US1521678A - Door-latching device - Google Patents

Description

Jan, 6, v I A. GERME K DOOR LATCHING DEVICE I Filed March 5/ 1924 v s SheetsSheet 1 WITNESS: ATTORNEY 1,521,678 A. GERMEK 7 DOOR LATCHING DEVICE v Filed March 5, 1924 3QSheetS-Sheet '5.

' Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

v UNITED STATES f I hpplicati onifil ed March-8,

' citizen of the United States, residing at Kingston, in the county of Luzerner and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful "Improvements in Door' Latchin g Devices, "of,,whicl'1 the following is aspecificationil H v v a This invention relates to door latches and has for an ob jec't'to provide a latch which is especially, adapted for useflupon drop bottom or'hopper cars and similar containers, M

' Another objectof the invention is theprovision of a latch by ",nieans o-f fwhich car doors and thellike inay jbelrheld tightly closed tov prevent -coal dustjior ;other fine material from sifting out betweenthe door and frame,and"which in"addition; may be easily opened'oi closed even; though agheavy load may 'be'bearing aj ainst the door. Y

Another object of .t 'e invention. Y is the provision of a a "guide" plate having means, co-operating withthe latch to liinit pivotal movement of the latter so as to prevent the said latch 'jfrom springingf 'tooyfar away from the door when the latter is slammed. shut and' thus insure proper latching of the door before the latter can spring away fromthe do'onfranie'. n i 7 With the above and otherobjects in view, 7

the invention further; includesthe follow-.1

, ing novel features and details of construe tion; to be hereinaftenmore fully described, illustrated inj' the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

ln'the drawingsz-e v v Figure l ,is' "anfragmentary elevation of a portion of a hopper car'with the invention applied. f i

Figure.,2-. is a. bottomzplan showing the .doorin closed po'sition; Y

Figure. 3' is a vertical sectional view through one endl'of the keeper ban and showing the position of a inch barin releasing the la tch, the view Y eing on an enlar edscale. I

igure 4 is a like view showing the use.- of a pinch bar in closing the door.

Figure 5 is'a detail perspective view of one end of the keeper bar.

Fi re 6 is a view-similar to Figure 3 but i lustrating the manner of releasing the latch byinserting a pinch bar from below; Figure 7 v is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the manner :of securing the door is tightly 1924. lsn n ;csassrf j bar fromrabove;

one of theguidezplates:v

Referringr in ,-detail .ytoij v a y I in sthe I Be it knownjthjatL-Annnnw GERMEK, a W

wherein like characters-30f :re'ference denote} v corre's ond ing partsnthje reference fcharacter, 3 10 m 1cates; 'aj'port10n". of the 'si defiof a; I frelght, car,:. such; as a; hopper orgondola" car havin'gdoolfsv ll ;for,- closingtheiahopeperw Y bottom,- 3- the; said doors} being hinge mounted" as shown'at 12. As v is well known, these I does-ash 1 conslderable welght and considerable .force is required torelease their latching or hold- 2 ing means, especially; where as in the case of the present; invention) thedoors are ca pable ofbeingtightly and securely held in :clos d Position:

The latching meahsof thIE v a the outer face of: eachof thedoorsr:1 '1, the' tioncomprises a keeper bar .13'.-which ex-E Y tends transversely across andqi's secured to;

edges of the doon and 'being" provided with A 1 an in'clinedlor beveled shoulder l4'v which is v Y engaged by a" latch; 15, one of. Which-'is- 1S5 of each of the doors 11. ,7 If;desired, -'ajguide"' Y pivotally secured to the hopper at eachfside l te-(1611m be ,provided for each" or the atches. 5"

. The latches 15;;areof novel castration Y and each includes a main? bill-C17 .3 andi'ail' supplemental bill; 18;, ';the formerg' fig over the beveled shoulderr14-whenthe oorj closed and the latter engaging over a said shoulder-When the door is partlyiopeng,

both positions of engagement beingshown in Figurel: of the drawings: it

- The outer extremities; of the'keepe'r' Y 13 each includesaiheadlQwhich is= hollowed out as shown at 20- and formedWithalowa er wallhaving an inner inclined face The upper. wall of the head '19 is; f0'rmed with oppositely beveled .faces 22 nd' 23,

whose purposes will'be resently exp ained.

