GB2358221A

GB2358221A - Gate operating device with drive pin

Info

Publication number: GB2358221A
Application number: GB0022818A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Peter Stuart Wilson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-17
Filing date: 2000-09-15
Publication date: 2001-07-18
Also published as: GB0022818D0

Abstract

A gate/door 8 operating device has a driven wheel 2 to enable longitudinal movement of a continuous chain 3 along two pathways, where a drive pin 6 is mounted on the chain 3 with means to connect the drive pin 6 to the gate 8. The driver wheel 2 and a driven/return wheel 4 may be in the form of sprockets. When the gate 8 is closed the drive pin 6 may be adjacent the driver wheel 2 and when the gate 8 is open the drive pin 6 may be adjacent the driven wheel 4. Electrical limit switches can also be mounted adjacent each of the wheels 2 and 4 and are operable by contact with the drive pin 6. The gate 8 may be controlled by either a remotely controlled hand-held radio transmitter in the form of a key fob or a manually operable switch in the form of a key pad (41, figure 4). A further embodiment includes an electrically operated or solenoid operated bolt (51, figure 5A).

Description

2358221 1 GATE OPERATING DEVICE The present invention relates particularly

but not exclusively to a device for the remote control of farm and other gates.

There are several known systems and devices for the opening and closing of gates by remote control, typically using a small hand held radio transmitter and a receiver connected to an electrically powered system to open or close a gate. These systems are complex and unsuitable for farm use on remote fields.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and compact unit able to be installed on a wooden or other set of posts and connected by a bar to a gate, with the power supplied by a normal car battery, which may be charged intermittently, as required, or may be continuously trickle charged in such a manner that there is no mains electricity voltage supplied to the device directly.

2 It Is an object of the present invention to provide a small electric motor driving a si]nall horizontal chain sprocket wheel. This sprocket drives a horizontal roller type chain wi,-,h may travel a typical distance of 80 centimetres more or less to a further chain sprocket wbc el from whence the chain returns to the first sprocket.

The motor sprocket is fastened by the motor to the chassis of the device and the other distant sprocket is also fastened to the chassis in the same plane, and with a device for the tensiolling of said chain.

Low friction strips or rollers may be placed underneath the chain to support same bet!e n the sprockets.

Electrical limit type switches may be installed at the end of the travel of the chain at OLCh sprocket so that a drive pin inserted into said chain at one point can be made to operate $aid limit switches and so stop the motor at each end of the travel of the chain as it rounds'the sprockets. If a bar is then mounted onto the pin on the chain, with its other end mounted no a selected position on the gate, the gate may be pulled or pushed open or shut by ithpe movement of the chain provided that the chain and sprocket axis is approximately in 1,iii.e with the bar and its attachment to the gate.

It is a feature of the present invention that said pin in the chain is caused by the limit swite hs to stop at or near to the central axis of the chain and sprockets at each end. Thus there will be little or no load on the motor as it starts until the pin comes around the final bend of lt]),e sprocket, so that there will be minimal starting torque and electric current demand until lthe motor is rotating easily.

3 In a further feature of the present invention the motor always rotates in the same direction with the sprockets and chain, so that both sprockets may be fitted with a one directional free wheel device so that, in the event of mechanical failure or a flat battery, the gate may be opened by hand _by pulling said bar past the dead centre point of each sprocket and then pulling the gate by hand, while the chain system is in free wheel.

It is a further object of the present invention that said bar may have a built-in spring loaded telescopic feature, so that the bar may push the gate firmly shut while compressing said spring before the limit switch shuts off the motor.

The same happens on the opening function when said spring is stretched before the motor is shut off.

This feature not only ensures the full closure of the gate but also assists the gentle start up of the motor and gentle take up of the load and inertia of the heavy gate, both on opening and shutting functions.

Said bar may also be so mounted on the gate that its final movement at the gate end may push a locking bolt into position on the outer gate post or withdraw said bolt on its first movement.

The motor may conveniently be powered by a typical car type 12 volt battery and controlled by a relay within the chassis which may in turn be controlled by said limit switches.

1 4 In addition, the relay may be controlled by a radio receiver-switching device within! the chassis, the antenna of which may conveniently hang outside vertically or be on a stick- t pe mounting. This radio receiver switch may be activated by one or more hand held miniaitire transmitters or fobs, so that the driver of a car or tractor can operate the gate without dismounting from the vehicle. Alternatively, there may be a manually operated button ori key switch at or near the gate for the use of pedestrians, mail delivery persons, etc., and which may also activate the system.

The battery is placed near the device on the ground and may be secured into a conereto or other security device with lock and chain and connected to the gate opening device! t y, typically, crocodile-type clips and protected cable.

The whole system is thus shown to be one self-contained unit which can normall be Y installed by the farmer on, for example, wooden posts and requiring only one fixing on to. the gate.

The Ion travel of the chain and the bar enable a low power, low voltage motor to be Cs.d 9 with resultant economy over more conventional appliances which are normally mins powered and may give rise to adverse conditions in use due to the shorter connecting llin s and increased leverage.

The whole device may conveniently be covered with two roughly square or semicircl,ar covers with suitable end plates which may be screwed or bolted onto the chassis, so that the whole device is covered except the ends of the chassis, which can be screwed onto, tne wooden or other posts, as shown in Figure 3.

According to the present invention, a gate operating device comprises continuous chain means, a wheel drivable to cause longitudinal movement of said chain means along two pathways extending from said drivable wheel, a drive pin mounted to said chain means and means to connect said drive pin to said gate Preferably, the drivable wheel is a sprocket wheel and the continuous chain is disposed substantially horizontally.

The gate operating device may be so configured ihat the gate is closed when said drive pin is disposed adjacent said drivable wheel and the gate is fully open when said drive pin is disposed adjacent to a return wheel.

The device may be so disposed relative to the gate that the means connecting the drive pin and the gate is disposed to be generally coextensive with a general longitudinal axis of the continuous chain.

Advantageously limit switch means, operable in accordance to the position of the continuous chain are provided to stop the drive means when said drive pin is disposed adjacent either said drivable or said return wheel.

The electrical limit switch means may be mounted adjacent each of the wheels and is operable by contact with the drive pin.

6 Alternatively, the electrical limit switch means may be disposed at an intermediate positi p adjacent the continuous chain and is triggered by cam means so mounted to said chain me S that said switch is operated when the drive pin is disposed adjacent one of the wheels.

q The means connecting the drive pin and the gate may comprise a sprung telescopic Clemed.

The drive means may comprise an electric motor adapted to rotate in one direction only.

q In this case, each one of the wheels may be fitted with an unidirectional free-wheel dev'cO, such that the gate is openable manually, without engaging the motor.

The gate operating device may comprise a battery, advantageously a 1.2Vvehicle battery.,, 0 power said electric motor.

The battery may be secured to a security device mounted on the ground adjacent the rt,in body of the device.

he A gate operating device may comprise remotely operable switch means adapted to statil, electric motor by means of a control relay.

The switch means may be activatable by a hand-held radio transmitter means, optionall a miniature radio transmitter adapted to be used as a key fob.

The gate operating device may comprising a manually operable switch.

7 The manually operable switch may comprise a key pad programmed with a code which must be reproduced in order to activate the switch.

The key pad may comprise a plurality of "press to make" and "press to break" switches, so connected in series that a circuit is made and the switch is activated only when all the "press to make" switches are pressed simultaneously and none of the "press to break" switches is pressed.

The gate operating device may further comprise a locking mechanism, mounted to the gate.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure I is a side view of a device embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a part perspective view of the device in Figure I with covers in place; Figure 4 is a view of both front and rear of a keypad as employable in the device; Figure SA is a view of a gate bearing an electrical ly-operated bolt as employable with the device-, Figure 5B is a scaled-up view of the electrical ly-op erated bolt of Figure 5A; and Figure 6 is a plan view of a further device embodying the invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, sprocket wheels 2 and 4 are mounted on a chassis plate 1. The first sprocket chain wheel 2 is mounted directly to the shaft of motor 10. The other sprocket chain wheel 4 is mounted to a tensioning device 13. A roller chain 3 is mounted to the sprocket wheels 2,4. A pin 6 is mounted to the chain 3 and a bar 5 is mounted to the pin 6, 8 The bar 5 may have a telescopic sprung section 7 to ensure gentle absorption of the load ja d easy start up for the motor. The other end of the bar 5 is attached to a gate 8 at a sb rt distance from its hinges. Control relays and electrical equipment 11 are fixed to the chassi 1 as shown. A radio receiver switch 12 is fixed to the chassis 1 as shown.

In Figure 2, limit switches 14 at each end of the chain 3 travel stop the motor 10 when their in 6 presses a lever of a limit switch. The limit switches 14 are mounted to the chassis 1. T e bar 5 is mounted to the pin 6 and to the gate 8. A battery 9 may rest on the ground ot e protected in a concrete housing or with a chain and lock.

