Closure fasteners – Bolts – Sliding
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2001-04-17
Estremsky, Gary W. (Department: 3627)
Closure fasteners
Bolts
Sliding
C292SDIG005
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217088
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a follower arrangement for a lock.
More precisely the invention concerns a follower arrangement, where two equally shaped followers are rotatable a limited angle by a common shaft operable by at least one handle to retract a latch bolt of the lock. In one known such arrangement (FIGS.
1
and
2
), the latch bolt is partly divided in two spaced legs straddling the shaft, each leg having two shoulders protruding in opposite directions. One follower is located on each side of the latch bolt and each follower has two wing-like protrusions having abutment surfaces located at equal distances from the axis of the shaft and in a common plane parallel to the axis of the shaft, but generally offset therefrom. The abutment surfaces of each follower cooperate with one shoulder of each leg protruding in the same direction, such that upon rotation of the shaft in a first direction, a first wing of each follower engages a first pair of opposed shoulders, and upon rotation of the shaft in a second direction, a second wing of each follower engages a second pair of opposed shoulders.
Since the latch bolt is urged by a spring force towards its locking position, the handle connected to the shaft is kept in its neutral, substantially horizontal position by this spring force. In the normal mounting position of a lock in, e.g., a door leaf, the lock is vertically oriented, i.e., its latch bolt is horizontally movable and its shaft is rotatable about a horizontal axis. The shaft normally has a square cross section (or any other cross section suited for positive transfer of momentum from a shaft to a follower) and projects through correspondingly formed apertures in the followers. Normal tolerances of manufacture result in a certain play between the shaft and the followers, meaning that a handle attached to the shaft may occupy a more downwardly inclined position than the intended horizontal position. Although this does not really affect the locking properties of the lock, it may give an impression of inferior quality.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention, thus, to provide a follower arrangement of the kind stated, which does not suffer from the drawback mentioned, i.e., that does effectively eliminate play between the handle shaft and the followers such that the handle will occupy a substantially horizontal position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the main object stated has been achieved in that each follower has but one wing having an operative abutment surface, and that the operative abutment surfaces of the two followers are located on opposite sides of the shaft, such that the operative abutment surface of one follower contacts a shoulder of one leg of the latch bolt directed in one direction and the operative abutment surface of the other follower contacts a shoulder of the other leg directed in the opposite direction.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 692265 (1902-02-01), Glover
patent: 814186 (1906-03-01), Christensen
patent: 1502022 (1924-07-01), Dexter
patent: 1553186 (1925-09-01), Rumberg
patent: 1559037 (1925-10-01), Floyd
patent: 1619789 (1927-03-01), Vogt
patent: 1895893 (1933-01-01), Moore
patent: 2370691 (1945-03-01), Schlage
patent: 2519808 (1950-08-01), Young
patent: 2715036 (1955-08-01), Miller
patent: 3020073 (1962-02-01), Williams
patent: 5620211 (1997-04-01), Ellis
patent: 1553526 (1971-01-01), None
patent: 2809546 A1 (1978-09-01), None
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Estremsky Gary W.
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