US2679420A - Automobile door latch - Google Patents

Description

May 25, 1954 w. G. cRocKET-r, JR

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH Filed Allg. 19, 1950 4 M. m .r Xlm 1. m

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Patented May 25, 1954 UNITED S TAT ES @ATEN T OF F I CE AUTOMOBILE DOGR LATCH william c. cracked, Jr., Westlake, ohio Application August 19, 1950, SerialNo. 180,490

-1 Claim.

'The present invention :relates lto :a latch :designed for latching a door to th'eb'odyfoi anrautomobile. In ordinary door latches `which simply `prevent the door from lspringing open, fthe rdoor Voften comes open when the 4automobile becomes involved 'in an accident. One of the reasons for this is that the heavy force of a `person :against the door will bend it, 'thus permitting the 4door lock to disengage. iMany times, also, the post of the car set between lthe front and 'backdoors may `be pried laway from one vof the -doors so .that the ordinary door lock will disengage the lock and allow the door to lspring open.

Therefore, one of lthe objects of the 'present in- Vention is to provide :a latch which 'will prevent the edge of the door from becoming pulled away vfrom `the car body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door latch which has an outwardly extending member terminating in an upturned end and an outwardly extending portion with fa Adownturned end wherein the members and ends have dimensions permitting movement lof the door and the body relative -to each other when the door is closed while possessing unimpaired holding power when sudden shock vibration is exerted against the door and the body.

Another object of the vinvention is to provide a door latch which may be used in conjunction -wifth the :standard door 'lock "to :safely hold the .door closed against the .automobile ,b ody.

Another object of the invention 'is to provide a door latch which will prevent the door from .becoming separated from .the body so that the `door `may spring open.

Another .object of the invention is to .provizle an inexpensive safety :lock for an automobile door which does not .require any separate handles or other mechanism.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claim, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a top view of the latch mounted on the car door and body with the door and body illustrated in phantom;

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

The door latch illustrated herein has one part mounted on the body I of an automobile and ber IIB is in a vertical plane.

the other part mounted xon the door II lof the automobile. In the drawings, the 'body and the Adoor have been illustrated in phantom lines since they may be `from yany automobile. The body I"0 may also be the center post between the `f-ront and rear doors on an automobile. The 'part of the latch which is secured to the r-body -or center -post I0 is designated Vby the reference character I3, and the part which is 'fastened and secured to the -edge of the door I'I is ydesignated by -the reference Vcharacter I 4. The :drawings 'illustrate the parts in position when the ldoor has 'been Aswung shut into the 'body fI-0 so 'that 'the door Aextends generally in the lplane of 'the body 1I0 with the body part I3 of the 'latch `on the edge vof the body and the #door 4part I4 of the latch on the edge of ythe door.

The body 4part I3 comprises a rst vertical member *I6 having a forward edge II and a rearward edge I8. The forward edge I'I would be that edge nearest the outside surface of the automobile. The vertical member I6 may be fastened to the car body by screws I9 or other suitable means. Extending outwardly from this rst `vertical member H5 is a iirst portion 20 which terminates in an upturned end `2I.

in describing the present invention, the automobile door and lbod-y have arbitrarily been positioned in a vertical plane so that the rst mem- 20 Iextends substantially transversely of that vertical `plane vor nearly in a horizontal plane. When the door Vand body are `mounted in operable relationship the first portion extends in a (slightly upward direction relative to 4the horizontal with the rst portion being at the highest eleva-tion nearest the rearward edge 'I 8 of the first vertical member i6 and at the lowest eleva-tion nearest Athe `forward edge I vof the hrst vertical member I6. IThis provides a sloping track 22 extending somewhat transversely -of the first vertical 4member 'I5 ffrom the forward edge I7 to the lrearward edge 'I8 thereof.

The upturned end 2| is spaced further from the vertical member I6 at the forward edge than at the rearward edge thereby providing a wedgeshaped slot between the upturned end 2| and the first vertical member I6.

