US3955837A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Latch
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-01-20
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Granted: 1976-05-11
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Expires: 1995-01-20
Abstract
Abstract A latch including a handle operative only in response to a grasp-like pull. In a preferred embodiment, the handle comprises a rod bent into a general C-shape to provide a pair of ends. The handle is pivotally mounted. Operation of the handle pivots a first handle end in an arc to move a latch bolt approximately parallel to the chord of said first handle arc to move the latch bolt from an engagement to a disengagement position. The second end of the handle normally closely abuts the latch casing to preclude operation of the handle by a push.
Inventors
- 👤 Lars N. Christensen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 16:03
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01K; A01K1/00; A01K1/0005; A01K1/0017; E; E05; E05C; E05C1/00; E05C1/08; E05C1/12; E05C1/14; E05C3/00; E05C3/02; E05C3/04; E05C3/041; E05C3/043; E05B; E05B65/00; E05B65/0007; E05B7/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T292/00; Y10T292/08; Y10T292/096; Y10T292/0969; Y10T292/097; Y10T292/0994; Y10T292/57
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
256 words
In combination, a farm gate latch comprising: A. a cylindrical casing; B. a bolt for engaging a catch; C. means for mounting said bolt for limited slidable movement within said casing and for positioning said bolt within said casing with an end extending from said casing sufficiently far to engage a catch; D. at least one pivotally mountable, planar, elongate, handle adapted for moving said bolt into disengagement from said catch, which handle is mounted for pivotal rotation substantially entirely along a plane, and has a first end and a second end, which first end is adapted to operate said bolt to disengage from said catch, which handle is configured for application of a grip-like force between said first and second ends, and which second end is adapted for abutment or recess with other structure of the gate latch or with structure of a gate to which the catch is attached whereby a force cannot be applied to said second end when the gate latch is closed to frustrate operation of the latch by farm animals such as cattle and horses; and, E. an attachment yoke adapted for pivotally mounting a said handle comprising a unitary sheet including at least a pair of opposing sections forming a generally U-shaped channel member and which sections provide a pivot bearing for a said handle and which sheet includes a surface adapted for stationary mounting of said yoke to either a gate or said casing to provide a fulcrum against which a said handle acts as it is pivoted.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
256 words
In combination, a farm gate latch comprising: A. a cylindrical casing; B. a bolt for engaging a catch; C. means for mounting said bolt for limited slidable movement within said casing and for positioning said bolt within said casing with an end extending from said casing sufficiently far to engage a catch; D. at least one pivotally mountable, planar, elongate, handle adapted for moving said bolt into disengagement from said catch, which handle is mounted for pivotal rotation substantially entirely along a plane, and has a first end and a second end, which first end is adapted to operate said bolt to disengage from said catch, which handle is configured for application of a grip-like force between said first and second ends, and which second end is adapted for abutment or recess with other structure of the gate latch or with structure of a gate to which the catch is attached whereby a force cannot be applied to said second end when the gate latch is closed to frustrate operation of the latch by farm animals such as cattle and horses; and, E. an attachment yoke adapted for pivotally mounting a said handle comprising a unitary sheet including at least a pair of opposing sections forming a generally U-shaped channel member and which sections provide a pivot bearing for a said handle and which sheet includes a surface adapted for stationary mounting of said yoke to either a gate or said casing to provide a fulcrum against which a said handle acts as it is pivoted.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
146 words
A farm gate latch comprising, in combination: first moveable means for engaging a catch, which first moveable means is moveable between positions of engagement with and disengagement from said catch; second means including a handle responsive to a grasp-like force to move said first moveable means from a position of engagement to a position of disengagement; and, third means for mounting said first moveable means and said second means to a gate comprising an attachment yoke adapted for pivotally mounting a said handle comprising a unitary sheet including at least a pair of opposing sections forming a generally U-shaped channel member and which sections provide a pivot bearing for a said handle and which sheet includes a surface adapted for stationary mounting of said yoke to either a gate or said casing to provide a fulcrum against which a said handle acts as it is pivoted.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
146 words
A farm gate latch comprising, in combination: first moveable means for engaging a catch, which first moveable means is moveable between positions of engagement with and disengagement from said catch; second means including a handle responsive to a grasp-like force to move said first moveable means from a position of engagement to a position of disengagement; and, third means for mounting said first moveable means and said second means to a gate comprising an attachment yoke adapted for pivotally mounting a said handle comprising a unitary sheet including at least a pair of opposing sections forming a generally U-shaped channel member and which sections provide a pivot bearing for a said handle and which sheet includes a surface adapted for stationary mounting of said yoke to either a gate or said casing to provide a fulcrum against which a said handle acts as it is pivoted.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
213 words
In a farm gate latch having a moveable member for melting engagement with a catch, the improvement comprising: an elongate handle having a first end and a second end, which handle lies substantially in a single plane and is pivotally mounted for rotation substantially entirely along said plane, which first end is adapted to operate said member to disengage from said catch in response to a grasp-like force applied between said first and second ends, and which second end is adapted for abutment with other structure of the gate latch or .for abutment with or recess with respect to structure of a gate to which the latch is attached whereby a force cannot be applied to said second end when the gate latch is closed to frustrate operation of the latch by farm animals such as cattle and horses; and, an attachment yoke adapted for pivotally mounting a said handle comprising a unitary sheet including at least a pair of opposing sections forming a generally U-shaped channel member and which sections provide a pivot bearing for a said handle and which sheet includes a surface adapted for stationary mounting of said yoke to either a gate or said casing to provide a fulrum against which a said handle acts as it is pivoted.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
213 words
In a farm gate latch having a moveable member for melting engagement with a catch, the improvement comprising: an elongate handle having a first end and a second end, which handle lies substantially in a single plane and is pivotally mounted for rotation substantially entirely along said plane, which first end is adapted to operate said member to disengage from said catch in response to a grasp-like force applied between said first and second ends, and which second end is adapted for abutment with other structure of the gate latch or .for abutment with or recess with respect to structure of a gate to which the latch is attached whereby a force cannot be applied to said second end when the gate latch is closed to frustrate operation of the latch by farm animals such as cattle and horses; and, an attachment yoke adapted for pivotally mounting a said handle comprising a unitary sheet including at least a pair of opposing sections forming a generally U-shaped channel member and which sections provide a pivot bearing for a said handle and which sheet includes a surface adapted for stationary mounting of said yoke to either a gate or said casing to provide a fulrum against which a said handle acts as it is pivoted.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 3 wherein said moveable member comprises a bolt mounted for slidable movement between positions of engagement and disengagement with said catch, the improvement wherein: said handle first end engages said bolt to slide said bolt to said position of disengagement as said handle is pivoted.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 4, the improvement further comprising bias means for normally resiliently holding said handle second end in abutment or recess.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
73 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 5, the improvement wherein said bias means comprises: a spring for normally holding said bolt in said engagement position; and, a strike for interactingly coupling said bolt and said handle first end for transmitting to the handle the holding force applied by said spring to the bolt to normally hold the handle in a position with said handle second end in said abutment or recess.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
100 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 6, wherein said gate latch includes a casing having at least one apertured end, wherein waid bolt is housed within said casing, the improvement wherein: said spring is fixed to said casing and to said bolt to normally extend an end of the bolt through said apertured end; and said strike comprises a washer fixed to said bolt and against which said handle first end operates to impart movement of the handle end to the bolt and, conversely, to impart a force applied to the bolt by said spring to said handle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 7, the improvement wherein said handle includes an attachment yoke secured to said casing and a pivot pin interconnecting said handle and said yoke.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
79 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 8, the improvement wherein said generally U-shaped channel member attached at one channel end to said casing, and wherein said handle includes a length of rod having a pair of ends forming said first end and said second end, which rod is housed within said channel member along a portion of its length between said first end and a point at which said handle is pivotally connected to said channel member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 9, the improvement wherein said spring is a coil spring.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 10, the improvement wherein said handle second end normally abuts said casing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 3, the improvement comprising a pair of said handles, one of which handles when said latch is mounted to a gate or gate post is operable from one side of a said gate and the other of which handles is operable from the other side of a said gate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 12, the improvement wherein each said handle is operative independent of the other handle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
58 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 12, the improvement further comprising: a cylindrical casing including means for mounting said moveable member for limited slidable movement within said casing and for positioning said moveable member with an end extending from said casing sufficiently far to engage a catch; and, means for attaching said casing to a gate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
191 words
In a farm gate latch for a pipe gate according to claim 14, the improvement wherein said yoke comprises a pair of said channel members on opposite sides of said casing and joined together by an elongate center section and including means for attachment of said center section to a vertical pipe of a said gate, and said gate latch further comprises first means for attachment to a vertical pipe of a gate, second means for attachment to a horizontal pipe of a gate, and wherein said casing is a cylinder, said moveable member is a bolt housed within said casing, said first attachment means comprises a curved plate adapted to sandwich a vertical pipe of said gate member in cooperation with said center section and both of which curved plate and said center section each includes an aperture for passage therethrough of said bolt; and said second attachment means comprises an elongate strap wrapped in its mid region around said casing and having its ends adapted for accepting interconnecting means such as a bolt and having ends of a length suitable for attachment to a horizontal pipe of said gate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 4, the improvement wherein said catch is an open cylinder having a triangular cross-section and an opening along the apex of said cylinder for accepting said moveable member.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 7, the improvement further comprising lock means for restricting movement of said bolt to prevent withdrawal of the bolt from a said catch to lock the latch.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
100 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 17, the improvement wherein said casing is a cylinder having an aperture at each end for slidable passage therethrough of said bolt, which bolt has a forward end extending from said casing for engagement with a said catch and a rearward end which extends through an aperture of said casing, and wherein said lock comprises a strap moveable between positions in contact with and out of contact with the rearward end of said bolt and means for securing said strap in said position in contact with the rearward end of said bolt.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
90 words
In a farm gate latch according to claim 18, wherein said casing includes a cap having an aperture through which said bolt rearward end extends and which cap carries thereon an elongate strap including an aperture therein and wherein said lock strap is pivotally secured to said cap and includes an aperture positioned for alignment with the aperture in said elongate strap when said lock strap is in contact with the rearward end of said bbolt whereby a padlock may be inserted through said aligned apertures to lock the latch.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-05-11 | 1979-11-10 | 1980-05-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-05-11 | 1983-11-10 | 1984-05-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-05-11 | 1987-11-10 | 1988-05-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |