Schlage Lock Company LLC

Bruce P Eagan

Dario L Pompeii

Rocco A Carestia

Khurshid A Qureshi

William S Massey

James J Legner

Joseph G Matulich

A door lock having a clutching mechanism for selectively engaging and disengaging the outer handle of the lock from a key spindle having latch scoops for operably engaging a latch slide. The key spindle contains a cam mechanism for moving a dogging arm from a clutched position where the outer handle through a keyed outer spindle is keyed to the key spindle to an unclutched position where the dogging arm is positioned within a circumferentially extending slot which permits about 60&deg; rotation of the outer handle relative to the key spindle without movement of the key spindle. Hard stops are provided on an outer driver and outer hub which limit movement of the outer handle to less than the rotation permitted by the clutching mechanism.

Door lock with clutching mechanism

A modular return spring cage assembly for door lock handles, consists of a door lock mounting chassis member having two opposed faces, at least one face having two opposed arcuate channels forming a circular groove in the face. The groove has two split diametrically opposed spring bases each formed by two substantially equal spring stops projecting from radially outer and radially inner walls of the groove. Two compression springs are slidably disposed within the channels and have length such that a slight compression is required to fit the springs between the split spring bases. An arrangement for transmitting torsional motion between a door handle and the springs, and for limiting rotary motion of the handle is included. A provision for positively retaining the springs and the torsional motion transmission arrangement on the mounting chassis member completes the modular assembly. When so assembled, the spring cage module can be easily installed in or removed from a door preparation; and, because of its modularity, it may be designed to be reversible to provide enhanced tamper resistance.

Door handle modular return spring cage assembly

The limbs of the spring cage overlie portions of the cylindrical lock chassis. Accordingly, a graduated scale, with Arabic numerals aligned therewith, is inscribed on a portion of the chassis which one of the limbs overlies, and the flat, terminal end of the limb is used to indicate a proper door thickness adjustment. The cage is spring-biased away from the chassis, and retained on a projecting shaft by an adjusting nut threadedly engaged with the shaft. By threadedly moving the nut on the shaft, the cage is moved relative to the shaft and concomitantly, the limb terminal end is selectively aligned with a chosen one of the door thickness-indicating scale lines.

Growing community of inventors

Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Bruce P Eagan