IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING PARK, FARM, AND OTHER GATES OR DOORS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Whitworth, of Cuxwold, near
Caistor, in the County of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING PARK, FARM, AND OTHER GATES OR
DOORS."
Sealed the 28th November 1871, and dated the 30th May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick
Whitworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 30th May 1871.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK WHITWORTH, of Cuxwold, near Caistor, in the
County of Lincoln, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING PARK, FARM, AND OTHER GATES
OR DOORS," to be as follows:-
The chief objects of the Invention are to facilitate the opening and
the closing of park, farm, and other gates by means ever handy but
more especially convenient to persons on horseback. And also to make

page_text: དགས སཁ u-ས
required.
13333
The Invention is particularly adapted to make the fastenings or
catches effectual when gates are closed with haste or carelessness. For
this purpose I employ an iron bar movably pendent from the upper
part of the gate head, and so actuated by a proper spring, and moving
between guides, that when the gate is being shut the bar rebounds into
the catch on the post and is there held about midway from the top of
the gate. This iron bar may be pendent from a strong screw fitting
loosely through an oblong hole, or it may be pendent from a hinge joint.
I prefer the former. It is released from its catch by means of a rod
which by a nut or other enlargement at one end is fixed through a hole
in the bar below the oblong hole for the screw mentioned above. The
rod thence passes through the head of the gate on one of the bars of the
same, where it is curved upwards or otherwise, suitably furnished with
knob or other elevation convenient for the operation of leverage, either
by hand or by whip or stick as may be desirable. The rod moves in
guides of course. Small iron plates on each side of that gate bar on
which the releasing rod rests serve to prevent cattle from acting on this
rod, and also to form a fulcrum for lever operations and to aid in the
release and motion of the gate. The pendent bar is also protected by a
lateral plate on the gate head and a fixture on the post behind the catch,
so that when the gato is shut, the catch and bar are completely boxed up
and no sheep or cattle can release the gate either by lifting it when
rubbing against it or otherwisc.
For swing or lawn gates there is a difference in the catch on the post.
In this case the catch on the post is made to yield to the force of the
gate in rapid motion by means of elastic substances (such as caoutchouc,
or it may be metal springs), behind two horizontal bars or plates one on
cach side of the post, which carry a notched plate or catch bar between
them. On closing the gate the pendent bar springs into notches in this
plate or yielding catch (on the post) above described, and the gate is
thus retained without the injurious shocks otherwise consequent upon
such weights in motion where there is nothing to break their forco.
To make doors more certain to catch and to be retained when speedily
and carelessly closed I use very simple applications of vulcanized india-
rubber so as to cause a speedy rebound and retention of the latches
without any perceptable hindrance to their
proper release.

page_text: For the gates of fold yards and such like places the releasing rod will
not be on the top bar of the gate but usually on the third bar, and the
pendent bar will be short.
I also use a coarse thread on the ends of the catches and of the crooks
or bearings of the gate, so that in a few minutes a shepherd or ordinary
workman with a simple wrench and auger can move these respectively
and otherwise rectify them to accord with any accidental derangement
of the posts interfering with the requisite operations of the gate, and
the vertical arm of the crook is held upright on the posts by a cross pin
or other stay, so fixed as to prevent a casual or mischievous removal of
the gate from its bearing crooks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Frederick Whitworth in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FREDERICK WHITWORTH, of Cuxwold, near Caistor, in the County of
Lincoln, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Frederick Whitworth, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles Frederick Whitworth, my executors,
dministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Frederick Whitworth, my executors, administrators, and 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, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING PARK, FARM, AND.
OTHER GATES OR Doors," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles Frederick Whitworth, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,

