US2416889A - Flush-type door latch - Google Patents

Description

March 4, 1947. Wl R, ANDREWS FLUSH-NEE DooR LATCH Filed Feb. 9, 1944 Patented Mar. 4, `1947 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICEv 'FLUSH-TYPE Doon-LATCH Weldon R. Andrews, Seattle, Wash., assignor to Hartwell Aviation Supply Co., vLos Angeles, Calif., a copartnership Application February 9, 1944, Serial No. 521,634

3 Claims.

also useful on automobile doors for the same reason, and for the additional reason vthat they do not present any outwardly projecting handle that could become caught into cnes lcloth-ing and possibly `cause accidents. Y

`object of the present invention is to produce a hush-type latch which is of very simple construction and inexpensive to manufacture, but whichvvill operate eiectively as a latch.

in the preferred embodiment of the invention the door to which the latch is applied is provided with a slot or opening through its Wallin the vicinity of the latch, and in this opening the actuator for the latchis located vin such va position that its outer face is substantially flush with the outer face of the door.

This actuator is mounted to rock on a substantially vertical pivotal axis, and the rocking movement is initiated by pressure exerted on the end of the actuator that is located toward, or Aadja-` cent to, the keeper with which the bolt `of the latch cooperates. This rocking movement would naturally project this end of the actuator into the path of the latch bolt and this would interfere with the withdrawing movement `of the latch bolt. One of the objects oi this invention is to overcome this difficulty and to provide a construction for the actuator and bolt which will enable them to cooperate without the rocking movement 'of the actuator interfering in any way with the withdrawal movement of the bolt. Another object oi the invention is to produce a latch of this type having very few parts, so that it will be light weight, thereby adapting it particularly for use on airplanes; also to provide such a latch with a bolt having a form which enables it to present a curved, or cam, face of considerable length to strike the keeper and 'force the bolt back when the door .is slammed or moved l without the use of a large amount oi metal that would otherwise be necessary and which would increase Ythe weight of the latch.

Further objects of the invention will appear i hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations ci' parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficient flush-typer door latch.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specications, while thc Vbroad scope .of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figi is a side elevation showing a door `having a latch constructed in accordance with this invention. In this view the side plating of the airplane is broken away in the vicinity of the door-frame.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken about on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 upon an enlarged scale and looking upwardly. But this View shows the latch in its open position, that is to say, with the bolt withdrawn solas to permit the door to be swung open.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the parts illustrated in Fig. 2 as AViewed from the `position .of the line 3-3 on the inner side of the door, but with the latch bolt in its closed position.

Figi illustrates the side wall I of an airplane provided with a doorway having a door-frame indicated by the dotted outline 2, and provided with a door 3 which may be mounted on a vertical hinge connection ll at one of the side edges of the doorway. Adjacent the free, or swinging, edge 5 of the door 3 the material of the door is provided with an opening 6, and in Athis opening the actuator 1 for the bolt 8 of the latch is movably mounted.

The actuator l is preferably mounted near its vertical middle axis on a pivot connection so that it can swing on a, vertical axis, In the present instance, in order to mount the actuator, I prefer to provide a base-member or base-plate l t which is attached to the inner face oi the door 3 by suitable small bolts ll which are illustrated k1n Fig. 3, but some of which are omitted in Fig. v2 for the sake of clearness in the drawing, This base-plate l 0 is provided with an opening l2 that to its closed position; also to accomplish this 50 is juxtaposed on that portion of the area ofthe opening 6 that is located nearest to the free edge of the door; and adjacent each side edge I3 of this opening I2 the base-plate lil is provided with projecting ears I@ preferably made integral with the base-plate. These ears I4 project inboard in a substantially horizontal direction.

The actuator includes an outer body or ller I 5 that ts nicely into the opening E and against its beveled end edges 6a and 6b when the latch Y is in its closed position. This filler is attached axis already referred to, By projecting these arms I'I in an inboard direction to a considerable dis` tance, I am able to vprovide a clearance space I9 in the path of the bolt 8, into Which the inwardly pressed end of the actuator may move Without obstructing Vthe withdrawing movement of the bolt.

In order to provide this clearance space and at the same time to produce a light-Weight bolt 8 suited to my purpose, I prefer to construct the plate Iii and a bracket portion including an ofiset'extension 2l that extends inboard,

At its inbo'ard end the extension 2l is bent around to forman attaching arm or link 22, the end of which is connected to the ends of the arms ITI. In the present instance the side edges of this link are provided with integralV projecting pintles 23 that project into eyes24 formed in the ends of the arms, to receive them.

