Patent Publication Number: US-8534099-B2

Title: Single and multi-point door lock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to single and multi-point locking apparatus for doors, and more particularly to a highly advantageous apparatus incorporating a simple, reliable, element drive train between an adjustable position manually rotatable lock cylinder, and pivoted lock bolt. 
     There is need for improvements in simple, reliable apparatus as referred to, and which is easily installed and adjustable in door frame structures. There is also need for the unusually effective and reliable combination of lock elements as is disclosed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus, meeting the above needs. Basically, the apparatus comprises a lock drive train comprising: 
     a) a pivoted lock bolt to be carried by a door, 
     b) a casing, 
     c) a rotary cylinder operatively rotatable during door opening or closing, 
     d) a rack driven endwise in response to cylinder rotation, 
     e) a gear rotatable by the driven rack, 
     f) a pivoted lock dog driven by the gear, 
     g) a bolt release lever, pivotable by the gear, between angular positions in which it is retained by the lock dog, 
     h) said angular positions corresponding to extended and retracted positions of the bolt. 
     As will appear, the lock dog typically has releasable interfit connection with the bolt, in bolt extended and retracted positions, there being a lost motion connection between the gear and the bolt release lever whereby said interfit is released during gear rotation and prior to said pivoting of the release lever. In addition, spring means is provided to bias the lock dog to retain said releasable interfit, in bolt extended and retracted positions. 
     Another object is to provide a gear as referred to, which has multiple functions in the drive train, as respects both driving the bolt release lever, with lost motion connection; and also driving the lock dog in timed relation to the lost motion drive of the bolt release lever. The latter typically has pin and slot interconnection to the bolt. 
     A further object is to provide an improved pivotable bolt having a through opening between opposite sides of the bolt, and a roller received in that opening to protrude at opposite sides of said body,
         i) for rollable engagement with a confinement surface or surfaces associated with the casing, during bolt pivoting,   ii) or, for engagement by a hack saw operated by an intruder, for blocking severing of the bolt.       

     An added object is to provide a lock cylinder having multiple threads, and a casing housing the cylinder and configured to be mounted within an opening in a door, and including a non-cantilevered locking set screw received in engagement with said threads. 
     A yet further object is to provide a lock faceplate having beveled edges interfitting corresponding edges defined by an opening in the casing, the faceplate being removable to provide access to said set screw, for adjustment. 
     Another object includes provision of a bolt that has at least one tapered side surface to assure ease of interfit in the casing, as the bolt pivots. 
     An additional object is to provide an elongated stile containing the casing, and spacers installed and located within the stile in response to relative sliding, for positioning the casing, said spacers configured to be adjustable during installation in the field, to retain the casing positioning in the stile, and a removable trim facing plate for the casing to conceal such spacers. 
     A further object is to provide a dummy face plate on the stile used during said adjustable positioning, to allow spacer alignment and positioning via a tool insertable in an opening or openings in the dummy face plate, that dummy face plate then being removable to allow installation of said final trim face plate. 
     Another object is to provide a casing for the rotary cylinder, to fit in a door opening, and means to retain the casing in any of a plurality of selected horizontal positions in the door opening. Such means may typically comprise a first set of tongue and groove elements at the door opening, and being horizontally spaced, and at least one tongue or groove element or elements carried by the cylinder casing or door opening, to selectively interfit said first set. 
     Yet another object includes provision of a stile into which the lock casing is received, and means for adjusting the position of the casing relative to a stile wall, including a set screw carried by the lock casing and having threaded engagement with the casing whereby the screw exerts tightening force against the stile, the screw rotatable by an elongated adjuster inserted and projecting into the casing. 
     A yet further object includes provision of upper and lower elongated rod elements extending into the lock casing to be operatively connected to the lock bolt for extension as the bolt rotates, and upper and lower auxiliary bolts operatively connected to said rod elements at their terminals, to be displaced into door frame structure as the lock bolt is pivoted. In this regard, adjustable means is typically operatively connected between the upper auxiliary bolt and the upper rod, allowing vertical adjustment of upper bolt positioning in response to rod rotation, and fastener means to hold the adjustment means in position following adjustment. The rod elements are configurable for both 2 and 3 point configurations. 
