US2982353A - Gate structure for temporary closure for passageways - Google Patents

Description

K. E. LUGER May 2, 1961 GATE STRUCTURE FOR TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR PASSAGEWAYS Filed July 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nillllllllll l|ll|||| 1 |||l|ll| I P I I l l l 1 I I Ill AT TORNEYS K. E. LUGER May 2, 1961 GATE STRUCTURE FOR TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR PASSAGEWAYS Filed July 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v AT TOHNEYS GATE STRUCTUREFOR TEMPGRARY CLOSURE OR S AGEWA Q Kenneth E; Luger, 12E. 25th St.,.Minneaplis,' Minn.

Filed July 8, 1959, Ser. No. 825,851

3 Claims. 01. 150-7133 This application is a continuation-impart of my copending. application Serial No. 764,968, filed October 2, 195 8, now abandoned.

My present invention rclates to improvements in readily installable and displaceable gate structures for temporary use in doorways, stair-ways, and other passages defined-by opposed Walls or structural members adapted for anchoring engagement by opposite ends of the gate structure; the gate structure hereof being of the type that is longitudinally adjustable as to, length before'installation to engage the opposed wall; or jamb surfaces defining the passage with sufficient pressure to frictionally anchor the gate str ucture against accidental. displacement; and which, gate structure-is collapsible for compact storage. While gates of this general character have many. possible uses, the most. commonfuse'therefor is the closing off of doorways, hallways, stairways, and analogous passages, of. buildingsand other enclosures .to confine andysafeg uard infants and small children.

Among the/importantobjects of, the instant invention is the provision of an improvedgate. structure of the general charactei ab ve, described which or simplified construction,,.can be manufactured at; exceptionally low provided with a-passage 3 in the nature of a doorway cost, c'an be" qliickly and easily collapsed and restored to. operative condition' with. a minimum, of time and I efiort, can, be adjustably extended and retracted to, fit

and be installed infpass'a gesfof different widths, and is of exceptionallyrigid andjdurableconstruction.

A further object of thepresent, invention is thepro V ings, the door 6 is shown in its openposition, but with vision of an improved gate, structure, of the general character ,and for the, general pnrpose set forth, comprising, a pair of overlapping gate; sectionsfconnected' together for" relative pivotal movements in one direction 'andfor relative longitudinal;adjustments in horizontal direction to Q fit openings of dilferent dimensions by an improved connectingstructureof: extremelysimple, and low cost constructionandl'which, while allowing; quickand easy adjustment. of the gate as tolen gth by sliding action ofthe gatesections relative to one another will,

w v oc d .12.; es t e c p i na v r a omp e qn pressure. V l r The above and other. highlyimportant objects and advantagesfof. the invention will be made, apparent from the following specification, claims, and appendeddrawings. I a

In the accompanying drawings, like charactersindicate alikepartsthroughout,theseveralviews.

Referring to the drawings:

:f'bodiirient of the instant invention;

2,982,353 Patented May 2, 1961 shown longitudinally adjusted to accommodate wide passageways by dotted lines in this figure;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3,3 of Fig. 1 and turned l80 ona vertical axis with respect to Fig. 1;

v Fig- 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary View in top plan, with some parts broken away and'someparts shown in section, ofthe intermediate portion of the gate structure of Figs. 1-3; v

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 6-11 illustrate a difierent and somewhat embodimentof the invention;

Fig. 6is a view in side elevation illustrating the modified gate construction in side elevation, said view showing modified the side of the gate opposite that shown in Fig. 1 and Description of Figs. 1-.5

Fig. 10 is an end view of the structure shownin Fig- In these figures of the drawings, abuilding floor is indicated by 1 and a building Wall by 2; the Wall 2 being or passage S'may'be closed on by means of the conventional door 6, but in many cases it is. desirable 'to con.- fine an infant or small child within. aspace or room on one side of the doorway without obstructing the passage .to sight or sound. Hence, in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawthe passage through the doorwayfclosed oif by means of a gatefstructu're of the instant'invention, indicated as an entirety by 8; This gate structure 8 comprises a pair of similar gate sections the firstofwhich is indicatedas an Ientir,ety by 9 and the other of which is indicated as an '50 entirety by 10.

allel slats or bars 13. The similar gatesection 10,,cornpriscs horizontally disposed spaced parallel upper and lower rails indicatedrespectively-by 14v and 15 and vertically disposed parallel slats orbars 16. The rails 11 12,; '14 and 15 are provided at their outer ends with resil-.

