US703382A - Gate. - Google Patents

Description

No. 703,382. Patented July I, I902. W. A. BYERLY.

GATE.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1901.)

(No Model.)

' Ryan UN TTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM A. BYERLY, OF BRIDGEi/VATER, VIRGINIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Np. 703,382, dated July 1, 1902. Application filed December 14,1901. Serial'No. 85,982- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BYERLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brid gewater, in the county of Rockingham and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Gate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to swinging gates of that class having means for throwing the upper and lower hinge-joints out of alinement, so that the gate may automatically swing open in either direction, and is designed particularly to improve the means for shifting the upper hinge or journal of the gate,as set forth in my former patent, No. 644,275, dated February 27, 1900.

In my former device referred to it is necessary to hold the operating-handle until the gate has swung to its open or closed position, as otherwise the weight of the gate would overcome the shifting means and return to its original position without opening or closing. In View of this difficulty'or disadvantage it is the prime object of the present invention to provide for locking the shifting means during the swinging movement-of the" gate, so that the weight of thelattermay'not overcome the shifting means, and to release said shifting means when the gate is fully closed and fully opened, so that the shiftingmeans may then be free for operation to open and close the gate.

Another object is to permit of the gate being opened and closed by hand independent of the gate-operating means and to provide for automatically locking the shifting means by the initial movement of the gate when it is being opened by hand, so that the shifting means may not operate to interfere with the convenient opening of the gate.

WVith these and other objects in view the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of-the claims without'departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ot the advantages ofthe invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gate having the improved opening and closing means applied thereto. Fig. 2

is a top plan view thereof, showing in full lines the position of the gate and the gateoperating means in the open position thereof and in dotted lines the closed position of the gate. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail top plan View of the gate-shifting means. Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the shifting-lever. Fig, 6 is a detail View of the locking cross-head which is carried by the shifting-lever. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the means for locking the gate in its closed position.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

To illustrate the application and operation of the present invention, there has been shown in the drawings a gate 1, which may be of any construction, but preferably embodies a tubular frame over which is stretched a suitable wire fabric,so as to produce a strong and light gate, which is mounted between the hinge-post? and the latch-post 3, as usual. The hinge end bar 4 of the gate has its upper end projected a suitable distance above the top of the gate, so as to form an upstanding hin'ge pintle 5, with which the improved gateoperating means is designed to cooperate. At the lower end of the hinge end bar there is provided a hinge-socket 6, which loosely fits a fixed upstanding hinge-pintle i, carried by the hinge gate-post 2.

For locking the gate any ofthe'usual types of' gate-latches maybe employed. However, I have shown a vertically-swinging spring-actuated latch-bar 8, which-may bemanually controlled by an upstanding handle 9. The free end of this latch-bar is designed to operate in connection with the locking means best shown in Fig. 7 and embodying a segmental member 10, secured to the inner face of the latch-post 3 and having a vertical notch or socket formed at the central portion of the rounded upper edge. Above the part 10 are the vertically-swinging gravity-catch members 12, pivoted to the bracl(etl-3,'which carries the part 10, and located at opposite sides of the notch 11, so' as tobe automatically raised by the free end of-the latch-bar in order that the latter may passin'to the notch 11, and thereby lock the gate against accidental movement.

It will be understood that the foregoing-deflange 15.

scribed parts do not form any portion of the present invention and have been shown so as to illustrate a complete gate and also to adequately illustrate the application and operation of the present invention, and therefore may vary considerably in form.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a metallic cap or base-plate 14, which embraces and is fastened to the upper end of the hinge-post 2 and is provided at its outer or back edge with a continuation or At the front or inner edge of the plate there is provided a transversely-disposed bridge 16, and. near the opposite ends of this bridge are upstanding pins or studs 17 and 18, which rise from the base-plate 14 and engage the top of the bridge 16. In the flange or extension 15 are provided the arcuate slots 19 and 20, which are struck from the respective pins 17 and 18 as centers and intersect in the longitudinal center of the plate. At the point of intersection of the outer edges of these slots there is provided a notch or recess 21, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

