Gate-opening and closing assembly

• US 4,159,599 A
• Filed: 05/02/1977
• Issued: 07/03/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moscow K. Richmond
• Original Assignee: Moscow K. Richmond
• Inventors: Richmond, Moscow K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kannan, Philip C.
• Application Number:
  US05/792,506
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 49/363, 49/139, 49/140, 192/96, 192/89 A, 192/93 R, 192/14, 192/12 R, 74/36
• US Class Current: 49/363
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/649 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/40 for gates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18144 Overcoming dead center

Abstract

An improved gate-opening and closing assembly which is designed to shiftably move a gate from an opened position to a closed position, and from the closed position to the opened position in a relative planar path. This assembly comprises a lever arm connected to the gate and a drive arm pivotally connected at one end to the lever arm. At the other end, the lever arm is connected to a motor through a clutch mechanism for opening and closing the gate. The drive arm is operatively connected to the motor, such that it moves in a somewhat arcuate path and which causes the lever arm to move in an arcuate path. According to this construction, the assembly permits opening and closing of a relatively large gate with simple harmonic motion. The pair of relatively small arms and the entire assembly can be located within a relatively confined space in order to permit movement of a gate of substantial size. The present invention also provides a unique clutch mechanism which permits operation of the drive arm and lever arm in the arcuate paths.

Claims

1. An assembly for shifting a gate from a closed position across an access opening to an opened position and from the opened position to the closed position, said assembly comprising

(a) a drive motor,

(b) a first lever arm operatively coupled to said drive motor, and capable of being driven through an arcuate path upon energization of said motor,

(c) a second lever arm pivotally coupled to said first lever arm by a pivotal connection, said second lever arm also moving through a somewhat arcuate path upon movement of said first lever arm, said first and second lever arms each being substantially smaller in length than the length of movement of said gate across said access opening and said first lever arm having its longitudinal axis generally parallel in space to the longitudinal axis of said second lever arm and when the gate is in the closed position, said lever arms being aligned with one another when said gate has moved over a portion of the access opening between the closed and opened positions, said lever arms crossing over one another when said gate has moved over a further portion of the access opening in the direction of travel and said lever arms separating away from the aligned position after crossing over one another in the same direction of travel so that said gate further moves across said access opening in the same direction of travel,

(d) and means pivotally coupling said second lever arm to said gate.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are pivotally connected to each other at points in proximity to the associated ends of the arms.

3. The assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that said first lever arm is operatively coupled to said drive motor through a drive shaft and said first and second lever arms are connected to each other through a pivot member.

4. The assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are substantially equidistant in length.

5. The assembly of claim 4 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are connected in such manner as to move said gate in a linear path.

6. The assembly of claim 4 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are connected in such manner as to move said gate in a linear path, and that the movement of said gate in said linear path is harmonic in nature.

7. An assembly for shifting a member from a first position to a second position and from the second position to the first position, said assembly comprising:

(a) a drive motor,

(b) a first lever arm operatively coupled to said drive motor, and capable of being driven through an arcuate path upon energization of said motor,

(c) a second lever arm pivotally coupled to said first lever arm by a pivotal connection, said second lever arm also moving through a somewhat arcuate path upon movement of said first lever arm, said first and second lever arms each being substantially smaller in length than the length of movement of said member in one direction and said first lever arm having its longitudinal axis parallel in space to the longitudinal axis of said second lever arm and when the member is in the first position, said lever arms being aligned with one another when said member has moved over a portion of the distance between the first and second positions, said lever arms crossing over one another when said member has moved over a further portion of the distance between the first and second positions in the direction of travel and said lever arms separating away from the aligned position after crossing over one another in the same direction of travel so that said member further moves across said distance in the same direction of travel,

(d) and means pivotally coupling said second lever arm to said member.

8. The assembly of claim 7 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are substantially equidistant in length.

9. The assembly of claim 8 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are connected in such manner as to move said member in a linear path.

