Improvements in Fastenings for Doors and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fastenings for Doors and the like.
I, AUSTIN ADAMS, of No. 621, Broadway, New York City, in the State of New
York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to appliances designed to fasten movable articles, as doors,
and the like, and to automatically lock the same, and also to wedge or draw the
same tight to their seats.
In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view, and Figure 2 a side elevation,
partly in section, of my latch; Figures 3 and 4 are plans, and Figures 5, 6, and 7
are details and Figure 8, a view in section of another latch made according to
my invention; Figure 1 is a perspective view, Figure 2 a cross-section, and
Figure 3 a detail of one of my latches; and Figures, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5* are
perspective views of another latch made according to my invention.
In Figures 1 and 2, A represents a plate secured to the movable article to be
fastened, as a door, and provided with a forwardly, laterally projecting arm A¹,
carrying a tubular hearing A³, through which passes the shaft or arm B, which
abuts, on both sides, against the said bearing. The shaft B, carries an outer
operating handle B' and an inner weighted lever B, and turns in the bearing A².
The arm A¹ projects a distance beyond the door to engage, when the same is
closed, the lever Ba and the jaws C, C2 of a base plate C, having reinforcing ribs Cº,
and eyes C3, C. The two parts of the fastener may be securely locked together
by passing the shackle of a padlock through the said eyes, and thus prevent the arm
or projection A6 from being removed from its position between the said eyes.
When the door is closed the lever B2, engages the jaw C2, and the shaft B, turns
until the lever B2, passes between the jaws C1, C2, and falls behind the jaw C. By
pressing the handle B', to the left the lever B³, will be moved up the inclined edge
of the jaw C3, whereby the door will be wedged in the casing. I unlock my latch
from the inside of the door as follows; A shaft D carries a handle D', and securing
screw, and also a crank D2. The shaft D, is on the axial line of the shaft B
and also of the jaws C1, C2 surrounding the shaft B; and the crank D2 engages the
lever B, and lifts it from between the said jaws.
The plate C, has an extension C, in which works the shaft D, to which part a
cap D, is screwed, in which extension are located screws C.
In the latch represented in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, C20, represents my tubular
keeper which is preferably secured to the door jamb, the longitudinal axis of
which is at right angles to the plane or face of the support thereof, having an in-
clined spiral edge C, extending upwardly and rearwardly. Connecting at the
point C, this edge C, forms the rear edge of a spiral slot C3, whose anterior, or
front edge C4, is formed by the part C, of the outer end of the tubular keeper. Ex-
tending through the axial center of said tubular keeper to the opposite side of the
door, is a rotatory rod or shaft D12, on the outer end of which is an operating finger
or projection D. On the inner end of said shaft D2, is secured an operating
handle Do which is operated from the interior of the compartment, for locking

page_text: When
or releasing the latch A". When the latch is rotated in one direction by the
handle Do, the edge d³, will impinge against the part a³, of the swinging latch A",
thereby fastening the door. When the handle is turned in an opposite direction
the edge of the finger D, engages the opposite side of the part 3 of the pivoted
latch and forces the same up the spiral slot C, thereby releasing the door.
the latch engages the spiral slot C3, one side of the part a³, of the latch will bear
against the anterior edge C24, of the slot C3, and the latch guided by the edge C24,
downwardly wedges the door into the frame. When the latch is to be released
by the handle A10, or D, the opposite side of the part 3 of the latch rides up the
posterior edge A", thereby releasing the latch and forcing the door outwardly.
My keeper may have a vertical base plate C10, or may be screw-threaded, and
screwed into the jamb.
The end of the shaft B" may be provided with a pin B, which works in a slot A',
of the handle A10, loosely mounted on the shaft B", the said pin stopping.ithe
handle from revolving any further than the ends of the slot. When the shank of
lever a³, strikes the slot or groove in the keeper it is caused to follow freely the in-
cline of the groove until the pin B, strikes the end of the slot A7 in the sleeved end
of the handle A10. This quick. motion causes the handle to fly up or revolve on the
shaft and having play to go to the end of the slot, & thus overweights the
parts A, 3, and causes the portion a³, to positively engage the keeper and enter
the groove C3, sufficiently to interlock the two members of my keeper. The 'pin "B",
being caused to strike the end of the slot A7, by the part a³, turning in the groove,
picks up the weighted handle and causes it to travel as far around the shaft as the
length of the slot will permit.
In the latch shown in the Figures 1, 2, 3*, A20 denotes a bracket which sup-
ports two horizontal shafts b, b', which respectively carry handles B20, B21, situated
on opposite sides of the wall of a compartment, the shaft b, has a finger or lever B
terminating in a locking eye 62. The two shafts b, b', act in unison, as by a
sprocket chain (23, working on the sprockets of the shafts. My keeper D20 has
an inclined entrance edge and a slot formed by the anterior edge d", and the
posterior edge 12, and also a locking eye d³, which registers with the eye b,
whereby the parts may be fastened by a pad-lock E. Upon pushing the door to,
the lever B will engage the edge d" and upon manipulating the handle 1310,
or B, the lever B22 may be forced up the slot. To open the door the handle Bo
or B, is turned in a reverse direction whereby the lever B2 is forced out of the
slot.
In the latch shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5", A, denotes an arm pro-
vided with a collar A3, held in normal position by a weight A33, on the lever A.
My keeper B30, has an inclined edge B³, terminating in a groove B, and also
has a locking recess or cavity B. My keeper has an upwardly and rearwardly
inclined spiral edge terminating in a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot.
To engage the parts the ball lever rides on the inclined edge until at rest in the
forwardly and downwardly inclined slot. To disengage the members a slight
push forces the ball lever to the end of the station or cavity adjacent to the ex-
tremity of the inclined curve, namely point 611, and by a quick pull the lever is
thrown to the inclined way B331, whereby the ball lever rides off the said edge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said, in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a fastening device, the combination, with one member consisting of a
self latching device, as a pivoted or swinging latch, of another member, consti-
tuting a keeper, the two being respectively secured to a door and jamb of a
compartment, and being constructed and arranged to become automatically engaged
upon the door being closed, one of the said members being permanently provided
with a secondary and independent manually operated device, as a handle located
in a part of said member, so that their relative position may always be the same,

page_text: the said secondary handle extending within the compartment, whereby the members
may also be disengaged.
2. In a latching device, to be applied to a door, etc. of a wall, the combination
with a rotating or swinging latch, and with a keeper having an inclined edge or
way engaged by said latch, of a rotating shaft axially disposed as regards the said
keeper, and passing to the opposite side of the wall, said shaft being permanently.
attached to said member so that their relative position will always be the same,
and provided at its forward end with an operating finger or projection and at its
opposite end with an operating handle, whereby the latch may be fastened or re-
leased from either side of the wall.
3. In a latching device, the combination, with a pivoted or swinging latch, of
a tubular keeper, the longitudinal axis of which is substantially at right angles
to the plane or face of the support thereof, provided with a spiral slot extending
rearwardly, said latch engaging the anterior and posterior edges of slot of such
keeper, whereby in locking the latch the door is crowded into its seat and in re-
leasing such latch the door is forced open as specified.
4. In a latching device the combination, with a rotating or swinging latch,
of a tubular keeper having a spiral slot engaged by said latch, of a rotating shaft
passing axially through said tubular keeper to the opposite side of the door, said
shaft provided at the forward end with an operating finger or projection, and at
its opposite end with an operating handle, whereby the latch may be fastened or
released from either side of the door, as specified.
5. In a latch consisting of two members respectively secured to the door and
jamb, the combination, with a keeper provided with a spirally inclined edge and
a spiral groove, of a pivoted or swinging latch, and a handle having a limited
rotatory movement with respect to said latch as specified.
6. The combination, in a fastening device, with one member constituting a
keeper, of another member constituting a latching device and provided with two
actuating handles located on different axial lines and projecting from different
sides of said member.
7.The combination, in a fastening device, with one member constituting a
keeper, of another member constituting a latching device provided with two actu-
ating handles located on different axial lines and projecting from different sides
of said member, and also of intermediate connecting means whereby the said handles
are constructed and arranged to act in unison when either handle is operated.
8. The combination, in a fastening device, with one member constituting a
keeper, of another member constituting a latching device, provided with two actu-
ating handles located on different axial lines and projecting from opposite sides of
said member, and also of intermediate connecting means consisting of a sprocket
chain, whereby the handles act in unison when either handle is operated."
9. In a fastening device, the combination with one member, provided with an
upwardly and rearwardly inclined spiral edge or way, terminating in a down-
wardly and forwardly inclined edge or way, of another relatively movable mem-
ber, whereby the members may be engaged by a forward movement of the object
to be fastened, and unlocked by a slight forward and backward movement of the
said object.
10. A hollow tubular keeper provided with an upwardly and rearwardly in-
clined spiral edge and terminating in a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot.
and also formed with an intermediate depression or recess between said spiral
edge and inclined slot as specified.
Dated this 10th day of December 1897