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A latch assembly for a tailgate of a truck includes a striker plate, a clasp, a handle, and a fastening mechanism. The clasp is attached to the striker plate and defines a first pivot point. The handle includes a first free end and a second anchored end. The second anchored end is attached to the cl

A latch assembly for a tailgate of a truck includes a striker plate, a clasp, a handle, and a fastening mechanism. The clasp is attached to the striker plate and defines a first pivot point. The handle includes a first free end and a second anchored end. The second anchored end is attached to the clasp and defines a second pivot point. The first free end of the handle moves about the both the first pivot point and the second pivot point. The first free end is secured by a spring clip of the fastening mechanism to latch the tailgate of the truck.

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1. A latch assembly for a tailgate on a truck, the tailgate including a shaft extending perpendicular from a top of the tailgate, the latch assembly comprising: a striker plate including a striker plate notch at a first end configured to receive the shaft of the tailgate to partially surround it, a

1. A latch assembly for a tailgate on a truck, the tailgate including a shaft extending perpendicular from a top of the tailgate, the latch assembly comprising: a striker plate including a striker plate notch at a first end configured to receive the shaft of the tailgate to partially surround it, a base plate extending from a second end of the striker plate, and a guide plate extending from the striker plate, parallel to the base plate and defining a guide notch;a clasp including a clasp notch at a first end configured to receive the shaft of the tailgate to partially surround it, and a pivot point at a second end, the clasp further comprises a U-shaped bracket including first and second arms extending from a flat center portion attached to the clasp first end;a handle including a free end and an anchored end, the second anchored end being attached to the U-shaped bracket and defining a handle pivot point between the handle and the arms of the bracket;a fastening mechanism attached to the striker plate, between the base plate and the guide plate;wherein, in use, when the shaft is received into the striker plate notch, the clasp is pivoted toward the shaft to have the shaft surrounded by the clasp notch;when the shaft is securely positioned between the clasp notch and the striker plate notch, the handle can be pivoted in a first direction, moving the free end of the handle toward the striker plate, the free end being received in the guide notch and being latched by the fastening mechanism. 2. The latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the striker plate includes a back plate attached to a base plate at a first approximately right angle, the first notch being located at an end of the back plate opposite the first approximately right angle. 3. The latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle is capable of moving vertically about the first pivot point. 4. The latch assembly of claim 3, wherein the handle is capable of moving laterally approximately 180 degrees about the second pivot point. 5. The latch assembly of claim 4, further comprising: a guide plate extending from the back plate at a second approximately right angle, the guide plate being parallel and adjacent to the base plate, the guide plate having a third notch for guiding the first free end of the handle to the resilient opening of the spring clip. 6. The latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle further comprises: a jaw at the second anchored end, the jaw including an upper jaw attached to the first arm of the U-shaped bracket and a lower jaw attached to the second arm of the U-shaped bracket. 7. A latch assembly comprising: a L-shaped striker plate including a back plate at one end and a striker plate notch at an opposite end configured to partially surround a shaft of a tailgate, the striker plate further comprises a guide plate having a guide notch, the back plate and the guide plate extending from the striker plate at an approximately right angle;a clasp having a pivot point at one end and a clasp notch at an opposite end and configured to partially surround the shaft of the tailgate, the clasp including a U-shaped bracket;a handle including a projection having a free end and a jaw attached to an opposed end, the jaw is configured to be attached to the U-shaped bracket to define a pivot point;a fastening mechanism attached to the striker plate between the base plate and the guide plate, the fastening mechanism includes a spring clip;wherein, in use when the shaft is received into the striker plate notch, the clasp is pivoted toward the shaft to have the shaft surrounded by the clasp notch;when the shaft is securely positioned between the clasp notch and the striker plate notch, the handle can be pivoted in a first direction, moving the free end of the handle toward the striker plate, the free end being received in the guide notch and being latched by the spring clip of the fastening mechanism. 8. The latch assembly of claim 7, further comprising: a guide plate extending from the back plate parallel to the base plate, the guide plate having a notch for guiding the first free end of the projection to the spring clip. 9. The latch assembly of claim 8, further comprising: a screw bracket having a first side attached to the base, a second side attached to the guide plate, a bottom attached to the striker plate, and a top attached to the fastening mechanism. 10. The latch assembly of claim 7, wherein the spring clip expands to receive the first free end of the projection and contracts to retain the first free end of the projection. 11. The latch assembly of claim 7, wherein the U-shaped bracket includes a first arm extending from a first side of a flat center portion and a second arm extending from a second side of the flat center portion. 12. The latch assembly of claim 11, wherein jaw includes an upper jaw riveted to the first arm of the U-shaped bracket and a lower jaw riveted to the second arm of the U-shaped bracket. 13. The latch assembly of claim 12, wherein the rivets attached the U-shaped bracket and the jaw define the vertical axis. 14. A latch assembly comprising: a striker plate including a back plate, a base plate, a guide plate, and a screw bracket, the back plate and the base plate joined at a first approximately right angle, the back plate having a striker plate notch at an end opposite the first approximately right angle configured to partially surround a shaft of a tailgate, the guide plate at a second approximately right angle from the back plate and having a guide notch at an end opposite the second approximate right angle from the back plate, and the screw bracket extending between the back plate, the base plate and the guide plate;a clasp including a U-shaped bracket and a clasp plate having a clasp notch configured to partially surround the shaft of the tailgate, the U-shaped bracket having two arms, each arm extending at third approximately right angles from a flat center portion attached to a first end of the clasp plate, a second end of the clasp plate attached to the back plate of the striker plate and defining pivot point;a handle including a projection having a free end and an anchored end attached to a center of a jaw, the jaw having an upper jaw and a lower jaw, each extending from the center of the jaw and being attached to the respective arms of the U-shaped bracket, defining a handle pivot point;a fastening mechanism attached to the screw bracket, the fastening mechanism including a spring clip having a resilient opening;wherein, in use, when the shaft is received into the striker plate notch, the clasp is pivoted toward the shaft to have the shaft surrounded by the clasp notch;when the shaft is securely positioned between the clasp notch and the striker plate notch, the handle can be pivoted in a first direction, moving the free end of the handle toward the striker plate, the free end being received in the guide notch and being latched by the spring clip of the fastening mechanism. 15. The latch assembly of claim 14, wherein projection moves approximately 180 degrees about the second pivot point. 16. The latch assembly of claim 14, further comprising: a grip surrounding the projection; anda plug inserted into the first free end of the projection. 17. The latch assembly of claim 14, further comprising: a reinforcement plate attached to the back of the striker plate opposite the clasp plate. 18. The latch assembly of claim 14, wherein the first free end of the projection is received into the second notch and guided to the resilient opening of the spring clip. 19. The latch assembly of claim 14, wherein the latch assembly is between approximately 5 and 15 inches long.