Quick opening lock assembly for doors and method

Claim 1

A lock assembly comprising a rotary tubular spindle, a latch unit including a latch movably mounted therein for movement between locked and unlocked positions, an adapter, adapted to replace a door knob, including a tubular sleeve slidably mounted on said spindle and cam means disposed in spiralled relationship on said sleeve, means detachably mounting said sleeve on said spindle for preventing both rotational and axial displacement of said sleeve relative to said spindle, motion transmitting means mechanically interconnected between said latch and said spindle for moving said latch to its unlocked position upon rotation of said adapter, handle means movably mounted adjacent to said adapter and operatively engaged directly with said cam means for rotating said adapter and said spindle upon movement of said handle means, and a housing enclosing said adapter and said spindle and wherein said handle means comprises a single stem extending through a sidewall of said housing and pivotally mounted thereon, an inner end of said stem engaging said cam means in substantial line and sliding bearing contact therewith, said means detachably mounting said sleeve on said spindle being independent of said housing and maintaining said sleeve in a fixed axial position relative to said spindle so that the inner end of said stem will be continuously and precisely maintained in bearing contact with said cam means upon pivoting of said handle means on said housing to move said latch between its locked and unlocked positions.

Claim 12

A method for converting a lock assembly to panic hardware, said lock assembly mounted on a door and comprising a latch unit movable between normally locked and unlocked positions relative to a door frame having said door hingedly mounted thereon, a rotary spindle, a knob detachably mounted on said spindle and motion transmitting means mechanically and interconnected between said latch unit and said spindle for moving said latch unit to its unlocked position upon rotation of said adapter, said method comprising the steps of detaching said knob from said spindle, attaching a tubular adapter sleeve, having a spiralled cam secured thereto, directly to said spindle to prevent both rotational and axial movement therebetween, securing a housing to said door to enclose said spindle, and said sleeve therein and simultaneously spacing an outer wall of said housing axially relative to an outer end of said sleeve to prevent contact therebetween; pivotally mounting a handle on said housing and adjacent to said sleeve to engage an inner end of a single stem of said handle directly with said cam in bearing contact therewith whereby pivoting of said handle will rotate said sleeve and said spindle to move said latch unit to its unlocked position.

Claim 13

A method for converting a lock assembly to panic hardware, said lock assembly mounted on a door and comprising a latch unit movable between normally locked and unlocked positions relative to a door frame having said door hingedly mounted thereon, a rotary spindle, a knob detachably mounted on said spindle and motion transmitting means mechanically and interconnected between said latch unit and said spindle for moving said latch unit to its unlocked position upon rotation of said adapter, said method comprising the steps of detaching said knob from said spindle, attaching a tubular adapter sleeve, having a spiralled cam secured thereto, directly to said spindle to prevent both rotational and axial movement therebetween, securing a housing to said door to enclose said spindle, and said sleeve therein and simultaneously spacing an outer wall of said housing axially relative to an outer end of said sleeve to prevent contact therebetween; pivotally mounting a handle on said housing and adjacent to said sleeve to engage an inner end of a single stem of said handle directly with said cam in bearing contact therewith whereby pivoting of said handle will rotate said sleeve and said spindle to move said latch unit to its unlocked position.