US3674329A

US3674329A - Touch device for cabinet drawer or closure

Info

Publication number: US3674329A
Application number: US98494A
Authority: US
Inventors: John M Schill
Original assignee: Keystone Consolidated Industries Inc
Current assignee: Keystone Consolidated Industries Inc
Priority date: 1970-12-16
Filing date: 1970-12-16
Publication date: 1972-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-04
Also published as: CA928757A

Abstract

A TOUCH DEVICE FOR CABINET DRAWERS OR CLOSURES WHICH WILL ACT TO AUTOMATICALLY PARTIALLLY OPEN THE DRAWER, CLOSURE OR DOOR UPON MANUALL ACTUATION AND MAY LATCH THE DRAWER OR DOOR IN CLOSED POSITION, SO THAT THE DRAWER OR DOOR DOES NOT REQUIRE A HANDLE OR PULL ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE THEREOF. THE DEVICE INCLUDE A HOUSING MOUNTED IN THE CABINET OR ENCLOSURE WITH AN ELONGATED PLUNGER PROJECTING FROM ONE END, WITH THE INNER END OF THE PLUNGER ENGAGING A GENERALLY RECIPROCABLLE ACTUATING MEMBER HAVING LIMITED ARCUATE MOVEMENT. A U-SHAPED PUSHER IS SPRING-BIASED TO ENGAGE THE ACTUATING MEMBER, AND THE ACTUATING MEMBER IS PROVIDED WITH A HOOK AT ONE END COOPERATING WITH THE INNER ENLARGED AND RECESSED END OF THE PLUNGER AND A LATERALLY EXTENDING SECOND HOOK AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE MEMBER COOPERATING WITH AN OPENING FORMED IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE HOUSING. MOVEMENT OF THE DRAWER OR CLOSURE INWARD RETRACTS THE PLUNGER AND CAUSES THE ACTUATING MEMBER TO ENGAGE THE HOUSING AND PLUNGER TO PREVENT OUTWARD MOVEMENT THEREOF, AND PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE CLOSED DRAWER OR CLOSURE CAUSES RELEASE OF THE ACTUATING MEMBER SO THAT THE SPRING BIASES THE PLUNGER OUTWARDLY TO PARTIALLY OPEN THE DRAWER OR CLOSURE.

Description

J. M. SCHILL July 4, 1972 TOUCH DEVICE FOR CABINET DRAWER OR CLOSURE Filed Dec. 16, 1970 4 Sheetsl-Sheet'l'l War- TOUCH DEVICE FOR CABINET DRAWER 0R CLOSURE Filed Dec. 16, 1970 J. M. SCHILL July 4-, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet z July 4, 1972 J. M. SCHILL TOUCH DEVICE FOR CABINET DRAWER OR CLOSURE Filed Dec. 16, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 a 0 ll l\ H f ML 4 My w W z 1 I. 6 z m 5 Lw o ,AWXJ 6 K J W 5 .3 Q/J x mg 0/ a r w $15 adv Z w l e w% z z July 4, 1972 J. M. SCHILL. 3,574,329

TOUCH DEVICE FOR CABINET DRAWER 0R CLOSURE Filed Dec. 16, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet'4 I" "I r i I v. r. l. mm... mm. j 85 l 43 Frat/8% A xbwmm United States Patent 3,674,329 TOUCH DEVICE FOR CABINET DRAWER OR CLOSURE John M. Schill, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc., Peoria, Ill. Filed Dec. 16, 1970, Ser. No. 98,494 Int. Cl. A47b 88/00, 95/00 US. Cl. 3l2319 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A touch device for cabinet drawers or closures which will act to automatically partially open the drawer, closure or door upon manual actuation and may latch the drawer or door in closed position, so that the drawer or door does not require a handle or pull on the exterior surface thereof. The device includes a housing mounted in the cabinet or enclosure with an elongated plunger projecting from one end, with the inner end of the plunger engaging a generally reciprocable actuating member having limited arcuate movement. A U-shaped pusher is spring-biased to engage the actuating member, and the actuating member is provided with a hook at one end cooperating with the inner enlarged and recessed end of the plunger and a laterally extending second hook at the opposite end of the member cooperating with an open ing formed in the side wall of the housing. Movement of the drawer or closure inward retracts the plunger and causes the actuating member to engage the housing and plunger to prevent outward movement thereof, and pressure exerted on the closed drawer or closure causes release of the actuating member so that the spring biases the plunger outwardly to partially open the drawer or closure.

