AU2018100328B4 - Brace - Google Patents

Abstract

A gate prop 10 for a gate 1 of the type useful for farming or agricultural applications. The gate 1 is adapted to be rotatable about a substantially vertical axis Y at a hinged 5 end 2 of the gate 1. The gate has a frame 2 with a lower portion 6 and is hinged to a support structure, such as a vertical gate post 3, typically embedded in the ground and secured in a hole with cured concrete. The gate 1 is adapted to extend, in its closed status, across an opening, typically in a fence line, the opening being defined by a pair of spaced gate posts as has been described in the art. The gate 1 may be opened by the 0 rotating gate 1 away from the opening and about the vertical axis Y and swung to an opening extent desired by an operator. The gate prop 10 includes a clamp 20 to engage with the frame 2 on the lower portion 6. The gate prop 10 further includes a prop shaft 30. The prop shaft 30 is attached to the clamp 20 at an attached end 31 of the prop shaft 30. The prop shaft 30 is movable 5 between a stowed position and an active, ground-engaging position in which a ground-engaging member at the remote end 31 is adapted to penetratingly or frictionally engage with the ground surface.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a brace. More particularly, this invention relates to a brace adapted to stay a gate in an open position.

BACKGROUND ART

The following references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion should not be assumed to relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in 0 the art, but to assist in the inventive process undertaken by the inventor(s) and in the understanding of the invention.

The gate may be a farm or agricultural gate of the type hinged at one end and hung suspended and cantilevered so that the gate can swing about the hinge axis between an open and a closed position. Props, such as sticks found lying about, are traditionally 5 used to prop a gate open. Other means include a drop shaft fitted to the free end of the gate and adapted to drop vertically down to engage the ground or a preformed hole to trap the shaft using gravity to hold the shaft in the hole. Vertical drop shafts tend to drag along the ground or require a specific hole or hollow pipe installed in the ground surface which typically becomes useless as debris fills the hole.

) An object of the present invention is to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the 25 dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided:

A gate prop for a gate, which gate is adapted to:

(a) be rotatable about a vertical axis at a hinged end;

(b) have a frame hinged to a support structure;

(c) extend in its closed status partially or fully across an opening; and (d) open by rotating about the vertical axis away from the opening and, wherein the gate prop includes:

(i) a connection adapted to attach to the frame;

2018100328 15 Mar 2018 (ii) a prop shaft attached to the connection and movable, about a join relative to the connection, between a stowed position and a ground-engaging position; and (iii) a ground-engaging member at a remote end spaced from the attached end.

GATE

The gate may be a suburban, farm or agricultural gate of the type hinged at one end and hung suspended and cantilevered so that the gate can swing about a vertical hinge axis between an open and a closed position.

The gate may have a metal tubular or square-section frame. The frame may include vertical and lateral beams or struts interposed between a peripheral frame. The gate .0 may have wire mesh or a wire grid extending between the peripheral frame.

The frame preferably has, at an unsupported end opposed to the hinged end, a substantially vertical frame member. The vertical frame member may be a vertical beam located at a remote or free end of the frame opposed to the hinged end. The vertical frame member preferably has a substantially vertically aligned lower cavity .5 that is open at its lower end. The vertical frame member may be an open-ended tube.

The cavity may be defined by a square tube or a round tube. The dimensions of the square or round tube may be such that it has a nominal bore that is standard for agricultural gate frames. For example, the nominal bore may be 25 or 32mm.

CONNECTION >0 The connection may be a weld or be fastener-based. The connection may include a clamp. The connection may include one or more brackets. The brackets may besprung relative to one another or fastened together.

The connection may include a clamp with a sprung device using a spring or other resiliently biased material. The connection may include a spring-loaded, over-centre 25 cam device, a screw-clamp device, or other clamp device that enables the connection to be secured to either a lower frame beam or the vertical frame member.

Preferably the connection is adapted to engage the vertical frame member. The connection may be attached at a suitable height on the frame. The connection is preferably attached in situ on the vertical member such that, in the deployed position, 30 the ground-engaging foot of the prop shaft is positioned to brace against the closing force of the open gate. The connection may be attached at any suitable position on the vertical member intermediate its length. In this regard, it is noted that there may be significant or minimal ground clearance between the ground and the lower end of the vertical member, depending on the immediate topography of the land on which the 35 gate is installed. The connection may be attached to a lower portion of the frame.

2018100328 15 Mar 2018

The connection may be clamped or otherwise attached internally or externally to a component of the frame. The connection or part thereof is preferably adapted to be inserted into the vertical frame member from its underside opening. The connection may be an expanding clamp that operably expands to grip an inside surface of the 5 vertical frame member. The connection may include a dynabolt mechanism. The connection may include an expanding sleeve operable as a well nut that causes the outer surface of the sleeve to grip as it is axially displaced along a threaded shaft whereby it expands the outer case or sleeve. The well nut may have a rubber sleeve that expands as a tightening nut is rotated. The well nut may be adapted to permit 0 rotation of the prop shaft relative to the gate frame.

Accordingly, the connection may be in the form of a clamp that may engage the frame by a friction lock. This may utilise an existing recess typically found in a vertical frame member in most farm gates or otherwise clamp to a physical structure on the frame. The connection therefore may not use positive engagement means to engage 5 the frame. Therefore, it may be unnecessary to penetrate through the frame structure, such as to form an aperture for the purpose of using a fastener to secure the connection to the frame. The connection may be a clamp that includes a bolt with a threaded shaft.

The clamp may include an expandable sleeve, having a complementary nut threaded 0 to the bolt and adapted to axially compress as an outer rubber sleeve. The nut may be a well nut. The sleeve may be adapted to surround the bolt and to radially expand the sleeve as the sleeve is axially compressed. The sleeve may have an end radial lip that engages with an end surface of the vertical frame member to limit the extent to which the sleeve can be inserted into the cavity.

z5 The connection and the prop shaft may meet at a junction or join. The join between the connection and the prop shaft may be resiliently deformable or flexible. The join may be hinged to enable the prop shaft to rotate relative to the connection. The join may comprise a universal joint to enable the prop shaft to rotate or move in more than one plane relative to the connection. The join may include a combination pair of hinges allowing rotation about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis to permit relative universal movement of the prop shaft relative to the grate frame. The connection and the shaft prop may be respectively mounted to a hinge bracket. The hinge bracket may comprise a pair of arms normal to each other. The prop shaft may be hingedly mounted to a first arm of the hinge bracket and the connection mounted to the other of 35 the arms.

The connection is preferably adapted to secure the connection vertically relative to the frame whilst permitting the prop shaft to rotate about a vertical axis or be adapted to

2018100328 15 Mar 2018 sweep laterally through an arc whilst positioned at an inclination to the vertical.

Accordingly, the connection may be adapted to permit some rotation of the prop shaft . about a vertical axis. This may be achieved by using a universal joint or resiliently deformable material to form the join to permit lateral movement of the prop shaft. It may also be achieved by having a join in the form of a hinge of fixed axis relative to the connection and permitting a bolt shaft extending into the sleeve to allow rotation within the sleeve, whilst the sleeve remains fixed to the inner surface of the frame tube to which it is attached. '

The connection preferably is, in use, house in the hollow end of a tube forming part of 0 the frame. The sleeve of the connection is preferably adapted to axially and circumferentially grip the inner surface of the tube. Rotational movement of the prop shaft through an arc relative to the tube may be achieved by permitting the threaded shaft inserted in the sleeve to rotate relative to the sleeve. The advantage of permitting the prop shaft to travel through a swept path about the vertical axis of the gate frame 15 member is to minimise damage to the gate prop caused by lateral impacts by people, livestock or vehicles, by permitting deflection on receiving such impacts.

PROP SHAFT

The prop shaft may be movable to the stowed position near to or adjacent to the connection, the stowed position may be parallel to a longitudinal axis of the >0 connection. The prop shaft may be movable to an operating position in which its ground-engaging member rests on the ground surface. Preferably, the prop shaft is set at an angle or inclination to the ground surface in the operating position. This may serve to brace against any force urging the gate to return from, or go beyond, the operating position relative to a closed position extending across a plane of the opening.

