GB2451072A

GB2451072A - Gate with tensioning means

Info

Publication number: GB2451072A
Application number: GB0713740A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Guy; Geoff Swinnerton
Original assignee: RGS CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Current assignee: RGS CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Priority date: 2007-07-14
Filing date: 2007-07-14
Publication date: 2009-01-21
Also published as: GB0713740D0

Abstract

A gate (1) preferably made from hollow extrusion plastics, comprises at least two horizontal members (3a-d) and two vertical members (5a,b), with tensioning means (17a,b) extending between the vertical members (5a,b), preferably within the horizontal members (3a-d). The tensioning means (17a,b), which is preferably a threaded bar secured by nuts at one or both ends, urges the vertical members (5a,b) towards each other in order to secure the horizontal members (3a-d) between them. Preferably the ends of the horizontal members (3a-d) are located within hollow sections of the vertical members (5a,b). The vertical members (5a,b) may have internal reinforcement (15) for attaching fasteners for securing the gate in a closed position, and for attaching fixings for hinges. The gate may also include one or more cross members (7a,b) for strengthening the gate, and cladding in the form of panels, individual boards or planks.

Description

GATE

This invention relates to gates and to a method of manufacturing gates of the kind having at least two rails extending between two posts.

A common type of gate, know as a four bar gate, has four parallel rails extending between the posts with the rails being uniformly spaced apart, one above the other, and connected by at least one cross brace that extends diagonally from an upper corner of the gate on one side to a lower corner of the gate on the opposite side.

Traditionally, such four bar gates have been made of timber although more recently there have been proposals to use other materials including plastics. In the known gates, both timber and plastics, the rails are secured at each end to the adjacent post by fixings such as screws or bolts. While such fixings are generally satisfactory for timber gates, the forces to which the gate is subjected in use, can result in failure of the joints in plastic gates employing these types of fixings.

The present invention has been made from a consideration of the foregoing problems and seeks to provide a construction which overcomes or at least mitigates the problems when applied to plastics gates and which may be applied to gates of other materials including timber.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is a provided a gate comprising at least two rails extending between a pair of posts, and tensioning means extending between the posts for urging the posts towards each other to secure the rails therebetween.

Preferably, the rails are hollow and the tensioning means extends through the rails and is secured at each end to the posts.

Preferably, the tensioning means includes means at one end for tightening the tensioning means to urge the posts towards each other.

In one embodiment, the tensioning means comprises a threaded bar onto one or both ends of which a nut is screwed to tighten the tensioning means.

Preferably, the rails are located at each end relative to the posts. For example, the posts may be hollow with openings in a wall for inserting the ends of the rails.

In a preferred embodiment, the posts and rails are hollow extrusions of plastics. Preferred plastics materials are polyvinyichioride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polypropylene (PP) although it will be understood other plastics materials may be used.

The post, which in use, is attached to hinges or the like for mounting the gate may be provided with an internal reinforcement such as a metal plate or section to which the fixings for the hinges can be attached.

The other post may, in use, be provided with a fastener for securing the gate in the closed position. This post may also have an internal reinforcement such as a metal plate or section for attaching the fastener.

The gate may include one or more cross braces extending between and secured to the rails for additional strengthening of the gate. The cross braces are preferably extrusions of plastics, preferably the same plastics materials described previously for the posts and rails, and may be provided on one or both sides of the rails.

In some embodiments, we may provide cladding on one or both sides of the rails to produce a panelled gate. The cladding may comprise a panel or individual boards or planks, preferably plastics mouldings or extrusions, preferably of the same plastics materials described previously for other parts of the gate.

The plastics materials employed for different parts of the gate may be coloured before moulding or extruding the parts, for example by the addition of pigments to the plastics materials. Alternatively, the parts may be coloured after moulding or extruding, for example by painting.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is a provided a method of assembling a gate comprising providing at least two rails extending between a pair of posts, providing tensioning means extending between the posts, and tightening the tensioning means to urge the posts towards each other to secure the rails therebetween.

Preferably, the method includes locating the ends of the rails relative to the posts. For example, the posts may be hollow with openings to locate the ends of the rails within the hollow section of the posts.

Preferably, the tensioning means extends between the posts within the rails. For example, the rails may be hollow.

Preferably, the tensioning means comprises a threaded bar and at least one nut for screwing onto the bar to tighten the tensioning means.

Preferably, the rails and posts are formed from extrusions of plastics, preferably hollow extrusions cut to length according to the size of the gate. In this way, gates of different size can be constructed from the same extrusions.

Other features, benefits and advantages of the invention will be apparent

from the description hereinafter.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a four bar gate embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the area A circled in Figure 1 showing a detail of one end of the tensioning means shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view showing a detail of the connection between a rail and post; and Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings. a four bar gate 1 is shown comprising four parallel rails 3a,3b,3c,3d extending horizontally between a pair of vertical posts 5a,5b and two cross braces 7a,7b extending at an angle from a mid-point of the top rail 3a to the junction of the bottom rail 3d with the posts 5a,5b on both sides of the gate 1. As used herein, the terms, horizontal and vertical, refer to the orientation of the rails and posts when the gate is mounted for movement to and from a closed position about a hinge axis parallel to one of the posts.

