Improvements in or connected with Gates.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 24th Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gates.
I; BENJAMIN WILLCOX, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by William Henry Gilfillan Greaves, of
Cradock, Cape Colony, Farmer) to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means whereby gates can be
opened and shut, and secured in the open, or the closed, position conveniently
from horseback, or from a vehicle, as well as in the ordinary manner.
The hanging stile is hinged to the gate post by two hinges, the lower one of
which may be of the ordinary kind, but the upper one is constituted by a bolt,
or pin, on the hanging stile entering a hole in the shorter arm of a horizontal
lever turning upon a fulcrum secured to the gate post, the longer arm of the
said lever being a sector, or quadrant. To each end of the said sector, or quad-
rant, a cord, or chain, is connected, both these cords, or chains, passing through
a guide which moves along the sector, or quadrant, the said sector, or quadrant,
being preferably formed of a curved bar, or rod, and the guide consisting of a
ring running along this bar, or rod. The said cords, or chains, are led in
opposite directions and passed through pulleys, or rings, fixed to posts at the
side of the road, or approaches to the gate, at such an elevation as to be easily
reached from horseback, or from a vehicle. The said cords, or chains, are.
provided with weights to keep them taut.
To the falling style of the gate, (that is the style at the side' opposite the
hanging style, or hinged side), a tongue, or projection, is fixed for securing the
gate, when closed, by the said tongue, or projection engaging between two
tongues centered to a support on the gate post next the falling style. These two
tongues consist of swinging levers with the lower ends weighted and the outer
faces of the upper ends inclined and the inner faces of the said upper.ends
presenting surfaces which are vertical and parallel to each other when the said
levers are, in their normal position. When the gate is being closed the tongue,
or projection, on the falling style. comes in contact with the inclined surface on
ihe upper end of one, or the other, of the said swinging levers, (according to
the side from which the gate is closed), which lever turns on its centre and allows
the said tongue, or projection, to pass, it being stopped by the inner vertical face
on the upper end of the other lever, and then, when the first named lever rises,
the tongue, or projection, on the falling style is confined between the upper ends
of the said two levers and the gate is thus secured in its closed position. To
open the gate, one, or the other, of the aforesaid cords, or chains, is pulled,
which has the effect of moving the gate so that the tongue, or projection, on
the falling style rises above the swinging levers which confined it and the gate,
being thrown out of the perpendicular, swings open, and it is caught by a hinged
catch in the side of the road, or approach. After passing through the gate the
passenger pulls the cord, or chain, at the other side, and the gate is raised from

page_text: engagement with the catch, and, being thrown out of the perpendicular, swings
to, and closes, and becomes secured by the tongue, or projection, engaging
between the levers on the gate post as aforesaid.
The ring on the sector or quadrant bar, or rod, aforesaid should be attached
to the fence by a cord, or chain, of sufficient length to check the ring when the
gate is opened and so bring it to the end of the said bar, or rod, to which the
operating cord, or chain, is attached.
If it be required to open the gate to one side only the long arm of the bar
forming the operating lever can be extended from the hinge over the gate,
forming a lever of the second order with the fulcrum on the gate post, the
operating cords, or chains, being attached to the said long arm.
Instead of applying by hand the power to open and shut the gate, it can be
applied by the weight of a vehicle by attaching the operating cords, or chains,
to levers which are in the road, and are formed as arches, so that, as the wheels
of the vehicle pass over these, the cords, or chains, are drawn, and the gate is
opened or shut. The cords, or chains, can be carried under the ground in pipes.
This arrangement can be worked by four arches, two on either side of the gate.
When the gate is closed one arch on either side will be presented to the wheel
of the vehicle, so that, as the wheel passes over the said arch, it depresses it and
the gate opens. The said arches are so connected that the depression of one of
each pair on opposite sides of the gate will open the gate, and the depression of
the others will close the gate. When one arch is depressed the corresponding
arch on the opposite side is also depressed and the other arches are raised.
Dated this 24th day of April 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by William Henry Gilfillan Greaves, of
Cradock, Cape Colony, Farmer) and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide means whereby gates can be
opened and shut, and secured in the open, or the closed position conveniently
from horseback, or from a vehicle as well as in the ordinary manner.
Fig. 1 shews in side elevation, and Fig. 2 in plan, a gate provided with
mechanism according to this invention. Fig. 3 shews, drawn to a larger scale,
the retaining device at the falling style of the gate. Fig. 4 shews the lever
separately. Fig. 5 shews a device to retain the gate open.
The hanging style A is hinged to the gate post B, by two hinges, the lower
one a, of which may be of the ordinary kind, but the upper one is constituted
by a bolt, or pin, c, secured to the hanging stile and entering a hole d, in the
shorter arm of a horizontal lever D, turning upon a fulcrum pin e, secured to
the gate post, and passing through a hole d², in the lever D, and having a nut,
or head, at top. Of course, if preferred, the pin c, can be on the lever D, and
the hole with which it engages be in the part secured to the hanging style.
The longer arm of the said lever 1, is in the form of a sector, or quadrant, d.
To each end of the said sector, or quadrant, a cord, or chain, (f, g), is connected,
both these cords, or chains, passing through a guide which moves along the

