US3130994A - Means for securing relatively movable members - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 1964 w. o. BALDUCCI 3,130,994

MEANS FOR SECURING RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBERS Filed Jan. 16, 1962 I 30 'W' 17 e4 22 /7 /9 32 /6' 20 k 3/ z l as Q 12 w ppm/ An (l: 271- g :1

\lf /8 z/ INVENTOR. Ma 71')? afimzwec/ United States Patent 3,13%,994 MEANS FGR SECURING RELATIVELY MSVABLE MEMBERS Waiter 0. Balducei, New Britain, Conn., assigner to The American Hardware Corporation, New Britain, Conan, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Jan. 16, 1%2, Ser. No. 166,636 6 Claims. (CL 287-99) This invention relates to means for securing relatively movable members, and more particularly to securing means including a novel set-screw for securing relatively movable members in a predetermined definite relationship.

The primary object of this invention is to provide securing means which are operable to secure relatively movable members only when said members are disposed in certain predetermined relative positions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide securing means including a novel set-screw which may be moved to securing position only when the relatively movable members are disposed in said predetermined relationship.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel set-screw which is adapted to be operated by a tool and which is provided with means for preventing the use of the tool except when said relatively movable members are properly oriented.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sockettype set-screw which is adapted to be moved to securing position by a wrench, but which is provided with blocking means preventing insertion of the wrench into the socket unless said relatively movable members are in proper predetermined position.

And yet another object of this invention is to provide a socket-type set-screw having a blocking member therein which is eifective to eject the wrench from the socket if an attempt is made to secure the relatively movable members when they are in any other but their predetermined relative positions.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel set-screw for securing relatively movable members which may very easily be substituted for conventional securing screws presently in use.

While the present invention has a great variety of practical applications, it is particularly useful in conjunction with emergency-exit door locks. Such locks are employed on the exit doors of public buildings and the like to insure quick and easy egress from the building in the event of fire or other emergency. The locks generally include a panic-bar which extends across the inner side of the door and mechanism for retracting the latch bolt of the lock upon depression of the panic-bar to permit opening of the door.

In many instances, it is necessary or desirable to provide means in such locks for securing the panic-bar in its depressed position to render the latch bolt inactive and thus permit free opening and closing movements of the door. It has been common practice to use conventional set-screws or the like for this purpose, but in many prior emergency-exit locks it is possible to lock the panic-bar in its normal position with the set-screw and thereby prevent the door from being opened. This extremely dangerous and objectionable characteristic of prior emergency-exit locks is obviated by the present invention as will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of the casing of an emergency-exit lock incorporating my novel securing means.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of said casing.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the novel set-screw of the present invention.

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FIG. 4 is a similar view illustrating the set-screw in securing position.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating another practical application of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a modified form of set-screw provided by the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an elevational end view of the set-screw illustrated in FIG. 6.

The emergency-exit lock disclosed in the drawing forms no part of the present invention, but has merely been selected to illustrate an extremely practical application of my novel securing means.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the numeral 5 denotes the casing of a conventional emergency-exit lock which is adapted to be mounted on the inner side of a door. Said casing includes sidewalls 6 and 6-51 and a front wall '7 having a pair of spaced ears 8-8 extending outwardly therefrom at the opposite sides of an opening 9 in said ront wall. A pivot pin lltl is mounted in said ears and pivotally supports a panic-bar lever 11 for movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the casing. Said lever carries at its outer end one end of a panic-bar 12 which extends transversely of the door and is connected at its opposite end to a similar lever pivotally supported in a separate casing that is mounted on the door.

The panic-bar lever 11 has an operating finger 13 which extends through the opening 9 into the interior of the casing 5 and is adapted to actuate the latch bolt retracting mechanism (not shown) contained therein. Said lever 11 is normally biased to the full-line position shown, and, upon depression of the panic-bar l2, pivots to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 and actuates said retracting mechanism to retract the latch bolt of the lock and permit opening of the door.