10. The assembly of claim 8 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are connected in such manner as to move said member in a linear path and that the movement of said member in said linear path is harmonic in nature.

11. A method for shifting a member from a first position to a second position and from said second position to said first position through a linear path, said method comprising causing rotational movement of a first lever arm by a motive means, causing movement of a second lever arm through a somewhat arcuate path by a pivotal connection between said first and second lever arms, locating said lever arms so that each of said lever arms have a longitudinal axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the other of said lever arms when said member is in the first position, and moving said member between said first and second positions as said first and second lever arms move by a pivotal connection between said second lever arm and said member, said lever arms being aligned with one another when said member has moved over a portion of the distance between the first and second positions, said lever arms crossing over one another when said member has moved over a further portion of the distance between the first and second positions in the direction of travel and said lever arms separating away from the aligned position after crossing over one another in the same direction of travel so that said member further moves across said distance in the same direction of travel.

12. The method of claim 11 further characterized in that said member is a gate and said method shifts said gate from a first position which constitutes a closed position to a second position which constitutes an opened position across an access opening.

13. The method of claim 11 further characterized in that said method comprises initially moving said arms in opposite arcuate directions.

14. The method of claim 11 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are substantially equidistant in length.

15. The method of claim 14 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are connected in such manner as to move said member in a linear path.

16. The method of claim 14 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are connected in such manner as to move said member in a linear path and that the movement of said member in said linear path is harmonic in nature.

17. An apparatus for driving a driven member through a rotatable path with an engine and optionally with manual actuation thereof, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a main drive shaft having a central bore extending therethrough,

(b) a driven member mounted on one end of said drive shaft and being rotatable with said drive shaft,

(c) a clutch member operatively mounted on the opposite end of said drive shaft,

(d) a clutch shaft extending through the central bore of said main drive shaft,

(e) an engine operatively coupled to said drive shaft to cause rotation thereof when said engine is energized,

(f) a manually operable handle operatively mounted on one end of said clutch shaft corresponding to the first named one end of said drive shaft, said manually operable handle being shiftable from a first position where said engine is operatively coupled to said drive shaft to a second position where said engine is operatively disconnected from said drive shaft,

(g) and spring means operatively located on the opposite end of said clutch shaft and permitting operative engagement of said engine to said drive shaft when said handle is in said first position and being released to permit disengagement of said drive shaft from said engine when said handle is shifted to said second position.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further characterized in that said driven member is rotatable through an arc of no greater than 360°

.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further characterized in that said engine is an electrically energized motor.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 further characterized in that said driven member is an arm which forms part of an assembly for shifting a gate from an open position to a closed position and from the closed position to the open position.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 further characterized in that said clutch member is rotatable with and is axially shiftable on said clutch shaft, and that a drive gear engageable with said clutch member is rotatable independently of said drive shaft and clutch shaft when said handle is shifted to said second position.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further characterized in that a camming element is operatively associated with said handle to permit engagement and disengagement of said drive gear with said clutch member.

23. An assembly for shifting a driven member from a first position to a second position and from the second position to the first position, said assembly comprising:

(a) a drive motor,

(b) a main drive shaft driven by said motor and having a central bore extending therethrough,

(c) a first lever arm mounted on said drive shaft and capable of being driven through an arcuate path upon energization of said motor,

(d) a second lever arm pivotally coupled to said first lever arm by a pivotal connection, said second lever arm also moving through a somewhat arcuate path upon movement of said first lever arm, said second and first lever arms each being substantially smaller in length than the length of movement of said member in one direction and each of said lever arms having one of their axes parallel in space to a similar axis of the other of said lever arms,

(e) means pivotally coupling said second lever arm to said member,

(f) a clutch device operatively mounted on the opposite end of said drive shaft,

(g) a clutch shaft extending through the central bore of said main drive shaft,

(h) a manually operable handle operatively mounted on one end of said clutch shaft corresponding to the first named one end of said drive shaft, said manually operable handle being shiftable from a first position where said motor is operatively coupled to said drive shaft to a second position where said motor is operatively disconnected from said shaft,

(i) and spring means operatively located on the opposite end of said clutch shaft and permitting operative engagement of said motor to said drive shaft when said handle is in said first position and being released to permit disengagement of said drive shaft from said motor when said handle is shifted to said second position.

