Locks – Special application – For control and machine elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-12
2003-02-04
Barrett, Suzanne Dino (Department: 3676)
Locks
Special application
For control and machine elements
C070S472000, C292S048000, C292SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06513353
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flush mountable, paddle handle “operator” or “operating assembly” for operating one or a plurality of adjacent or remotely located latch assemblies, wherein a key-operated lock cylinder or the like is carried by the housing of the operating assembly for positioning a slot-carried connecting element to selectively drivingly connect and disconnect a pair of adjacent linkage elements of the operating assembly to enable and disable the paddle handle from operating the latch assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lockable paddle handle latch operator having a lock cylinder that is accessible from the front of the operating assembly for controlling the position of a connecting element that is movable within aligned slots formed through a pair of overlying arms that pivot about a common axis at the rear of the operating assembly, with the position of the connecting element in the slots, and the configuration and orientation of the slots determining whether the arms are drivingly connected to pivot in unison to cause latch operation in response to pivoting of the paddle handle to its operated position, or are disconnected so that pivotal movement of the first arm by the paddle handle causes no corresponding latch operating movement of the second arm.
Two invention embodiments are disclosed herein. A first embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1-13
employs this “linkage disconnect” locking arrangement in a paddle handle operating assembly that operates a single, adjacently located ratary latch. A second embodiment shown in
FIGS. 14-16
employs this “linkage disconnect” locking arrangement in a paddle handle operating assembly that operates a plurality of remotely located latch assemblies.
2. Prior Art
Flush mountable lock operating mechanisms that employ paddle-type handles nested within pan-shaped housings, and that have linkages for operating one or a plurality of adjacent or remotely located latch assemblies are known. These so called “paddle handle” operating assemblies have been manufactured since the mid-part of the twentieth century for use on the utility cabinets of industrial service vehicles, and for other applications, and now are commercially available in a wide variety of configurations from a number of manufacturers.
Many of the known types of paddle handle operating assemblies include 1) a flush-mountable housing having a forwardly-facing recess that nests a paddle handle that is pivotally connected to the housing for movement between handle non-operated and handle operated positions; 2) a key or combination operated lock cylinder mounted in a hole formed through the flush-mountable housing, which is accessible from the front of the housing for being “locked” and “unlocked;” and, 3) an operating linkage located behind the housing for drivingly connecting the operating handle to one or more latch assemblies to operate the latch assemblies in response to movement of the paddle handle from its non-operated to its operated position, except when the lock cylinder is “locked.”
One known technique for preventing the operation of such a paddle handle operating assembly when its lock cylinder is “locked” is to provide the lock cylinder with a cam that is positionable to block some essential movement of an operating linkage element. This “direct blockage” approach is often relatively inexpensive to implement, and is widely used. Where this locking technique is utilized, the fact that an essential operating linkage movement is blocked when the unit is locked usually also means that that the paddle handle is prevented from being moved out of its non-operated position when the unit is locked. A resulting drawback is the possibility that the operating assembly may be damaged or defeated if efforts are made to force the paddle handle to move to its operated position when the unit is locked.
Another known technique for preventing operation of a paddle handle operating assembly from unlatching one or more latch assemblies when the lock cylinder of the operating assembly is “locked” is to provide the operating assembly with a so called “disconnect” feature. This approach usually involves an addition to the operating assembly of some mechanism for selectively disabling an essential driving connection between elements of the linkage that couples the paddle handle to such latch assemblies as are operated by the paddle handle—a disconnect mechanism that is operated by the lock cylinder of the operating assembly. When the lock cylinder is “unlocked,” the essential driving connection is established; and, when the lock cylinder is “locked,” the essential driving connection is disabled.
An advantage of the “linkage disconnect” locking approach just described is that, when the operating assembly is locked, the paddle handle is completely disconnected from the latch or latches that it normally operates—hence, movement of the paddle handle will do nothing to operate the latch assemblies. Because attempts to force the handle in an effort to operate the latches will accomplish little, operating assemblies that utilize the “linkage disconnect” approach tend to suffer little in the way of damage or defeat due to being forced.
Patents that show how the “linkage disconnect” locking technique has been incorporated in paddle handle operating assemblies that have housing-carried lock cylinders (referred to hereinafter as the “Disconnect Patents”) include:
1) U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,202 issued Jan. 26, 1982 to John V. Pastva, Jr., et al, entitled PADDLE LOCK WITH BOLT-CARRIED HANDLE DISCONNECT MEMBER;
2) U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,204 issued Jan. 26, 1982 to Edwin W. Davis, entitled PADDLE LOCK WITH TRANSLATABLY MOUNTED HANDLE DISCONNECT MEMBER;
3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,205 issued Jan. 26, 1982 to James A. Reed et al, entitled PADDLE LOCK WITH ROTATABLY MOUNTED HANDLE DISCONNECT MEMBER;
4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,642 issued Mar. 23, 1982 to John V. Pastva, Jr., entitled PADDLE LOCKS WITH HANDLE DISCONNECT FEATURES;
5) U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,812 issued Mar. 30, 1982 to Albert L. Pelcin, entitled PADDLE LOCK WITH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED HANDLE DISCONNECT MEMBER; and,
6) U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,595 issued Jun. 22, 1982 to Jye P. Swan et al, entitled PADDLE LOCK WITH HANDLE DISCONNECT.
While the proposals of the Disconnect Patents have provided workable solutions in some applications where “disconnect linkage” locking has been desired, the solutions offered by these patents have been found to be best suited for use with so called “paddle locks” of the spring-projected-bolt type that have their latch bolts slidably mounted on the same flush-mountable housings that pivotally mount the paddle handles of these units. Not addressed by the Disconnect Patents is a long-standing need for a relatively simple approach that can be taken to provide other types of paddle-handle operated latch assemblies with a “linkage disconnect” locking system. The need remains for a simple, versatile “linkage disconnect” locking system that can be incorporated into the operating linkages of paddle-handle operating assemblies to provide “linkage disconnect” locking in place of the “direct blockage” locking systems currently being used by these operating assemblies.
Two examples of paddle-handle operating assemblies that can be rendered more resistant to damage and defeat (due to forcing of their paddle handles) if their “direct blockage” locking systems could be replaced by “linkage disconnect” locking systems are provided by the following patents:
1) U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,458 issued Dec. 24, 1996 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled HANDLE OPERABLE ROTARY LATCH AND LOCK; and,
2) U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,076 issued Jan. 21, 1997 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled HANDLE OPERABLE TWO-POINT LATCH AND LOCK.
The first of these two patents discloses a relatively simple operating assembly having a rotary latch assembly connected directly to the flush-mountable housing of the operating assembly. A first invention embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1-13
hereof addresses the need to pro
Arthurs Scott A.
Weinerman Lee S.
Barrett Suzanne Dino
Burge David A.
The Eastern Company
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