Latch and lock mechanism for lockers, etc.

Jan. 30, 1940. e. m. burke . 2,188,703

LATCH AND LOCK MECHANISh FOR LOCKERS, ETC Filed March 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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Jan. 30, 1940.

E. M. BURKE

2,188,703

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Patented Jan. 30, 1940

2,188,703

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,188,703

LATCH AND-LOCK'MECHANISM FOR . LOCKERS, ETC.

. Ethelyn M. Burke, Fond du Lac, Wis.,

Application March 14, 1939, Serial No. 261,846

Ciaims. TCI. 70—82)

My invention relates to improvements in latch .and locking mechanisms adaptable to any vertical type horizontally swinging doors, and especially to doors of sheet metal construction used in ₅ connection with various types of enclosures and cabinets, such as tool cribs, storage rooms, wardrobes and lockers.:

An object of my invention is to provide an improved latch and lock construction for horizon10 tally swinging doors, which will be caused to unlatch by moving a finger lift or trigger, thus operating a latch control bar in a vertical motion, which in turn will actuate a plurality of hinged , latch fingers to unlatch the door, thereby permit15 ting the same;to be swung to an open position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved latch and lock construction for horizontally swinging doors, which will incorporate a. vertically movable latch control bar,'a finger 20 trigger for operating the same, hinged latch fingers operable by said control bar, and means for automatically retaining the control bar in its raised position when the door remains in its open position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved latch and lock construction for horizontally swinging doors, which will incorporate a vertically movable latch control bar, a plurality of hinged latch fingers, a trigger 30 for actuating the control bar, means for holding the bar in raised position, means for automatically releasing the latch control bar when the door is being closed, and a plurality of separately controlled locking means for locking the door in 35 closed position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved latch and lock mechanism for horizontally swinging doors which will be highly efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive 40 to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of my application:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet equipped with my improved latch and lock mechanisms;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a door equipped with my improved 50 latch and lock mechanisms;

Figure 2α is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a door equipped with my improved latch and lock mechanisms, more especially illustrating the spring latch for holding the 55 vertically movable control bar in raised position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 8·—3 Of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4—4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view of a cabinet 5 wall and door, showing the spring latch member and control bar for operating the same.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding io parts.

In carrying out my invention, I have illustrated a metal cabinet ί having a horizontally swinging door 2, hinged thereto by means of the hinges 3. Supported on the inner surface of the .door 2, and 15 adjacent its outer edge, I have provided a plurality of latch control bar guiding straps 4, in which the latch· control-bar 5 is vertically movable. '

The latch control bar 5 is formed with a plu- 20 rality of spaced upwardly Inclined integrally formed cam surfaces 6, and at its upper end with an opening 7 adapted to receive the latch for holding the control bar in its raised position, said latch being hereinafter more fully described. 25 On the lower end of the control bar 5, a flange 8 is bent, and supports; the rubber noise silencing button: 9, which makes the operation of the control bar noiseless when being moved to its lower- . most .position. A trigger 18 is suitably secured to 30 the latch control bar 5 and extends through a vertical slot I i in the forward or front surface of the door 2, and is positioned.within and adjacent the upper end of the handle 12 secured to the front of the said door 2. The lower end of the 35 handle 12 is formed with a small aperture 13 forming a housing to receive the tenon 14 which is secured to the control bar 5, and extends through a slot in the door. An opening 15 is formed in the outer end of the tenon 14, and is 40 adapted, to receive a pad lock 16, as an auxiliary means to lock the door in closed position.

The main means for locking the door comprises any desired form of flat key lock 17 secured to the inner surface of the door 5,. said lock being 45 provided with a lock bolt 18, which when projected by means of the key 19, will slide over the embossed lock stop 20, forming a part of the latch control bar 5.

: A plurality of spring tensioned latches are 50 supported at intervals within the end of the door 2, and cooperate with' and are actuated by the cam surfaces 6 on the latch control bar 5. The latches 21 are swivelly and rotatably mounted upon the vertically disposed bearing pins 22, and 55

2,188,708 are constantly urged to their retracted position within the door by means of the coiled tensioning springs 23 positioned around the pins 22 and contacting the said latches. The latches 21 are 5 substantially U-shape and have their ends bent outwardly to form the cam actuated arms 24 and latch arms 25, respectively.

As will be seen from Figure 4 of the drawings, I have provided registering slots 26 and 27, re10 spectively, in the edge of the door 2 and in the adjacent side of the cabinet I, so that when the door is closed, the cams 6 will engage the cam actuated arms 24, and force the latch arms 25 through the slots 26 and 27, to latch the door 16 in closed position.

Mounted upon the bracket support 28 on the inner and upper surface of the door 2, I have provided the pivoted control bar holding finger 29, the bar engaging end of the finger being 20 normally forced outwardly to engage in the opening 7 formed in the bar 5, due to the action of the tensioning spring 30 placed around the bearing pin 3i upon which the finger is mounted. A spring tensioned bumper pin 32 is mounted 25 upon a bracket 33 within the upper end of the cabinet i, and is provided with a rubber head 24, which engages the free end of the finger 29, as the door 5 of the cabinet is closed, and which automatically releases the finger from the open30, ing 7 in the bar 5, permitting the same to drop downwardly, under the action of gravity, whereupon the cam surfaces 6 will ride upon the cam arms 25 of the latches 2 ί, and swivel or rotate the same until the latch arms 25 are seated ³⁵ within the slots 26 and 27, whereupon the lock i7 may be operated to slide the lock bolt 18 over the lock bolt stop 20, thereby securely locking the door of the cabinet in closed position.

It will be apparent that many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.