Magnetic latch and lock

Claim 2

In magnetic latch and lock means for installation in a door and door jamb, a bolt housing applicable to the door and composed at least partly of magnetically attractable material and having a bolt accommodation opening positioned substantially flush with the edge of the door; a bolt movable longitudinally in said housing and having a magnetized outer end portion movable in said bolt accommodation opening between a retracted position and an outwardly protruding position relative to the edge of the door; a strike member applicable to the door jamb and magnetically attractable relative to the bolt, said strike member having a bolt receiving opening positioned to register with the bolt accommodation opening in the lock housing when the door is closed, said bolt being held retracted by magnetic attraction between the bolt and bolt housing when the door is open and the bolt and strike member are dis-aligned and said strike member being operable in overcoming the magnetic attraction between said bolt and bolt housing and moving said bolt into and holding it within said strike member when said bolt is close to and aligned with said strike member; manually operable bolt retracting devices connected with said bolt; bolt dogging means connected with said bolt normally operable in holding said bolt in an outwardly projected locked position, said bolt dogging means being composed at least partly of magnetically attractable material and being yieldingly urged into bolt dogging position by the magnetic attraction of said magnetized bolt and means connected with said manually operated bolt retracting devices operable in disengaging said bolt dogging means before retractile movement of the bolt occurs when a bolt retracting force is exerted on said bolt retracting devices.

Claim 3

The magnetic latch and lock means as claimed in claim 1 in which at least part of the strike member is magnetized and is of opposite polarity from the magnetized end portion of the bolt.

Claim 4

The magnetic latch and lock means as claimed in claim 1 in which at least part of the strike meMber is composed of material which is magnetically attractable to the magnetized end portion of the bolt.

Claim 5

A magnetic latch and lock for application to a door and door jamb comprising a bolt housing composed at least partly of magnetically attractable material applicable to the door and having in one end thereof a bolt accomodation opening substantially flish with the edge of the door; a bolt longitudinally movable in said bolt housing, said bolt having a magnetized outer end portion movable between an outwardly projecting position and a retracted position relative to the edge of the door; a strike member applicable to the door jamb and magnetically attractable relative to the bolt, said strike member having a bolt receiving opening positioned so as to register with the bolt accommodation opening in the bolt housing when the door is closed, said bolt being held retracted by magnetic attraction between the bolt and bolt housing when the door is open and the bolt and strike member are dis-aligned and said strike member being operable in overcoming the magnetic attraction between said bolt and said bolt housing and moving said bolt into and holding it in said strike member when the door is closed and said bolt is close to and aligned with said strike member; a first pull back member secured to the inner end of said bolt; a second pull back member positioned in overlapping relation to said first pull back member and extending beyond the inner end of and movable lengthwise relative to said first pull back member; pawl means connected with said first pull back member and bolt operable in dogging said bolt in an outwardly protruding locked position; two spring abutment members connected respectively with the overlapping end portions of said two pull back members and movable with said pull back members; a compression spring on said pull back members and expansively operable between said two abutment members in yieldingly urging said two pull back members into shortened overall relation to each other; said two spring abutment members and said compression spring being operable as stop means in limiting overall elongation of said two pull back members and pawl releasing means movable retractively with said second pull back member and operable in disengaging said pawl means and freeing said bolt and first pull back member for retraction.

Claim 6

A magnetic latch and lock for application to a door and door jamb comprising a bolt housing composed at least partly of magnetically attractable material applicable to the door and having in one end thereof a bolt accomodation opening substantially flish with the edge of the door; a bolt longitudinally movable in said bolt housing, said bolt having a magnetized outer end portion movable between an outwardly projecting position and a retracted position relative to the edge of the door; a strike member applicable to the door jamb and magnetically attractable relative to the bolt, said strike member having a bolt receiving opening positioned so as to register with the bolt accommodation opening in the bolt housing when the door is closed, said bolt being held retracted by magnetic attraction between the bolt and bolt housing when the door is open and the bolt and strike member are dis-aligned and said strike member being operable in overcoming the magnetic attraction between said bolt and said bolt housing and moving said bolt into and holding it in said strike member when the door is closed and said bolt is close to and aligned with said strike member; a first pull back member secured to the inner end of said bolt; a second pull back member positioned in overlapping relation to said first pull back member and extending beyond the inner end of and movable lengthwise relative to said first pull back member; pawl means connected with said first pull back member and bolt operable in dogging said bolt in an outwardly protruding locked position; two spring abutment members connected respectively with the overlapping end portions of said two pull back members and movable with said pull back members; a compression spring on said pull back members and expansively operable between said two abutment members in yieldingly urging said two pull back members into shortened overall relation to each other; said two spring abutment members and said compression spring being operable as stop means in limiting overall elongation of said two pull back members and pawl releasing means movable retractively with said second pull back member and operable in disengaging said pawl means and freeing said bolt and first pull back member for retraction.

Claim 7

The latch and lock means as claimed in claim 4 in which one of said pull back members has a longitudinal slot in it and the other pull back member fits slidably within said slot.

Claim 8

The latch and lock as claimed in claim 4 in which the pawl releasing devices are arms carried by the spring abutment member that is connected with said second pull back member.

Claim 9

The latch and lock means as claimed in claim 4 in which the compression spring is of conical shape, whereby it is compressable into a substantially flat condition between said two spring abutment members and cooperates with said spring abutment members in forming stop means limiting overall elongation of said two pull back members.