     An additional object is to provide an improved lock having quick connect and/or disconnect capabilities. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       DRAWING DESCRIPTION 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred lock apparatus incorporating the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a vertical section taken through the  FIG. 1  apparatus, and showing a blocked condition; 
         FIG. 3  is a view like  FIG. 2 , showing an unblocked condition; 
         FIG. 4  is a view like part of  FIG. 2 , showing elements in enlarged configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a vertical section taken on lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5   a  is a perspective view showing of a pinion drive element; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing of a lock cylinder element showing one end thereof; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the cylinder case element, endwise reversed from  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view, partly in section, showing position relationship of the cylinder case, rack and pivot elements; 
         FIG. 9  is a view taken on lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a view taken on lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIGS. 11   a - 11   c  are like views showing adjustable backset to accommodate different width frames; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a screw holder; 
         FIG. 13  is a frontal view of the  FIG. 12  screw holder with assembled screw, attached to the lock case and cover elements; 
         FIG. 14  is a section taken on lines  14 - 14  of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a view like  FIG. 2 , but showing inclusion of upper and lower lock bolt components; 
         FIG. 16  is an elevation showing inclusion of door structures, and associated upper and lower bolt connections; 
         FIG. 17  is an enlarged vertical elevation showing details of connection of an actuator to an upper rod that drives an upper bolt connection; 
         FIG. 18  is a section taken on lines  18 - 18  of  FIG. 17 ; 
         FIG. 19  is an enlarged vertical elevation showing details of an upper bolt connected to a vertical actuator rod; 
         FIG. 20  is a horizontal section taken on lines  20 - 20  of  FIG. 19 ; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view showing a lock bolt having a side roller to engage associated fixed structure, as the bolt is displaced; 
         FIG. 22  is a section taken on lines  22 - 22  of  FIG. 21 ; and 
         FIG. 23  is a section taken on lines  23 - 23  of  FIG. 21 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a door lock housing  10  carries a lock cylinder  11  projecting at one side  10   a  of the housing and bolt  12  projecting at side  10   b  of the housing, extending at 90° to side  10   a . Within the housing is an upright lock case  14  defining a side opening  14   a  registering with side opening  10   c  of the housing. Bolt  12  in locked position projects laterally through the openings  14   a  and  10   c  as shown and is rotatable about pivot  15  in response to rotation of cylinder  11 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Cylinder  11  may be provided with a key entry slot  110 , as shown. 
     Mechanism operable between cylinder  11  and the bolt  12  includes an elongated rack  16  driven endwise by a cam or dog  17  downwardly projecting from the cylinder  11  to engage rack projection  16   a  at the rack upper side. A pinion gear  18  is located below the rack, and has teeth  18   a  engaging downwardly projecting rack teeth  16   b . A link or parallel links  19  are pivoted at  20  along with the gear  18 , and located at opposite sides of the gear. The links and gear are fixedly attached to the supporting pivot shaft  20 , whereby the gear  18  rotates the links. Shaft  20  is rotatable in frame bearings  21 . Links  19  are rotatable between end position as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , in which bolt  12  is extended, and position as seen in  FIG. 3 , in which the bolt has been rotated about pivot  15 , into retracted position. 
     Pins  23  and  24  projecting from the sides of the bolt slidably fit in slots  23   a  and  24   a  of the links, to rotate the bolt, as the links are swung by the gear  18 . 
     A locking dog or lever  25 , urged by a torsion spring  27  (see  FIG. 4 ), has a terminal  25   a  that fits in a notch  26  in the bolt body  12   a  to lock the bolt in extended position, and the terminal  25   a  fits in a notch  95  in the bolt body  12   a  to lock the bolt in  FIG. 3  retracted position. During bolt activation from the ends of bolt angular swing travel, the arm  24   c  of the dog is depressed by a projection  28  extending downwardly from the gear, to pivot the dog  25  and release terminal  25   a  from each notch, as the gear commences its rotation from each of the gear and bolt positions of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , toward alternate position. Lost motion, as provided as by slots  23   a  and  24   a , allows release of the terminal  25   a  from each notch prior to activation of bolt swinging, to assure release. See in this regard pins  30   a  and  30   b  on gear  18  (see  FIG. 5   a ) which engage opposite edges  19   a  and  19   b  of lever or link  19 , after the gear  18  has rotated to pivot dog  25  enough to release terminal  25   a  from either snotch  26  and  95 . Accordingly, gear  18  has multiple actuating functions which it controls. 
