IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING GATES."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Walton, of Haughton Dale, Denton, in the County
of Lancaster, Wire Card Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING GATES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Walton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th November 1878.
WILLIAM WALTON, of Haughton Dale, Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Wire
Card Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING
GATES."
My Invention consists of an improved combination of machinery for opening and
closing gates.
The machinery consists of a series of cross ribs fixed to weighted levers; these
ribs project slightly above the road, and are operated upon successively by the
wheels of the carriage. To the axle of each weighted lever is mounted a weighted
catch lever. To the heel of the gate post is fixed a pulley, to which one end of a
chain or cord is attached; this chain or cord passes under the ends of the ribs and
also under the catch levers, and the other end of the chain or cord is made fast to
any suitable fixture.
As the carriage approaches the closed gate the ribs are projecting above the road,
and the wheels depress them in succession. The first rib that is depressed releases
the gate by levers and connecting rods or chains, and carries down a loop of the
chain or cord, thereby opening the gate to the extent of the length of the loop.
Before the second loop is made by the depression of the second rib the chain or
cord is held by the weighted catch lever above referred to, and these operations are
repeated until all the ribs have been depressed. By this time the gate is fully
opened, and is then held by a catch. During the opening of the gate a weight
attached to a second cord or chain passing over a pulley on the gate heel a over a
11

page_text: guide pulley is raised, and is held in suspension until the carriage has passed through
the-open-gate-the-wheel of the carriage then depresses a lever to release the catch,
and to allow the weight to descend, thereby closing the gate. This lever is held up by
a large weight, and-the end-of-the-lever.is.connected by a cord or chain passing under
a roller to the catch, which is acted upon by a smaller weight held in suspension by the
larger weight above referred to. The above improvements are applicable to single and
double gates. The weight that closes the gate works in a cylinder with a valve at the
bottom opening inwards, and near the bottom-is a-double branch pipe. As the
weight descends the air in the cylinder prevents its rapid fall until the weight passes
-beyond the upper orifice of the double brauch pipe; the air is then at liberty to
escape, and the weight falls by its own gravity to the full extent.
The gate may also be opened from the box seat or from the saddle by a lever
fixed to an upright shaft placed at any convenient distance from the gate. At the
bottom of this strap is a pulley for a strap, chain, or cord, which is taken around a
pulley on the heel of the gate. The upright shaft is also connected to the apparatus
for lifting the latch or latches on the gate. By this arrangement the gate is first
released and then opened.
The gate will be closed in the manner before described.
Another part of my Invention consists in making the two halves of a double gate
to close at an angle instead of in a straight line, so that the gate may be fully
opened by only opening the two halves for about an eighth of a revolution instead of
a quarter, as heretofore necessary.

page_text: DIECIFICATION In pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent fied by
the said William Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May
1879. .
WILLIAM WALTON, of Haughton Dale, Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Wire
Card Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING
GATES."
My Invention consists of an improved combination of machinery for opening and
closing gates automatically.
Another part of my Invention consists in making the two halves of a double
gate to close at an angle instead of in a straight line, as heretofore customary.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I will describe the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of my improved apparatus for opening
and closing gates. a, a, are cross ribs, which are placed at one side and project
slightly above the road, and are operated upon successively by the wheels of the
carriage; bare the axles to which the cross ribs are fixed; c are the weighted
levers forming part of or fixed to the axles b; dare the catch levers loose on the
axles b, which levers are allowed to fall when the cross ribs are depressed by the
carriage wheels. On these levers are catch pieces e, which are let down by
the weights suspended to the catch levers d, and hold the cord or chain g by
pressing it against the stationary catch pieces h. i, i, are rollers, over which the
strap, cord, or chain passes.
To the heel of the gate post k is fixed the pulley ', to which one end of the
strap, chain, or cord g is attached; this strap, chain, & cord passes under the ends
of the ribs a, and also between the catch levers d and catch pieces h, and the other
end of the strap, chain, or cord is made fast at 1 to any suitable fixture.
As the carriage approaches the closed gate the ribs a are projecting above the
road, and the wheels depress them in succession. The first rib that is depressed
releases the gate by a wire, chain, or connecting rod n fastened to the rib and to
the lower arm of the T shaped lever n¹, one arm of which is weighted, and when
the lower arm is released by the depression of the first rib slackening the chain or
connecting rod n the weighted arm falls and causes the opposite end of the lever n¹
to rise and shoot up the latch n², which releases the gate. The depression of the
first rib carries down a loop of the chain or cord, thereby opening the gate to the
extent of the length of the said loop before the second loop g², shewn in dotted
lines on Fig. 1, is made by the depression of the second rib; the chain or cord g is
held between the weighted catch lever d and the catch piece h above referred to,
and these operations are repeated until all the ribs have been depressed. By this
time the gate is fully opened, and is then held by a catch m. As soon as the wheel
has passed over one of the ribs a it is raised again into its original position by the
weight suspended to the lever c, the said weight being sufficiently heavy to lift the
weight suspended to the catch lever d. During the opening of the gate the weight k
attached to a second cord or chain l, fastened to the pulley k¹ on the gate heel, and
passing over a guide pulley is raised and is held in suspension until the carriage
has passed through the open gate; the wheel of the carriage then depresses a lever
to release the catch m, and to allow the weight ² to descend, thereby closing the
gate.
Instead of the weight for closing the gate, as above described, I also propose
to make the weight in the shape of a piston, as shewn in Fig. 3. The piston works
in the cylinder ³, which is provided with a branch pipe . As the weight descends
the air in the cylinder acts as a cushion, and prevents its rapid fall until the weight
passes beyond the upper orifice of the double branch pipe; the air is then at liberty
to escape, and the weight falls by its own gravity to the full extent.

page_text: !
The improvements above described are applicable to single and double gates.
Fig. 4 represents-a plan-of.a.double gate, the two halves of which form an angle,
so that the gate may be fully opened by only opening the two halves about one
eighth of a revolution instead-of-a-quarter as is now necessary when the gates are
in a straight line.
Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig-6-a-plan-of-my-improved apparatus for opening
gates from the box seat or from the saddle.
ais an upright shaft; b is a lever or handle to be operated upon by the driver
or horseman; c is the pulley or lever at the bottom of the upright shaft a, to which
one end of the strap, chain, or cord d is fastened, the other end being fixed to the
pulley.e on the heel of the gate; n is a wire or chain connected to the pulley or
lever C, and to a T shaped lever similar to n', shewn in Fig. 1, and acting in the
same manner to release the gate.
As the driver or horseman approaches the gate he moves the lever or handle b in
the direction of the arrow shewn in Fig. 6, thus causing the strap, chain, or cord d
to act on the pulley e and open the gate. The gate may be closed as before
described.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. Opening a gate by successive deflections of a strap, chain, or cord, one
end of which is fast and the other is connected to the gate post, as shewn and
described.
.
Secondly. The ribs a or any equivalent thereof for deflecting the chain or cord by
the wheels of the carriage, and the parts acting in combination therewith, as shewn
and described.
Thirdly. The piston weight and cylinder with the branch pipe for regulating the
closing of the gate, as shewn and described.
Fourthly. Setting the two halves of a double gate at an angle in the manner and
for the purpose described; and .
Lastly. The apparatus for opening gates from the box seat or saddle, as shewn
and described in reference to Figs. 5 and 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy
nine.
WILLIAM WALTON. (L.S.) ·