US634810A - Gate. - Google Patents

Description

No. 634,810. I Patentedvflot. "3,1899. I N. EARLY, In.

GATE.

' (Applimtipn filed July 11, 1899.) (No Model.) I 2 Sheeta-Shaef 2.

114: mums PETERS $0.. morquwo. msumcmu. a. c.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.NOAH EARLY, JR., OF \VARBENSBURG, MISSOURL,

' cATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,810, dated October 10, 1899.

i Application filed July 1'7, 1899. Serial No. 724,119. (No model.)

T (0 whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, NOAH EARLY, Jri; a citizen of the United States, residing at Warrensburg, in the. county of Johnson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful- Gate, of which the following tion.

This invention relates to gates, the object in view-being to provide a gate especially :0 adapted for farm purposes and so constructed and arranged in connection with operating mechanism that the gate may be opened and closed by persons traveling on horseback or in vehicles without the necessity of such per-' :5 sons dismounting.

The primary object of the invention is to I provide mechanism for openingand closinga gate which, while reliable in operation, is strong and durable and may be manufactured at a minimum cost. The mechanism by means of which the gate is operated is of such a simple character that it may be readily set up adjacent to any gateway and connected with any-form of hinged gate. The operat- 2 5 ing mechanism also avoids the'use of any small and delicate parts which are liable to become broken or get out of order, and said mechanism embodies sufficient strengthand power to enable the gate to be operated in the 0 presence of high winds and under varying adverse conditions. Other objects and advantages of theinvention will appear in the course of the ensuing description. a

The invention consists in gate-operating mechanism embodying several novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gateand operating mechanism therefor constructed in accord- I ance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the operating mechanism-,looking toward the outside thereof or toward the roadway. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail horizontal section taken in line with the crank-shaft and ratchetwheel shaft. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective is a specificaview-of'the slide-bar, showing the manner in which it is mounted upon the supporting posts. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section taken longitudinally between the supporting-bars and showing the ratchet-wheel, pawl, pawlcarrying arm, ac. Fig. 7 is adiagrammatic plan view illustrating the relative positions of the gate, slide-bar, and connections when the gate is open. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the relation of the same parts when the gate is closed. i Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in allthe figures of the drawings.

In carrying out thepresent invention I employ in connection with the main gate-post.

1, to which the gate is hinged, an auxiliary post 2, set at a distance therefrom and at the same side of the roadway as the post 1, the posts 1 and 2 being arranged in a plane parellel to the roadway and immediatelyat the side thereof. The gate 3 may be of any usual or preferred construction and is hinged to the post 1. The preferred form of'hinge consists of a vertical hinge-pin 4, which passes through knuckles 5 at the upper and lower inner corners of the gate and also through stationary eyes or staples 6, projecting laterally from the posts. Several sets of eyes 6 may be employed in connection with such a gate and hinge-pin, so that the gate may be adjusted in height or set higher or lower, according to the desire of the owner, it being frequently desirable upon farms to raise the gate above the ground more or less for the purpose of enabling small stock to pass thereunder and for the additional purpose of enabling the gate, to be readily opened and closed in the winter-time when there is an accumulation of snow, ice, doc. I

- I will proceed to describe the operating mechanism by means of which the gate may be thrown open or closed by persons while riding in a vehicle or upon horseback.

One of the essential elements of the operating mechanism consists of a sliding bar 7, which is mounted to reciprocate in suitable hearings on the posts 1 and 2, the line of said reciprocation of said bar being substantially parallel to the roadway. A convenient way of mounting said reciprocating bar is to form recesses or mortises 8 in the posts l and 2, which mortises are of sufficient depth to receive" the slide-bar 7,'so that its outer surface is llush,orsubstantially so,with the outer sur faces of the posts, the bar 7 being held in place by means of keepers 9, consisting of strips secured at their opposite ends to the posts 1 and 2 above and below the mortises 8, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. Instead of extending the strips 9 entirely across the mortises 8 said strips may be made in two parts, as shown in connection with the post 1, the inner adjacent ends of said part projecting sufficiently to overhang the mortise 8. The slide-bar 7 is provided with a laterally-projecting ear 10 upon its outer side or that side which faces away from the roadway, said ear being designed for the pivotal connection thereto of one end of a link 11, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the side ear or lug 12 of an arm 13, projecting laterally from the gate, said arm being preferably constructed from a metal strap bentto form inwardly diverging arms or flanges 14, which are secured fast to one of the rails of the gate. This forms a rigid and wellbraced arm on the gate, by means of which it is designed to be connected to the operating mechanism. The link 11 has its outer end offset and bent downward to bring its extremity 15 into a lower plane than its main body portion, so as to pass over the upper edge of the slide-bar 7 and connect pivotally to the ear 1O thereon.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when the bar 7 is moved longitudinally in one direction the link 11 will be drawn behind the gate-post 1 and will operate with a pulling action upon the lateral arm of the gate, thereby swinging the gate open until the free end of the gate strikes against the post 2. When the slide-bar 7 is moved in the opposite direction, the outer end of the link 11 will be carried in the direction of the post 2, causing said link to operate with a pushing action upon the lateral arm of the gate, thereby closing the gate until its outer or free end strikes against the post 16 at the opposite side of the roadway, in connection with which gate-post any suitable latch mechanism may be employed for holding the gate closed. a