It has heretofore been common practice to provide a screw in emergency-exit locks for securing the panic-bar in depressed position to retain the latch bolt of the lock retracted and thereby permit free opening and closing movement of the door. In locks of the type shown, an ordinary socket-type set-screw has generally been used for this purpose. The screw is threaded into a threaded hole 14 formed in the sidewall 6 of the lock case on an axis extending perpendicularly to the adjacent side of the operating finger 13 on the panic-bar lever 11, and the hoie is so located that the operating finger 13 is disposed in the path of the screw when the panic-bar lever 11 is in its normal position, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The operating finger 1.; is provided with a recess 15 in said side thereof which is adapted to receive the inner end of the screw and is movable into alignment therewith when the panic-bar lever is fully depressed, as shown in dotted lines in HS. 2. In order to secure the panic-bar lever in depressed position, it is only necessary to thread the screw into the recess 15 with a suitable wrench.

in prior emergency-exit locks of the present type incorporating an ordinary set-screw, adjustment of the screw can be made at any time by a person possessing the proper wrench. It is therefore possible to tighten the screw against the side of the operating finger 13 when the panicbar lever is in its normal position and to such an extent that depression of the panic-bar and opening of the door are prevented. The dangers manifest in the use of this type of securing screw are obvious and have been responsible for the banning of such locks in many states.

I have therefore devised an extremely novel set-screw for use in such emergency-exit locks, and in many other devices incorporating relatively movable members, which cannot be moved to securing position until said members are disposed in a desired relationship.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, my novel set-screw 16 comprises an externally threaded body portion 17 which is adapted to be threaded into the threaded hole 34 in the sidewall 6 of the lock case and is movable axially toward and away from the adjacent side of the operating finger 13 of the panic-bar lever 11. The body portion has an axially extending inner end portion 18 of reduced diameter which is adapted to fit into the recess in the operating finger, and an axial socket 1l of polygonal crosssectional configuration at its outer end which is adapted to receive a conventional wrench indicated in dotted lines at 20 for rotating the screw in the desired direction.

The set-screw contains an axial bore 21 which extends inwardly thereinto from the bottom of the socket 19, and a separate axial bore 22 of slightly smaller diameter which extends outwardly from its inner end and terminates in spaced relation to the bore 21 to provide a wall 23 therebetween. Said wall contains an axial bore 24 which is of a smaller diameter than both of the bores 21 and 22 and thus defines opposed annular shoulders 25 and 26 on said wall at the adjacent ends of the bores 21 and 22.

The bores above-described accommodate a plunger 27 which is slidably axially in opposite directions in said screw. The plunger comprises a pin 28 having a circular head 29 at its outer end which slidably fits the socket 19 and a shank portion 39 which extends into the bore 22 and telescopically receives a tubular retainer 31 which is secured thereto by any suitable means. The plunger is biased axially outwardly in the body of the screw by a compression spring 32 which is disposed between the head portion 29 and the annular shoulder 25 at the bottom of the bore 21, and axial outward movement of the plunger is limited by engagement of the retainer 31 with the annular shoulder 26 as shown in FIG. 3.

The plunger 27 is of substantially the same length as the overall length of the screw body and in its normal outermost position is disposed with the outer end of the head portion 29 substantially flush with the outer end of the body portion and its inner end substantially flush with the inner end thereof. Thus, when the wrench 2i) is inserted into the socket 19, it engages the head 29 of the plunger 27 and shifts said plunger axially inwardly to project its inner end beyond the inner end of the screw body. As the wrench is withdrawn, the spring 32 returns the plunger to its normal position.

When the panicbar lever 11 is in its normal position and the set-screw 16 is disposed with its inner end closely adjacent thereto, as shown in FIG. 3, insertion of the wrench 29 into the socket 19 far enough to permit rotation of the screw is prevented by the head 2? through engagement of the inner end of the plunger 27 with the adjacent side of the operating finger 13 as shown. If the space between the inner end of the set-screw and said side of the operating finger is sufiicient to permit partial or full displacement of the plunger 27 and insertion of the wrench 26 into the socket 1%, it will be apparent that the head 29 of the plunger will eject the wrench from the socket as the screw is moved inwardly relatively to the plunger and before the end of the screw can be brought to bear against the side of the operating finger.

