GB2271603A - Gate safety catch - Google Patents

Abstract

A child resistant catch 38 for a child safety gate 12 which may form part of a safety barrier mountable in a doorway or the like comprises an inverted channel section latch lever 40 pivoted by a pin 42 at the top of the gate 12. One arm 44 of the lever projects sideways to engage on each side of the gate frame 10 to prevent the gate being swung open. Preferably the gate carries a formation 36 that must be disengaged by lifting the gate and arm 44 also carries a cross pin 46 to prevent the gate being lifted by engaging formation 48. The other arm 50 of the lever extends along the top rail of the gate and is engaged by opposing push buttons 52 which are spring urged outwardly in opposite directions. This arm can only be lifted to free the gate for opening by depressing both push buttons 52 simultaneously which a small child cannot do. <IMAGE>

Description

GATE SAFETY CATCH' This invention relates to safety catches for gates and to safety barriers incorporating said catches for use in the home and elsewhere to confine small children to safe areas, for example to prevent access to steps and staircases where they might fall. to keep them out of rooms containing hazards such as kitchens, or to confine them to safe areas outdoors, e.g. to a garden. yard or play area.

Various child safety catches and barriers have been proposed but these are not always satisfactory or safe in use. A simple fixed fence or barrier across a doorway, stair head or the like must be securely clamped or otherwise fixed so that it cannot be accidentally dislodged e.g. by the child attempting to climb it but this is also a hazard and obstruction to passage of adults who either have to get over the barrier (dangerous or not possible for an elderly or disabled person) or unfasten it and fasten it again securely A barrier or fence incorporating an openable gate has obvious advantages even though this adds to the complexity of the construction but it is then important that the gate is reasonably easy for an adult to open can quickly and positively be secured again after passage therethrough, and that it be secured against release by the child having in mind that they are quick to see and imitate the action needed The object of the invention is to provide a reliable and effective child safety barrier giving a high degree of security so far as small children are concerned, yet which is convenient in allowing adult passage: and to provide a simple safety catch which can be fitted to a standard gate, e.g. a garden or yard gate According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a safety catch for use with a hinged gate comprising a latch lever adapted to be fulcrumed on an edge part of the gate remote from the hinge in use for displacement about a horizontal axis between an engaged position at which an abutment formation or formations on a first arm of the lever projecting beyond said edge part will operatively engage with or about a fixed frame, gate post or the like to prevent movement of the gate from its closed condition and a free position permitting opening of the gate; and locking means adapted to be mounted in or on said gate edge part in use and having a pair of bolts resiliently urged to project outwardly on opposite sides of said edge part to engage through apertures in parts of a second arm of the lever which overlie said opposite sides in use in the engaged position, whereby the latch lever can only be operatively freed from the engaged position while pressing both bolts inwards simultaneously.

The invention further resides in a hinged gate or barrier assembly including a safety catch as defined by the last preceding paragraph.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a child safety barrier including a frame adapted to be operatively clamped or otherwise fixed across a doorway, stair head or other opening, said frame defining a gateway for passage through the barrier: a gate hinged to the frame on a generally vertical axis and also being liftable to a restricted extent relative to the frame, interengaging formations of the gate and frame retaining the gate in a closed position blocking the gateway so that the gate has to be lifted to free it for opening: and releasable securing means blocking upward displacement of the gate when closed, said means comprising a latch lever fulcrumed on an edge part of the gate remote from the hinge for displacement about a horizontal axis between an engaged position at which an abutment on a first arm of the lever projecting beyond said edge part engages below a stop on the frame to prevent lifting of the gate when closed and a free position permitting said lifting for the gate to be swung open, and locking means having a pair of bolts resiliently urged to project outwardly on opposite sides of said edge part to engage through apertures in parts of a second arm of the lever which overlie said opposite sides in the engaged position, whereby the latch lever can only be freed from the engaged position while pressing both bolts inwardly simultaneously.