The horizontal rails 3a,3b,3c,3d are hollow extrusions of PVC having a uniform oval cross-section 9 with opposed parallel flat side walls 9a,9b joined by curved end walls 9c,9d as shown in Figure 4. An oval cross-section is not essential and other cross-sections may be employed for example, rectangular, triangular or D-shaped.

The posts 5a,5b are hollow extrusions of PVC having a uniform square cross-section 11 with opposed flat front and rear walls lla,llb joined by opposed flat side walls llc,ild as shown in Figure 3. A square cross-section is not essential and other cross-sections may be employed, for example rectangular or D-shaped.

The cross braces 7a,7b are hollow extrusions of PVC having a uniform rectangular cross-section for face fixing to a flat side wall 9a on one side of the rails 3a,3b,3c,3d by bolts 13 and/or adhesive. In this embodiment, two cross braces 7a,7b are employed but this is not essential and a single cross brace could be employed extending from one end of the top rail 3a to the opposite end of the bottom rail 3d. Any other suitable bracing arrangement may be employed. In some cases, bracing may not be required and the cross brace(s) can be omitted.

The ends of the rails 3a,3b,3c,3d are cut square and are inserted through openings (not shown) routed in the opposed inner side walls 1 ic of the posts to butt at right angles against the outer side wall lid of post 5b and against a metal plate 15 located within the hollow section of post 5a on the outer side wall lid for a reason explained later herein.

The openings are uniformly spaced apart one above the other and are of matching, slightly larger cross-section than the rails 3a,3b,3c,3d so that the ends of the rails are a close fit in the holes and are prevented from rotating within the holes due to having a non-circular cross-section. In this embodiment, the flat side walls 9a,9b of the rails 3a,3b,3c,3d are arranged on opposite sides of the gate parallel to the posts 5a,5b and present a flat surface for attaching the cross braces 7a,7b.

The ends of the rails 3a,3b,3c,3d are secured and retained in position within the hollow section of the posts 5a,5b by tensioning means 17 that extends between the posts 5a,5b and, when tightened, urges the posts 5a,5b towards each other. In this embodiment, upper and lower tensioning means 17a,17b are provided each comprising an elongate threaded bar 19 that extends within the hollow section of the top and bottom rails 3a,3d respectively and project through holes (not shown) in the outer side walls lid of the posts 5a,5b and through an aligned hole (not shown) in the metal plate 15 within the post 5a. Washers 21 are placed over the projecting ends of bars 19 to seat against the flat outer face of the outer side walls lid of the posts 5a,5b. Nuts 23 are then screwed onto the ends of the bars 19 and tightened to draw the posts 5a,5b towards each other causing the ends of the rails 3a,3b,3c,3d to butt tightly against the flat inner faces of the outer side wall lid of the post Sb and the plate 15 within the post 5a.

In this way, the assembly of the rails 3a,3b,3c,3d and posts 5a,5b is held together by the tensioning means 17a,17b without the need for screws or bolts to fix the ends of each rail to the posts 5a,5b. Furthermore, the location of the ends of all the rails within the hollow section of the posts prevents the rails being released when the tensioning means 17a,17b is tightened. As a result, it is only necessary to employ tensioning means extending between the posts 5a,5b through two of the rails when assembling the gate.

In this embodiment, the tensioning means 17a,17b extend through the top and bottom rails 3a,3d but it will be understood the tensioning means could extend through the two middle rails 3b,3c or through any other pair of rails although in general it is preferred to employ the top and bottom rails for the tensioning means. For some applications, tensioning means may be provided extending through more than two rails and may in some cases be provided through all the rails of the gate.

In this embodiment, the tensioning means 17a,17b are concealed within the hollow section of the rails 3,3d. This protects the threaded bars from corrosion due to rain and frost and also from attempts to release the tensioning means by cutting the bars 19. This is not essential, however, and the tensioning means could be located elsewhere. For example, the tensioning means 17a,17b could extend in a groove in the outer surface of the rails.

Once the nuts 23 have been tightened, the nuts may be secured to prevent unauthorised release. For example, the screw thread on the bars 19 may be destroyed so that the nuts 23 cannot be unscrewed. Alternatively, the screws may be secured by adhesive or other suitable means to prevent unscrewing.

in use, the gate is mounted for hinging movement about a vertical axis by hinges (not shown) attached to the metal plate 15 located within the post 5a which provides a reinforced attachment point for the hinges capable of supporting the weight of the gate and withstanding the forces applied to the gate in use. The metal plate 15 may be located within the hollow section of the post 5a during manufacture and assembly of the gate. Alternatively, the extrusion for the post 5a may incorporate the metal plate 15 as an integral part. The metal plate 15 may be replaced by any other suitable internal reinforcement for use when attaching the hinges to the post 5a. For some applications, typically small, lightweight gates, the metal plate 15 or other reinforcement may not be required and can be omitted. A suitable fastener (not shown) may be attached to the other post 5b for securing the gate closed. The fastener may be secured to the plastics section of the post 5b or to a reinforcing member (not shown) such as a metal plate located within the hollow section.

