Latch

Application filed January 19, 1925.

This invention relates to latches of the type adapted to be mounted on swinging doors. One place where the latch is very useful is in connection with refrigerator doors, it being very desirable that a refrigerator door be held tightly shut and that strains upon the door hinges or upon the fastening means employed to attach the late to the door shall be eliminated as much as ^P°The^lepresent invention is concerned with latches of the sliding bolt type. It is a primary object and purpose of the invention to make a latch of this type m which, when the bolt is retracted so as to free the same from its keeper connected to the adjacent door casing or jamb, said bolt will automatically be held in retracted position and stay in such position until the door is again

Serial No. 3,293.

Fig. 5 is an inverted perspective view of the latch bolt.,

Fig. 6 is an inverted perspective of a number to which the latch handle is pivotally connected. ,.. ,,

Fig. 7 is an inverted perspective of the latch housing.. ..

Fig. 8 is an inverted perspective of tne latch handle, and . ,.,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the pivot used to pivotally connect the latch handle to the members shown in Fig. 6.

Like reference characters refer to ime parts in the different figures of the draw^mThe door 1 may be of any suitable construction and is adapted to close a door opening surrounded by the door casing, one side of which is indicated at 2. It is understood ™ in sucn pesiuuu .,. · _ref_ri_2erators, the door is hmgedly closed. With the closing of the door, _mou’_nted at one vertical edge and a latch is are employed to automatically _g ™_ted adjacent the opposite free vertical the bolt from the htdung mens which has _The‘fiteh is adapted to held it in retracted P°^sdl<®,.J®®¹^_β ξ _{t en}|_{age wit}h the keeper which is mounted on « outward movement and wedging engagement » j_n2 or jamb 2 in a position to » with the keeper to thereby pres,' the door >

into tightly closed position. A jurthe jP _{the cons}truction of the latch which is ject and Ρ^υΓΡ⁰⁸®,?^?^ηΓ^Χ^ΧΓ^Ρ in attached to the door, a latch housing of sheet vide a construction of this cnaractei i , j_s used having a raised 80 which a number of the parts entering m o metal, P™^bYn’c^d^Sea top ?? with inthe construction of the latch may be made p extending parallel sides 4 turned as stampings by use of suitable ^dl®s,^J^b outwardly at their inner edges and formed great reduction in the cost of manufacture. attaching flanges 5, through which

Various other objects and purpose than into through suitable openings 86 those .specifically topeZSn&amp;y connect the housing to the as unaersiairuiug ±= haa from tne το κ i housing is also provided with description takeninconnectmn^wit ends 6 and 7 integral with the remainder of said housing, a rectangular or ^substentially square opening 9 being made through the end W 7, and a circular opening 8 through the end 6, as best shown in Fig. 7. At one end, or near said opening 9 a portion of the top 3 is pressed outwardly somewhat, as indicated at 10, through which a somewhat elongated 95 rectangular opening 11 is made, at; each side of which an elongated slot 12 of substantially the same length as the. opening 11 is ^CUWithin the housing made as thus de- 100 scribed, a member made of sheet metal is adapted to be located, the same consisting of are employed to i---the bolt from the latching means attached to the door, a latch housing of sheet ** - - — ♦ 1 1. ______ as understanding is companying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is'a section taken through the fragmentary adjacent portions of the door and 40 door jamb, the latch attached to the ^d®^ also being shown in section and the keeper on the door jamb partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the bolt retracted and the door m the act 45 of moving to closed position. _

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the latch, the plane of the section being substantially at the pivot of the latch handle.

Fig. 4 is an inverted perspective view of 5 an element which is located within the latch housing and which carries the latch bolt.

a

1,609,342 ^{a base} 13 with an elongated opening 14 therethrough of the same size as the opening 11 before described. Two ears 15 extend at right angles from the base 13, one at each ⁵ side edge thereof. These ears pass through the slots 12 and the base 13 seats in the recess made by elevating the section 10 at one end of the top 3 of the housing, the openings 11 and 14 coming into direct conjunc10 tion and aligning with each other. A handle, 16, preferably cast as one piece is provided, between its ends being forihed with projecting bosses 17 from which a downwardly and inwardly extending finger 18 15 projects. The bosses pass between the outwardly projecting ears 15 which extend beyond the top 3 of the housing, and the finger 18 extends inwardly through the openings 11 ^and 14, the handle 16 lying above and in a plane paralleling the length of the housing, as shown in Fig. 1. A pivot pin 19 passes through suitable openings in the ears 15 and the lever 16 which opening in the lever 16 is made through said bosses 17. The pivot 2» pin may be. of . any suitable character. It is shown as including a pin threaded at one end to receive a nut, but it is evident that the threaded end and nut may be replaced by forming a riveted head if desired.

