AU732231B2

AU732231B2 - Gate hinge improvements

Info

Publication number: AU732231B2
Application number: AU43601/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lance Malcolm Vater
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-10-30
Filing date: 1997-10-29
Publication date: 2001-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-29
Also published as: AU4360197A

Description

47010 HKS:LJF P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: LANCE MALCOLM VATER Name of inventor(s): LANCE MALCOLM VATER Address for Service: COLLISON CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: GATE HINGE IMPROVEMENTS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PO3299 dated 30th October 1996 and P04108 dated 9th December 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: This invention relates to gate hinges.

In providing a hinge or hinges for a gate made from a tubular perimeter frame, it has been conventional to provide, for very heavy duty applications, a surrounding sleeve which is fitted prior to erection of the gate, the sleeve having welded to it a threaded rod which is then secured to a supporting post by passing this through an appropriate aperture and then locking this by an appropriate nut engaging the thread of the bolt.

There are at least two significant difficulties with this previous arrangement.

The first is that implicitly, a sleeve has to be located around the upright end of 1 0 the gate prior to completion of the construction of the gate.

Secondly, the fabrication technique involves having a bolt the end of which has to be secured in a very positive way to a sleeve, and to provide substantial strength requires firstly that the sleeve be of reasonable thickness and secondly, there is time required to perform the weld in such a way that it will 1 5 provide firstly adequate strength, secondly a minimum of distortion so that the sleeve will still match the external diameter of the upright of the gate, and finally, it is relevant that the weld must be carefully achieved to minimise subsequent capture of water which will lead to unnecessary corrosion.

It would be better if there could be a system which could provide sufficient 2 0 strength while being able to be fitted subsequent to construction of the gate, which could however provide for positive location of the upright of the gate, and which overall can be manufactured at a cost which at least makes it economic in the commercial regime applying to articles of this type.

o It is an object of this invention to propose both a method of supporting a gate, 25 a bracket which is appropriate for incorporation in the method, and a set of parts all of which can be useful to provide for an improvement in respect of gate hinges of the type described.

In one form of this invention, there is proposed a gate hinge assembly, Scomprising a rod having at an inner end,a head, and a bracket adapted to engage around an upright of a gate to provide hinging engagement thereby, 3 the bracket including two spaced apart ends which are inwardly directed one toward the other which are kept in a close engaging and interlocking relationship with respect to the head by bolt means passing through the bracket.

In preference, the rod is comprised of a threaded rod and there is a nut at its outer end adapted to hold the rod in a clamping engagement with respect to an upright supporting post.

In preference, at the inner side, the head is comprised of a nut which is locked in position on the thread of the rod.

In preference, such locking is achieved by welding the nut to the rod.

10 In preference, the bracket is formed by metal pressing and is formed from a sheet of metal into an approximate U shape where each respective leg of the U shape has at its end respectively and inturned tongue.

In preference, the bracket is at first provided as an article having a shape in which the legs are splayed further apart sufficient for the bracket to be located around the appropriate diameter of an upright of a gate.

In preference, the bracket is adapted to be able to be closed by pushing the two legs together into an interlocking relationship with respect to the head of the rod to which it can be attached.

In order to assist in allowing for the bracket to be able to be closed under relatively small pressure while allowing for the bracket none the less to provide substantial strength when in an interlocking and supporting position, there is a slot at the apex of the U shape and extending almost edge to edge so that the bracket itself can be bent about the remaining material left at each end of the slot.

In preference, each end of the U shape has a tongue which also has a concave cut out portion which matches the diameter of the rod to which it is to engage against.

The length of the tongue is such that the side of the leg when the tongue is pulled into a co-reacting relationship with the opposite tongue, will engage against a flat side of a nut acting as the head so as to assist in restricting rotation of the bracket against relative rotation with respect to the rod.

The invention can also apply to a bracket which has the purpose of providing a hinging support for a gate the type described wherein the bracket is comprised of a member formed from a sheet of steel into a U shape and having inturned tongues at each respective end of the U shape.

The invention in a further form can be said to reside in the method of supporting a gate which comprises the steps of using a bracket of the type described which is brought to engage around the upright of the gate, and then closing together the legs of the bracket so as to engage behind the head of a rod which can be secured to a post and then providing means to maintain this closed position of the bracket to maintain securement of the bracket in a hinging position.

*o e In a further preferred form the bracket is comprised of two parts where one part provides one side of a bracket and the other part provides another side of the 1. 15 bracket.

This provides additional advantages from the previously described embodiment in so far that the bracket can now be assembled in situ around a gate and can then be held in an interlocking position by a bolt and nut passing through the respective parts of the bracket.

