Hood latch

Claim 1

IN A LATCH CONTROL MECHANISM FOR RELEASABLY LATCHING A HINGED HOOD ELEMENT TO A CAR BODY ELEMENT, A LATCH MOUNTING BASE ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT FOR ONE OF THE ELEMENTS AND HAVING BIFURCATED END PORTION DEFINING A KEEPER RECEIVING SLOT, A LATCH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND HAVING A BIFURCATED PORTION FORMED OF A STRIKER FINGER AND A LATCHING FINGER DEFINING A KEEPER ENGAGING SLOT POSITION TO OVERLIE THE KEEPER RECEIVING SLOT IN A LATCHED POSITION AND TO ROTATE TO ONE SIDE OF THE KEEPER RECEIVING SLOT IN AN UNLATCHED POSITION, A SINGLE NOSE ON SAID LATCH FORMED BY TWO INTERSECTING CAM FACES, A MANUALLY OPERABLE SAFETY CATCH PIVOTALLY CARRIED BY SAID BASE, HAVING A HOOK ROTATABLE BETWEEN AN UNLATCHED POSITION AND A LATCHED POSITION DISPOSED ACROSS SAID SLOT, SAID HOOK INCLUDING AN OUTER STRIKER SURFACE POSITIONED FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE KEEPER AS THE HOOD ELEMENT IS MOVED TO CLOSED POSITION TO DEFLECT THE SAFETY CATCH TO UNLATCH POSITION AND AN INNER EDGE DISPOSED ACROSS THE KEEPER RECEIVING SLOT IN SPACED RELATION TO THEKEEPER ENGAGING SLOT WHEN THE HOOK OCCUPIES THE LATCHED POSITION, SPRING MEANS FOR BIASING THE SAFETY CATCH TO LATCHED POSITION, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAFETY CATCH TO UNLATCHED POSITION, A LATCH CONTROL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE ON AN AXIS LATERALLY OF THE LATCH PIVOTAL AXIS, ONE OF SAID CAM FACES BEING DISPOSED IN APPROXIMATELY CONCENTRIC RELATION WITH THE LATCH CONTROL AXIS WHEN THE LATCH OCCUPIES THE LATCHED POSITION, THE LATCH CONTROL HAVING A LATCH CONTROL FINGER ON A PERIPHERAL EDGE THEREOF AND A SHOULDER ON A PERIPHERAL EDGE THEREOF SPACED ANGULARLY FROM THE LATCH CONTROL FINGER, SPRING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID LATCH AND LATCH CONTROL MUTUALLY BIASING SAID LATCH AND LATCH CONTROL TOWARD EACH OTHER TO ENGAGE SAID FINGER AGAINST SAID NOSE, THE LATCH CONTROL FINGER AND SAID CONCENTRIC CAM FACE MUTUALLY COACTING UNDER THE BIAS OF SAID SPRING MEANS TO RETAIN THE LATCH IN LATCHING POSITION, THE ROTATIVE REACTION OF THE LATCH STRIKER FINGER WHEN OPPOSED BY THE KEEPER DURING CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE HOOD BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE THE LATCH AND THEREBY MOVE THE NOSE PAST THE LATCH CONTROL AND EFFECT LATCHING ENGAGEMENT OF THE LATCH CONTROL FINGER WITH THE CONCENTRIC CAM FACE OF THE LATCH, AND MEANS ON THE SAFETY CATCH ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SHOULDER ON THE LATCH CONTROL DURING ROTATION OF THE LATCH IN THE DIRECTION OF CATCH RELEASING ADAPTED TO ROTATE THE LATCH CONTROL FOR DISENGAGING SAID LATCH CONTROL FINGER FROM SAID CONCENTRIC CAM FACE AND RELEASE THE LATCH FROM LATCHED POSITION.