Gate latch adaptable for use with multi-panels type farm gates

Claim 1

In combination with an upright multi-panels type farm gate, the upright front-end of said farm gate being provided by the vertically co-planar front-sides of a pair of substantially parallel upright-panels, said two upright panels being transversely spatially separated by a finite-transverse-distance, the said farm gate also including at least two vertically coplanar horizontal-panels attached to the respective gate uprightpanels, two of said parallel horizontal-panels being laterally vertically spatially separated by a finite-lateral distance, two consecutive horizontal-panels being each provided with a vertical-front-edge that is located between the upright-panels and that is rearwardly offset from the co-planar front-sides of the gate two upright-panels, the improvement comprising a gate latch extending along a substantially horizontal longitudinal central axis and that is disposed between the spatially separated consecutive pair of horizontal-panels, said gate latch comprising: A. An elongate tubular housing extending along said horizontal longitudinal central axis, said tubular housing including a forward portion disposed between the gate upright-panels and having a transverse thickness less than said transverse-finitedistance, said tubular housing having a pair of terminal ends transversely intersecting said longitudinal axis and including a housing forward-end located forwardly of the horizontal panels front-edge and including a housing rearward-end located rearwardly of said upright-panels; B. An elongate spindle reciprocatably positioned along said longitudinal axis within the housing and having a rearwardterminus positioned rearwardly of the housing rearward-end; C. A handle attached to the spindle rearwardly of the housing rearward-end for imparting rearward motion to said spindle; D. Spring means for urging the elongate spindle forwardly whereby the spindle forward-terminus is normally resiliently urged forwardly of the gate upright front-end; and E. a pair of mounting-ears positioned between the housing two ends and rigidly attached to said housing, said mounting ears being longitudinally separated and extending uprightly rigidly in both vertical directions of the tubular housing as a pair of co-planar lobes for each said mounting-ear, the overall vertical height of the forward-mounting ear being less than for said finite-lateral-distance, the combined transverse widths of the housing and the forward-mounting-ear being substantially equal to said finite-transverse-distance whereby the housing forward portion is snugly disposed between the farm gate upright-panels, and wherein the rearward-mounting-ear is located wholly rearwardly of the farm gate upright-panels and has an overall vertical height greater than said finitelateral-distance whereby the respective lobes thereof are securely attached to consecutive horizontal-panels of said farm gate.