GB2454355A

GB2454355A - Extendable gate

Info

Publication number: GB2454355A
Application number: GB0819861A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hugh Nigel Kennedy; David James Malone; Peter Stone
Original assignee: J B CORRIE AND Co Ltd
Current assignee: J B CORRIE AND Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-10-29
Filing date: 2008-10-29
Publication date: 2009-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-29
Also published as: GB0721207D0; GB0819861D0; GB2454355B; GB2454355A8; GB2454355B8

Abstract

A gate has two leaves 1, 2 hinged to respective posts 3, 4 each leaf 1, 2 has a first section 5 that is hinged to the post 3 4, a second section 7 that slides in and out of the first section 5, for width adjustment of the leaf, and a third section 8 hinged to the far end of the sliding section 7. Preferably, a lock 10 is engaged between the abutting sections 8. For full opening each leaf is compacted by pivoting the section 9 back onto the section 7 before the section 7 is slid back into the main section 1. The leaves 1, 2 may carry drop bolts 22 for engaging holes 23, 24 in plates 25 of the posts 3,4 for locking the leaves 1, 2 in the closed and open conditions, and the hinging 6 of each leaf involves two vertical pins 15, 19 that engage downwardly and upwardly respectively in brackets 17, 21 of the leaf.

Description

This invention relates to gates.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a form of gate that is readily adjustable in width.

According to the present invention there is provided a gate having a leaf that comprises an elongate first section which is supported on hinging at a near end of the gate, a second elongate section that is mounted on the first section in alignment with the first section for selective sliding extension out from, and retraction into, the far end of the first section for increasing and decreasing respectively the width of the leaf, and a third section which is hinged to the far end of the second section for selective pivoting into and out of alignment with the first and second sections.

The first section may be hinged at the near end of the gate to a support and may carry a drop bolt for selective engagement with one or other of a plurality of sockets that are angularly spaced from one another about the support, the drop bolt when engaged with one or other of the sockets holding the first section of the gate in a corresponding one or other of a plurality of angular positions about the support. The sockets may be holes in a plate mounted to project substantially horizontally from the support.

According to a feature of the invention there is provided a gate comprising two elongate leaves that are hinged to respective ones of mutually-spaced supports for pivoting into alignment with one another from an open condition, each leaf having a first section which is supported at a near end by the hinging of the leaf to its respective support, a second elongate section that is mounted on the first section in alignment with the first section for selective sliding extension out from, and retraction into, the far end of the first section for increasing and decreasing respectively the width of the leaf, and a third section which is hinged to the far end of the second section for selective pivoting into and out of alignment with it, and wherein the space between the supports is closed by the gate when the first and third sections of each leaf are aligned with one another and, in dependence on the extensions of the second sections, there is closing of the third sections of the two leaves onto one another.

The third sections of this double-leaf gate may be pivoted out of alignment with one another so as to allow limited access between them through the otherwise-closed gate. Furthermore, for the fully-open condition of the gate, each leaf may be compacted in width by pivoting the third section back onto its second section and retracting the second section into the first section.

The gate of the invention, and especially the double-leaf gate specified above, is applicable to the selective full and partial closure of roadways.

A double-leaf gate in accordance with the present invention for use in selective full closure and partial closure of a roadway, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a rear-elevation of the double-leaf gate according to the present invention when fully closing a roadway; Figure 2 is a plan view of the double-leaf gate of Figure 1 in its fully-closed condition; Figure 3 is an enlarged rear-elevation of one of the two leaves of the gate of Figure 1 when the gate is in its fully-closed condition; Figures 4 and 5 show details, in side elevation and plan respectively, of top hinging of the leaf of Figure 3 when the gate is in open condition; and Figures 6 and 7 show details, in side elevation and plan respectively, of bottom hinging and locking of the leaf of Figure 3 when the gate is in open condition.

The double-leaf gate to be described is installed for selective full and partial closure of a roadway. For example, the gate may be used to close a slip-road of a motorway when access to the motorway is to be restricted to emergency vehicles. The two leaves of the gate are adjustable in width so that they can be adapted to the width of the roadway, and in this respect the gate can be of a standard form for installation universally throughout a significant range of different road-widths.

