Latch or lock set and method of manufacture thereof

Claim 2

A latch or lock set which comprises, in combination: a. a back plate and a lever or handle which has an integral barrel projecting laterally from one end thereof, the back plate being apertured to permit the extension therethrough of said barrel; b. a spring means having one end portion snugly encircling and connected to said barrel and the other end portion engaging a fixed anchorage on said back plate; c. a right cylindrical recess formed in said barrel from the free end thereof and an insert in said recess, the insert being hollow and of square section and having tongues projecting laterally therefrom into slots formed in the free end of the barrel; d. a locking washer mounted on said barrel and having lugs which also project into said slots and overlie said tongues, said locking washer additionally having internal tab portions in resilient engagement with said barrel so as substantially to prevent any movement of said locking washer relative to said barrel after the lugs on the washer have been correctly positioned in relation to said tongues; e. a stop element on the back plate in the plane of said washer; and f. said locking washer also incorporating angularly spaced opposed abutments which coact one at a time with said stop element to limit the extent of angular movement of said lever about the axis of rotation of said barrel either against or under the influence of said spring means.

Claim 3

A latch or lock set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latch plate is made from a channel-shaped extrusion whose open ends are closed by plugs, both said stop and said fixed anchorage for the other end portion of the spring means being provided by an apertured plate which is placed in the channel of said back plate and which is of a shape and dimensions such that it is unable to rotate in said channel about the axis of the aperture in said apertured plate, said spring means being accommodated between facing surfaces of said back plate and said apertured plate and the barrel extending not only through the back plate but also through said apertured plate.

Claim 4

A latch or lock set for a door which comprises, in combination:- a. back plate and a lever which has an integral barrel with the back plate being apertured to permit the extension therethrough of said barrel; b. a spring means having one end portion operatively connected to said barrel and the other end portion engaging fixed anchorage on said back plate; c. means associated with said barrel and defining a passageway of square section adpated nonrotatably to receive a square bar; d. a locking washer assembled on said barrel from the free end thereof having an aperture to receive said barrel and resilient tongue portions extending inwardly at the periphery of said aperture for sliding engagement with said barrel, said tongues deflecting as the washer is mounted on said barrel and preventing movement of said locking washer in disassembling direction on said barrel, whereby said back plate and lever are firmly connected to one another; e. a stop element on said plate in the plane of said locking washer; and f. said locking washer incorporating angularly spaced abutments which coact one at a time with said stop element to limit the extent of angular movement of said lever about the axis of rotation of said barrel either against or under the influence of said spring means.

Claim 5

A latch or lock set for a door which comprises, in combination:- a. back plate and a lever which has an integral barrel with the back plate being apertured to permit the extension therethrough of said barrel; b. a spring means having one end portion operatively connected to said barrel and the other end portion engaging fixed anchorage on said back plate; c. means associated with said barrel and defining a passageway of square section adpated nonrotatably to receive a square bar; d. a locking washer assembled on said barrel from the free end thereof having an aperture to receive said barrel and resilient tongue portions extending inwardly at the periphery of said aperture for sliding engagement with said barrel, said tongues deflecting as the washer is mounted on said barrel and preventing movement of said locking washer in disassembling direction on said barrel, whereby said back plate and lever are firmly connected to one another; e. a stop element on said plate in the plane of said locking washer; and f. said locking washer incorporating angularly spaced abutments which coact one at a time with said stop element to limit the extent of angular movement of said lever about the axis of rotation of said barrel either against or under the influence of said spring means.

