Improvements in Fittings for Gates and Heavy Doors.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1890)
Complete Specification Left. 17th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fittings for Gates and Heavy Doors.
We, JOHN GRIFFITHS, of Lydney, in the County of Gloucester, Carpenter, THOMAS
GRIFFITHS, of Lydney, Builder, and JOSEPH JAMES, of Alvington, Lydney, Fireman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of hanging gates and heavy
doors and to fastenings for the same.
According to the present method of hanging gates and doors, the weight of the gate
or door has a tendency to draw the post away from its upright position, causing the
points of the gate or door to drag on the ground, so that it cannot be opened or shut
without great difficulty, and the fastenings thereof are rendered useless."
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby the dropping of the gate
or door may be easily remedied, and the fastenings thereof may answer their purpose
when the gate or door has dropped to its lowest point, so that the fastenings may be
secure and the gate or door readily opened.
To effect these results, we make the upper hinge of the gate or door with a ratchet
on one of the outer sides, this ratchet is in a bevelled groove; fitting in this groove
is a piece of metal or other suitable material, with a notch or notches to correspond
with the ratchet, a spring at one end keeps it in its place, and when the gate or door
has dropped and it is required to adjust it to its former position, it is only necessary
to lift it at its outer end, when the slide will be forced a notch further on the ratchet,
which will raise the gate, and it will be retained in its place by the action of the
catch; a covering is placed over the ratchet and slide, to prevent the gate being lifted
when it is not required at the other end of the gate, two or more pieces of metal
project from a vertical rod which passes through eyes from the top to the bottom of
the gate, these projections are opposite to spring catches which are fixed on the outer
post of the gate, and as the gate is closed, the projections push the catches back, and
the springs drive the catches out again and fasten the gate directly the projections
have passed a T shaped top or handle is fixed to the vertical rod, so that when it is
required to open the gate, the handle can be turned, and the catches are pushed back,
then the spring at the back of the catch urges it slightly forward so that a person on
horseback may easily open and shut the gate.
The advantages of our improved fittings are that with them gates or doors can be
hung to posts in almost any position without their points dragging on the ground;
and as the gate is fastened at the top and bottom, it is held more firmly in place, which
prevents it from winding, consequently the gates or doors will keep in perfect
condition for a much longer time.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fittings for Gates and Heavy Doors.
We, JOHN GRIFFITHS, of Lydney, in the County of Gloucester, Carpenter, THOMAS
GRIFFITHS, of Lydney, Builder, and JOSEPH JAMES, of Alvington, Lydney, Fireman,
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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of hanging and fastening
gates and heavy doors, and to appliances for the same.

page_text: According to the present method of hanging and fastening gates and doors, the
weight of the gate or door has a tendency to draw the post out of its upright position,
causing the points of the gate to drag on the ground, so that it cannot be opened or
shut without considerable difficulty, and the fastenings of gates, which are usually
only at one part of the post, are not sufficient to keep the gate from winding as well
as dropping, thereby failing to do the work for which they were intended.
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby the winding and dropping
of a gate or door may be prevented or remedied, and also to affix fastenings which will
effectually answer their purpose, even when the gate has dropped to a considerable
extent; the fastenings will also be of great service in the hunting field, as a person on
horseback will be able to open a gate by putting the handle of his whip against the
handle at the top, and releasing the catches without dismounting.
To carry our invention into effect, we make the hinge or hinges with a rack or
slide working in a grooved block, the block being attached to the rail or frame of the
gate, and the rack having an eye at the end of it, by which it is swung on a pin or
bolt (forming a hinge) which fastened into the post of the gate or door; this rack
is fitted on its outer surface with a ratchet, and a catch pivotted to ears projecting
from the grooved block fits into the ratchet, keeping the slide from working beyond
the required position, a spring placed between the catch and the outer casing holding
it firmly in the notch of the ratchet, while a set screw from the outside edge of the
block secures the rack in its place: when the gate or door has dropped and it is
required to raise it to its original position, the outside set screw is loosened, so that
the rack may slids forward, then by lifting the gate at its outer end, the rack will be
forced a notch further, and the action of the catch and top screw will secure the rack
to the block, and the gate will be retained in its altered position; in case the gate
should have been raised too high while being adjusted, the catch may be lifted from
the ratchet, so as to allow the gate to be lowered, by turning a set screw which
fitted through the outer casing and bears on the other end of the catch; when the
gate is placed at the right level, it is secured by the top screw, and the catch is allowed
to fit into the ratchet by the loosening of the set screw; a covering or outer case is
placed over the rack and block, which prevents the hinge from being tampered with,
and the gate from being raised except when it requires adjustment, the casing also
serves as a bearing for the spring which holds the catch in the ratchet, and for the set
scrow for lifting the catch from the ratchet.
