About Latches and Latch Manufacturers Including: Bolt Latches, Cabinet Latches, Compression Latches, Door Latches, Draw Latches, Gate Latches, Industrial Latches, Paddle Latches, Plastic Latches, Slam Latches, Spring Latches & Stainless Steel Latches.
Latches are a type of mechanical device used to fasten doors, windows, cabinets and other such items that can be either open
or closed. Traditionally, latches have been used only to hold doors in
the closed position, not to lock them. Bolts, on the other hand, have
been used to only lock, though Bolt latches may serve only as fasteners. More recently, however, latches have emerged that are able
to both lock and fasten a door or other object. Latches are particularly
efficient in situations that call for controlled release and operation. Compression latches, which seal the surrounding edge, may serve as environmental controls as well. Most latches contain only one bolt, the beveled spring bolt/roller bolt.
Latch manufacturers produce latches that are available in a variety of
materials: stainless steel latches and plastic latches are just a couple
examples. Often, the material of the latches has much to do with its
function, such as flexible latches, which are made from rubber and other
elastomers, and are used in applications such as vibration
isolation.
Many latch manufacturers create latches that vary in design and usage.
Draw latches are a general description for any latches that are used
to draw together and hold two separate panels. Paddle latches utilize a specific flip-out latch handle mechanism. Another, spring latches
and slam latches, make use of a spring for the actuation motion
that pushes or slams a door shut. Rotary latches, rather than a spring,
have rotating components within the latch that secure the door. Mortise
locks are mounted in a cavity in the door edge, and for this reason are
very difficult to force open. One type of latch, a rim latch, is an old-fashioned
latch that went out of style in the late 19th century, but is now being
revived in period-design houses. These latches are mounted on the inside
of a door instead of in the door edge like most modern latches, and because
they are less secure, they should not be used as the only means of security
for a home. Another type of latch, a safety latch, is used by parents
to protect their children from sharp objects and poisons they may find
in cabinets and drawers while playing.
Different mounting options are also made available by latch manufacturers.
Concealed mounting refers to the situation in which the latches and corresponding
mounting hardware are hidden behind the panel, and edge mounting involves
installing the latches on the edge of the mating panels. When the latches
are mounted directly on the front of the panel, this is called face mounting.
Side mounting is when both the latch and the keeper are mounted on the
back of the connecting panels and cannot be viewed from the cabinet or
door front. Lastly, single-hole mounting involves mounting the latches
in a single hole on the panel face. Latching position is also important.
Primary latching position means that the door is securely held in a closed
position, while secondary latching position refers to a latch that holds
the door in a position that is not fully closed. Both the use and spatial availability of the mounting surface must be considered when selecting a latch type. Gate Latches, for example, must be accessible, but often have a very limited surface for mounting.
Latches are useful in virtually any industry, most notably transportation
and home- or building-related applications. Industrial latches are large and durable, making them well suited to transportation production which uses include
latches for the aerospace and automobile industries, as well as for recreational
vehicles, railway, marine and off-highway uses. Indoors, latches can
be used for nearly anything in the home or workplace that requires a
door or cabinet to be held shut, making the industry list numerous. Some
important considerations when choosing latches for your application
include how many are needed and what they should be made from (whether
plastic, stainless steel, brass or rubber). Also important is the surface
composition of what the latches are to be mounted on (wall, door, cabinet
or window) and what latches are appropriate for such a material. Finally,
make sure that the latches mechanism is not too heavy to cause problems
when mounted, and that it will stay in position.
Types of Latches
- Bolt latches, also known as crossbars, use a bolt to physically prevent two surfaces from parting.
- are latches with components that are
used for installation in bored holes on a door.
- Cabinet latches secure cabinet doors to their frame or adjacent doors.
- are mechanisms used to hold doors closed.
- are a self-adjusting type of
latch.
- are bored latches that have
a cylindrical case into which another latch bolt case may fit.
- are mechanisms that hold doors shut.
- are designed to draw together and hold
two panels.