24. The assembly of claim 23 further characterized in that said clutch member is rotatable with and is axially shiftable on said clutch shaft, and that a drive gear engageable with said clutch mechanism is rotatable independently of said drive shaft and clutch shaft when said handle is shifted to said second position.

25. The assembly of claim 23 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are pivotally connected to each other at points in proximity to the associated ends of the arms.

26. The assembly of claim 23 further characterized in that said first and second lever arms are substantially equidistant in length and that said first and second lever arms are connected in such manner as to move said member in a linear path.

27. The assembly of claim 23 further characterized in that said driven member is a gate shiftable from a first position constituting an open position to a second position constituting a closed position across an access opening.

35. The assembly of claim 24 further characterized in that said arms each have a longitudinal axis which are generally parallel when the gate is in the closed position.

28. Apparatus for controlling the degree of rotational movement of a drive shaft having a driven member mounted on said drive shaft for rotational movement therewith, said apparatus comprising:

(a) an outer housing,

(b) a drive shaft extending through said housing and having a first end and a second end with a central bore extending therethrough,

(c) an inner shaft extending through the central bore of said drive shaft and having a first end corresponding to the first end of said drive shaft and a second end corresponding to the second end of said drive shaft,

(d) a driven member mounted on the first end of said drive shaft and being rotatable therewith,

(e) a clutch plate mounted on the second end of said inner shaft,

(f) a cooperating clutch member mounted on said drive shaft and being engageable with said clutch plate,

(g) at least one limit bar on said clutch plate and being adjustably positional thereon,

(h) and a cooperating stop bar associated with said housing and being located to be engageable by said limit bar to control the rotational movement of said drive shaft and said driven member.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 further characterized in that a plurality of spaced apart limit bars are adjustably positional on said camming plate.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 further characterized in that said clutch plate is rotatable with and axially shiftable on said inner shaft and that said cooperating clutch member can be rotatable independently of said inner shaft.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 further characterized in that said driven member controls a gate shiftable from a closed position to an open position and from said open position to the closed position across an access opening.

32. An assembly for shifting a gate from a closed position across an access opening to an opened position and from the opened position to the closed position, said assembly comprising:

(a) a drive motor having a drive shaft,

(b) a first lever arm operatively coupled to said drive motor through said drive shaft, and capable of being driven through an arcuate path upon energization of said motor,

(c) a second lever arm pivotally coupled to said first lever arm by a pivot member forming a pivotal connection therebetween, said second lever arm also moving through a somewhat arcuate path upon movement of said first lever arm, said first and second lever arms each being substantially smaller in length than the length of movement of said gate across said access opening and each of said lever arms having one of their axis parallel in space to a similar axis of the other of said lever arms,

(d) means pivotally coupling said second lever arm to said gate,

(e) a non-rotatable disc-like element fixedly mounted in relation to said drive shaft,

(f) a cooperating disc-like element rotatably mounted at said pivot member,

(g) and continuous member extending between and trained about said disc-like elements to cause said cooperating disc-like element to rotate in relation to the rotation of said first and second lever arms, said non-rotatable disc-like element having a larger diameter than said cooperating disc-like element such that the continuous member causes said cooperating disc-like element to rotate when said lever arms move and thereby overcomes any tendency of said lever arms to stall.

33. The assembly of claim 32 further characterized in that said elements are sprocket-like devices and said continuous drive means is a chain-like member.