In the post against which the gate falls or is fastened, we insert two or more spring
catches, which engage and retain bevelled bars that are affixed to the end of the gate
and placed opposite the catches; a rod extends from the top to the bottom of the end
rail of the gate, which works in vertical bearings, and to this rod spurs or projections
are fixed, these spurs are placed also opposite to the catches, and partly rotate as the
vertical rod is turned by a T piece or handle affixed to the top of the rod; when the
gate falls against the post, the bevelled bars pass over the catches, and the gate is
fastened thereby, and when it is desired to open the gate, by turning the handle at
the top of the rod, the spurs are pressed against the sloping catch, and push it back
sufficiently to release the bevelled bars, and thus allow the gate to be opened without
any trouble.
Our invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings, in which the same letters indicate the same parts in all the
figures:-
Fig. 1 is a general view of a field gate, fitted with our hinge and fastenings,
Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional elevation and plan of the fastening, and
Figs. 4 and 5 are similar elevation and plan of the hinge.
Figs. 2 and 4 show only the upper portion of the gate, but the catch and fastening
are repeated at the bottom of the post and gate; and at the other end, the hinge
as shown in Fig. 4 may be repeated at the bottom of the gate, or an ordinary
hinge may be used, as shown in Fig. 1.
A represents the bevelled rack or slide with ratchet notches a cut therein, B is
the grooved guide block in which the rack works, C is a catch, one end of which

page_text: fits into the ratchet, and is retained in that position by a spring D, d is a set-
screw to lift the catch out of the ratchet when necessary, E is the eye by which
the rack A is hung or hinged to the post, and F is a set screw which fixes the
rack A to the guide block B, and fare bolts countersunk in the bed of the block
under the rack, which fasten the hinge to the top rail of the gate: G is the
catch or fastening which is attached to the post, I is a spring sloping catch
pivotted at h, and kept in position by a spring I, K is a vertical rod working in
sockets or guides k, Lisa T piece or handle for turning the vertical rod, with the
spurs M projecting from it, and used for being turned round on the catch H, pushing
it back, thereby liberating the bevelled pieces N which are attached to the end of
the gate.
A gate fitted with our hinges and fastenings as described will be opened by
turning the piece or handle of the vertical rod which will press the spurs M
against the catches Hand liberate the pieces N from the catches and in fastening
the gate, the bevelled bars N will glide over the catches H, which by the action of
the springs will retain the bars N and keep the gate fastened, the spurs M will remain
outside the catches, ready to be pressed on them when the vertical rod K is turned by
the handle ; when the gate has dropped and it is required to raise it, the set
screw is loosened, and the gate is lifted at the outer end to its original position, and
the rack will be forced a notch further, the action of the spring D will then force
the catch into the next notch of the ratchet, and the screw F being tightened, the
hinge is again secured, and the gate will swing on a level as before. In case the
gate should have been lifted too high in adjusting, and it is required to let it drop
again, the catch is raised from the ratchet by means of the set-screw d, so that it may
be re-adjusted, and secured by the top screw F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The construction of hinges with sliding racks and ratchets, which may be so
adjusted as to restore the level of a gate or door that has been drawn from a horizontal
position, substantially as and for the purposes described, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of fastenings for gates and doors in such a manner that two or
more catches will hold the gate in position, and so prevent its warping, the said
catches being actuated simultaneously by spurs attached to a vertical rod, thereby
allowing the gate to be opened, substantially as herein before set forth and described,
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of October 1840.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent.