Door exit fixture with pneumatic means for maintaining a latch bolt in its retracted position
AssigneeC. Hager & Sons Hinge Manufacturing Company
InventorFrancis C. Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exit fixture for a door is connected with the lock on the door and includes manually operated means which when depressed retracts the bolt of the lock, thereby releasing the door. Springs act upon the manually operated means to restore the manually operated means to its original position wherein the bolt will again project from the door. A bellows or other pneumatic device when filled with pressurized air overcomes the force exerted by the springs so as to allow the manually operated means to assume the position in which the latch bolt is retracted, thus permitting the door to be opened and closed without operating the lock.
Claims16
In a door mounted in a framing structure for movement between open and closed positions and having a lock provided with a retractable latch bolt which is spring biased outwardly to an extended position where it will engage the framing structure and secure the door in its closed position, an improved exit fixture mounted on the door for retracting the latch bolt and comprising:
- a base mounted in a fixed position on one face of the door;
- a slide mounted on the base such that it is capable of moving in the vertical direction with respect to the door, the slide being coupled with the latch bolt such that when the slide is moved in one direction the latch bolt is retracted against the spring biasing force exerted thereon and when the slide is moved in the opposite direction the latch bolt is permitted to extend under the spring biasing force thereon, the coupling between the latch bolt and the slide further being such that when the slide is positioned in said opposite direction the latch bolt may be retracted by an external force without moving the slide;
- a spring acting on the slide and urging it in said opposite direction;
- a lever mounted for rotational mvoement about a horizontal pivot axis fixed with respect to the base, the lever acting upon the slide such that a manual force applied to the lever in the direction which moves the lever toward said one face of the door will cause the slide to move in said one direction against the force exerted thereon by the spring;
- and fluid operated force exerting means on the base for also urging the slide in said one direction, the fluid operated force exerting means when connected with and pressurized by a source of pressurized fluid being capable of expanding and overcoming the force exerted on the slide by the spring so that the slide is moved in said one direction and held in a fixed position for so long as pressurized fluid is admitted to the force exerting means, whereby the latch bolt is retracted when the lever is manually moved or when the fluid operated means is pressurized.
In a door mounted in a framing structure for swinging movement between open and closed positions and having a retractable latch bolt which is spring biased outwardly for engagement with the framing structure wherein it secures the door in its closed position, an exit fixture for operating the latch bolt, said exit fixture comprising:
- a base secured firmly to that face of the door presented away from the direction in which the door opens;
- a vertical guide track on the base;
- a slide mounted on the guide track for vertical movement along the track;
- the slide being coupled with the latch bolt such that when the slide is moved upwardly the latch bolt is retracted against the spring biasing force thereon and when the slide is moved downwardly the latch bolt is permitted to extend, the slide being coupled with the latch bolt such that when the slide is positioned downwardly the latch bolt may be retracted by the application of an external force thereto;
- a compression spring having one end fixed with respect to the base and the other end bearing against the slide such that the slide is urged downwardly;
- a lever pivoted about a horizontal axis which is fixed in position with respect to the base and is located generally outwardly from the slide so that the slide is between said one face of the door and the horizontal axis, the lever having a free end and a driving end with the ends being located on opposite sides of the horizontal axis, the driving end being positioned against the slide such that when the free end of the lever is depressed downwardly and toward the door, the slide is urged upwardly against the force exerted thereon by the spring;
- and an air bellows located adjacent to the slide and having one end fixed with respect to the base and its other end connected with the slide such that when the bellows expands as the result of the introduction of pressurized air into it the slide will also be urged upwardly against the force exerted by the spring, whereby the latch bolt is retracted when the lever is depressed or when the bellows is pressurized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.