Moreover, when the road is to be fully open to traffic the two leaves can be hinged back on opposite sides of the roadway in a compacted form that enables the length of verge or other road-margin that is required to be left clear on either side to accommodate them, to be kept to a minimum.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the gate has two leaves 1 and 2 that are hinged to two upright support-posts 3 and 4 respectively, located on verges V either side of a road R. Each leaf 1 and 2 is in three elongate sections that together extend half-way across the road R. A first, main section 5 of the three is supported by hinging 6 on the respective post 3 or 4 and carries a slidable section 7. The section 7 is mounted on the section 5 in alignment with it for selective sliding extension out from, and retraction into, the far end of the section 5, and itself carries the third, end section 8.

The end section 8 of the respective leaf 1 or 2 is hinged to the far end of the slidable section 7 carrying it, by means of a hinge 9, and when aligned (as shown) with the sections 5 and 7 of that leaf, abuts the end section 8 of the other leaf 1 or 2 mid-way across the road R. A lock 10 is engaged between the abutting sections 8 of the two leaves 1 and 2 to retain the gate fully closed across the road R blocking access of vehicles to it. Access by emergency vehicles is enabled however, simply by unlocking the lock 10 so that the end sections 8 can be pivoted back on their hinges 9 as illustrated by the arcs X in Figure 2.

When the sections 8 are pivoted back in this way, a pathway through the centre of the gate is left open for the passage of the emergency vehicles.

When the gate is to be opened for free access of all traffic along the road R, the lock 10 is unlocked and the end section 8 of each leaf 1 and 2 is pivoted back on its hinge 9 throughout its arc X to come face-to-face with (and possibly to be secured to) the respective section 7. The section 7 is then retracted into the main section 5 of the respective leaf 1 and 2 so that each leaf 1 and 2 is effectively compacted down in width to that of the main section 5. The compacted leaves 1 and 2 are then unlocked (as described below) to free them for pivoting on their hinging 6 with the posts 3 and 4 and bring them through the arcs Y illustrated in Figure 2, clear of the road R on either side of it. They are locked (as described below) in this fully-open condition abutting respective hold-back posts 11 and 12 (provision may also be made for securing the compacted leaves 1 and 2 to the posts 11 and 12) The gate is brought back to its closed condition for closure of the road R again, by first unlocking the leaves 1 and 2 to pivot through the arcs Y on their hinging 6 to bring them into the condition in which they project towards one another across the road R. The two leaves 1 and 2 are re-locked in this condition and their sections 8 are then pivoted on their hinges 9 towards one another. The slidable sections 7 are now extended from within the sections 5 to close the sections 8 onto one another and allow engagement of the lock 10 to complete closure of the gate.

The gate described above is adapted to the width of the road R by adjustment of the extent to which the section 7 is extended from the section 5 in each leaf 1 and 2 (provision for locking the section 7 to the section 5 in the adjusted position is not shown, but may be provided). In one construction of the gate illustrated, the main and slidable sections 5 and 7 of each leaf 1 and 2 each have a width of some four metres, whereas each end section 8 has a width of some two metres. This construction of gate can accordingly be readily used (with allowance for the off-road positioning of the support posts 3 and 4 on the verges V) in any circumstance where the road-width is within the range, say, of from nine to fifteen metres, and in all cases throughout this range, affords a central opening for emergency access of some four metres in width.

Further features of the gate, in particular of the leaf 1, will now be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. The same features are also incorporated appropriately in the leaf 2.

Referring initially to Figure 3, the hinging 6 of the main section 5 involves top and bottom hinges 13 and 14 respectively.

Details of the top hinge 13 are shown in side elevation and plan in Figures 4 and 5 respectively, and of the bottom hinge 14 in side elevation and plan in Figures 6 and 7 respectively. The hinges 13 and 14 are illustrated in Figures 4 to 7 in the condition that exists with the gate fully open, whereas they are illustrated in Figure 3 in the condition that exists with the gate fully closed.