- are made from rubber or another
elastomer, and are used in situations when vibration isolation or panel
misalignment problems occur.
- are rotary latches that
have a vertical clearance pawl.
- have little or no protrusion from
the mounting panel.
- Gate Latches fasten and secure adjacent segments of fencing that ordinarily function as an entrance or exit.
- Industrial latches often require a large and particularly sturdy design.
- have a cylinder in the knob.
- are not applied to a door's
surface, but rather installed in a mortise.
- are rim latches that are very
narrow, generally less than 75mm.
- are either mortise or rim latches with
a ‘snib' to hold the latch back if needed. Typically, these
latches are not very secure.
- are secured with a member traveling
beyond the center.
- Paddle latches have flat, flip-out handles used
for actuation.
- have a cylindrical pin that is
used to strike.
- Plastic latches may offer some flexibility in a latch, but can also be manufactured as strong, rigid fasteners.
- are old-fashioned latches that are mounted
on the inside of a door instead of inserted into the door edge.
- use a roller latch head under spring
tension to reduce friction. This engages a strike and forms a recess
to receive the roller.
- have one or more rotating members
that are used to secure the door.
- are activated by the slamming of a door.
- use actuation to push or slam the
door closed.
- make use of a spring for the latching
operation.
- Stainless steel latches offer a very durable option for mechanical fasteners.
- , like rim latches, are another old-fashioned
type of latch.
- have a tubular body, which is
inserted into a drilled hole in the door edge.
Latches Terms
-
The movement of the handle or latch portion, which is what causes the
latch/unlatch function.
- Multiple latches
or locks that are able to use the same key.
-
A latch bolt that is specifically designed to reduce friction.
- Hardware
used in construction on movable components, such as doors, windows and
cabinets.
- A component that provides
the bearing surface of the rotating rotor and latch mounting on a rotary
latch.
- The protective
plate on the door onto which the moving parts of the latch are attached.
- A term that indicates
the direction the latch bolt is inclined.
- A tongue on the end of
the plug of a latch.
- The part of the latch
that contains the mechanism.
- The part of the latch
that allows for pawl retention.
- The force that
is exerted from a latch, in order to draw two panels together.
- Allows for maximum
strength of rotary latches by combining the standard mount with a second
pivot on the bottom of the back plate.
- A
latch bolt with a plunger that is used to prevent the bolt from retraction
by end pressure when the door is closed.
- Unlatching
by moving the handle or latch directly at the mechanism.
- A device used
to fasten the cross bar in the depressed position to keep the latch bolt
in the retracted position. This allows for free operation of the door
on both sides.
- A ring handle that
is attached to a spindle and is used to operate a latch. When not in use,
the ring stays in the dropped position.
- Unlocking
by moving the handle or latch portion at multiple points.
- The area through which
the latch bolt projects.
-
A latch bolt that is hinged to the front and retracted by a swinging action.
- A component that allows
for a slam action function on a latch.
- A spring bolt with
a beveled edge that may be operated by a handle, knob or turn.
- The projecting piece that
the latch bolt strikes when the door is shut.
- The door cavity that
receives the mortise latch.
- The body of the latch,
which provides the structural strength.
- A sliding component
of a latch that provides retention for a strike.
- A strike with
a rolling member that reduces friction at the point of the latch bolt
contact.
- A small switch on a nightlatch,
which prevents the latch from being operated when closed.
- A bolt that can
be pushed back into the lock case and is able to return to the original
position without assistance.
- The button that locks
or unlocks the latch bolt against the outside knob.
- A metal plate used
for protection, which is placed in the doorjamb and receives the latch
when the door is closed. This is usually "t"-shaped and has
a single hole.
- Hardware
that is made exactly to template, precisely matching the spacing of holes
and dimensions.
- The maximum projection
at which a bolt is fully extended.
- A fastener that
is applied to the transom, and has a ring that is used to retract the
latch bolt.
- A latch or other
piece of hardware that can be used on any door.