US696676A - Gate. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. I, I902.

T. A. HILL. GATE. (Application filed June a, 1961.

2 Sheets-Shoat I.

(No Model.)

m: uonma Perms morouma. WASH 2.. U m r p A d 6 t n e a P. L E m AG (Application filed June 6, 190 1,)

- 2 Sheets-Shmet 2.

(N0 Model.)

norms Pawns co, vuomu'nn. wnsumnron. a. c.

Unrrnn STATES Parn'r Prion.

TERELIUS ALLEN HILL, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,676, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed June 6, 1901. Serial No. 63,394. (No model.)

To all whom, may concern:

Be it known that I, TERELIUS ALLEN HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. I

My invention relates to gates which extend across a roadway or entrance to a building or other similar passage.

The invention has reference particularly to gates which are supported at one end upon a hinge which is horizontal and perpendicular to the plane of the gate and located at one side of the passage or opening which the gate is intended to close.

The object of the improvement is to provide a simple and efficient gate embodying devices adapting the gate to be turned upon its hinge by pullingacord or similar device extending perpendicularly, or substantially so, to the plane of the gate.

The improvement includes means for automatically latching the gate, means for efiectively counter-balancing the gate upon its hinge, an improved post construction for supporting the gate,and other features,which will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gate embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of the gate-sup ports. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end of the gate adjacent to the hinge, the View being perpendicular to Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view of the counterbalance -chest, said chest being shown without the front wall and in the-position assumed when the gate is turned into the upright position. Fig.5 is an end elevation of thecounterbalance-chest shown in Fig. 4:, the side walls being in place. Figs. 6 and j 7 are details illustrating the manner of securing the arms which support the cords whereby the gate is shifted. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are demy improvement may be applied to ordinary hinged gates.

A is the gate proper. This is shown composed of the top rail A, bottom rail A front uprights A counterbalance chest B and braces O. Said gate is hinged on the horizontal shaft 0, which shaft is supported by the posts D D, said posts being located at opposite sides of the gate and substantially opposite each other, said shaft extending through said posts and the braces 0, immediately in front of the counterbalance-chest B. One end of each brace O is shown secured to the forward portion of the side of the counterbalancechest, about midway between the top and bottom of the chest, and the opposite end of each such brace is attached to the top rail A of the gate. Said braces O serve to stay the top rail in two directions-in a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane-because the top rail is narrower than the counterbalance-chest and extends midway over the latter, so that the braces O converge both horizontally and vertically. Said chest is shown composed of the front wall B, rear wall B top wall B bottom wall B, side walls B and partition B. Said partition divides said chest into two compartments B and B When the gate is in the horizontal position, said compartments are alined vertically, B being above B and when the gate is in the upright position said compartments are alined horizontally, as shown in Fig. 4:. A suitable aperture 1; extends through one of the walls of the compartment B and a similar aperture 5 extends through one of the walls of the compartment B A plug b may be used to close the opening B and a similar plug 5 may be used for closing the opening 19 The partition B is located adjacent to the shaft 0, so that said compartments are at opposite sides of a plane cutting the gate lengthwise and located near the shaft 0. By insertin g more or less sand, gravel, or any other suitable weight material through the apertures b and b not only can the aggregate of the weight of said chest be adjusted with reference to the aggregate weight of the gate at the counterbalance may be readily adapted to any peculiarity of construction in the gate whereby the weight at the top and bottom of the gate is varied. This means for adjusting the counterbalance is frequently useful. Even when a number of gates are constructed as similar as to shape and size as possible there are differences in weight of the same pieces, which will require a corresponding adjustment of the upper and lower portions of the counterbalance. For example, if the bottom rail A or other pieces at the lower portion of the gate are disproportionately heavy on account of the density of the wood or its absorption of Water or if in making the gate an additional piece is applied, so as to increase the weight of the lower portion of the gate, then allowance is made for the excessive weight by drawing the plug b and inserting into the compartment B additional weight material until the desired approximation to equilibrium is again attained. The front wall B and rear wall B of the chest 13 have extensions B rising above the wall B to a height equaling, approximately, the vertical thickness of the top rail A. The spaces between said extensions are of proper width to receive the thickest top rail A which it is probable will be used. At its lower end the wall B has similar extensions B The top rail A rests in the recesses between the extensions B B and is therein suitably secured, as by bolts or pins a, reaching through said extensions and rail. The bottom rail A extends into the recess between the extensions B and is therein suitably secured, as by a pin or bolt a reaching through said extensions aud rail.

