US1177487A - Automatic gate-catch. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. CLEMENTS.

AUTOMATIC GATE CATCH.

APPLICATION FlLED JULY 26. 1913.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916. 7

WITNESSES ATTO R N EY rates ii. detainee, enemies; rrlniiiois.

Antonina Gain-enr ch.

Specification of Letters rater 1t. i Patented Mjar,

Application filed July 26, 1913. Serial No. 781,400. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. CLEMENTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Abingdon, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Automatic Gate-Catch, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a combined automatic gate catch and gate-support.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of automatic gate catches, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient automatic double acting gravity gate catch and gate support of strong and durable construction, designed for use on farm gates opening in either direction and adapted to support a gate in its closed position and effectually preventthe gate from sagging or pulling the hinge post over orfrom being lifted out of engagement with the engaging means by smart stock.

The invention also has for its object to provide an automatic catch of thischaracter adapted to be easily operatedby a pedestrian or by an equestrian without dismounting, and equipped with means for excludingrain, snow and sleet from its interior so that the same will not interfere with the proper operation of the automatic catch.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or'sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a front elevation of anautomatic catch and gate support, constructed in accordance with this invention, the latch, which is carried by the gate, being in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, taken transversely with relation to the gate. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the automatic gate catch and gate support. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, the

latch member, which is carried by the headed end of the gate, being removed. Fig.5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the removable front of the housing. Fig. 7 is a detail View of the adjustable latch member, which is carried by the gate.

Like numerals of reference designate cor responding parts inall the figures of the drawing. r r

In the accompanying drawingin which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the automatic gate catch com prises in its preferred construction an upper housing 1 and a lower supporting flange or ledge 2, located below'the housing in spaced relation with the same -to'- form a gu'id'eway 3 for the passage of a latch member 4; The supporting ledge or flange 2, which consists of a central horizontal portion and opp0- sitely inclined side portions, extends inwardly or rearwardly beyond the vertical plane of the rear wall of the housing, and it is connected with the latter by a vertical back plate 5 and a horizontal web or flange 6, extending rearwardly from the back of the housing at the bottom thereof. The housing, which is approximately rectangular, iscomposed of a top wall, a vertical rear wall, vertical side or end walls and a removable front wall or plate 7 secured tothe' body portionof the housing by an upper horizontal bolt 8, extending through 'aline'd openings in the front'and rear walls of the casing and through or into a post 9 so that it fastens the frontplate' of the housing to the body thereof and also assists in firmly se curingthe housing to the post, as shown.

The back plate 5 is preferably provided at its lower portion with a centrally arranged vertical slot l0, extending upwardly from thelower edge ofthe said back plate 5 and receiving a'lower bolt ll,'which also pierces the said post. Thefhousing is provided with an integralcentrally arranged bottom portion l2',=extending forwardly'from the back" plate and arranged in spaced relation with thefend walls to form bottom openings 13,

which guide lower engaging heads l l ofa pair of vertically movable'locking dogs or,

catches 15. The housing is also provided in its'top wall with guide openings 16, which are formed by slots extendinginwardly from thefront edges of thetopwall of the housing, and the said dogs or catches-arere tained in the upper guide openings by spaced lugs 17, projecting into the frontportions of the top guide openings 16. Thereinov ablefront plate is provided at its ends with notches 18'to engage with forwardly projecting lugs 19 of the end walls of the housing, and it has upper and lower inwardly extending lugs 20, which flt'against the inner or lower face of the top wall of the housing and the upper face of the. bottom portion 12 of the same. i The housing is provided at its ends with laterally projecting bracing flanges 21, which are located at the endsof the guideway 3, and the rear plate 5 is provided with vertical ribs or flanges 22, which are embedded in the post, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

a The vertically movable dogs or catches, wh'ch are in the form of gravity acting plungers, have their intermediate portions reduced to fit the upper guide openings 16, and they are enlarged at the upper ends of the intermediate portions to form caps or closures 23, which extend. beyond the upper guideopenings and fit against the top of the housing for excluding snow and ice from the interior of the same. The lower engag ing heads of the dogs or catches 15 are tapered to provide outer inclined side faces 24, and they have vertical inner faces 25, arranged in spaced relation and adapted to receive between them the latch member 4. The lower engaging heads are of a size to fill. the bottom guide openings of the housing, and they are limited in their downward movement by the enlarged cap portions '23, and their upward :movement is limited by upper shoulders formed by the'engaging heads 14. The dogs or catches, which, are interchangeable and independently operable, are adapted to .be lifted automatically by the latch member, and they automatically drop into engagement with the same and conflnethe said latch member on the central portion of the supporting flange or ledge, which effectually prevents the gate from sagging and from straining and pulling over the hinge post. The upper ends of the dogs or catches are provided withv eyes or openings 26 through which passes a double lever 27, constructed of No. 10 wire or other suit able material having horizontal terminal portions and an intermediate loop 28, located between the dogs orcatches and adapted to retain the lever in the said eyes or openings 26. The upper and lower walls of the eyes orv openings are rounded, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and the terminal portions of thedouble lever project beyond the dogs or catches and are adapted to be either raised'or depressed for lifting the said dogs 'or catches. The double acting lever is adapted to fulcrum on either one of the independently movable locking dogs or catches 15, and when one end of the lever is lifted it raises the d g or catch at that side of the catch. and by bearing down on a one end of the lever, the dog or catch at theother side of the catch is raised so that;

