US 11,920,390 B1
Latch assembly for a mine door and a mine door having such an assembly
William R. Kennedy, Taylorville, IL (US); and John M. Kennedy, Taylorville, IL (US)
Assigned to JACK KENNEDY METAL PRODUCTS & BUILDINGS, INC., Taylorville, IL (US)
Filed by Jack Kennedy Metal Products & Buildings, Inc., Taylorville, IL (US)
Filed on Dec. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/148,608.
Int. Cl. E05C 3/00 (2006.01); E05C 3/16 (2006.01); E05C 9/18 (2006.01); E21F 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC E05C 3/167 (2013.01) [E05C 3/006 (2013.01); E05C 9/1875 (2013.01); E21F 1/10 (2013.01); E05Y 2800/12 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A latch assembly for a door having a door body mounted on a door frame, the door body being moveable relative to the door frame between an open position of the door and a closed position of the door, the latch assembly comprising:
a retainer movable between a latching position and a non-latching position, the retainer configured in the latching position to retain the door body in the closed position of the door, and the retainer configured to permit the door body to move with respect to the door frame in the non-latching position to permit the door body to move to the open position of the door;
an actuator selectively moveable by a user to change the retainer from the latching position to the non-latching position;
a shaft to which the actuator is mounted;
a linkage operatively linking the actuator to the retainer, the linkage being configured to move the retainer in a latching direction toward the latching position and in an unlatching direction toward the non-latching position responsive to actuation of the actuator, the linkage including a curved segment defining a recess sized and shaped for capturing the shaft when the linkage is in an over-center configuration and the retainer is in the latching position; and
a crank operatively connected to the actuator and linkage and configured to move the retainer toward the latching position as the retainer approaches the latching position.