Abstract:
A framed gate pivotally mounted at one of it&#39;s lower corners to an inner fence post securely positioned in the ground. The pivotal mounting of the gate allows one end of the gate to swing up and out of the way thereby effectively opening a gap and allowing passage from one side of the fence line to the other. A primary post is positioned outside of the inner fence post in relation to the gate. A manual winch device or powered winch device is attached to the primary post for the lifting of the framed gate. Further, this device is equipped with a spring for assisting the swinging of the gate up and out of the way and may be equipped with a remote control mechanism for remote operation of the gate. On the opposite side of the gate from the inner post is located the outer post which contains a catch mechanism to engage a locking mechanism on the gate to securely lock and hold the gate in a closed position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a vertical lift gate used to control access to certain areas, roadways and corrals. More specifically, this invention relates to an electrically or manually powered vertical lift gate which may be activated manually or through the use of remote controls. 
     The use of a vertical style lift gate has been found to be advantageous in many situations where swinging gates can not be used for a variety of reasons, such as the presence of cattle, trees, landscaping, buildings or other obstructions that prevent the swinging of a gate. When used in a ranch or farm type setting, a typical gate requires a rancher to pull up, stop their tractor or pickup, exit the vehicle, open the gate, drive the vehicle through, once again exit the vehicle and close the gate. From this it can be seen that it would be advantageous to provide a gate that could be operated from within the vehicle or by a device easily carried in the pocket or belt of a worker, thus allowing easy access to gate areas, minimizing the amount of time a gate is open which can prevent the unwanted escape of livestock or entrance of other unwanted animals or people and promote a safe and efficient workplace. 
     Further, it can be seen that it would be necessary for this gate to securely lock and close when in the closed position and to easily be unlocked and opened either remotely or manually. 
     From this it can be seen that it would be advantageous to provide a gate that lifts vertically rather than swinging side to side and lifts on a simple mechanism that is both inexpensive to build and install as well as simple to maintain. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a method by which a fence gate can be opened to allow for the passage of people, livestock, or machinery from one side of a fence-line to the other. 
     It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide such a method which clears the gate from the fence opening by lifting it around a pivot point in a vertical fashion which allows it to operate in a smaller area than the conventional swinging gate. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention of providing a method of opening wide span gates in a manner that will allow for its effective opening and closing and which reduces the stresses placed on its pivot point due to the width of the span of the gate. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to provide such a method of clearing a fence opening which can be adapted to use a variety of energy sources, from hand cranked to electrically driven, to raise and lower the pivotally mounted gate. 
     It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide such a method of opening gates that can use remote activation devices, much like those used in garage door opener applications, which will allow the user to control the position of the gate from a remote location such as the driver&#39;s seat of his vehicle. 
     These objectives are accomplished by the use of a steel framed gate that is pivotally mounted at one of its lower corners to a specifically designed inner fence post which is securely positioned in the proper location within the ground. This method of pivotally mounting the gate allows one end of it to be swung up and out of the way thereby effectively opening the fence gap and allowing passage from one side of the fence line to the other. Additionally, the positioning of the pivotal mount on one of the lower corners of the gate ensures that as it is pivoted around the mount to the fully upright position, the body of the fence will entirely clear the fence gap which in turn allows for the clear passage through the fence line. 
     Outside of the inner fence post, in relation to the gate, is located the primary post which provides the point of attachment for the winch and other components which are necessary for the operation of the invention. The primary post is significantly taller than the inner post and this additional height adds a degree of leverage to the lifting and lowering of the gate as the winch device is mounted on this post at a relatively high location in relation to the upper surface of the gate. The winch is connected to the upper surface of the gate by the winch cable which is attached to the far upper corner of the gate. This arrangement of the winch in relation to its point of attachment to the gate provides the necessary leverage to the lifting mechanism to ensure for the proper operation of the invention. The space between the primary post and the inner post is spanned by the gate mesh which closes off that space and ensures that nothing can pass through the fence line between these components of the invention. 
     Additionally, the primary post provides the point of attachment for the upper end of the gate spring which spans the distance between the primary post and the upper corner of the gate that is located directly above the pivotal mount of the gate to the inner post. The purpose of the gate spring is to keep a certain degree of pressure on the gate as it passes through its range of motion in the opening and closing process. This pressure ensures that these processes operate smoothly through all stages of the present invention&#39;s opening and closing actions. 