34. The assembly of claim 32 further characterized in that said lever arms are aligned with one another when said gate has moved over a portion of the access opening between the closed and opened positions, said lever arms crossing over one another when said gate has moved over a further portion of the access opening in the direction of travel and said lever arms separating away from the aligned position after crossing over one another in the same direction of travel so that said gate further moves across said access opening the same direction of travel.

36. Apparatus for controlling the degree of rotational movement of a drive shaft having a driven member mounted on said drive shaft for rotational movement therewith, said apparatus comprising:

(a) an outer housing,

(b) a drive shaft extending through said housing and having a first end and a second end with a central bore extending therethrough,

(c) an inner shaft extending through the central bore of said drive shaft and having a first end corresponding to the first end of said drive shaft and a second end corresponding to the second end of said drive shaft,

(d) a driven member mounted on the first end of said drive shaft and being rotatable therewith,

(e) a clutch plate mounted on the second end of said inner shaft,

(f) a cooperating clutch member mounted on said drive shaft and being engageable with said clutch plate,

(g) at least one limit bar associated with said clutch plate and being adjustably positional with respect thereto,

(h) and a cooperating stop bar associated with said housing and being located to be engageable by said limit bar to control the rotational movement of said drive shaft and said driven member.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 further characterized in that a plurality of spaced apart limit bars are adjustably positional with respect to said camming plate and are rotational with said camming plate.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 further characterized in that said clutch plate is rotatable with and axially shiftable on said inner shaft and that said cooperating clutch member can be rotatable independently of said inner shaft.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 further characterized in that said driven member controls a gate shiftable from a closed position to an open position and from said open position to the closed position across an access opening.

40. A gage opening and closing assembly for moving a gate from a closed position through an access opening to an open position and back from the open position to the closed position, said assembly comprising:

(a) motive means for powering movement of said gate,

(b) a first lever arm,

(c) first coupling means operatively coupling said first lever arm to said motive means and said first lever arm being powered for movement thereby,

(d) a second lever arm,

(e) second coupling means operatively coupling said second lever arm to said gate,

(f) pivot means pivotally connecting the free ends of each of said first and second lever arms, said pivot means being generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of each of said first and second lever arms when said gate is in the closed position, said motive means causing said first and second coupling means to move toward each other in a generally horizontal path and said pivot means to progressively move downwardly away from said horizontal path as said gate is moved from one of said positions to the other of said positions, said lever arms becoming aligned with each other and thereafter crossing over each other during a portion of the movement of said gate from one of the positions to the other of the positions and said pivot means being vertically aligned with and beneath said first and second coupling means when said lever arms become aligned.

41. The assembly of claim 40 further characterized in that said first coupling means couples an end of said first lever arm opposite that which receives the pivot means to said motive means, and said second coupling means couples an end of said second lever arm opposite that which receives the pivot means to said gate.

42. The assembly of claim 40 further characterized in that said motive means comprises an electrically operable motor, and means forming part of said motive means for manually actuating and moving said lever arms independently of said motor.

43. A gate opening and closing assembly for moving a gate from a closed position through an access opening to an open position and back from the open position to the closed position, said assembly comprising:

(a) motive means for powering movement of said gate,

(b) a first lever arm,

(c) first coupling means operatively coupling said first lever arm to said motive means and said first lever arm being powered for movement thereby,

(d) a second lever arm,

(e) second coupling means operatively coupling said second lever arm to said gate,

(f) pivot means pivotally connecting the free ends of each of said first and second lever arms, said pivot means being generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of each of said first and second lever arms when said gate is in the closed position, said motive means causing said first and second coupling means to move toward each other in a generally horizontal path and said pivot means to progressively move downwardly away from said horizontal path as said gate is moved from one of said positions to the other of said positions, said first coupling means crossing over said second coupling means and moving to the position initially occupied by said second coupling means, and said second coupling means moving toward the position initially occupied by said first coupling means after crossing over.