US2676426A - Self-adjusting gate - Google Patents

Description

April 27, 1954 J. B. OLSEN SELF-ADJUSTING GATE Filed Aug. '7. 1950 Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITE Df- STATES Meer .i trice:

This'invention comprisesf'novel and useful-im-- provements inv aself-adjusting gate and more specically pertains to an improved farm gate whichk shall' be readily adjustable asv to length' and inclination.

The primary object of this invention is to provide, an improved farm gate whose lengthmay be easily adjusted in order to adaptthe gate to accommodate dilferent openingsV between gate posts-L, and in order to vary the. inclination of thev gate` toenable the bottomedge ofthe sameto conformv to.v the contour of the ground, or vary theopeningl between thelower edge of the gate andftherground as required.

AV still further object of the invention is, to provide an improved gate.- ofV an exceedingly sturdy and-simplified construction, and provided with a combined bracing and reinforcing member which also constitutes means whereby the dimensions of the gate may be adjusted.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a preferred embodiment of farm gate incorporating therein the principle of this invention, the same being shown in a closed and normal position of adjustment in full lines and in an alternative position of adjustment in dotted lines therein;

Figure 2 is a top 1; and,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now more specically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, it Will be seen that the improved farm gate constructed in accordance with the principle of this invention is shown in operative position with respect to a pair of gate posts I and I2, the former constituting the post upon which the gate is hinged and being relatively longer than the latter post, the former being further provided with L-shaped gate hinge pinsl4 upon which the novel gate forming the subject of this` invention is hingedly mounted for horizontal swinging movement about the vertically extending portions I6 of the hinge pins.

The gate itself consists of a plurality of vertiplan view of the gate of Figure gate in various adjusted 1 Claim.. (Cl. 39e-22);

cally and' h'orizontallyf disposedY slats,l the'. hori zontal-slatsbeing indicated at i8, while thezvertical slats-are disposedlin pairs on-opposite sides.

Obviously, anyJ demanner metallic received upon the'hinge pins i6. t

The end pair of vertical slats 24.1 extend up:- wardlyabove the other vertical slats and above theL1 top of the gate 'for the'purpose ofproviding an anchorage for a combined reinforcing, brace ing and adjusting member to be hereinafter described.

An anchor pin 28 which is provided with a laterally extending perpendicular arm portion 3U, is provided, this anchor pin being slidingly and guidingly mounted upon the horizontal slats I8 at the lower corner of the gate and being retained thereon as by guide brackets 32. A sup:- porting bracket 34 may be secured to one of the horizontal slats to provide a socket for seating the perdendicular portion 3U of the anchor pin to hold the same in its raised position. The anchor pin may be selectively released from the socket 314 and then lowered through its guides 32 to cause the pointed end of the anchor pin to be embedded in the ground and thus hold the positions of opening.

The combined bracing, reinforcing and adjusting means consists of a rigid member combined with a resilient member provided with adjusting means. The rigid member may conveniently comprise a pair of connecting links or rods 3B, one being disposed at each side of the gate, these rods having eye portions 38 at their lower ends which are connected as by a through bolt 40 to the end pair of vertically disposed slats 20 at the bottom of the gate. At their upper ends, the connecting links 36 are provided with other eyes 42 which receive the ends of the tension coil springs 44 whose other ends are secured to eye bolts 46 which are mounted in a crossbar 48, the latter having a bracket 5D to which is pivotally connected one end of a turnbuckle 52 whose other end is connected to a link or swivel 54 in turn pivoted to a through bolt 56 extending between the upper ends of the end pair of vertical slats 24. Thus, the bracing means extends diagonally of pairs' of verticalf slatsmaybe.l hinged at the endfcf! the -gatethere are provided a pair of relatively1V longer channel. members 24 Ito-which are secured in anydesired sleeves- 25-whi`ch are hingecllyAv o! the gate and thereby reinforces and braces the same.

As will now be apparent, the turnbuckle may be so adjusted as to vary the tension force of the brace member and thereby in tum control the relative pivoting position of the vertical and horizontal slats, so that the gate may be disposed horizontally as shown in full lines in Figure 1, or may be tnsioned into an inclined position either above the horizontal as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 or below the horizontal depending upon the contour of the ground.

As will be apparent, the gate may normally be extended sufficient to cause the ends of the horizontal slats to engage against the fence post I2 and thereby prevent passage of the gate between the fence posts. In order to open the gate or swing the same past the post, it is obviously merely necessary to raise the unhinged end of the horizontal slats a suicient distance to cause the same to assume the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, at which time the overall length of the gate will be reduced so that the same may pass inside of the post l2.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled-in the art after a consideration of the foregoingspeciication and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, whatis claimed as new is:

An adjustable gate comprising vertical and horizontal slats, the vertical slats being disposed in pairs on opposite sides of the horizontal slats and pivoted thereto and including first and second pairs of vertical slats at opposite ends of said gate, gate hinges mounted upon said first pair of vertical slats for mounting the gate for horizontal swinging about a vertical axis, said first pair of vertical slats extending a material distance above the topmost horizontal slat, a reinforcing and adjusting means connected adjacent the top of said first pair of vertical slats and adjacent the bottom end of the second pair of vertical slats, said means being operable to adjust the length of the gate and the inclination of the horizontal slats, said adjusting means including a rigid member and a spring member attached to the rigid member, said rigid member including a pair of rods mounted on opposite sides of said gate, a turnbucklasaid turnbuckle having one end pivoted to and between the top ends of saidrst pair of vertical slats, a cross plate pivoted to the other end of said turnbuckle, said spring being connected between the ends of said rods and said cross plate, said springs being pivoted to said cross plate.

References Cited in the file 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 402,489 Sherman et al Apr. 30, 1889 1,052,665 Hester Feb. 11, 1913 1,119,558 Whitworth Dec. 1, 1914 1,167,828 Landis Jan. ll, 1916 1,297,949 Werezak Mar. 18, 1919 2,346,110 MacKenzie Apr. 4, 1944 2,500,236 Anderson Mar. 14, 1950

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