Lock construction

Claim 2

In a lock for locking a movable closure member to a jamb member, said lock including a striker assembly mounted to one member and including a striker having a protruding nose formed with an indentation therein, which nose protrudes from one member toward the other member, and wherein said striker is movably mounted to one member for movement between a first extended position and a second extended position in which said nose protrudes from said member a greater distance than in the first extended position, and biasing means for biasing said striker in said first extended position; and a striker plate assembly mounted to the other member, said striker plate assembly having a striker plate formed with a cavity therein aligned with the protruding nose of said striker to receive said protruding nose therein when said closure member is closely adjacent and aligned with said jamb member, the improvement comprising; interlocking means associated with said assemblies for selectively releasably locking said striker in said striker plate when the nose of said striker is located in said cavity, said interlocking means including a cross bolt formed with a mating lug and being movably mounted in said striker plate assembly for movement between a retracted position in which said lug is spaced from said cavity and a protruding position in which said lug is located in said cavity to mate with the indentation formed in said strIker nose when said striker nose is located in said cavity; said cross bolt lug having a ramp surface which upon insertion of said striker nose into said cavity causes said lug to enter said striker nose indentation to slide said striker nose along said ramp surface of said lug to move said striker from the first extended position against said biasing means to the second extended position and which upon withdrawl of said lug from said indention permits said biasing means to return said striker from said second extended position to said first extended position.

Claim 3

The invention as in claim 1 wherein the cross bolt includes camming means thereon and protruding therefrom towards the nose of the striker when the nose is located in the cavity of the striker plate, said camming means engaging the nose when the striker is in the second extended position and the cross bolt is moved from the extended position to the retracted position to cam the striker from the second extended position to the first extended position.

Claim 4

The invention as in claim 2 wherein the camming means includes a shoulder on the cross bolt, said shoulder having a sloping surface for engaging the nose of the striker.

Claim 5

The invention as in claim 1 wherein adjusting means is provided for adjusting the location of the normally extended position of the striker.

Claim 6

The invention as in claim 4 wherein the biasing means includes oppositely acting springs engaging the striker to bias the striker to the normally extended position, and wherein the adjusting means includes the provision of different spring rates for the springs and means for changing the combined length of the springs.

Claim 7

In a lock for locking a movable closure member to a jamb member, said lock including a striker assembly mounted to one member and including a striker having a protruding nose formed with an indentation, which nose protrudes from one member toward the other member; and a striker plate assembly mounted to the other member, said striker plate assembly including a striker plate formed with a cavity therein aligned with said striker assembly to receive said protruding nose therein when said closure member is closely adjacent and aligned with said jamb member, the improvement comprising; interlocking means associated with said assemblies for selectively releasably locking said striker in said striker plate when said striker nose is located in said cavity, said interlocking means including a cross bolt having a mating lug and being movably mounted in said striker plate assembly for movement between a retracted position in which said lug is spaced from said cavity and a protruding position in which said lug is located in said cavity to mate with said indentation in said striker nose upon said striker nose being located in said cavity; and operating means for moving said cross bolt between its retracted and extended positions including a solenoid having a plunger mounted to said cross bolt and cross bolt biasing means both mounted in said striker plate assembly, said cross bolt biasing means urging said cross bolt to its extended position and said solenoid and plunger being selectively operable to move said cross bolt against the action of said biasing means from said extended position to said retracted position; a key cylinder mounted to said member associated with said striker plate assembly and operably connected to said solenoid for selective operation thereof; and temporary holding means in said striker plate assembly for holding said cross bolt in said retracted position against the action of said cross bolt biasing means once said cross bolt is moved to said retracted position and said striker nose is removed from said cavity, and for releasing said cross bolt upon re-entry of said striker nose into said cavity to permit said cross bolt biasing means to move said cross bolt to its extended position.