' ient friction pads 17 of rubber or the like.

It 'will be seen by reference to the drawings that the gate sections 9 and 10 are disposedjwith their inner end portions in overlapping generally parallel side side Fig. 2 is'a view inside; elevation of the gate structure of Fig. *1 but showing the side thereof opposite that relationshipjthe extent of overlap depending upon the longitudinal extending and retracting adjustment between the"'sections.' V i In accordance with theinvention the similar gate " sections 9 and 10 are connected together for pivotal swing ing movements with respectlto one another on a vertical axis and also "for longitudinal extending and retracting adjustments with respect'toione another. Preferably, and V v V t V I as illustrated in Figs. l 5 ,-this,is accomplishediby'means is time nsljb ing f re; i e' si e as are bills I The gate section 9 comprises horizontally disposed spaced parallel upper and lower rails .indicated respectively by 11 and 12 andvertically disposed spaced parand being carried one by the inner end portion of the rail 11 of gate section 9 and the other being carried by the inner end portion of the rail 12 of gate section 9; the hinge 18 of rail 11 of gate section 9 having interlocking longitudinal sliding engagement with the rail 14 of gate section 10, and the hinge 18 of rail 12 of gate section 9 having similar longitudinal sliding interlocking engagement with the rail 15 of gate section 10. As illustrated in Figs. 1-5, the hinges 18' each comprise a vertical axis hinge pin 19 fixed in a rail 11 or 12 of gate section 9, and a threaded eye-bolt 20 carrying a threaded wing nut 21. Each eye-bolt 20 comprises screw-threaded shank 20a and an enlarged, generally annular, eye-defining head 20b. By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the inner end portions of the rails 11 and 12 are notched or bifurcated at 22 to receive the eye-defining heads of the eye-bolts 20 and that the hinge pins 19 pass loosely through the eyes of the bolts 20. Also, by reference to the drawings, it will be seen that the rails 14 and 15 of the gate section are each longitudinally slotted at 23 to receive the threaded shank portions 20a of the eye-bolts 20 and that the said eye-bolts 20 are provided with shoulder portions 24 that engage the inner surfaces of rails 14 and in opposition to the wing nuts 21, to maintain the gate section 10 sufficiently spaced from the adjacent inner end portion of the gate section 9 to insure free pivotal action between the sections on the axis of the hinge pin 19. The shoulder portions 24 of the eyebolts may be integrally formed therewith but preferably, and as shown, are defined by washers telescopically applied to the shanks 20a of the bolts 26 and seated against the eye-defining head portions 20]) thereof. With intermediate portions of the gate sections are moved in toggle fashion to the operativeposition shown by full lines in Fig. 3, thereby placing the friction pads 17 and gate structure under great compression pressure.

