IMPROVEMENTS IN GATES FOR FIELDS AND CARRIAGE ROADS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Braggins, of Banbury, in the County of
Oxford, Timber Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GATES
FOR FIELDS AND CARRIAGE ROADS."
Sealed the 12th June 1860, and dated the 31st December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Braggins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1859.
I, JAMES BRAGGINS, of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, Timber Mer-
chant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GATES FOR FIELDS AND CARRIAGE ROADS," to be as follows:-
In gates hitherto constructed the eye or thimble part of the hinge has
been attached to the heel (or vertical part of the framing nearest the hinges)
by the inner end being simply clenched, or in some cases screwed and secured
Now my improvement consists in making the shank of the thimble
much longer than has hitherto been done, and in such a way that the length-
ened end which is screwed, shall pass through a tapped eye of a bolt depending
from and secured by a nut, through and to the top rail of the gate, the thimble
shank and eye bolt are thus at right angles to each other, and at some distance
from the angle of the framing formed by the junction of the top rail and the
heel. It is clear, therefore, that by tightening up the thimble those two parts
will be braced more firmly together, and the liability of the gate to drop at the
point or nose will be lessened. For more effectually strengthening the angle
of the gate between the two bolts, I put a strap of iron round such angle

page_text: externally, so that both bolts pass through it, as well as through the heel and
top rail. The eye or thimble part of the lower hinge I make either similar
to the above, or in the manner now usually adopted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Braggins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BRAGGINS, of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, Timber Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Braggins, Her special licence that I, the said James
Braggins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Braggins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GATES FOR FIELDS AND CARRIAGE ROADS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Braggins, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Braggins, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention,, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
In gates hitherto constructed the eye or thimble part of the hinge has been
attached to the heel (or vertical part of the framing nearest the hinges) by
the inner end being simply clenched, or in some cases screwed and secured
by a nut. Now my improvement consists in making the shank of the thimble
much longer than has hitherto been done, in such a way that the length-

page_text: ened end which is screwed, shall pass through a tapped eye of a bolt depending
from and secured by a nut through and to the top rail of the gate; the
thimble shank and eye bolt are thus at right angles to each other, and at some
distance from the angle of the framing formed by the junction of the top rail
and the heel. It is clear, therefore, that by tightening up the thimble these
two parts will be braced more firmly together, and the liability of the gate to
drop at the point or nose will be lessened. For more effectually strengthening
the angle of the gate between the two bolts, I put a strap of iron round such
angle externally, so that both bolts pass through it, as well as through the
heel and top rail. The eye or thimble part of the lower hinge I make either
similar to the above, or in the manner now usually adopted.
In the accompanying Drawings Figures 1 and 2 are an elevation and plan
respectively of my improvement; and Figure 3 is an elevation of a portion of
a gate showing their application and use, the same letters in each Figure refer
to the same parts. A is the lengthened thimble, with a thread screwed on
the cud furthest from the gate post G, this thread goes through and fits a
corresponding internally tapped thread in the eye of the bolt B, at C, which
bolt is fastened through the top rail F by the nut at C¹. Between this nut
and the top rail is a strap of iron D, bent down the heel post E at right
angles, and secured to its place by the thimble A, the eye bolt B, and by the
bolt H. I is the lower hinge.
Having described the nature of my Invention, I wish it to be understood
that I claim as my improvements the lengthened thimble passing through a
tapped eye bolt connected with the top rail in such a way that by turning
the former the gate may be raised or lowered at the nose or foremost post.
I claim also the combination of those parts with the corner or angle strap,
for the purpose of giving strength to the gate.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand seal, this Thirtieth
day of June, One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JAMES BRAGGINS. (L.S.)
Witness to the signing and sealing by
the above-named James Braggins,
JOHN M. PEARSON,
4, Basinghall Street, London,
Solicitor.