Combined lock and door retainer

Application filed July 9, 1929. Serial No. 376,965.

The present invention may be termed a combined lock and door retainer for automobile doors. Heretofore it has been customary to provide each door with a lock and striker i and also with a two-part retainer, usually called a “dove-tail”. This required the mounting of four pieces of hardware on the door and frame for each door. One object of the invention is to reduce the expense of > the parts and of fitting the hardware to the door and frame by reducing the number of pieces required. Another object is to provide a lock which may be. closed and opened with less effort and which is quite as secure when ; locked as those at present in use. Other advantages will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an auto। mobile door and frame with the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the lock and dove-tail;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3—3 of i Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a face view of the lock showing the projecting end of the latch bolt;

Figure 5 is a face view of the dove-tail;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6—6 of । Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an end view of a different form of latch bolt;

Figure 8 is a side view of the latch bolt shown in Figure 7;

^; Figure 9 is a view of another form of lock and dove-tail, the dove-tail being shown in section;

Figure 10 is a face view, Figure 11 an edge . view, and Figure 12 a rear view of the dove' tail shown in Figure 9;

Figure 13 is a section on line 13—13 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is an end view of another form of lock bolt; and ’ Figure 15 is a section on the line 15—15 of Figure 14.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a door frame, B a door, C a lock, and D a retainer. The lock may be of any approved ¹ type having a spring bolt, the only change required being in the projecting end of the latch bolt. The retainer or dove-tail may be of the usual type having two opposed resilient jaws or members with a catch or detent added to cooperate with the modified 55 latch bolt to lock the door. Broadly, therefore, the invention consists in modifying the latch bolt so that it will act as a tongue or wedge to cooperate with a dove-tail to support the free side of the door and prevent 60 vibration and in modifying the usual dovetail so that it will cooperate with the latch bolt to both lock and steady the door. The invention may be embodied in many specific forms, some, of which will be presently de- 65 scribed.

Referring to Figures 2 to 6, inclusive, 20 indicates the projecting end of the latch bolt which is urged to the position shown by a relatively stiff spring 21. The end 20 of the 70 latch bolt has flat parallel upper and lower faces and a rounded forward edge, as shown in Figure 4. The latch bolt 20 is provided in its end with a locking notch 22 and may be provided with a similar latching notch 23, if 75 desired, to operate as a safety catch.

The retainer or dove-tail I) is provided with two opposed resilient jaws of any usual type, those shown being of the type commonly used having rubber blocks 24 faced with 8® metal 25. The bolt end 20 is proportioned to press the resilient jaws outward and fit snugly between them to prevent the door from vibrating.

A catch or detent 26 urged by a spring 27 ⁸⁶normally projects from the rear of the retainer between the resilient jaws. The spring 27 is considerably weaker than the latch bolt spring 21, which permits the door to be closed and locked without the heavy ⁸⁰slamming action which is now necessary with locks commonly used. The catch 26 is shaped to engage the notches 22, 23.

The operation of the devices above described is as follows: In closing the door, the ⁸⁵latch bolt of the lock remains projected to its full extent, as limited by the stop 28, and slides in between the resilient jaws of the dove-tail, thus forming a buffer to absorb shock and a means of preventing rattling and ¹⁰®

1,908,388 vibration while running and a support to relieve strain on the hinges. The heavy spring 21 overpowers the lighter spring 27, and the detent 26 is pressed back and then springs ⁶ into the locking notch 22 in the bolt 20, securely locking the door. The door is unlocked in the usual way by withdrawing the bolt against the pressure of spring 21,, by means of the usual handle or lever, thus free¹⁰ ing it from the retaining latch 26. The door may then be opened freely as the usual operation of pulling the tongue or “wedge” out of the dove-tail after unlocking is obviated. It will thus be observed that, while the door ¹⁵ may be closed without the usual effort, it remains securely locked under the action of the heavy bolt spring. It will also be observed that by combining the lock and dove-tail the operations of installing a two-part separate ²⁰ dove-tail or retainer are obviated.

In Figures 7 and 8 there is shown the end of a latch bolt 20“ which is slightly wedgeshaped to cause it to fit tightly between the resilient jaws of the dove-tail. The catch ²⁵ 26“ engages the notch 23“ when the door is partially closed and engages the rear edge of the bolt, as shown, when the door is fully closed and locked.

In Figures 9 to 13, inclusive, I have shown ^3& a modified form of latch bolt in connection with the dove-tail or retainer. The lock C' is of an ordinary commercial type excepting as to the projecting portion of the latch bolt 20°, to be presently described. The stout bolt ³⁵ spring 28 is of customary f orm. The detent 29, which operates in a plane between the resilient jaws, is provided with pivots 30 mounted in bearings 31, which may be struck up from the metal of the rear edge of the ⁴⁰ casing 32 which houses the resilient jaws of the dove-tail. The detent is in the form of a T-shaped lever, and it is urged to its normal position by a suitable spring 33. As the detent lies close to the back of the retainer ⁴⁵ casing, this form of combined latch bolt and dove-tail is especially useful in sedans and other vehicles in which two adjacent doors close upon a center post of limited cross-section. When the center post is too narrow to ⁶⁰ permit the dove-tails to be placed opposite one another, they may be staggered and the bolts of the right and left hand locks correspondingly staggered. As will be noted, the end of detent 29 operates through an opening in ⁸⁵ the back of casing 32. The operation of the devices shown in Figures 9 to 13 is the same in principle as that of the devices shown in Figures 2 to 6.

In Figures 14 and 15 there is shown in ⁶⁰ detail the projecting end of the latch bolt 20°. In this form the bolt end is hollow and provided in its face with an opening 23° to receive the detent 29 to serve as a preliminary or safety catch. In this form the flat sides ⁸⁵ of the bolt are unbroken, thus providing for maximum surface contact with the resilient jaws. This hollow bolt is preferably packed with felt or other fibrous material 34 and provided with oil holes 35. By injecting a small supply of oil occasionally through the holes 23° or 35, friction and wear between the latch bolt and the metal facings 25 may be reduced to a minimum.