Patent ID: 7871112

Claim:
A compact reversible latch bolt assembly for use with right and left hand doors, mountable within a bore defined along an edge of a door, comprising: (a) a lock body including a pair of spaced side plates; (b) a live bolt having a door jamb plate engagement surface, the live bolt being mounted between the side plates with the door jamb plate engagement surface always facing a first side of the lock body for movement between an extended position with the door jamb plate engagement surface extending from the lock body and a retracted position with the live bolt fully retracted into the lock body; (c) a first actuation means mounted between the side plates in operative engagement with the live bolt for movement of the live bolt between the extended position and retracted position; (d) two deadbolts mounted between the side plates adjacent to but on opposite sides of and equidistant from the live bolt for linear movement between a locked position, with a first end of at least one deadbolt extending from the lock body to engage a door jamb, and an unlocked position, with both deadbolts fully retracted within the lock body to permit the door to be opened; (e) first and second deadbolt cams, each cam being rotatably mounted within the lock body in direct engagement with a corresponding deadbolt to move the corresponding deadbolt between the locked position and the unlocked position; (f) a second actuation means in operative engagement with at least one of the deadbolt cams for rotating at least one cam to actuate movement of the corresponding deadbolt between its locked and unlocked position; wherein the latch assembly can be selectively mounted within the door bore with the live bolt door jamb plate engagement surface facing a desired side of the door to accommodate a left hand or right hand door; and (g) a cam linkage mounted within the lock body, said cam linkage having a first end pivotally secured to the first cam and having a second end pivotally secured to the second cam, so that upon actuation of one of the cams, the other cam will be simultaneously actuated.