Latch or lock set and method of manufacture thereof

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.

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.