The braces O are preferably detachably secured, as by a bolt 0 extending through said braces and the top railA, and by one or more bolts C extending through said braces and the chest 13, and the uprights A are preferably removably secured by a bolt a extending through said uprights and the top rail, and a similar bolt at, extending through said uprights and the bottom rail A When constructed in this form, the gate may be readily separated and the parts crated for shipment in knockdown form. Furthermore, by thus making the parts of the gate separable my improvement may be readily and economically applied to ordinary hinged gates already constructed, as will be hereinafter described.

E is a sill extending horizontally beneath and parallel to the gate proper. The function of said sill is to form means, either exclusive of or supplemental to the ground, for securing the posts D D, D D, and F F. It is to be understood that said sill may be omitted and the several posts mentioned set into the ground. As the posts D D and D D are usually set farther apart at their bases than the width needed for the sill E, cross-sills E E may be applied to said sill E as a means for attachment of the lower ends of said posts D D and D D. The posts D and D at the same side of the sill E and the gate converge as they rise until they meet at the top, where they are firmly joined, as by a bolt D Said posts D D (and also the posts D D) are separated sufficiently at the top to make room for the passage of the gate and for the arms which support the shifting-cords, as will be hereinafter described, and said posts D D (and also the posts D D) preferably diverge from the bottom toward the top in order that greater stability may be attained by the braces which said posts constitute when the forming of a parallelogram by the posts D D, shaft 0, and cross-sill E is avoided.

A is a bolt or shaft joining the posts F immediately below the adjacent end of the top rail A, which rail extends between said posts. Said bolt or shaft serves to stay the said posts F, and it also serves as a rest for said top rail and as a stop for the latch A As shown, said latch consists of spring metal and is secured by its lower end to the front portion of the gate, as to one of the uprights A by means of a screw or bolt a it is bent horizontally toward the hinge of the gate to make the hip a", which is to extend beneath the bar or bolt A when the latch is in its normal position. The free end of said latch is bent into the form of an eye a or otherwise shaped for the convenient attachment of a cord A which may be led through suitable guides A A to the cords G, to which it is joined.

Two arms H are used for supporting the cords G, one of said arms being placed at each side of the gate, between the adjacent posts D and D, and hinged (so as to permit horizontal movement, as hereinafter described) on the shaft 01, which extends horizontally through said posts. A guy-wire or similar brace H, extending from the bolt D which joins said posts to a staple or similar device H on the arm H, serves to hold said arm in the horizontal position or in such approximation to the horizontal position as may be desired. A pulley H hung from the end of each such arm adjacent to the shaft d, and another similar pulley H hung from the opposite or free end of each such arm, serve as guides for the cords G. If so desired, one or more eyes or staples H upon said arm may support said cords between said pulleys. A ring H or similar device may be attached to the free end of each cord G, to be grasped by the hand for drawing said cord. Said ring or similar device should be of sufficient weight todraw the cord G and also the cord A taut without drawing the latter cord sufficiently to move the latch A I From the pulleys H the cords Gr extend downward between the four adjacent posts to the shaft 0, which shaft extends horizontally from one brace C to the other. The cord A, Fig. 1, should be so short as to draw the cords Gout of line toward the free end of the gate in order that when one of the cords G is drawn for the purpose of opening the gate said cord in becoming straightened At its upper end Then when the nut 0 on said shaft 0 is tight-.

eeaere between its pulley H and the shaft C will draw the'cord A lengthwise toward the hinge end of the gate sufficiently to pull the latch A from beneath the bar A.

As shown by Fig. 1, the space between the posts D and D at the shaft Cl is wider than the thickness of the arm H. Said arm is hinged to said shaft so as to allow the latter to turn in a horizontal plane to a limited degree. For this purpose the said arm may have, an elongated aperture h for receiving said shaft d, as illustrated by Figs. 6 and'7, the formerbein g an elevation and the latter a sectional plan. This lateral movement of said arm is facilitated by the flexible guy H. This provision for lateral movement makes it possible for a person on a vehicle or on a horse to shift said lever into a convenient position low the pulley H to follow to a limited extent the movement of the gate while the latter is bein g shifted.

It is to be observed that the adjacent ends of the arms H mustbe separated sufficiently to allow the gate to pass between said ends, as indicated by the dotted linesin Fig. 3.

To aid in establishing and maintaining the proper distance between the upper ends of the posts D D, suitable washers C may be insert-' ed between said posts D D and the braces O.

ened stability is given to said posts and to the gate.