When mounted to the gate, to deploy the gate prop, the prop shaft may be adapted to be released from the stowed position and to swing through an arc lying in a prop plane. The prop plane may be traverse to, and more preferably normal to, a plane in which the gate predominantly lies (“the gate plane”). The axis of rotation of the prop 30 shaft may be aligned normal to the longitudinal axis of the connection or the connection sleeve. The axis of rotation of the prop shaft may be aligned to the horizontal.

The prop shaft may be a linear, bent or curved bar. The prop shaft may include a bend formed intermediate the length of the prop shaft. The bend may direct the prop shaft 35 free end inwardly towards the vertical frame member in the stowed position. The prop shaft may be adapted to be flexed so that the free end is biased or urged into engagement with the vertical frame member. The prop shaft may thereby be

2018100328 15 Mar 2018 engageable with the vertical frame member. The prop shaft free end may have a spliced or bifurcated end portion whereby to grip a curved surface of the vertical frame member.The prop shaft may comprise multiple sections joined by an elbow.

The elbow may comprise a bend in the prop shaft. The elbow may be located anywhere along the length of the prop shaft. The elbow may be located closer to the free end of the prop shaft than to the connection. The bend may have an obtuse angle of between 2-30°, and preferably between 3-10°. Alternatively, the elbow may be articulated whereby to enable the elbow angle to be set at any one of a range of obtuse angles.

The gap can be narrow between the free end of an installed and closed gate and a corresponding post or other structure to which the closed gate can be secured. Therefore the elbow angle will generally be shallow whereby the prop shaft may extend along or into the gap. Alternatively, the prop shaft may be installed to travel in a pathway or an arc that does not intersect with the gap, such as by locating the prop shaft such that it extends in the deployed position forward or aft of the gate’s free end.

The prop shaft may be telescopic. The prop shaft may be a linear shaft and have a shaft longitudinal axis. The prop shaft may be a solid member. The solid member may be made of hard plastic or, more preferably metal, such as Aluminium, stainless steel or another alloy or composite. The prop shaft is preferably made of solid metal.

The prop shaft is preferably square or rectangular in section. The prop shaft is preferably rectangular in section and wider in a direction substantially normal to the gate plane. The prop shaft is thereby preferably stronger and less prone to bending failure from forces to which it may be subjected to in a direction that is a normal to the gate plane.

The free end of the prop shaft may be ground engaging. The free end may include a ground-engaging member. The ground-engaging member may be in the form of a ground-engaging stop. The ground-engaging member may have permanent features for gripping certain types of terrain, such as a rubber foot or one or more protruding spikes or multiple spikes aligned divergently on the free end of the prop shaft. The 30 ground-engaging member may include rubber knobs.

Preferably, the ground-engaging member may take the form of a variety of optional feet with varying frictional surfaces and/or ground-engaging features. The groundengaging member may include a removable rubber, plastic or metal foot that slips on as a sleeve on to the free end. The sleeve may be in the form of a short sock or boot. 35 The sleeve may be secured to the free end by a grub screw, weld, adhesive or by a friction fit.

2018100328 15 Mar 2018

The prop shaft may further include an attachment that releasably locks the prop shaft into the stowed position. The attachment may include a biased catch or bolt. The attachment may include a cam device or mechanism. The attachment may include an over-centre cam mechanism. The attachment may include a ramp clamp. The ramp clamp may be adapted to ride over the surface of the vertical frame member’s outer surface and to releasably lock the prop shaft into place in the stowed position.

The attachment may be magnetic. The attachment may consist of or comprise a magnet. The vertical member or another portion of the gate may correspondingly include a ferrous metal portion to enable the magnet to attach to the gate. The magnet 0 may be located in or on the prop shaft. The magnet may be located at or near the free end of the prop shaft. The magnet may be provided separately and be adapted to be attached or inserted onto or into the frame or another part of the gate, in which case at least part of the gate prop includes ferrous metal to ensure attachment to the magnet in the stored position.

