GB2617423A

GB2617423A - A hinge bracket, a hinge assembly and a gate

Info

Publication number: GB2617423A
Application number: GB2214337.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shane Cooper Justin; Lee Cooper Brendon
Original assignee: Harling Security Solutions Ltd
Current assignee: Harling Security Solutions Ltd
Priority date: 2022-09-30
Filing date: 2022-09-30
Publication date: 2023-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2042-09-30
Also published as: GB202214337D0; GB2617423B

Abstract

A hinge bracket attachable to a vertically extending gate post, comprising a bracket arm 114; a hinge pin 116 protruding from a first end of the bracket arm; and a bracket mount 112 provided at a second end of the bracket arm, the bracket mount for attaching onto at least one of two adjacent sidewalls of the post such that the bracket arm extends away from the post and that the hinge pin is located at a position horizontally offset from both sidewalls of the post in respective outwardly facing directions (see Fig 2). The mount may have two surfaces which attach to either side of the corner of the post and the arm extends at an obtuse angle to the surfaces. Alternatively, the mount may be planar and attach to a single wall of the post with the bracket arm being diagonal or curved away from the mount into the offset position (Figs. 8 9). There may be two bracket arms (310a 310b Fig 6) which sandwich the pin. When in use, there may be two hinges each with a hinge bracket, one hinge bracket being inverted.

Description

A Hinge Bracket, A Hinge Assembly and A Gate

Field

The present application relates to a hinge bracket, a hinge assembly and a gate, and in particular to a hinge bracket and a hinge assembly for forming the gate.

Background

A gate comprises a gate leaf hingedly attached to a gate post. This allows the gate leaf to pivot about the gate post in order to secure a passageway or to provide passage therethrough. For wider passageways, double gates are often employed comprising two oppositely arranged gate leaves that swing open in different rotational directions relative to respective gate posts.

Due to their larger sizes and improved resilience against outdoor environments, gate leaves are substantially heavier than common door leaves. To support their weight, and to increase their longevity, the hinges employed in gates are often simple in design. For example, a gate hinge installation may simply involve sliding a hinge barrel fixed to a gate leaf over a hinge pin at the gate post to form the pivotal connection.

Unlike a door leaf, a gate leaf often requires to swing within a wide movement range. Therefore, the hinge pin is often supported on an outwardly extending hinge bracket to provide additional clearance to achieve the required rotational movement. Such a hinge bracket perpendicularly extends from a sidewall of the gatepost. However, as the gate leaf rotates, the clearance between the gate leaf and the apexes of the gate post reduces accordingly. Thus, during operation, the clearance can become so small that it presents a significant safety risk, e.g. trapping or crushing fingers/hands when the gate leaf swings open/close. This problem is particularly prominent in some automated gates where the motion of the gate cannot be halted in a timely manner. In fact, safety regulations state that unless the hinge is shielded by a hinge protector, the clearance between the gate leaf and gate post should not reduce by more than 20% during gate operation. Such hinge protectors are required to extend along the full height of the gate and are formed from flexible/elastic materials. Not only they are unsightly, but repeat operations in wintery conditions can also significantly shorten their lifespan, thus they will have to be regularly replaced or serviced.

To address this problem, longer hinge brackets may be used to increase the clearance between the gate leaves and corresponding gate posts. However, safety regulations also state that an unshielded hinge should not exceed 100mm in length. Therefore, such a primitive solution is only suitable for some installations. In addition, a lengthened hinge bracket may result in a widened gap, which is unsightly and worse greatly impacts the protection offered by the gate. Furthermore, due to an extended lever acting on the hinge bracket, it may require significant strengthening to cope with the additional mechanical load.

Thus, an improved hinge bracket design is highly desirable

Summary

The present invention offers a hinge bracket having a hinge pin that is located at a position horizontally offset from two adjacent sidewalls of a post in respective outwardly facing directions. This allows the hinge pin to position closer to a corner of a post than its sidewalls. Such an arrangement may allow the gate leaf to pivot at a location closer to the said corner, thereby maintaining the gate leaf s clearance to the post during use. Advantageously, such an arrangement may significantly reduce the safety risks posed to the users, even in the absence of a hinge protector. Furthermore, when viewed from the front of the gate, such an arrangement may advantageously reduce the visual gap between the post and the gate leaf, thereby improving the protection offered by the gate.