The shifting mechanism by means of which the slide-bar7 is reciprocated consists of a shifting lever 17, which is fulcrumed at its upper end on the post 2 and has its lower free end connected by means of a pivotal link 18 with the slide-bar 7, as shown. At an intermediate point in its length the shifting lever 17 connects pivotally with one end of a connecting-bar 19, the opposite end of which is mounted upon the free end of a crank-arm 20 at one end of a crank-shaft 21, which is journaled in hearings in a pair of oppositelyarranged parallel bars 22, extending horizontally between the posts 1 and 2 and firmly secured to opposite sides thereof,s0 as to leave an intervening space. The crank-shaft 21 is provided upon the end opposite the crank 20 with a spur-pinion 23, which is engaged and operated by a spur-wheel 24:, fast on a coun tor-shaft 25, also journaled in hearings in the bars 22 and having fast thereon between said bars 22 a ratchet-wheel 26, which is operated by means of a pawl 27, pivotally mounted upon a pawl-carrying arm 28, journaled on the shaft 25 between the bars 22. c The outer free end of the pawl-carrying arm 28 is connected by means of pivotal links 29 with the inner adjacent ends of a pair of operatinglevers 30, fulcrumed intermediate their ends at 31 upon the posts 1 and 2 and having at their outer ends handles 32, which may be grasped by the person riding in a vehicle or on horseback and pulled downward for correspondingly raising the inner adjacent levers and operating the gate-operating mechanism.

34- designates a detent which engages with the wheel 2 for preventing retrograde movev ment of the ratchet-wheel shaft, and consequently of the crankshaft.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when either one of the operatinglevers is moved or drawn downward at its outer end its inner end in moving upward will vibrate the pawl-carrying arm 28, cans ing the pawl 27 to partially rotate the ratchetwheel 26 and shaft 25 and through the medium of the gears 24: and 23 partially turn the crank -shaft 21. The parts are so proportioned and related that the crank 20 will be turned through approximately a half-circle. In this movement of the crank-arm the shifting lever 17 will be vibrated through the medium of the connecting-bar 19, and by reason of its linked connection with the slide-bar the latter will be moved in one direction or the other. When one of the operating-levers is again depressed, the crank-arm 20 will be carried through the remainder of its revolution and the shifting lever 17 will be vibrated in the direction opposite to that j ust described, causingtheslide-barto be moved also in the opposite direction. It will thus be seen that precisely the same means are employed for opening the gate as for closing the same. It will also be apparent that no small or delicate parts are employed in connection with theoperating mechanism, and said mechanism is thus not liable to get out of order and require frequent repairing. It matters not how high or how low the gate itself may be set the operating mechanism will be just as effective in one position as in another. In order to insure the raising of the outer ends of the operating-levers 30 and the corresponding depression of the inner ends thereof, springs 33 may be employed, such springs being secured at one end of the posts 1 and 2 and bearing attheir opposite or free ends beneath and against the outwardly-extending longer arms of the lever 30, the tension of said springs being exerted in an upward direction. The operating mechanism is positive in action, serving to force the gate all the way shut or all the way open, and therefore does not depend upon gravity or auxiliary springs to complete the movement 634,810 1 V Y a of the gate in opening and closing which has been started by the operating mechanism.

The mechanism described and illustrated in the drawings is simple, effective, durable, 5' and reliable and maybe manufactured at a small cost and set up at a price which will make it available for farming purposes and .bring it readily within the means of the or I dinary farmer. [O From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many. advantages of the herein-described gate will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood '15 that changes in the size, shape, proportion,

and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 1

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a gate, of aslidebar operatively connected thereto for opening and closing the gate, and ratchet-controlled mechanism for reciprocating said slide-bar.

' 2. The combination with a hinged gate, of a reciprocating slide bar operatively connected thereto for opening and closing the 0 same, a shifting lever operatively connected to said slide-bar,and ratchet-controlled mechanism for operating said shifting lever.

3. The combination with a hinged gate, of

a reciprocating slide-bar, working in a plane 3 5 parallel to the roadway, connections between said slide-bar and gate, a shifting lever operatively connected to said slide-bar, a cranlc shaft foroperating said shifting lever, and operating-levers having connection with said 40 crank-shaft.

4. The combination with a hinged gate, of a reciprocating slide bar operatively connected thereto and operating in a plane parallel to the roadway, and ratchet-controlled mechanism for reciprocating said slide-bar.

5. The combination with a hinged gate, of a reciprocating slide-bar, operatively connected thereto and working in a plane substantially parallel to the roadway, a crank-- shaft, connections between said crank-shaft allel bars connecting said posts, a crankand the sliding bar, an operating-lever and engaging the ratchet-wheel, operating-levers extending in opposite directions, and connections between said operating-levers and pawl-carrying arm. 7

'7. The combination withahinged gate havin g a laterally-projecting arm, of a slide-bar movable in a plane parallelto the roadway and having a linked connection with said lateral arm, and ratchet-controlled mechanism for reciprocating said slide-bar, substan- 7o tially as described.

8. The combination with a hinged gate having a lateral arm, of a slide-bar having a linked connection with said arm, distantlylocated posts upon which said bar slides, parshaft journaled in said bars, connections between said crank shaft and slide-bar, operating-levers, and connections between said leversand crank-shaft, whereby the crankshaft may be partially and intermittently rotated, substantially as described.

9. Thecombination with a hinged gate, of a slide-bar moving in a plane parallel to the roadway, operative connections between said slide-bar and gate, a crank-shaft, connec* 'tions between said crank-shaft, and slide-bar, a counter-shaft parallel to said crank-shaft, intertneshing gears on said shafts, an operating-lever, connections between said lever and counter-shaft for turning the latter, and a detent for preventing retrograde movement thereof, substantially as described.

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

' NOAH EARLY, JR.

lVitnesses:

W. W. W001), W. L. BOLEAN. I

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