Seat back latch

Claim 1

A LATCHING DEVICE ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR LATCHING A SEAT BACK TO A VEHICLE BODY AND COMPRISING KEEPER MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO ONE OF TWO MEMBERS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND A LATCH MECHANISM HAVING A LATCH END AND A HANDLE END GENERALLY OPPOSITE THE LATCH END AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SECOND OF SAID MEMBERS AND INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING A BASE SHAPED FOR LYING GENERALLY CONTIGUOUS TO SAID SECOND MEMBER, GENERALLY OPPOSITE OPENINGS ADJACENT THE LATCH END AND HANDLE END OF THE LATCH MECHANISM, AN APERTURE DEFINING A CATCHRETAINING SHOULDER IN THE SIDE OPPOSITE SAID BASE AND ADJACENT THE LATCH END, AND A PIVOT DISPOSED INSIDE THE HOUSING ADJACENT THE HANDLE END, A LATCH BOLT SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING AND HAVING A NOSE PORTION PROJECTIBLE FROM THE HOUSING TO A LATCHED POSITION FOR ENGAGING THE KEEPER, HANDLE MEANS FOR RETRACTING THE LATCH BOLT FROM THE LATCHED POSITION TO A RETRACTED POSITION, A CATCH PORTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT FROM THE SIDE ADJACENT THE APERTURE FOR ENGAGING WITH THE CATCH-RETAINING SHOULDER THEN THE LATCH BOLT IS IN RETRACTED POSITION, A PORTION CUT AWAY ADJACENT THE BASE FOR FORMING A SURFACE SLIDABLE ON THE PIVOT AND A SPRING ENGAGING EDGE ADJACENT THE LATCH END, AND A STOP MEANS ADJACENT THE HANDLE END FOR ENGAGING THE HOUSING WHEN THE LATCH BOLT IS IN EXTENDED POSITION THEREBY STOPPING PROJECTION OF THE LATCH BOLT, AND SPRING MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE BASE AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE PIVOT MEANS AND THE SPRING-ENGAGING EDGE FOR PROJECTING THE NOSE PORTION FROM THE HOUSING WHEN THE CATCH PORTION IS DISENGAGED FROM THE CATCH-RETAINING SHOULDER, AND SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT FORCE APPLIED TO THE HANDLE TO RETRACT THE LATCH BOLT PROVIDES A COUPLE WITH THE FORCE APLIED BY THE SPRING MEANS WHEREBY THE LATCH BOLT WHEN RETRACTED PIVOTS ON THE PIVOT TO FORCE THE CATCH PORTION INTO THE APERTURE TO ENGAGE THE CATCH-RETAINING SHOULDER.