Latches

Claim 2

For a sliding panel installation in which a door or window opening adjacent to a fixed wall or window panel is opened and closed by a sliding panel mounted for sliding movement in upper and lower tracks that extend alongside said fixed panel and across the opening, in combination: a panel capable of being mounted in said tracks for movement between an open position in which it is disposed next to said fixed panel and a closed position in which it covers said opening and which has a rear portion disposed next to said fixed panel; and a latching structure carried by one of said panels and including a bolt and means for actuating said bolt to and from a keeper opening on the other of said panels, said means for actuating said bolt comprising biasing means for biasing said bolt to extended position and retraction meanS responsive to forces applied remotely for retracting the bolt against said bias; said means for actuating said bolt further comprising a cam in the form of a slotted member movable from one position to another and a cam follower fixed to said bolt and positioned in the slot of said slotted member, said bias spring being mounted to move the cam follower toward a position in which said bolt is extended.

Claim 3

For a sliding panel installation in which a door or window opening adjacent to a fixed wall or window panel is opened and closed by a sliding panel mounted for sliding movement in upper and lower tracks that extend alongside said fixed panel and across the opening, in combination: a panel capable of being mounted in said tracks for movement between an open position in which it is disposed next to said fixed panel and a closed position in which it covers said opening and which has a rear portion disposed next to said fixed panel; and a latching structure carried by one of said panels and including a bolt and means for actuating said bolt to and from a keeper opening on the other of said panels, said means for actuating said bolt comprising biasing means for biasing said bolt to extended position and retraction meanS responsive to forces applied remotely for retracting the bolt against said bias; said means for actuating said bolt further comprising a cam in the form of a slotted member movable from one position to another and a cam follower fixed to said bolt and positioned in the slot of said slotted member, said bias spring being mounted to move the cam follower toward a position in which said bolt is extended.

Claim 4

For a sliding panel installation in which a door or window opening adjacent to a fixed wall or window panel is opened and closed by a sliding panel mounted for sliding movement in upper and lower tracks that extend alongside said fixed panel and across the opening, in combination: a panel capable of being mounted in said tracks for movement between an open position in which it is disposed next to said fixed panel and a closed position in which it covers said opening and which has a rear portion disposed next to said fixed panel; and a latching structure carried by one of said panels and including a bolt and means for actuating said bolt to and from a keeper opening on the other of said panels, said means for actuating said bolt comprising biasing means for biasing said bolt to extended position and retraction meanS responsive to forces applied remotely for retracting the bolt against said bias; said means for actuating said bolt further comprising a cam in the form of a slotted member movable from one position to another and a cam follower fixed to said bolt and positioned in the slot of said slotted member, said bias spring being mounted to move the cam follower toward a position in which said bolt is extended.

Claim 5

For a sliding panel installation in which a door or window opening adjacent to a fixed wall or window panel is opened and closed by a sliding panel mounted for sliding movement in upper and lower tracks that extend alongside said fixed panel and across the opening, in combination: a panel capable of being mounted in said tracks for movement between an open position in which it is disposed next to said fixed panel and a closed position in which it covers said opening and which has a rear portion disposed next to said fixed panel; a latching structure carried by one of said panels and including a bolt and means for actuating said bolt to and from a keeper opening on the other of said panels, said means for actuating said bolt comprising biasing means for biasing said bolt to extended position and retraction means responsive to forces applied remotely for retracting the bolt against said bias; said means for actuating said bolt further comprising a cam in the form of a slotted member movable from one position to another and a cam follower fixed to said bolt and positioned in the slot of said slotted member, said bias spring being mounted to move the cam follower toward a position in which said bolt is extended; a second latching structure, similar to said latching structure first mentioned, both of said latching structures being mounted on the movable panel; said movable panel being formed with a recess extending along its rear edge, the cam and follower of one of said latching structures being mounted at the upper end of said recess and the cam and follower of the other of said latching structures being mounted at the lower end of said recess, a pair of plates arranged to cover an upper length and a lower length of said slot, respectively, said cover sections having openings formed therethrough at their adjacent ends, and means disposed in each of said openings for retracting said cams against the bias of their respectively associated springs and for releasing said cams to the biasing action of their respectively associated springs.

Claim 6

For a sliding panel installation in which a door or window opening adjacent to a fixed wall or window panel is opened and closed by a sliding panel mounted for sliding movement in upper and lower tracks that extend alongside said fixed panel and across the opening, in combination: a panel capable of being mounted in said tracks for movement between an open position in which it is disposed next to said fixed panel and a closed position in which it covers said opening and which has a rear portion disposed next to said fixed panel; a latching structure carried by one of said panels and including a bolt and means for actuating said bolt to and from a keeper opening on the other of said panels, said means for actuating said bolt comprising biasing means for biasing said bolt to extended position and retraction means responsive to forces applied remotely for retracting the bolt against said bias; said means for actuating said bolt further comprising a cam in the form of a slotted member movable from one position to another and a cam follower fixed to said bolt and positioned in the slot of said slotted member, said bias spring being mounted to move the cam follower toward a position in which said bolt is extended; a second latching structure, similar to said latching structure first mentioned, both of said latching structures being mounted on the movable panel; said movable panel being formed with a recess extending along its rear edge, the cam and follower of one of said latching structures being mounted at the upper end of said recess and the cam and follower of the other of said latching structures being mounted at the lower end of said recess, a pair of plates arranged to cover an upper length and a lower length of said slot, respectively, said cover sections having openings formed therethrough at their adjacent ends, and means disposed in each of said openings for retracting said cams against the bias of their respectively associated springs and for releasing said cams to the biasing action of their respectively associated springs.

Claim 7

The invention defined in claim 1 in which the bolt moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which said bias spring tends to move said retraction member.

Claim 8

The invention defined in claim 3 in which said latching structure further comprises a body on which said bolt and retraction means are carried and a latching means for latching the bolt in retracted position; said latching means comprising a stop carried on said body, and an element retractable with said means for actuating the bolt for engaging said stop when said bolt is retracted and means comprising said means for biasing the bolt for biasing said element into engagement with said stop.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 4 in which said element is movable with said retraction means in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of said bolt and against the bias of said means for biasing said bolt.