Improvements in Folding Gates.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
Improvements in Folding Gates.
I WILLIAM RAFFORD PITT of New Rochelle in the County of Westchester
and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
My invention relates to improvements in folding gates, in which several pickets
are connected by arms or links pivotally secured thereto, so as to permit the
pickets to close into contact with each other, to open the gate, and separate from
each other, at predetermined intervals, to close the gate.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a gate in front elevation, showing the pickets in the position
which they assume when the gate is closed, and the locking bars in the position to
lock the gate, closed.
Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation, showing the position of the pickets and the
connecting arms, when the gate open.
is
Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section from front to rear.
Fig. is a front elevation of a gate, showing the parts in the position which
they assume when the gate is closed and locked, the members of each pair of arms,
in this instance, being arranged at an angle to each other, instead of parallel, as
shown in Fig. 1, and the connections of the ends of the arms with their pickets
being of a sliding nature, to permit the arms to move relatively to the picket,
In this figure,
instead of forcing the picket to move with the arms, as in Fig. 1.
also, a single guide at the bottom is used, in the place of a guide at both top and
bottom, as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the pickets at the joint where
the ends of the arms or links are connected therewith; and
Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the folding track.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, the pickets arranged to move back and forth without
vertical movement, are represented by A, and are preferably provided at their
upper and lower ends with antifriction rollers a, arranged to engage guideways for
holding the upper and lower ends in position. The upper guide way consists of two
half sections B and B', provided with recesses band in their opposite faces, for
the reception of the anti-friction rollers a, the half sections B and B being arranged
The lower
to overlap the opposite sides of the upper ends of the pickets.
guideway C is provided with a recess c in its upper face, for the reception of the
lower ends of the pickets, the anti friction rollers a at the lower end being adapted
to travel along the upper face of the guide C.
The several pickets A are connected by one or more series of arms or links, in
the present instance, three such series being shewn. As the several series of arms
or links are quite similar, the particular description of a single series will be
sufficient for a clear understanding of the others. The pickets A each have
pivotally secured thereto, and upon opposite sides thereof, the members D of a pair
of arms or links, which, as to all of the pickets A intermediate of those at the
extreme edges, project in opposite directions from the picket, and are pivotally
secured intermediate of two similar arms or links D, the latter secured to the
opposite sides of the successive picket A. The shorter arms or links D', at the
extreme edges of the gate, are pivotally secured at one end to the edge pickets,
and at their opposite ends to the ends of the adjacent pair of arms or links D.
In sliding the pickets into proximity to one another to open the gate, the

page_text: connected ends of the arms between each two successive pickets A, fold, and
permit the pickets to approach each other.
The gate may be locked in closed adjustment, or with its pickets separated by
means of a pair of bars E E', secured at one end to the opposite edges of the gate,
and locked together at their adjacent ends, and at the same time to a picket, or to
the connected ends of two successive pairs of arms or links, by means of an ordinary
hasp lock F.
Intermediate of the pickets A, pickets A¹ may be suspended, the said pickets A
being connected with the arms or links at the points where the ends of two
successive arms are pivotally connected, and the slight vertical movement of such
suspended pickets, in opening and closing the gate, may be provided for by making
such suspended pickets a little shorter than the pickets A. In practice, the guide
channels at the top or bottom may be made of such depth as to permit the necessary
vertical movement of the suspended pickets A' within the channels, without
exposing their ends either at the top or bottom.
In the form represented in Fig. 4, the arms or links D, are pivotted upon opposite
sides of a picket A³, and extend from the picket to which they are pivoted, at an
angle to each other, instead of parallel to each other, as represented in Fig. 1. In
this form, the pickets A3 or A2, as the case may be, to which the ends of the arms
or links are pivotally secured, are so connected with the ends of the arms or links,
that the said ends of the arms or links are permitted to slide longitudinally with
respect to the picket to which they are pivotally secured, as distinguished from
forcing the picket to rise and fall with them, as required in Fig. 1.
In this structure shown in Fig. 4, I prefer to make the sliding connections of the
ends of a pair of arms or links of one series with one picket, and the sliding con-
nections of the ends of a pair of arms or links of another series with an adjacent
picket, as clearly indicated in the drawings. In this form of gate, I have also
shown the pickets as provided with ornamental tops, and a single folding guide track
at the bottom is employed, the guide at the top being omitted.
1
I have shown the sliding connection of the links with the pickets, as formed by a
pin or rivet G, extending through the ends of two links upon opposite sides of the
picket, and through an elongated slot 9 in the web of the picket, the form of
picket in this instance being preferably I shaped, or double channelled in cross
section.
The locking bars E2 and E3 are here shown as provided with a hinged joint, at e
and e, to permit them to be folded outwardly away from the face of the gate, after
being lifted out of their keepers.
It is obvious that other changes than those referred to, might be resorted to, in
the form and arrangement of the several parts, without departing from the spirit
and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A folding gate consisting of a series of pickets having secured thereto one or
more series of pairs of folding arms or links, the arms secured to an intermediate
picket being located upon opposite sides of the picket, and extending in opposite
directions from the picket, and having their ends pivotally secured to similar arms
projecting from the adjacent picket, substantially as set forth.
2. In combination, suitable guide ways at the top and bottom of the gate for the
reception of the ends of the pickets, forming the gate, a series of pickets having
their ends mounted in the guide- ways to move back and forth along said guide-ways,
one or more series of folding arms for connecting the pickets together, locking bars
extending from the edge pickets to a point intermediate of the edges of the gate,
and a fastening device connecting said locking bars with each other, and with the
joint between two folding arms, substantially as set forth.
3. A folding gate comprising several pickets free to move toward and
away from

page_text: each other, one of more series of pairs of arms or links pivotally secured to the
pickets upon opposite sides thereof, and to each other, intermediate of the pickets,
and vertically movable pickets suspended from said folding arms intermediate of the
pickets which support the arms, substantially as set forth.
4. The folding gate comprising a series of pickets and rigid arms or links.
connecting an intermediate picket with adjacent pickets, the said arms or links
being arranged in pairs, the members of a pair being pivoted to the opposite sides
of the intermediate picket, and having sliding connections with the adjacent pickets,.
substantially as set forth.
5. The folding gate comprising a series of pickets channelled upon their opposite-
sides, each alternate picket being provided with a pair of elongated slots, arms, or
links, arranged in pairs, the members of a pair being located upon opposite sides of
the pickets, and having their ends pivotally secured in said elongated slots, the said
arms or links being secured, intermediate of their ends, to an intermediate picket,
substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with the series of folding pickets and their swinging supports,.
of a grooved track pivotally secured to swing laterally, and jointed to fold vertically,
a portion of one of the flanges of the track being cut away to permit it to swing
laterally independently of the pickets, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination with the series of folding pickets and the brackets or guards
secured thereto for the reception of a locking bar, of a locking bar pivotally secured
to the gate, and jointed to swing in a plane transverse to the plane of the gate, sub--
stantially as set forth.
Dated this 17th day of April 1893.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant..