Movable or removable closures – With protective grille or safety guard – Adjustable to various size opening
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-21
2001-07-03
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With protective grille or safety guard
Adjustable to various size opening
C049S365000, C292S216000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253490
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to safety barriers intended to be assembled into position so as to form a nursery gate. The position may be at the top or bottom of the stairs or in a doorway; alternatively it may be in a passageway.
In general, such nursery gates may comprise an outer frame including two vertical members, one for positioning against each side of the opening which is to be barred by the gate, and a threshold strip at floor level connecting those uprights. Each of the four corners of this assembly is provided with a screw adjuster and a locknut or equivalent means, so as to enable the barrier to be wedged in position by appropriate adjustment of the screws and nuts.
The space between the two uprights and above the threshold strip is occupied by the gate per se. It is to be hinged at one side and latched at the other side.
Alternatively the gate may be hinged at one side e.g. to an upright of an L shaped frame, and in this case the free edge of the gate is to latch or engage with the wall, door frame or like directly, or perhaps with a keeper fixed to that wall or like. In such a situation the L frame may be wedged in the doorway or like at ground level, and the gate may require to be wedged in the barrier position when closed.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction. Preferably the arrangement is one which is capable of being latched both at the top and bottom of the gate relative to the frame whether L shaped or U shaped so as to be resistant to deflection at those points, and also one which is capable of being opened from either direction and then swung shut i.e. when swung to the closed point it will automatically latch. However, the scope of the invention is not to be interpreted as required all of these features since nursery gates according to the invention may be provided with a selected one of the features to suit particular requirements.
According to the invention a nursery gate is hinged at or near one lateral edge and is for engagement with a keeper provided near the opposite lateral edge (when the gate is in the closed position), said latch including a jaw pivoted on the gate and engageable with said keeper, a detent for holding the jaw in a non-pivoted position, spring means for retaining the jaw in that position, and release means for disengaging the detent.
If used with an e.g. L shaped frame or even hinged on a part fixed to the wall or door frame near the said one lateral edge, the pivoting of the latch may act as a toggle linkage to wedge the gate when in the closed position with the latch co-planar with the gate.
Also according to the invention a nursery gate comprises a generally U-shaped structure including a pair of uprights provided with means for wedging the structure in an opening, and a threshold extending at floor level between the uprights, a gate hinged to one of the uprights, and latch means for releasably holding the gate in a position generally co-planar with the said structure, characterised in that the latch includes a jaw pivoted on the gate and engageable with the adjacent side member of the U-structure, a detent for holding the jaw in a non-pivoted position, spring means for retaining the detent in that position, and a release member (which may be the detent itself or a part connected to or associated therewith) for disengaging the detent from the jaw to allow the pivoting to take place. In this case the latch need not (but may) wedge the gate.
Preferably the detent includes a nose engaged in a recess, and when disengaged and the jaw is turned, the detent will abut the jaw adjacent the detent recess so that if and when the jaw is pivoted in the reverse direction to re-align the detent and recess the spring will automatically engage the parts together.
Preferably the surface of the jaw which is contacted as mentioned has stop faces so as to limit the relative angular movement of the jaw and prevent it turning beyond the detent.
The detent nose and recess may be reversed so that the detent has a recess and the jaw has a nose instead of vice versa.
According to a feature of the invention, the detent is carried on a rod extending generally vertically in the gate between upper and lower frame members thereof and is fast with that rod, so that when the detent is displaced to free the jaw, the rod is moved in the same direction. The lower end of the rod may project below the gate and into a keeper in the threshold and this provides a second latching point at the bottom of the gate, whereas the jaw may be disposed generally at the top of the gate. When the detent is spring returned, the rod is spring returned. Hence, as the gate is swung shut, the jaw may engage the corresponding part of the U-shaped frame which causes the jaw to pivot about that engagement upon the gate and when it returns into line with the gate the spring will drive the detent into the engaged position and at the same time drive the rod so as to engage the lower end thereof with the keeper.
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patent: 5290077 (1994-03-01), Fleiming
patent: 5396732 (1995-03-01), Andersen
patent: 5809694 (1998-09-01), Postans
Beldray Limited
Stodola Daniel P.
Thompson Hugh B.
Welsh & Katz Ltd.
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