US2306661A - Electric fence gate - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 29, 1942. E. J GENGLER ELECTRIG FENCE &ATE

Filed ma si, 1938 WW/m,

Patented Dec. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE %306.861 ::mome FENCE GATE Edwin J. Gender, Milwaukee, Wi.

Application May 31, 1938, Serial No. 210398 3 Claims.

`safely opened and closed without danger oi' Shock.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly deflned by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the preciseembodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates several complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best modes so !ar devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of an electric fence showing the gate in closed position;

Figure 2 illustrates a modified form of spring for holding the gate taut;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View of a portion of thegate showing a modified form of handle; and

Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates how the open gate actuates the ground indicator.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the posts of an electric fence, only a portion of which is shown. The posts are spaced in the usual manner and support a Ience wire 8 as from insulators 1. The wire 6 'is adapted to be charged by a charger C," as shown in Figure 4.

being, of course, connected to the charger C.'

The ends of the sections o and ll are Secured to the gateposts s 'and s by insulators n and s, respectively.

The gateway is adapted to be closed by a gate indicated generally by the numeral ll. It is the purpose of the gate to eiectrically connect the fence sections and have the same eflicacy as any other portion of the fence. consequently, the gate is formed by a bare flexible conductor II anchored at one end to the gatepost 8 by being attached to the insulator I! and electrically connected to the adjacent end of the charged section III.

The other or free end of the conductor is detachably connectible with the uncharged section of the ience. For this purpose, it has been found convenient to provide a. short substantialiy rigid,

conductor |8 having a loop I'I on its outer end. The inner end of this conductor is ancho'ed to the gatepost 9 by securing one end thei-cof to the insulator I3, and is electrically connected to the adjacent end of the uncharged fence section II. The free end o! conductor l5 has a metal hook !8 adapted to be engaged with the conductor IS to close the gate. An insulated handle I! surrounding the hook: aflords protection against shock as the gate is opened or closed.

As a result of this novel construction, it is possible to close or open the gate ll easily and quickly by the use of merely one hand and without any danger of Shock. The only part that need be grasped for this purpose is the insulated handle s by which the hook I 8 is engaged in or removed from the loop l'l. Since the loop l'l is 'sustained in position, it requires no manipulation and is always ready to receive the hook when the gate is open.

Interposed medially of the ends of the conductor !5 is a closely wound coil spring 20. The

spring 20 places the conductor under tension upon engagement of the hook i& with the loop l'l and thus insures good electrical contact between the hook and loop. The hook la may be polygonal in cross section or `rectangular as shown so as to engage the loop H at two or more points and bite into the same thus affording better electrical contact than if a hook of circular cross section were used.

It is to be noted that the conductor l5' need not be broken to accommodate the coil spring 20, it being merely necessary to provide a slack portion 2! to compensate for the lengtheing of the spring upon closing ot the gate.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the conductor |5 is permanently connected to the charged section or the Ience. Thus accidenta opening of the gate will be indicated by the signal "S" on the charger in the same manner as any other grounded condition of the fence; for upon such opening, the conductor |5 drops to the ground, as shown in Figur-e 4. The weight o! the hook [8 and the handle !9 make this indication positive, as theyiinsure contact with the ground notwithstanding the presence of tall grass or other similar obstructions.

Figure 2 illustrates a modified form of spring 25 tor holding the eonductor taut and providing a good electrical connection between the hook and the loop I'I. This spring performs the same function as the spring 20 but employs a compression spring with which it is possible to'obtain greater tension on the wire.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of this invention wherein the spring for maintaining the gate taut is concealed within the handle. To this end the handle has a chamber 28 of a size to accommodate the compression spring 21.

The hook !8 extends through the closed end of the handle and terminates in a loop 28 at the inner end of the chamber and the spring, which is preferably like that shown in Figure 2, is corrected at one end to the conductor !5 and at its other end with the loop 28. -The attachment of the spring to the conductor is preferably inside the handle.

The chamber 26 is of sufiicient length to accommodate the increase in length of the spring structure when compression is applied thereto during connection of the gate so that the handle at all times surrounds the spring.

From the foregoing description taken in connected with one oi said sections and being oi a length to Stretch as an electric gate across the space between the posts, a conducting hook member electrically connected to the free end of said fiexible lead and having an insulatng handle by which it can be grasped for manipulation without imparting a shock from the fence to the manipulator, the remaining section of the ence wire having a part sustained in position adjacent its u supporting post adapted to be engaged by the hook in a one-hand hooking manipulation of the hook and handle assembly for electrically connecting the sections together, and means to place the flexible lead under tension as an incident to moving the hook into hooking relation to said sustained part and to cause the hook to be pulled into firm electrical contact with said part after being hooked thereto.

2. A one-wire electric fence structure substantially as set forth in claim 1 in which the bare flexible lead forming the gate is electrically connected to the charged section and is of such length that the hook will fall to the ground if it is unhooked from the sustained part of the remaining section and dropped, the hook and handle assembly being of such weight as to insure engagement thereof with the ground notwithstanding the presence of tall grass or similar gateway and supporting the respective adjacent obstructions, and the handle is so proportioned and related to the hool; that the hook will definitely contact the ground when the gate is down and thus ground the charged section of the fence.

3. A one-wire electric fence structure substantially as defined in claim i in which the hookengaged part of the remaining section of the :fence wire comprises a conducting member electricaliy connected theretc and having a loop extending relatively rigidly a short distance rom the adjacent post to receive the hook by a simple relative hookng movement of the hook and handle assembly, and the tensioning means com- `prises a spring permitting limited longitudnal movement of the hook and handle assemhly to acilitate hooliing and unhooking thereo.

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