AU2004100895A4

AU2004100895A4 - Gate

Info

Publication number: AU2004100895A4
Application number: AU2004100895A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael Vlahov
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-10-20
Filing date: 2004-10-20
Publication date: 2004-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-20

Description

AUSTRALIA

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Gate Invention Title: Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service: Michael Vlahov Michael Vlahov WRAY ASSOCIATES Level 4, The Quadrant 1 William Street Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Details of Associated Provisional Application No(s): The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:o Title: "Gate" o Field of the Invention 0 This invention relates to gates which can be driven between an open and closed position rather than manually.

00 o Disclosure of the Invention 0 oAccordingly the invention resides in a gate adapted to be associated with a 0 gateway to be movable from a closed position at which the gate lies across the gateway and an open position at which the gate lies clear of the gateway, a drive mounted to the gate comprising a wheel rotatably supported from the gate, the wheel associated with a traction surface and positioned to roll over the traction surface wherein the movement of the wheel over the traction surface causes the gate to move between the open and closed position, a drive associated with the wheel to cause controlled rotation of the wheel, a controller associated with the drive and adapted to cause operation of the drive means, the controller comprising a switch which can be activated to cause the activation of the drive and the opening and/or closing of the gate.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the drive comprises a motor mounted to the gate and driving connected to the wheel.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the wheel is supported from a gate to be movable towards and away from the traction surface and is biased into engagement with the traction surface.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the gate is pivotally supported to be movable about a substantially upright axis and the wheel is mounted to the gate in spaced relation to the axis and a traction surface comprises the ground over which the gate moves in moving between the open and closed position.

-3o According to a preferred feature of the invention the gate is slidably supported 0from one side of the gateway to be slidable between the open and closed position.

o According to one embodiment the traction surface comprises a surface extending substantially parallel to the gateway. According to a preferred feature of the N embodiment the traction surface comprises the ground over which the gate moves in moving between the open and closed position..

0 According to a preferred feature of the invention the gate is pivotally supported to 0 be pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis and the wheel is supported by othe gate to be capable of moving through an arcuate path with movement of the 0gate between the open and closed position, the traction surface comprising an arcuate surface which is concentric to the arcuate path. According to one embodiment the wheel is supported from the gate to extend in a opposed relation from the axis relative to the main body of the gate.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the switch comprises a manually operated switch located adjacent the gateway.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the switch comprises a vehicle activated switch located in association with the gateway.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the controller is adapted to cause movement of a gate from the closed to the open position on activation of the switch and to cause the gate to return to the closed position after pre-determined period of time.

The invention will be more fully understood in light of the following description of several specific embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is schematic front elevation of a gate according to the first embodiment; -4- 0 Figure 2 is an enlarged partial front elevation of a gate according to the first 0 N embodiment illustrating the driving connection between the wheel and the ground; o Figure 3 is a schematic front elevation of a gate according to the second 0 c embodiment; Figure 4 is a schematic front elevation of a gate according to the third OO embodiment in the closed position; and SFigure 5 is a schematic side elevation of a gate in the third embodiment in the Oopen position.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments Each of the embodiments relate to a gate which is mounted across a gateway and which is associated with a drive which can effect the opening and closing of the gate whereby the drive is associated with a controller to enable the operation of the gate to be effected remotely.

It is a further feature of each of the embodiments that the movement of the gate is effected by utilisation of a wheel driven by a motor and supported from the gate to be engagable with a traction surface associated with a gate whereby rotation of the wheel under the influence of the motor effects the opening and closing of the gate. The motor is controlled by a controller.

The first embodiment has shown at Figures 1 and 2 comprises a swinging gate which is associated with a gateway defined between a pair of gate posts 13 and The gate is pivotally supported from one gate post 13 to be pivotable about a substantially upright axis to be swingable from the gate post between the closed position as shown at Figure 1 at which it extends between the gate posts 13 and and an open position (not shown) at which it lies clear of the gateway. The other gatepost 15 may be associated with a suitable latch which lockingly retains the gate in the closed position and which can be activated by the controller when the gate is to be opened to allow the movement of the gate to the open position.

o The movement of the gate is effected by a drive wheel 17 which is rotatably 0 supported from the gate in spaced relation from the one gatepost 13. The wheel t is associated with a drive motor 19 which is in direct driving engagement with the 0 wheel 17 whereby activation of the motor causes rotation of the wheel. The 0 N support for the motor is affected through a slidable mounting which comprises a bracket 21 slidably supported upon an upright shaft 23 whereby the wheel 17 is biased by the weight of the wheel and drive motor into engagement with the 00 o ground surrounding the gate. In addition a suitable biasing force may be applied 0 to the bracket 21 to further bias the wheel into engagement with the ground.

