Making a spring latch

Most of the ones I seen were made by these companies, and made out of 1" x

1/8" hot rolled flat bar (the least springiest cheapest one). The top piece looks like a wishbone, or a V with a flat bottom across where the point of the V is, has a loop on it for a lock, has the two top ends of the V wrapped round, and a tail that is about a foot long. Is that the one?

I was googling, but can't come up with a picture. Is this the one that fits into a slotted piece of angle iron welded on the gate post? It has a notch, and two holes drilled in it for locking?

I may have an extra in all my stuff, and they are available lots of places. You must be somewhere that they don't have a large selection.

Steve

How about a cheap stainless steel kitchen knife blade, ground square?

Jim Wilkins

The ones I've seen are not springs. They're just flat bits of metal pivoted on one end, relying on gravity to fall into the notch.

Don, I know of what you speak, BUT, mine, out of necessity, is a vertical application. I.e., it's has to be a vertical piece strip of spring metal that will swing with the gate (gate can be opened both ways) and catch on the stationary latch attached to the post. What you speak of typically works with a swing in only one direction unless I install it in the middle of the gate edge. In that case I would have to slot my vertical 'gate edge' member (1" square steel) and let your horizontal pivoted metal pass through and allow gravity to do it's thing.

Too complicated. I thought a springy thing between the stationary post and the 'gate edge' would be a simpler solution.

Thanks for your attention,

Ivan Vegvary

How about a coiled spring like a rake tine or baler tine? Hit a farm supply place for them.

Now that you mention it, I even had one like that on a wrought iron gate inside the house. That was a loooong time ago. I think the springy part was longer than you describe, at least a foot and perhaps

18". I think it might have been 1/8" thick and about an inch wide. Mild steel will spring a little without permanently bending. 1/2" in 6" is less than 5 degrees, might be OK. I tried some odd bits in the vise. For 6" length, I'd use .090 or so -- but I'd go longer if possible.

My Granny's was ~3/4" wide by ~1/8 thick, riveted to the gate frame at the bottom (of the strip) with about a foot of spring with a loop on top to eliminate any form of sharp point on top (think crude ball shape) About an inch below the level of the strike, there was an angle bracket with a hole in the horizontal portion large enough to allow the spring to be moved about an inch. This bracket provided lateral reinforcement to the spring to resist "edgewise" forces. Clear as mud?

These memories are from the early '50s. The "ball" was maybe an inch above the top of the gate and two inches above the strike. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Gerald, The above is very clear and gives me ideas. Thanks for the reply.

Ivan Vegvary