As the sections 9 and 10 are forcibly moved from the partially collapsed position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, wherein the said sections are disposed at a considerable angle to one another, toward their operative positions shown by full lines in Fig. 3, the end to end distance between the outer ends of the non-compressible rails 11, 12, 14 and 15 is effectively elongated, thereby compressing the resilient friction pads 17 to establishtight frictional anchoring of the gate structure against accidental displacement. Preferably, and in the structure illustrated, the gate sections 9 and 10 move pivotally somewhat beyond their dead center positions of true parallelism when passing from the dotted line position of Fig. 3 to the operative stop position shown by full lines in Fig. 3, so that the compressive pressure applied thereto by the then compressed resilient friction pads 17 tends to continue pivotal movement between the sections in the direction of their stop positions which, in turn, tends to retain the gate sections 9 and 10 aganst accidental displacement from their operative positions. Otherwise stated, when the gate section 9 and 10 are in their operative stop positions shown by full lines in Fig. 3, the axis of the hinge pin 19 is spaced from or ofiset from the vertical plane that intersects the centers of the friction pads 17 this arrangement longitudinal extending and retracting adjustments of the gate structure may be readily achieved -by merely loosening the wing nuts 21 and slidably adjusting the hinge eye-bolts 20 in the slots 23 and then re-tightening the wing nuts 21 to positively retain the desired adjustable position of the eye-bolts 20 in the slots 23. It will also be evident that tightening of the wing nuts 21 to lock the sections 9 and 10 ina predetermined position of longitudinal adjustment with respect to ane another will not in any way hamper pivotal swinging movements of the gate sections 9 and 10 relative to one another about the axis of the hinge pin 19. It will be seen, however, that in all positions of adjustment of the eye-bolts 20 in the slots 23 the inner end portions of the rails 14 and 15 overlap the rails 11 and 12 of gate section 9 sufficiently to positively arrest pivotal swinging movementsin one direction to a condition wherein the sections 9 and 10 are close to parallelism with one another, see particularly Figs. 3 and 4. It'will be obvious that the wing nuts 21, together with the shanks 20a of the eye-bolts 20, constitute releasable anchoring means. In the drawings, the gate sections 9 and 10 are shown in their operative conditions, but it will be obvious that the structure may be collapsed for compact storage, without disturbing the condition of longitudinal adjustment of the sections, by merely pivotally swinging the sections approximately 180 with respect to the positions shown so that the two sections are disposed in side by side relationship throughout their major portions of their lengths. Of course, collapsing for compact storage may also be achieved by loosening the wing nuts 21 and sliding the eye-bolt shanks 20a in the slots 23 when the retaining of a previously selected longitudinal-adjustment is not a factor.

To condition the gate structure for use in a doorway or other passage of a given width, the sections 9 and 10 are generally adjusted,.by sliding action of the bolts 20 in the slots 23,,to a combined length slightly greater than the width of the opening. When thus adjusted, the resilient friction pads 17 are properly positioned against the door jambs or other surfaces defining the opening or passage while the parts are positioned substantially as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, following'which the in the direction opposite from the direction that the said hinge pin 19 is spaced from said plane when the sections 9 and 10 are positioned as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. With this arrangement, the gate tends to retain itself in and against accidental displacement from an operative position. However, as a further precaution against accidental displacement of the gate. I provide, in Figs. 1-5, releasable fasteners indicated by 25. These releasable fasteners may take various different forms but in the arrangement illustrated in these figures, each releasable fastener 25 comprises a spring clip anchored one to the free end portion of top rail 14 of gate section 10 and the other anchored to the rail 15 of gate section 10. Anchoring of the spring clip anchoring devices 25 to their respective rails 14 and 15 is shown as being accomplished the spring clips are provided outwardly of the detents 28 with inclined projections 29 that serve as cams to lift the spring clips over the associated rails when the sec tions are moved toward their operative positions and which can also be utilized as finger grips to release the spring clip anchoring devices 25. The spring clips are preferably stiff enough to make release by infants or small children ditncult orimpossible and the fact that there are two such fasteners located one at the top of the gate structure and the other at the bottom of the gate structure provides maximum assurance against release of both at the same time by a small child or infant presenting no great problem to adults.

Description of Figs. 6 -11 In these Figures 6-11 the gate sections and some parts of the connecting structure are alike or correspond closely to those of Figs. 1-5 and have, therefore, been indicated by like reference characters. However, in Figs.

