Improvements in Folding Gates.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1:92-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Gates.
I, WILLIAM PITT of 7 College Road, White Hart Lane, Tottenham, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to gates of the class which are capable of being folded up
close to the gate post or other fixed support. The object of the invention is to
produce a gate of this character so made that it can be opened out in a curved
direction if so desired, instead of in a straight line as heretofore. The method of
construction herein adopted readily lends itself to the artistic decoration of the gate,
and gates so made are therefore applicable for a variety of purposes such for
example as lift gates and doors.
According to this my invention, the pickets of the gate are all of equal size and
are hinged, pivotted, shackled, coupled, linked or otherwise connected together in
When closed up,
such a manner that they can be folded over in either direction.
the sections of the gate lie in parallel planes one on the other, each section being
connected at one end to the section immediately in front, and at the other end to
the section in the rear.
The top and bottom of the sections of the gate fit into guide rails or grooves
arranged centrally with the central vertical line of each section so that there is no
undue pressure on either side when the sections are being opened out or folded up.
When desired castor rollers inay be fitted top and bottom. The end section nearest
the gate post, or other support is secured by one of its sides to the post or support,
by pivots, hinges, staples, or by other means which will allow it to turn on such
side as a vertical axis. Its other side engages with a segmental groove so that the
said end section opens out from or folds up flat against the wall, post or other
support. Any suitable means for locking the gate in its opened out or closed
position may be adopted.
Dated this 5th day of February 1892.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Gates.
I, WILLIAM PITT, of 7 College Road, White Hart Lane, Tottenham, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 gates of the class which are capable of being folded up
close to the gate post or other fixed support. The object of the invention is to
produce a gate of this character so made that it can be opened out in a curved
direction if so desired instead of in a straight line as heretofore. The method of
construction herein adopted, readily lends itself to the artistic decoration of the
gate, and the gates so made are therefore applicable for a variety of purposes,
such for example as lift gates and doors.
According to this my invention, the pickets or vertical sections of the gate are
all of equal size and are hinged, pivotted, shackled, coupled, linked, or otherwise
connected together in such a manner that they can be folded over in either

page_text: direction. When closed up, the sections of the gate lie in parallel planes one on
the other, each section being connected at one end to the section immediately in
front and at the other end to the section in the rear.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 shews an elevation of a pair of gates constructed in accordance with
this invention and meeting in the middle when fully extended; one gate is shewn
folded back or collapsed and the other is shewn fully extended.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of Figure 1 and
Figure 3 is another sectional plan shewing the position of the parts when the
gates are only partially extended.
Similar letters of reference are used to denote the saine or corresponding parts
in the three figures.
The parts marked A. A on the drawings represent the gate posts or other fixed
supports, the opening between which is closed by the gate or gates as the case may
be. The gate is made of any suitable number of vertical sections B which are
connected to each other in such a manner that they will fold alternately to the
right and left. All the sections B are of the same width and thickness and I
prefer to connect them to each other by means of three or other suitable number of
double links C C₁ the ends of which are pivotted to lugs or projections D which
latter are formed upon or secured to the vertical sides of the sections B and in
corresponding positions on all the sections. The coupling links C Care of such
length as to allow the sections to lie in parallel planes and touching or nearly
touching each other when the gate is folded up as shewn on the left side of
Figure 2. The end section nearest the gate post or other fixed support A is linked
on one side to the next section and on the other side to the brackets E secured to
the post or support A.
I do not wish to limit myself to this particular method of connecting the sections
by double links, as hinges, pivots, or any other means of connection which will allow
the sections to fold alternately to the right and left may be adopted without
departing from the principle of my invention.
FF are guide rails, grooves or tracks, preferably placed at both top and bottom
as shewn in Figure 1, in which take the top and bottom ends S of the sections B.
Castor rollers or other suitable means for reducing friction and for taking the
weight of the gate, may be fitted to the top and bottom of the sections B as found
desirable. The top guide rails or tracks may be dispensed with, and the bottom
guide rails or tracks F are preferably hinged so that they may be folded up into a
vertical position against the exterior section B when the gate is folded back as
shewn on the left side of Figure 1. But if so desired, these grooves or tracks may
be let in beneath or secured on the floor G, or other base to which the gate posts
are fastened. The ends of the guide rails or tracks F F nearest the gate post or
other support A are curved outwards as shewn at H sufficiently to allow the
sections B as they successively arrive at the curved way H to turn on their links
or connections CC' as a vertical axis until they are parallel with the side of the
gate post or other support to which the gate is fixed. In this curved way H is a
groove Jin which engages a pin K fixed on the foot B2 of the end section. The
groove J is curved to the shape of an arc of a circle whose centre is at the brackets E.
From this it will be understood that when pressure is applied to the side B³ of the
end section, the pin K will be constrained to travel in the groove J and the said
side B2 will have a circular motion on the vertical axis E.
To fold the gate back from the position shewn on the right side of Figures 1
and 2 it is only necessary to press the sections B towards the gate post or other
support A, when the end section will turn on the vertical axis E into a position
parallel with the said gate post A. The parts will then be in the position shewn
on the right side of Figure 3, the next section having been turned in the opposite
direction on the vertical axis formed by the links connecting it to the side B².
Continued pressure will cause this second section to fold down parallel with the
first section, and the third section will turn in the opposite direction and so on, all

page_text: the sections turning alternately right and left until all are folded back into the
position shewn at the left side of Figures 1 and 2, when the guide rails or track F
may be turned up if desired, and secured in any convenient manner. Preferably
the gate post is provided with a box or recess L into which the sections are received
when folded back.
To extend the gate, it is only necessary to draw out the exterior section, guiding
it until its free end B³ leaves the curved way H and enters the groove or track F,
when it may be drawn out in the direction of the said groove or track F to the
required distance, and fastened or secured by any well known means.
Although I have described my invention with reference to a pair of gates
meeting in the middle, I wish it to be understood that single gates extending from
one side to the other of an opening or gateway may be constructed in accordance
with my invention.
I also wish it to be understood that my invention is not restricted to gates which
open out in a straight line at right angles to the gate post as shewn in the drawings
accompanying this Specification, as by the particular manner in which the sections
are coupled, the gate may be opened out in a curved direction if so desired, it being
only requisite to construct the guide rails or tracks of the required shape and to
provide that the curvature thereof shall not be too great to admit of the easy
turning therein of the sections of the gate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A folding gate composed of pickets or vertical sections connected in such a
manner as to fold alternately to the right and left substantially as described.
2. A folding gate composed of pickets or vertical sections connected in such a
manner as to fold alternately to the right and left against a door post, or other
support to which the end section is pivotted, said end section having a pin which
engages in a curved groove in a foot plate, or in the ground or base to which the
gate posts are secured, whereby said end section is caused to travel in a circular
direction, with means for causing the succeeding sections of the gate to fold back
on to the said end section, as the gate is folded up substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of November 1892.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.