According to a first aspect of the presently-claimed invention, there is provided a hinge bracket attachable to a vertically extending post, the hinge bracket comprising: a bracket arm; a hinge pin protruding from a first end of the bracket arm, the hinge pin is configured to rotatably connect to a hinge barrel; and a bracket mount provided at a second end of the bracket arm, the bracket mount is configured to attach onto at least one of two adjacent sidewalls of the post such that the bracket arm extends away from the post and that the hinge pin is located at a position horizontally offset from both sidewalls of the post in respective outwardly facing directions.

The vertically extending post generally refers to a support onto which a gate leaf is mounted. The post may be a free-standing gate post, or it may be a side jamb (e.g. a vertically extending beam) of a door frame, or it may be a vertical section of a wall. The post may form from any suitable materials, such as wood, metal, masonry materials and composite materials. The post is pivotally connected with a gate leaf by a hinge assembly so as to allow the gate leaf to pivot about a vertical axis. The hinge assembly may comprise a hinge barrel rotatably connected to a hinge pin of a hinge bracket.

The post may have a polygonal cross-sectional profile and may have a plurality of sidewalls.

113 That is, the post may have a non-circular cross-sectional profile. Preferably, the post may have an equiangular quadrilateral (e.g. square or rectangular) cross-sectional profile, but in some embodiments, the post may have one of triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal and octagonal cross-sectional profiles.

The hinge bracket may form from any suitable material, such as steel, iron and aluminium. The hinge bracket may be coated with a suitable coating, e.g. paint or an anti-corrosion coating. The hinge bracket may comprise three main components: a bracket arm, a bracket mount and a hinge pin.

The bracket mount may be attached to one of two adjacent sidewalls of the post. Taking a square post (e.g. a cuboid-shaped post) as an example, the bracket mount may be attached to a single side wall of the post (e.g. a sidewall facing the passageway), or extends over two adjacent sidewalls to form the attachment (e.g. one of the sidewalls may face the passageway and the other one of the sidewalls may be a front or rear facing sidewall of the post). In embodiments where the bracket mount is attachable onto both of the two adjacent sidewalls of the post, the bracket mount may comprise a cut-out arranged to compliment the cross-sectional profile of the post, so as to allow the hinge bracket to be fully supported on both sidewalls. The bracket mount may be attachable to the post by welding or by suitable fasteners such as bolts, screws and rivets.

The bracket arm may be a planar element or a rod that is capable of supporting the weight of the gate leaf In the preferred embodiment, the bracket arm may be a planar element having a thickness of 25mm. Preferably, once attached to the post, the bracket arm may extend away from the post in the horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the bracket arm may extend at a non-zero angle to the vertical axis, e.g. inclined to both the horizontal and vertical planes. In some embodiments, the bracket arm may further comprise one or more braces to provide additional structural support, wherein the one or more braces may extend substantially in a vertical plane.

The hinge bracket may comprise, at its first end, a hinge pin vertically extending from, and perpendicular to, the bracket arm. More specifically, once the hinge bracket is attached to the post, the hinge pin may vertically protrude from either the upper or lower surfaces of the horizontally extending bracket arm. The hinge pin may be configured to concentrically extend with the hinge barrel, e.g. the hinge barrel may sleeve over the hinge pin to effect the required rotational connection.

In some embodiments, the hinge pin may extend through the hinge barrel, or partially or fully extend along the length of the hinge barrel. The hinge pin may be a cylindrical member having a diameter or thickness that is sufficient to support the gate leaf The hinge pin may have a diameter ranging from 5mm to 20mm. Preferably the hinge pin may have a diameter of 12mm. The hinge pin may be coated with a friction reduction coating for reducing friction and wear at the hinge pin.