Figure 3 shows a part perspective view of the device with covers 15 in place and the bar 5,. It will thus be seen that the whole system is self contained, simple and easy to install.

In addition to the foregoing, said two limit switches to stop the travel of the chain may e replaced by one limit switch, mounted at a more convenient position and conveniently negr to the middle of the chassis platform, and operated by two or more cams fitted beneath id chain, and so spaced as to stop the chain and motor at each end of its travel as descril b d above.

In addition to the foregoing, the radio receiver antenna 12 may conveniently be mouft d longitudinally within the chassis when the casings for said chassis are of plastics or ot, er non-screening materials. The antenna may be mounted or glued to the plastic covering sp as to be well clear of the metallic chassis and thus avoid the need for an external antenna.

9 Additionally, a manually operated key pad may operate in parallel with the above mentioned manual button switch to open or close the gate. Said key pad may conveniently be made up from a number of "press to make" and "press to break" buttons mounted into a waterresistant box which may be fixed to a gate post. Such a key pad will only open the gate when the circuit is completed within it by the simultaneous pressing of two or more keys or buttons. The electric circuit may be fed from only two wires, and may be in parallel with the manual gate opening button switch, and within the key pad the selected numbered buttons may be wired in series using "press to make" buttons and may conveniently be fed through all the other buttons on the key pad, which may all be of "press to breaC design. Thus the simultaneous depression of the predetermined code buttons will complete the circuit provided that no other buttons are depressed at the same time. A further advantage being that no third or more electric feed wires are required such as may be needed to power a PCB or other control system or relays, which may also be necessary with a conventional sequential depression of coded numbered keys in order to open the gate.

Further additions can include provision of a mounting fitted to the outer end of the gate opening shaft furthest from the opening unit, which mounting or fastening may be slideably mounted to a retaining channel or other slide structure and which may be fixed to a wall or other fixed object or objects in such a manner that a second shaft or shafts with or without a spring coupling as described above may be fitted to this sliding fastening and have its other end fastened to the gate. This arrangement may facilitate the mounting of the gate opening device where a wall or other obstruction may be close to the gate and typically where said gate may be at right angles to said wall when the gate is in closed position or where other obstructions or conditions may make such an arrangement desirable in view of the limited lateral swing movements of the gate closing shaft.

The gate may include the provision of an electrically-operated bolt to prevent livestock! or others from opening the gate by pressing against it. The bolt may be of a solenoid-opera [ed type and may be mounted either horizontally or vertically. Said bolt may conveniently I he operated by a solenoid powered by the electric motor current feed and may contai a sequential arrangement whereby the motor does not start until the bolt is withdrawn. Ihe bolt may also contain a small micro programmer or similar device to cause the solenoid! to release the spring loaded bolt at a suitable time interval, of perhaps three seconds, afterli ii s withdrawal from the latch on the gate post.

Said latch may be of the automatic or swing latch type so that the released bolt may latch itself on closure of the gate without further power requirement. Alternatively, where secuply is important, the bolt may remain withdrawn throughout the travel of the gate and be relea. d into a fixed socket on the gate post or similar fixed object on completion of the swing, or or travel of said gate. The foregoing arrangements may also apply to an additional post, fixture at the end of the travel of the gate to the fully open position, so that the gate ma e Y11 latched temporarily to said post at the open position to prevent wind or livestock presq. i 19 against the mechanism of the gate opener.

Figure 4 shows a key pad 41, having in this case nine keys which may be numbered, pr lettered as shown. The elec tric circuit shown on the reverse or back 42 may be fed in series through each of the nine keys as shown and emerge again at 43 as indicated. The keys rpay be of the "press to make" or "press to break' type and are otherwise identical in appeara$ce. Thus the disposition of the two types will determine the code required to complete the ciruit, for example, if only keys bearing the indicia "T, "5" and '7' are "press to make" and allIthe others are "press to break", the circuit will complete when these are depressed,. provided none of the rest, which are "press to break" keys, are depressed. Thus the code is set at manufacture but may be altered if required by persons skilled in the art.

Referring now to Figure 5A and 5B, there is shown an electric solenoid bolt 51 fixed to a gate 52 which engages with an automatic swing type latch 53, which is mounted onto a gate post 54. The gate 52 is hinged at its other end 55, and an electric feed 56 is connected to the motor feed of the gate opener (not shown), so that a solenoid 57 on the bolt device 51 can release the gate 52. If a swing type latch 53 is used, as shown, the bolt 51 need not be withdrawn prior to closure of the gate 52.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is shown a typical arrangement where a gate 61 is hinged to a mounting post 62 so that it may swing back against a wall or the like 63. The gate opener power unit 64 is mounted on fixed supports 65 and has a push/pull rod 67 emerging from it and mounted to a sliding bracket 68. This slides in a channel 69, and a gate opening extension bar 70 is fixed or bolted to it at one end and at its other end to the gate 6 1, so as to open and close the gate 61.

