IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTEN- ING AND STRENGTHENING GATES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Darcey, of Aberclyn, in the County of
Brecknock, Wales, but now residing at Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTEN-
ING AND STRENGTHENING GATES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 21st April 1868, and dated the 2nd November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Darcey, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd November 1867.
I; WILLIAM DARCEY, of Aberclyn, in the County of Brecknock, Wales,
but now residing at Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENING AND STRENGTHENING GATES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates in the first place to an improved latch and catch for
securely retaining gates when shut, at the same time so arranged that the
gate may be easily opened. The latch consists of an iron bar moveable on a
central pin fixed into a socket in the end upright of the gate, the outer part of
it which passes into the catch being firmly supported by a staple; and the
inner end of the latch may be provided with a weight, so as to always maintain
the latch in such position that it must fall into the catch as the gate is shut.

page_text: The catch consists of an iron frame or staple driven or otherwise fastened into
the gate posts. The under side of the catch is formed inclined until the
catch itself is met by the inclined portion, so that as the gate is being shut the
latch is depressed by the inclined part of the catch until the notch is met into
which the weight upon the opposite end raises it, and by which the gate is then
firmly secured. The staple in the gate that acts as a support to obviate
lateral strain on the latch also passes over the catch staple in the gate post,
and thus adds to the security of the fastening. For gates that open in both
directions a catch similar to some others in general use is adopted. For the
securing of smaller gates a pendent piece is applied, which is fixed so that it
may move on its upper end, the lower part of the pendent piece being turned
at right angles, and another part of the turned or bent portion being upturned
obliquely; so that as the gate is. shut the latch passes over the lower part of
the pendent piece, and when so passed the upturned part retains it.
The second part of this Invention relates to an application for strengthening
gates; it consists of an iron strap fixed to the upper bar of the gate, and into
the back end of this strap a bar is fixed by nuts. The bar is secured to
the upper part of the hinge post, thus forming an efficient stay or support to
the body of the gate, whilst at the same time if it is ever required to tighten
the joints of the gate this is effected by tightening the nuts on the screwed
part of the bar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William. Darcey, in the Great Seal Patent Office. on
1st May 1868.
the
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS, SHALL COME, I WILLIAM
DARCEY, of Aberclyn, in the County of Brecknock, Wales, but now residing.
at Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North, Britain, send greeting..
...
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1 1
91 A
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year, of. Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Darcey, Her special license, that I, the said William Darcey, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Darcey, my executors, administrators, or 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,
A n
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page_text: "
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENING AND STRENGTHENING GATES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Darcey, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Darcey, 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, réference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon; that is to say:
My sáid Invention relates in the first place to an improved latch and catch
for securely retaining gates when shut, at the same time so arranged that the
gate may be easily opened. The latch consists of an iron bar moveable on a
central pin fixed into a socket in the end upright of the gate, the outer part of
it which passes into the catch being firmly supported by a staple, and the inner
end of the latch may be provided with a weight so as always to maintain the
latch in such position that it must fall into the catch as the gate is shut. The
catch consists of an iron frame or staple driven or otherwise fastened into the
gate post. The under side of the catch is formed inclined until the catch
itself is met by the inclined portion, so that as the gate is being shut the latch
is depressed by the inclined part of the catch until the notch is met into which
the weight of the opposite end raises it, and by which the gate is then firmly
secured. The staple in the gate that acts as a support to obviate the lateral
strain on the latch also passes over the catch staple in the gate post and thus
adds to the security of the fastening; for gates that open in both directions, the
catch is bevelled off from the centre to both ends and a notch cut in the under
edge for the latch to close in. For the securing of smaller gates a pendent piece
is applied which is fixed so that it may move on its upper end, the lower part
of the pendent piece being turned at the same angle as the catch; and another
part of the turned or bent portion being upturned obliqely; so that as the gate
is shut the end of the latch strikes the oblique part of the pendent piece
and pushing it aside returns and secures the latch when it drops into the
catch.
The second part of this Invention relates to an application for strengthening
motor it soucists of an iron steen fixed to the unnar bar of the eats and

page_text: in the back end of this strap a bar is fixed by nuts, the bar is secured to the
upper part of the heel of the gate, thus forming an efficient stay or support to.
the body of the gate, whilst at the same time if it is ever required to tighten.
the joint of the gate this is effected by tightening the nuts on the screwed part
of the bar.
And in order that my said Invention may be. properly understood I now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference
being had for the sake of more complete elucidation to the letters and figures
upon the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended,
that is to say:
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are elevations of gates showing the different modes
of applying my improvements; Figures 5 and 6 are a front and side elevation
respectively of the part of the gate where the latch is applied, and which con-
stitutes the first part of my Invention, in this case the gate opens in one
direction only.
The arrangement consists of a latch a hung upon a pin 6 passing through the
upright of the gate frame c; the catch d in which the latch a is held when,
the gate is shut is driven into the gate post e, the front of the catch dis
beveled off on the under side so that when the gate is closed the latch a may
slip easily over into the catch d, and is securely held in that position by the
weight of the long end of the latch a; a staple 9 is driven into the gate
frame to prevent lateral play of the latch, the staple also passes over the top
of the catch and supports the bead of the gate. It is obvious that with this
arrangement of the latch as the gate closes it is effectually retained shut and
cannot be opened without again raising the latch clear of the notch in the
catch d.
Figures 7 and 8 show the application of my Invention to gates which open
in both directions. The latch a is hung in the manner herein-before described
in reference to the former arrangement; 6 is the catch which is secured to
the inner side of the gate post and bevelled off in both directions as seen in
Figure 8; when the gate is being closed the latch a is gradually depressed,
when it comes into contact with the incline of the catch 6 until it arrives at the
position of the notch into which the outer end c of the latch is forced by the
heavy end d; the stud e rests on the top of the catch 6 and supports the head
of the gate.
Figures 9 and 10 represent a front and end elevation respectively of a latch
suitable for smaller gates and which is shown applied at Figure 4. In this
case the latch a is hung at its inner end and a catch 6 of the usual construction

page_text: but much broader is driven into the gate post immediately over which a
pendent c is hung of the form shown at Figures 9 and 10; when the gate is
being shut the end of the latch a strikes the inclined side e of the pendent c
and pushes it aside until the latch has passed into the notch in the catch b,
when the pendent c immediately falls back into the position shown in Figure 9,
but is prevented from going further than its proper position by a stud-d or staple
e, Figure 9, and secures the latch. The gate by means of this arrangement
is very effectually secured and cannot be opened without pushing aside the
pendent c, which when pulled aside leaves the latch clear to be lifted.
The second part of my Invention consists in applying iron straps or stays to
prevent gates from falling or drooping at the outer end and thus coming into
contact with the ground as well as for considerably strengthening the gates.
The means for effecting this is shown at Figures 1 and 2. a is the strap,
one end of which is securely fastened to the heel post 6 of the gate, the other
end c is forked, one of the forks being fastened on each side of the top rail
of the gate.
b
Another method is shown in Figure 3, a strap or link a is fastened to the
top rail of the gate and a screwed bar 6 is screwed to it with a nut c on the
inside of the strap, the other end of the bar being fixed to the heel post of the
gate, by this means the framing of the gate can be tightened up at any
time.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in
or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part-recited Letters Patent is, the general arrangement and construction of
appliances herein-before described for the purpose of more effectually retaining
gates whilst they are shut as well as the application of stays as shown at
Figures 1 and 3 for strengthening gates and preventing the drooping of the
outer end.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Darcey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, One thousand eight
WILLIAM DARCEY. (L.s.)