Timer latch mechanisms

A timer latch mechanism comprising a housing, a latch chamber in said housing having an opening at one end, guide means extending centrally of said chamber toward said opening, a pair of elongate arms on opposite sides of said guide means pivoted intermediate their ends in said chamber, one end of each arm extending to a point adjacent said opening, a resiliently biased pawl pivoted on said one end of each arm, said pawls normally extending transversely to said arms toward said guide means in a closed latch position and pivotable to an open unlatched position generally parallel to said arms, the other end of each said arm being pivotally connected to one end of a transverse link, a trip arm slidably mounted on said guide means, resilient biasing means urging said trip arm toward said opening, the other end of each said link being pivotally connected to said trip arm, stop means on the housing limiting the movement of said trip arm toward said opening, timer means on said housing, actuator means on said timer means to move said trip arm against the resilient biasing means and away from said stop means at a preselected time whereby the said other ends of said elongate arms are moved toward each other and the pawls are moved away from each other, and gate means slidable on said guide means in and out of said opening, said gate means being held by said pawls in said opening and released from said pawls when the trip arm is moved by the timer actuator means, said gate means being adapted to be fixed to a means which is desired to be selectively latched and released.