Southco, Inc.

James H Vickers

Stefan Matthew Koveal

Richard E Schlack

Glenn Eric Anderson

Ian Vance White

Claes Magnusson

Richard B Langkamp, Jr

Torsten Johansson

D Dale Turner

Charles R Scally

David C Milne

J Michael Wittig

Joe Jackson

Robert H Bisbing

William R Frame

Stephen Keith Spatig

Alan Simchayoff

H Allen Riblett

Alfred George Rundle, Jr

David Arnold White

Joshua James Baker

A pawl assembly that can be installed to the output shaft of a latch mechanism more easily, and in some embodiments without the use of tools, as compared to prior art pawls.

Pawl assembly

A latch assembly for releasably securing a striker in a rotary pawl latch. The latch assembly includes a housing, a rotary pawl, and an actuator. The housing can have one sidewall having a notch for receiving the striker. A trigger can be pivotally attached to the housing such that the actuator releases the rotary pawl thus opening the latch.

Rotary pawl latch

A latching system including a latch assembly, a cup, and a keeper plate. The latch assembly includes a base, a lever, and a catch. The lever is pivotally connected to the base and the catch is pivotally connected to the lever. The base is pivotally attached to the cup such that it rotates about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular in direction in relation to the direction of the axis of rotation of the lever relative to the base. The keeper plate includes a keeper projection. The lever can be lifted and the latch assembly rotated about the axis of rotation of the base to clear the keeper from the catch and thereby allow the opening of a first closure member relative to a second closure member.

Rotary action draw latch

Latch housing

A latch has a bushing which has at least one bushing projection or means for preventing insertion of an unauthorized tool to rotate a latch actuator of the latch. Only a key having an outer key recess which can mate with bushing projection on the bushing permits insertion of the key. The cap subassembly of the latch is provided with projections which are of a size and so positioned as to correspond with the internal recesses of the key so as to allow the cap subassembly to enter into the bore of the key and permit a mating engagement of internal recesses on the key and projections on the cap subassembly. Because cap portion rotates freely on top of the cap subassembly which is the part of the cap driven by the key, the arrangement makes it impossible, or at least very difficult, to rotate the shaft and in turn the pawl by means of a tool which rotates the cap portion.

Binary coded key and tamper resistant latch

Draw latch

Paddle latch

Knob for a latch

Turn to open latch

A key operated latch includes a housing which supports a lock plug, a motion control sleeve, and a sleeve-like cam therein. The cam rotates with the lock plug, while the motion control sleeve is stationary. The cam has at least one cam slot, and the motion control sleeve has at least one motion control slot. A shaft extends outward from the housing and has at least one projection which is engaged with both the cam slot and the motion control slot. The cam slot and the motion control slot are configured such that rotation of the lock plug imparts a sequence of rotational and axial movements to the shaft. A latching member attached to the shaft, moves between a latched position and an unlatched position in a sequence of axial and rotational motions in order to selectively secure a door, panel, or the like in the closed position. Also disclosed are additional embodiments that incorporate a wing knob or that have a lock plug sleeve and a motion control sleeve that are combined into a single part of one-piece construction. In one of the embodiments having a wing knob the wing knob freewheels without opening the latch when the lock plug is in the locked configuration.

Key operated latch with combined rotational and translational latching action

A keeper and a latch secures a first member such as a door panel against a second member such as a corresponding frame. The keeper is adapted for attachment to the second member and engages the latch in a fastened position.

Latch

A multi-point latching system is adapted for mounting on a panel and securing the panel to a frame. The system includes a central latch, remote latches and connecting rods. The central latch includes a housing and a handle assembly pivotably mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis parallel to the panel for opening and closing the central latch. The handle assembly extends through the housing and includes a handle and a pivot arm. The pivot arm extends from the back of the housing. The central latch also includes an actuator pivotably mounted for rotation normal to the panel; and a link connecting the handle assembly to one of the connecting rods, which is also connected to the actuator, such that the actuator is rotated by rotating the handle assembly. The remote latches are engaged by rotation of the actuator plate through the connecting rods.

Multi-point latching system

A lever-action slam latch includes a pair of opposing, nested slides so that a single latch can be mounted in either left-handed or right-handed door. The locking mechanism is difficult to circumvent, and permits the key to remain in the lock while the latch is opened.

Slam latch with opposing slides

Growing community of inventors

Middletown Township, PA, United States of America

James H Vickers