The manner of guiding the body portion 2Q of the bolt on the base-plate I@ is somewhat free, that is to say, the bolt is not guided so that rit must slide absolutely in a plane alongside of the base-plate lil but the end of the bolt that cooperates With the keeper 25 of the latch is guided in the vicinity of the keeper, In order to accomplish this I bend the adjacent edge of the base` plate I0 in an inboard direction to form an integral flange 2t, formedivvith a slot 2l through it which is slightly larger in area than the Ycross section oi the body portion 2i] of the bolt. YIn making the bolt, the strap metal that is used to form the'bolt is thrust through this guide openl bolt 8 of strap metal, bent so as to present a body l portion 2 that is guided to slide on the baseing 2l` from the side remote from the keeper 25,` Y

after which the end of the strap is bent around to form a cam extension carrying the cam face 28.

In the present instance, the cam face 28 is dis' posed along an arc and the end of the camV extension 2i; abuts up against the metal of the oir-` set extension 2l; If this latch bolt is made of very lightrmaterial, this end 2S if desired, could be welded to the adjacent metal of the extension Y Zivtoinsure ,that the cam extension Would havel sulcient rigidity Vso that it willl not be battered out of .position Vby slamming the door. In this connection, of course, it should be understood thatrvvhen the bolt is in its extended position and the door is slammed or pushed shut, this cam face .28 Will ride on the edge of the keeperV '25,v

` l,resilient means associated with the latch in any desired-manner, In the present instanceY this resilientmeans is Yinthe form-of a coil spring Y 30 disposed around the bolt or shaft I8. One end of this spring is extended in a shank 3| lying against the inboard face of the base-plate I0 'and the other end is formed with a hooked shank 32 that engages over the edge of one of the arms I'I. l

Of course, if desired, :the cam face 28 may be a straight inclined face instead of a curved face, as shown,

Attention is called to the advantage of the skeleton form of the bolt illustrated, providing as` formed thereon; an actuator plate pivotally secured to said base plate and positioned to close an opening in a door on which the base plate is mounted, there being an accommodation slot in said base plate to pass an end of said actuatorplate as said actuator plate is pivoted; and a latch bolt formed of strap material, said boltincluding a looped portion having a iiat side adapted to ride on said base plate and retained thereon by said guide means, and a cam side adapted for engagement with a keeper to move the bolt as the door is closed; and coacting means extending from said bolt andsaid actuator and pivotally connected together Wherebypivotal movement o said actuator effects aY sliding movement of said bolt.

2. In aflush-type door latch: an actuator plate adapted to t Within an opening in a door Wall and 'orm aclosure therefor; means for pivoting said actuator plate, from'a position in the plane oI said door wail toan angular position relative thereto, said actuator plate including an arm-,prop jecting .into said door; a bolt formedY of a sheet strip and including a loop portion having a flatl tioned adjacent-said door, a cam side yextending inboard of said flat side for camming co-action with said keeper, and an arm continuing from f l v the inboard extremitynof said cam side in spacedY y relation tothe door and pivotally connected tof the arm of saidfactuator plate.

3L A iiush-type latch comprising: a base plateV of sheet material having'ajpartially rolled end l slotted to form a guide means, a central accommodation slot,l and means 'for attaching the base plate to the inner side ofpa doorwith said accommodation slot communicating With an ,opening in said door; an actuator plate adapted to fit said journal means from fa position closingY the opening in said door to an angular position VWhere-Y in an end of said actuator plate projects through said accommodation slot; a latch bolt formed of strapv material, Ysaid bolt including a looped por.- j

tionY and a Iiat side, the flat side being threaded through and guided by the slottedV end of said d base platea camiormed bysaid'looped portion adapted forengagement with a, keeper to movethe bolt as the doorisclosed, andan arm con,-r

ItV combines l tinuing from said cam between the arms of said actuator plate and pivotally connected therebetween for sliding said bolt as said actuator plate is pivoted.

WELDON R. ANDREWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Murphy June 21, 1938 Halnka Sept. 29, 1936 Marsh May 21, 1940 Bales et a1 Dec. 14, 1943 Adams Aug. 26, 1941 Segar Jan. 28, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date French Mar. 11, 1935 French Oct. 8, 1930

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