GATES AND FASTENINGS.
WOODEN GATES.
[Illustration: Fig. 177.]
[Illustration: Fig. 178.]
[Illustration: Fig. 179.]
[Illustration: Fig. 180.]
As board and picket fences have gradually replaced rail and other
primitive fences, useful but inconvenient “bars” have begun to
disappear, and tidy gates are seen. The saving in time required to take
down and put up bars, rather than open and close gates, amounts to a
good deal. A good wooden gate will last a long time. Gateways should
be at least fourteen feet wide. All the wood used in the construction
of the gate should be well seasoned. It is best to plane all the
wood-work, though this is not absolutely necessary. Cover each tenon
with thick paint before it is placed in its mortise. Fasten the brace
to the cross-piece with small bolts or wrought nails well clinched.
Mortise the ends of the boards into the end-posts, and secure them
in place with wooden pins wedged at both ends, or iron bolts. The
best are made of pine fence-boards six inches wide; the ends should
be four by twenty-four inch scantling, although the one at the latch
may be lighter. Five cross-pieces are enough. The lighter the gate
in proportion to strength, the better it is. There is but one right
way to brace a gate, and many wrong ones. The object of bracing is to
strengthen the gate, and also to prevent its sagging. Gates sag in two
ways; by the moving to the one side of the posts upon which the gates
are hung, and the settling of the gates themselves. Unless braced the
only thing to hold the gate square is the perfect rigidity of the
tenons in the mortises; but the weight of the gate will loosen these,
and allow the end of the gate opposite the hinges to sag. It is plain
that a brace placed like that shown in figure 177 will not prevent this
settling down. The only opposition it can give is the resistance of the
nails, and these will draw loose in the holes as readily as the tenons
in the mortises. A brace set as shown at figure 178 is not much better,
as the resistance must depend upon the rigidity of the upright piece
in the middle, and the bolts or nails holding it will give way enough
to allow the gate to sag. The method shown in figure 179 is fully as
faulty, while the form shown in figure 180 is even worse. It seems
strange that any one should brace a gate in these ways, but it is quite
frequently seen attempted. The only right way to brace a gate is shown
in figure 181. The gate may be further strengthened as shown in figure
182. Before the gate can sag, the brace must be shortened; for as the
gate settles, the points _a_ and _b_ must come closer together, and
this the brace effectually prevents.
[Illustration: Fig. 181.]
[Illustration: Fig. 182.]
[Illustration: Fig. 183.]
[Illustration: Fig. 184.]
The posts should be set in such a way that they will not be pulled to
one side and allow the gate to sag. The post should be put below the
line of frost, or else it will be heaved out of position; three feet in
the ground is none too deep. Have a large post and make a big hole for
it. Be careful to set the post plumb and stamp the earth firmly in the
hole—it cannot be stamped too hard. While stamping, keep walking around
the post, so that the earth will be firmed on all sides. Blocks may be
arranged as shown in figure 183; but this is not really necessary, when
the posts have been rightly set, although it may be advisable to take
this further precaution.
[Illustration: Fig. 185.]
[Illustration: Fig. 186.]
[Illustration: Fig. 187.]
[Illustration: Fig. 188.]
To remove the pulling weight of the gate when closed, the swinging end
may rest upon a block; or a pin inserted in the end-piece of the gate
may rest in a slot sawed in the post, or on a shoulder of the post.
Figure 184 shows one end of a combination of two plans—the iron rod
from near the top of the high post holds the gate while the strain
upon the post is lessened by the opposite end of the closed gate being
supported on the other post.
For hanging the gate the best hinges are doubtless those shown in
figure 185. One part passes through the end-piece of the gate, and is
secured by a nut on the end. The other piece is heated and driven into
the post, following the path of a small augur-hole. Next to this comes
the strap hinge, which should be fastened with bolts or screws. Three
easy, cheap ways of supporting the gate are shown in figures 186, 187,
and 188. In figure 186, a stout band of wood, or one of iron, may be
used in place of the chain. And in place of the stool for the reception
of the lower end of the end-piece, a block resting on the ground, or
a shoulder on the post, may be substituted. The mode shown in figure
187 is common in the West. Its construction needs no explanation. By
sliding the gate back until it almost balances it may be carried around
with ease. In figure 188, the fastening, or latch, must be so arranged
as to hold the lower part of the gate in position. The box of stone
renders it easier to move the gate. A heavy block of wood serves the
same purpose.
A VERY SUBSTANTIAL FARM GATE.
