D-Handle latch for boat hatches

A latch for use in connection with a boat hatch having a compression seal and a hatch jamb, the latch comprising:

• a housing, the housing having a well extending between opposite upper and lower ends, the well having a floor enclosing the lower end, the housing having a flange extending outward from the well upper end, the flange having a top surface and a bottom surface, the flange bottom surface being adapted for mounting against the boat hatch, the housing having a pocket extending downward from the floor, the housing having a boss extending downward from a proximal end at the floor to a distal end, the boss having an outer periphery, the boss having a vertical central axis, the boss having a vertical bore aligned with the central axis and extending through the boss;
• a pull shaft, the pull shaft extending between opposite upper and lower ends, the pull shaft having a longitudinal axis, the pull shaft having a first hole transversely therethrough adjacent the pull shaft upper end, the pull shaft having a second hole transversely therethrough below the first hole, the pull shaft having a third hole transversely therethrough below the second hole, the pull shaft being mounted in the vertical bore for rotational movement and sliding movement along the vertical central axis between an upper position and a lower position;
• a handle, the handle having a grasping portion, the handle having two ears extending outward from the grasping portion, the ears having collinear pivot holes transversely therethrough, the handle being pivotally mounted on the pull shaft with the ears straddling the pull shaft upper end and the pivot holes aligned with the pull shaft first hole for pivotal movement from a handle position projecting upward to a handle position lying within the well, the ears each having a cam lobe shape, so as to cause the pull shaft to slide axially in the vertical bore to the lower position as the handle is raised and to the upper position as the handle is lowered, the handle having a dimple, the dimple having a brightly colored pigment therein, the dimple being visible when the handle is lying within the well and the latch is in the unlatched position, so as to clearly indicate, by visual inspection, that the latch in the unlatched position;
• a first pin received in the pivot holes and the pull shaft first hole, so as to pivotally mount the handle to the pull shaft upper end;
• a second pin received in the pull shaft second hole, the second pin projecting outward on only one side of the pull shaft;
• the boss having a slot extending transversely through the boss and through the vertical bore, the slot extending vertically along the central axis from an upper terminal surface to a lower terminal surface, the lower terminal surface being above the boss distal end, the upper and lower terminal surfaces being generally planar and generally perpendicular to the central axis, the upper terminal surface facing downward, the lower terminal surface facing upward, the slot being juxtaposed with the second hole, the distance between the upper terminal surface and the lower terminal surface being sufficient to allow the second pin to travel within the slot between the upper position and the lower position, the slot having a slot wall extending generally vertically between the upper terminal surface and the lower terminal surface, the slot having a transverse depth extending from the boss periphery inward past the central axis to the slot wall, the transverse depth being sufficient to allow the second pin to rotate one half turn before striking the slot wall in either direction, thereby defining a rotation stop;
• a latch bar, the latch bar being mounted on the pull shaft lower end and projecting transversely outward, the latch bar being adapted for engaging the hatch jamb;
• so that
• the second pin will contact the slot wall at the predetermined rotational position and at a second rotational position approximately one-half turn from the predetermined rotational position, thereby stopping the latch bar in the latched and unlatched positions, respectively;
• a third pin received in the pull shaft third hole, the third pin projecting outward on both sides of the pull shaft;
• a spring, the spring being a coil spring mounted generally concentrically on the pull shaft, the spring bearing upward on the boss distal end and downward on the third pin, so as to bias the pull shaft downward with respect to the housing, the spring being disposed below the rotation stop, so as to allow inspection, lubrication, and replacement of the spring without removing the pull shaft from the housing;
• attaching means for attaching the latch bar on the pull shaft lower end;
• and
• fastening means for fastening the latch to the boat hatch;
• so that with the latch bar in an unlatched position, the handle will lie flush with the housing inside the well, and the handle will then be pivoted into an upright position, the cam lobe shaped ears and spring will cause the pull shaft to slide axially downward to the lower position, the handle will then be rotated one-half turn so that the latch bar engages the hatch jamb in a latched position, the handle will be pivoted downward so that the handle will lie flush with the housing inside the well, the cam lobes will cause the pull shaft to slide axially upward to the upper position and thereby raise the shaft and latch bar so as to increase the compression between the hatch and the seal for watertight closure.

A latch for use in connection with a boat hatch having a compression seal and a hatch jamb, the latch comprising:

