Patents Examined by Richard E. Moore
  • Patent number: 5280976
    Abstract: A security device for preventing the opening of a hinged door surrounded by a door frame and a door jamb. The security device includes a jamb mount attachable to the door jamb and having horizontal guide plates which extend outwardly from the door frame. The device also includes a locking mount which has horizontal guide plates for juxtaposed disposition with the jamb mount guide plates and which are provided with extending arm portions engageable with a side of the door upon attempted opening thereof. A vertical pin member of polygonal cross-section is engageable with corresponding polygonal holes in one or both of the jamb mount and locking mount guide plates locking the jamb mount and locking mount together to prevent opening of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1994
    Inventor: Solly Melyon
  • Patent number: 5280977
    Abstract: A portable door lock having a base which can be attached to or inserted in a door jamb to extend therefrom into a room to be locked. An arm is attached to the base and is biased to a retracted postion where the door is free to swing open. The arm can be moved against the bias to a postion where the door is blocked from swinging open. A peg is used to lock the arm in this position. Thus, the lock prevents the door from being opened unless the peg is removed and the bias moves the arm back to the retracted postion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1994
    Inventor: Lino J. Piva
  • Patent number: 5277461
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch has a fork bolt lever that is latched by a detent lever. The detent lever is operated by an intermittent lever that is operated by a transfer lever that is actuated by inside and outside door handles via operating levers. The door latch includes with a locking lever that disconnects the door handles from the intermittent lever when it is in the locked position. The door latch also includes an interlock between the intermittent lever and the locking lever that is automatically engaged in response to the position of the detent so that the door latch cannot be locked when the fork bolt lever is in an unlatched position. Consequently the door latch can only be locked when the door is closed and the fork bolt lever is in a latched position. This prevents the driver from locking his or her keys in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas A. Dzurko, John F. Reelhorn, Ronald P. Rimbey
  • Patent number: 5273324
    Abstract: A power door lock device comprises a latch plate pivotal about a first axis to assume an open position, a half-latch position and a full-latch position; a sub-lever pivotal about a second axis which is in parallel with the first axis; and a close lever pivotal about the second axis. The sub-lever has an engaged edge and is pivotally connected through a link to the latch plate, so that when the sub-lever is pivotal about the second axis to assume first, second and third angular positions, the latch plate takes the open position, half-latch and full-latch positions respectively. The close lever has an engaging edge which, when the close lever is pivoted from an inoperative position to an operative position, is brought into abutment with the engaged edge of the sub-lever to pivot the sub-lever from the second position to the third position. An electric drive device is used for forcing the close lever to pivot between the inoperative and operative positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fumio Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5273326
    Abstract: A door hold back for holding the cargo door of a vehicle in the open positon while the vehicle is being loaded and unloaded wherein a link having spherical end portions is connectable between a socket provided in a mounting plate on the vehicle wall and a socket provided in a receiver on the cargo door. The spherical end portion on one end of the link in the base plate socket is larger than the spherical end portion on the other end of the link in the receiver socket so that the larger spherical end portion of the link is captivated in the base plate socket, and the smaller spherical end portion is releasably mounted in the receiver socket. The link and associated spherical end portions, mounting plate and receiver are all molded of high impact polypropylene plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Wells Cargo Inc.
    Inventor: James R. Kinkaide
  • Patent number: 5273325
    Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a bolt projecting from a support and movable by an actuator between an advanced and a retracted position, and a housing movable between an open, a partially closed, and a fully closed position. A latch fork can engage the door bolt to retain same and lock the door. The servoactuator can, when the bolt is engaged with the fork, move the housing between the partially and fully closed positions. A pawl pivots on the housing between a holding position retaining the fork in the latched position and a freeing position permitting the fork to move out of the latched position. A release lever on the housing displaces the pawl from the holding to the freeing position. A opening lever on the housing operatively engageable with the support is coupled to the pawl for moving it from its locked to its unlocked position on movement of the opening lever from a cocked to a rest position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Gerhard Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 5273327
    Abstract: A hatchback door for an automobile hinged at its upper end to a body of the automobile includes an outer panel having a handle to open the hatchback door; an inner panel connected to the outer panel, the inner panel having an opening immediately in front of the handle; a door lock assembly mounted at the lower end of the door; and a rod assembly provided between the inner panel and the outer panel connecting the handle and the door lock assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Nissan Research and Development
    Inventors: Randall E. Johnson, Yutaka Morita
  • Patent number: 5271649
    Abstract: An over center draw latch with lock bolt action which performs the functions of both a bolt type latch and a draw type latch. The latch comprises a housing mounted on one panel, a lever rotatably mounted on the housing, a spring rotatably mounted on the lever and a keeper mounted on another panel. When the latch is fastened, the spring engages the keeper to thereby draw the panels together. In addition, a portion of the lever engages the keeper to provide a lock bolt action. In the closed position, the latch prevents relative movement of the panels in all directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1993
    Assignee: Southco, Inc.
