Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The invention relates to manually operable closure
control mechanism or locks comprising one or more dead
bolts especially adapted for use with doors of closed
body highway trucks
Multi point closure control mechanism or locks for
doors of closed body highway trucks including so-called
panel trucks which include dead bolts at the upper
and/or lower edges of the door engage able in keepers or
catches on the truck body and operated by rods
connected to pivots eccentrically located on a manually
rotatable member are known but in many instances, due
to misalignment of the doors and/or seals employed
around the doors, etc., the operating mechanism for the
bolts fails in operation because of the resistance of
the bolts to proper engagement in their respective
keepers,
A typical prior art closure control mechanism or
lock of the character referred to is disclosed in
United States Patent No. 3,333,878.
The present invention provides a novel and
improved closure control mechanism or lock especially
designed for use wit doors of closed body highway
trucks, which mechanism includes one or more dead bolts
adapted for installation on a door adjacent to a free
edge thereof and having a dead bolt at the top and/or
bottom edge of the door engage able with keepers or
catches on the truck body and provided with rollers for
facilitating extension and retraction of the bolt or
bolts relative to their respective keeper or keepers.
The bolt or bolts are extended relative to and
retracted from their respective keepers by a rod like
30 member or members connected thereto and to a pivot or
pivots on a manually rotatable lock operating member
carried by a bracket or frame adapted for installation
on the door intermediate the upper and lower edges
thereof. The pivot or pivots on the lock operating
35 member to which the bolt operating rod or rods are con-
netted are eccentric to its axis of rotation.
A further aspect of the invention is the provision of a
shaft-like extension on the rota-table lock actuating or operating
member adapted to engage a keeper on the truck body and having a
roller thereon to facilitate engagement and disengagement thereof
with its respective keeper.
A further aspect of the invention it the provision of
handles located on the inside and the outside of a door and a
mechanism by which the outside handle can be disabled from the
inside and the bolts operated by the inside handle without
rotation of the outside handle.
In accordance with the present invention, there is prove
idled in a closure control mechanism a dead bolt lock assembly
including a frame adapted to be connected to a door adjacent a
free edge thereof and having a lock dead bolt movable therein for
extension and/or retraction of one end thereof into and/or out of
engagement with a keeper or catch at one edge of the door that has
a keeper surface extending in a direction the bolt moves during
extension and retraction; a first surface on the one end of the
bolt transverse to the direction the bolt moves, angularly oriented
for the full thickness of the bolt to face both toward the keeper
surface and in the direction of extension of the bolt; a rotatable
member in the end of the bolt engage able with the keeper surface
to facilitate movement of the bolt relative to the keeper or catch;
the bolt having a second surface extending in the directions of
bolt movement, facing a supporting door and also facing the keeper
surface when the door is closed and the bolt extended into engage-
mint with the keeper or catch, the rotatable member extending
beyond the second surface of the bolt to roll along the keeper
Jo 2
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surface during extension and retraction of the bolt when the door
is closed; a bolt-operating member rotatable supported in a frame
adapted to be connected to the door; and a rod member operatively
connected to the lock dead bolt and to the rotatable bolt-operating
member eccentrically of the axis of rotation thereof.
In accordance with the present invention, there is also
provided in a closure control mechanism a dead bolt lock assembly
including a frame adapted to be connected to a door adjacent a
free edge thereof and having a lock dead bolt movable therein for
extension and/or retraction of one end thereof into and/or out of
engagement with a keeper or catch at one edge of the door that has
a keeper surface extending in a direction the bolt moves during
extension and retraction; a first surface on the one end of the
bolt transverse to the direction the bolt moves, angularly often-
ted for the full thickness of the bolt to face both toward the
keeper surface and in the direction of extension of the bolt; a
rotatable member in the end of the bolt engage able with the keeper
surface to facilitate movement of the bolt relative to the keeper
or catch, the bolt having a second surface extending in the dir-
cations of bolt movement, facing a supporting door and also facing
the keeper surface when the door is closed and the bolt extended
into engagement with the keeper or catch, the rotatable member
extending beyond the second surface of the bolt to roll along the
keeper surface during extension and retraction of the bolt when
the door is closed; a bolt-operating member rotatable supported in
a frame adapted to be connected to the door; a rod member operate
ivel~ connected to the bolt and to the rotatable bolt-operating
member eccentrically of the axis of rotation thereof; manual means
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for oscillating the bolt operating member about its axis to move
the bolt into and out of engagement with the keeper or catch; an
extension on the rotatable lock bolt-operating member extending,
when the lock bolt is extended, normal to the path of movement of
the lock bolt and in the direction of the free edge of the door;
and a roller on the extension on the rotatable bolt-operating
member for engagement with a keeper or catch, the roller having an
axis of rotation that intersects the axis of rotation ox the bolt-
operating member.