³⁰ A further element used in the construction of the latch, shown in Fig. 4, is made from a single piece of sheet metal, including an elongated base 20 which, at one end, has a section 21 struck therefrom so that the inner ³⁵ edge of the section 21 is raised above the adjacent edge of the base 20. The outer end of section 21 is reduced somewhat in width leaving a short projecting portion 21^a. Sides 22 are turned outwardly at right an⁴⁸ gles from a portion of the base 20 and the section 21, being spaced apart so as to pass between but lie against opposite sides 4 of the latch housing. These sides 22 extend only a portion of the length of this member, 45 the member for the remainder of its length being formed with outwardly extending wings 23 which, when the member is put in the latch housing, bear against the inner sides of the parts 5 of the housing. At the end ³⁸ opposite where the section 21 is located, an end piece 24 is turned at right angles through which a circular opening 25 is made, the same being adapted to align with t^he °.P^enin« ⁸. ^made in the end 6 of the latch housing. This member when placed within the latch housing has the end projection 21^areceived in the rectangular opening 9, and the end 24 parallels the end 6 of the latch housing. ' . ' ** The latch bolt includes a body 26 rectangular in cross section which, at one end, indicated at 27_? is cut at an an^le as shown. A cylindrical rod 28 integrally cast with the latch bolt extends from the end 27, being adapted to pass through the circular openings 25 and 8 before described, while the body of the · bolt passes through the rectangular opening 9 in the end 7 of the housing. An opening 29 is made through the body of the latch bolt into which finger 18 of 70 the handle extends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. That portion of the bolt which projects outwardly from the housing when the bolt is in its. outer position is indicated at 30 and is somewhat reduced in thickness by 76 cutting away a portion thereof at its inner side, a shoulder 31 being thus formed. On its inner side and · outwardly from said shoulder a recess 32 is formed in the projecting end 30 of the latch bolt, while at 80 its outer side the bolt is cut at an incline, as shown at 33,. the purpose of which will later appear. The bolt is normally moved to. outer position by a coiled spring 34 located around the rod 28, being disposed between 85 the part 24 ancl the inclined end 27 of the body of the bolt (see Fig. 1).

_ It is evident that with this construction the tendency of the spring is to normally press the inner side of the bolt tightly 80 against the raised section 21 of the sheet metal member previously described, and when the latch handle is operated so as to retract the bolt as soon as shoulder 31 passes back of the inner edge of the part 21, said 85 shoulder drops back of said inner ed»e of the part 21 and the bolt is securely held against outward movement. -This is what occurs when the door is to be opened and the latch lever is turned outwardly to the 100 position, shown in Fig. 2.

The keeper 35 secured to the door jamb 2 extends outwardly from the door jamb and is then turned inwardly toward the edge of the door, making the in-turned section 36 105 which, at its inner side, is inclined as indicated at 37 to cooperate with the inclined outer side 33 at the end of the latch bolt, a wedging action being set up when the bolt’ under the pressure of the spring 34, moves no outwardly. This wedging action serves to force the door to tightly closed position. The section 36 at its end is turned outwardly, terminating in an outwardly extending horn 38, the inner side of which is 115 inclined as indicated at 39. If, accidentally, the latch bolt should become disengaged from the retaining part 21 and be projected to its outer position, the closing of the door bringing the projecting end of the bolt 120 against said inclined side 39, causes the bolt to move inwardly until it passes by the corner formed by, the junction of the sides 37 and 39 on the keeper, whereupon the bolt is free to move outwardly and engage 125 against said side 37 as is evident. This is not the regular action of the latch bolt but shows that no damage will occur if such acicdental or inadvertent disengagement of the bolt should occur. no

1,609,342

The keeper has a finger 40 formed integrally therewith located a distance from and inwardly of said part 36 of the keeper before described. The finger 40 terminates 5 in an outwardly turned end 41 located , so that witfy the closing of the door, the end of the latch bolt comes against the part 41, as shown in Fig. 2. This causes, due to the momentum of the door 1, the project10 ing end of the bolt to be moved and shoulder 31 to disengage from the section 21 holding the bolt in 'retracted position, freeing the bolt for outward movement. The recess 32 in the bolt receives the end of the part 41 15 and is necessary as otherwise the. bolt could not move to engage with the keeper. This clearly appears in Fig. 1.

The construction of latch described is relatively simple, the parts thereof being eco20 nomically formed while the assembly is exceptionally quick and easy, the parts merely having to be placed together and the pivot pin or rivet 19 passed through the latch bolt and the ears 15. The base 13 of the 25 member which carries said ears 15 is held in position as it bears against the edges of the sides 22 of the member which carries the latch bolt. The bolt carrying member, shown in Fig. 4, is held against disengage30 ment from the housing as the rod 28 passes therethrough and also through the end of the housing and the bolt cannot be moved outwardly so as to disengage the parts until handle 16 has been removed. By reason of 35 the bolt being held in retracted position when the door is closed strains on the door hinges or on the screw fastenings, which attach the housing to the door, are wholly eliminated. This is a very desirable fea40 ture in connection with refrigerators. The construction of latch is very practical and effective as has been proved in tests. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered as comprehensive of 45 all forms of structure coming within their scope.