Manually and electromagnetically operable latching device

Claim 1

A MANUALLY AND ELECTROMAGNETICALLY OPERABLE LATCHING DEVICE COMPRISING A HOUSING, AN ELECTRICAL COIL IN SAID HOUSING, A MAGNETIC CORE IN SAID HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE MAGNETIZED UPON ENERGIZATION OF SAID COIL, AN ARMATURE IN SAID HOUSING NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID CORE AND ADAPTED TO BE ATTRACTED TOWARD SAID CORE UPON ENERGIZATION OF SAID COIL, A LATCH OPERATING MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING AND SECURED TO SAID ARMATURE FOR MOVEMENT AS A UNIT THEREWITH, A SPRING IN SAID HOUSING BIASING SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER INWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF LATCHING BALLS CARRIED BY SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER AND RETAINED THEREIN BY SAID CORE, A LATCH ROD RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED IN SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER AND RETAINABLE BY SAID LATCHING BALLS IN A LATCHED POSITION, AND MEANS FOR PULLING SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER OUTWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING AGAINST THE BIASING FORCE OF SAID SPRING, SAID LATCHING BALLS BEING MOVABLE BY SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER OUT OF LATCHING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID LATCH ROD SELECTIVELY BY THE PULLING OF SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER OUTWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING AND BY ENERGIZATION OF SAID COIL.