Coke oven rotary wedge door latch

A method for reducing air leakage through a door opening of a coke oven when a coke oven door is disposed in the door opening to close the door opening, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an oven door latch system for a coke oven door, the door latch system including a rotary member rotatively attached to the oven door and having a wedge-shaped, arcuate engagement edge for variably engaging a striker plate on a buck stay member adjacent the oven door opening when the oven door is disposed in the opening of the oven, the rotary member having tab member thereon for moving the rotary member from an engaged position adjacent the striker plate to a non-engaged position remote from the striker plate;
• providing a remotely operated adjustment actuator for moving the rotary member from the engaged position to the non-engaged position;
• disposing the coke oven door in the door opening;
• engaging the rotary member and the adjustment actuator;
• and
• actuating the adjustment actuator to rotate the rotary member so that an increasing wedge portion of the rotary member is engaged with the striker plate of the buck stay during an oven door closing operation.