• a housing, the housing having a well extending between opposite upper and lower ends, the well having a floor enclosing the lower end, the housing having a flange extending outward from the well upper end, the flange having a top surface and a bottom surface, the flange bottom surface being adapted for mounting against the boat hatch, the housing having a pocket extending downward from the floor, the housing having a boss extending downward from a proximal end at the floor to a distal end, the boss having an outer periphery, the boss having a vertical central axis, the boss having a vertical bore aligned with the central axis and extending through the boss;
• a bushing received in the boss vertical bore, the bushing having a bushing bore;
• a pull shaft, the pull shaft extending between opposite upper and lower ends, the pull shaft having a longitudinal axis, the pull shaft having a first hole transversely therethrough adjacent the pull shaft upper end, the pull shaft having a second hole transversely therethrough below the first hole, the pull shaft having a third hole transversely therethrough below the second hole, the pull shaft having an annular O-ring groove disposed between the first and second holes, the pull shaft being mounted in the bushing bore for rotational movement and sliding movement along the vertical central axis between an upper position and a lower position;
• a latch bar, the latch bar being mounted on the pull shaft lower end and projecting transversely outward, the latch bar being adapted for engaging the hatch jamb;
• an O-ring received in the O-ring groove for slidingly sealing the pull shaft against the bushing bore, so as to prevent water intrusion through the latch;
• a handle, the handle having a grasping portion, the handle having two ears extending outward from the grasping portion, the ears having collinear pivot holes transversely therethrough, the handle being pivotally mounted on the pull shaft with the ears straddling the pull shaft upper end and the pivot holes aligned with the pull shaft first hole for pivotal movement from a handle position projecting upward to a handle position lying within the well, the ears each having a cam lobe shape, so as to cause the pull shaft to slide axially in the vertical bore to the lower position as the handle is raised and to the upper position as the handle is lowered, the handle having a dimple, the dimple having a brightly colored pigment therein, the dimple being visible when the handle is lying within the well and the latch is in the unlatched position, so as to clearly indicate, by visual inspection, that the latch in the unlatched position;
• a first pin received in the pivot holes and the pull shaft first hole, so as to pivotally mount the handle to the pull shaft upper end;
• a second pin received in the pull shaft second hole, the second pin projecting outward on only one side of the pull shaft;
• the boss having a slot extending transversely through the boss and through the vertical bore, the slot extending vertically along the central axis from an upper terminal surface to a lower terminal surface, the lower terminal surface being above the boss distal end, the upper and lower terminal surfaces being generally planar and generally perpendicular to the central axis, the upper terminal surface facing downward, the lower terminal surface facing upward, the slot being juxtaposed with the second hole, the distance between the upper terminal surface and the lower terminal surface being sufficient to allow the second pin to travel within the slot between the upper position and the lower position, the slot having a slot wall extending generally vertically between the upper terminal surface and the lower terminal surface, the slot having a transverse depth extending from the boss periphery inward past the central axis to the slot wall, the transverse depth being sufficient to allow the second pin to rotate one half turn before striking the slot wall in either direction, thereby defining a rotation stop;
• a latch bar, the latch bar being mounted on the pull shaft lower end and projecting transversely outward, the latch bar being adapted for engaging the hatch jamb;
• so that
• the second pin will contact the slot wall at the predetermined rotational position and at a second rotational position approximately one-half turn from the predetermined rotational position, thereby stopping the latch bar in the latched and unlatched positions, respectively;
• a third pin received in the pull shaft third hole, the third pin projecting outward on both sides of the pull shaft;
• a spring, the spring being a coil spring mounted generally concentrically on the pull shaft, the spring bearing upward on the boss distal end and downward on the third pin, so as to bias the pull shaft downward with respect to the housing, the spring being disposed below the rotation stop, so as to allow inspection, lubrication, and replacement of the spring without removing the pull shaft from the housing;
• attaching means for attaching the latch bar on the pull shaft lower end;
• and
• fastening means for fastening the latch to the boat hatch;
• a lock shaft extending between opposite upper and lower ends, the lock shaft being mounted for rotation in the housing floor with the lower end projecting below the housing floor;
• a hook extending between opposite proximal and distal ends, the hook proximal end being attached to the lock shaft lower end, the hook distal end having a finger projecting transversely outward therefrom, the finger being adapted for engagement with the second pin, the finger being of a predetermined thickness sufficient to maintain engagement with the second pin as the pull shaft slides between the upper position and the lower position;
• and
• a key having a handle for grasping, the key having a stem extending from the handle, the stem being configured to releasably engage the lock shaft upper end so as to transmit rotational motion from the key to the lock shaft;
• so that with the latch bar in an unlatched position, the handle will lie flush with the housing inside the well, and the handle will then be pivoted into an upright position, the cam lobe shaped ears and spring will cause the pull shaft to slide axially downward to the lower position, the handle will then be rotated one-half turn so that the latch bar engages the hatch jamb in a latched position, the handle will be pivoted downward so that the handle will lie flush with the housing inside the well, the cam lobes will cause the pull shaft to slide axially upward to the upper position and thereby raise the shaft and latch bar so as to increase the compression between the hatch and the seal for watertight closure;
• and
• so that, with the latch bar and pull shaft in the latched position, upon turning the key in a first direction, the lock shaft and hook will rotate in the first direction, the finger will move into juxtaposition with the second pin, enclosing the second pin between the finger and the boss slot, thereby preventing rotation of the pull shaft and unlatching of the latch bar, and upon turning the key in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the lock shaft and hook will rotate in the second direction, the finger will move away from the second pin, thereby allowing rotation of the pull shaft and unlatching of the latch bar.