US2466481A - Automobile door locking device - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 194., J. M. ROYAL AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCKING DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1945 m H W 5 I! E Y ROLLED Inventor Honeys Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCKING DEVICE John M. Royal, Bristol, Conn.

Application November 8, 1945, Serial No. 627,301

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in looking devices for automobile doors.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide means whereby all of the doors of a motor vehicle may be locked simultaneously by a single operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above kind whereby the locks on all of the doors of a motor vehicle may be simultaneously conditioned for unlocking by a single operation and then unlocked individually by actuation of the bolt-releasing handle on the outside of each door.

Still another object of the invention is to Drovide a device of the above kind which is simple and may be readily installed upon existing automobile door locks, and which is highly efiicient in operation and convenient to use.

The exact nature of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the figure is a view partly in section and partly diagrammatic, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the locks for the doors of an automobile of the sedan type are respectively indicated at A, B, C, and D. The locks are all alike and only the lock A is shown complete. As is usual, each lock includes a casing 5 having a sliding bolt 6 therein that may be retracted from Within the automobile by means of an interior handle, not shown. The bolt 6 is normally projected by a spring 1 and may also be manually retracted from outside the automobile by manipulation of the usual exterior handle, not shown. The shaft 8 of the exterior handle is journalled transversely of the casing 5 and has a cam 9 fixed thereon within the casing, said cam bearing against an abutment ll! of the bolt 6 so that when the shaft 8 is turned in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in the figure, bolt 6 is retracted. The exterior handle, shaft 8 and cam 9 may also be returned to normal position, when the exterior handle is released, by means of a spring II.

In accordance with the present invention, a detent II is mounted in the casing 5 and projected by a spring l2 to normally prevent sufiicient rocking movement of the cam 9 to efiect release of the bolt 6 from its keeper. The detent II is preferably slidably mounted as shown for rectilinear movement and disposed so that an end of the same engages within a notch l3 of the cam 9. It will be noted that there is a slight space between the end of detent II and the adjacent wall of the notch l3 so that limited rocking movement of the cam 9 is permitted, when the exterior handle is turned to partially retract the bolt 6. The other end of detent ll carries an armature l4, and mounted within the casing 5 in position to attract the armature l4 are electromagnets l5. When the armature M is attracted by the electromagnets l5, the detent II is retracted so as to release the cam 9 and permit sufiicient rocking movement of the latter to release the bolt 6. The present locking means also includes a suitable key-controlled switch [6 and an auxiliary switch H, the latter being mounted in the casing 5. As shown, the switch ll includes an adjustable contact la insulated from the casing 5 and arranged to coact with a pivoted contact I9 whose free end is engaged with the cam 9 and which is yieldingly urged toward the contact is by spring 20. The contact 18 is shown as a screw adjustably threaded through an insulating block 2| fixedly mounted in the casing 5, said casing having an aperture 22 through which a screw driver may be inserted to facilitate adjustment of the con.- tact IS. The spring 2|] is weaker than the spring 1, and the arrangement is such that when the bolt 6 is projected, cam 9 is positioned to engage contact l9 and swing it out of engagement with contact l8. On the other hand, when cam 9 is rocked for the limited extent allowed by detent ll, contact I9 is moved by spring 20 into engagement with contact I8. Switch It may be termed a master switch and may be suitably mounted so as to be accessible outside the automobile body. Switch l'l may be considered an auxiliary switch, the switches l6 and I1 being in series with each other and the electro-magnets 15. As shown, a battery 23 having one side grounded at 24, is connected at its other side to one terminal of switch l6 by a wire 25 having a fuse 26 interposed therein. The other terminal of switch It is connected to one terminal of one of the electro-magnets l5, and one terminal of the other electro-magnet is connected by a wire 28 with the contact l8 of look A, the electromagnets l5 of the latter lock being connected in series, and the contact I9 of said look A being grounded as at 29. The electromagnets l5 and switches I! of the other locks B, C, and D are similarly connected in series, but with those of each lock in parallel with those of the other locks.

In use, the switch I6 is locked in open position so that the electromagnets l5 are deenergized and the detents H are projected by their springs l2 to prevent sufiicient rocking movement of the cams 9 of the locks to efiect retraction and release of the bolts 6 of the locks. The bolts of the locks are thus held projected so that the doors of the automobile are maintained in locked condition. To unlock the doors, switch I6 is closed, and the exterior handle of each lock is operated to turn the associated cam 9 and permit closing of the associated switch I1. As soon as such associated switch I! is closed, the circuit of the associated electromagnets l will be closed and such magnets will release the associated detent I I so that turning of the exterior handle may be continued. and the associated bolt 6 retracted sufliciently to unlock the door. The only door which will be unlocked is that whose exterior handle is turned,

so that each individual door must be separately unlocked by manipulation of its exterior handle.

When the bolts of the locks are projected againthe associated switchesv I! will be opened so as to deeenergize the electromagnets and permitprojection of the detents H for locking the bolts in projectedposition. The switch lfiis. then looked in open position so that manipulation of the exterior handles of the locks may not effect release. thereof unless the master switch I6 is unlocked andclosed by an authorized person possessing the key to the switch l6.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the. construction, operation and advantages of the present invention willtbe readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes. andmodifications may be made, such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is: g

An automobile door lock including a casing having a horizontally sliding bolt therein, a rocking cam manually: operable from outside the door to release said bolt, a spring projected horizontally reciprocable detent co-acting directly with said cam at one end for normally preventing suflicient rocking movement of the cam to effect release of the bolt but permitting limited rocking movement thereof, said detent being parallel with and beneath the bolt, an armature fixed on the other end of said detent, electromagnetic means for attracting said armature to retract the detent and permit suificient rocking movement of the cam to release the bolt, and a switch in the casing below the pivot of the cam, said switch being in series with said electro-magnetic means for controlling energization of the latter, said switch being directly controlled by said cam to open the circuit of said electro magnetic means when the bolt is fully projected and to close said circuit when said cam is manually actuated to give it the limited rocking movement normally permitted the same by said detent, said switch further including a fixed contact and a movable contact spring-biased into engagementwith the fixed contact when the bolt is retracted and held out of engagement with said fixed contact by the lower end of said cam when the bolt is projected.

JOHN M. ROYAL.

REEERENCI S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES, PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 19,073 Hardesty Feb. 13, 1934 1,927,354 Walker Sept. 19, 1933 1,965,482 Walker July 3, 1934 2,212,251 Seelinger Aug. 20, 1940 2,329,309 Wardet al Sept. 14, 1943

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