A shifting-lever 22 Works horizontally across the top of the hinge-post and has its inner end projected at the inner side of the post and provided with an opening or eye 23, which loosely receives the pintle 5 at the upper end of the gate. At the inner side of the eye 23 there is provided an enlargement or head 24, which lies beneath the bridge 16 and between the studs or pins 17 and 18 and is provided at its opposite edges with trans-- versely-alined hooked projections 25 and 26, which embrace the respective pins 17 and 18 in the normal position of the shifting-lever when the gate is in its normal closed position, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will here be noted that the shifting-lever is designed to rock alternately upon the pins or studs 17 and 18 as fulcrum-points, and to guide the lever in its swinging movements there is provided a headed guide-pin 27,which is inserted upwardly through one of the slots 19 and 20 and preferably screwed into the lever, so that the head of the pin may lie at the under side of the flange 15, and thereby prevent upward movement of the lever. A locking arcuate cross-head 28 is carried by the upper face of the shifting-lever and is located between the guide-pin 27 and the head 2et,the ends of the cross-head endingin abrupt upright stop-shoulders and the upper face or edge rising graduallyin opposite directions to the center of the head, which is the highest portion,'thereby forming opposite cam-faces, there being a vertical notch or socket 29 in the upper face of the head and at the middle thereof.

A pair of ears 30 rise from the center of the bridge 16, and between these cars is mounted a vertically-rocking gravity-latch 31, which is mounted upon a suitable pin 32, piercing the ears and the latch and located adjacent to the forward end of the latch, which is provided with a rounded or beveled head 33, the

rear end portion of the latch being the longer, .and thereby heavier than the forward end,

so as to drop by gravity and engage either the notch 29 or one end of the cross-head 28 to lock the shifting-lever against accidental movement in a manner that will be hereinafter more fully described.

To hold the latch 30 normally out of engagement with the locking cross-head, there is provided a trip consisting of a collar or ring 34, which embraces the upper end of the hinge-pintle 5 and is held thereon by means of a set-screw 35, piercing the collar and en gaging the pint-1e, and is also provided at its opposite side with a lateral projection 36, forming the trip proper, which normally lies upon the upper forward end of the latch 31, so as to depress the same, and thereby elevate the opposite rear end of the latch out of engagement with the cross-head, whereby the shifting-lever is normally in condition for movement in either direction.

For convenience in operating the shiftinglever from either side of the gate and at a suitable distance therefrom there are provided the opposite connecting- rods 37 and 38, which are pivotally connected to the rear free end of the lever, as indicated at 39, and project at opposite sides of the gate. The outer end of each connecting-rod is pivotally connected to the adjacent end of a verticallyrocking bell-crank lever 40, which is mounted upon a post 50 and has its other end provided with a pendent handle 51. It will of course be understood that each post 50 is disposed at such a distance from the hinge-post as to form a stop to limit the opening movement of the gate and is also provided with a notched keeper 52 for engagement by the gate-latch, so as to lock the gate in either of its open positions.

The gate-manipulating means is operated by pulling downwardly upon one of the handles 51, thereby rocking the adjacent bellcrank lever 40, so as to pull upon the adjacent connecting- rod 37 or 38, and thereby swing the rear end of the shifting-lever 22 toward the operator and upon the fulcrumpoint formed by one of the studs or pins 17 or 18, which is next to the operator. By this rocking movement of the shifting-lever 22 the upper hinge-pintle 5 is swung laterally away from the operator out of alinement with the lower pintle 7, thereby vertically tilting the free end of the gate and raising the latch out of engagement with the keeper, after which the gate will swing by gravity away from the operator and into engagement with the opposite stop-post 50, against which it Will be locked by means of the engagement of the gate-latch 8 with the adjacent keeper 52. It will here be noted, as best indicated'in Fig. 3 of the drawings, that under the'initial tilting of the gate the trip projection 36 will be moved laterally out of engagement with the upper end of the latch 31, whereby the rear endof the latter will drop by gravity into engagement with the upper edge of the locking cross-head 2S and at one side of the central notch 29, and as the shifting-lever continues to move toward the limit of its movement (indicated by dotted lines) the cross-head will travel across the latch until the latter finally reaches the end of the cross-head and drops down across the same, thereby forming a stop lying across or adjacent to the end of the cross-head, so as to prevent accidental movement of the lever by the weight of the gate during its swinging movement to its open position. During the swinging movement of the gate the trip 36 is out of engagement with the latch 31, and it is not again engaged there with until the gate has reached the limit of its open movement, at which point the trip again moves into engagement with the upper end of the latch, and thereby raises the rear end above and out of engagement with the adjacent end of the locking cross-head 28, whereby the shifting-lever 22 is again free for manipulation in the opposite direction to bring the hinge-pintles into vertical alinement, and thereby close the gate under the action of gravity. It will here be noted that the pin 27, traveling in the slots 19 and 20, forms a guide for the lever and also limits the outward movements of the lever by confact with the outer ends of said slots. Furthermore, this pin prevents any material endwise movement of the lever, and thereby maintains both of the hooked fingers 25 and 26 normallyin engagement with the fulcrum pins or studs 17 and 18 and also in engagement with one or the other of said studs or pins during the swinging movement of the lever.