The attachment may be made from a plastic material. The attachment may in part be made from Teflon® or similar low-friction material. The attachment may be made from the same material as the prop shaft.

The attachment may be secured to an inside surface of the prop shaft. The attachment may define a shallow and curved channel into which a portion of the gate frame may 0 be received to enable the prop shaft to be stowed against the frame.

The gate may be adapted to swing about its hinged support with the shaft prop raised in the stowed position and out of contact with the ground surface. To release the attachment, the prop shaft may be urged laterally and with sufficient force to displace the frame member from the attachment by riding over a cam surface or side wall of 25 the channel. The prop shaft, the junction or the frame may therefore have sufficient slack or flex to enable the attachment to ride in and out of engagement with the frame, respectively between the stowed and deployed positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of 30 preferred embodiments, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional partially exploded plan view according to a first embodiment;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the gate prop shown in Figure 1 in assembled form;

Figure 3 is a side sectional view of a gate prop according to a second ) embodiment in which a prop shaft is rotated 180° relative to the gate prop > shown in Figure 2; and i Figure 4 is a side sectional view of the gate prop shown in Figure 3 in which < the prop shaft is rotated 90°;

) 5 Figure 5 is a side sectional view of the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 in which the rotatability of the prop shaft is illustrated;

) Figure 6 is a front view of a farm gate according to the prior art;

> Figure 7 is a front partial view of the gate shown in Figure 6 installed with a > gate prop according to the second embodiment.

> 0 Figure 8 is a side view of a gate prop according to a third embodiment;

I Figure 9a is a front view of a gate prop according to a fourth embodiment;

Figure 9b is a side view of the gate prop shown in Fig. 9a;

Figure 9c is a side view of a gate prop according to a fifth embodiment similar to the fourth embodiment but having an elbow with a sharper angle;

Figure 10 is a side view of a gate prop according to a sixth embodiment;

similar to the third embodiment with an attachment including a vertically aligned groove; and

Figure 11 is a side view of a gate prop according to a seventh embodiment incorporating a magnet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 3 and 4 show a gate prop 10 for a gate 1 of the type useful for farming or agricultural applications. The gate 1 is adapted to be rotatable about a substantially vertical axis Y at a hinged end 2 of the gate 1. The gate 1 has a frame 2 with a lower portion 6 and is hinged to a support structure, such as a vertical gate post 3, typically embedded in the ground and secured in a hole with cured concrete. The gate 1 is adapted to extend, in its closed status, across an opening, typically in a fence line, the opening being defined by a pair of spaced gate posts as has been described in the art. The gate 1 may be opened by the rotating gate 1 away from the opening and about the vertical axis Y and swung to an opening extent desired by an operator.

2018100328 15 Mar 2018

The gate prop 10 includes a connection in the form of a clamp 20 to engage with the frame 2 on the lower portion 6. In other embodiments of the invention, the connection may be a fastening attachment, optionally suing brackets to attach higher up or lower down the frame, according to the height that the gate’s free end 4 assumes in the . deployed position. The gate prop 10 further includes a prop shaft 30. The prop shaft 30 is attached to the clamp 20 at an attached end 31 of the prop shaft 30. The prop shaft 30 is movable between a stowed position shown in Figure 7 and an active, ground-engaging position in which a ground-engaging member at the remote end 32 is adapted to penetratingly or frictionally engage with the ground surface.

With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a gate prop 10a in partially exploded view comprising a clamp 20 a and a prop shaft 30a hingedly connected by a hinge bracket 50a.

The clamp 20a comprises a threaded bolt 21 preferably made from hardened steel that is inserted through a pre-formed aperture made in the hinge bracket 50a, such that a 5 long, threaded shaft 22a of the bolt 21 extends outwardly from a clamp arm 51a of the hinge bracket 50a. The bolt shaft 22a may be threaded along its entire length, so that it may be adapted to frictionally grip a clamp sleeve 24a along substantially its entire length. However, the clamp bolt 21a may simply be threaded at an end portion 25a in order to engage a complementary end female threaded portion 26a in the clamp sleeve 0 24a.

