Front gate and latch assembly for the guide body of an industrial fastener driving tool

A fastener driving tool of the type having a fastener-containing magazine, a reciprocating fastener driver, a guide body communicating with said magazine and having a front opening, and an elongated front gate closing said front opening, said gate being pivotally affixed at one end to said guide body and being swingable between open and closed positions, said gate in closed position and said guide body defining a drive track for said fasteners and said fastener driver, characterized by a latch plate extending transversely of the long axis of said gate and being captively and slidably mounted on said gate, said latch plate having end portions extending laterally to either side of said gate, a spaced pair of locking blocks mounted on said guide body to either side of said front opening, said locking blocks having opposed laterally extending lugs, said latch plate being shiftable along said gate between a gate-locking position near the free end of said gate wherein said latch plate ends are in wedging engagement with said locking block lugs and a gate release position free of said locking block lugs, and a manually actuable over-center lever assembly to shift said latch plate.