Once the hinge bracket is attached to the post, the outwardly extending bracket arm may allow the hinge pin to be located, in the horizontal plane (e.g, when viewed along a longitudinal axis of the vertically extending post), at a position offset from both sidewalls of the post in respective outwardly facing directions. In other words, the hinge pin may be positioned closer to a corner formed by the two adjacent sidew-alls than any other outer surfaces of the two sidewalls. Upon attaching the hinge bracket to the gate post, the clearance between the hinge pin and the gate post (e.g. the corner of the gate post) is at least 30mm.

Such an arrangement may advantageously allow the gate leaf to pivot about, or close to, the said corner, thereby maintaining the required clearance throughout gate operation and significantly reducing the risk to safety.

Optionally, the hinge bracket and the bracket arm are formed separately from the hinge pin. Optionally, the bracket arm comprises an orifice through which the hinge pin extends and connects thereto More specifically, the orifice may be provided at a predetermined location and sized to allow passage of the hinge pin. During installation, the hinge barrel may first align with the orifice before the hinge pin is inserted through both the orifice and hinge barrel to form the pivotal connection. In some embodiments, the hinge pin may comprise a bolt and nut fastener for securing the hinge pin to the hinge bracket. Advantageously, such an arrangement may facilitate a more efficient installation, e.g. the gate leaf may not need to be lifted over the hinge pin during installation.

Optionally, the bracket arm is arranged to extend off, or from, a corner of the post formed between the two adjacent sidewalls. For example, the second end of the bracket arm may be mounted adjacent to the said corner by the bracket mount, and wherein the bracket mount may attach onto one or both of the sidewalls. The bracket arm may linearly extend between the bracket mount and the hinge pin, or it may comprise a curvature along its length.

Optionally, the bracket arm is arranged to extend at an obtuse angle relative to each of the two sidewalls in the horizontal plane Optionally, the obtuse angles between the bracket arm and each of the two sidewalls are substantially the same. For example, in the case where the post has a square cross-sectional profile, the bracket arm may extend in a direction in alignment with the corner and centre of the post in the horizontal plane, and the bracket arm may extend at an angle of 135° relative to either sidewall in the horizontal plane. In the case where the post has a rectangular cross-sectional profile, the bracket arm may extend at an angle of 135° relative to either sidewall in the horizontal plane.

Alternatively, the bracket arm is arranged to extend off, or from, a single sidewall of the post. Such an arrangement may advantageously simplify the installation process. For example, the hinge bracket may form a direct replacement for an existing hinge bracket. Optionally, the bracket arm linearly extends between the bracket mount and the hinge pin. That is, the bracket arm may be straight along its length For example, to achieve the required guide pin the bracket arm may extend at an angle, a, ranging between 180° > a >135° in the horizontal plane. Alternatively, the bracket arm may comprise a curvature along its length in the horizontal plane According to a second aspect of the presently-claimed invention, there is provided a hinge assembly, comprising a hinge barrel and the hinge bracket of the first aspect, the hinge barrel is rotatably conntected to the hinge pin and is configured to attach to a gate leaf to allow the gate leaf to pivot about the hinge pin.

Optionally, the hinge assembly further comprises an auxiliary hinge bracket in vertical alignment with the hinge bracket, wherein the hinge barrel is rotatably mounted onto a common hinge pin or hinge pins from each of the hinge bracket and the auxiliary hinge bracket. Optionally, the auxiliary hinge bracket is an inverted hinge bracket of the first aspect. Alternatively or in addition, the auxiliary hinge bracket is a hinge bracket of the first aspect in a mirrored configuration. Such an arrangement may improve the overall strength of the hinge assembly, thereby allowing heavier and/or wider gate leaves to be installed.

According to a third aspect of the presently-claimed invention, there is provided a gate, compri sing: a vertically extending post; a hinge assembly having at least one hinge bracket of the first aspect and a corresponding hinge barrel rotatably connected thereto, wherein the hinge bracket is attached onto at least one of two adjacent sidewalls of the gate post; a gate leaf fixedly attached to the hinge barrel and thereby rotatable about the hinge pin.

Optionally, the gate leaf is separated from the gate post by a gap, wherein the gap remains substantially the same throughout a movement range of the gate leaf. For example, the gate leaf may rotate about the hinge pin within a movement range of 1800, or 150°, or 120°, or preferably 90° Features from any one of the first to the third aspects of the present invention may be applicable to any other feature from the other aspects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Certain embodiments of the presently-claimed invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a prior art hinge bracket installed in a gate; Figure 2 is a plan view of a hinge bracket installed in a gate according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hinge bracket as shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a hinge bracket according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the hinge pin for the hinge bracket as shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a hinge assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly as shown in Figure 6 attached to a post; Figure 8 is a plan view of a hinge bracket installed in a gate according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 is a plan view of a hinge bracket installed in a gate according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 10 is a plan view of a hinge bracket according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Prior Art Embodiment

Figure 1 is a plan view of a prior art hinge bracket 10 installed in a gate. The gate comprises a gate leaf 4 pivotally attached to a post, or a gate post 2, by a hinge assembly. Typically, there are two or more hinge assemblies provided at different levels for supporting the full weight of the gate leaf 4. As shown in Figure 1, the gate leaf 4 is rotatable between a first position (as shown in solid outlines) in which it secures a passageway (extending along the z-axis) and a second position (shown in dotted outlines) in which it allows passage therethrough.

The hinge assembly comprises a hinge barrel 6 and the hinge bracket 10 respectively attached to opposing sidewalls of the gate leaf 4 and the gate post 2. The hinge barrel 6 in the illustrated embodiment is an eye bolt where a ring-shaped portion is slidable over a hinge pin 16 of the hinge bracket 10 to effect rotational connection between the gate leaf 4 and the gate post 2. In some other embodiments, the hinge barrel may resemble a cylindrical sleeve or be in other forms, The hinge bracket comprises three main components: a bracket arm 14, a hinge pin 16 and a bracket mount 12. The bracket arm 14 is a rod having the hinge pin 16 and the bracket mount 12 respectively provided at its first and second ends.

The bracket mount 12 is welded or bolted onto a sidewall 2a of the gate post 2 such that the bracket arm 14 extends horizontally in an outward direction perpendicular to the said sidewall 2a When the gate leaf 4 is in its first position, denoted by its solid outline in Figure 1, there is a clearance XI between the gate leaf 4 and the sidewall 2a of the gate post 2.

When viewed along the logintidinal axis of the gate post 2, the hinge pin 16 is located at a position offset from the sidewall 2a in its outwardly facing direction, e.g. towards the gate 4, and offset from the adjacent sidewalls 2b in their respective inwardly facing direction, e.g. towards the centre of the gate post 2. As shown in Figure 1, the hinge pin 16 is positioned closer to the sidewall 2a than a corner 2c formed between the sidewall 2a and an adjacent sidewall 2b.

Thus, as the gate leaf 4 swings open, e.g. rotating from the first position (shown in solid outline) to the second position (shown in dotted outline) within a 90° movement range, the clearance between the gate leaf 4 and the gate post 2 gradually reduces from X2 to X2. In this particular case, the clearance becomes so small that it presents a significant safety risk, e.g. it is prone to trap fingers/hands between the gate leaf 4 and the corner 2c as the gate leaf 4 is swung open.

Therefore, it is common that a hinge protector is provided which extends along the height of the gate, for shielding the gap that existed between the gate leaf 4 and the gate post 2.

First Embodiment Figure 2 is a plan view of a hinge bracket 110 installed in a gate according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hinge bracket 110.

Referring to Figure 3, the hinge bracket 110 comprises a bracket arm 114, a hinge pin 116 and a bracket mount 112 uniformly formed with each other. The hinge bracket 110 is formed from steel and coated with a protective coating. In other embodiments, the hinge bracket may form from other suitable materials such as iron and aluminium. The gate post 2, the gate leaf 4 and the hinge barrel 6 are commonplace components.