As depicted in Figure 1, the clamp sleeve 24a may be placed over the clamp bolt 21a and an open flanged end 27a forced onto the shaft 21a until the female threaded insert 26a comes into contact with the free end 25 a of the bolt 21a. Thereafter, the clamp sleeve 24a may be rotated whereby the insert 26a is threadably engaged to the end portion 25a to the extent that the flange outer surface 28a comes into contact with a barbed washer 29a. The body 23 a of the clamp sleeve 24a is made from a flexible and expandable material such as natural or synthetic rubber. The threading of the clamp sleeve 22a onto the clamp bolt 21a has the effect of compressing the body 23a as the threaded insert 26a is urged towards the flange 27a, thereby causing the body 23a to bulge radially outwardly to provide a clamping mechanism. Other forms of outwardly or radially expandable clamps might also be used as a substitute for the clamp 20.

The hinged bracket 50a comprises the first arm 51a set substantially at right angles to a second arm 52a in a single unitary piece of metal, such as galvanised iron or steel. Mounted to the second arm 52a by means of inserting a short bolt 53a through a corresponding aperture in the second arm 52a and the attachment end 3 la of the prop shaft 30a. The latter may be mounted to the hinge bracket 50a, such that the longitudinal axes X, Y respectively, can be either aligned in parallel, as shown in

2018100328 15 Mar 2018

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 7, or at an angle as depicted in Figure 5 in which the X axis of the prop shaft 30 can be fully rotated through 360° about its rotational axis R. In practice, the preferred brace position for the prop shaft 30 to secure a gate in the open position is between 30-60° relative to the generally vertical Y-axis.

Referring again to Figure 5, the clamp 20 is insertable in the lower portion 6 of the frame to stop the lower portion 6 is typically open ended and may be formed from a square or round-sectioned tube. The clamp 20, having an unstressed minimal diameter of, for example, 23 millimetres or 30mm, may be activated by screwing the clamp sleeve 24a further up the bolt 21a, such that the body 23a bulges to grip and clamp to the inner surface of the lower portion 6. The hinge bracket 50, in connected position, will depend from the lower portion 6 in fixed relation thereto.

The prop shaft 30 may be made in different lengths to suit different applications, depending on the height of the lower portion 6 above the ground surface G and any unevenness in the ground surface G. The prop shaft 30 may be telescopic to accommodate different length requirements. However, as illustrated in the drawings, the gate prop may be of a fixed length suitable for a particular application. The gate prop 10 may be provided in a range of lengths to suit different applications.

The prop shaft 30 preferably has an attachment in the form of a frame-engaging attachment 40 in the form of a stop 40a adapted to releasably attach the prop shaft 30 .0 to an outer surface 7 of the frame 5, preferably in the lower portion 6. As shown in

Figures 3-5, the stop 40 may define a central shallow recess 41. The recess may be in the form of a saddle, groove or channel with side cam or ramp walls 42.

Accordingly, the stop 40 is adapted to ride over the external surface 7 until the external surface 7 rests in the cradle of the channel 41. The hinge bracket 50 may flex 25 to permit the deflection of the prop shaft 30 away from the external surface 7 or the bolt 53a may be sufficiently loose to permit slack in the joint such that the prop shaft 30 is adapted to deflect. In either case, the permissible relative movement of the stop compared to the frame 5 facilitates the travel of the external surface 7 over the side wall 42 and into the cradle of the channel 41 in the stowed position.

The gate prop 10 is adapted to rotate whereby the connection 20 permits rotation of the prop shaft 30 about the threaded shaft’s 21a axis (corresponding to the Y axis). This may mitigate damage to the gate prop 10 caused by impact forces associated with livestock hooves, vehicle tyres and the like. This is achieved by the ability of the prop shaft 30 to deflect by permitting the threaded shaft 21a to rotate within the sleeve 24a relative to a well nut 26a contained within the sleeve 24a and adapted to expand the sleeve 24a to form a radial clamp securable within the tube o the vertical member8 at the lower portion 6 of the gate frame 5.