     On the opposite side of the fence opening from the inner post is located the outer post. The outer post defines the dimensions of the fence opening and provides the point of attachment for the outer end of the gate when it is in the closed position. The closing mechanism is made up of a gate catch which engages and guides the edge of the gate as it is lowered into the closed position and holds it securely once the closed position has been properly obtained. Conversely, the open ended design of the upper end of the gate catch ensures that it will not interfere with the lifting of the gate during the opening operations. 
     The manner in which the operator of the present invention raises and lowers the gate depends largely on the power source used to drive the winch. In its simplest form there is simply a crank handle attached to the winch which the operator rotates to raise or lower the gate. While this method is effective, it can be laborious and requires that the operator approach the winch to operate it which may involve exiting a vehicle. A second manner of winch operation is to use electricity provided by a battery or by live feed electrical wires. This resolves the laborious aspect of the hand operated winch as the operator only needs to engage a switch to raise or lower the gate. Finally, the electrically driven winch can also be fitted with a sensing device much like those used with garage door openers which allow the operator to raise and lower the gate from remote locations such as the driver&#39;s seat of their vehicle which makes the operation of the invention as simple as possible. 
     The present invention can also employ a specially designed gate latch which is used to lock the gate in a downward and closed manner when the operator chooses to close off the gate opening. The gate latch is made up of a plunger that is horizontally mounted at the upper outside corner of the gate in a manner that allows it to slide laterally in relation to the upper surface of the gate. Additionally, the latch assembly incorporates the use of a compressible spring that is mounted in conjunction with the plunger and operates on it to force it outward in relation to the gate. The tip of the plunger in its most outward orientation engages the catch housing which is fixedly attached to the outer post on the far side of the gate opening. This positioning of the plunger serves to lock the gate to the outer post in the closed position where it will remain until the plunger is disengaged from its position of contact with the catch housing. 
     The gate latch is disengaged from the closed position by an inward force (in relation to the body of the gate) being placed on the plunger by the movement of the attached winch cable. This inward force serves to compress the spring and retract the plunger from the contact with the catch housing. With the plunger disengaged, the winch cable is then free to lift the gate out of the gate opening as described above. Conversely, when the gate is lowered back into the closed position, the resulting removal of the weight of the gate off of the winch cable allows the latch spring to force the plunger back into contact with the catch funnel which again locks the gate into the closed position across the gate opening. 
     An additional method of constructing the gate hinge is also available which employs the use of a dual slatted inner post which contains a gap into which the hinge is built and into which the gate fits in both the open and closed positions. The inner post gate hinge provides a more secure mounting for the gate than that provided by the previous embodiment which in turn provides a more durable and effective mechanism by which the gate can be opened and closed in conjunction with the stated purpose of the present invention. 
     For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be made to the drawings and the description in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the present invention which illustrates the manner in which it is employed in conjunction with a typical gate being used to close off a fence opening. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the present invention which illustrates how the gate is pulled upward in a vertical manner to clear the fence opening to allow for the passage through the fence line. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the gate hinge component of the present invention illustrating its general manner of construction. 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the gate hinge component of the present invention illustrating the manner in which the sleeve shoulder is employed to keep the gate at a specified distance from the fence posts which enables the gate to move freely within its designed parameters. 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the gate catch component of the present invention illustrating the manner in which it engages the leading portion of the gate as it drops into place to close the fence opening. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the gate catch component of the present invention illustrating the manner in which the catch prongs are used to guide the leading portion of the gate as it drops into the closed position. 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention which illustrates the manner in which it is employed in conjunction with a typical gate being used to off close a fence opening. 
     FIG. 8 is a front elevation cut-away view of the double slat inner post component of an alternative embodiment the present invention illustrating the manner in which the gate fits within the inner post and the general manner of construction of the inner gate hinge. 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the double slat inner post component of an alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrating the manner in which the gate fits and is attached within the centrally located gap of the double slat inner post. 
     FIG. 10 is a close up side elevation view of the double slat inner post component of an alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrating the manner in which the gate fits and is attached within the centrally located gap of the double slat inner post. 
     FIG. 11 is a front elevation cut-away view of the connection of the gate to the inner gate hinge in the alternative embodiment of the present invention and details the hinge&#39;s manner of construction. 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevation cut-away view of the connection of the gate to the inner gate hinge in the alternative embodiment of the present invention and details the hinge&#39;s manner of construction. 