Claim 8

In a lock for locking a movable closure member to a jamb member, said lock including a striker assembly mounted to one member and including a striker having a protruding nose formed with an indentation, which nose protrudes from one member toward the other member; and a striker plate assembly mounted to the other member, said striker plate assembly including a striker plate formed with a cavity therein aligned with said striker assembly to receive said protruding nose therein when said closure member is closely adjacent and aligned with said jamb member, the improvement comprising; interlocking means associated with said assemblies for selectively releasably locking said striker in said striker plate when said striker nose is located in said cavity, said interlocking means including a cross bolt having a mating lug and being movably mounted in said striker plate assembly for movement between a retracted position in which said lug is spaced from said cavity and a protruding position in which said lug is located in said cavity to mate with said indentation in said striker nose upon said striker nose being located in said cavity; and operating means for moving said cross bolt between its retracted and extended positions including a solenoid having a plunger mounted to said cross bolt and cross bolt biasing means both mounted in said striker plate assembly, said cross bolt biasing means urging said cross bolt to its extended position and said solenoid and plunger being selectively operable to move said cross bolt against the action of said biasing means from said extended position to said retracted position; a key cylinder mounted to said member associated with said striker plate assembly and operably connected to said solenoid for selective operation thereof; and temporary holding means in said striker plate assembly for holding said cross bolt in said retracted position against the action of said cross bolt biasing means once said cross bolt is moved to said retracted position and said striker nose is removed from said cavity, and for releasing said cross bolt upon re-entry of said striker nose into said cavity to permit said cross bolt biasing means to move said cross bolt to its extended position.

Claim 9

In a lock for locking a movable door member to a door jamb member, said lock including a striker asSembly mounted to one member and including a striker having a protruding nose formed with an indentation, which nose protrudes from one member toward the other member; and a striker plate assembly mounted to the other member, said striker plate assembly having a striker plate with a cavity therein aligned with said striker assembly for receiving said protruding nose in said cavity when said door member is closely adjacent and aligned with said door jamb member, the improvement comprising; interlocking means associated with said assemblies for selectively releasably locking said striker in said striker plate when said striker nose is located in said cavity, said interlocking means including a cross bolt having a mating lug and being movably mounted in said striker plate assembly for movement between a retracted position in which said lug is spaced from said cavity and a protruding position in which said lug is located in said cavity to mate with said striker nose indentation when said striker nose is located in said cavity; said striker being movably mounted in said striker assembly for movement between a position in which said striker nose is generally flush with the adjacent edge of said one member and an extended position in which said striker nose protrudes from said adjacent edge of said one member; and main striker biasing means provided in said striker assembly for biasing said striker to its extended position such that the pivoting of said door member from an open position to a closed position relative to said door jamb member causes the nose of said striker while in its extended position to engage said striker plate and to be forced thereby against the action of said main striker biasing means to said flush position until said striker nose is aligned with the cavity of said striker plate whereupon said main biasing means returns said striker to its extended position moving the striker nose into said striker plate cavity for receiving said cross bolt lug in said nose indentation.

Claim 10

In a lock for locking a movable door member to a door jamb member, said lock including a striker asSembly mounted to one member and including a striker having a protruding nose formed with an indentation, which nose protrudes from one member toward the other member; and a striker plate assembly mounted to the other member, said striker plate assembly having a striker plate with a cavity therein aligned with said striker assembly for receiving said protruding nose in said cavity when said door member is closely adjacent and aligned with said door jamb member, the improvement comprising; interlocking means associated with said assemblies for selectively releasably locking said striker in said striker plate when said striker nose is located in said cavity, said interlocking means including a cross bolt having a mating lug and being movably mounted in said striker plate assembly for movement between a retracted position in which said lug is spaced from said cavity and a protruding position in which said lug is located in said cavity to mate with said striker nose indentation when said striker nose is located in said cavity; said striker being movably mounted in said striker assembly for movement between a position in which said striker nose is generally flush with the adjacent edge of said one member and an extended position in which said striker nose protrudes from said adjacent edge of said one member; and main striker biasing means provided in said striker assembly for biasing said striker to its extended position such that the pivoting of said door member from an open position to a closed position relative to said door jamb member causes the nose of said striker while in its extended position to engage said striker plate and to be forced thereby against the action of said main striker biasing means to said flush position until said striker nose is aligned with the cavity of said striker plate whereupon said main biasing means returns said striker to its extended position moving the striker nose into said striker plate cavity for receiving said cross bolt lug in said nose indentation.