In accordance with the present inventiorl, there is also
lo provided in a closure control mechanism- dead bolt lock assemblies
including frames adapted to be connected to a door adjacent to opt
posit free edges thereof and each having a lock dead bolt movable
therein for extension and/or retraction of one end thereof into
and/or out of engagement with a keeper or catch at the edges of the
door that has a keeper surface extending in a direction the rest
pect:ive bolt moves during extension and retraction; a first surface
on the one end of the bolt transverse to the direction the bolt
moves, angularly oriented for the full thickness of the bolt to
face both toward the keeper surface and in the direction of extent
soon of the bolt; a rotatable member in the end of each bolt extent
doable into engagement with a keeper surface to facilitate movement
of the bolts relative to the keepers or catches J the bolts each
having a second surface extending in the directions of bolt move-
mint, facing a supporting door and also facing the respective
keeper surface when the door is closed and the bolts are extended
into engagement with the respective keeper or catch, the rotatable
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members each extending beyond the respective second bolt surfaces
to roll along the keeper surfaces during extension and retraction
of the bolts when the door is closed; a bolt-operating member rot-
stably supported in a frame adapted to be connected to the door
intermediate the bolt assemblies; an over center spring biasing
the bolt operating member in either of two directions about its
axis of rotation; rod members operatively connected to the bolts
and to the bolt-operating member eccentrically of the axis of
rotation thereof; and means for oscillating the rotatable bolt-
operating member about its axis to move the bolts into and out of
engagement with the keepers or catches.
In accordance with the present invention, there is also
provided in a closure control mechanism: dead bolt lock assemblies
including frames adapted to be connected to a door adjacent to
opposite free edges thereof and each having a lock dead bolt move
able therein for extension and/or retraction of one end thereof
into and/or out of engagement with a respective keeper or catch at
the edges of the door, each keeper or catch having a keeper surface
extending in a direction the respective bolt moves during extension
and retraction; a first surface on the one end of the bolt trays-
verse to the direction the bolt moves, angularly oriented for the full thickness of the bolt to face both toward the keeper surface
and in the direction of extension of the bolt; a rotatable member
in the end of each bolt extendible into engagement with the keeper
surface to facilitate movement of the bolts relative to the keepers
or catches, the bolts each having a second surface extending in the
directions of bolt movement, facing a supporting door and also
facing the respective keeper surface when the door is closed and
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the bolts are extended into engagement with the respective keeper
or catch, the rotatable members each extending beyond the respect-
ivy second bolt surfaces to roll along the keeper surfaces during
extension and retraction of the bolts when the door is closed; a
bolt-operating member rotatable supported in a frame adapted
to be connected to the door intermediate the bolt assemblies; an
over center spring biasing the bolt-operating member in either of
two directions about its axis of rotation; rod members operatively
connected to the bolts and to the bolt-operating member eccentric-
ally of the axis of rotation thereof; manual means for oscillating
the rotatable bolt-operating member about its axis to move the
bolts into and out of engagement with the keepers or catches; an
extension on the rotatable bolt-operating member extending when
the bolts are in engagement with their respective keepers or
catches normal to the path of movement of the bolts and in the
direction of the free edge of the door; and a roller on the extent
soon on the rotatable bolt-operating member for engagement with a
keeper or catch, the roller having an axis of rotation that inter-
sects the axis of rotation of the bolt-operating member.
