US1396704A - Latch for hoods of automobiles - Google Patents

Description

FI MATHEWS.

LATCH FOB HOODS 0F AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1921.

1,396,704h PatentedNov.8,192`1.

Immun UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREQD MATHEWS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.,

LATCH Fon Hoops oF AU'ToMoBILEs.

Application led April 9,

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED MATHEWS, a c1t1- .zen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Hoods of Automobiles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to means for securing a movable memberto a stationary member and particularly to a latch forv fastening the hanged sections of the hood of an automobile to the body of the same.

The object of my invention in so far as it relates to automobiles is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensiveV keeper element for the sections of the hood of the same, which the hook of the contractile latch, now commonl used to hold said sections down, and whlch can be applied with equal facility to an old or a new car to prevent chattering and rattlingr and automatically adapts itself to the mechanical defects or differences in the construction of said latches, substantially as hereinafter fullydescribed and as illustrated in the drawings, 1n which:

Figure 1 shows a fragment of one of the hinged sections of an automobile hood and the platform of the body of the same which is designed in section and shows in side elevation, my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectlon of the same taken on dotted line 2, 2, Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the improved keeper, and a side view of the upper portion of the contractile hook disengaged therefrom.

Referring to the drawings, 5, represents the lower edge portion of one of the hinged sections ofthe hood ofan automobile, and 6 the plateau or platform upon which the lower edge of said hood section 5 rests when it is closed.

The keeper constituting my improvement is adapted to be used in conjunction with any latch comprising a hooked member and a lower member telescopically engaging the same whose lower end is secured to the platform upon which the lower edge of said hood section 5 rests when it is closed. rlhe latch illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described and referred to in conjunction with my improvements is typical Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Novu 8, 1921.

1921. serial No. 459,840.

of them all, and it does not involve any originality.

This latch comprises a shank 7 that is hingedbetween pivotal lugs 8, (the supporting plate 9 of which is suitably secured to the platform 6) in such manner that it can be swung toward or away from the hood section. The upper end of this shank enters and telescopically engages the tubular shaft 10 of the latch member 11, whose upper end has a hook 12 projecting toward the hood and has a handle :or linger-grasp 13 projecting diametrically outward therefrom, by means of which it is manipulated to raise or lower the hook. When the hook is raised and moved inward on the pivot of shank 7, its longitudinal movement is resisted by a spring (not shown) incased in the tubular shaft 10 thereof, and the action of this.

spring is constantly exerted to contract the latch and pull the hook toward the pivot of said latch.

The keeper embodying my improvements consists of a supportingplate 25, that is secured to the section of the hood by bolts and nuts 14, or otherwise, and has corresponding lugs 15, 15, projecting outwardly therefrom. These lugs have elongated corresponding co-terminous parallel bearing slots, 16, 1G, in them that extend from near their outer upper ends downward in an inclined dire@ tion toward the hood, and are adapted to receive the trunnions, 17, of a tumbler 18.

This tumbler consists of an oblong metallic member whose sides (from which the trunnions project) are parallel. The outer portion of said tumbler is bifurcated and these bifurcations, 19, 19, are connected near their outer ends by a cross-bar 2() which is adapted to be engaged by the hook of the latclngas will hereinafter be more fully eX- plained.

The inner end of the tumbler is, preferably, curved from its upper edge to its lower edge and conforms to a quadrant of a circle, and is adapted to frictionally engage the supportingplate.

In operation, the tumbler when the hood section is closed will assume before it is engaged by the latch, the position to a greater or less degree, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings. lVhen. the latch is vraised and moved toward the hood and the hook thereof is made to engage the cross-bar 20 of the tumbler, said tumbler will move into the position shown in Fig. l of the drawings,

and clamp against the supporting-plate and prevent vibration of the hood.

I do not desire it to be confined to the exact shape of the tumbler as it is evident it can be altered to coperate with any type of latch that can be used in conjunction therewith, or its design changed to suit the taste of the manufacturer, without departing from the principle of its construction.

What I claim as new is:

1. A keeper for a latch comprising parallel lugs a support forthe same, and a rocking member journaled in said lugs one end of which is adapted to be engaged land moved by the said latch to cause its opposite end to engage the support of the lugs.

2. A keeper for a latch comprising parallel lugs, a support for the same and a rocking member journaled in said lugs and bodily movable toward said support and adapted to be engaged by the said latch at one endl and moved to bring its opposite end into frictiona'l engagement with said support.

3. A keeper for a latch comprising parallel lugs having corresponding inclined slots therein, a support for said lugs and a rocking member journaled in said slots and adapted to be engaged by said latch at one end and moved on its axis to bring its opposite end into frictional engagement with said support.

4. A keeper for a latch that is provided with a hooked end, comprising parallel lugs having corresponding inclined slots therein, a support for said lugs, and a rocking member journaled in said slots having its outer end bifurcated and the bifurcations connected by a cross-bar which latter is adapted to be engaged by the hook of the latch to cause said member to move on its axis to bring its opposite end into frictional en, ,rag ,re ment with said support.

5. A keeper for a latch comprising parallel lugs a support for the same and a rocking member journaled in said lugs having an eye in one end which is adapted to be engaged by said latch to cause it to lock and its opposite end to engage the support of said lugs.

6. The combination with a latch which is pivoted at one end to a suitable support and the opposite end of which is provided with a hook, of a hinged section of an automobile hood, and a keeper pivoted mediate its ends to said hood on an axis that is parallel to the outer surface of said hood, and the inner end of which when its outer end is engaged by the hooked end of said latch will engage said support.

7. The combination with a latch comprising two spring returnable telescoping sections one of which is pivoted at one end to a suitable support and the opposite end of the other section of which is provided with a hook, of a hinged section of an automobile hood, and a keeper pivoted mediate its ends to said hood on an axis that is parallel to the outer surface of said hood, and the inner end of which when its outer end is engaged by the hooked end of said latch will engage said support.

8.. The combination with a latch which is pivoted atone end to a suitable su port and the opposite end of which is provided with a hook, of a hinged section of an automobile hood, and a keeper pivoted mediate its ends on an axis that is parallel to the outer surface of said hood, which has an eye in its outer end portion, that is adapted to be engaged by the hooked end of said latch to cause its opposite end to engage said support.

9. The combination with a latch comprising two spring returnable telescoping sections one of which is pivoted at one end to a suitable support and the opposite end of the other section of which is provided with a hook, of a hinged section of an automobile hood, and a keeper pivoted mediate its ends on an axis that is parallel to the outer sur face of said hood, which has an eye in its outer end portion, that is adapted to be engaged by the hooked end of said latch to cause its oppositeend to engage said sup- Jort. l 10. The combination with a latch which is pivoted at one end to a suitable sup ort and the opposite end of which is provided with a hook of a hinged section of an auto- -mobile hood, lugs projecting from the outer surface thereof havingr downwardly and inwardly extending elongated openings therein, and rocking keeper having trunnions that are journaled in said elongated openings and having an eye in its outer end that is adapted to be engaged by the hooked end of said latch to cause its -opposite end to engage said support.

, In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRED MATHEWS. Witnesses:

FRANK D. THoMAsoN, VIOLET WARDELL.

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