The latch 15 has exten ing laterally-therefrom a lug 24, which, when thelatch'is in closed-position will be spaced from thehead In opening and closing'the latch there is utilized a lever or bar, such as a pinch-bar '25 and to releasethe latch, thisbar is posi tioned as sliownin Figure 3, that is, thebarfi is inserted between the 'inclinedoface 23 of pressure upon the outer end of the bar will cause the same to fulcrum at the meeting edges of the beveled faces 22, and 23 so as to lift the latch bill, 17 -from engagement with" the beveled shoulder 14. If desired the latch may be fully released, or the keeper bar may be engaged with the supplemental bill 18 to temporarily and partially open of the main bill 17 of the latch; The latthe door and discharge a portion: ofthe contents of the car,:or a further movement of the bar 25- will wholly release the latch and permit the door tofully open.--

Inlatches desi ed for the purposes above stated, considera le difficulty is experienced" b the'latch failing toengage the door when t e latter is slammed sh'ut. This is due to the fact that in its closingmovement, thedoor strikes the latch and throws it so "far away from the door that the-latter rebounds or falls away from the door frame before the latch returns to engaging position. The

extends-inwardly fromthe guide plate 16.

When the door is in open position, down- I "\vardpivotal movement of thelatch will be limited' either by the edge of the latch engaging-the bottom of the guide plate or by the-upper. flange 26 engaging-the lug 27.

Thus thezbill 18 will be in position to be engaged by the keeperbar as the door moves toa closed position. The engagement of the keeper bar with the bill 18 will'icause an upward pivotal'movement of the latch,

the movement being limited by the engagement of the lower marginal fiange 26 with the lug 27 ,-so that before the door can-re bound too far awa from the car'the bill 18 of' the latch wil" engagethe keeper bar so that the door wiil'be held for final clos ing action through the use of the pinch bar 25.

v The parts are so proportioned that in order to securely and tightly close the door, engagement of the main bill of the latch with thekeeper bar is dificult or practically impossible without theuseof a bar such" asthe pinch bar 25. The supplemental bill of the latch may be engaged with the keeper bar by hand and thepinch bar thereafter inserted within the head 19 and engaged ter will thus be securely and easily held in closed position. r P a The invention is susceptible 'ofvarious changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and'the' right is herein reserved to make such ,ohanges'asproperly fall within the scope jof the appended claims.

vHaving describedthe invention 'what is claimed is':'

1. A car door securing device comprising a keeper bar, carriedflby and extending be yond the vedge of said door; a pivotally mounted latch adapted'to'engage the keeper bar, a" latch engaging shoulder provided upon the keeperbar, a lug extending laterally from the latch and ajbar engaging portion formed on the keeper bar, saidportion comprising a hollow head,"a lower inclined inner bottom wall [for saidhead and an upper outer reversely inclined wall also included in said head. I

2. In a car 'door securing device, a pivotally mounted latch, a keeper bar for engagement by the'latoh, a guide plate (secured over thelatch, a lug extendingefro said plate and stops carried by the latch for engagement with the lug tolimit" pivotal movement of saidlatoh; A j j 3. In a car door securing device, a pivotally mounted latch, a keeperbar for engagement by the latch, a guide'plate positioned over 'the latch and adapted tojbe secured to and spaced from "the car, spaced marginal flanges upon the latch and a lug extending inwardly from the guide plate for engagement by the flanges to limit pivotal movement of the latch. A v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDREW GERMEK.

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