US736568A - Automatic gate attachment. - Google Patents

Description

No. 736,568. PATENTBD AUG. 18, 1903.

' F. H. .WARNE.

AUTOMATIC GATE ATTACHMENT.

APPLIOATION rnnn BEPT. 15. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. S A 2 E Q R a N i Q a PATENTED AUG. 18, 1903.

I. H. WARNE. 7 AUTOMATIC GATE ATTACHMENT.

APPLIUATION FILED arm. 16. 1902. so MODEL, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4a 48 WHIJZSSQ Lykpfov.

Patented August 18, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. WARNE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC GATE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,568, dated August 18, 1903.

Application filed September 15, 1902. Serial No. 123,500. No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK I'IJVARNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Automatic Gate Attachment, of which the following is a specifieation.

The invention relates to an automatic attachment for gates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of the means employed for operating swinging gates and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efiicient device adapted to be readily applied to any ordinary swinging gate and to be operated by any suitable means and capable of changing the position of the gate, whereby the gate is caused to open and close by gravity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which when actuated by a hand-lever or a vehicle-operated rock-shaft willbe locked in a position for causing the gate to swing in the desired direction, thereby obviating the necessity of holding such mechanism by hand or other means until the gate has completed its swinging movement.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide means for automatically locking the gate, actuating mechanism at the beginning of the gate-opening movement and for automatically releasing the same as the gate completes such movement and for locking the same at the completion of the closing movement, whereby the gate-actuating mechanism is held against movement during the movement of the gate to cause a positive operation of the latter and is permitted to be operated only when the gate has completed its movement.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the gateactuating mechanism, illustrating the position of the parts when the gate is closed. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the arrangement of the parts when the oscillatory gate-operating lever is shifted to open the gate. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the cap-plate. Fig. 7 is a detail View illustrating the construction of the engaging arm of the automatically-operated locking device for holding the gate operating or actuating lever until the gate has completed its opening or closing movement. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View on the line 8 S of Fig. 2. Fig.9 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the horizontally-oscillating lever, illustrating the construction for adjusting the end shoulders.

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

1 designates a swinging gate, which may be of any desired construction and which is connected at its bottom with a hinge-post or support 2 by a hinge 3 of the ordinary construction, the pintle of the hinge being preferably provided with a nut 4 or other suitable means for preventing the parts of the hinge from separating when the gate is tilted, as hereinafter described. The top of the gate is provided at its inner or rear end with a vertical pintle 5, extending upward from an attachment-plate 6 and passing through an eye of a gate operating or actuating lever 9, which is mounted upon the hinge-post, as hereinafter explained, and which when oscillated is adapted to swing the pintle 5 of the gate rearward and laterally to throw the gate out of equilibrium, whereby the gate is caused to close or open by gravity.

The lever 9 is provided with a tapering enlargement or head 10, having oppositely-disposed forwardly-converging curved slots 1], receiving pivots 12 and adapted to permit the lever 9 to be fulcrumed at either side,whereby the upper portion of the rear end of the gate is swung rearward and laterally when the lever 9 is oscillated. The pivots, which may be of any desired construction, preferably consist of studs formed integral with a cap-plate 13 and having threaded upper portions to receive nuts for securing the oscillatory lever 9 on the pivots The cap-plate, which may consist of cast-iron or be constructed of any other suitable material, is secured by screws or other suitable fastening devices to the top Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

.of the hinge-post and is provided with side or enlargements operate to space the oscillatory gate-actuating lever from the cap-plate to prevent accumulation of moisture between the oscillatory gate-operating lever and the cap-plate, whereby the parts are prevented from freezing and becoming inoperative, and rusting is in a great measure avoided.

When the gate is closed, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each slot 11 is concentric with the pivot of the other slot, and the lever is adapted to be oscillated in either direction from such position. This oscillating le- Ver is provided with a rearwardly-extending arm 17, which is connected with operating mechanism, as hereinafter described, and when the lever 9 is oscillated it is locked in such position during the swinging of the gate until the latter nearly arrives at the end of its movement by an approximately Y- shaped locking device 18, consisting of a pair of rearwardly diverging arms and a forwardly-extending arm. The rearwardly-diverging arms have slotted rear ends 19 and are pivoted to posts or arms 20 by pins or other suitable fastening devices, which are arranged horizontally and which permit the locking device 18 to swing upward and downward. The forwardly-extending arm of the locking device is adapted to engage a flange 22 of the lever 9, and it is provided at its outer end with an oppositely-beveled head 23, which is arranged in the path of a releasing device 24, carried by the gate-pivot 5 and consisting of a conical roller or wheel 25, mounted on a journal of an arm. The journal is formed at the outer end of the releasing device, which latter is provided at its inner end with a clamp 26, consisting of a split eye provided with extensions or ears 27, which are connected by a-clamping-screw 28 around the gate-pivot 5; but any other means may be employed for adjustably securing the releasing device to the pintle of the gate. The arm of the releasing device extends rearward from the gate and is disposed longitudinally thereof, and the oppositely-beveled head 23 is rounded at the corners, and when the gate reaches the limit of its movement the conical roller willhave passed under thehead and lifted the locking device out of engagement with the flange of the lever 9. The flange 22 of the lever 9 is provided with a central recess 29 and side recesses 30, forming end shoulders. The central recess is located directly beneath the forwardly-extending engaging arm of the Y- shaped locking device when the gate is closed, as shown in Fig. 2. hen the lever 9 is oscillated in either direction, it withdraws the roller 25 of the releasing device from beneath the locking device and permits the same to fall into one of the end recesses, whereby the gate-operating lever is held in such position until at the end of the movement of the gate the roller 25 of the releasing device again comes in contact with the head and releases the lever 9. The lever 9 is then free to be operated to returnthe gate to its closed )osition.

ment bya pair of adjustable stops-33, located at opposite sides of the cap-plate and mounted in the projections or arms 20, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These adjustable stops consist of screws and are adapted to limit the movement of the lever, whereby the mechanism is adapted for light and heavy gates. The screws are provided at their outer ends with heads by means of which they maybe readily rotated to move inward and outward.