Should a hog or other animal attempt to crawl beneath the gate, the latter will be held from being elevated thereby by reason of the guide-pin 27 being forced rearwardly and into engagement with the notch or socket 21 in the rear edge of the guide-slot in the plate 14:, whereby it is impossible for an animal to tilt the gate sufficiently to raise the gate-latch 8 out of engagement with its keeper.

It is of course apparent that the gate may be opened and closed by hand independently of the opening and closing means, and when the gate is opened by hand the trip 36 swings about the pintle 5 as a center, and thereby is disengaged from the latch 31, which immediately drops by gravity into the central notch 29 of the locking cross-head 2S, and thereby locks the shifting-lever 22 and cooperating parts against accidental movement during the opening and closing of the gate, so that said parts may not interfere with the convenient opening and closing of the gate by hand.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the latch 31 is held out of engagement with the looking cross-head 28 when the gate is stationary in its closed and opened positions, so that the shifting-lever may then be free for manipulation to open and close the gate; but said latch is in engagement with one of the ends of the locking cross-head 28 during either swinging movement of the gate, so as to hold the shifting means against accidental movement, and thereby to obviate the necessity of maintaining hold upon the handle until the gate has been entirely opened. In other words, it is merely necessary for the operator to give a quick pull upon one of the handles, so as to swing the upper pintle 5 out of alinenient with the lower pintle,after which he may release the handle, as the shifting means is immediately locked against further movement as soon as the upper pintle has been shifted out of vertical alinement with the lower pintle. This feature of the invention is highly important, as the traveler need not wait until the gate has been entirely opened, as the gate will continue to open after he has released the handle and is driving toward the gate, and after passing through the gateway it is merely necessary to give a quick pull to the opposite handle and then pass onwarclly without waiting for the gate to close.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a gate having a shiftable hinge-pintle,of ashiftingdevice connected thereto, means for moving the shifting device in opposite directions from an intermediate direction to open the gate in 0pposite directions, means for locking the shifting device at its opposite limits and also in its intermediate position during swinging movements of the gate, and means carried by the gate for holding the locking means out of engagement with the shifting means when the gate is stationary.

2. The combination with a gate having a shiftable hinge'pintle, of a shifting device connected thereto, means for moving the shifting device in opposite directions from an intermediate point to shift the hinge-pintle in opposite directions for opening the gate, means for locking the shifting device at its opposite limits and at its intermediate position during swinging movements of the gate, and means carried by the gate for normally holding the locking means out of engagement with the shifting device, and capable of disengagement from the locking device when the gate is moved by hand to permit the locking device to engage with the shifting means to lock the same during the swingingmovement of the gate.

3. The combination with a hinge-post and a gate having an upper shiftable pintle, of a swinging device fulcrumed intermediately upon the top of the post and having its inner end connected to the shiftable pintle, said shifting means being movable in opposite directions from an intermediate position to move the hinge-pintle in opposite directions for opening the gate, oppositely-disposed controlling devices connected to the outer end of the shifting device, lockin g means mounted upon the top of the post for engagement with the shifting device to lock the same at its opposite limits and at its intermediate position, and means carried by the gate for engagement with the locking means to normally hold said locking means out of engagement with the shifting device when the gate is station ary, and also capableof disengagementfrom the locking means when the gate is opened by hand to permit the locking means to engage with the shifting device to lock it in its intermediate position.