Figure 189 shows a gate which combines great durability with much
rustic beauty. The cedar posts, _A A_, should be four feet in the
ground, and at least ten feet out of the ground. _B_ represents a piece
of 2 by 6 hard pine, into which the posts are mortised. _C_ is a 4 by
4 clear pine, turned at both ends and mortised as shown in figure 191.
_D E F_ are 1 by 4 pine strips. _G_ is a 1 by 6 pine strip, a sectional
view being given in figure 190. It is best to use one piece each of
_D_ and _E_, letting _F_ come between them, as it gives more stiffness
to the gate. _H_ is a block of cedar with a hole bored or dug large
enough to receive the post, _C_, and to make it more lasting, a small
hole should be bored through the block, so as to let whatever water
collects in it pass away; the block should not be less than eighteen
inches long—four inches above ground. _I_ shows wire fence connected.
_J_ is a strong wire carried and secured to the bottom of the first
fence-post. _K K_ are cleats attached to posts to keep them more firmly
in the ground. _L_ are stones for posts, _A A_, to stand on. _M_ shows
the hinge, made so as to take up the sag after the gate settles, and as
the wood wears out.
[Illustration: Fig. 189.—A SUBSTANTIAL GATE.]
[Illustration: Fig. 190.]
[Illustration: Fig. 191.]
A STRONG AND NEAT GATE.
The posts, _a_, _a_, figure 192, of oak or other durable wood, are
eight inches square, and stand five and one-half feet above the
ground. The posts, _b_, _b_, three and one third inches thick, four
and three-quarter feet long, are mortised to receive the slats, _c_,
_c_, which are of inch stuff, three inches wide and ten feet four and
three-quarter inches long. They are let into posts, _b_, _b_, at the
distance marked in the engraving. The slats, _d_, are three inches
wide, and one inch thick, and are placed opposite each other on front
and back of the gate as braces; _e_, _e_, are simply battens to make
a straight surface for the hinges, _f_, _f_; all except the upper and
lower ones are very short and carried back to the post. The hinges,
made by a blacksmith from an old wagon tire, are one and one-half inch
wide, three-sixteenth inch thick, and are fastened by light iron bolts
through the battens at _e_, and to the rear post.
[Illustration: Fig. 192.—A WELL-MADE GATE.]
The above describes a cheap, light, durable gate, which in over
twenty-three years’ use has never sagged, though standing in the
thoroughfare of three farms, and also, for years past, used for access
to a sawmill. It is made of the best pine. The hinge is an important
point. It is not only cheap and easily made, but acts as a brace for
the gate at every point, and thus permits the gate to be lightly made.
With this hinge sagging is impossible. A gate of this kind will rot
down first.
LIGHT IRON GATES.
The gate shown in figure 193 may be made of wrought iron an inch and
a half wide and half an inch thick, or preferably of iron gas-pipe
of any diameter from half an inch to an inch. In the vicinity of the
oil-regions, pipe can be bought very cheaply, which is in condition
good enough for this purpose. For guarding against hogs, it should be
hung near the ground, and have one or two more horizontal pipes near
the bottom.
[Illustration: Fig. 193.—A LIGHT IRON GATE.]
[Illustration: Fig. 194.—A WROUGHT IRON GATE.]
Figure 194 shows the construction of a gate intended for situations
much exposed to trespassers. It is made of upright strips of flat iron,
pointed at the top, and fastened by rivets to a stout frame-work of
iron. The “pickets” are placed two to three inches apart, as desired,
for the appearance of the gate, or according to the size of the poultry
or animals to be kept from passing.
SELF-CLOSING GATES.
Every self-closing gate should be provided with a drop or spring catch,
a suitable bevel for it to strike against and notch to hold it. Gates
opening into the garden or out upon the street, should be so hung that
they will swing either way. Figure 195 shows a hinge and slide for such
a gate. In opening the gate from either side, the arm of the upper
hinge slides upon the iron bar, raising the gate a little as it swings
around. When loosed, it slides down without help, and closes by its own
weight. Figure 196 shows another form of the iron slide, suitable for a
wide gate post, and more ornamental than the plain slide in figure 195.
[Illustration: Fig. 195.—HINGE AND SLIDE FOR GATE.]
[Illustration: Fig. 196.]
Figure 197 shows a very good and common hanging. The upper hinge
consists of a hook in the post and a corresponding eye in the
hinge-stile of the gate. The lower hinge is made of two semi-circular
pieces of iron, each with a shank, one of which is shown above the
gate in the engraving. They are made to play one into the other. This
style of hanging may be used on any ordinary kind of gate, but is
specially useful for a small street gate opening into a door-yard.
