NZ270975A - Gate gudgeon; comprises openable collar which can encompass a gate member, and an arm extending from the collar, the arm being connectable to a gate post - Google Patents

Description

Patents Form # 5 „ » 7 5 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AFTER PROVISIONAL #: 270975 DATED: 21 April 1995 TITLE : Improvements in or relating to gudgeons and/or gates We, GREYSON GATES LIMTrED Address: 29 Grey Street, Putaruru, New Zealand Nationality: New Zealand do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PF05.JWP FEE CODE 1050 270 9 This invention relates to a gate assembly utilising a gudgeon and has been devised particularly though not necessarily solely for use as a farm gate.

Gudgeons at present available particularly for supporting farm gates usually provide a mechanism whereby the gudgeon is attached to the gate post and a pin usually directed vertically upwardly is provided onto which a socket mounted on the gate is positioned. Such constructions have some disadvantages and in particular the gate can often easily be dislodged or removed by upwardly directed pressure on the gate. In particular some farm animals are capable of exerting such pressure on the gate.

Attempts to overcome this problem are from time to time made on site for example by directing one gudgeon pin upwardly and another gudgeon pin downwardly but such arrangements can cause the gate to be awkward to install or remove in the event that this becomes necessary, for example, to straighten the gate after it has been damaged in use.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gate assembly which will obviate or minimise the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly, in the invention consists in a gate assembly comprising a gate having a member intended to be substantially upright in use, one or more gudgeons ea>»n comprising an openable collar, the collar having an aperture size such that the collar can substantially encompass the member, mounted or mountable on the member, a stop on the member which stop in use rests on an upper surface of the collar of one of the gudgeons and a mounting arm extending from the collar, the mounting arm being shaped and configured so that in use the mounting arm can be connected to a gate post or the like.

Preferably the collar has a pair of arms extending outwardly therefrom and the collar is resiliently flexible so that the arms can be spread to enable the collar to be mounted on the member before being repositioned to be tightened onto the member in use.

Alternatively, the collar is provided in two or more parts, the parts being engagable to ■y'\ ' "> substantially encompass the member. / ' -; ' - . ; \:n 11 March 397 270 9 75 Preferably the mounting arm comprises a threaded rod.

Preferably a pair of stops are provided on the mounting arm.

Preferably said stops comprise or include nuts.

Preferably the stop comprises a detent.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is a plan view of a gudgeon for use in a gate assembly according to one 20 preferred form of the invention, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the gudgeon of figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of an alternative gudgeon for use in a gate assembly according 25 to one preferred form of the invention, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a gudgeon according to one preferred form of the invention in use on a gate assembly according to one preferred form of the invention, Figures 5 to 7 are diagrammatic plan views of alternative gudgeons according to the invention such alternatives being illustrative but not exhaustive of the available alternatives, Figure 8 is a perspective view of a further alternative construction, and 11 March 1997/8344PSP.397 270975 Figure 9 is cross section on "A-A" in figure 8.

Referring to the drawings a gudgeon 1 is provided having a collar 2 which substantially 5 encompasses a member 3 which forms for example part of a gate 4.

Thus in a preferred form of the invention the collar 2 may have a pair of arms 5 and 6 extending therefrom which are able to be held together by a fixing device, for example by nut and bolt 7 passing through suitable apertures in the arms 5 and 6.

In this construction the collar 2 is able to be passed about the member 3 by removing the nut and bolt 7 and forcing the flexibly resilient arms 5 and 6 outwardly against their inherent resilience so as to pass over the member 3 or a narrowed portion of the gate before being reconnected.

To enable the collar 2 to be attached to a gate post a mounting arm 10 is provided which preferably carries threads and is provided with positioning means such as a pair of stops which in the embodiment described are provided by the nuts 11 and 12 which are desirably associated with washers 13 and 14 on the mutually inward facing faces of 20 the nuts 11 and 12.

The collar 2 may be engaged with the mounting arm 10 by means of the nut and bolt assembly 7 which may pass through a suitable aperture in the mounting arm 10.

Of course other arrangements are possible, for example, the mounting arm 10 could be welded or similarly affixed to one of the arms 5 and 6 or in some embodiments of the construction nut and bolt 7 could be replaced by a sleeve which could be pressed over arms 5 and 6 to provide sufficient pressure to retain mounting arm 10 in engagement with arms 5 and 6.

