GB2024282A - Gates - Google Patents

Abstract

A gate is assembled from a plurality of prefabricated components by attaching intermediate members 14, 20, 26, 28 to a top and a bottom rail 10, 12. The outer intermediate members 26, 28 may be attached to the top and bottom members in such a way that the transverse spacing therebetween may be adjusted such that a gate can be adapted to fit gateways of varying widths. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to enclosure means The present invention concerns enclosure means. In this specification the term enclosure means is intended to cover gates, doors, railings, panels and the like, especially but not exclusively wrought iron gates, etc.

In the past considerable difficulty has been encountered with wrought iron gates owing to the fact that since they are relatively heavy and large they are difficult and consequently expensive to transport and store.

Furthermore, in view of the nature of their manufacture their dimensions are not readily adaptable but rather seperate gates, etc. require to be manufactured for each dimension encountered.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages.

One aspect of the present invention is an enciosure means including a peripheral framework having a top and a bottom member and intermediate members between said top and bottom member removably attached thereto.

Another aspect of the present invention is an enclosure means having a top and a bottom member and two end members extending therebetween at least one of the end members being adjustable in position towards or away from the other end member, and both end members being removably attached to the top and bottom members.

Further, according to the present invention there is provided enclosure means comprising a top and a bottom member, interconnecting members between the top and bottom member and removably attached thereto, said interconnecting members providing two end members, at least one of which is adjustable towards or away from the other end member.

Preferably the interconnecting members are attached to the top and bottom members by bolts or the like but alternatively any removable fixing means may be employed.

Preferably the end members have two extensions projecting laterally therefrom, substantially parallel to the top and bottom members, said projections having slots therein whereby the position of the end members on the top and bottom members are adjustable to vary the width of the enclosure means.

Preferably the interconnecting members comprise panels including two parallel bars and wrought ironwork between the bars. The panels may be manufactured from plastics material.

Alternatively the interconnecting members may be iron bars or extruded plastics bars, tubes or the like.

Preferably an enclosure means can take the form of a gate and may be provided with hinge parts on one end member thereof. At least one of said hinged parts may be adjustable such that the gate can be mounted on an existing post. The other and member of the gate may be provided with a latch or lock means.

Additional ornamental wrought ironwork may be arranged on the top and or bottom members.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described byway of example only with reference to Figures 1 and 2 which show two forms of wrought iron gate.

The gate shown in Figure 1 comprises a top member 10 and a bottom member 12 each formed from channel section, the opening in the channels facing inwardly. the top and bottom members 10 and 12 are interconnected by means of steel bars 14, which have threaded ends which project through holes formed in the top and bottom members and are attached thereto by nuts 16 and by further interconnecting members in the form of wrought iron panels 18, each comprising two bars 20 and ornamental wrought ironwork 22 welded thereto the panels 18 being fixed to the top and bottom members by nuts 24.

The gate, which is of a standard size, is provided also with end members 26, 28 both of which are formed from channel section, the openings in the channel facing inwardly. At each end of the end members 26, 28 the sides of the channel are removed and the remaining base is deformed such that it projects laterally of the base of the channel, the projections being shown in the drawings by the reference 30. Each projection 30 is provided with a through passage for a bolt 32 which also passes through the top or the bottom members 10, 12 whereby the end members 26,28 can be permanently fixed to the top and bottom members.

Hinge parts 34 are fixed to the end member 28 and so that the gate can be hung on an existing gate post by existing hinge pins. The position of the hinge parts 34 on the end member 28 may be altered, this being achieved by bolts passing through elongate slots formed in the end member. A latch or lock, not shown, is provided on the other end member 26.

It will be realised that the gate described with reference to Figure 1 is assembled from a plurality of components which have relatively small dimensions, thus it can be transported and stored in component form, in a box for example, and erected at its place of use.

The modified gate shown in Figure 2 corresponds to a certain extent with the gate shown in Figure 1 and similar components have been given similar reference numerals.

The modified gate of Figure 2 is intended to be supplied in a range of standard sizes so that it may befitted into an opening of any size, and for this reason its width is adjustable.

To provide this adjustment the end members 26, 28 are provided with laterally projecting members 36 having elongated slots formed therein and fixable to the top and bottom members by bolts 38.

The width of the gate can be adjusted at either or both sides to provide a range of widths simply by slackening off the bolt 38 and sliding the end members outwardiy or inwardly as desired. When the desired width is achieved the bolts can be re-tightened.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the means of attaching the interconnecting mem bers 16, to the top and bottom member 10,12 may be modified. The ends of these members may be drilled and tapped and held to the top and bottom members by bolts passing therethrough. Alterna tivelythreading need not be employed and the interconnecting members can be held in place by any suitably fastening device, for example star washers. The star washers, and for that matter the bolts and nuts, can be domed for visual effect.

As the gate achieves most of its strength from its framework and in certain cases from the interconnecting bars 14, it is possible to reduce cost and weight considerably by fabricating the panels 18 from plastics material, for example by injection moulding.

To accommodate different hinge pins the holes through the hinge parts 34 have diameters greater than that of the hinge pins which would normally be encountered and a range of nylon bushes having different internal but equal external diameters is provided with a gate such that the appropriate bush may be chosen to suit the hinge pin diameter.

Whereas the embodiment above has referred to a gate, the invention is equally applicable to wrought iron railings, doors and ornamental panels, and it will be realised that additional wrought iron work can be fitted to the top and/or bottom member, for example to provide an arched gate or door.

Claims (15)

1. An enclosure means including a peripheral framework having a top and a bottom member and intermediate members between said top and bottom members removably attached thereto.

2. An enclosure means having a top and a bottom member and two end members extending therebetween, at least one of the end members being adjustable in position towards or away from the other end member and both end members being removably attached to the top and bottom members.

3. Enclosure means comprising a top and a bottom member, interconnecting members between the top and bottom member and removably attached thereto, said interconnecting members providing two end members, at least one of which is adjustable towards or away from the other end member.

4. Enclosure means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the interconnecting members are attached to the top and bottom members by bolting.

5. Enclosure means as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, in which the end members have two extensions projecting laterally therefrom, substantially parallel to the top and bottom members, said projections having slots therein whereby the position of the end members on the top and bottom members are adjustable to vary the width of the enclosure means.

6. Enclosure means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the interconnecting members comprise panels including two parallel bars and wrought iron work between the bars.

7. Enclosure means as claimed in claim 6, in which the panels are manufactured from plastics material.

8. Enclosure means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the interconnecting members are iron bars.

9. Enclosure means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the interconnecting members are extruded plastic bars, tubes or the like.

10. Enclosure means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims provided with hinge parts on one end member thereof to form a gate.

11. Enclosure means as claimed in claim 10,in which at least one of said hinged parts is adjustable such that the gate can be mounted on an existing post.

12. Enclosure means as claimed in claim 10 or 11, in which the other end member of the gate is provided with a latch or lock means.

13. Enclosure means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which additional ornamental wrought ironwork is arranged on the top and or bottom members.

14. Enclosure means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

15. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.