Automobile doorlatch operator

2,006,129

June 25, 1935.

W. B. CRAFT

AUTOMOBILE DOORLATCH OPERATOR Filed May 9, 1933

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Patented June 25, 1935

2,006,129

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,086,129 AUTOMOBILE DOORLATCH OPERATOR Walter B. Craft, Tyler, Tex., assignor of onefourth to Clarence M. Smith, Tyler, Tex.

Application May 9,1933, Serial No. 670,173 4 Claims. (CL 292—173) is a hood or shield 7 which is disposed within the area between the door walls as illustrated.

within the openings 5 are the inner and outer handles 8 and 9 respectively which are to the form of plates of slightly less length than the openings 5 to which they position but of substantially the full width of the opening. Each handle plate is rounded at one end as indicated at 10 and the rounded end is disposed to spaced relation with the rounded edge 6 of the opening to which the 10 handle is disposed.

For the sake of clearness and ease of description the rounded ends 10 of the handles will be referred to as the free or forward end, as each of the handles is pivotally mounted adjacent its 15 other end so that it may swing outwardly from the opening 5 to which it is disposed.

Each of the handles adjacent its free end has mounted upon its toner face the handle bar 11 which, when the handle is in closed position, 20 locates to the adjacent hood 7.

Adjacent the end remote from the handle bar il, each handle carries the ears 12 which are adjacent the longitudinal edges thereof and connecting and passing through these ears is a 25 pivot bolt 13. At the top and bottom edge of each of the openings 5 there are secured to the adjacent walls the bearings 14 into which the pivot bolts 13 extend. The handles 8 and 9 are thus free to swing outwardly with respect to the 30 adjacent walls in which they are mounted.

In order to retain each handle in its opening 5 each of the pivot bolts 13 is surrounded by a coil spring 15, one end of which is secured to an ear 12 while the other end is secured either to the adja- 35 cent bearing 14 or the adjacent wall. It will thus be seen that when the handle is swung outwardly the spring will be twisted and placed under tension so that when the handle is released the reactionary effect of the spring will swing the 40 handle back to the position in which both handles are shown to Figure 1.

Each of the handles 8 and 9 adjacent its pivoted end has an integral finger 16 extending inwardly from its end edge. This finger operates to shift 45 an adjacent bolt when the handle, of which it forms a part, is swung outwardly as will now be described.

Mounted upon suitable supporting and guide brackets 17 which are secured to the inner face ⁶⁰of the door wall 4, is a reciprocable bolt 18. The forward end of this bolt passes through an opening 19 in the free edge of the door, for engagement to the aperture 20 of the keeper plate 21 which is secured to the face of the door frame. ^w

This invention relates to door latch operating means and pertains particularly to an improved handle structure or operator for the latch or bolt of a motor vehicle door.

g The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bolt operator or handle for a motor vehicle door latch which is flush with the face of the door so that the danger of breaking the handle by striking it against some outside object, or of 10 catching the clothing therein, is avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle latch bolt operating handle which is set in flush with the face of the door in which the latch is mounted so that the contour or stream jg line effect of the vehicle body remains unbroken.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de20 tailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be 25 changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:—

SO Figure 1 is a view in horizontal section through a portion of a motor vehicle door and through the latch structure and operating means therefor which comprises the present invention, the section being taken substantially upon the line I—I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the line 2—2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3—3 of Figure 1.

A® Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I indicates a portion of a motor vehicle ._ door, while a portion of the car body against which the free edge of the door closes is indicated by the numeral 2.

The toner and outer walls of the door are indicated respectively by the numerals 3 and 4 and 50 each of these walls has formed thereto a handle opening S. The handle openings 5 are preferably of substantially elongated rectangular contour, one end of which opening is rounded as indicated at 6. Formed integral with each wall of the door 55 at the rounded portion 6 of each handle opening

3,006,129

This free end of the bolt is beveled in the usual will at all times remain in a position flush with manner as indicated at zz so that the door will latch when it is permitted to swing to closed position.

The face of the bolt f 8 which is in opposition to the outer handle 9, carries a lug 28 against one side of which the finger 16 of the adjacent handle 9 constantly bears.

The bolt 18 is constantly urged outwardly by 10 the leaf spring 24 which is mounted at one end in a suitable supporting bracket 21 which is secured to the inner face of the wall 4 in the manner shown.

Secured to the inner face of the wall 4 are 15 the vertically disposed aligned ears 24 which have their adjacent ends in spaced relation as shown in Figure 2. These ears form keeper members behind which the lugs 27 of a cylinder lock 28 engage when the lock is actuated to secure 20 the handle and the door against movement. In the position in which the lugs 27 are Illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the handle 9 is free to swing to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. As will be seen from this figure when 25 the handle 9 is swung outwardly to this position the integral finger portion 14 will exert a force against the lug 23 which will shift the bolt 18 rearwardly against the tension of the spring 24, thus permitting the door to be swung open. As 30 soon as the handle 9 is-released the spring will react to force the bolt forwardly and the lug 23 operating against the finger 13 will swing the handle 9 back to closed position. This return movement of the handle 9 will be assisted and 35 assured by the spring 15 which is placed under tension when the handle is swung outwardly, in the manner previously described.

The handle 8 facilitates the unlatching of the door from the inside of the car and this unlatch40 jng of the door is effected through the medium of an auxiliary bolt 29. This auxiliary bolt is slidably mounted in suitable supporting brackets 30 which are mounted upon the inner face of the inner wall 3.

The bolt 29 carries a lug 31 against which the finger portion 16 of the inner handle 9 normally bears and the end of this bolt which is nearest the free edge of the door bears against the lower end of a lever 32 which is mounted in50 termediate its ends upon the pivot pin 33 which in turn is supported by the wall 3. The upper end of this lever 32 engages the pin 34 which is carried by the bolt 18 so that when the auxiliary bolt 29 is shifted forwardly by the swing55 ing of the inner handle 8 it will engage the lower end of the lever 32 and oscillate the same so that, the upper end swings rearwardly against the pin 34 and thus retracts the bolt. As will be seen the leaf spring 24 operates to return the bolt «0 ί 8 to its normal position after either handle has been operated. As will be readily seen from Fig, ure 3 the inner handle 8 is mounted in the same manner as the outer handle and has a spring 13 which is placed under tension when it is swung 65 outwardly, to return it to folded or inoperative position.

By providing the auxiliary bolt 29 with the stop pin 35 which abuts the adjacent guide 39, the return movement of the auxiliary bolt 29 is ⁷⁰ limited and this in turn limits the forward movement of the main bolt 18 under the urge of the spring 24.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the present latch bolt operating handle will ⁷⁰ form an attractive addition to a car door and the wall of the door so that all danger of catching the clothing thereon and of striking the handle in such a manner as to injure it or the mechanism with which it is connected, is avoided. 5

By the provision of the handle bars I I upon the inner faces of the handles it will be readily apparent that in actuating either handle the fingers are inserted into the shields or hoods 7 and engaged behind the handle bars so that 10 when the handles are swung outwardly a grip will be had thereon which will facilitate the pulling of the door to open or closed position.

While the same has not been illustrated it will be readily apparent that means may be read- 15 ily provided for preventing the passage of rain water or moisture from other sources into the interior of the door body between the handles and the edges of the openings in which they are located, as, for example, a rubber beading may be 20 applied to the edge of the handle for contact with the edge of the opening when the handle is closed.