Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
108769~9
This invention relates generally to closure latches,
and more particularly to a latch for the door of a vehicle,
such as a truck or trailer, that may be subjected to undesired
separation of bolt and striker in any of various directions of
the bolt, as may be caused by racking or other forces.
Lateral or longitudinal leaning or skewing of the
sides of a truck or trailer body, for example, as caused by
externally or internally applied forces, is known as "racking".
When a door on the vehicle is latched by a bolt slidable on
the door engaging behind or in an aperture, or the like, in a
striker mounted on a door frame and is subjected to such
racking or other type forces, the bolt and striker may separate
and result in undesired opening of the door.
This invention eliminates such undesired opening of
a closure cover, such as a vehicle door, due to movement by
providing the back plate of a bolt housing mounted on a sur-
face of the door with a flange at its outer end extending
away from and normal to the door surface, and an aperture
adjacent the outer end of the bolt to accommodate a flange
portion or tang provided on the edge of a striker which is
mounted on the door frame in spaced relationship thereto to
enable engagement of the striker by the back plate end flange
when the door is swung shut and prevent relative movement of
back plate and striker that otherwise could result in undesired
separation of the bolt from latching engagement with the striker.
It will be understood that swinging the door shut causes longi-
tudinal movement of the bolt against its customary spring by
engagement of the outer end of the bolt with the flange portion
or tang of the striker, and as the door reaches closed positio~
the spring extends the bolt into latching engagement with the
striker flange portion.
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In the drawings:
FIGURE 1 iS an elevational view of a vehicle door
with a latch embodying the features of this invention mounted
thereon;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 1, on
a larger scale, and showing a portion of the door frame in
vertical section;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the latch mechanism of
FIG. 2 with portions of the door and door frame shown in
horizontal section;
FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substan-
tially on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view, with portions of the door,
frame and striker in horizontal section, similar to FIG. 3 of a
latch mechanism having a modified form of striker with multiple
latching projections; and
FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on
the line VI-VI of FIG. 5.
The invention is directed to an anti-separation latch
for a closure having a frame and a cover mounted for movement
relative thereto between open and closed positions, comprising :: -
a striker mounted on said frame, and latch mechanism including
a back plate mounted on said cover having a substantially right-
angled and forwardly extending end flange engageable with the
inner side of said striker when said cover is in closed posi-
tion, a bolt longitudinally spaced from said end flange and
slidable on said back plate, and spring means urging said bolt ~;
to extended position, the outer end of said bolt contacting :
said striker as said cover is moved toward closed position to
; 30 retract said bolt against the action of said spring means, and
said spring means moving said bolt into latching engagement with :
said striker when said cover is in closed position for prevent-
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ing transYerse opening moYements th~reof, w~hexeby the engage-
ment of said end flange and said inner side of said striker
prevents relative longitudinal movement between said latch
mechanism and saia striker.
Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, a latch
mechanism embodying the features of this invention is dis-
closed as comprising a bolt portion, indicated generally by
reference numeral 11, and a striker 12, the latter being mount-
ed on a door frame 13 and the bolt portion 11 shown as
mounted on the inner surface of a door 14. In this illustxa-
ted installation, FIG. 1 is a view-rearwardly from the interior
of a truck or trailer, with the door 14 being in its rear end
wall. It will be understood, however, that the instant latch
mechanism is intended for use in connection with any door in
any vehicle, the mounting thereof herein illustrated being an
example of one such use. An alternate mounting arrangement
~not shown) is where the latch mechanism is mounted on an asso-
ciated handle structure itself mounted on the door. Addition-
ally, it will be understood th~t the herein disclosed inYention
can be utilized for the anti-separation latching of other type
closures and associated covers, such as for windows and window
rames and cabinets, for example.
The "racking" previously referred to may be in the
form of lateral leaning or swaying of the sides of the vehicle,
as illustrated by the broken lines in FIG. 1.