Similar to the prior art embodiment of Figure 1, the hinge pin 116 and the bracket mount 112 are respectively provided at the first and second ends of the bracket arm 114. As shown in Figure 3, the hinge pin protrudes from an upper surface towards the first end of the bracket arm 114 and is rotationally connectable with a hinge barrel 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge pin is 12 mm in diameter.

In contrast to the prior art embodiment, the bracket arm 114 is an elongated planar member. In the illustrated embodiment, the planar bracket arm 114 has a uniform thickness of 25mm. The bracket arm 114 comprises a bracket mount 112 at its second end. The bracket mount 112 have a right angle cut-out, which compliments a section of a square cross-sectional profile of the gate post 2.

Referring back to Figure 2, the bracket mount 112 is configured to attach to two adjacent sidewalls 2a, 2b of the gate post 2, thereby surrounding a corner 2c formed by the two adjacent sidewalls 2a, 2b. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the hinge bracket 110 is provided towards the rear side of the gate post 2 where the gate leaf 4 is arranged to pivot backwardly to the gate within a rotational range of 90°. In some other embodiment, the hinge bracket may be provided towards the front side of the gate post where the gate leaf is arranged to pivot forwardly to the gate. In some other embodiments, the gate leaf may rotate within a rotational range greater than 90°.

Once attached to the square gate post 2, the bracket arm 114 diagonally extends off, or from, the corner 2c, in a direction that aligns with the comer 2c and the centre of the gate post 2. More specifically, the bracket arm 114 extends at an obtuse angle relative to each of the two adjacent sidewalls 2a, 2b in the horizontal plane, and wherein obtuse angles between the bracket arm 114 and each of the two sidewalls 2a, 2b are substantially the same, e.g. a =13 = 135°. As a result, when viewed along the longitudinal axis of the post, the hinge pin 116 is located at a position horizontally offset from both sidewalls of the post in respective outwardly facing directions. That is, as shown in Figure 2, the hinge pin 116 is offset, in a direction along the x-axis, away from the sidewall 2a by distance CI, and in a direction along the z-axis away from the sidewall 2b by distance C2, wherein CI = C2.

Thus, as the gate leaf 4 swings open, e.g. rotating from the first position (shown in solid outline) to the second position (shown in dotted outline) in a movement range, the clearance X3 between the gate leaf 4 and the gate post 2 is substantially maintained. Specifically, the clearance between the gate leaf 4 and the corner 2c remains sufficiently large throughout the range of rotation of the gate leaf that, the safety risk as seen in the prior art embodiment is mitigated. In the illustrated embodiment, the clearance between the hinge pin 6 and the corner 2c of the post 2 measures 30mm.

Furthermore, when viewed along the z-axis, e.g. from the front/back of the gate, the visual gap X3 between the gate leaf 4 and the gate post 2 is made less prominent in comparison to the corresponding gap XI of the prior art embodiment, thereby advantageously improving the security and aesthetic of the gate.

Second Embodiment Figure 4 is a perspective view of a hinge bracket 210 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a hinge pin 216 for the hinge bracket 210.

The hinge bracket 210 is structurally and functionally similar to the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment of Figures 2 and 3. That is, the hinge bracket 210 is attachable onto two adjacent sidewalls of the gate post 2, such that the hinge pin 216 is located at a position horizontally offset from both sidewalls of the post 2 in respective outwardly facing directions For conciseness, like features are not described again In contrast to the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment, the hinge arm 214 and bracket mount 212 of the hinge bracket 210 are formed separately from the hinge pin 216 The hinge pin 216 is a nut and bolt fastener, having a head portion 216a at one end and a threaded portion 216b provided towards the other end for threadedly connecting with a nut 216c.

The hinge arm 214 comprises an orifice 218 towards its first end through which the hinge pin 216 extends. That is, once the hinge bracket 210 is attached to two adjacent sidewalls of the gate post 2, the orifice 218 is located at a position horizontally offset from both sidewalls of the post 2 in respective outwardly facing directions.