The present invention relates to a touch device for a cabinet drawer or closure so that manual actuation of the device through the drawer or closure will cause a partial opening movement of the drawer or door, and more particularly to a device which will actuate a drawer or closure to a partially open position and may act to latch the latter in its closed position.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a touch device for a cabinet drawer or closure where the drawer or closure does not require a pull or handle on the exterior surface thereof. Movement of the drawer or door closure to closed position results in the retraction and latching of a spring-biased plunger having its outer end engaged by an abutment on the drawer or closure. A slight pressure on the exterior surface of the closed drawer or closure provides a slight inward movement of the plunger to unlatch the plunger and allow spring pressure to project the plunger and drawer or closure outward to a partially open position, so that an edge of the drawer or closure can be grasped to fully open the latter.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a touch device for a cabinet of a simplified design and action. The device includes an elongated housing for a compression spring, a pusher abutting the free end of the spring and engaging an actuating member, and a reciprocable plunger having one end abutting the actuating member and the opposite end adapted to be engaged by an abutment on a drawer or closure for the cabinet or enclosure. The housing includes a side opening adapted to be engaged by a hook portion on the actuating member and the inner end of the plunger has a hookshaped recess adapted to be engaged by a second hook portion on th actuating member when the plunger is retracted.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a touch device for a drawer or closure which will latch 3,674,329 Patented July 4, 1972 the member in closed position. The door has a strike plate of a magnetic material aligned with the axis of the reciprocable plunger and abuts a magnetic catch mounted on the end of the plunger. The magnetic catch includes a pair of pole pieces sandwiching a magnet, the pole pieces being secured to the magnet through a rivet extending centrally therethrough, and providing mounting ears conformably engaging a dovetail end portion of the plunger to secure the catch thereto.

The present invention also comprehends the provision of a touch device for a drawer or closure having a catch cooperatively engaging the projecting end of the plunger. The catch is a pivotally mounted member on the inner surface of the drawer or closure and has a hook arm capable of limited movement into and out of engagement with a hook-like recess formed on the end of the plunger. Inward movement of the drawer or door causes the catch to engage the plunger with the hook arm pivoting into engagement with the hook-like recess thereon. As the plunger is retracted, the hook arm of the catch enters the end of the housing which retains the hook arm and plunger engaged as the actuating member is shifted to retain the plunger in retracted position. Release of the plunger will cause release of the hook arm once it clears the end of the housing.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages. and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a drawer in an enclosure therefor and showing the slide for the drawer and the mounting of the touch device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of the drawer slide and touch device of FIG. 1 with a portion of the drawer and enclosure being shown.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the touch device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the touch device of FIG. 3 with the mounting cover removed and showing the position of the device as the drawer is moved inward.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing an intermediate stage of movement as the drawer closing is being completed.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the position of the device with the drawer closed.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the initial movement for the release of the device as the drawer is slightly depressed inward.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the drawer being moved to a partially open position.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are vertical cross sectional views taken on the lines 1010, 11-11 and 12-12 of FIG. 8, respectively.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the touch device being mounted in a cabinet or enclosure to coact with a lid or closure therefor.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of touch device for a cabinet door utilizing a magnetic catch therefor.

FIG. 15 is a partial exploded perspective view of the magnetic catch portion of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of touch device cooperating with a pivoted catch mounted on a drawer or closure and showing initial movement of closing the drawer or closure.

FIGS. 17, 18, 19 and 20 are substantially the same views as FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 showing the various positions of the touch device and pivoted catch for closing and partially Opening the drawer or door.

\Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings wherein are shown illustrative embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 1 discloses a touch device 10 for a drawer 11 slidable in an enclosure or cabinet 12. The drawer 11 includes a slide member 13 secured to each side of the drawer, each member carrying a roller 14 and having an upper flange 15 and an abutment 16 secured to or formed integral with the wall of the slide 13. A complementary slide member 17 is mounted on each of the opposite walls of the cabinet 12 and forms a track 18 receiving the roller 14. The member 17 carries a roller 19 upon which the flange 15 rests; so that the rollers 14 and 19, the flange 15 and the track 18 cooperate to insure proper reciprocal movement of the drawer 11 into and out of the cabinet 12.

