Shoot bolt mechanism

A shoot bolt mechanism comprising a casing having a front wall and a rear wall, the casing containing a shoot bolt having opposed ends and slidable between an inoperative position in which the shoot bolt lies within the casing with one end adjacent the casing rear wall and the other end adjacent the casing front wall and a operative position in which the other end of the shoot bolt projects from the casing front wall, a rotatable drive member mounted in the casing adjacent the casing rear wall and a link pivotally connected at one end to the shoot bolt, and at an end opposite the one end to a point of the drive member, eccentric from an axis of rotation of the drive member, the pivotal connection being adjacent the casing rear wall when the shoot bolt is in the inoperative position, and the pivot axes being parallel to the axis of rotation of the drive member so that rotation of the drive member is translated by the link into movement of the shoot bolt between retracted and extended positions, the pivotal connection of the shoot bolt and the link being adjacent the front wall in the extended position, two drive transfer members being disposed on respective opposite sides of the shoot bolt between opposed ends thereof when the shoot bolt is in the retracted position, rotation of the drive member moving the drive transfer members between respective retracted and extended positions in directions generally normal to the direction of movement of the shoot bolt between its retracted and extended positions.