Door or panel latch assembly

Claim 1

A latch assembly for latching the overlapping edges of first and second coextensive panels comprising a U-shaped bracket having a base portion and two leg portions, said bracket having one leg fixedly attached to said first panel; a threaded shaft projecting in a freely rotatable manner through aligned apertures in said first panel and said legs of said bracket; a latch member having an internally threaded aperture therein mounted onto said threaded shaft for axial movement along said shaft and pivotal movement about the axis of said shaft member, said latch member being adaptable for engaging with a second panel, said second panel, said second panel having edges coextensive with the edges of said first panel; and resilient means directly communicating with said latch member and adaptable for exerting sufficient tension on said latch member to Provide pivotal movement of said latch member in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said latch member being a polyhedron having opposed spaced parallel surfaces of trapezoidal configuration with a transversely extending contact edge connecting the apexes of said trapezoidal surfaces, said polyhedron further having a contact surface disposed between said trapezoidal surfaces and opposite said contact edge, said contact surface being adjacent one of the surfaces determining said contact edge whereby the contact surface and the adjacent surface are joined by an obtuse angle, said contact edge contracting with the base of said bracket in a first position and said contact surface contacting said base of said bracket in a second position.