1 h 1 12 CLAWS 1. A gate operating device comprising continuous chain means, a wheel drivable to c Lulse longitudinal movement of said chain means along two pathways extending from did drivable wheel, a drive pin mounted to said chain means and means to connect aid drive pin to said gate.

t 2. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drivable wheel is a spro ke wheel and the continuous chain isIdisposed substantially horizontally.

3. A gate operating device as claimed in either claim I or claim 2, so configured that! the gate is closed when said drive pin is disposed adjacent said drivable wheel and the Va.e is fully open when said drive pin is disposed adjacent to a return wheel.

4. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein! the device is so disposed relative to the gate that the means connecting the drive pin A id the gate is disposed to be generally coextensive with a general longitudinal axis of e continuous chain.

5. A izate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising l0it:

switch means, operable in accordance to the position of the continuous chain so ap to stop the drive means when said drive pin is disposed adjacent either said drivablt or said return wheel.

6. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein electrical limit switch mealis, is mounted adjacent each of the wheels and is operable by contact with the drive pin.

13 7. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein electrical limit switch means is disposed at an intermediate position adjacent the continuous chain and is triggered by cam means so mounted to said chain means that said switch is operated when the drive pin is disposed adjacent one of the wheels.

8. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means connecting the drive pin and the gate comprises a sprung telescopic element.

9. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive means comprises an electric motor adapted to rotate in one direction only.

10. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein each one of the wheels is fitted with an uni-directional free-wheel device, such that the gate is openable manually, without engaging the motor.

11. A gate operating device as claimed in either claim 9 or claim 10, comprising a battery, advantageously a 12V-vehicle battery, to power said electric motor.

12. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said battery is secured to a security device mounted on the ground adjacent the main body of the device.

13. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising remotely operable switch means adapted to start the electric motor by means of a control relay.

14 14. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the switch means is activat4 e by a hand-held radio transmitter means, optionally a miniature radio transnii,tter adapted to be used as a key fob.

15. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprisil: g a manually operable switch.

16. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the manually operable sw.it,h q comprises a key pad programmed with a code which must be reproduced in orde. to activate the switch.

17. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the key pad compriss a plurality of "press to make" and "press to breaW' switches, so connected in series lib,a,. a circuit is made and the switch is activated only when all the "press'to make" swit( Phes are pressed simultaneously and none of the "press to breaV switches is pressed.

18. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprisilgT a cover, optionally comprising two sections, enclosing substantially the whole of: the device save an aperture through which the bar connecting the device to the gte operates.

19. A ate operating device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the cover comprises a ton 9 screening material, optionally a plastics material, such that radio waves may pencr ne the cover.

20. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 19, comprising an antenna to receive radio waves, disposed along an inner surface of the cover.

21. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a locking mechanism, mounted to the gate.

22. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an electrically-operated bolt, optionally a solenoidoperated bolt, so mounted to the gate as to cooperate with bolt receiving means on a gate post or other fixed structure, whereby to latch the gate in position either when the gate is closed or the gate is fully open.

23. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the electrically-operated bolt is so electrically connected to the control relay that the bolt is withdrawn as, or alternatively slightly before, the drive means is started.

24. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the device comprises means to release the withdrawn bolt after a period sufficient for the gate to be clear of the bolt receiving means.

25. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of claims 22 to claim 24, wherein the bolt receiving means comprises an automatic or swinglatch, adapted to accept the bolt without requiring the bolt to be in a withdrawn disposition.

16 26. A gate operating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein t6; means connecting the drive pin to the gate comprises two shafts, a first shaft mounto pivotably at one end to the drive pin and mounted pivotably at a remote end t mounting constrained to move within a fixed retaining channel, and a second sh4j mounted pivotably at one end to said mounting and mounted pivotably at a remote ejRq,,! to the gate.

27. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the fixed retaining channel; i mounted to a wall or other fixed structure.

28. A gate operating device as claimed in claim 26 or claim 27, wherein the device is ijp configured that the fixed retaining channel, the continuous chain and the first shaft 41' generally parallel, and the second shaft is free to operate at a substantial angle theretoi 29. A gate operating device substantially as described herein and with reference to th Figures of the accompanying drawings.

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