Claim 11

The invention as in claim 7 wherein the striker is also movably mounted for movement between a first extended position and a second extended position in which the nose of the striker protrudes from the edge of the one member a greater distance than in the first extended position, said nose in the first extended position having sloping surfaces for engaging the striker plate upon attempted pivoting of the door from the closed position to the open position whereby the striker plate cams the striker to the flush position to permit the door to be opened, and additionally comprising striker auxiliary biasing means in the striker assembly for biasing the striker to the first extended position, and wherein the lug of the cross bolt has a ramp surface, said lug, upon insertion of the nose into the cavity, entering the indentation to slide the nose along the ramp surface thereof and thereby move the striker against the action of the auxiliary biasing means from the first extended position, to the second extended position, withdrawl of the lug from the indentation permitting the auxiliary biasing means to return the striker from the second extended position to the first extended position for opening the door.

Claim 12

The invention as in claim 8 wherein the cross bolt includes camming means thereon and protruding therefrom, said camming means engaging the nose, when the striker is in the second extended position and the cross bolt is moved from the protruding position to the retracted position to cam the striker from the second extended position to the first extended position.

Claim 13

A striker assembly for use with a striker plate assembly having a cavity therein, said striker assembly comprising; a hollow housing mounted for movement between a position aligned with said striker plate assembly and a position spaced from said striker plate assembly, said hollow housing having a cavity therein opening toward the cavity in said striker plate assembly when aligned therewith, an aperatured wall in said housing cavity dividing said cavity into two portions; a striker slideably mounted in said housing cavity for movement between a flush position flush with the end of said housing, a normally extended position, and an extreme extended position in which an end of said striker protrudes further from said housing than when in said normally extended position, said striker including a body positioned in a front portion of said two portions of said cavity, said body having a headed rod with the head thereof in a rear portion of said two portions of said cavity, said rod extending through said aperatured wall for connection to said body; biasing means in said housing for biasing said striker from both the flush position and the extreme extended position to said normally extended position, said biasing means including a main biasing spring between said striker head and said aperatured wall and an auxiliary biasing spring of different spring rate disposed between said aperatured wall and said striker body for biasing said striker in opposite directions from said flush position and extreme extended position to said normally extended position, said normally extended position of said striker being a balanced position of said springs; and adjusting means for adjusting the location of said striker relative to said housing when in said balanced position, said adjusting means including the provision of a notch in said striker head affording rotation of said rod relative to said striker body for changing the combined length of said springs to effect an adjustment in the balanced position therebetween and thereby an adjustment in the normally extended position of said striker.

Claim 14

A striker assembly for use with a striker plate assembly having a cavity therein, said striker assembly comprising; a hollow housing mounted for movement between a position aligned with said striker plate assembly and a position spaced from said striker plate assembly, said hollow housing having a cavity therein opening toward the cavity in said striker plate assembly when aligned therewith, an aperatured wall in said housing cavity dividing said cavity into two portions; a striker slideably mounted in said housing cavity for movement between a flush position flush with the end of said housing, a normally extended position, and an extreme extended position in which an end of said striker protrudes further from said housing than when in said normally extended position, said striker including a body positioned in a front portion of said two portions of said cavity, said body having a headed rod with the head thereof in a rear portion of said two portions of said cavity, said rod extending through said aperatured wall for connection to said body; biasing means in said housing for biasing said striker from both the flush position and the extreme extended position to said normally extended position, said biasing means including a main biasing spring between said striker head and said aperatured wall and an auxiliary biasing spring of different spring rate disposed between said aperatured wall and said striker body for biasing said striker in opposite directions from said flush position and extreme extended position to said normally extended position, said normally extended position of said striker being a balanced position of said springs; and adjusting means for adjusting the location of said striker relative to said housing when in said balanced position, said adjusting means including the provision of a notch in said striker head affording rotation of said rod relative to said striker body for changing the combined length of said springs to effect an adjustment in the balanced position therebetween and thereby an adjustment in the normally extended position of said striker.