper member, and includes a spring locking member which is spring-loaded with its own spring force for engaging with, and releasing a pawl from, a keeper member when an actuation member, such as a handle, is moved by a user It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking member which is comprised of spring steel or plastic

Another object of the present invention is to provide a latch which has a remote actuation mechanism for actuating the latch at a location remote from that which the latch is

installed It is another object of the present invention to provide the remote actuation member as a secondary actuator, so that the latch can be actuated from both the point of location of the latch and a point remote from that location

It is another object of the present invention to provide a latch where the handle is configured for an increased pivot range relative to the latch housing

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent through the following description and claims

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig 1 is a parallel perspective view of a ratcheting pawl latch according to the present invention, as viewed from the top right of the front of the latch

Fig 2 is a rear elevation view of the ratcheting pawl latch of Fig 1 Fig 3 is a front elevation view of the ratcheting pawl latch of Fig 1 Fig 4 is right side elevation view of the ratcheting pawl latch of Fig 1 Fig 5 is a top plan view of the ratcheting pawl latch of Fig 1

Fig 6 is a left side elevation view of the ratcheting pawl latch of Fig 1 Fig 7 is a parallel perspective, separate view of the handle of the ratcheting pawl latch according to the present invention

Figs 8 through 1 1 show right side elevation views of the ratcheting pawl latch according to the present invention, with the latch shown in various states, from a start position, through a keeper engaging position, and then to the released (or start) position to which the latch returns Fig 8 shows the latch according to the present invention in the open or unlatched position Fig 9 shows the latch being brought into engagement with a keeper Fig 10 shows the latch engaging the keeper, in the closed or latching position Fig 11 shows the release of the keeper, to return the latch to its start or Fig 8 position Fig 12 is a separate, parallel perspective view of a pawl member of the ratcheting pawl latch shown in Figs 1-11

Fig 13 is a separate, parallel perspective view of a pawl torsional spring member of the ratcheting pawl latch shown in Figs 1-11

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Fig 1, a ratcheting pawl latch 10 is shown having an actuating member, such as, for example, the handle or paddle 1 1 which is pivotally mounted to a latch housing 12 The paddle 11 is attached to the housing 12 and preferably snaps onto the housing 12 for installation thereto The housing 12 is provided with means for mounting the handle 1 1 to allow the handle 1 1 to pivot over a predetermined range when installed The means for mounting the handle 11 is shown comprising housing flanges 13 and 14 (Figs 4 and 6) which can have projections thereon (not shown) The paddle or handle 11 is preferably provided with suitable means for attaching the handle 1 1 to the housing 12, which, for example, can comprise pintels, raised bosses or the like, or matingly provided apertures for connection with projections of the housing flanges 13, 14

Referring to Fig 7, preferably, mounting flanges 17, 18 are provided on opposite handle sides having slots 19, 20 therein, respectively, with respective apertures 21, 22 for attachment to the projections 15, 16 (Figs 4 and 6) of the housing flanges 13, 14 While a snap-fit handle attachment means is shown, it is conceivable that other fastening means such as a pins, axles, bearings, and the like can also be employed

The housing 12 is shown in Fig 1 having a body portion 24 from which the flanges 13, 14 extend An upper flange 25 is provided on the top of the housing body 24 The upper flange 25 extends rearwardly from the housing body portion 24 and is vertically disposed and terminates into an arm portion which is generally perpendicular to the housing body 24 A first slot 26 is provided within the upper flange 25 and extends through the rear of the housing body 24 (as shown in the rear view of Fig 2) The first slot 26 thereby forms a generally L-shaped configuration A second slot 27 is provided below the vertical component of the first slot 26 and preferably communicates with the first slot 26 The second slot 27 extends through the housing body 24, and is generally peφendicular in relation to the first slot 26, as shown best in Fig 1

The latch assembly 10 also includes a pawl 28 pivotally connected to the latch housing 12 with suitable attachment means such as the pawl pivot members 29, 30, shown best in Figs 3 and 12, which are provided extending outwardly from the pawl 28 at opposite sides thereof The pivot members 29, 30 can also be provided as a single pivot member extending through the pawl 28 Referring to Fig 3, a pair of annular portions 31 are provided on the pawl pivot members 29, 30 The annular portions 31 may be provided integral with the pawl pivot members 29,30 or can be separately provided in the form of rings or washer members The annular portions 31 facilitate centering of the pawl 28 within the housing 12, in the centering slots 45a,45b provided in the housing 12 The pawl 28 is installed onto the housing 12 by snap-fit placement of the pawl pivot members 29,30 into the pawl pivot recesses 32, 33, respectively, disposed in the housing 12 A pair of tapered guide slots (not shown) is provided on the housing 12 leading from the edge of the housing 12 to the pawl pivot recesses 32, 33 for guiding the pawl pivot members 29,30, into their respective positions within the pawl pivot recesses 32, 33 The pawl pivot recesses 32, 33 can comprise apertures which extend through the housing flange 25, as shown in Figs 4 and 6, or can alternately comprise indents

As shown in Figs 4 and 12, the pawl 28 is provided having a body portion 36 with a pair of pawl pivot members 29, 30 extending therefrom The pawl 28 has a locking engagement portion 37 and is provided with a pawl slot 38 to retain the striker or keeper member 100. Preferably the keeper member 100 is attached to a corresponding panel or frame (not shown) at a position such that when the panel or frame to which the latch 10 is installed is moved to bring the latch 10 into engagement with the keeper 100, the keeper member 100 will be below the arm portion of the upper flange 25 for engagement with the pawl 28, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

A pawl torsional spring 40 is provided to bias the pawl to its receiving position, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 6. The pawl 28, shown in the separate view of Fig. 12 has an arm portion 39 extending from the pawl body 36. The pawl torsional spring 40 is shown best in Fig. 13 and has tail portions 41, 42, each being connected to a coil 46, and arms 43,44 extending vertically from a coil 46. The vertical spring arms 43,44 extend from the respective coil portions 46 of the torsional spring 40 and connect to form a slot 47 for receiving the pawl arm 39 therein and engaging the pawl arm 39.

The paddle 1 1 is shown in Figs. 1 and 7 having an actuation arm 48 extending rearwardly therefrom. Preferably, as shown best in Figs 8-11, a paddle compression spring 51 can be employed for disposition between the paddle 1 1 and the housing 12 to provide a bias when the handle 11 is lifted so that, after actuation takes place, the handle 1 1 is returned to its original position by the force of the compression spring. While not shown, for example, a paddle retaining pin can be provided extending rearwardly from the handle 11 and a corresponding spring retaining socket disposed on the front of the housing body 24. The paddle compression spring 51 can be installed on the retaining pin 49 at one end thereof with the other spring end held by the socket 50. Preferably, the paddle 11 has a gripping portion or lifting ridge 69 for facilitating gripping of the paddle by a user.

As shown best in Figs. 1 and 3, the actuation arm 48 of the paddle 11 is provided to engage the engaging end 52 of the spring locking member 53. The spring locking member 53

is provided to extend through the lateral second slot 27 disposed in the lower portion of the housing 12 At the opposite end of the paddle engaging end 52 of the spring locking member 53 is the body or retaining portion 54 (which can be provided with a slot 55 for accommodating a locking pin of an optionally provided lock plug (not shown)) The spring locking member 53 is preferably comprised of a spring steel composition or plastic composition such as for example acetal, or any suitable like flexible member which is also durable enough to withstand the actuation forces of the latch assembly

Referring again to Fig 2, the body or retaining portion 54 of the locking member 53 is provided with a positioning tab 59 which engages a positioning stop 58 on the housing 12 This facilitates alignment of a locking pin within the slot 55, by maintaining the locking member 53 in a desired position when the optional lock plug is utilized The positioning stop 58 is shown comprising a detent 58a which extends downward in relation to the positioning tab 59 The positioning tab 59 is preferably provided as a spring member for deflection by the positioning stop 58 as the locking member 53 is slidably moved in a horizontal direction from one side to the other of the positioning stop 58 This is accomplished by the selective engagement of a lock plug pin (not shown) by the user with a key or other operating device The paddle 11 has an aperture 70 disposed therein for accommodating the keeper member 100 which passes therethrough when the latch 10 is closed Preferably, the aperture 70 is configured to permit the keeper 100 to pass therethrough, and to allow the paddle 1 1 to have an extended pivot range relative to the housing upper flange 25 by permitting the upper flange 25 to pass through the aperture 70 when the paddle is pivoted, as shown in Fig 11 The aperture 70 is shown comprising a generally t-shaped configuration

Figs 8 through 11 show a series of positions where the latch 10 is being closed to engage a keeper 100 The latch 10 is brought into engagement with the striker 100, with the striker 100 passing through the paddle aperture 70, as shown in Fig 9 The striker 100 next engages the pawl 28 and causes the pawl 28 to rotate against the bias of the torsion spring 40 to the Fig 10 position The pawl locking engagement portion 37 is moved into a latching position where it is held against the spring bias of the torsional spring 40 by the locking member 53 to latch the latch 10, as shown in Fig 10 The latch 10 is released from the striker 100 by pulling the handle 11 toward the front of the latch 10, in the direction of arrow "a" of Fig 11 The pawl 28 is released, as shown in Fig 11 to its starting position, where it can again engage a keeper 100

Referring to Fig 1 1, the handle aperture 70 is provided to permit rotation of the handle 1 1 beyond the housing upper flange 25, by permitting at least a portion of the upper flange 25 to pass through the aperture 70 when the handle 11 is rotated forward (by force from a user being applied in the direction of arrow "a") to release the pawl 28 from the keeper 100

Remote actuation means can also be provided for actuating the latch 10 The locking member 53 can be released with the handle 1 1, or with the use of the remote actuation means Referring to Fig 2, the remote actuation means for actuating the latch 10 from a location remote of that where the latch 10 is installed is shown The remote actuation means preferably can comprise a cable 80 connected to the locking member 53 The locking member 53 is provided with a connecting pin 81 The connecting pin 81 can preferably comprise a snap member for snap-fit connection with a ring element 82 The ring element 82 is shown attached to the cable 80 The cable 80 can be installed so that its opposite end, the end not connected to the locking member 53, is located at an area other than where the latch 10 is installed For example, the latch 10 can be on the passenger side of an automobile, and the cable 80 positioned with its opposite end on the driver's side of the automobile to permit actuation of the latch 10 through the operation of the cable 80 While not shown, it will be understood that the cable 80 will have its opposite end attached with a release pull, button, handle or the like which facilitates selective pulling of the cable 80 by a user to lower the locking member 53 and thereby allow the pawl 28 to rotate and release from the keeper 100 The spring locking member 53 is also provided with an arm or pawl engaging portion 57 which engages the locking engagement portion 37 of the pawl 28 The latch assembly 10 is actuated by drawing the handle 11 away from the latch housing 12 in the direction of arrow "a" of Fig 11 When the paddle 11 is pivoted, the actuation arm 48 engages the paddle engaging portion 52 of the locking member 53 (Fig 3) and the paddle engaging portion 52 is lowered within the lateral second slot 27 of the housing 12 against the internal spring bias of the locking member 53 When the locking member 53 is actuated, its arm portion 57 is lowered to clear the pawl locking arm 37 With the pawl locking engaging arm 37 clear from engagement with the locking member 53, the bias provided by the pawl torsional spring 40 pivots the pawl 28 from its vertical (Fig 10) position and allows the pawl 28 to disengage from the keeper member 100, thereby opening the compartment or releasing the panel or member which the latch assembly 10 secures The keeper member 100 is shown comprising a striker wire, but may comprise any like suitable member such as a bar, claw, or other suitable attachment member which can connect with the pawl 28

Referring again to Fig 12, a notched portion 65 is provided in the back of the pawl body 36 to provide clearance for the locking member 53, when the pawl 28 is released, as shown in Fig 11 This facilitates the relief of stress upon the spring locking member 53 when the pawl 28 is in its released (Fig 2) position

