Patent ID: 8051890

Claim:
An expandable gate comprising: a) a top horizontal guide rod; b) a bottom horizontal guide rod; c) a plurality of vertical bar members extending from said top guide rod to said bottom guide rod, each of said bar members having a top guide rod slot and a bottom guide bar slot, said top guide rod extending through each of said top guide rod slots and said bottom guide rod extending through each of said bottom guide rod slots whereby said bar members may slide horizontally on said top and bottom guide rod members between an open expanded position where the bars are spaced further apart from one another and a closed collapsed position where the bars are closer together, said bar member each having a plurality of spring connection holes at spaced locations between said top guide rod slot and said bottom guide rod slot; d) a plurality of elongated flexible tension bar springs which lie flat when no forces are applied to said springs, each of said bar springs having a central opening and having an elongated upper end opening and an elongated lower end opening, said springs having overlapping ends and positioned between adjacent bar members; e) first connectors which rigidly attach a central portion of each spring to a bar member, and f) second connectors which slidingly attach an upper end portion and a lower end portion of each spring to a bar member whereby said springs urge said vertical bar members to move closer together to said collapsed closed position.