In a further preferred form the two parts of the bracket are joined together by having oppositely directed slots which will interengage one with respect to the other at an outer end of the bracket.

According to a further preferred feature, the head of the threaded rod has a slot extending across its end, of a shape and size so that a bolt adapted to hold the parts of the bracket together can nest within the slot.

The advantage of this is that the bracket can then be positioned closer to any supporting post through which the threaded rod will pass.

For a better understanding of this invention, reference will now be made to preferred embodiments which will be described with the assistance of 3 0 drawings wherein Fig 1 is a plan view of the elements making up the embodiment including an exploded view of a nut and bolt adapted to pass through the respective apertures within the bracket, Fig 2 is a view as in Fig 1 of the first embodiment being shown however in the assembled position with the bracket engaging the head of the rod, Fig 3 is a view of the bracket used in Fig's 1 2 and shows in the centre a plan view in its spread form, and then at each axis, a view of the same bracket from that particular direction, Fig 4 is a perspective view of an assembly showing how the embodiment is used to actually hold a gate, .:oooi Fig 5 is a view of the bracket in a closed position, Fig 6 is a view of the closed bracket from a reverse direction, Fig 7 is an illustration according to the embodiment where the bracket is first brought around the upright of the gate and is about to be closed on the head of the rod, ***Fig 8 is the next stage in which the bracket has been closed around the head and the bolt has been passed through to engage therethrough the bracket, Fig's 9 10 are the views as in Fig's 7 8 from the opposite direction, and Fig 11 is the perspective view of the open bracket alone.

Fig 12 is a perspective of a general assembly showing two gate hinges in position supporting a gate, Fig 13 is a perspective view of the elements forming the embodiment in an exploded arrangement, Fig 14 is a perspective view of the bracket in an assembled form, Fig 15 is a view of the two parts forming the bracket in a disassembled location, Fig 16 is an opposite perspective view of the two parts making up the bracket in a disassembled arrangement, Fig 17 is a perspective view from one position of the assembled bracket, Fig 18 is the same assembled bracket from an opposite location, and Fig 19 is a cross sectional view along the lines XX as shown in Fig 18.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the assembly 1 includes a threaded rod 2 to which there is, at an inner end 3, a nut 4 which apart from being screwed 1 0 onto the threaded rod 2, is also affixed to this so as not to be able to be moved further, by having a touch of weld between the nut and rod.

Nut 5 allows for the rod 2 to be locked onto an appropriate post such as is shown in Fig 4 at 6 and the inner nut 7 allows for a clamping of the rod 2 with respect to the post 6 so that the extent to which the head 4 can be adjusted in position relative to the post can be controlled by relative control of the nuts 5 7.

Bracket 8 is formed by a pressing action from a sheet of steel into a shape which in cross-section and from the view for instance at Fig 3 and in Fig 1 is clearly of U shape with inturned tongues 9 °o These inturned tongues 9 10 are generally directed so as to extend in an opposite direction one with respect to the other and their purpose is to engage behind the nut 4 so as to enable an interlocking of the bracket 8 with respect to the head comprised of the nut 4.

In order for the bracket 8 to interlock as it closes around the inner upright 11 of a gate 12, the shape includes two inset parts at 13 and 14 so that when closed, these two parts will provide a more than 1800 surround as is shown specifically in Fig 2 which enables the bracket to stop lateral freedom of any upright 11 toward the head 4.

To assist in allowing for a clamping together of the legs 9 10 of the bracket, there is provided a slot 15 which thereby leaves only a smaller amount of material as is shown say at 16 which means that it is somewhat easier to press the legs together while at the same time, if the bracket is tested in strength for instance by a heavy weight being applied to the gate 12, there is sufficient strength at least in tension across the material left to provide all of the strength necessary.

When the tongues 9 10 are closed together so as to interlock behind the nut 4, there is provided a concave cut out shape as shown at 17 and 18 the 1 0 diameter of which is chosen to match the external diameter of the rod 2 and this also then allows for the remaining parts of the tongues to come closer together.

With the shape of the nut 4 being hexagonal, and being orientated as is shown typically in Fig's 1 2, this leaves adjacent flat sides as is shown in 19 1 5 20 which can then be engaged by the legs of the bracket so that the bracket then is further held by this engagement against relative rotation of the bracket with respect to the rod 2.

As a final feature, a coach head bolt 21 is arranged to pass through respective apertures 22 23 and to be held by nut 24 so that by tightening of this, this will 2 0 cause the two legs of the bracket to be kept to clamp together.