While the invention has been described for a four bar gate, it will be understood the invention is not limited thereto and that the invention has application to gates having more or less than four rails extending between the posts although, in general, at least two rails will be provided between the posts. The invention also has application to gates having cladding applied to one or both sides to give the appearance of a panelled gate.

Such cladding may take any suitable form for example a single panel or individual boards or planks. The cladding may be plain or patterned.

In the above-described embodiment, the tensioning means comprises a threaded bar onto the ends of which nuts are threaded for tightening to draw the posts together to clamp the rails between the posts. It will be understood that the threaded bar could be replaced by a threaded bolt having a head that locates against the face of the outer side wall of one of the posts (with a washer under the head) and a nut threaded onto the other bolt to draw the posts together. The threaded bar has the advantage that different lengths of bar can be cut to any required length from a length of threaded bar stock. It will also be understood that any other tensioning means may be employed for urging the posts towards each other to secure the ends of the rails. Furthermore, the ends of the rails may be located within the hollow section of the posts as described or by any other suitable means. For example, the posts may be of channel section defining a groove in the inner sidewall that is sized to receive the ends of the rails. Alternatively, the posts may be provided with projections that locate within the hollow section of the rails.

Finally, although the invention has been described for constructing gates made of plastics, it will be understood that the use of tensioning means could be applied to gates made of other materials, for example solid timber. For this, an axial through bore may be formed in the timber rails for passage of the tensioning means within the rails and recesses formed in the timber posts to receive the ends of the rails. Other methods of applying the tensioning means to a timber gate will be apparent to those skilled in the art. We may even apply the tensioning means to a gate made of hollow plastics extrusions as described above and faced with timber to simulate the appearance of a solid timber gate. Alternatively we may colour the plastics to provide any desired surface finish and/or effect. For example we may include colouring agents such as pigments in the plastics materials used to form the components parts of the gate or we may paint the component parts after forming and/or after assembly of the gate. In some cases, it may be possible to apply to the tensioning means to a gate made of metal.

Claims

1. A gate comprising at least two rails extending between a pair of posts, and tensioning means extending between the posts for urging the posts towards each other to secure the rails therebetween.

2. A gate according to claim 1 wherein, the rails are hollow and the tensioning means extends through the rails and is secured at each end to the posts.

3. A gate according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein, the tensioning means includes means at one end for tightening the tensioning means to urge the posts towards each other.

4. A gate according to any preceding claim wherein, the tensioning means comprises a threaded bar onto one or both ends of which a nut is screwed to tighten the tensioning means.

5. A gate according to any preceding claim wherein, the rails are *:*::* 20 located at each end relative to the posts.

6. A gate according to claim 5 wherein, the posts are hollow with openings in a wall for inserting the ends of the rails.

S

7. A gate according to any preceding claim wherein, the posts and *SI.

rails are hollow extrusions of plastics.

*..S.. S *

8. A gate according to claim 7 wherein, the plastics are selected from polyvinyichioride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polypropylene (PP).

9. A gate according to any preceding claim wherein, one post is provided with an internal reinforcement to which fixings for hinges can be attached for mounting the gate.

10. A gate according to claim 9 wherein, the other post is provided with a fastener for securing the gate in a closed position.

11. A gate according to claim 10 wherein, the other post is provided with an internal reinforcement for attaching the fastener.

12. A gate according to any preceding claim wherein, the gate includes one or more cross braces extending between and secured to the rails.

13. A gate according to claim 12 wherein the cross braces are extrusions of plastics.

14. A gate according to any preceding claim wherein, cladding is provided on one or both sides of the rails to produce a panelled gate.

15. A gate according to claim 14 wherein, the cladding comprises a *...

panel or individual boards or planks. * S

* .

16. A gate according to claim 14 or claim 15 wherein, the cladding comprises plastics mouldings or extrusions.

17. A gate according to any preceding claim wherein, the gate is coloured.

18. A gate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of assembling a gate comprising providing at least two rails extending between a pair of posts, providing tensioning means extending between the posts, and tightening the tensioning means to urge the posts towards each other to secure the rails therebetween.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein, the ends of the rails are located relative to the posts.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein, the ends of the rails are located within a hollow section of the posts.

22. A method according to any of claims 19 to 21 wherein, the tensioning means extends between the posts within the rails.

23. A method according to any of claims 19 to 22 wherein, the tensioning means comprises a threaded bar and at least one nut for screwing onto the bar to tighten the tensioning means. S...

24. A method according to any of claims 19 to 23 wherein, the rails and posts are formed from extrusions of plastics.

S S..

25. A method of assembling a gate substantially as hereinbefore : described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1.5.'

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