As an adjunct to the counterbalance-chest or as a substitute therefor, if so desired, I interpose between the posts D and D and the gate a contracting spring I, which is put under tension as the gate approaches either limit of its range of movement. Said spring may be applied in any one of several ways. I show its upper end attached to a horizontal crossbar 1 extending from one of the posts D to the adjacent post D, while the lower end of said spring is attached by means of a cord 1 to the shaft 0 (to which the cord G is also attached.) The aggregate length of saidspring and the cord 1 is such as to put the spring under strain to such an extent as may be desiredwhen the gate is in the horizontal position. barl is so located as to make the distance from said point to the shaft 0 substantially the same when the gate is in the horizontal position or when it is tilted upward beyond its axis. Thus the springwill become engaged as the gate is approaching either limit of its range of movement, and the resistance of the spring will gradually reduce the momentum of the gate and prevent shock as the gate reaches its limit.

The spring I is preferably'duplicated, one being located at each side of the gate, to the end that the spring action may not be at only one side of the plane of the gate and tend to draw the latter sidewlse. It is obvious that the strength of the spring or springs I and The point of attachment on the the rectangular frame J of a common form' of metallic gate is attached by suitable clamps J 4 J extending around the vertical portion of said bar J and the vertical portion of said gate-frame J chest B to the upper portion of said frame J and are there secured by the bolt C used in Fig. 1. Itis notimportant whether the clamps J secure the frame J 3 against lateral turning on the member J, for such turning is prevented by the braces G. This willbe apparent by an inspection of Fig. 9.

In Fig. 10 there is shown a modification of the form illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. Bars K and K take the places, respectively, of the inner ends of the top rail A and bottom rail A the attachment of said members being again formed by means of the pins a anda K K and K, respectively, are the top rail, bottom rail, and end upright of an ordinary wooden-frame gate, said parts overlapping at the corners. Bolts is, extendingthrough the end upright K and the adjacent bar K or K, join the frame to the bars K and K. The brace (Lagain secured to the counterbalancechest B, extends obliquely upward and is joined by the bolt 0 to the gate-frame.

By means of the modifications illustrated by Figs. 8, 9, and 10 my improvement may readily be applied to gates already constructed. The counterbalance -chest, the braces O, the posts D and D and F, and the armsH and other parts may always be madealike, if so desired. a

I claim as my invention 1. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having a counterbalance-chest comprising two compartments which are at opposite sides of a plane cutting said gate lengthwise and near which said hinge lies, substantially as described.

2. Agate supported on a horizontal hinge and a counterbalance-chest comprising two compartments which are at opposite sides of a plane'cuttingsaid gate lengthwise and near which said hinge lies, each suchcompartment havingan aperture and removable means for closing said aperture, substantially as J described.

3. A gate having a detachable counterbalance-chest and braces, G, extendingfromi the sides of saidchest to the top rail of the gate andhaving holes for receiving a hinge-shaft, 0, between the point of attachmenttosaid top railK of the chest and the point of attachment to the frame of the gate, substantially as described.

4. A counterbalance-chest for a gate, said chest being provided at its upper portion and at its lower portion with means for detach The braces C extend from the IIO ably securing horizontal bars, substantially as described.

5. A counterbalance-chest for a gate, said .chest being provided at its upper portion and at its lower portion with means for detachably securing horizontal bars,and braces leadin gfrom the sides of said chest toward the free end of the gate, substantially as described.

6. A gate having a top rail and a bottom rail extending, respectively, over and beneath a hinge, and a counterbalance chest located between and detachably secured to said rails, substantially as described.

7. A counterbalance chest substantially upright when the gate is in its closed position, a horizontal partition dividing said chest into two compartments, and suitable apertures for the insertion of weight material into said compartments, substantially as described.

8. A counterbalance-chest for a gate, said chest comprising side Walls, top and bottom Walls, and front and rear walls, the latter having extensions for the attachment of said chest to the gate, substantially as described.

9. The combination with two pairs of converging posts, of a gate hinged to two of said posts standing at opposite sides of said gate, a shaft, 0?, supported by the posts at one side of said gate, and an arm, H, secured to said shaft by a hinge permitting horizontal movement of said arm, substantially as described.

10. The combination with two pairs of converging posts, of a gate hinged to two of said posts standing at opposite sides of said gate, and a cord-supporting arm hinged to said posts above said gate to move in a horizontal plane, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of June, in the year 1901.

TERELIUS ALLEN HILL.

Witnesses:

J. H. FRANTZ, CYRUS KEHR.

Images