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Whilst it is within the scope of the invention to make the prop shaft 30 sufficiently elastic to permit inherent deflection, it is preferable that the prop shaft 30b rigid to perform as a brace whereby it resists deflexion or flexion under compressive forces. The prop shaft 30 is preferably shaped to be wider in a dimension normal to a plane of 5 the gate 1 (“the normal plane”) than in the dimension parallel to the plane in which the gate 1 lies (“the gate plane”). Preferably, the prop shaft 30 is about twice as wide in the normal plane as it is in the dimension of the gate 1 plane. This is aimed to optimise the gate prop’s 10 bracing strength.

In the embodiment shown, the gate prop 30 is about 20 mm wide and 10 mm deep. 0 As the space or gap 9 between the external surface 7 and an inner surface of a nonhinged gate post 3 is desirably kept to a minimum, such as between 30-30 mm, and preferably 25 mm, the spacing between the outermost portion of the external surface 7 and a bolt head 54 of the bolt 21 in the stowed position is desirably kept to a minimum, ideally with at least a 3-5 mm spacing between the head 54 and the inner 5 surface of the post 3. Accordingly, advantageously the head 54 has a low profile.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the foot 60 of the gate prop may comprises interchangeable or replaceable socks with different ground-engaging features. For example, in Figure 1, the sock 60a in place on the end of the prop shaft 30a is a rubber foot that is placed over the end 35a of the prop shaft. However, although a rubber foot 0 60a is suitable for concrete C as depicted in Figure 6 where the ground surface is relatively smooth, turf G as shown in Figure 7 more suitably requires a foot having spikes 61b. Therefore, the feet 60a, 60b may be used interchangeably, depending on the particular terrain C, G. However, as shown in Figures 3-5, the prop shaft end 35 may be equipped, for example, with permanent ground-engaging features, such as 5 spikes 61 where the dedicated purpose of the gate prop 10 is for engaging turf G.

In practice, it can be seen that a gate prop 10 mounted to a gate 1 may be used to prop the gate 1 open by being used as a brace between the lower gate portion 6 and the ground C, G by extending downward at an inclined angle to engage the ground C, G. Moreover, the prop 10 may be dislodged from its engagement via the stop 40 to the external surface 7 by simply kicking or otherwise nudging the stop 40 loose of the lower portion 6, so that the prop shaft 30 drops down whereby the foot 60 rests on the ground C, G and can be dragged backwards to an open position where it marginally returns toward the closed position to “bite” or grip the ground surface C,G.

As the hinged connection 50 about which the prop shaft 30 rotates allows free rotation 35 of the prop shaft 30, the prop shaft 30 may simply trail the gate 1 as it is opened.

However, any mobilising force urging the gate 1 towards the closed position will be blocked by the gate prop 10 acting as a brace by digging into or engaging the ground

2018100328 15 Mar 2018 surface C, G, such that the gate 1 will remain open until an operator releases it from ground contact.

The gate prop 10 provides a convenient mechanism for staying a gate 1 open and may avoid damage to the gate 1 or other property caused by the inadvertent impact of the 5 gate 1 whilst vehicles or stock are moving through the opening. The gate prop 10 is easy to retrofit or install and extremely robust whereby to resist the wear and potential damage occasioned by vehicles, people and stock. Moreover, the expandable clamp body 23 is adapted to expand to create a tight weather seal within the tube of the vertical member 8 at the lower portion 6.

Referring to Figs. 8-11, there is shown various optional prop shaft 30 forms of attachment. 40. In Figure 8, the attachment 40 comprises a high friction pad 40b at the remote end 32b of the prop shaft 30b. The prop shaft 30b comprises a linear section 33b extending for a majority of the length of the prop shaft 30b. However, approaching the remote end 32b, the prop shaft transitions to an inwardly curved section 34b with a nominal elbow 35b located intermediate the length of the prop shaft 30b. The prop shaft 30b is comprised of a highly sprung material, such as spring steel or high density plastic with high elasticity, such that the prop shaft 30b is adapted to flex in a manner in which the attachment 40b is urged into frictional engagement with the outer surface 7 of the vertical member 8. The attachment 40b ideally has a high friction surface 43b, whereby to grip the outer surface 7. It can be seen from Figure 8, that the expandable well nut 26a is frictionally engaged within the tube of the vertical member 8 by gripping the internal surface 8b of the tube. The hinge bracket 50a provides a mechanism whereby to rotatably secure the prop shaft 30b to the well nut 26a, permitting free rotation about axis Xb and limited rotation against high frictional 25 engagement about axis Yb.