The touch device 10 is secured onto the slide member 17 just above the track 18 to cooperate with the L-shaped abutment 16 carried by the slide member 13. As seen in FIG. 3, the touch device 10 includes a mounting plate 21 having openings 22 for suitable securing means, a channel-shaped housing 23, a reciprocable plunger 24, an actuating member 25, a 'U-shaped pusher 26, a compression spring 27, and an end plate 28 having a projection 29 on one surface cooperating with and locating an end 31 of the spring 27; the opposite end 32 of the spring abutting the base of the U-shaped pusher 26.

The housing 23 (FIG. 9) includes a rear wall 33, a pair of

parallel side walls

34, 35 and a pair of outwardly extending

mounting flanges

36, 36 adapted to be suitably secured to the mounting plate 21 or to the slide 17. The wall 34 has an opening 37 intermediate its ends and extending into the adjacent flange 36, and the walls terminate (FIG. 3) at their rear ends in inwardly facing generally C-

shaped channels

38, 38 receiving the

opposite edges

39, 39 of the end plate 28. At the opposite end of the housing, the side walls terminate in a pair of inwardly and forwardly projecting tabs or

flanges

41, 41.

The plunger 24 has an elongated body 42 terminating at one end in a dovetail shaped end 43 conformably received in a recess in an abutment block 44 adapted to be engaged by the abutment 16 on the slide 13. The opposite end of the plunger 24 has an enlarged head 45 defined by

shoulders

46, 46 which engage the inwardly extending

portions

47, 47 of the

tabs

41, 41 to prevent removal of the plunger from the forward end of the housing 23. The rear end of the head 45 has a curved recess 48 formed therein to provide a generally downwardly extending hook-like projection 49.

At the forward open end of the housing, the rear wall 33 has an inwardly offset portion 51 (FIGS. 4, 11 and 12) forming an inclined camming track 52 to cooperate with the actuating member 25 in a manner to be later described. The actuating member 25 (FIGS. 3-6) is an irregularly shaped block having a flat lower surface 53 joined to a flat surface 55 at an acute angle thereto by a rounded corner 54. The member terminates at one end in a hook portion 56 adjacent the surface 53 and abutting the plunger 24, while a second hook portion 57 is at a generally right angle to the hook member 56 and adjacent the surface 55. A portion of the front and rear surfaces of the hook member 57 are cut away as at 58 (see FIG. 10) and the rear surface of the actuating member body is cut away to provide a clearance surface 59 (see FIGS. '10 and 11) to allow a radiused camming surface on the hook portion 56 to cooperate with the camming track 52 in the housing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the touch device 10 is mounted within the cabinet 12 spaced rearwardly of the front surface thereof where the abutment 16 will engage the abutment block 44 for the last few inches of closing movement of the drawer. The device is assembled as shown in FIG. 4 with the projection 29 on the end plate 28 positioning the inner end 31 of the spring in the housing, and the outer spring end 32 engaging within the U of the pusher 26; the spring 27 being constantly under compression. The arrow A in FIG. 4 indicates the direction of movement of the drawer 11 and abutment 16 relative to the device 10.

As the abutment 16 engages the abutment block 44, further movement as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 5 causes inward movement of the plunger 24, the actuating member 25 and the pusher 26 against the force of the spring 27 until the uposition of the parts as shown in FIG. 5 is reached. As the hook portion 57 is located closely adjacent the wall 34, the member 25 retains its position with the lower surface 53 generally parallel to the wall 35 until the hook portion 57 is aligned with the opening 37. The pusher 26 engages the rounded corner 54 during movement of the actuating member 25 and tends to rotate the member in a clockwise direction about the end of the hook portion 56. When the hook portion 57 is aligned with the opening 37, the member 25 is rotated in a clockwise direction so that the hook portion 57 enters the opening 37, and the hook portion 57 will engage the rear edge 61 of the opening 37 to limit inward movement, and manual pressure is then released.

The pusher 26 now acting against the rounded corner 54 tends to rotate the actuating member 25 in a counterclockwise direction. Release of the drawer allows the spring 27 to urge the pusher 26, actuating member 25 and plunger 24 forward in the direction of the arrow C, shown in FIG. 6, until the hook portion 57 engages the front edge 62 of the opening 37. Then the actuating member 25 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction so that the hook portion 56 is cammed into the recess 48 and engages the projection 49 to retain the plunger in retracted position (FIG. 6).

To release the plunger 24 and open the drawer 11, inward pressure is exerted on the drawer 11 in the direction of the arrow D of FIG. 7. As the pusher 26 now engages the actuating member 25 at the junction of the rounded corner 54 and flat surface 55, the actuating member is again urged to rotate in a counterclockwise direction; however, the hook portion 57 engaging the front edge 62 of the opening 37 prevents any movement until the plunger 24 and actuating member 25 have been moved rearwardly under manual pressure in the direction of the arrow D. Rearward movement of the actuating member 25 releases the hook portion 57 and allows counterclockwise rotation of the member 25 about the engagement of the hook portion 56 with the projection 49 until the rounded corner 54 engages the side wall 35.

Release of the hook portion 57 from the opening 37 allows the spring 27 to urge the pusher 26, actuating member 25, plunger 24 and drawer 11 forward to a partially open position in the direction of the arrow E in FIG. 8. The pusher 26 now engages the flat surface 55 of the actuating member 25 and tends to retain the member 25 in its position of FIG. 7. As the actuating member 25 moves forward in the housing, the hook portion 56 on the member 25 engages the inclined camming track 52 of the housing to gradually rotate the actuating member 25 in a clockwise direction to return it to the position of FIG. 8, with the

shoulders

46, 46 engaging the

portion

47, 47 of the

tabs

41, 41, to limit outward movement of the plunger 24.

The drawer is now partially open so that an exposed edge may be grasped to manually withdraw and slide the drawer out to a more fully or desired open position. Thus, the use of the touch device eliminates the necessity of having a handle or pull on the exterior surface of the drawer front.

FIG. 13 discloses the touch device 10 mounted in a vertical orientation on the interior surface of a side wall 64 of a cabinet 63 having a hinged lid or closure 65 adapted to close the opening 66 in the top of the cabinet. The abutment block 44 on the upper end of the plunger 24 is adapted to be engaged by the inner surface of the edge 67 of the hinged lid 65 to retract the plunger into the housing 23. The operation of the touch device for the lid 65 is identical to the steps shown in FIGS. 48 except that reciprocation of the plunger 24 occurs in a vertical direction. As seen in FIG. 13, the plunger 24 in its projected position locates the outer edge 68 of the abutment block 44 substantially flush with the edge 69 of the cabinet 63, while in retracted position, the plunger and abutment block will support the lid 65 flush within the cabinet opening 66.

FIGS. 14 and disclose another embodiment of the touch device 10 which has the dual functions of projecting a hinged door or closure 72 of a cabinet 71 outwardly to a partially open position and latching the door in its closed position. The operating mechanism for the touch device 10 is identical with that shown in FIGS. l-12, except the plunger 24 does not have an abutment block secured thereto. The housing 23 and mounting plate 21 are secured to the interior surface 73 of the cabinet side wall with the plunger 24 extending towards the cabinet door 72.

The cabinet door 72 is provided with a strike plate 74 of a magnetic material suitably secured to the inner surface of the door and aligned with the plunger 24. The plunger terminates in the dovetail end 43 which is received and secured within a magnetic catch 75 cooperating with the strike plate 74. The magnetic catch 75 includes a permanent magnet 76 with a central opening 77 and a pair of

pole pieces

78, 78 formed of magnetic material; each having an opening 79 aligned with the opening 77. A suitable fastener, such as the rivet 81 is received in the aligned

openings

77 and 79 to secure the magnet and pole pieces together.

Each pole piece 78 includes an inturned outer edge 82 and a generally dovetail-shaped ear 83 at the opposite edge of the pole piece. The ear #83 has downturned

outer edges

84, 84 to conformably receive the dovetail-shaped end 43 of the plunger 24; the fastener 81 also securing the pole pieces to the end 43 of the plunger 24.