In order to permit adjustment of the sehscrew into securing position when the panic-bar lever is fully depressed, the operating finger 13 on said lever is provided with a hole 33 which extends axially thereinto from the bottom of the recess 15 and is of a diameter to receive the inner end of the plunger 27. Thus, when the panic-bar is fully depressed and the recess 15 and hole 33 are axially aligned with the set-screw, said hole 33 will accommodate the inner end of the plunger 27 to permit full displacement thereof and insertion of the wrench Zll into the socket 19 of the set-screw, as shown in FIG. 4. The set-screw may then be adjusted to position its reduced inner end 18 in the recess 15 to secure the panic-bar lever in depressed position.

It will be obvious from the preceding description that my novel securing means may be used for securing a variety of relatively movable members in predetermined positions. As a further example, however, I have shown in E26. 5 of the drawing how the securing means of the present invention may be employed to secure a crank-arm 34 in a predetermined angular position on a shaft 35.

The crank-arm 34 is provided with a threaded, radial hole 34-0! for the reception of the threaded body portion 17 of the set-screw 16 and the shaft 35 is provided with a radial recess 36 in its periphery which is alignable with said hole 34LZ and adapted to receive the reduced end portion 18 of the set-screw. The shaft is also provided with a hole 37 which extends axially inwardly from the bottom of the recess 36 to accommodate the inner end of the plunger 27 when projected beyond the inner end of the screw incidental to insertion of the wrench 20 into the socket 19 therein. It will be apparent that if an attempt is made to secure the crank-arm 34 in any other position on the shaft 35, the plunger 27 will preclude the use of the wrench and movement of the set-screw to securing position.

The modified form of set-screw illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 functions in the same manner as the locking screw 16 above described, but is constructed somewhat different- 1y. Said screw comprises an externally threaded body portion 38 having an axially extending end portion 39 of reduced diameter. The body portion is provided with an axial socket 413 of polygonal cross-section in its outer end for the reception of a conventional wrench, such as indicated at 20. An axial recess 41 is provided in the bottom of said socket ill, and a bore 42 extends axially of the locking screw from the bottom of the recess 41 to the inner end thereof, the inner end of the bore 42 preferably being flared as indicated at 43.

The blocking plunger of the modified set-screw comprises an elongated pin 44 which is slidable in the bore 42 and has a circular head portion 45 at the outer end thereof movable axially in the socket 40. A compression spring 46 is disposed between said head 45 and the bottom of the recess 41 and biases the plunger axially outwardly with respect to the body 38 of the screw. The plunger is retained in the screw by a flared portion 47 at the inner end thereof which fits into the flared portion 43 of the bore 42, and said plunger is of such length that its opposite ends will normally be disposed flush with the respective ends of the screw body, as shown in FIG. 6.

The modified locking screw is adapted to be threaded into a threaded hole in one of two relatively movable members, the other of which is provided with a recess and a hole corresponding to the recess and the hole 15 and 33 respectively, illustrated in FIG. 3. It will be understood that the plunger will prevent the use of the wrench 20 unless the relatively movable members are disposed in their proper predetermined relationsihp.

The blocking plunger provided by the present invention may also be used in set-screws which abut the surface of the adjacent member rather than fit into a recess therein as shown in the drawing. In such cases, it is only neces sary to provide a hole in the adjacent member, similar to the holes 33 and 37, to receive the inner end of the plunger.

The novel set-screw provided by my invention may also be very easily substituted for conventional set-screws presently in use. In emergency-exit locks of the type shown, it is only necessary to remove the conventional set-screw from the threaded hole 14 in the lock case, depress the panic-bar and then drill a hole 33 in the bottom of the recess 15 by inserting a drill of the proper size through the threaded hole 14. The same procedure may be followed with other types of devices which require the addition of a hole such as the holes 33 and 37 to accommodate the inner end of the blocking plunger.

I claim:

1. In combination with a pair of relatively movable members intended to be secured only when in a predetermined relationship; a securing element adjustably mount ed in one of said members and movable into securing engagement with the other of said members when said members are disposed in said predetermined relationship, said securing element having a portion for receiving a tool for adjusting said element, a blocking member movably mounted on said securing element for engagement by said tool and being shiftable thereby toward said other member as said tool is applied to said tool receiving portion, said blocking member being engageable with said other member when said members are disposed out of said predetermined relationship whereby to prevent shifting thereof and application of said tool to said tool receiving portion, and means preventing the removal of said blocking member from said securing element.

2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1 wherein said other member is provided with a recess alignable with said blocking member when said members are disposed in said predetermined relationship and adapted to receive said blocking member to permit displacement thereof relatively to said securing element and application of said tool to said tool receiving portion.

3. In combination with a pair of relatively movable members intended to be secured only when in a predetermined relationship; a securing screw threaded into one of said members and movable axially toward the other of said members for securing said members in said predetermined relationship, said screw having a portion adjacent its end opposite said other member for receiving a tool for rotating said screw, a blocking member carried by said screw and movable axially thereof, said blocking member having a blocking portion engageable by said tool and being shiftable axially of said screw toward said other member when said tool is applied to said tool receiving portion, said other member having a recess alignable with said blocking member when said members are disposed in said predetermined relationship and adapted to receive said blocking member to permit the application of said tool to said portion of the screw and adjustment thereof into securing engagement with said other member, and said blocking member being engageable with said other member when said members are disposed out of said predetermined relationship to prevent shifting thereof by said tool and the application of said tool to said tool receiving portion, and means preventing the removal of said blocking member from said securing screw.

4. In combination with a pair of relatively movable members intended to be secured only when in a predetermined relationship; a securing element adjustably mounted in one of said members and movable into securing engagement with the other of said members when said members are disposed in said predetermined relationship, said securing element having a portion for receiving a tool for adjusting said element, a blocking member carried by said securing element for blocking said tool to prevent the application thereof to said tool receiving portion, said blocking member being held in tool blocking position through engagement thereof with said other member when said members are disposed in other than said predetermined relationship to thereby prevent adjustment of said securing element with said tool, and means preventing the removal of said blocking member from said securing element.

5. In combination with a pair of relatively movable members intended to be secured only when in a predetermined relationship; a securing element adjustably mounted in one of said members and movable into securing position engaging the other of said members when said members are disposed in said predetermined relationship, said securing element having a portion for receiving a tool for adjusting said element, a blocking member carried by said securing element engageable with said other member when said members are disposed in other than said predetermined relationship, said securing element being movable toward securing position relatively to said blocking member when said blocking member is so engaged and said blocking member being arranged to eject said tool from said tool receiving portion before said securing element reaches securing position, and means preventing the removal of said blocking member from said securing element.

6. In combination with a pair of relatively movable members intended to be secured only when in a predetermined relationship; a securing screw threaded into one of said members and adjustable axially into and out of securing engagement with the other of said members, said screw having a portion at its end opposite said other member for receiving a tool for adjusting said screw, a blocking member carried by said screw and being movable axially thereof, said blocking member being of substantially the same length as said screw and being adapted to occupy a position wherein its ends are disposed substantially flush with the ends of said screw, said blocking member being retained in said position through engagement thereof with said other member when said members are out of said predetermined relationship and when so disposed preventing the application of said tool to said tool receiving portion, said other member having a recess therein alignable with said blocking member when said members are disposed in said predetermined relationship and adapted to receive said blocking member whereby to permit displacement thereof relatively to said screw by said tool and application of said tool to said tool receiving portion, and means preventing the removal of said blocking member from said securing screw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,369,297 Johnson Feb. 13, 1945 2,532,815 Kindsvatter Dec. 5, 1950 2,836,451 Clifton May 27, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 706,271 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1954

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBERS INTENDED TO BE SECURED ONLY WHEN IN A PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP; A SECURING ELEMENT ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED IN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND MOVABLE INTO SECURING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS WHEN SAID MEMBERS ARE DISPOSED IN SAID PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP, SAID SECURING ELEMENT HAVING A PORTION FOR RECEIVING A TOOL FOR ADJUSTING SAID ELEMENT, A BLOCKING MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECURING ELEMENT FOR ENGAGEMENT BY SAID TOOL AND BEING SHIFTABLE THEREBY TOWARD SAID OTHER MEMBER AS SAID TOOL IS APPLIED TO SAID TOOL RECEIVING PORTION, SAID BLOCKING MEMBER BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OTHER MEMBER WHEN SAID MEMBERS ARE DISPOSED OUT OF SAID PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP WHEREBY TO PREVENT SHIFTING THEREOF AND APPLICATION OF SAID TOOL TO SAID TOOL RECEIVING PORTION, AND MEANS PREVENTING THE REMOVAL OF SAID BLOCKING MEMBER FROM SAID SECURING ELEMENT.

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