Suitable mounting means is provided to retain the latch assembly 10 on a panel (not shown) or mounting surface For example, installation of the latch assembly 10 to a panel may be accomplished with the mounting means shown in Fig 3 comprising apertures 60, 61, 62 and guide pins 63, 64 disposed on the housing body 24 for facilitating the fastening of the latch 10 to a frame or panel, such as for example, a foldable floor or cargo panel of an automobile.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the ratcheting pawl latch invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, and it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of the ratcheting pawl latch which are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least any one of said panels is movable in relation to any other of said panels and wherein at least any one of said panels has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising' a) a pawl, b) a spring locking member having a body portion and a movable arm portion, c) an actuating member comprising a handle with an aperture therein, and d) housing means for housing said pawl, said locking member and said actuating member in cooperating relation with each other for selective engagement and release of said latch assembly with said keeper member, e) wherein said handle is pivotally carried on said housing means, and wherein said pawl is adapted for engagement with a keeper. 2 The latch assembly of claim 1, wherein said aperture is disposed in an area corresponding to the location of the pawl, and wherein said pawl engages said keeper through said aperture

3 The latch assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing means comprises an upper flange portion, and wherein said handle aperture is disposed at a location on said handle to correspond to the position of said upper flange portion when the handle is rotated, wherein said upper flange portion extends through said handle aperture when said handle is rotated to unlatch the pawl

4 The latch assembly of claim 2, further comprising a pawl spring carried on said pawl for biasing said pawl to retract from engagement with the keeper member when the locking member disengages the pawl 5 The latch assembly of claim 3, wherein said pawl includes pivot means for rotatably mounting said pawl to said housing

6 The latch assembly of claim 4, further comprising means for mounting said latch to a panel 7 The latch assembly of claim 5, wherein said means for mounting comprises apertures in the housing

8 The latch assembly of claim 2, wherein said locking member comprises a spring steel member

9 The latch assembly of claim 7, wherein said locking member is provided with an engaging portion at one end thereof and a retaining portion at the other end thereof

10 The latch assembly of claim 1, further comprising a spring member provided between the actuation member and the housing

11 The latch assembly of claim 1, further comprising stress relief means for relieving stress on said locking member when said pawl is released from said keeper member 12 The latch assembly of claim 11, wherein said stress relief means comprises a recessed portion provided on said pawl for accommodating said locking member upon release of the pawl from said keeper member

13 The latch assembly of claim 1, further comprising remote actuation means for actuating the latch from a location remote of that where the latch is installed 14 The latch assembly of claim 13, wherein said remote actuation means comprises a cable

15 The latch assembly of claim 13, wherein said remote actuation means includes a cable connected to said spring locking member 16 The latch assembly of claim 13, wherein said remote actuation means comprises connecting means provided on said locking member for connecting a cable thereto and a cable connected to said locking member connecting means

17 The latch assembly of claim 16, wherein said connecting means comprises a connecting pin extending outwardly from said locking member, a ring element adapted to connect with said connecting pin and said cable to connect said cable with said locking member

18 A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least any one of said panels is movable in relation to any other of said panels and wherein at least any one of said panels has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising a) a pawl, b) a spring locking member having a body portion and a movable arm portion, c) an actuating member comprising a handle with an aperture therein, and d) housing means for housing said pawl, said locking member and said actuating member in cooperating relation with each other for selective engagement and release of said latch assembly with said keeper member, e) said spring locking member being carried by said housing means for engagement of said spring locking member with said pawl and with said actuating member, said actuating member being operable to deflect said locking member arm away from said pawl to release the pawl from engagement with a keeper, and f) wherein said handle is pivotally carried on said housing means, and wherein said pawl is adapted for engagement with a keeper 19 The latch assembly of claim 1, further comprising remote actuation means for actuating the latch from a location remote of that where the latch is installed.

20 A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least any one of said panels is movable in relation to any other of said panels and wherein at least any one of said panels has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising a) a pawl, b) a spring locking member having a body portion and a movable arm portion, c) an actuating member comprising a handle with an aperture therein, and d) housing means for housing said pawl, said locking member and said actuating member in cooperating relation with each other for selective engagement and release of said latch assembly with said keeper member, and e) remote actuation means for actuating the latch from a location remote of that where the latch is installed, f) wherein said handle is pivotally carried on said housing means, and wherein said pawl is adapted for engagement with a keeper, g) wherein said aperture is disposed in an area corresponding to the location of the pawl, and wherein said pawl engages said keeper through said aperture