US 4,052,092 AGranted

Latch operating device including operating and latch connection improvements

AssigneeEmhart Industries, Inc.

InventorGary Richard Bergen

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Abstract

The latch operating spindle is of the type requiring the exact same specific positioning orientation with the latch regardless of the latch side at which the latch operating device is mounted and the spindle is connected to its latch operating device normally operable partially rotatable by the operating device in a normal engaged position, but selectively movable along its rotational axis against compression spring urging to a freely rotatable position in which the spindle may be reversely repositioned adapting it for the alternate positioning use. The mechanism of the latch operating device is preferably thumb lever actuated and includes a slideable rack selectively directly moved by the thumb lever operably engaged with a rotatable pinion. The pinion is secured with the latch operating spindle such that in the spindle normal engaged position, the pinion is operably engaged with the rack and when the spindle is moved to its temporary freely rotatable position, the pinion is moved therewith out of engagement with the rack so as to automatically permit the spindle repositioning relative to the latch it is intended to operate.

Claims14

Dependent claims

In a latch operating device of the type imparting motion of an operating mechanism into partial rotation of a transversely extending spindle operably engaged with a longitudinally reciprocal latch, said spindle being half-round and having a semi-circular outer surface over a portion thereof, the operable connection between said spindle and latch operationally requiring said spindle semi-circular outer surface in non-operating position to always face in only a particular one of generally longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly direction regardless of the transverse side of said latch at which said operating mechanism is positioned;

the improvements comprising:
spindle mounting means operably connected to said operating mechanism so as to be positively partially rotatable about a transverse axis by said operating mechanism when in a normal engaged position with said operating mechanism and freely rotatable about said transverse axis when disengaged from said operating mechanism in a temporary disengaged position;
said spindle being secured to said spindle mounting means rotatable therewith about said transverse axis, free rotation of said spindle with said spindle mounting means in said spindle mounting means temporary disengaged position permitting selective positioning of said spindle with said spindle semi-circular outer surface always facing in said particular one longitudinal direction for said spindle mounting means normal engaged position regardless of the transverse side positioning of said operating mechanism relative to said latch.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.