US846804A - Gate-latch. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

I M. 0. PATTON. GATE'LATGH, APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 1906.

MORDICA O. PATTON, OF: RAYVILLE, MISSOURI.

GATE-LATCH Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309.494:-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORDIOA O. PATTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rayville, in the county of Ray and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved latch for gates or other swinging closures, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which will effectively prevent the gate from being twisted and distorted by live stock and which can at the same time be readily operated by a person.

With this object in view the latch comprises, essentially, two spaced latch-bars,

which are peculiarly connected, so as to operate in unison, and a hand-lever for operating the latch-bars.

For a full descri tion of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the gate when closed. Fig. 2 is a face view of the latch-post. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the gate, the latch-post being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the gate on the line as a; of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates a gate of any suitable construction, which is hinged to the gate-post 2, so as to swing to and from the latch-post 3. In the preferred construction the gate 1 is formed of a number of horizontal rails 4, connected by endbars 6 and 7. The end bar 7 at the swinging end of the gate is shown as formed of two spaced members secured to opposite sides of the rails 4. In order to prevent the gate from sag ing, a diagonal brace 8 may be employed, i desirable.

A pair of spaced latch-bars 9 is provided, and these latch-bars are slidably mounted upon the rails 4, so as to pass between the space members forming the end post 7 and engage with sockets on the latch-post 3. Upright members 11 are located upo'n opposite sides of the gate 1 and form guideways, within which the inner ends of tho latch-bars 9 slide. These latch-bars 9 are rigidly connected by means of a transverse member 12, so as to operate in unison, and the transverse member 12 is loosely connected, by means of a link 13, to the lower end of a hand-lever 14. This hand-lever projects upwardly slightly beyond the uppermost rail v4, so as to be readily grasped by the operator, and is pivoted at an intermediate point 15 to one of the intermediate rails 4. In order to hold the latch-bars 9 normally projecting beyond the end of the gate, so as to engage with the sockets upon the latch-post, spring members 16 are employed, which have one end secured to the latch-bar, while the opposite end is secured to the end post 7. It willbe observed that each of the latch-bars 9 is provided near its ends with rojections 17, which engage with the uprig t members 11 and end post 7, respectively, in order to limit the sliding movement of the bars. These projections 17 may be very readily formed, as shown, by driving pins through the latchbars and allowing the ends of the pins to project beyond the sides of the bars. WVith this construction it will be apparent that the latch-bars are normally held in engagement with the sockets 18 upon the latch-posts 3 by means of the springs 16 but by pushing the hand-lever 14 the latches can be released, so as to open the gate. The sockets 18 upon the latch- 0st 3 are preferably formed in plates or blbcks 19. One edge of each of the blocks 19 is beveled, as shown at 20, so as to engage with the extremities of the latch-.bars 9 when the gate is closed, so as to force the latch-bars back and allow them to enter the sockets 18. If desirable, the gate-post 2 may be slightly inclined or the bearings of the gate placed somewhat out of the vertical, so that the gate will close of its own accord and always assume a closed position. The springs 16, which normally hold the latch-bars in engagement with the sockets in the latch-post, are shown as protected from the action of the weather by hoods or casings 21, which are formed of sheet metal or similar material.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is The combination of a swinging gate comprising a series of horizontal rails connected by end bars, the end bar at the swinging end of the gate being formed of two spaced members secured to opposite sides of the rails, a pair of upright members spaced from the before-mentioned end bars and also secured to opposite sides of the rails, a pair of parallel spaced latch-bars slidably mounted upon the rails and held against lateral displacement by stops which engage with the upright members and end bar of the gate to limit the sliding 15 the before-mentioned spaced upright mem-' movement of the latch-bars, and spring members and the end bar at the swinging end of i bers extending along the latch-bars and conthe gate, a transverse member rigidly con necting the two latch members and causing the same to operate in unison, a hand-lever pivoted to one of the rails, a link member connecting the hand-lever to the beforementioned transverse member and enabling the latch-bars to be withdrawn through the medium of the hand-lever; pins passing trans- 1 versely through the latch-bars and forming I neeting the same to the end bar of the gatepost, the said spring member tending to hold the latcl1-bars normally in operative position. 20

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MORDICA O. PATTON. Witnesses:

FRANK M. BARGER, ELMER HANKINS.

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