During installation, the gate leaf 4 may first slide horizontally towards the post 2 such that the hinge barrel 6 aligns with the orifice 218, before inserting the hinge pin 216 through both the orifice 218 and the hinge barrel 6. Once the hinge barrel is sleeved over a non-threaded portion of the hinge pin 216 and pivotable thereabout, the hinge pin 26 can be fixed in place by tightening the nut 216c on the threaded portion 216.

Advantageous, such an arrangement may avoid the need for lifting the hinge barrel 6 and the attached gate leaf 4 over the hinge pin 216 during installation, and is particularly suitable for installations where available headroom is limited Third Embodiment Figure 6 is a perspective view of a hinge assembly 310 according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly 310 attached to a post 2 Referring to Figure 6, the hinge assembly 310 comprises vertically aligned upper and lower hinge brackets 310a, 310b The upper hinge bracket 310a and the lower hinge bracket 310b are identical to the hinge bracket 210 of the second embodiment, with the upper hinge bracket 310a being put into an inverted orientation. That is, the upper and lower hinge brackets 310a, 310b each have an orifice and once assembled, a single hinge pin 316, in the form of a nut and bolt fastener, extends through orifices on both hinge brackets 310a, 310b Figure 7 shows the upper and lower hinge brackets 310a, 310b being attached onto two adjacent sidewalls 2a, 2b of the gate post 2. The hinge brackets 310a, 310b are vertically separated by a gap that is substantially equal to the height of the hinge barrel 6, such that during gate installation the hinge barrel 6 may first horizontally slide into the gap, before the hinge pin 316 is inserted through the hinge barrel 6 and the orifices on both hinge brackets 310a, 310b. As with the second embodiment, the hinge pin 316 is fixed in place by tightening a nut on the threaded portion of the bolt.

In some other embodiments, the hinge assembly may comprise two vertically aligned upper and lower hinge brackets, wherein the upper hinge bracket and the lower hinge bracket may be identical to the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment, with the upper hinge bracket being put into an inverted orientation. That is, in these embodiments, the hinge pins of both upper and lower hinge brackets are vertically aligned and rotatably connect to the same hinge barrel.

Advantageously, the inclusion of an additional, or auxiliary, hinge bracket in the hinge assembly may strengthen the structural integrity of the hinge assembly, increasing its longevity as well as its ability to support a heavier gate leaf Fourth Embodiment Figure 8 is a plan view of a hinge bracket 410 installed in a gate according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The hinge bracket 410 is structurally and functionally similar to the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment as shown in Figures 2 and 3. That is, the bracket arm 414 linearly extends along its length, and once the hinge bracket 410 is attached to the gate post 2, the hinge pin 416 is arranged to locate at a position horizontally offset from two adjacent sidewalls of the post 2 in respective outwardly facing directions. For conciseness, like features are not described again.

In contrast to the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment, the hinge bracket 410 as shown in Figure 8 is arranged to attach, by the bracket mount 412, onto only a single sidewall 2a of the post, in a manner similar to the prior art embodiment 10 as shown in Figure 1. Advantageously, such an arrangement may allow the hinge bracket 410 to directly replace a prior art hinge bracket, e.g. the hinge bracket 410 may be bolted to existing threaded inserts formed in the gate post 2.

To achieve the required hinge pin 416 position, in the illustrated embodiment the bracket arm 414 extends off the sidewall 2a at angle a of 160° in the horizontal plane, e.g. a more obtuse angle than that in the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment.

Fifth Embodiment Figure 9 is a plan view of a hinge bracket 510 installed in a gate according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The hinge bracket 510 is structurally and functionally similar to the hinge bracket 410 of the fourth embodiment as shown in Figure 8. That is, once the hinge bracket 510 is attached onto one of two adjacent sidewalls of the gate post 2, the hinge pin 516 is arranged to locate at a position horizontally offset from both sidewalls of the post 2 in respective outwardly facing directions. For conciseness, like features are not described again.

In contrast to the hinge bracket 410 of the fourth embodiment, the hinge bracket 510 as shown in Figure 9 comprises a bracket arm 514 having a curvature along its length For example, in the illustrated embodiment, bracket arm 514 is a 7-shaped bracket arm where the radius of curvature varies along its length. In some other embodiments, the length of the bracket arm may have a constant radius of curvature along its length.