' and against relative pivotal-swinging movements, is

of inverted U-shape comprising a long vertical leg 26, a short-vertical leg 27", and a horizontal connecting portion 28-, see Fig. 11. As will be seen by reference to the drawings, there are two of these releasable fasteners 25 one working in connection with the upper rails 11 and 14 and the otherworkingin connection with the lower rails 12 and 15; As will be further seen by reference to the drawings, these releasable fasteners 25 are. applied'in inverted positions, one with respect to the other. The long leg 26 of the upper fastener 25' extends through and is journaled in the upper rail 14 of gate section 10 and the long leg of :the lower fastener 25' is similarly journaled in the lower'railflS of "gate section 10. Applied on the.

inwardly extended end portions ofthe long legs 26 are coil compression springs' 29 held in place by threaded nuts30. The releasablefasteners' 25' are shown in their operative positions by full lines and one thereof is shown in its released or inoperative positionby dotted lines in 'Fig. 9. To release the upper fastener 25 it is forcefully raised against vtheyielding action of. its spring 29 to bringv ing head 20b providing a generally arcuate surface, upon which the shoulder defining washer, indicated by 24" is seated. The shoulder defining washer 24 is, in fact, like the shoulder defining washer 24 of Figs. 1-5, but is shown in axial section to make evident the fact that; its central aperture 31 is of. sufiicientlygreaterdiameter than the encompassed portion of the eye-bolt shank 20a to allow free angular movements of the eye-bolt shank therein.

The ing nut 21 of Figs. 6-11 is broadly similar to the wing nut 21 of Figs. 1-5 but is shown as having a generally arcuate inwardly facing surface to allow free rocking movements thereof on an engaged surface inter-- mediate the same and the shoulder defining washer 24'.

A new and important feature of the structure of Figs.

6-11, as compared to Figs. 1-5, is the addition of an antislip washer 32 on theshanks 20a of the eye-bolts 20.

intermediate the wing nuts 21 and the adjacent surfaces of the slotted rails 14 and 15 of the gate section 10. In the preferred form illustrated, these anti-slip washers 32 are of concave-convex form, whereby to define relatively sharp, generally annular, marginal gripping surfaces. 33 for engagement'with their respective gate section rails 14 and 15V and whereby to define generally arcuate outer seating surfaces for .the nuts 21'; the latter cooperating with the generally arcuate seating surfaces of the wing nuts 21 to allow free rocking action of the nuts 21 on the anti-slip washers 32. By reference particularly to Figs. 8 and 9, it will be seen that the axial apertures 34 of the anti-slip washers 32 are of sufiiciently greater diameter than the adjacent portions of the eye-bolt shanks 20a to allow angular movements of the bolt shanks 20a therein. v v

In 7 order to securely anchor my improved gate structure, or other gate structures of this same general character, in a doorway or other opening, it is generally necesv sary to place the gate'structure under very high compression pressuresbetween spaced surfaces defining opposite sides of the opening; thispressure being created by tight- "ening th'e clamping wingnuts21 or 21 while th'e'parts are positioned as shownby dottedlines in Fig.3 and then forcefully moving the-parts to thepositionshown by theagate. sections; 9?. and1110 would;.;1etain; such, adjusted; positionunder the.appliedpressure.-.

'In'; the :gate :structures disclosed in k the several; figures. hereof,-:. any tendency. ofrthe, adiustedgate sections tq slip with respecttolone another results in a. further.-and more positive locking of the gate sections against such longitudinal displacement'by, virtue of the following function, tQnWit: ,By. reference to Figs. 4-8 it will be seen that the eye-boltstems: 204:, are disposed substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of thegate section 10. These views show the general'relationship of the elements after initial tightening ofthe wing nuts 21-21 and before application of suflicient endwise pressure to cause-any appreciable slippage of the gate. sections relative to one another. Fig. 9-shows thegate sectionsin a slightly shifted position with respect to Figs. 4'and- 8.as a result of-s evere end wise compression, such as is caused by moving the gate sections from the dotted line position of Fig. 3 tothe full-line position of1Fig. 3. Nowby reference to Fig. 9 it will be seen that the; gate section 9 together with the hinge pin 19 and theeye-defining portion of the head 20b and the-shoulder defining washer 24 have shifted somewhattdtheright, as a result of compression, while the outer-not-equipped end portion ofthe; eye-bolt stem 20aand anti-slip washer 32 have remained substantially stationary. Clearly, by this actionthe, stem 20aof the I eye-bolt has. partaken of angular movement within the slot 23 due to the fact thatthe shoulder-defining washer has a. fiatsurface adjacentthe gate section lllwhich pro- .vides lessresistance to slippageof thatend of bolt 20 than does theanti-slip washer 32 which is substantially slip-proof. Obviously, when the bolt moves from the position shown in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 9,