     FIG. 13 is a front elevation view of the gate latch assembly component of the alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrating the manner in which the plunger is used to engage the catch housing to lock the gate in a downward or closed orientation. 
     FIG. 14 is a front elevation view of the gate latch assembly component of the alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrating the manner in which the plunger is disengaged from its contact with the catch housing to release the gate and allow it to be drawn up to the open position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, the vertically opening gate apparatus  10  is made up of a gate  12  that is used to close a fence opening  64  of a typical fence  20 . Fence openings  64  are a common feature of almost every fence  20  in use throughout the world as they allow objects to pass from one side of the fence  20  to the other. Additionally, these fence openings  64  are closed off by the use of a swinging gate  12  which is pivotally mounted to the fence  20  on one side of the fence opening  64  and can therefore be swung open or closed to allow or restrict passage depending upon the desire of the user. 
     With the present invention, the fence opening  64  is defined by the positioning of the inner post  16  and the outer post  18 . The distance between is spanned by the gate  12  which is slightly shorter than the distance between the inner and outer posts,  16  and  18 . The gate  12  is typically made of a framework of horizontal gate rails  26  and vertical gate rails  28  which are fastened together in a manner that will restrict the passage of specified objects from one side of the fence  20  to the other and as a whole runs just above and parallel to the surface of the ground  24 . Additionally, the variance in the width of the gate  12  in relation to the fence opening allows the gate  12  to swing freely between the inner and outer posts,  16  and  18 , during normal operations and for each of the components to independently adjust to changing temperatures without effecting the performance of the invention as a whole. 
     The present invention also employs the use of a primary post  14  which is located on the opposite side of the inner post  16  in relation to the location of the gate  12 . Additionally, the primary post  14  is positioned so that the distance between ths primary post  14  and the inner post  16  is slightly more the distance between the bottom and top of the gate  12 . This positioning is important as it allows for the free movement of the gate  12  during opening and closing operations. The gap between the inner post  16  and the primary post  14  is closed off by the use of the gate mesh  22  which maintains the integrity of the fence  20  without interfering with the operation of the gate  12 . 
     The primary post  14  is implanted in the ground  24  in much the same manner as the inner and outer posts,  16  and  18 , but is significantly taller than the other two. This additional height of the primary post  14  is significant as it also provides the point of attachment for the winch  30  which is the component of the present invention that is directly responsible for opening and closing the gate  12 . The relatively high position of the winch  30  on the primary post  14  in relation to the inner post  16  is important as the angle created in the winch cable  44 , used to lift and drop the gate  12 , helps to create leverage which adds to the overall effectiveness of the winch  30 . Additionally, the winch  30  is also commonly fitted with an opener sensor  32  which can be used to allow a user to activate the present invention from a remote location such as the driver&#39;s seat of his vehicle or other equipment. 
     The opening and closing operations of the gate  12  are controlled through the winch  30  by the winch cable  44  which extends from the winch  30  to the far corner of the gate  12  where it is attached through the use of a gate bracket  36 . In the down or closed position, the front end of the gate  12  is engaged with the gate catch  40  located on the inner surface of the outer post  18 . The activation of the winch  30  draws the winch cable  44  in which in turn lifts the far end of the gate  12  out of the gate catch  40  and forces the gate  12  as a whole to pivot around the gate hinge  42  located at its lower inner corner on the lower portion of the inner post  16 . This pivoting action continues until the gate  12  obtains an orientation in which is upper edge is generally perpendicular to the inner surface of the primary post  14 . With the gate  12  in this upright position the fence opening  64  is clear and objects are left to freely pass from one side of the fence  20  to the other. 
     The primary post  14  also provides the point of attachment for the upper end of the gate spring  34  by the use of the upper spring mount  38 . Additionally, the lower end of the gate spring  34  is connected to the upper inside corner of the gate  12  through the use of a gate bracket  36  much like that used to attach the winch cable  44 . The purpose of the gate spring  34  is to place a degree of tension on the gate  12  in the opening and closing processes which ensures that the gate  12  will move easily and smoothly through its intended functions. 