In operation, the touch device 10 operates in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 4- 8 with the magnetic catch 75 on the plunger 24 initially positioned substantially flush with the outer edge 85 of the cabinet wall. As the door 72 is closed, the strike plate 74 approaches and engages the

edges

82, 82 of the

pole pieces

78, 78 to be magnetically retained thereon as the device 10 reaches the position shown in FIG. 6. When the door 72 is depressed as seen in FIG. 7 to release the actuating member 25, release of the door will allow the spring 27 to urge the plunger 24 and door 72 outward. Depending on the strength of the magnetic catch 75, the outward force of the spring 27 will normally cause release of the strike plate 74 from the catch 75 to allow the door 72 to move to its partially open position.

FIGS. 16-20 disclose the touch device 10 with another embodiment of latch assembly for use on a hinged door or closure 86. The latch assembly 87 includes the plunger 24 which has the forward end cut away to form a generally horizontally oriented hook 88 with a hook recess 89 located in the upper edge 91 of the plunger 24*. The other portion of the latch assembly includes a mounting plate 92 suitably secured to the interior surface 93 of the door 86 and carrying an integral rearwardly extending car 94 to support a pivot pin or rivet 95. A pivotal latch member 96 is mounted on the pin 95 and includes a base portion 97 with an upwardly extending arm 98 formed on the extension of the flat surface 99 and an outwardly extending hook arm 101 formed at a slightly obtuse angle to the base portion 97 and surface 99. The hook arm 101 has a recess 102 spaced inwardly from the end of the arm to receive the hook 88 of the plunger 24.

The pivot pin 95 is so arranged relative to the pivotal member '96 that the lower corner 103 of the member normally abuts the plate 92 as shown in FIG. 16. When the door 86 is moved toward closed position in the direction of the arrow A, the hook arm 101 approaches and rides over the hook 88 of the plunger 24 as allowed by the pivot pin '95, so that the hook arm 101 is received in the recess 89' on the plunger 24 and the hook 88 is received in the recess 102 of the arm 101, thus allowing the pivotal member 96 to return to its position with the corner 103 abutting the plate 92. Continued movement of the door in the direction of the arrow B causes retraction of the plunger 24 and reception of the hook arm 101 in the front end of the housing 23 underneath one tab 41.

As seen in FIG. 17, the actuating member 25- pivots so that the hook portion 57 enters the opening 37 and, when pressure on the door 86 is released, the pusher 26, actuating member 25 and plunger 24 move in the direction of arrow C, so that the actuating member 25 rotates in a counterclockwise direction and the hook portion 56 engages the projection 49 in the recess 48 in the inner end 45 of the plunger 24 (see FIG. 18). Thus, the plunger 24 is retained in retracted position due to the cooperation of projection 49 and hook portion 56 and the cooperation of book portion 57 with the edge 62 of the opening 37. Also, the door 86 is latched in closed position due to the cooperation between the hook arm 101 of the pivotal latch member 96, the hook 88 of the plunger 24 and the tab 41 engaging the surface 104 of the hook arm 101.

To release the door latch, the door 86 is manually depressed in the direction of arrow D (FIG. 19) to release the hook portion 57 and cause the actuating member 25 to further rotate in a counterclockwise direction. Release of the door 86 allows the spring 27 to urge the pusher 26, actuating member 25 and plunger 24 in the direction of arrow B (FIG. 20) to cause the actuating member 25 to be cammed to its starting position and project the plunger 24 to cause the door to move to a partially open position. Once the hook arm 101 clears the tab 41, it is free to pivot on the pin '95 and ride over the hook 88 of the plunger 24 as seen in FIG. 20 to unlatch the door as it moves to a partially open position.