page_text: curved part of the sector, or quadrant, the said sector or quadrant, being prefer-
ably formed of a curved bar, or rod, connected by arms to the shorter arm of
the lever D, and the guide consisting of a ring h running along this bar, or rod.
The said cords, or chains, f, g, are led in opposite directions and passed through
pulleys, or rings, fixed to posts at the side of the road, or approaches to the gate,
at such an elevation as to be easily. reached from horseback, or from a vehicle,
and at such a distance from the gate as to be clear of it when it is open.
The
said cords, or chains, f, g, are provided with weights at their ends to keep them
taut.
To the falling style I of the gate, (that is the style at the side opposite the
hanging style, or hinged side), a tongue, or projection, i, is fixed for securing
the gate, when closed, by the said tongue, or projection, i, engaging between
two tongues, j, k, centered at j, 12, to a support on the gate post B², next the
falling style. These two tongues consist of swinging levers with the lower ends
weighted and the outer faces, 13, 3, of the upper ends inclined and the inner
faces,, of the said upper ends presenting surfaces which are vertical and
parallel to each other when the said levers are in their normal position. The
levers are kept in their normal position, as shewn in Figure 3, by coming against
stops j³, 15.
When the gate is being closed the tongue, or projection, i, on the
falling style, I, comes in contact with the inclined surface (³, or k³) on the upper
end of one, or the other, of the said swinging levers j, k, (according to the side
from which the gate is closed), which lever turns on its centre and allows the
said tongue, or projection, i, to pass, the latter being stopped by the inner
vertical face (, or.,) on the upper end of the other lever, and then, when the
first named lever rises, the tongue, or projection, on the falling style is confined
between the upper ends of the said two levers j and k and the gate is thus secured
in its closed position. To open the gate, one, or the other, of the aforesaid cords,
or chains, (f, or g,) is pulled, which has the effect of moving the gate, so that
the tongue, or projection, i, on the falling style, I, rises above the swinging
levers j, k, which confined it, and the gate, being thrown out of the perpendicular,
swings open, and it is caught by a hinged catch at the side of the road, or
approach, which may be of any suitable kind, such for instance as that shewn in
Fig. 5, being like one of the tongues, or levers, j, k.. After passing through
the gate the passenger pulls the cord, or chain, (f, or g), at the other side, and
the gate is raised from engagement with the catch at the side of the road, and,
being thrown out of the perpendicular, swings to, and closes, and becomes
secured by the tongue, or projection, i, engaging between the levers, j, k, on the
gate post B2, as aforesaid.
The ring h, on the sector, or quadrant, bar, or rod, should be checked when
the gate is opened so as to bring the said ring to the end of the said bar, or rod,
to which the operating cord, or chain, is attached. This can be effected by
attaching the said ring to a cord, or chain, l, of sufficient length secured at each
end to the fence or to posts at the side of the road.
If it be required to open the gate to one side only the longer arm of the bar
forming the operating lever can be extended from the hinge over the gate
forming a lever of the second order with the fulcrum on the gate post, the
operating cords, or chains, being attached to the said long arm, and then one
only of the levers (j or k) is required a fixed stop being used in place of the
other lever.
Instead of applying by hand the power to open and shut the gate, it can be
applied by the weight of the vehicle by attaching the operating cords, or chains,
to levers which are in the road, and are formed as arches, so that, as the wheels
of the vehicle pass over these, the cords, or chains, are drawn, and the gate is
opened or shut. The cords, or chains, can be carried under the ground in pipes.
This arrangement can be worked by four arches, two on either side of the gate.
When the gate is closed, one arch on either side will be presented to the wheel
of the vehicle, so that, as the wheel passes over the said arch, it depresses it and

page_text: the gate opens.
The said arches are so connected that the depression of one of
each pair on opposite sides of the gate will open the gate and the depression of
the others will close the gate. When one arch is depressed the corresponding
arch on the opposite side is also depressed and the other arches are raised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In combination with a gate, a lever, such as D, centered to the gate post
with the hanging style engaging with its shorter arm and with a quadrant, or
sector, as its longer arm, provided with cords, or chains, so arranged, and guided,
that, by pulling either of the said cords, or chains, the gate can be opened and
closed; substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
2. The modification for use when the gate is to be opened to one side only as
herein before described.
3. In combination with a gate, a tongue, or projection, such as i, secured to
the falling style and a pair of levers such as j, k, which normally retain the gate
in its closed position but either of which will yield to allow the gate to close,
whilst the other acts as a stop; substantially as herein before described.
4. In combination with a gate, a lever such as D, centered to the gate post,
the hanging style engaging with its shorter arm, and with a quadrant, or sector,
as its longer arm, and at the falling style a tongue, or projection, engaging
between a pair of levers, such as j, k, the said quadrant, or sector, being provided
with cords, or chains, so arranged and guided that by pulling either of the said
cords, or chains, the tongue, or projection, at the hanging style is released from
the retaining levers and swings open or is released from a catch at the side of
the road, and swings to, and is retained closed, by the said tongue, or projection,
engaging between the aforesaid pair of levers; all substantially as hereinbefore
described.
ا
5. In combination with a gate, a lever, such as D, centered to the gate post,
with the hanging style engaging with its shorter arm, and with a quadrant, or
sector, as its longer arm, provided with cords, or chains, so arranged and guided,
and connected with levers in the road, that, as a vehicle passes over the levers,
the gate is operated; substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of January 1900
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.