It is of relevance that it would be expected that the bracket 8 would be normally closed by either hand pressure in the first instance or by hand .•*,*pressure with some assistance to which stage where it can be finally clamped together by use of the bolt 21.

It is of relevance that aperture 22 is a square aperture so as to engage the square shape beneath the coach head of the bolt 21.

Now referring in detail figs 12 through to 18, the assembly 25 includes a threaded rod 26 to which there is, at an inner end 27, a nut 28.

The nut 28 together with the end of the threaded rod 26 have a slot 29 jointly 3 0 cut there through the shape and size of which is such that the shaft 30 of the bolts 31 will nest neatly therein.

8 The nut 28 is locked on to the end of the threaded rod 26 by appropriate means and in this case, swaging of the end of the rod into the nut.

Bracket 32 is comprised of two parts 33 and 34 which in this embodiment are of identical shape and size but by reason of the orientation of an outer end tab shown at 35 in the one case and 36 in the other, and these having oppositely directed slots, these can be caused to interengage one with respect to the other so as to hold respective ends in an interlocking and interengaging relationship.

The effect of this is of course to hold the ends of the bracket together and such 1 0 that by closing the two parts 33 and 34 together by using the bolt 31 and the nut 37, the two parts can be held together so that the respective inturned ends at 38 and 39 can be held in a mutually engaging relationship behind the nut 28.

It will now be seen that the improvement is to provide that the bracket comes in two parts which are separable but interlock at one end by mutual interengagment and at the other end are held in an interlocking relationship by a nut and bolt.

o A further difference is the use of a slot which allows for the bolt 31 to have its shaft 30 embedded within the nut and the end of the rod 26 which therefor allows the bracket as a whole to be positioned closer to any upright supporting post such is as shown in Fig 12 at 39.

S. It will be understood that other means of joining the two parts of the bracket together can be used.

Some variations to the description can be readily apparent so it is clear that it is not intended that the invention should be necessarily limited to any of the specific details set down in respect to the described embodiment.

Claims

9.. 25 7 A gate hinge assembly as in the immediately preceding claim further characterised in that the bracket is adapted to be able to be closed by pushing the two legs together into an interlocking relationship with respect to the head of the rod to which it can be attached. A gate hinge assembly as in the immediately preceding claim further characterised in that there is a slot at the apex of the U shape of the bracket and extending almost edge to edge so that the legs of the bracket are assisted thereby to be bent about the remaining material left at each end of the slot. 9 A gate hinge assembly as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that each end of the U shape of the bracket has a tongue which also has a concave cut out portion which matches the diameter of the rod to which it is to engage against. A gate hinge assembly as in the immediately preceding claim further 1 0 characterised in that the length of the tongue is such that the side of the leg when the tongue is pulled into a co-reacting relationship with the opposite tongue, will engage against a flat side of a nut acting as the head so as to assist in restricting rotation of the bracket against relative rotation with respect to the rod. 1 1 A gate hinge assembly as in any one of the preceding claims 1,2,3 or 4 further characterised in that the bracket is comprised of two parts where one part provides one side of a bracket and the other part provides another side of the bracket. o 12 A gate hinge assembly as in the immediately preceding claim further 2 0 characterised in that the bracket is shaped and otherwise adapted so that it be assembled in situ around a gate and then be held in an interlocking °oo 0position by a bolt and nut passing through the respective parts of the bracket. 06°° 0 000 13 A gate hinge assembly as either one of preceding claims 11 or S. 12 further characterised in that the two parts of the bracket are joined S 2 5 together by having oppositely directed slots which will interengage one with 0 respect to the other at an outer end of the bracket. 00 o 014 A gate hinge assembly as preceding claims 11 or 12 further characterised in that a head of the threaded rod has a slot extending across its end, of a shape and size so that a bolt adapted to hold the parts of the bracket 3 0 together can nest within the slot. 11 A method of supporting a gate which includes the steps of using a bracket comprised of a member formed from a sheet of steel in a U shape and having inturned tongues at each respective end of the U shape or the bracket includes two parts joined together by having oppositely directed slots which interengage one with respect to the other at an outer end of the bracket, wherein said bracket is brought to engage around the upright of the gate, and then closing together legs of the bracket so as to engage behind an end of a rod and thereby interlock with this which can be secured to a post and then with a nut and bolt maintain this closed position of the bracket to maintain securement of the hinging support.
16. A gate hinge assembly substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in either one of S figures 1 through 11 or 12 through 18.
17. A bracket for a gate hinge assembly substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in i" 0• any one of figures 1 through 11 or 12 through 18. 000) Dated this 15th day of February 2001 LANCE MALCOLM VATER By his Patent Attorneys COLLISON CO 0 00•