Movable or removable closures – Treadle or impact initiated operator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-02
2002-06-25
Cohen, Curtis A. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
Treadle or impact initiated operator
C049S236000, C049S257000, C049S381000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408571
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to the field of gates and, in particular to, a rural gate that closes an opening for vehicles or livestock in a fence and has a mechanism to automatically close the gate after a period of time.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background will be described with reference to rural fence gates, as an example.
Since the early days of the cattle industry, cattlemen have built fences to protect and restrain their livestock. Countless ranch hands have strung thousands of miles of barbed wire to mark boundaries and corral the herd. They also inserted gates into the fences to allow passage from one fenced section to another.
The most basic gates were made by simply breaking the fence, usually at a corner, and securing the strands of wire to a free post. To close the gate, the lower end of the free post was placed in a loop of wire at the lower end of the corner post. The upper end of the free post was then pulled by hand or with a cheater bar until it was substantially vertical. The gate was secured with another loop of wire from the upper end of the corner post to the upper end of the free post.
Opening and closing a gate of this type is a time-consuming process. The gate lacks rigid structure after it is opened so it must be held by hand or laid on the ground while passing through. If laid on the ground, the gate may become tangled and possibly injure cattle. A man must also be left behind to close the gate, which can be a difficult task for a greenhorn. Another type of gate is a hinged gate. These may be made from wood or metal and are hinged at one end. As a farmer or rancher approaches the gate, he must stop his truck, open the gate, drive through the gate, stop the truck again, and finally close the gate. This process is only slightly improved if the driver has a passenger he can send out to open and close the gate.
If a farmer or rancher has several gates, this time-consuming and tedious process must be repeated many times every day. Weather conditions such as rain, sleet and snow only compound the misery of having to stop the truck and get out to close the gate.
One solution is to install an electric gate opener. These openers are complex and delicate. Their many parts may wear or fail in the outdoors. They also require a power supply, which may not be readily available in remote areas where gates are installed. Weather conditions and impacts from vehicles and livestock may also damage the electronic circuitry. These openers are also relatively expensive, which means that installing an electric opener on each gate on a ranch may not be economical.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a gate that a person can open and close without stopping the vehicle twice. A need has also arisen for such gate that is simple, robust and inexpensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention disclosed herein provides an automatic closing gate having a gate post and at least one self-closing hinge attaching the gate to the gate post. A catch post having a catch holds the gate in an open position for a period of time. The catch releases the gate after the period of time and the gate is free to swing shut.
In one embodiment, a catch for a gate in an open position has an operation rod that releasably engages the gate. An actuator is coupled to the operation rod and operates to urge the operation rod out of engagement with the gate. The gate is free to swing shut after the operation rod disengages the gate.
In another embodiment, a method for automatically closing a gate includes the step of imparting potential energy to the gate while opening the gate. The gate is then releasably secured in an open position using a catch. The catch is set to release the gate after the period of time has expired.
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Cohen Curtis A.
Gardere Wynne & Sewell LLP
Warren, Jr. Sanford E.
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