Locking handle for sliding doors and the like

Abstract

In the embodiment shown is a handle to be mounted on a door stile, wherein the handle houses a latch plate, a bowed leaf spring interlocked with the latch plate, and a cam bar for moving the latch plate from one to the other of two positions, the cam bar being of such a length that one end thereof extends beyond one end of the handle when in one position and the other end thereof extends beyond the other end of the handle when in its other position. In both positions of the latch plate, its face is in a plane parallel to and confronts the stile. The latch plate has portions at one edge engaging an inner wall of the housing formed by the handle, and an elongated portion extending from such one edge passes through an opening in the wall and has a lip for latching to a jamb. When the door is closed, the cam bar in one position overcomes the spring to force the latch plate away from the jamb, and in the other position to permit the spring to position the latch plate wherein the lip thereof latches to the jamb. Since the latch plate bears against the wall of the handle, load on the latch plate lip is distributed to such wall and then to the stile and jamb. Also disclosed is a key lock option to be mounted to the exterior of the stile and operable via a key to effect movement of the cam bar to either of its two positions.