Abstract: In an automobile having a rear opening adapted to be closed by a rear door, a locking device for the door which comprises a striker on the car body, a latch lever provided on the door for engagement with the striker, a claw lever provided on the door for releasably holding the latch lever in a locking position, an unlocking lever adapted for engagement with the claw lever, and a push button type actuating member for actuating the unlocking lever so that the latter drives the claw lever so as to let it release the latch lever for unlocking movement. The unlocking lever and the actuating member are both mounted on the outer panel of the door so that unlocking movement is not produced when the outer panel is deformed in a crash from behind.

Abstract: A pair of plungers engage the hinges of an automobile trunk, said plungers being actuated by a piston and cylinder assembly connected to the vacuum manifold of the automobile by a conduit with a valve located in said conduit.

Abstract: A lock and control assembly for a vehicle tailgate of the type having a pivotal upper window portion and a pivotal lower gate portion which are hinge mounted respectively along a top edge and a bottom edge so that the opposite edges of both meet when in the closed operative position. The assembly includes a pivotal fork bolt supported adjacent the top edge of the gate portion to engage and capture a striker member which is attached to the lower edge of the window when in the closed position. A pivotal detent lever selectively releases the fork bolt and is operatively attached to a first control lever which pivots in one direction to operate the detent lever and release the fork bolt. A second control lever pivots in the opposite direction to release latch mechanisms holding the gate portion in its closed position. A lock cylinder supported in the exterior panel of the gate is aligned with the operating levers and has means to selectively actuate the levers.

Abstract: A bottom hinged side door of a truck body which is associated with an automatically locked-closed top cover of a tool tray disposed directly above said door, the locking of said cover being relaxed upon the opening of said door.

Abstract: An automobile trunk lock which permits the trunk to be opened from outside or inside thereof. One end of a release arm is connected to a cylinder lock in the trunk lid and the opposite end extends through the latch release of a latch mechanism. A key is engaged with the inner terminal of the release arm. Actuation of the cylinder lock by a key or rotation of the interior key effects rotation of the release arm about its longitudinal axis to trip the latch release to disengage the latch mechanism and open the trunk.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has a luggage compartment with a lid secured closed by a lock operable both by a key, and by a knob disposed in the passenger compartment.

Abstract: A locking apparatus consisting of a latch member; a central portion of which is pivotally mounted and is provided with a locking notch at one side thereof and engageable with a striker; and a forwardly projecting member at the opposite side thereof engageable with a locking plate pivotally mounted on the striker; the locking plate being releasable from either the side where the striker is mounted or from the side where the latch member is mounted.

Abstract: A locking apparatus provided with an idle mechanism for preventing an erroneous unlocking operation inside the vehicle or a possible car theft. The apparatus is comprising a pivotally mounted latch member engageable with a striker, a locking plate pivotally mounted on a common pivot to receive the latch member, and a releasing lever which is also pivotally mounted on the common pivot and may be shifted from an unlatching position to a free position, whenever necessary, so as to cause the releasing lever not to work upon the locking plate any longer and to retain the completely latched-condition.

Abstract: An automotive trunk lid latch assembly including a housing, a pair of latching members and a cam member, each rotatably mounted in the housing, a shaft extending into the housing from a lock cylinder assembly and adapted to rotate the cam member in response to manual rotation of a key in the lock cylinder assembly, and a spring-loaded lever rotatably mounted intermediate the cam member and one of the latching members and retained therebetween by the end of the shaft, and adapted to be rotated by the cam member to, in turn, unlatch the latching members. In the event of removal of the shaft, the spring-loaded lever will snap away from the cam member into an inoperable position, thus preventing any unlatching operation thereafter by the insertion of a probe or a screwdriver to rotate the cam member.