GB2324117A

GB2324117A - Lock

Info

Publication number: GB2324117A
Application number: GB9802986A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Balvinder Singh Chaggar
Original assignee: Newman Tonks Group PLC
Current assignee: Allegion UK Ltd
Priority date: 1997-04-11
Filing date: 1998-02-13
Publication date: 1998-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-13
Also published as: GB2324117B; GB9802986D0

Abstract

Play between spindle 14 and follower 11 is reduced by the interposition of element 15 having inward and outward projections 17, 18 respectively. Axial movement is prevented by deforming tags 16 into cut-outs 13.

Description

MEANS FOR REDUCING PLAY BETWEEN MEMBERS This invention relates to means for reducing play between members, and has particular application where the members are a rotatable follower in a lock/latch assembly and a spindle of a door handle, knob or similar operating member.

With such a lock/latch assembly, part of the spindle, which is of square cross-section, is received in a corresponding square section hole through the follower so as to transmit angular movement of the operating member, in one direction, to the follower, in use. Manufacturing tolerances are such that the spindle is often not a tight fit in the hole in the follower, so that there is a certain amount of play between the spindle and the follower. This is undesirable in that, in particular, it can result in rattling of the operating member.

An object of the invention is to provide means for reducing or eiiminating play between members.

According to the invention means for reducing play between two members, part of one of which is received, in use, in an opening in the other, comprises an element adapted to be received, within said opening, around said one member, at least part of the element being springy/resilient and having differently directed projecting portions arranged so that, in use, they grip said one member and an internal surface of said opening respectively.

Preferably the element is of hollow, tubular form, and desirably the element is at least three-sided and is open along a longitudinally extending corner thereof, defining two juxtaposed free edges of the element. Conveniently the element is of spring steel and formed by folding a stamped or pressed blank. Advantageously each of the projecting portions is produced by locally deforming part of a side of the element so that the projecting portion lies out of the plane of the side.

More preferably projecting portions in one pair of opposite sides respectively are deformed inwardly of the sides, whilst the projecting portions in the other pair of opposite sides respectively are deformed outwardly of the sides. At least one end of the element has tags which can be folded through 90" to retain the element, in use, in the opening against movement therethrough in one direction. In one embodiment, the opening is through a cylindrical follower of a lock/latch, the follower having a square bore therethrough constituting said opening, and having respective recesses in an end surface thereof to receive the folded tags.

The element is sized so that when it is engaged on a spindle it is, due to its inherent springing, slightly opened out, but with at least one of the inwardly deformed projecting portions being in tight engagement with a side of the spindle. Similarly when disposed in the opening, with the spindle passing through it, the element is in tight engagement with the interior surface of the opening by means of at least one of the outwardly deformed projecting portions. In one embodiment each side has two spaced, identical projecting portions.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a lock/latch including the means above defined fitted to a follower, for a spindle to be fitted therein, in use.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic, exploded perspective view of one aspect of the invention in the form a lock/latch casing with a follower thereof fitted with means of another aspect of the present invention, and showing a spindle to be fitted within the means, in use, and Figures 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, exploded perspective view showing the means of said another aspect of the present invention, and an end of the follower of Figure 1.

The present invention relates generally to means for reducing play between members where at least part of one of the members is received, in use, within an opening in the other member. Normally one of the two members will be angularly movable, and the elimination of play between the members, ensures that generally there is immediate and effective transmission of said angular movement from the one member to the other and also that, as a result of the elimination of any play, there is no rattling of the one member within the other.

The invention has particular application to the connection between a conventional spindle used with an operating member at a door, and a lock/iatch follower which is mounted for angular movement in the lock/latch casing and which has a central axial hole therethrough for receiving the spindle. By way of the present invention, play between the spindle and the follower is eliminated so that there is effective transfer of angular movement from the spindle to the follower upon operating member actuation, and from the follower to the operating member when the actuating force is removed. Moreover any tendency for the operating member to rattle is also eliminated.

The drawings show a typical form of lock/latch casing 10 in which a generally cylindrical follower 11 of any conventional form is mounted for angular movement. The follower can be provided with any suitable form of projecting means within the casing to operate a latch bolt or to cooperate with any other part of the lock/latch mechanism as required.

The precise operation of the follower does not form part of the present invention and will thus not be described further. Respective opposite ends of the follower are received in associated respective holes in opposite sides of the casing, and extending axially through the follower is a square-section hole 12.