Referring to Figures 9a-b, there is shown another embodiment of the invention. In Figure 9a, a prop shaft 30c is shown having a bifurcated remote end 32c, The bifurcated end 302c defines a terminal v-shaped gap 36c that provides a cradle within which the outer surface 7 may come to rest in the stowed position. Figure 9b shows 30 the prop shaft 30c on its own from a side view and illustrates the profile of the remote end 32c, including the V-shaped gap 36c. The prop shaft 30c includes an elbow 35c intermediate its length that bends the terminal and remote end 32c towards the outer surface 7 in the stowed position. Comparing the profiles of the prop shaft 30c from a front view (Figure 9a) and a side view (Figure 9b) illustrates the relative dimensions 35 of the prop shaft 3 0c in both the normal plane N and the gate plane P.

The embodiment shown in Figure 10 is similar to that shown in Figure 5 in which an attachment 40d is welded, fastened or glued to an inner surface 37d of a prop shaft

2018100328 15 Mar 2018

30d at the joining surfaces 38d. The attachment 40d includes a central longitudinal groove 4 Id having a recess defined by a pair of spaced side walls 42d. The recess 4 Id has a curved surface in a transverse direction and a linear surface in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the Y axis) to correspond and complement the outer convex surface 7.

In Figure 11, there is shown a prop shaft 30e having a magnet 40e attached at or near the remote end 32e. The magnet 40e is adapted to magnetically attach to a ferrous/various metal component of the gate 1 such as the outer surface 7 of the vertical member 8.

.0 Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word “comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or .5 features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

In the present specification, terms such as “apparatus”, “means”, “device” and “member” may refer to singular or plural items and are terms intended to refer to a set of properties, functions or characteristics performed by one or more items or components having one or more parts. It is envisaged that where an “apparatus”, “means”, “device” or “member” or similar term is described as being a unitary object, then a functionally equivalent object having multiple components is considered to fall within the scope of the term, and similarly, where an “apparatus”, “assembly”, “means”, “device” or “member” is described as having multiple components, a functionally equivalent but unitary object is also considered to fall within the scope of the term, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

The meaning of descriptive, precise or absolute terms such as “flexed”, “normal”, “parallel”, “horizontal”, “vertical” or “fully” includes the preceding qualifier “substantially or almost”, unless the context or contrary is expressly indicated.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the prop shaft 30 lowermost.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. The Claims:

   1. A gate prop for a gate, which gate is adapted to:

   (a) be rotatable about a vertical axis at a hinged end;

   (b) have a frame hinged to a support structure;

   5 (c) have a lower portion;

   (d) extend in its closed status partially or fully across an opening; and (e) open by rotating about the vertical axis away from the opening and, wherein the gate prop includes:

   (i) a connection adapted to attach to the frame;

   0 (ii) a prop shaft attached to the connection and movable, about a join relative to the connection, between a stowed position and a ground-engaging position;

   (iii) a ground-engaging member at a remote end spaced from the attached end;

   (iv) the connection is adapted to permit the prop shaft to sweep laterally whilst positioned at an inclination to the vertical; and

   5 (v) the connection is clamped or otherwise attached externally to a component of the frame.
2. 2. The gate prop according to Claim 1, wherein the join between the connection and the prop shaft comprises a universal joint that enables the prop shaft to rotate or move in more than one plane relative to the connection.

   0
3. 3. The gate prop according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection includes a screwclamp device adapted to secure the connection to a frame member of the lower portion.
4. 4. The gate prop according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the connection includes a threaded bolt and well nut mechanism adapted to expand an 25 outer sleeve.