In FIGS. 2 and 3, the bolt portion 11, is shown as
comprising the usual bolt housing 15 having a central portion
slidably housing a bolt 16 and longitudinal edge 1anges suit-
ably secured, as by spot welding at 17, for example, to a novel
back plate 18. A tang 19 is struck toward the bolt 16 from
the inner end of the central portion of bolt housing 15 to
anchor or engage the inner end of a spring 21 which is disposed
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1087649
within a cavity 22 formed in the bolt 16 to urge the bolt
longitudinally outwardly to a latching position. The outer end
of the bolt 16 preferably is provided with a cam surface 23
(FIG. 3) for a purpose later to be described, and its inner
end is attached, as by means of a screw 24, to a cable 25 or
any other desired means for retracting the bolt 16 in the hous-
ing 15 against the action of the spring 21.
The longitudinal flanges on the bolt housing 15 and
the back plate 18 are provided with suitable apertures for re-
ceiving bolts 26, or the like, for mounting or securing thebolt portion 11 on the door 14. The outer end of the back plate
18 terminates in an end flange 27 (FIGS. 3 and 4) normal or
extending at a right angle thereto toward the bolt, and the
back plate 18 has an aperture 28 adjacent the outer end of the
bolt 16.
The striker 12 is provided on its outer or active
edge with an outwardly extending tang or flange portion 29
(best seen in FIG. 3) for engagement with and to provide a
single latching position for the outer end of the bolt 16.
The tang 29 is so dimensioned as to be received by and extend
through the aperture 28 in the back plate 18. Bolts 31, or the
like, secure the striker 12 to the door frame 13. In order to ;
enable engagement of the end flange 27 of the back plate 18
back of or with the inner side of the striker 12, a spacer
plate 32 is interposed between the latter and the door post 13.
Depending upon the desired latching operation, those skilled in
the art can readily appreciate that the striker 12 can be .,"?';' '" ' '
modified to comprise a tang having multiple latching
projections 29a and 29b (FIGS. 5 and 6) respectively engageable
in serial fashion with the end of bolt 16 so as to provide var-
ious intermediate and full latching positions once the door 14 -~
has been swung shut.
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108769L9
It will be understood that the door 14 of the struc-
ture herein illustrated is hinged or otherwise suitably
mounted for opening (transverse) movement in the direction of
arrow 33 in FIG. 3, and it will be appreciated that the latch
mechanism herein disclosed may be employed as desired with any
door of any vehicle and that the bolt portion 11 can be mounted
on a door frame or post, with the striker 12 on the door, if
such arrangement is appropriate. Additionally, it will be
understood that the latch mechanism herein disclosed can be
either a single installation, or of the type wherein several
such mechanisms operate in tandem.
In closing the door 14, the door is moved relative
to the door frame 13 in a direction opposite the arrow 33 in
FIG. 3, the cam surface 23 of bolt 16 first striking against
the tang 29 of the striker 12 to move the bolt longitudinally
inward against spring 21, and the bolt then being moved out-
wardly by spring 21, after it has cleared the tang 29, to
engage behind the inner edge of the striker tang. Outward
transverse movement or opening of the door then is prevented
by such engagement of the outer end of bolt 16 and striker
tang 29. At the same time, the end flange 27, by virtue of ;
the back plate aperture 28 receiving the tang 29, moves behind
the striker 12 so as to engage the same and thereby prevent
longitudinal separation of the bolt portion 11 from striker 12,
as might result from racking. The fact that the back plate
aperture receives and harbors the tang 29 when latching has been
effected prevents lateral separation of the bolt portion 11 from
the striker 12, as might also result from racking. Accordingly,
the striker 12 is provided with three-dimensional containment
by the bolt portion 11 and separation of the same so as to
permit opening of the door can be effected only by intentional
longitudinal movement of bolt 16 against spr~ng 21 to a
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position to clear the outer end of the bolt inwardly from the
striker tang 29.
It is thought that the invention and many of its
attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing
description, and it will be apparent that various changes may
be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts
without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrific-
ing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore
described and shown in the drawings being merely a preferred
embodiment thereof.
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