Sixth Embodiment Figure 10 is plan view of a hinge bracket 610 installed in a gate according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The hinge bracket 610 is structurally and functionally similar to the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment as shown in Figures 2 and 3. That is, the bracket arm 614 linearly extends along its length, and once the hinge bracket 610 is attached onto two adjacent sidewalls of the gate post 2, the hinge pin 616 is arranged to locate at a position horizontally offset from two adjacent sidewalls of the post 2 in respective outwardly facing directions. For conciseness, like features are not described again.

In contrast to the hinge bracket 110 of the first embodiment, the bracket arm 614 is in the form of a cylindrical rod, where the hinge pin 616 vertically protrudes from an upper surface towards a first end of the rod 614. In other embodiments, the bracket arm may be an elongated non-planar member having any polygonal cross-sectional profile.

Claims

Claims A hinge bracket attachable to a vertically extending post, the hinge bracket comprising: a bracket aim; a hinge pin protruding from a first end of the bracket arm, the hinge pin is configured to rotatably connect to a hinge barrel; and a bracket mount provided at a second end of the bracket arm, the bracket mount is configured to attach onto at least one of two adjacent sidewalls of the post such that the bracket arm extends away from the post and that the hinge pin is located at a position horizontally offset from both sidewalls of the post in respective outwardly facing directions.
The hinge bracket of claim 1, wherein the bracket arm is arranged to extend off a corner of the post formed between the two adjacent sidewalls.
The hinge bracket of claim 2, wherein the bracket arm is arranged to extend at an obtuse angle relative to each of the two sidewalls in the horizontal plane.
4. The hinge bracket of claim 3, wherein the obtuse angles between the bracket arm and each of the two sidewalls are substantially the same.
5. The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket mount is configured to attach onto both sidewalls.
6. The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket mount comprises a cut-out arranged to compliment the cross-sectional profile of the post.
The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket arm extends linearly along its length.
The hinge bracket of any one of the claims 1 to 2 and claims 5 and 6, wherein the bracket arm comprises a curvature along its length in the horizontal plane.
The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein upon attaching the hinge bracket to the post, the clearance between the guide pin and the post is at least 30mm.
10. The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket mount is attachable to the post by welding or by fasteners.
11. The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket arm is a planar element or a rod.
12. The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge bracket is formed from one or more of steel, iron and aluminium.
13. The hinge bracket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge bracket, the bracket arm and the hinge pin are uniformly formed.
14. The hinge bracket of any one of the claims 1 to 12, wherein the hinge bracket and the bracket arm are formed separately from the hinge pin.
15. The hinge bracket of claim 14, wherein the bracket arm comprises an orifice through which the guide pin extends and connects thereto.
16. A hinge assembly, comprising a hinge barrel and the hinge bracket of any one of the claims Ito 15, the hinge barrel is rotatably connected to the hinge pin and is configured to attach to a gate leaf so as to allow the gate leaf to pivot about the hinge pin.
17. The hinge assembly of claim 16, further comprises an auxiliary hinge bracket in vertical alignment with the hinge bracket, wherein the hinge barrel is rotatably mounted onto a common hinge pin or hinge pins from each of the hinge bracket and the auxiliary hinge bracket.
18. The hinge assembly of claim 17, wherein the auxiliary hinge bracket is an inverted hinge bracket of any one of the claims Ito 15.
19. A gate, comprising: a vertically extending post; a hinge assembly having at least one hinge bracket of any one of the claims 1 to 15 and a corresponding hinge barrel rotatably connected thereto, wherein the hinge bracket is attached to at least one of two adjacent sidewalls of the post; a gate leaf fixedly attached to the hinge barrel and thereby rotatable about the hinge pin.
20. The gate of claim 19, wherein the gate leaf is separated from the post by a gap, wherein the gap remains substantially the same throughout a movement range of the gate leaf