The last-mentioned frame may conveniently include clamping or fixing elements which are telescopically extendable by screwthreaded engagement or abutment with the major part of the frame. or by some other telescopic or sliding arrangement both to adjust overall width of the barrier to fit the opening and to releasably anchor the barrier in position. Preferably locating plates or other formations are provided for permanent fixing to the walls, door jambs or the like defining the opening which the clamping or fixing elements engage positively to ensure that the barrier cannot be accidentally displaced.

An example of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a child safety barrier Figures 2a and 2b are details of fixing elements and locating plates used to secure the barrier across an opening: Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of releasable securing means of the barrier, and Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The barrier has two main parts, an operatively fixed frame 10 and an openable gate 12. each fabricated from square section tubular metal main members mounting vertical spaced fence bars in known manner.

The frame, in this example, comprises two short sections of fixed fence 14. 16 bounding a central gateway opening. a bottom main frame member 18 extending the full width of the frame so that the latter is rigid. The ends of the latter member have telescopically extendable fixing elements 20 shown in greater detail in Figure 2b in the form of threaded rods provided with an adjusting nuts 22 so that the overall effective length of member 18 can be adjusted to fit closely in the width of opening where the barrier is to be used. Wall plates 24 are provided which can be permanently screwed or otherwise fixed to the appropriate wall, door jamb etc defining the opening, these having a central aperture or socket for positive location of element 20 against displacement.

Similarly the shorter upper horizontal members 26 of frame 10 have telescopically extendable threaded fixing and clamping elements 28 (Figure 2a) provided with adjusting nuts 30 and having shaped outer ends received in slotted wall plates 32. As gate 12 provides controlled access through the barrier, frame 10 can remain safely and positively secured in position with the fixing elements 20. 28 undisturbed in normal use.

Gate 12 is hinged at its righthand edge as viewed in Figure 1 so that it can be swung open in either direction relative to frame 10, its hinges 34 also allowing limited upward displacement of the gate relative to the frame.

The lower main horizontal member of gate 12 is provided with a locating formation 36 remote from the hinge end of inverted U shape so that its limbs depend downwardly to embrace the main frame member 18 preventing swinging movement of the gate from the closed position, thus gate 12 has to be lifted to free it for opening Gate 12 is further secured when closed by a releasable safety catch or securing means 38 best seen in Figures 3 and 4. This means comprises an inverted channel section latch lever 40 fulcrumed on a pivot pin 42 at the top left-hand corner (as viewed in the drawings) of gate 12 so that the limbs of the channel section overlie the opposite faces of the upper edge part of the gate remote from the hinge axis. A first arm 44 of the lever projects outwardly beyond the side edge of gate 12 to embrace an edge portion of the adjacent vertical member of frame 10, thus providing further security against swinging displacement of the gate when closed Arm 44 carries a cross pin 46 forming an abutment which engages below a coacting nib 48 forming a fixed abutment on the frame 10. Thus with latch 40 in the position shown in full lines in Figure 3 gate 12 can neither be lifted nor swung from the closed position.

To secure latch 40 against being displaced from the latter secure position by a small child the securing means further includes locking means, best seen in Figure 4. The other or second arm 50 of lever 40 lies along the top horizontal member of gate 12 extending beyond pivot pin 42 towards the gate hinge. The distal end of arm 50 has aligned through apertures in the spaced channel walls embracing the top member.A pair of bolts in the form of push-buttons 52 are resiliently urged to project outwardly from opposite sides of said top member by a compression spring 54 within said member so that they lockingly engage the apertures in arm 50 preventing displacement of latch lever 40 To free gate 12 for opening both buttons 52 have to be pressed inwardly simultaneously and the arm 50 of latch lever 40 has to be raised at the same time to move it to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 3. A small child's hands are not big enough or strong enough to perform this co-ordinated action. Only when latch lever 40 has been so raised can gate 12 itself be lifted to be swung open and again this would not be easy for a small child.

Lever 40 will tend to drop by gravity to its secure position buttons 52 snap-engaging in the lever apertures, it is contemplated that this self--securing action might be supplemented by resilient means biassing latch lever 40 to the secure position, and/or appropriate shaping of the fixed nib 48 to give a camming action allowing the gate to drop once it has been closed, deflecting the latch lever 40, but preventing subsequent upward displacement until the locking means is freed as referred to above.