The invention resides in the novel constructions and come
binations and arrangements of the parts of the lock which accounts for its simplicity of construction and its reliability and ease of
operation and further features and advantages will be herein rev-
erred to or will become apparent to those skilled in the art to
which the invention pertains from the following description of the
preferred embodiment depicted in the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a fragmentary, elevation Al view of a closed
body highway truck having a lock embodying the present invention
- Ed
s
assembled therewith;
Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view approximately
on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;
Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in section and
partly in elevation showing a modified lock embodying the present
invention; and
Figure 4 is a fragmentary view with parts broken away
of the embodiment of Figure 3.
Although the closure control mechanism of the present
invention designated generally by the reference character A, can
be otherwise employed, it is herein depicted and described as
connected to the inside of a
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pivoted door B of a closed body highway truck, the body
of which is designated generally by the reference char-
cater C. the door B opens outwardly and is hinged at
its left hand vertical side, as viewed in Figure l, to
the truck body C. It is to be understood however,
that the closure control mechanism A is equally apply-
cable to either right or left hand doors. Closure control mechanisms of the type to which the invention no-
fates are typically referred to in the trade to which
it relates as a "lock' and the closure control motion
is depicted in the drawings and herein described will
lo be hereinafter sometimes referred to as a lock. The
reference character G designates a soft gasket around
the door opening in the truck body C against which the
door B closes.
The closure control mechanism or lock A comprises
top and bottom dead bolt assemblies D, E which are dupe
ligates of one another and are connected to the inside
of the door adjacent to its free vertical edge 12 and
its non-pivoted upper and lower horizontal edges 14, 16
by headed and threaded fasteners indicated by the refer-
once character 18. Since the bolt assemblies D, E reduplicates, only the upper assembly D will be herein
described in detail and the duplicate parts of assembly
E will be designated by the same reference characters
with a prime mark affixed thereto.
The bolt assembly D includes a frame or bolt sup-
porting bracket 20 comprising a base plate 22 and a
channeled top or cover plate 24 equal in size to the
plate 22, as viewed in elevation, connected together
and to the door B by the fasteners 18. The plates 22,
24 form there between an aperture 26 in which a dead
bolt 28 is slid ably supported with at least one end,
which in the case of the bolt 28 is the upper end there-
of, projecting from the bracket 20 in the direction of
I
the adjacent horizontal edge of the door B. This upper
end of the bolt 28 which is the end that engages a keeper
or catch in the form of a plate 30 connected to the
adjacent structure of the door opening of the truck
body C, is bifurcated, providing two tines 34, 36 bet-
wren which a roller 40 is rotatable supported on a pin
42. The end of the bolt 28 is tapered as at 44 on the
side thereof facing in the direction of the door. The
roller 40 extends slightly beyond the side of the member
in which it is supported facing the inner side of the
door and is the part of the bolt which engages the keeper
or catch 30, except for the tapered end I of the member
28 there above, as the bolt is moved to a locking post-
lion after the door is closed.
The lower end of the bolt 28, that is, the end
facing in the direction away from the upper edge 14 of
the door B, is also bifurcated, providing front and
back tines 50, 52 between which the upper flattened end
of a rod 54 for reciprocating the bolt 28 is pivoted on
a headed and threaded fastener 56 the shank of which is
threaded into a tapped aperture in the tine 52. The
lower flattened end of the rod 54 is pivoted to an up-
standing or forwardly extending stud or post 60 on a
rotatable operating member 62 supported in a frame as-
symbol 64 of a bolt operating structure or member design
noted generally by the reference character F. The stud
60 is eccentrically located with respect to the axis of
rotation of the member 62.
The frame assembly 64 comprises a back plate 66
and a channel-like front or cover member 68 providing
an aperture between the members 66, 68 in which the
member 62 is rotatable supported by suitable means in-
eluding a boss 70 on the rear side (adjacent the door)
of the member 62 which is rotatable received in a air-
cuter aperture 72 in the plate 66. The stud or pivot
pin 60 extends forwardly of the cover plate 68 and is
provided with a roller where it projects past the
cover plate 68. One side of the lower end of the rod
54 abuts an end of the roller 74 and a cotter pin 76 in
the end of the stud 60 engages the other side of the
rod to maintain it assembled with the stud 60.