    Inventor: Gabriel Gromotka
  • Patent number: 5269573
    Abstract: A device for restricting the opening motion of a door comprises a housing (4) for securing to the door and having an opening (6) facing the floor over which the door moves when it is opened and closed. A pivotally movable cam member (5)(5') is mounted within the housing so that it can pivot between an operating position in which it extends through the opening to engage with the floor and prevent opening movement of the door and a retracted position in which it is spaced from the floor. Levers (18,21) (18',21') are provided for moving the cam member between its operating and retracted positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Inventor: Bernard A. Rear
  • Patent number: 5267760
    Abstract: A locking mechanism comprises a plurality of spring loaded tines disposed around an armature. The armature has a disc mounted thereon the radially outer surface of which is profiled. The armature is coupled to a solenoid which is selectively energized to move the armature. In a locked position the profiled surface of the disc urges the spring loaded tines outwardly into engagement with a locking cup. In an unlocked position the armature moves the disc into a position so that the profiled surface allows the tines to spring inwardly so they can be withdrawn from the locking cup. A spring loaded sleeve is provided which holds the tines and the armature in the unlocked position so that the locking mechanism can re-engage in the event of a power failure to the solenoid. A pin is provided so that the solenoid can be overridden manually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Robert N. Carlin
  • Patent number: 5265924
    Abstract: The lever assembly for a door lock comprises a door lock cylinder having a shank extended from each side of the door lock cylinder and two structure provided between the inside and outside lever and a door lock cylinder, respectively for resiliently returning and maintaining the levers in their horizontal positions. The returning and maintaining structure includes a spacer, a nut for fastening the spacer against the door lock cylinder, a mounting member for mounting a rotatable member, and a spring member cooperating with the rotatable structure and a retainer for holding the spring member, and a lever having a shaft fitted to the shank. The parts of the lever assembly are in turn fitted onto the shank in a cooperating relationship, thereby to resiliently return and maintain the lever in its original, horizontal position without tilting by using of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: Hyundai Metal Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Won S. Kim
  • Patent number: 5265921
    Abstract: A child-resistant lock structure includes cooperative first and second plates arranged for adjacency relative to one another mounted to a respective refrigerator and refrigerator door, wherein a first mounting plate is arranged to receive a latch bolt from a second mounting plate in communication relative to one another, with the first and second plates having first and second suction cups arranged for ease of securement of the lock structure without damage to the refrigerator surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Inventors: John P. Nikitas, Robert D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5265923
    Abstract: A lock-end tube for receiving the outer end of a locking rod of a locking apparatus for a casket lid is mounted on a curved end of a round-cornered beveled casket by means of a structure which is positioned in an opening in the curved casket wall and clamped in position by clamping members on each side of the curved wall, these members having confronting end surfaces conforming to the shape of the curved wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: The York Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Lynn E. Paddock
  • Patent number: 5263750
    Abstract: A door handle assembly for attachment to a door panel includes a handle housing and a door handle. The handle and housing include self-locking snap-together pivot connection portions for connecting the handle pivotally to the housing. A torsion spring continuously biases the handle toward the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis E. Smith, Joseph E. Mishark
  • Patent number: 5263752
    Abstract: A one-piece striker for a door latch comprises a base having an integrally attached U-shaped loop of rectangular cross section that is bent upright from the base. The base has a triangular end with one mounting hole at its apex and a peninsula end that has another mounting hole at its free end. The striker is used with a door latch that has a slot for guiding one leg of the loop into an interior mechanism that includes a rotatable fork bolt lever that engages an inside surface of the leg in the latched position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan D. M. Phail-Fausey, Jeffrey L. Konchan, John F. Reelhorn
  • Patent number: 5263751
    Abstract: An electromechanical actuator for an automotive door latch has a selectively activated feature that prevents a rear door from being unlatched by the inside door handle. The feature is electrically activated by a switch or the like that is conveniently located near the driver and out-of -reach of the rear seat passengers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Michael E. Aubry
  • Patent number: 5263749
    Abstract: Lock comprising a spring-latch and a bolt, the spring-latch being actuatable against the biasing action of a spring by means of an external lever (knob) or an internal lever (handle), the levers being rotationally rigidly coupled to respective coaxial hubs rotatably supported at the sides of an element for opening the spring-latch which is pivoted coaxially to the hubs and is intermediate thereto; the lock further comprises teeth for pulling the element defined on the hubs, the teeth being able to pull the element only in the direction for opening the spring-latch by actuating one of the levers, a spring for the elastic return of the hubs when the levers are released which acts on tabs of the hubs with the interposition of a block guided tangentially to the hubs; the block can be orientated and is shaped so as to provide abutment only to the tab of the hub to which the inner lever is rigidly coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: Costruzioni Italiane Serrature Affini C.I.S.A. S.p.A.
    Inventor: Deo Errani
  • Patent number: 5261711
    Abstract: An actuator of a vehicle door lock device, which includes an output shaft adapted at one end to be coupled with to a lock lever of the lock device, a sector arm for rotating the output shaft, a reversible motor for rotating the sector arm around said output shaft through speed reduction gears and a plastic-made housing for accommodating the output shaft, the sector arm and the reversible motor. The sector arm has, on an inner surface of its outer arc-shaped flange, an inner toothed portion which meshes with a final gear of the reduction gears and an arc hole centering the output shaft. An intermediate shaft for supporting the final gear is arranged in parallel with the output shaft and projects through the arc hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuro Mizuki, Osamu Hamaguchi, Patrik J. Dowling
  • Patent number: 5261713
    Abstract: An electromagnetic door lock comprises in combination a convex armature plate and oblong magnet whereby the plate is flattened into full contact with the magnet when energized. De-energizing the magnet allows the plate to spring back to the convex shape and elastic means to instantly separate the armature from the magnet. One or more reed switches are located in cavities in the support bracket for the magnet. The reed switches are positioned to sense a substantial change in the leakage flux caused by an "air gap" between the armature and the magnet and thereby infer full locking or unlocking of the door lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Inventor: Frederick F. Fischbach
  • Patent number: RE34493
    Abstract: Apparatus for loading and unloading objects including a first carriage; apparatus for moving the first carriage back and forth in a straight line in a first plane between a first position and second position; a second carriage; and apparatus for moving the second carriage back and forth between the first position and the second position such that, when the first carriage is in the first position, the second carriage is in the second position and, as the first carriage moves to the second position, the second carriage moves out of the first plane, then back into the first plane and into the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Inventor: David W. Lutz