It will be appreciated that various forms and constructions of fixed frame, and gate constituting the barrier may embody the invention, for example, for narrower openings, the frame might consist of merely a pair of uprights bounding the gateway opening, these uprights being directly mounted on the walls etc bounding the opening so that the gate is substantially the full width thereof.

In a modification of the barrier the gate 12 may be hinged but not liftable, there being no locating formation 36 thereon so that it is wholly held closed by the securing means 38. Cross pin 46 of the lever arm 44 and coacting nib 48 are not needed, opening being prevented by the embracing engagement of arm 44 with the frame 10. In an alternative construction arm 44 or a formation thereon could engage in a slot or loop provided in or on the frame 10.

The safety catch in the form of securing means 38 or a modification thereof could be supplied for fitting to an existing hinged gate, e.g. a garden or play area gate. The channel section lever 40 would be mounted on the top corner of the gate by providing a bore therein to receive pivot pin 42, and a further bore (which could be drilled using lever 40 as a template) would receive a locking means sub-assembly carrying the pair of pushbutton bolts 52. Alternatively said sub-assembly could be formed for attachment in alignment with the lever on an upper or lower face of a top rail of the gate.

Claims (12)

1. A safety catch for use with a hinged gate comprising a latch lever adapted to be fulcrumed on an edge part of the gate remote from the hinge in use for displacement about a horizontal axis between an engaged position at which an abutment formation or formations on a first arm of the lever projecting beyond said edge part will operatively engage with or about a fixed frame, gate post or the like to prevent movement of the gate from its closed condition and a free position permitting opening of the gate; and locking means adapted to be mounted in or on said gate edge part in use and having a pair of bolts resiliently urged to project outwardly on opposite sides of said edge part to engage through apertures in parts of a second arm of the lever which overlie said opposite sides in use in the engaged position, whereby the latch lever can only be operatively freed from the engaged position while pressing both bolts inwards simultaneously.

2. A catch as in Claim 1 wherein the abutment formation or formations include a part or parts which will engage an edge portion of a vertical frame member to prevent swinging movement of the gate from the closed condition.

3. A catch as in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the abutment formation or formations include a part which will engage below a projection on said frame member to prevent lifting of the gate from the closed position.

4. A catch as in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the latch lever is biassed to the engaged position.

5. A catch as in any preceding claim wherein the bolts of the locking means snap engage with the lever second arm as it moves to the engaged position.

6. A safety catch substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

7. A hinged gate or barrier assembly including a safety catch as in any preceding claim.

8. A child safety barrier including a frame adapted to be operatively clamped or otherwise fixed across a doorway, stair head or other opening, said frame defining a gateway for passage through the barrier; a gate hinged to the frame on a generally vertical axis and also being liftable to a restricted extent relative to the frame, interengaging formations of the gate and frame retaining the gate in a closed position blocking the gateway so that the gate has to be lifted to free it for opening; and releasable securing means blocking upward displacement of the gate when closed, said means comprising a latch lever fulcrumed on an edge part of the gate remote from the hinge for displacement about a horizontal axis between an engaged position at which an abutment on a first arm of the lever projecting beyond said edge part engages below a stop on the frame to prevent lifting of the gate when closed and a free position permitting said lifting for the gate to be swung open, and locking means having a pair of bolts resiliently urged to project outwardly on opposite sides of said edge part to engage through apertures in parts of a second arm of the lever which overlie said opposite sides in the engaged position, whereby the latch lever can only be freed from the engaged position while pressing both bolts inwardly simultaneously.

9. A barrier as in Claim 8 wherein said first arm also includes a formation or formations engaging the frame to prevent or assist in preventing swinging movement of the gate from the closed position.

10. A safety barrier as in Claim 8 or 9 wherein the frame includes clamping or fixing elements which are extendable for adjusting the overall width of the barrier to fit an opening and to releaseably anchor the barrier in position.

11. A safety barrier as in Claim 10 including locating plates or other formations for permanent fixing to elements defining the opening, the clamping or fixing elements engaging said plates or other formations positively to resist displacement of the barrier.

12. A child safety barrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.