At each end of the follower, four generally rectangular recesses 1 3 are provided in the follower end surface, each recess being at the centre of one side of the hole 12 and in communication therewith. Each recess is generally shallow and for a purpose to be described.

The means for reducing/eliminating play between a square-section spindle 14 of an operating member (not shown) for use with the lock/latch, and the follower 11, is in the form of a hollow, tubular element 15 with rectangular sides, the length of the element 15 being such as to be equal to the axial length of the follower 11.

The element 15 is formed from springy/resiiient material, such as spring steel and is produced by folding a stamped or pressed blank into the open ended box-like shape illustrated. Thus, when folded, the element is open along the complete length of a longitudinally extending corner, so as to define two juxtaposed free longitudinal edges of the element. At both of its ends, the element is formed with four generally rectangular tags 16 which are of a size and shape corresponding with the recesses 13 into which, as will be described in use, the tags are received. Each tag extends centrally from an end of its associated side of the element 15. Initially each tag lies in the plane of its associated side, but the tag is formed so that it can be folded outwardly through 90 , in use, so as to lie normal to the central axis of the element 15, as shown, by way of illustration only, for the tags at the left hand end of the element in Figure 2.

Each side of the element 15 is formed with a pair of centrally disposed, longitudinally spaced apart locally deformed portions, Figure 2, which are of generally square shape. For one pair of opposed sides of the element 15, the portions 17 are deformed, i.e. bowed, inwardly, whilst for the other pair of opposed sides of the element 15, the portions 18 are deformed, i.e. bowed, outwardly.

As will be described upon assembly, the inwardly deformed portions 17 are to grip the spindle 14, whilst the outwardly deformed portions 18 are to grip the inner surface of the hole 12 through the follower, so that by this means there is a positive connection between the spindle and the follower which is without or substantially without any play, by means of the intervening box-like element 15 which, thus, in effect, acts as a form of shim.

Accordingly, in use, the element 15 is provided in its folded, box-like form with each of its tags 16 lying in the plane of its associated rectangular side. In other words each tag is in its unfolded state. This element is then forced into the hole 12 in the follower 11 until it is correctly positioned so that, in effect, the respective opposite ends of the element 15 are flush or substantially flush with the respective end surfaces of the follower. In this position the tags 16 at both ends of the element 15 can then be folded through 90" so that each tag is received in its associated recess 13 in the follower end surfaces. This locks the element 15 against axial movement in the hole 12.

The springy nature of the material of the element 15, together with the fact that this box-like element is open along one longitudinal corner means that the element can be received in the hole 12 even though at a pair of opposite sides thereof are the outwardly deformed portions 18 which engage the respective opposite inner surfaces of the hole 12.

A free end of the spindle 14 is then presented up to the follower with the element 15 engaged therein, the spindle then being pushed into the element 15 until the spindle is correctly positioned relative to the lock/latch casing. This will normally be when the spindle projects equally at opposite sides of the follower. It has been found that the connected edges of the folded tags 16 provide a lead-in for the end of the spindle when it first engages an end of the element 15 and thus the tags perform a two-fold function. As the spindle passes into the element 15, it will tend to try slightly to open the box-like element out, and due to the inherent springiness there will be formed a tight, non-play connection between the spindle and the follower by virtue of the element 1 5. Despite the opening out referred to, principally at the free longitudinally extending corner, there will be engagement between the exterior surface of the spindle and the interior surface of the element 15, principally by way of the engagement of the inwardly deformed portions 1 7 with respective opposite sides of the spindle, which spindle will therefore be held tightly to said element 15. Similarly the reception of the spindle within the element 15 will cause the tight engagement of the element 15 in the hole 12 due to the slight opening out of the element 15, but with the principal engagement being by way of the outwardly deformed portions 18 engaging opposite internal surfaces respectively of the hole 12 through the follower 11.