       FIGS. 5-7  show the block-like casing  50  that receives the lock cylinder  11 , and is installable in the frame or housing  10  to accurately position the cylinder  11  for rotation to actuate the rack  16 . That casing  50  has upper and lower flat surfaces  50   a  and  50   b  that are to be retained between frame shoulders  10   d  and  10   e , as seen in  FIG. 5 . A positioning screw  51  is adjustable to retain the casing  50  in position, the screw terminal  51   a  bearing on the case at  50   d . Flange  50   e  bears against wall  10   f . See also  FIGS. 8-10 , and  FIGS. 11   a - 11   c , which also show a first mating feature, such as grooves  52 - 54  in the casing and horizontally spaced apart, as shown, to adjust the horizontal position (backset adjustment) of the lock cylinder, as related to a door opening that receives the cylinder  11 . A second mating feature, such as tongue ll b  on the casing  50  projects downwardly to selectively fit into one of such grooves  52 - 54 . Accordingly, a first set of tongue or groove elements is provided at the door opening, and which are horizontally spaced, and at least one tongue or groove element or elements is carried by the cylinder casing or door opening, to selectively interfit a groove or tongue element of said first set.  FIGS. 11   a - 11   c show accommodation to frames  1 ,  2  and  3  of different widths. 
       FIGS. 12-14  show provision of a means for retaining the lock housing or frame  10  in an adjusted horizontal position relative to an upright door stile  60  that receives that housing. The frame has a portion  10   d  that threadably receives, at  10   g , a spacer or pusher  61  endwise bearing endwise against the inner side  60   c  of vertical door stile  60 . An adjuster  63  projects into the screw interior, with hexagonal interfit, so that as the adjuster is rotated, the screw tightens endwise against surface  60   c , and simultaneously adjusts the position of the frame  10 , horizontally, relative to the stile. The thin endwise elongated adjuster may be inserted into the lock frame via a suitable small opening in the frame wall. 
       FIGS. 15-20  show provision of means to adjustably bolt connect the lock housing to structure immediately above and below the door frame, and to be actuated in response to bolt  12  rotation to lock the door. Upper vertical rod  70  is displaced upwardly in response to bolt  12  rotation, to urge upper bolt  71  into a recess  72  in door upper frame structure  73 ; and lower vertical rod  74  is displaced downwardly in response to said bolt rotation, which locks the door. Rod  70  is operatively connected, at  76  to an upper intermediate rod  77  which extends downwardly within the lock housing and into a recess  78  in the bolt  12 , to be urged upwardly as the bolt rotates clockwise in  FIG. 15 ; and rod  74  is operatively connected at  79  to a lower intermediate rod  80 , which extends upwardly into the lock housing and has an interfit connection at  81  with the bolt, to be urged downwardly as the bolt rotates clockwise. Connection  76  is preferably a “quick release” connection to be made up after installation of the lock in door stile  60 .  FIGS. 17 and 18  show a spring  84  on rod  70  as compressed between a pin  85  on lateral extension  77 a of rod  77 , and a pin  86  on rod  70 . Spring  84  stiffens the connection. 
       FIGS. 19 and 20  show a rotary adjustment means for positioning an auxiliary bolt  71  relative to a connecting door frame  90 , having bracket flanges  90   a  and  90   b . The upper end  70   b  of rod  70  is adjustment threaded into bolt lower structure  71   b , whereby as rod  70  is adjustably rotated, the bolt is raised or lowered. An adjustable side fastener  93  engages a flat  94  on structure  71   b , to keep that structure from rotating, once it has been adjusted. In  FIG. 18 , pins  85  on rod  70  release from grooves in  77   b  upon 90° rotation of  70 , to “quick release” the connection. 
       FIGS. 21-23  show details of the bolt structure, including the through opening  150 , and the roller  151 , received in that opening to protrude at opposite sides of the bolt body  152 ,
         i) for rollable engagement with a confinement surface or surfaces associated with the casing,   ii) or, for engagement by a hack saw operated by an intruder, for blocking severing of the bolt.
 
Laminations  153  form the bolt body and the opening  150 . The roller may consist of ceramic material to resist lack saw teeth penetration. Cylindrical roller trunnions appear at  154 .