.or catch, but when it passes either dog orcatch it is'caught and securely confined until released by the lifting of one of the dogs or catches.

The latch member 4 consists of a front or outer engaging portion and a shank '28. The outer engaging portion consists of an upper central rib or flange 29 and a'lower; transversely tapered portion 30, projecting laterally beyond the side faces of the upper rib or flange and presenting inclined side faces adapted to ride readily upthe inclined terminal portions of the ledge or flange '2. The upper ribor flange is adapted to engage the inclined outer edges or faces of the heads The latch member 14 of the catches or. dogsfor automatically:

lifting. the latter when the gate is swung to its closed position. The central upper rib or flange has straight side faces, and iwhen it is arranged between the spaced inner vertical engaging edge of the catches or dogs, it is securely retained in the'space between the dogs or catches and is effectually prevented from being released by stock. The shank 28 consists of a vertical plate provided with; upper and lower horizontal slots 31 provided-at intervals with circular enlargements 32, adapted to receive bolts for adjustably securing thelatch mem ber to the front bar 33 of a gate. The slots and the bolts enable the latch member to be:

adjusted inwardly and outw'ardly to engage properly the dogs or catches of the latch.-

VVhat is claimed is 1. A gate catch including alatchmember designed tobe mounted on agate, a housing provided in its top and bottom with: guide openings, vertically slidabledogs or catches consisting of lower engaging heads guided in thebottom openingsof the housing, re--' duced intermediate portions through and guided in the openings in the extending; 7

top of the housing, an enlarged upper p orr tion located abovei the: casing exteriorly of the same and arranged to rest upon the top,

of the housing and. covering the upper guide openings, and an exterior operating lever mounted on the enlarged upper portions of the dogs, each of which forms a fulcrum for the lever to-permit the same to lift the other,

dog. 2. Agate catch including a latch member designed to be mounted on a gate, a housing,

spaced dogs or catches slidable upwardly the latch member, and an operatinglever arranged exteriorly of the casing and consisting of approximately horizontal terminal portions extending through the eyesof the dogs or catches, and an intermediate loop located between the dogs or catches.

3. A gate catch including a latch member designed to be mounted on a gate, a housing composed of a body portion pro vided with upper guide openings formed by slots extending inwardly from one edge, said body portion being also provided with a central body portion spaced from the side walls and forming bottom guide openings, and a front plate having lugs extending in the front portions of the said slots, said front plate having upper and lower lugs fitting between the top wall of the body and the bottom portion thereof, and vertically movable catches slidable in the guide openings and having lower portions for engaging with the latch member.

4. A gate catch including an upper housing, a lower flange or ledge arranged in spaced relation with the housing, dogs or catches depending from the housing and projecting into the space between the same and the said flange or ledge, and a latch member designed to be adjustably mounted on a gate and having a projecting engaging portion arranged to rest upon the flange or ledge and consisting of an upper centrally arranged rib or flange adapted to engage the said dogs or catches, and a lower transversely tapered portion projecting beyond the said rib or flange and presenting inclined side faces.

5. A gate catch comprising a housing, dogs vertically movable in the housing,

and a coacting latch member adjustably mounted on a gate and adapted to be adjusted to coact with the said dogs, said latch member consisting of an outer engaging portion and a shank, said shank being formed of a vertical plate provided with upper. and lower horizontal slots provided at intervals with enlargements, and bolts passing through the slots for attaching the shank to the gate.

6. A gate catch including a lower supporting ledge, spaced vertically movable dogs or catches located above the ledge, and a latch member designed to be adjustably mounted on a gate and having a projecting portion arranged to rest upon the ledge, said engaging portion consisting of an upper centrally arranged rib or flange adapted to be engaged by the said dogs or catches, and a lower transversely tapered portion projecting beyond the said rib and presenting inclined side faces.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. (ELEMENTS.

Witnesses:

WV. F. MARKS, REUBEN DAvIs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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