Accordingly by the use of the element 15 an effective means of reducing play between the spindle and the follower is provided. As shown in the drawings, the deformation of both the portions 1 7 and the portions 1 8 out of the planes of their associated rectangular sides is only very slight, but the degree of deformation can be varied as required. Moreover it will be appreciated that it is not essential for there to be two portions in each side of the element 15, in that either a single portion or more than two portions could be provided if suitable. It will also be appreciated that in some circumstances it may not be necessary to provide a pair of either portions 1 7 or portions 18, in that it may be sufficient to provide inwardly deformed portions in one side only and outwardly deformed portions in another side only. Although this tends to produce an offcentre positioning of the element 15, this may be acceptable with some forms of members one within the other with the intermediary of the element 1 5. In some applications of the invention it may be possible to dispense with the tags at one or both ends, although some other form of fixing/locking means may be required, possibly separately of the element 15 rather than being provided thereby. With the embodiment described, the locking of the element 15 in the hole 12 by the use of the tags 16 at one end of the element 15 prevents the element being pushed out of the hole 12 when said one end of the element is firstly engaged by the free end of the spindle.

The embodiment described above concerns a solid follower 12, namely where the lock/lever action is the same whether the operating member actuated is at the inner or outer side of the door. The invention is however also applicable for use with a split follower where the spindle of an operating member at one side of the door operates one half of the follower only, with the other follower being operated by a spindle of an operating member at the opposite side of the door. In other words the two halves of the split follower operate independently. With this arrangement a separate box-like element of the form of the element 15 would be fitted in the hole in each of the two parts of the split follower, with tags being provided at the outer end only and similarly the recesses only being provided in the outer end surfaces of the two follower halves respectively. Other than these changes, the gripping to the spindle and to the inside of the hole in each follower half would be as described, although clearly with a much shorter box-like element it may be possible to provide only one deformed portion in each side of the box-like element.

Instead of the element being split at the junction of two sides, the longitudinal split could be diagonally across one side. In one embodiment, a split may be omitted. Although described with a squaresection element 15, it will be appreciated that the invention is equally applicable to equivalent elements of a shape other than square, for use with square or (correspondingly or non-correspondingly) non-square members to be connected one within the other by virtue of the shim, for example a circular spindle in a triangular shim in a square hole.

Although as described, the connection would normally be where one of the members is angularly movable, this is not necessarily essential in that the elimination of play could purely be provided to prevent rattling or the like at the connection. The element 1 5 could, in alternative constructions be closed at one end, and whether open or closed, could be generally solid, i.e. of plastics material, with a bore therein being provided with the inner projection(s), an outer surface or surfaces of the element providing the outer projection(s). Such an element may or may not be split longitudinally end to end. Instead of the whole of the element being springy/resilient, only part thereof could be so, for example only the outer and inner directed projections.

Claims

1. Means for reducing play between two members, part of one of which is received, in use, in an opening in the other, comprises an element adapted to be received, within said opening, around said one member, at least part of the element being springy/resilient and having differently directed projecting portions arranged so that, in use, they grip said one member and an internal surface of said opening respectively.

2. Means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the element is split from one of its ends to the other.

3. Means as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the element is hollow.

4. Means as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the element is of hollow, tubular form comprising at least three sides.

5. Means as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the element is open along a longitudinally extending junction between two adjacent sides.

6. Means as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein each of the projecting portions is produced by locally deforming part of a side of the element so that the projecting portion lies out of the plane of the side.

7. Means as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the element is at least four-sided and projecting portions in one pair of opposite sides of the element respectively are deformed inwardly of the sides, whilst the projecting portions in another pair of opposite sides respectively are deformed outwardly of the sides.

8. Means as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, wherein at one end of the element at least one side is formed with a tag, which can be folded outwardly through 90 , in use.

9. Means as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the element has, at both of its ends, each of its sides formed with a tag, which can be folded outwardly through 90 , in use.

10. Means as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 9, wherein the element is formed from spring steel.

11. Means as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the element is produced by folding a stamped blank.

12. Means as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the element is produced by folding a pressed blank.

13. Means as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12, in combination with a spindle and a lock/latch follower, constituting said one member and said other member respectively, wherein the element is received in said opening in the follower and is around the spindle, one projecting portion gripping the spindle and another projecting portion gripping the follower.

14. The combination as claimed in Claim 13, wherein one end of the follower has a recess therein extending from its opening, and a tag formed at a end of one side of the element is folded through 90" to be received in said recess.

15. The combination as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the element is of square cross-section having tags formed on its four sides respectively at each of its ends, the tags, in use, being folded through 90" to be received in respective recesses in opposite ends of the follower.

16. A latch/lock incorporating a follower in which is received means for reducing play between two members as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12.

1 7. A latch/lock incorporating a combination as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 15.

18. Means for reducing play between two members substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

19. A latch/lock incorporating means for reducing play between two members, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.