0 0 The gate is associated with a controller which is contained within a housing located adjacent the gate 13 which is intended to selectively activate the drive motor 19. The controller 25 further comprises a switching mechanism associated with the gate which is intended to sense the presence of a vehicle in the vicinity of the gate in order that the drive motor 19 can be activated to cause the opening of the gate 11. Alternatively the switch mechanism may be associated with a code recognition means which is able to recognise a code which can be transmitted to a receiver or entered into a keypad whereby the motor will be opened upon the input of the appropriate code. Alternatively the switch mechanism may comprise a simple switch which can be activated by a person or vehicle or the like approaching the gateway.

The second embodiment of the invention as shown at Figure 3 is directed to a gate 111 which is slidably received across a gateway defined between a pair of gate posts 113 and 115 where the gate is slidably movable across the gateway and is associated with a surface adjacent the one gatepost 113 and to either side of the gatepost 113. The gate is slidably supported by the one gate post 113 and supports a wheel 117 which is directly driven from a drive motor 119 which is coaxially mounted in association with the wheel. The wheel is supported from the gate by a radial arm 121 which is pivotally supported from a bracket 123 mounted to the gate. The wheel is biased by its own weight and the weight of the motor into engagement with the ground and if desired can be supplemented with a suitable biasing means to facilitate engagement of a wheel with the ground.

Again the gate is associated with a controller accommodated within a housing 125 -6o and a suitable switching mechanism to effect the selective opening and closing of N the gate.

O The third embodiment as shown at Figures 4 and 5 comprises a boom gate 211 N located across a gateway defined between a pair of gateposts 213 and 215. The gate is pivotably supported from one gate post 213 about a horizontal axis and is provided with a counter weight 227 located to the other side of the pivot axis to O0 o the main body of the gate in order to minimise the effort involved in moving the 0gate between the closed position as shown at Figure 4 and the open position as o shown at Figure 5. In addition the gate is associated is provided with a wheel 217 0 which is supported from the counter weight 227 and is associated with a coaxially mounted motor (not shown) which directly drives the wheel. With movement of the gate between the open and closed position the wheel is caused to move through an arcuate path. The wheel 217 is driving associated with a ember which is formed with traction surface 229 which is of an arcuate configuration concentric to the arcuate path defined by the wheel in its movement between its open and closed position whereby the wheel is engaged with the surface such that rotation of the wheel causes movement of the gate between the open and closed position. The engagement between the wheel and the traction surface may be effected by a frictional engagement or a toothed engagement or any other like engagement between the wheel and the traction surface. Again the gate is associated with a controller located within a housing 225 located beside the one post 213 and an associated switching mechanism to effect the controlled opening and closing of the gate.

According to a further embodiment which is a variation of each of the above embodiments the controller is adapted to cause the opening of the gate on activation of the switching mechanism and to cause the gate to return to the closed position after a period of time has been allowed to elapse.

In the case of each of the embodiments the power source for the controller and drive motor can be derived from Mains power and/or batteries and/or solar cells and/or a wind powered generator -7- It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention may not be limited

O

0to the particular scope of the embodiment described above.

O Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word 0 "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

00

Claims

2. A gate as claimed at claim 1 wherein the drive comprises a motor mounted to the gate and driving connected to the wheel.
3. A gate as claimed at claim 1 or 2 wherein the wheel is supported from a gate to be movable towards and away from the traction surface and is biased into engagement with the traction surface.
4. A gate as claimed at claim 1 or 2 or 3 wherein the gate is pivotally supported to be movable about a substantially upright axis and the wheel is mounted to the gate in spaced relation to the axis and a traction surface comprises the ground over which the gate moves in moving between the open and closed position. A gate as claimed at claim 1 or 2 or 3 wherein the gate is slidably supported from one side of the gateway to be slidable between the open and closed position. -9- o 6. A gate as claimed at claim 5 wherein the traction surface comprises a 0 surface extending substantially parallel to the gateway. ci O 7. A gate as claimed at claim 6 wherein the traction surface comprises the N ground over which the gate moves in moving between the open and closed position.. 0 8. A gate as claimed at claim 1 or 2 or 3 wherein the gate is pivotally osupported to be pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis and the wheel is supported by the gate to be capable of moving through an arcuate 0path with movement of the gate between the open and closed position, the traction surface comprising an arcuate surface which is concentric to the arcuate path.
9. A gate as claimed at claim 8 wherein the wheel is supported from the gate to extend in a opposed relation from the axis relative to the main body of the gate. gate as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the switch comprises a manually operated switch located adjacent the gateway.
11.A gate as claimed at any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the switch comprises a vehicle activated switch located in association with the gateway.
12. A gate as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is adapted to cause movement of a gate from the closed to the open position on activation of the switch and to cause the gate to return to the closed position after pre-determined period of time.
13.A gate substantially as herein described. Dated this 20th day of October 2004. Applicant Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant(s)