The top hinge 13 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 has a vertical pivot pin 15 that is mounted on the post 3 and engages downwardly within a pivot hole 16 in a bracket 17 of a vertical hanging stile 18 of the main section 5. The bottom hinge 14 on the other hand, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 has a vertical pivot pin 19 that engages upwardly in a pivot hole 20 of an adjustable bracket 21 bolted to the stile 18. A drop-bolt 22 is also mounted on the stile 18 for engagement in socket-holes 23 and 24 in a part-circular plate 25 for locking the leaf 1 in the gate-open and gate-closed positions. The plate 25 is mounted on the post 3 to project horizontally from it beneath the hinge 14.

The drop-bolt 22 can be lifted, to an extent that is limited by a stop plate 26 on the stile 18, to free it from either hole 23 and 24 when the leaf 1 is to be pivoted on the hinges 13 and 14 from one to another of the gate-open and gate-closed conditions.

In the fully-closed (Figure 3) and partially-closed (sections 8 open) conditions of the gate, the drop-bolt 22 engages in the hole 23 to lock the leaf 1 in that condition, and in the fully-open condition engages in the hole 24 to lock the leaf 1 in that condition.

Although the invention has been described in the context of a double-leaf gate for a roadway, a gate with a single leaf corresponding to the leaf 1 or 2 may find application in other circumstances where limited access is required. For example, the single-leaf gate may provide full closure when the section 8 is aligned with sections 5 and 7, and partial closure for limited-width access when the section 8 is pivoted open.

Claims

Claims: 1. A gate having a leaf that comprises an elongate first section which is supported on hinging at a near end of the gate, a second elongate section that is mounted on the first section in alignment with the first section for selective sliding extension Out from, and retraction into, the far end of the first section for increasing and decreasing respectively the width of the leaf, and a third section which is hinged to the far end of the second section for selective pivoting into and out of alignment with the first and second sections.
2. A gate according to Claim 1 wherein the first section is hinged at the near end of the gate to a support and carries a drop bolt for selective engagement with one or other of a plurality of sockets that are angularly spaced from one another about the support, the drop bolt when engaged with one or other of the sockets holding the first section of the gate in a corresponding one or other of a plurality of angular positions about the support.
3. A gate according to Claim 2 wherein the sockets are holes in a plate mounted to project substantially horizontally from the support.
4. A gate according to Claim 3 wherein the hinging of the first section to the support is between a substantially-vertical stile of the first section and the support, and the drop bolt is mounted on the stile.
5. A gate according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the first section is hinged on substantially-vertical pivot pins of top and bottom hinges that engage downwardly and upwardly respectively with individual brackets mounted on the first section.
6. A gate comprising two elongate leaves that are hinged to respective ones of mutually-spaced supports for pivoting into alignment with one another from an open condition, each leaf having a first section which is supported at a near end by the hinging of the leaf to its respective support, a second elongate section that is mounted on the first section in alignment with the first section for selective sliding extension out from, and retraction into, the far end of the first section for increasing and decreasing respectively the width of the leaf, and a third section which is hinged to the far end of the second section for selective pivoting into and out of alignment with it, and wherein the space between the supports is closed by the gate when the first and third sections of each leaf are aligned with one another and, in dependence on the extensions of the second sections, there is closing of the third sections of the two leaves onto one another.
7. A gate according to Claim 6 wherein the third sections of the two leaves abut one another when the space between the supports is closed by the gate.
8. A gate according to Claim 6 or Claim 7 including a lock that is engageable between the third sections of the two leaves.
9. A gate according to any one of Claims 6 to 8 wherein the first section of each leaf carries a drop bolt for selective engagement with first and second sockets that are angularly spaced from one another about the support to which the first section is hinged, the drop bolt when engaged with the first socket holding the first section of the leaf in an angular position for alignment with the first section of the other leaf, and when engaged in the second socket holding the first section of the leaf out of such alignment for opening of the gate.
10. A gate according to Claim 9 wherein the sockets are holes in a plate mounted to project substantially horizontally from the support.
11. A gate according to any one of Claims 6 to 10 wherein the first section of each leaf is hinged on substantially-vertical pivot pins of top and bottom hinges that engage downwardly and upwardly respectively with individual brackets mounted on the first section.
12. A gate according to any one of Claims 1 to 11 installed for selective full and partial closure of a roadway.
13. A gate comprising two elongate leaves, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.