4. The combination with a hinge-post, and a gate having a shiftable hinge-pintle, of a shifting-lever fulcrumed upon the post and connected to the pintle, a latch pivoted intermediately upon the post, one end of the latch having a locking engagement with the shifting-lever and a trip carried by the gate and normally bearing upon the opposite end of the latch to hold the first-mentioned end thereof out of engagement with the shifting-lever.

5. The combination with a gate having a shifting pintle, of a shifting-lever connected to the pintle, a locking cross-head carried by the lever and having opposite locking-shoulders, a latch having one end constructed for alternate engagement with the locking-shoul ders, and a trip device carried by the gate and lying in engagement with the opposite end of the latch to hold the first-mentioned end out of engagement with the locking cross-head when the gate is stationary only.

6. The combination with a gate having a shiftable pintle, of a shifting-lever connected thereto, a locking cross-head carried by the lever and having opposite and intermediate locking-shoulders, a pivotal latch having one end constructed for alternate engagement with the opposite locking-shoulders, and a trip carried by the gate and normally lying in engagement with the other end of the latch to hold the first-mentioned end out of engagement with the locking-head when the gate is stationary, and also capable of disengagement from the latch during swinging movements of the gate, whereby the latch may look the shifting-lever.

7. The combination with a hinge-post, and a gate having an upper shiftable hinge-pintle, of a lever fulcrumed intermediately on top of the post and connected to the pintle, a bridge supported upon the post and spanning the lever, a vertically-swinging latch pivoted interlnediately upon the bridge, opposite transversely-alined locking-shoulders carried by the shifting-lever and capable of traveling transversely beneath the rear end of the latch for alternate engagement therewith at opposite limits of the lever, and a lateral trip projection carried by the upper pintle and lying in engagement with the adjacent upper end of the latch when the gate is open and closed only to hold the latch out of engagement with the locking-shoulders of the lever.

8. The combination with a hingepost, and

a gate having an upper shiftable hinge-pintle projected above the post, of a plate secured to the top of the post and provided with opposite upstanding studs or pins alined transversely of the normal position of the gate, and also provided with intersecting arcuate slots struck from the studs or pins as centers, an arched support rising from the plate and disposed in front of the slot, a shifting-lever lying between the pins or studs and beneath the arched support, the inner end of the lever having an eye loosely receiving the upper hinge-pintle, and the intermediate portion of the lever being provided with opposite transversely-alined hooked fingers or projections embracing the respective studs or pins to form alternate fulcrums for the lever, a pin carried by the lever and Working in the intersecting slots, a gravity-latch pivoted intermediately upon the arched support and having its rear end weighted, a locking crosshead carried by the lever and working transversely beneath the rear end portion of the latch, the opposite ends of the cross-head being formed into abrupt locking-shoulders for alternate engagement with the latch, the upper edge of the cross-head being inclined upwardly and inwardly in opposite directions and provided at its center with a notch or socket for the reception of the latch, and a trip device comprising a collar carried by the shiftable pintle and having a lateral projection normally lying upon the upper end of the latch to depress the same and raise the rear end out of engagement with the locking cross-head.

9. The combination with a hinge-post, and a gate having an upper shit'table hinge-pintle, of a shifting device mounted upon the top of the post and connected to the pintle, means for locking the shifting device during swinging movements of the gate and mounted upon top of the post independently of said shifting device, and means carried by the gate for normally holding the locking means out of engagement with the shifting device.

10. The combination with ahinge-post, and a gate having a shiftable hinge-pintle, of a shifting-lever fulcrumed upon the post and connected to the hinge-pintle, means for limiting the movement of the lever, a latch mounted iutermediately upon the post and having one end in looking relation with the shiftinglever, and a trip carried by the hinge-pintle and normally bearing upon the opposite end of the latch to hold the first-mentioned end thereof out of engagement with the shiftinglever.

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

WVILLIAM A. BYERLY.

Witnesses:

G. 'B. J OHNSON, O. BAUGHMAN.

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