Although the various embodiments of the touch device with or without a latching arrangement have been expressly described for a drawer, closure or door, it is clear that these devices can be used interchangeably on drawers, closures such as doors or lids without any alteration in function, and it is not my desire to unnecessarily limit the scope or the utility of the improved features by virtue of these illustrative embodiments.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a cabinet drawer, door or the like, a touch device having an elongated housing open at one end and secured on an enclosure Wall, a compression spring within and abutting the closed end of the housing, a pusher reciprocably mounted in the housing and abutting the free end of the spring, a plunger located within and mounted for limited reciprocable movement in the housing with the outer end projecting through and beyond the open end of the housing, and an actuating member slidably mounted in said housing between the pusher and the plunger for reciprocable and pivotal movement therein, the spring, the pusher, the actuating member and the plunger all being generally axially aligned in the housing, said plunger having an enlarged head at its inner end within the housing providing limiting shoulders, spaced tabs at the open end of the housing cooperating with the limiting shoulders to limit outward movement of the plunger, said enlarged head having a curved recess formed in the rear surface with a depending projection adapted to cooperate with the actuating member, the actuating member is freely mounted and includes a first hook portion at one end abutting the enlarged head and a second hook portion at the other end and projecting laterally thereof, said housing having an opening in a first side of greater extent than said second hook portion and adapted to receive said second hook portion, the free end of the plunger adapted to abut a movable member moving to its closed position to simultaneously retract the Plunger, the actuating member and the pusher from a first unlatched position to a second latched position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, in which in the first position the first hook portion abuts the enlarged head and the second hook portion abuts the one side of the housing, and in the second position the first hook portion engages said recess and depending projection in the enlarged head and the second hook portion engages the opening in the housing to retain the plunger in its retracted position.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, in which the actuating member includes a flat lower surface extending to the first hook portion, a flat rear surface arranged at a slightly acute angle to the lower surface and extending to the second hook portion, and a rounded corner joining the lower surface and the rear surface, said pusher engaging the actuating member on the rear surface and/or the rounded corner.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 in which the actuating member has a radiused camming surface on the first hook portion facing generally towards said plunger, and the housing has a rear wall with a downwardly and forwardly inclined camming track formed adjacent the open end of the housing, the camming surface of the first hook portion and the camming track cooperating to retain the actuating member in its normal unlatched position.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, in which the compression spring normally urges the pusher, the actuating member and the plunger to their first unlatched positions with the plunger in its projected position and the enlarged head engaging the spaced tabs in the housing, the actuating member in the first position has the fiat lower wall parallel to the second opposite side of the housing and the camming surface of the first hook portion engaging the camming track in the housing, whereby rearward pressure on the plunger causes rearward movement of the actuating member until the second hook portion is laterally aligned with the opening in the first side of the housing, the pusher acting on the rounded corner to pivot the actuating member clockwise and project the second hook portion into the opening and then, upon release of the pressure, the pusher acts to pivot the actuating member counterclockwise to cam the first hook portion into the recess in the enlarged head of the plunger and engage the depending projection to latch the plunger in retracted position.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5, in which inward pressure on the retracted latched plunger causes the retraction of the actuating member and the release of the second hook portion from the opening, the pusher acting on the rounded corner of the actuating member to pivot the actuating member counterclockwise to Withdraw the second hook portion from the opening so that,

upon release of the last mentioned inward pressure, the spring biases the pusher, the actuating member and the plunger to their first unlatched position.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6, in which upon forward movement of the actuating member, the camming surface of the first hook portion engages the camming track to pivot the actuating member clockwise and withdraw the first hook portion from the recess in the enlarged plunger head.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1, including magnetic latching means to retain the movable member in engagement with the plunger in its latched position.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 1, including magnetic latching means to retain the movable member in engagement With the plunger in its latched position, the magnetic latching means including a magnetic strike plate mounted on the movable member, and a magnet assembly including a magnet and spaced pole pieces secured together, the plunger having a dovetail-shaped outer end, and each pole piece having a rearwardly extending ear engaging and conformably receiving said dovetail-shaped end to secure the magnet assembly to the plunger.

10. The combination ,as set forth in claim 1, including latch means to retain the movable member in engagement With said plunger when in its retracted latched posi tion, the latch means including a hook-shaped end on the plunger having a recess in one edge spaced from the end of the plunger, and a pivotally mounted latch member secured to the movable member, the latch member having a rearwardly extending hook arm riding over and engaging the hook-shaped end of said plunger.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10, in which the hook arm engaging the hook-shaped plunger end is received between the spaced tabs on the housing when the plunger is retracted to its second latched position with one of the tabs engaging the hook arm to prevent pivotal movement thereof and disengagement with the hookshaped plunger end until the plunger is released to its first unlatched position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,338,052 4/1920 Voight 292-4310 4 2,637,576 5/1953 Nottingham 292-DIG 4 2,673,111 3/1954 Teetor 292DIG 4 OTHER REFERENCES Engh: IBM Tech. Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 5, No. 1,

June 1962.

PAUL R. GILLIAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 292DIG 4