The rotatable member 62 is provided with a driving
connection in the form of a square through-aperture 78
concentric with its axis of rotation for the reception
and disengagement of a manual tool for oscillating the
same to extend and retract the bolt 28. The tool for
oscillating the member 62 may include a handle fixed to
the member 62, if desired. An aperture H in the door B
in alignment with the aperture 78 allows insertion of a
tool such as the tool K for operation of the lock from
the exterior of the vehicle. During oscillation of the
member 62 the roller 74 rolls along an arcuate surface
80 on the side of the cover plate 68 which surface ton-
minutes in reverse bends or arcs 82, I that limit the
travel of the roller 74 and in turn the extent of move-
mint of the bolt 28.
The rotatable member 62 is resiliently held or
biased to whichever of its limited positions to which
it is manually moved by a compression spring 90 on the
shank of an eye member 92 the eye 94 of which engages
about a short stud or projection 96 on the member 62
located at one side of the vertical centerline through
the frame assembly 64 and through which centerline the
axis of rotation of the member 62 passes. The free end
of the shank of the eye member 92 projects through an
aperture in lower forwardly extending part 98 of the
30 cover plate 68 the center of which aperture lies in the
aforementioned centerline. The lower end of the spring
abuts the part 98 of the cover plate 68 and the upper
end abuts the member 62.
I
The lower bolt 28' is connected to the rotatable
member I in the bolt operating assembly by a rod 54'
similar to the rod 54 and connected to the bolt 28' and
a second stud or projection 60' on the member 62 in a
manner similar to that in which the rod 54 is connected
to the bolt 28 and to the stud 60 and the corresponding
parts being designated by the same reference characters
with a prime mark affixed thereto.
The studs or projections 60, 60' are located 180
from one another about the axis of rotation of the mom-
bier 62 from which axis they are offset eccentrically a
distance to effect the desired movement of the bolts
28, 28' in their supporting brackets. In operation of
the lock, the roller 741 on the stud 60' travels along
an arcuate surface Blue similar to the surface 80 and at
the ends of its travel abuts reverse arcs 82', 84' in a
manner similar to that in which the roller 74 abuts the
arcs 82, 84. As the door is closed and the member 62
rotated to secure the door in closed position, the in-
dined ends 44, 44' first contact the striker plates
30, 30 1 and upon continuous rotation of the member 62
the rollers 40, 40l engage the plates and draw the door
tightly closed compressing the gasket G. The plate-
like keepers 30, 30 ' may be omitted if desired and the
bolts 28, I allowed to engage directly parts of the
truck body adjacent thereto. Alternately, one embody-
mint of the invention utilizes tapered plates similarity plates 30, 30 I but that vary in thickness along their
length, being relatively thin adjacent the door edge
and thicker farther from the edge to form an incline so
movement of the bolts into a locking position applies
progressively more closing force as the rollers 40, 40'
move up the inclines.
As another feature of the invention, the rotatable
bolt actuating member 62 is further provided with a cam
go
type bolt in the form of an arm 110 projecting from one
side thereof in the direction away from and normal to
the vertical free edge of the door for engagement with
a keeper or catch 112 in the form of a plate fixed to
the truck body C when the bolts 23, 28' are engaged
with their respective keepers or catches 30, 30'. The
free end of the arm 11~ carries a roller sleeve 114 for
engagement with the keeper 112 to facilitate its enrage-
mint and disengagement thereof with the keeper. One
end aye of the plate-like keeper 112 is inclined to
provide a surface for -the roller sleeve 114 to roll up
upon and pull the door closed.
The lock A of the invention is herein shown and
described as applied to the inside of an outwardly open-
in door B of a closed body highway truck, but it is
equally applicable to various closure members even those
that are not pivoted along one edge. The depicted lock,
for example, can be applied to a door such as the door
B but opening inwardly of the truck body by removing
the bolts 28, 28' from their supporting brackets 20,
20l, rotating the bolts 180~ about their longitudinal
axis and reassembling them with their supporting break-
eta. This would necessitate providing either surface
mounted or recessed keepers or catches having apertures
for the reception of the ends of the bolt or bolts. In
the event the center bolt 110 is employed, a suitable
25 keeper or catch would also be provided. Recessed keep-
ens or catches are shown in United States Patent No.