page_text: 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 Charles Frederick Whitworth, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
The chief objects of the Invention arc to facilitate the opening and
the closing of park, farm, and other gates by means over handy, but
more especially convenient to persons on horseback. And also to make
yard gates and doors moro cortain to catch and be kept fast when so
required.
The Invention is particularly adapted to make the fastenings or
catches effectual when gates are closed with haste or carelessness. For
this purpose 1 employ an iron bar moveably pendent from the upper
part of the gate head, and so actuated by a proper spring and moving
between guides that when the gate is being shut the bar rebounds into
the catch on the post and is there held about midway from the top of
the gate. This iron bar may be pendent from a strong screw bolt fitting
loosely through an oblong hole, or it may be pendent from a hinge
joint, I prefer the former. It is released from its catch by means of a
rod, which by a nut or other enlargement at one end, is fixed or stayed
through a hole in the bar below the oblong hole for the screw mentioned
above. The rod thence passes through the head of the gate on one of
the bars of the same where it is curved upwards, or it may be otherwise
suitably provided with a knob or other elevation convenient for the
operation of leverage, either by hand or by whip or stick as may be
desirable. This rod moves in guides. Small iron plates or projections
on each side of that gate bar on which the releasing rod rests serve
to prevent cattle from acting on this rod, and one of them also forms a
fulcrum for lever operations to aid in the release and motion of the
gate. The pendent bar is protected by a lateral plate on the gate head
and also by a fixture on the gate post behind the catch, so that when
the gate is shut the catch and pendent bar are boxed up or guarded, so
that no sheep or cattle can release the gate cither by lifting it when
rubbing against it or otherwise.
1
-
For swing or lawn gates there is a difference in the catch on the
gate post. In such cases that catch on the gate post is made to yield

page_text: a nut. The curvature of the rod his guided and held in vertical
position by moving within its partial cover in the cast metal chair i,
which chair is fastened on the top bar of the gate d. The partial
projection of the curvature from its cover i³, should be about $th of
an inch. This quantity of tho projection is regulated as required by
the nut, and the reactive power of the spring cushion el on the
pendent bar a is regulated by means of the nut b' on the bolt b. The
chair has one of its sides or plates more clevated than the other ³,
and this side plate terminates in a vertical and rounded front edgo i'.
This rounded part forms a fulcrum for a stick or whip stock, when such
is used as a lever against the curvature 4' of the rod h for releasing the
latch part a' of the bar a from the catch 2. The opposite or less
elevated side or plate of the chair i is rounded at the top for the stick
or whip to rest on, and its projection upwards is for the end of the
stick or whip to push against when the gate is to be opened away from
a horseman. On this account chairs should be formed, some right, and
some left, to correspond with the direction of opening of the gates, and
be so fixed on the gates that the higher corner may be nearest the gate
post. At the end of the rod is another curvature and a staple
guide h*.
This staple guide serves also to prevent casual motions of 1
the rod by cattle. Within the curvature 43 of the rod a flat nail y
without its head should be partially driven into the top bar where its
elevation will prevent any excessive motion of the nut end of the rod h
beyond the pendent bar a. j is a plate screwed to the side of the gate
head farthest from the post so as to protect the pendent bar from casual
interference by cattle. The catch is screwed into the post, so as to
receive and hold the pendent bar a, when the gate is closed. represents
a piece of wood which is nailed on the gate post. It projects therefrom
so as to form a guard to the pendent har a and to protect the catch.
Figure 3 represents by a sectional view some of the parts of the above
separately. Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent various views of a modification
of the above applicable to swing or lawn gates. The difference between
these and the parts above described are that the motion of the rod h
is reversed for releasing the catch of the gate. The pendent bar a is
suspended from a screw bolt & fixed below the releasing curved rod h, h².
The chair which affords the fulcra for a stick or other implement used.
in opening the gate is also different, as are the fixtures on the gato
post.

