Latching door stop for a marine vessel

In combination, a latching door stop assembly, and a marine vessel, comprising:

• a generally tubular door stop member having a first end, a second end, long axis, and a generally hollow channel communicating along the long axis therethrough;
• the first end the of door stop member being connection to a bulkhead;
• a door engaging member inserted into the second end of the door stop member against a spring and held therein by a retainer;
• a door stop striker plate attached to said door;
• a hook releaseably connecting the door stop member to the door mounting member;
• wherein the generally hollow channel communicating through the door stop member has a piston chamber and a rod chamber;
• the rod chamber being located at the first end of the door stop member and the piston chamber being located at the second end of the door stop member;
• the piston chamber and the rod chamber being separated by a piston rod guide wall that extends into the generally hollow channel;
• the piston rod guide wall has a hole in the approximate center thereof that communicates from the piston chamber to the piston rod chamber;
• wherein the door engaging member is a piston inserted into the piston chamber of the door stop member;
• the piston having a bumper end attaching a door bumper thereto and a rod end;
• the rod end inserted through a piston compression spring, through the hole in the piston rod guide wall, and into the piston rod chamber;
• the end of the rod opposite the piston having a hole communicating therethrough;
• whereby when the piston is placed in the door stop member such that the piston rod is inserted through the spring, through the hole into the piston rod guide wall and into the piston rod chamber, and the retainer is inserted, the piston is retained in said guide;
• the door stop member being connected to a bulkhead in a marine vessel;
• the door mounting member being mounted on a door adjacent the bulkhead such that it is opposite the door stop member when the door is opened;
• the door stop striker plate being connected to the bulkhead, and the door stop member being releasably connected to the door mounting member;
• the piston compression spring biases the door bumper member into constant contact with the door stop striker plate to prevent rattling of the door;
• the door stop striker plate being generally square with a threaded mounting post extending from the edge of the plate on one side thereof;
• the door mounting member being generally flat with a plurality of connection holes communicating therethrough;
• the door mounting member further having a flat connecting portion extending at a right angle from one surface thereof;
• the connecting portion having a mounting post insertion hole communicating therethrough;
• the assembly further comprising a mounting post nut, a catch member, and a plurality of threaded fasteners connecting the door mounting member to a door;
• the mounting post nut in threaded engagement with the striker post;
• and
• the catch member being a generally rectangular plate having a mounting post hole communicating therethrough at one end of the long axis thereof, and a catch hole communicating therethrough at the other end of the long axis thereof, with the corners nearest the mounting hole being rounded;
• whereby when the door mounting member is threadably connected to a door of a marine vessel the connecting portion extends outward from the mounting member, the mounting post of the door stop striker is placed upwardly through the mounting post hole in the connection portion and then through the mounting post hole in the catch member, the mounting post nut is placed on the mounting post and tightened, and the angle of the door stop striker plate and the catch member, relative to the door, can be adjusted for doors that do not open exactly parallel to the bulkhead to ensure that when the door is opened, one of the flat generally square surfaces of the striker plate is in contact with the door engaging member, and the catch member can be releasably engaged with the door stop member.