Concealed spring marine gate latch
View Patent ↗A latch useable to secure a gate such as typically found on a pontoon boat includes a latch bolt slidably received within a barrel. A spring interposed between the bolt and the back end of the barrel maintains the bolt in an extended position protruding out the mouth of the barrel until the bolt is retracted back within the barrel. A cover carried by the latch bolt prevents debris from entering the spring area in the barrel, which could interfere with the latch's action. The latch secures the gate in its closed position with the bolt extending into a complementary receiver carried by the adjacent wall.
1. A latch for releasably securing a gate in a closed position along a wall, said latch comprising an elongated barrel having an open mouth end and a covered end opposite said mouth end, said barrel adapted to be carried by said gate, an elongated channel opening along said barrel and extending to said covered end forming an opening in the top portion of said covered end, a bolt slidably carried within said barrel and being shiftable between a retracted position inside said barrel and an extended position projecting from said barrel, a spring carried within said barrel between said bolt and said covered end, said spring urging said bolt toward its said extended position, a bolt receiver adapted to be carried by said wall, said bolt when in its said extended position protruding into said bolt receiver, a handle carried by said bolt and extending outwardly of said elongated channel, an elongated bayonet projection extending axially from one end of said bolt aligned with said elongated channel, said bayonet projection covering only a top portion of said spring, directly below said elongated channel, said bayonet projection extending through said opening when said bolt is in its said retracted position.
2. The latch of claim 1 wherein said barrel has a downwardly oriented opening therethrough for allowing the escape of entrapped water from said barrel.
3. The latch of claim 1 and further comprising a stop part adapted to be carried by said gate and extending therefrom, said stop part adapted to abut said wall when said gate is in its said closed position.
4. The latch of claim 2 wherein said barrel is adapted to be carried within said gate.