     With reference to the function of the gate spring  34 , it is tensioned when the gate  12  is in its down position which has the effect of placing a force upon the inside upper corner of the gate  12  which would tend to help it open. Conversely, when the gate is open, the gate spring is tensioned in a manner which places a force on the inside upper corner of the gate  12  which would tend to help it return to the closed position. This transition in the force applied by the gate spring  34  is a function of the placement of its upper end on the primary post  14 . That is to say, the point of gate spring  34  attachment on the gate  12  moves through an arch during the opening and closing process with the apex of that arch being at its closest point to the upper spring mount  38  at the midway point between the gate  12  being fully open and fully closed. Any further movement away from this midway point in either direction tensions the gate spring  34  which therefore aids in the opening or closing process respectively. 
     The manner of construction of the gate hinge  42  component of the present invention is further detailed in FIGS. 3 and 4. The gate hinge  42  is the component of the invention which both attaches the gate  12  to the inner post  16  and allows it to pivot between the open and closed position which is the primary function of a gate  12 . The gate hinge  42  is made up of two primary components. The first of these is the hinge mount bracket  46  which is generally a section of V-shaped metal that fits over the corner of the inner post  16 . This is the point of attachment which fastens the gate  12  in the desired location within the invention. Additionally, the hinge mount bracket  46  has a perpendicularly extending hinge mount pin  48  from its outwardly oriented (in relation to the inner post  16 ) surface which allows for the mounting of the gate corner  52  to the hinge mount bracket  46 . 
     The second primary component of the gate hinge  42  is the gate corner  52  which serves to pivotally attach the gate  12  to the hinge mount bracket  46 . The gate corner  52  is generally a block which encloses the joint of the horizontal and vertical gate rails,  26  and  28 , and which has attached to its lower surface a pin sleeve  50 . The pin sleeve  50  is a tube-like apparatus which has an inside diameter that is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the hinge mount pin  48 . The connection is made by slipping the pin sleeve  50  over the hinge mount pin  48  and retaining it there in a manner that allows it to pivot freely around the hinge mount pin  48 . Thus, the gate hinge  42  attaches the gate  12  to the inner post  16  that allows it to pivot in its vertical axis. 
     Additionally, the pin sleeve  50  has a sleeve shoulder  51  which is simply a portion of the pin sleeve  50  that extends beyond the inner surface of the gate corner  52  in relation to the hinge mount bracket  46 . The purpose of the sleeve shoulder  51  is to provide a degree of separation between the gate  12  and the inner post  16 . This gap allows the gate  12  to pivot freely during the opening and closing operations without contacting the inner post  16 . Thus, the sleeve shoulder  51  allows the gate  12  to move freely without interference from the other components of the invention. 
     The manner of construction and the method of operation of the gate catch  40  are further detailed in FIGS. 5 an  6 . As previously stated, the gate catch  40  is attached to the inner surface of the outer post  18  in a position that ensures it will engage the gate  12  as it is lowered into the closed position. In furtherance of its purpose of directing and holding the closed gate  12 , the upper end of the gate catch  40  is equipped with a pair oppositely oriented diagonally extending catch prongs  54  which serve to direct a lowering gate  12  that is slightly offline into the centrally located catch channel  60  of the gate catch  40 . The catch channel  60  is enclosed by the catch sides  58  Which maintain the gate  12  within the gate catch  40  when it is closed. Finally, the downward gate travel  56  is effectively limited by the gate stop  62  which closes off the bottom of the gate catch  40 . Therefore, when the gate  12  is in its closed position it rests on the gate stop  62  between the catch sides  58  of the gate catch  40  which hold it in the proper location until the gate is opened at a later time. 
     An alternative embodiment of the present invention is also provided which employs a different method of pivotally attaching the gate  12  to the remaining components of the vertically opening gate apparatus  10 . This embodiment of the present invention is constructed in much the same fashion as the previous embodiment which is illustrated in FIG.  7  and therefore also operates in much the same manner. However, the alternative embodiment utilizes a double slat inner post  84  in place of the inner post  16  of the previous. Additionally, in conjunction with the double slat inner post  84 , the present embodiment uses an inner gate hinge  86  to pivotally attach the gate  12  within the fence opening  64 . 