The end recesses or shoulders of the flange 22 are adjustable to correspond with the adjustment of the stops 33 by means of plates 53, extending upward from the lever 9 and provided with recesses conforming to the 0011- figuration of the end recesses of the flange 22. These adjustable plates, which have their lower edges fitted against the lever 9, are provided with horizontal slots 54, receiving clamping-screws 55, mounted in threaded perforations of the flange and adapted to secure the adjustable plates at any desired adjustment.

The oscillatory lever is locked in its closed position to prevent accidental movement of it or the gate by means of a latch-lever 34, consisting of a bell-crank lever fulcrumed on a pin 35 between ears 36 of lever 9 and having a depending arm 36, extending through a slot 37 of the lever 9 and arranged to engage a recess 38 of the lug or enlargement 16 at the back of the cap-plate. The latch-lever 34 is spring-actuated and the rear lug 16 is oppositely beveled, as shown in Fig. 6, to enable the latch to automatically engagethe recess 38 when the gate closes. The latchlever 34 has its upwardly-extending arm bifurcated to receive the inner end of a rod 39, which extends through a guide 40 and which has disposed on it a coiled spring 41, interposed between the guide and a pin 42 of the rod, whereby the latch-lever is held in engagement with the rear lug of the cap-plate.

The rod 39 is provided at its outer end with a head 43, extending laterally from opposite sides of the rod and engaged by inwardlyextending arms of L-shaped levers 44, fulcrumed at their angles 011 lugs 45 of the stem of the lever 9 and having their outer arms engaged by projections 46 of a slide 47. The projections 46 are formed by fastening de vices, which extend downward from the slide into slots 48 of the rear end of the lever 9. The slide is designed to be connected with any suitable operating mechanism, and when the latter is actuated by hand or by a vehicle or other means the slide is first reciprocated to operate and throw the latch 3i out of engagement with the cap-plate.

The slide, which is provided at its ends with perforations for connecting rods 40, cables, or other suitable connections to it, is maintained in a central position by the coiled spring 41 and lever 44. The rods may be connected with levers 50, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawin gs, which levers are provided with rods 51 or other form of handle for enabling them to be oscillated.

The gate is provided with a spring-actuated latch 52, which is adapted to be operated by hand and which engages the keeper 31, which may be of any desired construction. Suitable auxiliary keepers forholding the gate in its open position are mounted on the posts or uprights which support the levers 50.

It will be seen that the mechanism for operating the gate is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable in operation, and that it is adapted to be opened from a distance at either side of it by a person on horseback or in a vehicle.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a gate, of a horizontally-oscillating lever provided with opposite slots, pivots arranged in the slots and adapted to fulcrum the latter at either side, and adjustable stops located at opposite sides of the lever, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a support provided at opposite sides with projections, an oscillatory lever mounted on the support and designed to be connected with a gate, an approximately Y- shaped locking device having its diverging arms fulcrumed on the projections and its central arm arranged to engage the lever, and a releasing device designed to be carried by the gate for disengaging the locking device, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a support provided with opposite projections, an oscillating lever designed to be connected with a gate, a locking device pivoted to the projections and arranged to engage the lever, screws mounted on the projections and arranged to limit the movement of the lever, and means for releasing the lever from the locking device, substantially as described.

at. I11 a device of the class described, the combination of a support,an oscillatory lever, a latch-lever carried by the oscillatory lever for engaging the support, means for holding the latch-lever in engagement with the support, operating mechanism connected with the latch-lever, and an automatically operating locking device for engaging the oscillating lever, substantially as described.

5. Ina device of the class described, the

combination of an oscillating lever, a latchlever mounted thereon, a rod connected with the latch-lever and adapted to be reeiprocated to actuate the same, a slide, and means actuated by the slide for reciprocating the rod.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of an oscillating lever, a latch lever mounted on the said lover, a rod connected with the latch-lever and having a head, a slide, and a pair of levers connecting the slide with the head of the rod, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of an oscillating lever, a latchlever mounted thereon, a rod connected with the latch-lever and having a head, l.-shaped levers fulcrumed on the oscillating lever and engaging the head of the rod, and a slide mounted on the oscillating lever and engaging the L-shaped levers, substantially as described.

8. In a device 01 the class described, the combination of a horizontally-oscillati ng lever designed to be connected with a gate and provided with a projecting portion having central and side recesses, the side recesses forming shoulders, adjustable plates mounted on the projecting portion and capable of inward and outward movement to vary the position of the end shoulders, and a locking device for e11- gaging the said recesses.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a horiZontally-oscillating lever designed to be connected with a gate and provided with aprojecting portion having central and side recesses, the side recesses forming shoulders, adjustable plates mounted on the projecting portion and capable of inward and outwardmovement to varythe position of the end shoulders, a locking device for engaging the said recesses, and adjustable stops for limiting the movement of the lever, substantially as described.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a horizontally-0scillating lever designed to be connected with a gate and havin g a projecting portion provided with central and side recesses, slotted plates mounted on the projecting portion and having recesses conforming to the configuration of the end recesses, said plates being capable of inward and outward movement to vary the position of the end recesses, clamping-screws arranged in the slots of the plates and securing the latter in their adjusted position, apivoted looking device arranged to engage the said recesses, and adjustable means for limiting the swing of the lever, substantially as described.

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

FRANK II. \VARNE.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE FARRAR, O. P. MoRsER.

Images