Claim 6

A latch or lock set for a door which comprises, in combination:- a. a back plate and a lever which has an integral barrel, the back plate being apertured to permit the extension therethrough of said barrel; b. torsion spring means having one end portion connected to the barrel and the other end portion engaging a fixed anchorage on said back plate; c. a recess extending axially into said barrel from the free end thereof; d. said barrel having transverse slots formed in the free end thereof; e. a sleeve rectangular in cross section mounted in said recess from the free end of said barrel and having lugs extending outwardly from the sleeve into said slots in the barrel end; f. a locking washer mounted on said barrel from the free end of the barrel and having tabs which project into said slots formed in the barrel end and hold said sleeve captive in said recess, said lugs and slots constituting means for transmitting torque from said lever to a square-section bar extending through the door and having one end in said sleeve, said locking washer additionally having resilient edge portions which are deflected by engagement with said barrel when the washer is mounted on the barrel so as substantially to prevent any axial movement of said locking washer relative to said barrel and thereby firmly connecting said lever to said back plate; g. a stop element on said plate in the plane of said locking washer; and h. said locking washer incorporating angularly spaced abutments which coact one at a time with said stop element to limit the extent of angular movement of said lever about the axis of rotation of said barrel either against or under the influence of said spring means.

Claim 7

A latch or lock set for a door which comprises, in combination:- a. a back plate and a lever which has an integral barrel, the back plate being apertured to permit the extension therethrough of said barrel; b. torsion spring means having one end portion connected to the barrel and the other end portion engaging a fixed anchorage on said back plate; c. a recess extending axially into said barrel from the free end thereof; d. said barrel having transverse slots formed in the free end thereof; e. a sleeve rectangular in cross section mounted in said recess from the free end of said barrel and having lugs extending outwardly from the sleeve into said slots in the barrel end; f. a locking washer mounted on said barrel from the free end of the barrel and having tabs which project into said slots formed in the barrel end and hold said sleeve captive in said recess, said lugs and slots constituting means for transmitting torque from said lever to a square-section bar extending through the door and having one end in said sleeve, said locking washer additionally having resilient edge portions which are deflected by engagement with said barrel when the washer is mounted on the barrel so as substantially to prevent any axial movement of said locking washer relative to said barrel and thereby firmly connecting said lever to said back plate; g. a stop element on said plate in the plane of said locking washer; and h. said locking washer incorporating angularly spaced abutments which coact one at a time with said stop element to limit the extent of angular movement of said lever about the axis of rotation of said barrel either against or under the influence of said spring means.

Claim 10

A latch actuator device for a door comprising; a back plate having an aperture formed therein, a door lever which includes a first portion in the form of a barrel extending through said aperture and second portion in the form of a handle connected to one end of said barrel and disposed on one side of said plate, a right-cylindrical recess formed in said barrel from the free end thereof, an elongated hollow noncircular insert accommodated in said recess, said insert having radially outwardly extending lugs near the outer end and said barrel having a lateral slot in the free end receiving said lugs, and a lock washer pressed on the barrel from the free end and into spring engagement with said barrel, said washer having tabs extending inwardly into said slot in overlying relation to said lugs to keep said insert in a predetermined axial position within said recess, said lock washer also retaining said lever in assembled relation with said lock plate, at least one of said lugs on said insert and said tabs on said washer forming means for preventing rotation of said insert in said recess.

Claim 11

A latch actuator device for a door comprising; a back plate having an aperture formed therein, a door lever which includes a first portion in the form of a barrel extending through said aperture and second portion in the form of a handle connected to one end of said barrel and disposed on one side of said plate, a right-cylindrical recess formed in said barrel from the free end thereof, an elongated hollow noncircular insert accommodated in said recess, said insert having radially outwardly extending lugs near the outer end and said barrel having a lateral slot in the free end receiving said lugs, and a lock washer pressed on the barrel from the free end and into spring engagement with said barrel, said washer having tabs extending inwardly into said slot in overlying relation to said lugs to keep said insert in a predetermined axial position within said recess, said lock washer also retaining said lever in assembled relation with said lock plate, at least one of said lugs on said insert and said tabs on said washer forming means for preventing rotation of said insert in said recess.

Claim 12

A door lever as claimed in claim 6, wherein said lock washer includes circumferentially spaced opposed abutments formed on the periphery thereof and said lock plate has a stop element thereon in the plane of said lock washer and disposed between said abutments.