US1498897A - Double-acting latch - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1924. 1.4

C. WITTWER DOUBLE ACTING LATCH Filed June 23. 1923 v H .1. 11* 2 I C. WITTVVEE) INVENTOR.

' I BY g ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1924.

NETEE DOUBLE-ACTING LATCH.

Application filed June 23, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I. OONsTANTINE lVrrrwER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Neligh, in the county of Antelope and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doublei' icting Latches, of which the'following is a specification.

My invention relates to door latches, being especially designed for latching the door in open position in the same manner that it is latched in closed position, and whereby the latch may be unlatched from either position by simply turning the knob or handle. The object-of my invention is the provision of a device whereby the common spring latch may be utilized for the purpose of latching the door in open, as well as in closed position. In addition to the altered features of the latch bolt, I provide a novel catch for the latch bolt, which catch may be made to serve also as a door stop to prevent injury to the wall of the room.

Having in View these objects and others which will appear in the description, I will now refer to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows the latch as applied to a barn door, the view showing the door as held latched in open position.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the door and the adjoining wall, showing the latch bolt engaged by the catch.

Figure 3 is a view similar to that in Figure 2, but on a somewhat larger scale,

showing parts in section, and showing also a modification for utilizing the device as a door stop.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the head of the spring pressed latch bolt.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the latch bolt is engaged by the catch element.

My invention comprises the ordinary spring pressed latch bolt having its head modified as shown in Figures 3 and 4. A portion of the bevelled side of the bolt head between the sides is cut away,the two sides of the cut-away portion being substantially perpendicular to each other. The opposite side of the bolt head is also cut away or bevelled. This leaves a structure which in I cross section appears as shown in Figure 3,

wherein the numeral 10 designates the latch bolt. The right-angled cut-away portion is bounded by the walls 11 at its opposite ends Serial No. 647,273.

and by the walls 12 and 13, the wall 12 being in the plane of movement of the latch bolt 10 while the wall 13 lies across this plane. The opposite surface of the latch bolt-1O is cut away between the walls 11 to form an inclined wall 14. The meeting edge of the walls 12 and 14 lies within the space originally occupied by the bolt head.

F or the purpose of holding the door latched. in open position, I provide a hook or catch which is adapted to cooperate with the above described bolt head. This catch may be made in any of numerous forms, two of which I have shown in the drawings. The catch may be made of any suitable material, and it is preferably rigid rather than resilient. The catch in all of its forms has means for securing it to the wall against which the door swings, and it also has a hooked extremity for engaging the wall 12 of the latch bolt 10, the hooked extremity being designated by the numeral 15. In some cases, as with doors in a house, it is desirable also to have a door stop, and for this purpose I have provided an abutment 16 on the catch element. The abutment 16 may be faced by a bumper 17 of rubber, leather, or other suitable material.

It will readily be seen that when the door is fully opened, the bevel surface 14 of the latch bolt will strike the hooked extremity 15 of the catch element. Owing to the nonresilient character of the catch element, the pressure of the hook end 15 on the bevel 14 will cause the bolt 10 to be forced inwardly against its spring, thus permitting the hook 15 to pass over the edge of the bolt 10 and to engage the surface 12. When the parts are in this position the door can be closed only by the turning of the door knob or otherwise releasing the latch bolt from engagement with the hook 15. It should also be noted that the width of the abutment 16 is such that it can not engage the bevel 14 to thereby slip over the edge of the latch bolt when opening the door.

I am aware that other devices have been invented for the purpose of latching the door in open position. So far as I know, all of these are supplementary to the usual looks or latches used on the door, and in none of them is the latch opened from both of its latched positions by the same means. It is obvious that this feature is of great importance, since it simplifies unlatching the latch, especially when closing the doors said faces intersecting in a line at the forward edge of said latch bolt, said latch bolt being provided with a cut-away portion at its forward edge between its sides presenting a surface which is parallel to said first named face and presenting also a second surface which is inclined rearwardly from said first named surface to said first named face, said two surfaces intersecting rearwardly of the intersection of said two faces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CONSTANTINE WVITTVVER.

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