the clamping action between opposite surfaces of the rail 2015, that the bolt be free to move angularly in the antislip washer 32, that the nut 21" befree to rock on the I Washer 32, and that the washer 32 sets up greater resistance to sliding action than does the washer 24'. While present in'all forms of the invention shown it is, nevertheless, greatly enhanced and improved by the structure of Pi gs. 6-11.

My novel device has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the acomplishment of the above objects and while I have shown a commercial embodiment, it should be clear that same is capable of modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. i

What I claim is: a

1. In a gate for closing passageways of diiferent widths,

a pair of similar vertically disposed gate sections having adjacent inner end portions disposed in close overlapping side by side relationship and having resilient friction pad equipped outer ends adapted to engage and frictionally i the inner end portion of a first one of said gate sections,

a horizontally elongated slot in the other gate section, a T

stop shoulder equipped eye-bolt, the eye of said bolt receiving said ihinge pin and the bolt extending through and working in said slotin the other gate section, the

shoulder of. said eye-bolthaving a s'urfaceseated against' the adjacent inside surfaces of the other gatei section adjacent the slot therein, said threaded 'eye-bolt being provided with a threaded clamping'nut. on its outer end. Q

A portion for cooperation with the side of the other gate full lines in Fig. 3. -A serious problem encountered in section opposite said bolt shoulder to releasably clamp the eye-bolt to said other gate section, the said eye-boltshouli der being positioned. on the eye-bolt to allow free, swinging movements 'of said gate sections arelativerto one I 1 7 another when the other gate section is clamped betweenthe bolt shoulder andnut, and areleasable fastener associated with the overlapping portions of the gate sections to lock the same against pivotal movements on the hinge pin axis from a condition of general parallelism.

2. The structure defined in claim' 1 in which the eye bolt defines a seating surface in' addition to that defined by said shoulder, and in which the eye-bolt shoulder comprises an apertured washer applied on the eye-bolt and having inner and outer side seating surfaces the former of which is seated against the said additional seating surface of said eye-bolt and the latter of which is seated against the said other gate-section, the aperture in said washer being-of sufficiently greater diameter than that'of the bolt to allowand the adjacent seating surfaces of said shoulder-defining washer and bolt being so contoured relative to one another as to allow free angular rocking action of the eye-bolt in said shoulder-defining washer, and an apertured washer applied on the eye-bolt between its said clamping nut and the said other gate section with its inner surface seated against the latter and its outer surface seated against the nut, the'aperture in the last said washer being of sufficiently greater diameter than that of the bolt 'to allow and the adjacent surfaces of the last said washer and nut being so contoured relative to one another as to allow free angular rocking movements of the bolt in the last said washer, the side of the shoulder-defining washer seated against the said other gate section being relatively fiat and'smooth and the side of the other washer seated against the other gate section being contoured to define a slippage reducing gripping surface portion rendering said other washer more resistant to sliding action than the shoulder-defining washer, whereby under compression pressures applied to the gatesections from the ends thereof such as will produce slippage of the shoulder-defining washer on the said other gate section the last said washer will retain its position'on the other gate section and cause the boltto partake of angular movement in the slot of the other gate section, thereby rapidly increasing the clamping action of said washers on the other gate section and arresting further slippage of the gate sections relative to one another.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said washer between the nut and said other gate section has a concave inner surface contour facing the other gate section and a convex outer surface contour facing the nut, the radially outer marginal edge portion of said washer being generally annular and defining the said slippage reducing gripping surface portion, and the convex outer surface contour of said washer providing said contour relation ship between said washer and nut allowing said free angular rocking movements 'of the bolt in said washer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ballard Dec. 6,

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