US1470075A - Latch for vehicle doors - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 9 1923.

l. H. GORDON ET AL LATCH FOR VEHICLE DOORS Filed Dec. 19. 1921 alum [15. Gordon.

6. Ex/Wiles.

Patented Get. 9, 1923.

UE'EED sr'rs M'MME 'r is LATCH FOB VEHICLE DOORS.

Application filed December 19, 1921. Serial no. 523,386.

T 0 alZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, IrHUs H. GORDON and CLARENCE E. MILES, citizens of the United States, residing at Lyndonville, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Vehicle Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door latches and is intended more particularly for application to automobile and other vehicle doors, but it is, of course, capable of use upon any swinging closure. The object of the invention is to provide a latch which will effectually retain the door 'in closed position without rattling and which will be set to hold the door in closed position without slamming ,orotherwise applying great force to the door. The invention seeks to provide a latch having the stated characteristics which will-be simple in construction and arrangement and capable of production atua low cost, while possessing a high degree of efficiency in actual use. I

Theinvention is'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whioh 4 Figure 1 is a view showing our improved latch in top plan, i

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the latch casing inhorizontal section and also showing the parts in the position assummed-immediately prior to the door reach ing the fully closed position;

Fig.- 3 is an elevation-of the latch showing the-same in retracted position; 7

Fig. 4 is a similar view but looking atthe opposite sicleof the latch.

The vehicle bodyl and the door 2 may be of the usual or any preferred design, the door beingm-ounted to swing in a horizontal plane in the'usual manner. The door is con structed with a chamber 3 adjacent its free edge in which the latch is mounted, and in the edge of the vehicle body at the door opening is a transverse groove 4: leading from the outer side of the body to a keeper or strike5, the said keeper or strike consisting preferably of a metallic plate set into the edge of the body at the door open ing and secured by any convenient means and provided with a slot or opening 6 disposed vertically and having its vertical walls converging away from the door opening, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The latch is mounted upon and between an outer plate 7 and an inner plate 8 which are connected by bolts or screws 9-in the usual manner and are adapted to be secured in the chamber 30f the door by any convenient fastenings. The outer plate 7 will preferably seat within a channel or groove 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while the inner plate 8 extends to thefree edge of the door and is there provided with a lateral flange 11 which extends across the outer open end of the chamber 3 and is formed with a slot or opening 12 through which the'latch member 13 may project to engage the slot.6 in the keeper. The latch '13 is preferably a cam or eccentric having its working edge 14 tapered, as shown clearly in Fig. 2,whereb-y,' it may fit snugly within the slot 6 of-the keeper and thereby effectually retain the door in closed position, while at the same time preventing all rattling of the door.- The latch cam or eccentric 13 is carried by a' spindle 15 which is rotatably mounted in the inner latch plate 8 and in the body of the door and is equipped at its inner end with a lever or crank handle 16. The outer end of the spin dle may be extended through the door and equipped with an outer handle or knob 17,

but this handle or knob 17 is not indispensable, especially when the latch is applied .to open vehicles. A spring 18 is coiled around the spindle 15 hetweenthe latch and the inner surface of'the door body, and has one end secured to the spindle and the other end secured to the door. The spring tends constantly to throw the latch to working position and, consequently, holds the handle 16 yieldably in the position'assumed by it when the door is fully closed, but light pressure applied ma-nually'to said handlewill serve to overcome the force of the spring and withdraw the latch from the keeper so that the door may be opened. VVe also provide a spring 19which is preferably'in the form of a resilient plate disposed-at the rear of the latch and bearing upon the edge ofthe same above tlie'spindle, as shown clearly in, Figs. 3 and 4%, the inner or lower end of the plate being coiled, as shown at 20, whereby it may be held upon one of the bolts or screws which secure the latch plates 7 and 8 together. This coiled formation also increases the force exerted by the spring upon the cam or eccentric to move the same to its working position. The latch cam or eccentric is also provided in its outer fa e wi h a notch or ec ss 2 and arranged to bear against the said face is aleaf spring 22 provided with a lug or projection 23 adapted to engage the notch 21, the endsof the spring projecting beyond the edge of the latch and playing in the groove 4 so that it may impinge against the edge of the keeper 5, as shown at 24, whereby when the door is closed, the latch will be automatically released. It will be readily noted that the retaining spring 22 has one end secured at the back of the chamber 3 'containing the latch and is shaped to converge toward the latch from its secured or anchored end and the lug or tooth 23, consequently, bears constantly against the outer face of the latch so that it will instantly engage the notch 21 when thelatch has been rocked so as to bring said notch into alinement with the lug.

The. closed posit-ion of the parts is shown in Fig. 1. Ifit be desired to open the door, thelspindlc is rotated against the tension of the spring 18 by force exerted upon'the handle 16 or the handle 17 and the latch is thereby rocked so that its tapered edge lei will bevwithdrawn from the keeper and the outwardly swinging movement of the door will cause the latch to clear the keeper, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2. When the latch has been thus rocked, the lug or tooth 23 on the retaining spring or dog 22 will instantly engage the notch 21 and the latch will then be restrained against reverse movement, the spring 18, however, being under an increased tension. hen the door is again closed, the latch will, of course, clear the edge of the door opening in the vehicle body, but the free end of the dog 22 will enter and move along the groove 4 and impinge against the edge of the keeper, whereupon the continued swinging closing movement of the door will effect disengagement of the lug 23 and the recess 21, whereupon the latch will be moved into engagement with the keeper by the action of the springs 18 and 19, as will be readily understood. The beveled form of the slot 6 in the keeper and the working edge of the latch permits these parts to effect a very close engagement so that the door will be very effectually held in closed position and all tendency of the same to rattle will be overcome. Moreover, as the parts wear through long-continued use, the latch will accommodate itself to the greater movement permitted by the wearing away of the 0p- ..the door is closed.

posed surfaces so that it will enter into deeper engagement with the keeper when venting rattling of the hinges, and, as the latch is above the center of the door, the cam is constantly pulling up on the door so that, in actual service, the latch holds the door firmly in all directions.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is: f

The combination with a body having a door openin and a swinging closureadapted to fit wit in said door opening, one edge of the door opening being provided with a transverse groove, of a keeper secured in the edge of the door opening; and extending across the inner end of said groove and provided with aslot having its side walls converging away from the door opening, an eccentric mounted in the closure for rocking movement in a plane intersecting the plane of movement of the closure, said eccentric having a tapered edge adapted to fit within the slot in the keeper and being provided in one side face with a notch, a spindle rotatably mounted in the closure and carrying said eccentric, a retaining spring secured at one end in the closure and disposed adjacent the side of the eccentric and provided with a lug adapted to engage the notch therein, the free end of said' spring being adapted to play in the groove in the body and impinge against the edge ofthe keeper, a spring'coiled around the spindle and having one end secured to the closure and its opposite end connected with the spin-- dle and eccentric, and a pressure spring secured in the door at the rear of the eccentric and bearing upon the eccentric above the spindle.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

IPHUS H. GORDON. 118.1- CLARENCE E. MILES. a

Images