Push-pull door latch mechanism

Claim 1

ACTUATOR MEANS FOR DOOR OR LIKE LATCHING MECHANISMS INCLUDING A SPRING BIASED LATCH ELEMENT COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF MOUNTING PLATES EACH COMPOSED OF A BASE PORTION ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO THE OPPOSITE DOOR FACES AND AN ANGULARLY RELATED SUPPORT RIB EXTENDING FROM ONE FACE OF SAID BASE PORTION AND TERMINATING IN A CYLINDRICAL JOURNAL BEADING; (B) A PAIR OF HANDLE MEMBERS EACH COMPOSED OF AN ELONGATED BODY PORTION, AN ANGULARLY RELATED SUPPORT RIB EXTENDING FROM ONE FACE OF SAID BODY PORTION AND TERMINATING IN A BEADING SHAPED, DIMENSIONED AND DISPOSED IN PARALLELISM TO THE TWO EDGES OF SAID HANDLE MEMBERS FOR MATING PIVOTAL COOPERATION WITH A RESPECTIVE MOUNTING PLATE JOURNAL BEADING, AND CONNECTOR MEANS ADJACENT ONE OF SAID ENDS OF SAID HANDLES; (C) A HANDLE CONNECTOR MEMBER COMPRISING A ROD-LIKE MEMBER HAVING A BODY PORTION SHAPED FOR FREE AXIAL SHIFTING MOVEMENT IN A SUITABLE THROUGH APERTURE PROVIDED IN THE DOOR ADJACENT RESPECTIVELY ALIGNED ENDS OF SAID PAIR OF MOUNTING PLATES AND ALSO HAVING RESPECTIVE TERMINAL ENDS FORMED TO BE REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID HANDLE CONNECTOR MEANS SO AS TO FORM A PUSH-PULL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ENDS OF SAID HANDLE MEMBERS; (D) A LATCH RELEASE MEMBER POSITIONED ALONG AN EDGE OF SAID DOOR IN JUXTAPOSITION TO SAID HANDLE CONNECTOR MEMBER AND INCLUDING A BODY PORTION ENGAGEABLE BY SAID HANDLE CONNECTOR MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT FROM A NORMAL REST POSITION TO A LATCH RELEASE POSITION UPON AXIAL SHIFTING MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE CONNECTOR MEMBER UNDER INFLUENCE OF THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLES; (E) SPRING MEANS NORMALLY YIELDINGLY BIASING SAID LATCH RELEASE MEMBER TO ITS NORMAL REST POSITION WITH ITS BODY PORTION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PORTION OF SAID HANDLE CONNECTOR MEMBER WHEREBY SAID ACTUATOR MEANS IS CONDITIONED FOR UNI-DIRECTIONAL, LATCH ELEMENT RELEASING MOVEMENT UPON APPLICATION OF A RESPECTIVE PUSHING FORCE TO ONE OF SAID HANDLES AND A PULLING FORCE TO THE OTHER OF SAID HANDLES.