Handle construction

Claim 2

A closure door and handle latch for apparatus enclosures, comprising: (a) a door having a recess formed therein, said recess including a hinge slot; (b) a handle latch within said recess having: (i) a back portion within elongated upper end which extends through said hinge slot, where it is engageable with a portion of the enclosure, said handle latch being movable therein between latching and release positions; and (ii) a lower portion, continuous with said back portion, which defines a hand grip portion; and (c) means for releasably engaging said handle latch to said door in the latching position including a latch hasp having a tab portion on said door said latch hasp being engageable with said handle latch through a latch slot in said handle latch, wherein said latch slot is offset from said tab portion of said latch hasp in the latching position, and wherein the handle latch is movable to align the latch slot with the tab portion of the latch hasp before the handle latch is pivotable to the release position.

Claim 3

The door and handle latch of claim 1 in which said hand grip portion on said lower portion of said handle latch is generally U-shaped.

Claim 4

The door and handle latch of claim 1 in which said hand grip portion on said lower portion of said handle latch is generally as an inverted channel.

Claim 5

The door and handle latch of claim 1 in which said means for releasably engaging said handle latch further comprises a bolt means on said handle latch in said lower portion and a captivated nut on said door which is threadably engageable with said bolt means.

Claim 6

The door and handle latch of claim 1 which includes means for preventing complete removal of said handle latch from said hinge slot, said means comprising a roll pin extending through said elongated upper end of said back portion.

Claim 7

Closure door and handle latch for apparatus enclosures comprising: (a) a closure door having a recess formed therein, said recess having a back wall with a first bolt hole therethrough, a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, and including a hinged slot formed between and along said top wall and said back wall; (b) a lock hasp on said back wall; (c) a captivated nut on said back wall adjacent to the first bolt hole; and (d) a handle latch pivotable between latching and release positions within said recess, said handle latch having: (i) an elongated upwardly extending back portion thereof which extends through said hinge slot at the top of said recess for latching engagement with said enclosure, a forwardly extending lower portion, adjacent to said bottom wall and a shorter upwardly extending bottom portion thereof, said front portion of said handle latch not extending beyond the forward edge of said recess of said door; (ii) a bolt retaining means, having a bolt therein fastened between said shorter front portion and said back portion; (iii) said front portion having a port therethrough to provide access to said bolt; (iv) said back portion having a second bolt hole therethrough alignable with said first bolt hole in said back wall of said recess, said bolt extending through said aligned first and second holes in the latching position for engagement with said nut; (v) said back portion having a hasp slot thereon which is engageable with said lock hasps along said back wall of said recess in the latching position of said handle latch; and (vi) a roll pin inserted through said handle latch above said hinge slot to hold said handle latch in said hinge slot when said handle latch is pivoted outwardly to the release position.

Claim 8

Closure door and handle latch for apparatus enclosures comprising: (a) a closure door having a recess formed therein, said recess having a back wall with a first bolt hole therethrough, a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, and including a hinged slot formed between and along said top wall and said back wall; (b) a lock hasp on said back wall; (c) a captivated nut on said back wall adjacent to the first bolt hole; and (d) a handle latch pivotable between latching and release positions within said recess, said handle latch having: (i) an elongated upwardly extending back portion thereof which extends through said hinge slot at the top of said recess for latching engagement with said enclosure, a forwardly extending lower portion, adjacent to said bottom wall and a shorter upwardly extending bottom portion thereof, said front portion of said handle latch not extending beyond the forward edge of said recess of said door; (ii) a bolt retaining means, having a bolt therein fastened between said shorter front portion and said back portion; (iii) said front portion having a port therethrough to provide access to said bolt; (iv) said back portion having a second bolt hole therethrough alignable with said first bolt hole in said back wall of said recess, said bolt extending through said aligned first and second holes in the latching position for engagement with said nut; (v) said back portion having a hasp slot thereon which is engageable with said lock hasps along said back wall of said recess in the latching position of said handle latch; and (vi) a roll pin inserted through said handle latch above said hinge slot to hold said handle latch in said hinge slot when said handle latch is pivoted outwardly to the release position.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said back wall of said recess is generally rectangular in shape, wherein said back portion of said handle latch is a generally rectangular plate sized to cover said back wall, wherein said lower portion is a generally rectangular plate sized to cover said bottom wall, and wherein said front portion is a generally rectangular plate having its outside surface generally flush with the outside surface of the door in the latching position.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 in combination with an enclosure having an opening in a wall thereof covered by said closure door, said recess being positioned adjacent one edge of said opening and extending into the opening beyond the plane of said enclosure wall, said upwardly extending back portion of said handle latch being positioned directly behind said wall in the latching position to hold said door closed.

Claim 11

Closure door and handle latch for apparatus enclosures, comprising: (a) a closure door having a recess formed therein, said recess having a back wall with a first bolt hole therethrough, a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, and including a hinge slot formed between and along said top wall and said back wall; (b) a lock hasp on said back wall; (c) a captivated nut on said back wall adjacent to the first bolt hole through said back wall; and (d) a handle latch pivotable between latching and release positions within said recess, said handle latch having: (i) an elongated upwardly extending back portion thereof which extends through said hinge slot at the top of said recess for latching engagement with said enclosures, an outwardly extending portion extending generally perpendicularly outward from said elongated back portion being continuous with said back portion, and a downwardly extending portion extending generally perpendicularly downward from the forward edge of said outwardly extending portion being continuous with said outwardly extending portion; and (ii) a bolt retaining means, having a bolt therein, fastened to said handle latch and being alignable with said captivated nut on said back wall.

Claim 12

Closure door and handle latch for apparatus enclosures, comprising: (a) a closure door having a recess formed therein, said recess having a back wall with a first bolt hole therethrough, a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, and including a hinge slot formed between and along said top wall and said back wall; (b) a lock hasp on said back wall; (c) a captivated nut on said back wall adjacent to the first bolt hole through said back wall; and (d) a handle latch pivotable between latching and release positions within said recess, said handle latch having: (i) an elongated upwardly extending back portion thereof which extends through said hinge slot at the top of said recess for latching engagement with said enclosures, an outwardly extending portion extending generally perpendicularly outward from said elongated back portion being continuous with said back portion, and a downwardly extending portion extending generally perpendicularly downward from the forward edge of said outwardly extending portion being continuous with said outwardly extending portion; and (ii) a bolt retaining means, having a bolt therein, fastened to said handle latch and being alignable with said captivated nut on said back wall.