     The general manner of construction of the double slat inner post  84  and the inner gate hinge  86 , as well as many other components of this embodiment of the invention, are further detailed in FIGS. 8,  9 ,  10 ,  11 , and  12 . The double slat inner post  84  is made up of two parallel members, the inner and outer slats,  88  and  90 , which are separated by an interior gap  89 . The double slat inner post  84  also contains a downwardly extending post mount  92  which is used to anchor the double slat inner post  84  to the ground. This serves to orient the double slat inner post  84  in a vertical fashion which provides a solid base onto which the remaining components of this embodiment of the present invention can be attached. 
     The inner gate hinge  86  fits within the lower portion of the interior gap  89  between the inner and outer slats,  88  and  90 , and is itself made up of two parallel oriented hinge brackets  96  that are each separately mounted to the inside of the inner and outer slats,  88  and  90 . This method of construction allows the lower corner of the gate  12  to be placed between the hinge brackets  96  and pivotally positioned there by the use of the pivot bolt  94  which passes through this arrangement from the outside surface of one of the hinge brackets  96  to the outside surface of the other. This configuration provides a solid mounting for the gate  12  which allows it to freely pivot allowing it to swing open and closed as dictated by the design of this and other embodiments of the present invention. 
     This embodiment of the present invention also employs the use of gate spring  34  in much the same manner as the previous embodiment which is used to aid in the opening and closing processes of the gate  12 . The primary difference is that this embodiment uses an upper and lower spring brackets,  66  and  68 , which are located in slightly different positions on the components of the invention which enhances the overall performance of the gate spring  34 . Additionally, these FIGS. also illustrate the use of a plurality of fence bars  70  that are used to close off the space between the double slat inner post  84  and the primary post  14  as opposed to the gate mesh  22  that was used in the previous embodiment. 
     This embodiment of the present invention is also illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 using a gate latch assembly  74  which is employed to lock the gate  12  in the downward position in which the fence opening  64  is closed off. The gate latch assembly  74  is positioned on the upper corner of the body of the gate  12  in a location that allows it to interact with components positioned on the outer post  18 . The gate latch assembly  74  is operated by its connection with the winch cable  44  which is in turn connected to the winch  30  through the cable idler bracket  72  located about midway in the body of the gate  12 . The cable idler bracket  72  is equipped with a pair of cable idler wheels  98  which engage the winch cable  44  as it passes through the cable idler bracket  72 . The use of the cable idlers wheels  98  allows the direction of travel of the winch cable  44  to change from the diagonal orientation it assumes between the winch  30  and the cable idler bracket  72  to the horizontal orientation (in relation to the upper surface of the gate  12 ) it assumes between the cable idler bracket  72  and the gate latch assembly  74 . This system allows the winch cable  44  to be manipulated to operate the gate latch assembly  74  and to raise and lower the gate  12  in a smooth manner that allows the invention to operate as designed. 
     The gate latch assembly  74  is made up of a gate latch plunger  100  that is horizontally mounted at the upper corner of the gate  12  by the use of the two vertically oriented plunger mount tabs  102  located on the inner end of the gate latch plunger  100  on the upper surface of the gate  12  and also at its outer end by the vertical latch bracket  78 . The gate latch plunger  100  is also fitted with a latch spring  76  which encircles it between the plunger mounts tabs  102  and the spring stop  104  which, under normal circumstances, rests against the inner surface of the vertical latch bracket  78 . 
     The positioning of the latch spring  76  between the plunger mounts tabs  102  and the spring stop  104  places a load on the latch spring  76  which in turn operates to force the gate latch plunger  100  in an outward manner in relation to the upper surface of the gate  12 . In this orientation, the gate latch plunger  100  extends beyond the outward edge of the vertical latch bracket  78 . This allows it to engage the catch housing  80  which is a component of the gate catch  40  that extends above the catch funnel  82  used to guide the gate  12  into the proper position during the closing phase of the present invention&#39;s operations. 
     During gate  12  opening procedures, the winch cable  44  is retracted which in turn draws out the gate latch plunger  100  and compresses the latch spring  76  (a condition which is illustrated in FIG.  14 ). The compression of the latch spring  76  is accomplished because the spring stop  104  is pulled back with the gate latch plunger  100  which compresses the latch spring  76  against the plunger mounts tabs  102 . The resulting increase in the amount of load that is placed on the gate latch spring  76  ensures that when the tension of the winch cable  44  is released it will return to its extended position where it can engage the catch housing  80  to ensure that the gate  12  will remain in the desired closed position. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.