3,333,878.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in
Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, constructed to provide
30 handles 110, 112 on two opposite sides of a door L, the
handle 110 being on the inside of a closed compartment
of a vehicle and the handle 112 on the outside. This
construction is useful on vehicles, such as tactical
military vehicles, and allows a person within the vow-
ale to selectively disable the outside handle 112 from
inside of the vehicle so tile outside handle will not
operate the bolts and will not prevent operation of the
inside handle. Thus, if the outside handle is padlocked
in place the bolts can nevertheless be operated with
the inside handle.
A bolt operating assembly M is provided similar to
the assembly F, but having a first rotatable member 114
similar to the member 62 but having a hub 116 extending
from a larger diameter body portion 117. The member
114 is rotatable received in a frame assembly 120 semi-
far to the frame assembly 64. The hub extends from the
frame assembly into the vehicle and supports the inside
handle 110, which is pinned to the hub. Rotation of
the handle rotates the member 114 to actuate the bolts
in the same manner as does the member 62.
The bolt assembly M also has a second rotatable
member 122 that has a hub 124 extending from a larger
diameter body portion 126~ The hub 124 receives a square
operative shaft 129 of the handle 112, which is rotatable
attached to the outside of the door L. The member 122
is rotatable secured in the frame assembly 120 and has
a central axis of rotation in common with a central
axis of rotation of the member 114. The body portion
126 has a circular outside periphery 127 rotatable
received within a circular counter bored recess 128 in
the body portion 117. The members 114 and 122 each
have a central through-passage 130, 132, respectively,
of substantially square cross-section and aligned. The
members also each have a cross bore 134, 136, respect-
lively, for receiving detents that retain a release mom-
bier 140 in the through passages 130, 132.
The release member 140 has a handle portion 142
adjacent the inside operating handle 110 and a square
I
rod portion 1~4 extending from the handle portion 142
through the inside handle 110 and, depending upon the
position of the release member, into the first rotate
able member 114 only (as shown in the phantom position
of Figure 3) or into both the first and second rotate
able members 114 and 122 (as shown in solid line). The
square rod fits closely within the through passages
130, 132 and therefore is not relatively rotatable with
respect to the members 114 and 122 when it extends into
the through passages. Thus, when in the solid line
position, the rod is rotated by the member 114 when the
handle 110 is rotated, thereby rotating the second mom-
bier 122 and the handle 112. Conversely, rotation of
the handle 112 will rotate the member 122, the rod 144,
the member 114, which operates the bolts, and the handle
110. When the rod 144 is in the phantom position and
not extending into the member 122, rotation of the ken-
die 110 will rotate the member 114 but not the member
122 or the handle 122 nor will the locking of the handle
122 in a fixed position prevent rotation of the member
by the handle 110.
The rod 144 has a pair of detents 150 positioned
to cooperate with the cross bores 134, 136; i.e., post-
toned to cooperate with the bores 134 with the end
aye withdrawn from the member 122, and with the bores
136 when the end aye extends into the member 122. The
detents are ball bearings and are held in a partially
extending position from opposite flat surfaces of the
rods by a central shaft 154 movable longitudinally with-
in the rod and biased by a compression spring 156 to
the position shown in Figure 4, where an end 144b ox-
tends beyond the handle portion 142. When the end Boyce pressed to move the shaft against the spring bias, a
peripheral groove 158 on the shaft is moved into align-
mint with the detents, allowing them to retract into
aye
the rod 144, which can then be moved within the through-
passages 130, 132 to one of the two positions shown!
where either both members 114 and 122 rotate together
or where rotation of one has no effect on the other.
When the shaft is released and the detents aligned with
the cross bores, the shaft will force the detents into
the cross bores to retain the rod 144 in the desired
position.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent the objects
heretofore enumerated and others have been accomplished
and that the present invention provides a novel and
improved closure mechanism or lock for doors of highway
trucks, military vehicles, and the like, including one
or more dead bolts which are easily moved into and out
of engagement with their keepers under adverse poor
closing conditions, and which in one embodiment provides
a mechanism for selectively enabling and disabling opera-
lion through an outside handle.
While preferred embodiments have been illustrated
and described in detail it is to be understood that the
invention may be otherwise embodied and it is the inter
lion to cover all adaptations and arrangements thereof
which come within the practice of those skilled in the
art to which the invention relates and the scope of the
appended claims.