The mounting arm 10 therefore is able to be passed through a suitable hole made through a fence post or other upright 20 to be clamped thereto by tightening the nuts 11 and/or 12 on the mounting arm 10 until the post 20 is clamped between the nuts 11 and 12.

IX April 1996/8344&CS1.496 27 0 9 7 5 Usually two such gudgeons would be provided one towards the upper end of the gate 4 and the other towards the lower end thereof and by adjusting the position of the nuts 11 and 12 on the mounting arm 10 inward and outward and to some extent rotational 5 movement of the gate is possible.

In the construction described the gate frame provides the pivot point of the gudgeon.

It is also desirable that the gudgeon be hot dip galvanised as this will last longer in use 10 than the alternative of electrogalvanising.

The member 3 carries a stop such as detent 22 or in fact may carry one for each gudgeon. The detent 22 which rests on the upper surface of the collar 2 to prevent the gate from slipping downwardly. The detent 22 could of course be replaced by an 15 adjustable clamp so that some height adjustment of the gate relative to the gudgeons can be made. However in our opinion the detent method described would fit most situations.

Alternative constructions within the invention may comprise for example forming the 20 collar out of two parts 30 and 31 as illustrated in figures 3 and 5 or alternatively as illustrated in figure 6 the parts could be parts 32 and 33 such that the connection is transverse to the direction of the mounting arm 10 rather than substantially in alignment as shown in figures 3 and 5.

With the construction shown in figure 6 the part 32 may be permanently affixed to the mounting arm 10 and the parts 32 and 33 may be interconnected for example by nut and bolt assembly 34.

In the construction of figure 7 the arms 41 and 42 may be permanently affixed to the 30 mounting arm 10 if desired. Outwardly extending arms 43 and 44 opposite the mounting arm 10 are able to be forced together by means of nut and bolt assembly 45 or in any other suitable manner. In this construction again the material of the collar 2 is sufficiently resiliently flexible to enable the collar 2 to be passed around the member 3 or a narrowed portion of the gate construction. 11 April 1M6/S344BCS1.4J6 270 9 In figures 8 and 9 a sleeve 50 is tightened onto arms 5 and 6 clamping the arms 5 and 6 to mounting arm 10. If desired on or more notches 51 may be provided in mounting arm 10 and corresponding inward protrusions 52 provided in arms 5 and 6 to further secure the connection between arms 5 and 6 and mounting arm 10.

In use suitable apertures are provided through the gate post 20 and the mounting arm 10 passed therethrough after first removing the nuts 12 and washer 14. These may be then remounted on the mounting arm 10 and tightened to clamp the mounting arm 10 in position on the gate post 20. Inward and outward movement of the construction can be achieved by altering the position of the nuts 11 and 12 on the mounting arm 10.

Should it be desired to remove the gate either the nut 12 and washer 14 can be removed or alternatively the nut and bolt assembly 17 can be undone. Repairs or straightening of the gate may then be effected and the gate remounted by reinserting the nut and bolt assembly 7 or repositioning the nut 12 and washer 14 as required.

Thus it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention a gate assembly is provided which has the advantage that the gate may be securely mounted to the gate post and is not liable to removal by simple upward movement. Also the construction is such that in the preferred form the gate may be relatively simply removed from the gate post should it need repair or straightening. Thus it can be seen that an advantageous construction is provided. 11 March 1997/8344PSP.397 "97 * 270 9 75 7-

Claims (8)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A gate assembly comprising a gate having a member intended to be 5 substantially upright in use, one or more gudgeons each comprising an openable collar, the collar having an aperture size such that the collar can substantially encompass the member, mounted or mountable on the member, a stop on the member which stop in use rests on an upper surface of othe collar of one of the gudgeons and a mounting arm extending from the collar, the mounting arm 10 being shaped and configured so that in use the mounting arm can be connected to a gate post or the like.

2. A gate assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the collar has a pair of arms extending outwardly therefrom and the collar is resiliency flexible so that the 15 arms can be spread to enable the collar to be mounted on the member before being repositioned to be tightened onto the member in use.

3. A gate assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the collar is provided in two or more parts, the parts being engagable to substantially encompass the member. 20

4. A gate assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the mounting arm comprises a threaded rod.

5. A gate assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a pair of 25 stops are provided on the mounting arm.

6. A gate assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said stops comprise or include nuts. 30

7. A gate assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stop comprises a detent.

8. A gate assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 35 Jim* " ""— ' 7 u greyboiToatIs 'limited END OF CLAIMS