Latching mechanism for trolley-hung doors

In combination with a track having a hollow interior, a downwardly opening slot, and a trolley which rolls within the hollow interior of the track for suspending a door or other device from the track, the trolley having a body and wheels that revolve about axes that are generally fixed with respect to the body, an improved apparatus for holding the trolley in a predetermined position along the track, said apparatus comprising:

• a keeper attached to the track;
• and a latching mechanism carried by the trolley within the hollow interior of the track and being movable on the trolley between first and second positions, the latching mechanism being configured to engage the keep when the latching mechanism is in its first position and the trolley is in the predetermined position along the track, but not when the latching mechanism is in its second position, the latching mechanism including a latch bar which pivots on the body about an axis that is generally fixed with respect to the body, and as such moves between the first and second positions, the latch having a pawl which engages the keeper when the trolley is in the predetermined position and the latch bar is in its first position, the pawl having a hook at its end, with the hook being configured o engage the keeper, the pawl further having a beveled end surface which aligns with the keeper when the latch bar is in its first position and urges the latch bar toward its second position so that latch bar will engage the keeper, the latching mechanism also including a spring which is fitted between the trolley body and the latch bar to urge the latch bar to its first position and a cord attached to the latch bar such that when it is pulled, it causes the latch bar to pivot to its second position in opposition to the force exerted by the spring, the cord extending through the downwardly opening slot to be accessible below the track.

A support structure comprising:

• a track having walls which enclose a hollow interior and including laterally directed flanges which are separated by a slot that opens downwardly from the hollow interior of the track;
• a trolley located within the hollow interior of the track and including a body and wheels that rotate about at least two wheel axes that pass through the body parallel to each other;
• a latching mechanism carried by the trolley and including a latch bar that pivots on the trolley between engage and release positions, with the pivot axis passing through the trolley body parallel to the wheel axes, and means for urging the latch bar to its engage position;
• a hanger attached to the trolley body between the two wheel axes and depending therefrom through the slot in the track for attachment to a supported device;
• a keeper on the track within its hollow interior and being configured to be engaged by the latch bar when the trolley is moved toward the keeper with its latch bar in the engage position.