page_text: It
In these Figures now under description a represents the pendent bar
which has two staple guides f, f¹; b represents the bolt, and b¹ the
adjusting nut, bª a collar on the bolt b, and ʊs the nut for fastening the
bolt b; represents the curved rod which in this case is pushed to
release the pendent bar a; c represents the hood-like cover which is
lengthened to admit the bolt through it and carry the india-rubber
cushion spring e' below it, as shown above the projection e; i represents
the chair where the projections ¹³, ³, form fulcra, from which a whip
or stick can force the curved rod / to press against the top of a
pendent bar a, and thus draw the latch part of the bar a' from the
catch on the gate post w; and 2' represent side plates to guard the
pendent bar a, a portion of the plates in Figure 4 being cut away in
order more clearly to shew the pendent bar a and its connections;
x represents the catch fixed to the post, ¹ represents the recess in the
upper flange to catch the bar a, and x² the recess in the lower flange.
may be seen at that the recess in the lower flange is made narrower
in the centre so as to fit the pendent bar and retain the part a¹ of the
bar a in the centre after being stopped in the wider openings of the
flanges; t, t, represent two arms or plates connected by the bolts 2³, x^,
to the catch and forming its means of support; ", ", represent
vulcanized india-rubber cushions which serve to deaden the shock of
heavy gates in their too rapid motion; r, r, represent two bars fastened
by screws over the plates t, t, and over the cushions u, u, which they
slightly compress whilst sustaining the catch ; 8, 8, are two screws
which retain the plates t, t. But instead of this arrangement of the
plates or arms and the cushions at the sides of the post it is often better
to put a bolt through the centre of the catch between the flanges,
and to let in this bolt with a ring of india-rubber around it, either
entirely or partially through the gate post where at the end of the
bolt a nut is fixed. Two strong screws should be inserted in the post
through slotted holes in the back of the catch, one on each side of the
bolt, to keep the catch from any other than the little lateral motion
caused by the yielding of the india-rubber. This latter arrangement I
think in many cases and especially for iron gates a preferable mode of
obtaining a prevention to injurious shocks from a too rapid motion
of heavy gates.
Another mode of obtaining a yielding but proper fastening is by
making and fixing the guide staples so that they may have some little
motion and act counter to elastic substances. This last, I believe, will be

page_text: found the best mode for many iron gates, but these gates vary so much
in structure that to describe any particular modification would be of
little use.
The modification for fold yard gates is so similar to that first described
for gates opening only one way that it will be readily understood from
a few words in reference to the difference and on the inspection of the
sido view and sectional plan Figures 7 and 8. The instruments as seen
in front and on the side of the gate head and gate post are the same
as those represented in Figures 1 and 2 for the same purpose, excepting
that the pendent bar a is shorter for fold yard gates and therefore the
side plate and the guard for it on the gate post are shorter to correspond.
There is also a difference in the curved rods. This rod h, Figure 7,
passes through the gato head just above the second or the third bar of the
gate d, instead the top bar for the greater convenience of men or boys
who carry fodder on their backs. It is also doubled from the end h' and
turns back about mid length, where a staple y fixed across the single
part of the rod prevents its motion exceeding that of the pendent bar.
The doubled end of this rod turns suddenly upward at h² and just
enters the cover on the gate bar d', so as to be protected from
casual molestations by that cover i, and yet to be sufficiently exposed
for the convenient manual operations requisite to withdraw the latch
part a' (shown in Figure 1) of the bar a from the catch on the gate
post.
Figures 9 and 10 represent the common door latch, and are intended
to show a ready and inexpensive means of causing the ordinary latches
of doors to catch in their snecks with certainty, when closed with violence
haste, or indifference. a is a screw surrounded with vulcanized india-
rubber a' which is fixed over the latch b, so as to prevent its rising above
the inclined projection c¹ of the sneck c of the catch pin, and to cause
the latch to begin to fall the moment it gets beyond the height of the
inclino c' of the sneck c.
A coarse thread on the ends of the catches and also of the crooks or
bearing parts of the hinges of gates is also used, so that in a few minutes
a shepherd or ordinary workman with a simple wrench and auger can
move these respectively, and otherwise rectify them to accord with any
accidental derangement of the posts interfering with the requisite
operations of the gates. The vertical arm of the crook of the hinges
is held upright on the post by a cross pin or other stay, so fixed as to

page_text: prevent also a casual or mischievous removal of the gate from its bearing
crooks. Nuts with washers should be passed up the thread of the crooks
before their insertion in the posts and turned back to bind as lock nuts
and stays against the post when the crooks are screwed to their respec-
tive depths. As regards the coarse thread on the catch and the thread
with nut and washer on the crooks of hinges their manufacture and
mode of application will be so obvious to any practised carpenter that
this description will suffice without Drawings for reference.
The releasing rod and chair will generally be fixed on the bars of
gates as described, but in some cases it may be more convenient to have
the means of release between the bars, and for this purpose the chair
which forms the guard and furnishes the fulcrum for lever action may
be fastened to the gate head between and distinct from any of the gate
bars.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangements of parts as shewn and
described, as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of the Invention, but what I claim is, the arranging or
combining parts forming apparatus for fastening park, farm, and other
gates or doors, whereby the security in the fastening of such gates or
doors with facility for the opening of them may be obtained, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederick Whitworth, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
onc.