Improvements relating to Collapsable Gates, Shutters, or the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Collapsable Gates, Shutters, or the like.
We, THE BOSTWICK GATE AND SHUTTER COMPANY, LIMITED of Baldwin's
Gardens, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturers, and
WILLIAM EDWIN WILLIAMSON of Whitcomb House, Whitcomb Street, Pall
Mall, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to collapsable gates, shutters or the like.
The principal object of our said invention is to combine a collapsable gate, for
example, with means whereby it is adapted to be employed in theatres or other
places as an "emergency" door, that is to say as a door which is kept closed by
suitable means against ordinary traffic but which can be forced open by pressure
from the inside, to enable a crowd for instance to pass through without hindrance in
the case of a panic or other emergency.
Another object of our said invention is to construct a device or devices to prevent
the members of the collapsable portion of the emergency door from being "sprung"
apart or forced away from each other or otherwise moved sufficiently far to permit
the passage of any person between them or past them.
According to our said invention we arrange the collapsable gate to operate
within an opening in a rigid frame, the said frame being hinged to a suitable support
in a manner similar to any ordinary door, and provided with a suitable lock
arranged to give way or to unlock and thus release the frame when the door is
subjected to abnormal pressure from the inside. When the frame is thus released
it swings open, carrying the collapsable gate with it. But at other times the
collapsable gate is used in the ordinary manner and the traffic passes through the
opening in the frame in which the said collapsable gate is fitted. We may provide
a double gate consisting of two hinged frames, each with its collapsable portion or
we may employ any suitable arrangement of frames and collapsable portions as may
be desired.
The said gates are fitted with locking devices whereby they are engaged with,
and disengaged from, the frames, and in conjunction with the said locking devices.
or separately, we employ the apparatus constructed according to our invention for
preventing the movement of the "pickets" of the said gate. The said apparatus
consists of a shaft or spindle arranged to turn or slide in suitable bearings upon the
frame and provided with a number of arms which by the turning or sliding of the
shaft or spindle can be moved into or out of engagement with the said pickets.
The said shaft or spindle is operated either by mechanism which is connected to
the other locking devices upon the gate, or is arranged to be operated separately
therefrom, and is controlled by a lock appropriated specially thereto.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Collapsable Gates, Shutters, or the like.
We, THE BOSTWICK GATE AND SHUTTER COMPANY, LIMITED, of Baldwin's
Gardens, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturers, and
WILLIAM EDWIN WILLIAMSON, of Whitcomb House, Whitcomb Street, Pall
Mall, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this

page_text: invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to collapsable gates, shutters, or the like.
The principal object of our said invention is to combine a collapsable gate, for
example, with means whereby it is adapted to be employed in theatres or other
places as an "emergency" door, that is to say, as a door which is kept closed by
suitable means against ordinary traffic, but which can be forced open by pressure
from the inside, to enable a crowd, for instance, to pass through without hindrance,
in the case of a panic or other emergency.
Another object of our said invention is to construct a device or devices to prevent
the members of the collapsable portion of the emergency door from being spruug
apart or forced away from each other, or otherwise moved sufficiently far to permit
the passage of any person between them or past them.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood, we will now
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein
Figure 1 is an elevation of one of a pair of improved gates constructed according
to our invention,
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the gate shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line ax of Figure 1.
Like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a collapsable gate, of the well-known "Bostwick" type. B is a rigid open
frame, within the opening of which the collapsable gate operates. The pickets A
of the gate A are fitted with rollers A² which travel upon the bottom member B¹
of the frame B; the said pickets bear against opposite sides of the said bottom
member B', as shown in Figure 3, so that the rollers A² are kept from moving
laterally thereon. The frame B is hinged at B2 to a suitable support in a manner
similar to that in which an ordinary door is hung; it is adapted to swing in the
doorway C. D is a platform which forms part of the floor in the doorway. The
said platform is adapted to turn upon horizontal hinges, and is normally kept level
by springs D' placed in a recess below it as shown; it is fitted with a claw D²,
which, as long as the platform D is level, engages with the bottom part of the
frame B to prevent the said frame from moving in the doorway. But, if abnormal
pressure be exerted upon the said platform it will be caused to descend against the
resistance of the springs D', into the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3,
and the claw D2 will be noved clear of the frame B, which will then be free to turn
on its hinges.
When the frame B is, thus moved, it carries the collapsable gate with it, and thus
acts as an "emergency gate."
"
But at other times the collapsable gate is used in the ordinary manner and the
outgoing traffic passes over the platform D, and on through the frame B in which
the collapsable gate is fitted.
In order that the platform D may not be able to descend when the gate A is
collapsed, and yet may be free to be depressed, when the said gate is expanded, we
provide a bolt D³ which slides in bearings on the underside of the platform and is 4
turned up at D' to protrude through a slot in the platform, into the path of an
extension A upon that one of the pickets A which has the maximum travel. D³ is
a spring to hold the bolt D³ at one extreme of its travel. When the gate A
is collapsed, the spring D' keeps the bolt D³ in engagement with a suitable recess
in the floor, and consequently the platform D cannot descend. When however the 5
gate A is expanded to close the opening in the frame the extension A³ comes into
contact with the portion D* of the bolt, and moves the bolt against the resistance of
the spring, out of engagement with the aforesaid recess, to free the platform as the
collapsable gate closes the opening in the frame B.
°
We may provide a double gate, consisting of two hinged frames, each with its 5
collapsable portion, or we may employ any suitable arrangement of frames and
collapsable portions, as may be desired. The said gates are fitted with any suitable

page_text: locking devices.
The frames B may also be supplied with locking devices,
additional to automatic devices such as the platform D and claw D³, for which
latter we may substitute any automatic device whereby abnormal crowding and
pressure within the collapsable gate will operate to release the frame and open the
doorway.
Our invention comprises improved apparatus for preventing movement of the
pickets of collapsable gates when the said gates are expanded like the gate shown
in Figure 1. The said improved apparatus, which is applicable to collapsable gates
whether the said gates are placed within a frame such as B, or are arranged other-
wise, consists of a shaft E arranged to turn in bearings F, which, in the present
example, are attached to the frame B.
Upon the said shaft E a number of projections E' are formed; when the gate is
expanded as shown, and it is desired that the pickets should be locked, the shaft E
is turned and brings one of these projections between each pair of the pickets A¹.
In Figure 1 the projections E' are shown as in readiness to enter between the
pickets; in Figure 3 the said projections are seen to be in engagement with the
pickets, which, when thus engaged, cannot be forced apart.
The projections E¹ can be arranged to slide into position between the pickets,
instead of being turned about a centre.
Further, the mechanism by which the said projections are operated can be
connected with the other locking devices upon the gate, and operated thereby, or
can be arranged to be operated separately and controlled by a lock specially
appropriated thereto. In the example illustrated, the shaft E has an arm E' and
operating-rod E³ connected therewith. The said rod E³ is slotted as at E', to pass
over a staple B³ upon the frame B when the projections E' are between the pickets.
The rod E³ may be secured, when thus engaged with the staple, by means of a
padlock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A collapsable gate in combination with a swinging frame in which said gate
can slide, so that the gateway can be opened either by collapsing the gate, or by
swinging the frame.
2. A collapsable gate, in combination with a swinging frame, and a lock or
retaining device for the said swinging gate or door, substantially as herein before
described, for the purposes specified.
3. For collapsable gates, a device for engaging and locking the pickets thereof
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
4. The emergency door, constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for the
purposes specified.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.