A second vertical member 25 is adapted to be attached to the door in alignment with the first vertical member, the second vertical member 25 being a part of the door mechanism part I4. This second vertical member 25 may be fastened to the edge of the door by screws 26 or other suitable means. The second vertical member is also The iirst -portion I provided with a forward edge 21 and a rearward edge 28. A rider portion 29 extends outwardly from this second vertical member 25 and terminates in a downturned end 30. The rider portion 29 and the downturned end 30 are shaped to cooperate with the first portion 20 and the upturned end 2| of the body part I3. In other Words, the body part I3 and the door part I4 have complementary overlapping and interlocking portions which may be the upturned end 2l and the downturned end 30. The downturned end 30 is spaced further from the second vertical member 25 at the forward edge 21 than at the rearward edge 28 and is also spaced from the second vertical member 25 a distance greater than the thickness of the upturned end 2I of the rst vertical member I6. Likewise, the upturned end 2I is spaced a distance from the first vertical member I6 greater than downturned end 30 so that the ends 2| and 30 may be slid into complementary overlapping relationship when the door is closed against the body. The rider portion also extends in a slightly downward direction relative to the horizontal with the rider portion being at the highest elevation nearest the forward edge of the second vertical member. rhe rider portion is at the lowest elevation nearest the rearward edge of the second vertical member.

When the door is shut against the car body, the sloping of these portions on the rst vertical member I6 and the second vertical member 25 permits the portions to take up any sag due to wearing of the hinges on the automobile door and thus the latch serves as a stabilizer. A spring backed vibration dampener 3l mounted on the first vertical member I6 pushes the rider portion 28 downwardly against the first portion 20 or the upturned end 2I to prevent rattling. The anti-rattler 3| may be of any standard design commonly used in door locks.

The present invention prevents edgewise mov ing of the door on the body away from the edge of the door or the edge of the body while the door II is maintained in the pla-ne of the body IIJ. Any force which would attempt to snap the door away from the edge of the body I would simply be overcome by the complementary overlapping of the upturned end 2l and the downturned end 30. The door lock 32 illustrated in phantom in the drawings prevents the door II swinging or moving out of the body I0. This door lock 32 may be of any standard construction commonly used in present day automobile designs. The upturned and downturned ends 2l and 30 interlock the door II and the body I0 when the door II is closed into the general plane of the body I0 to move the forward edge 21 of the second vertical member 25 past the forward edge I1 of the first vertical member I6 and towards the rear edge I8 of the first vertical member I6.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of parthe thickness of the ticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A latch for holding adoor to a body comprising, a vertical first member having a forward edge and a rearward edge, a rst portion extending outwardly from the rst member and terminating in an upturned end, said upturned end having a top edge and being spaced further from said rst member at the forward edge than at the rearward edge, said upturned end being spaced further from said rst member at its ntersection with said first portion than at its top edge, said first portion extending in a slightly upward direction relative to the horizontal with the iirst portion being at the highest elevation nearest the rearward edge of the first member, a vertical second member attached to the door in alignment with the first member and having a forward edge and rearward edge, a rider portion extending outwardly from the second member and terminating in a downturned end, having a bottom edge, said downturned end being spaced further from said second member at its intersection with said rider portion than at its bottom edge, said downturned end being spaced further from the second member at the forward edge thereof than at the rearward edge thereof and being spaced from the second member a distance greater than the thickness of the said upturned end, said rider portion extending in a slightly downward direction relative to the horizontal with the rider portion being at the highest elevation nearest the forward edge of the second member, and a resiliently backed pusher on said first member urging said rider portion and downturned end downwardly towards said rst portion and said upturned end when the door is closed, said downturned end having a thickness less than the spacing of the upturned end from the rst member and being spaced from the first member, thereby permitting movement of the door and body relative to each other when the door is closed.

References Cited in the le of this patent, UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 915,873 Mosher Mar. 23, 1909 1,192,733 Bennett July 25, 1916 1,878,248 Moore Sept. 20, 1932 2,100,591 Haberstump Nov, 30, 1937 2,499,165 Roethel Feb. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 380,6-60 France Oct. 14, 1907 656,522 France Jan. 2, 1929

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