IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING AND OTHER GATES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Walton, of Harrytown Hall, in the County of
Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING AND OTHER
GATES"
Sealed the 4th July 1879, and dated the 23rd January 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Walton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1879.
WILLIAM WALTON, of Harrytown Hall, in the County of Chester.
MENTS IN SELF-ACTING AND OTHER GATES."
"
IMPROVE-
This Invention consists partly in certain improvements upon the Invention for
which former Letters Patent were granted to me on the 29th day of October 1876,
No. 5032, and partly to other gates.
My present Invention relates, first, to the boxes supporting the gate posts; at the
foot of the gate post is a plate resting upon and which may be bolted to the box
containing part of the machinery for opening and closing the gate.
Where water or other liquid is used to actuate the gate I employ two cisterns
one above the other in order to obtain the desired fall, these cisterns are connected
with a pump or other contrivance to raise the water from the lower to the upper
cistern. In order to prevent the congelation of the water I add to it when
required a certain quantity of common salt, carbonate of potash, or other suitable
substance.
I apply a regulator for governing the opening and closing of the gate; this
regulator consists of a cylinder in which a can with a perforated bottom and with
a valve is moved up and down by the gate. As the can descends in the cylinder,
the water enters through the valve and perforations until the can is down, but
when the can rises it forms a partial vacuum in the cylinder and the water passes
through the perforations, thereby permitting the gradual ascent of the can and
consequently the gradual opening or closing of the gate.
The valve for admitting the fluid to the vessel for opening or closing the gate as
described in the Specification of the Patent above referred to consists of a weighted
disc with two or three side guides connected below to a cross piece against which
the vessel strikes when it rises, thus opening the valve. Or a double valve may be
connected to the water pipe and opened and closed by a float in the cistern; in this

page_text: arrangement when the float is up the lower end of the valve is closed, and when
down the upper scating is closed.
A valve may be placed at the under side of a cistern and connected to a weight
attached to a chain or cord passing over guide pulleys; when the can rises it acts
on the weight and allows the valve to open by its own gravity.
The catch which holds the gate closed is acted upon by a lever, weight, and
pin, the pin being connected to a cord or wire passing up a pillar at any con-
venient distance from the gate, at the top of the pillar is a pulley, and a weight
is attached to the cord or wire; this pulley is fixed on a shaft from which depends
a lever, and this lever is acted upon by the driver or from the saddle to release
the catch that holds the gate closed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd July
1879.
WILLIAM WALTON, of Harrytown Hall, in the County of Chester.
MENTS IN SELF-ACTING AND OTHER GATES."
"IMPROVE-
This Invention consists partly in certain improvements upon the Invention for
which former Letters Patent were granted to me on the 29th day of October
1876, No. 5032, and partly to other gates.
The nature of my Invention consists, firstly, in an improved box for supporting
the gate post of a self acting gate.
Secondly. In the use of two cisterns connected by a pump or otherwise for
actuating self acting gates.
Thirdly. In the application of salt or other equivalent to prevent the congelation
of the water used for actuating self acting gates.
Fourthly. In an improved regulator for governing the closing of self acting
gates.
Fifthly. In improved valves for admitting the fluid to the vessel described in
the Patent above referred to for closing the gate.
Sixthly. In an improved valve placed outside the cistern which opens by its
own gravity, and
Lastly. In an improved combination of parts for unlatching the gate from the
coach box or from the saddle.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation in section, and Fig. 2 is a plan of my improved box for
supporting the gate post, and containing part of the machinery for self acting
gates; a is the plate to which the gate post is fixed, and b is the box on which
the plate a rests, and to which it is secured by bolts, screws, or otherwise, the
box b contains the pulley or other mechanism for opening and closing the gate.
Fig. 3 shews my improved arrangement of cisterns for actuating self acting
gates. The upper cistern c is connected to the cistern d by the pumpe by which
the water from the lower cistern is pumped into the upper cistern. To the water
I add when necessary common salt, carbonate of potash, or other substance to
prevent congelation.
Fig. 4 is an elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan shewing my improved regulator for
closing the gate gradually; d is the can with a valve e at the bottom to admit
water when it descends; fis the cylinder in which it works. When the gate is
shut the can is raised, and the gate in opening allows the can to fall in the
cylinder, the water in the cylinder entering the can through the valve and per-
forations in the bottom. When the gate begins to close it draws up the can,
thus forming a partial vacuum in the cylinder, as the water can only escape slowly
through the perforations in the bottom of the can, thus causing the gate to close
slowly; the gate can be closed more slowly by partially closing the perforations, and
vice versa.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of my improved valve for admitting the fluid to the vessel
for opening and closing the gate; g is the weighted disc or valve; h, h, are the rods
connecting it to the cross piece i; j is an adjustable rod fastened to the cross
piece i against which the vessel strikes when it rises; k and are the pipes through
which the water flows; m is the vessel which is drawn up by the gate in the
manner described in the Patent above referred to; when it rises against the rod j
it lifts the disc or valve g off the open end of the pipe l, and the water flows into
the vessel and it acts in the manner described in the Patent above referred to, the
disc or valve g closes the water pipe when the vessel descends.

page_text: Fig. 7 shews my improved double valve; n is the water pipe; o is the float
connected by the rods p and q to the valves r and 8; when the float is down, the
valve rests on the upper seating of the water pipe, and when the float is up the
valve 8 comes against the lower seating of the pipe, and the float can be so adjusted
by the nuts on the rods p as to allow the requisite amount of water to flow into
the vessel m before the flont closes the valve s, thus enabling the gate to remain
open for any length of time without wasting the water, but ready to be closed.
directly it is released.
Fig. shews my improved valve which acts by its own gravity; c¹ is the
cistern; k', the water pipe; x, the valve; y, the weight; m, the can; g³, the float.,
When the can m is drawn up it lifts the weight y and allows the valve x to drop..
The water then flows through the pipe k into the can, and when there is sufficient
*water in the can the float g³ rises and releases the catch, which keeps the gate open
in the manner described in the Patent above referred to.
Fig. 9 shews my improved mechanism for releasing the latch which holds the:
gate closed; a' is the pillar; b', the shaft passing through the pillar; b, the lever
projecting from the shaft; d' is the pulley fixed to the lower end of the shaft; e¹ is
the cord attached to the pulley and to the weighted lever operating on the pin that
lifts the latch.
The lever 6s is actuated from the box seat or from the saddle by the whip or hand,
and when it is moved it slackens the cord attached to the pulley, and allows the.
weighted lever to raise the pin that lifts the latch.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the mode of.
carrying the same into operation, I declare that,―
I claim, firstly. The improved mode of supporting the gate post, as shewn and
described.
Secondly. The use of two cisterns one above the other connected by a pump, as
shown and described.
Thirdly. The application of salt or other equivalent to prevent the congelation of
the water used for actuating self acting gates.
Fourthly. The regulator for governing the closing of self acting gates, as shewn
and described.
Fifthly. The improved valves, as shewn and described, and
Lastly. The improved combination of parts for unlatching the gate from the
coach box or saddle, as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine.
WILLIAM WALTON. (L.S.)