[Illustration: Fig. 197.]
[Illustration: Fig. 198.—SELF-CLOSING FARM GATE.]
There is a style of gate for foot-paths, which is not uncommon, that
keeps itself always closed and latched, by means of a single upper and
double lower hinge, which are to be obtained at most hardware stores.
The lower hinge has two “thumbs,” which are embraced by two open
sockets. When the gate is opened, it swings upon one socket and its
thumb, and being thrown off the center, the weight of the gate draws
it back, and swinging too, it latches. A farm gate, entirely home-made,
may be constructed, of which figures 198 and 199 show the gate and the
hinge. The gate is braced and supported by a stay-strip, extending to
the top of the upright, which forms the upper hinge, _f_ being attached
to the top of the gate-post, by an oak board with a smooth hole in
it. The lower hinge is separately shown at figure 199. It consists of
an oak board, _c_, an inch and a half thick, into which the upright,
_e_, is mortised. In this, two sockets are cut, a foot from center to
center. The sockets in this case are three inches in diameter, and when
the gate is in place and shut, they fit against two stakes of hard
wood (locust), two and a half inches in diameter, _d_, which being
curved, are nailed to the gate-post, _a_. A smooth stone, laid across
in front of these stakes, takes the weight of the gate, and relieves
in a measure the pressure on the top of the post. The hinges must be
kept well greased, and it is well to black-lead them also, to prevent
creaking.
[Illustration: Fig. 199.—LOWER HINGE OF GATE.]
GATE FOR VILLAGE LOT.
Figure 200 shows a light, strong gate made of wood and wire. The top
wire is barbed to prevent stock from pressing against it, and beaux
and belles from hanging over it. The bottom wires are also barbed to
prevent cats, dogs, and fowls from creeping under. This gate is cheap,
may be easily constructed, and is suitable for either front or back
yard.
[Illustration: Fig. 200.—CONVENIENT GATE.]
A CHINESE DOOR OR GATE SPRING.
Figure 201 shows the manner in which the Chinese use a bow as a spring
for closing the light doors and gates. The bow is fastened to the gate
by a cord or chain. Another cord or chain is attached to the middle of
the bow-string by one end, and the other end is made fast to the gate
post, in such a manner that when the gate is opened, the bow will be
drawn, and its elasticity will serve to shut the gate when released.
Our artist has shown the Chinese invention attached to a gate of Yankee
pattern.
[Illustration: Fig. 201.—CHINESE DOOR OR GATE SPRING.]
LIFTING GATES.
[Illustration: Fig. 202.—GATE SHUT.]
There are various forms of gates not hung on hinges at all, but either
suspended from above to lift, and provided with counterweights, or made
in the form of movable panels. Figure 202 represents a gate for general
use, which is peculiarly well adapted to a region visited by deep
snows in winter. The post, firmly set, extends a little higher than
the length of the gate. In front of this and firmly fastened to it at
bottom and top, is a board at sufficient distance from the post for the
gate to move easily between them. An iron bolt through the large post
and the lower end of the tall, upright gate bar, serves as a balance
for the gate to turn on. A rope attached to the bottom of the gate runs
over the pulley and has a weight of iron or stone that nearly balances
the gate. The opened gate is shown in figure 203.
[Illustration: Fig. 203.—GATE OPEN.]
Figure 204 shows a gate balanced in a similar manner, and arranged so
it can be opened by a person desiring to drive through, without leaving
the vehicle. It is suspended by ropes which pass over pulleys near the
top of long posts, and counterpoised by weights upon the other ends
of the ropes. Small wheels are placed in the ends of the gate to move
along the inside of the posts, and thus reduce the friction. The gate
is raised by means of ropes attached to the center of the upper side
of the gate, from which they pass up to pulleys in the center of the
archway, and then out along horizontal arms at right angles to the bars
which connect the tops of the posts. By pulling on the rope, the gate,
which is but a trifle heavier than the balancing weights, is raised,
and after the vehicle has passed, the gate falls of itself. In passing
in the opposite direction, another rope is pulled, when the gate is
raised as before.
[Illustration: Fig. 204.—A “SELF-OPENING” GATE.]
Figures 206 and 207 show a gate specially designed for snowy regions.
The latch-post, figure 205, is fixed in the ground and connected with
the fence. It is an ordinary square fence-post, to the side of which
a strip of board is nailed, with a space of an inch between the board
and the post. At the opposite extremity of the gate a heel-post is set
slanting, as shown in figures 206 and 207. The gate is made by laying
the five horizontal bars on a barn floor or other level place, with one
of the sloping cross-bars under them and the other above them. Half
inch holes are bored through the three thicknesses, carriage bolts
inserted from below, and the nuts screwed on. The gate, thus secured at
one end, is carried to the place where it is to remain and the other
ends of the horizontal bars secured to the heel-post by similar bolts.
These should work freely in the holes. The lower bar is four feet long
and the upper bar seven feet. To the heel of the upper bar is hung a
weight nearly heavy enough to balance the gate, so that it may easily
be swung up, as shown in figure 206, and the weight will keep it raised.
[Illustration: Fig. 205.—LATCH-POST.]
[Illustration: Fig. 206.—THE GATE OPEN.]
[Illustration: Fig. 207.—THE GATE CLOSED.]
[Illustration: Fig. 208.—THE GATE IN POSITION.]
[Illustration: Fig. 209.—THE GATE OPEN.]
Figures 208 and 209 illustrate a very cheap way of making a hole
through a picket fence in a place where there is not sufficiently
frequent occasion for passing, to call for a more elaborate gate.
Strips of inch board, as wide as the rails of the fence, and five or
six feet long, are nailed to the upper side of the rails and three
pickets are nailed to the strips. The pieces are then sawed off,
beveling, and the pickets detached from the fence-bars by drawing or
cutting the nails. The gate can be lifted up and set at one side,
but cannot be pushed in or pulled out. No rope or other fastening
is required, besides it is almost invisible, which is many times an
advantage. The gate, as lifted out of the fence and set on one side, is
shown in figure 209.
[Illustration: Fig. 210.—A SMALL GATE IN A PICKET FENCE.]
Figure 210 shows an improved form of this gate without posts. In this
case the small board strips are cut only as long as the gate is to be
made wide, and a diagonal cross-brace running between them, as shown in
the engraving. The hinges are fastened to the horizontal bars of the
fence by wooden pins shown at _a_ and _b_. A piece of rope or a short
wire passing over the ends of two of the pickets serves to keep the
gate securely fastened. These openings are not designed for a regular
gate, and could not be used for the passage of any vehicle, as the
horizontal bars would be in the way. For a back gate to the garden such
an opening would frequently be found convenient and save many steps.
[Illustration: Fig. 211.—MOVABLE PANEL.]
Figure 211 shows a lifting-gate, or rather, a movable panel, wide
enough to permit the passage of a team and vehicle. This might be
useful in places where it was not desired to pass frequently.
[Illustration: Fig. 212.—A GATE NOT CLOGGED WITH SNOW.]
Figure 212 shows another very convenient form of gate for use in a
country where the snow is deep. It is fitted in a strong frame, and is
balanced by weights, so that it can be easily raised. The engraving
sufficiently explains how this very useful gate is made and hung in the
frame.
RUSTIC GATES.
A picturesque rustic gate is shown in figure 213. The fence and posts
are made to correspond. Its manner of construction is clearly shown in
the illustration. The vases on the top of the posts may be omitted,
unless time can be taken to keep them properly watered.
[Illustration: Fig. 213.—ORNAMENTAL GATE.]
[Illustration: Fig. 214.—LIGHT RUSTIC GATE.]
A very neat, cheap, and strong rustic gate is shown in figure 214.
The large post and the two uprights of the gate are of red cedar. The
horizontal bars may be of the same or other wood. The longer upright
is five and a half feet long, the shorter one four and a half feet.
The ends of the former are cut down to serve as hinges, as shown in the
engraving. Five holes are bored through each of the upright pieces,
two inches in diameter, into which the ends of the horizontal bars are
inserted and wedged securely. For the upper hinge a piece of plank is
bored to receive the gate, and the other end reduced and driven into
a hole in the post, or nailed securely to its top. A cedar block, into
which a two-inch hole has been bored, is partially sunk in the ground
to receive the lower end of the upright piece. A wooden latch is in
better keeping with the gate than an iron one.
BALANCE GATES.
Figure 215 is a modernized form of a gate which has for generations
been popular in New England and the Middle States. In the primitive
method of construction, the top bar consisted of the smoothly trimmed
trunk of a straight young tree, with the butt end projecting like a
“heel” beyond the post upon which it turned. Upon its extremity a heavy
boulder, or box of smaller stones, served as a counterweight. In the
gate represented herewith the top stick is of sawn timber, upon the
heel of which the large stone is held by an iron dowel. The other end
of the top bar rests, when the gate is closed, upon an iron pin, driven
diagonally into the post, as shown in the illustration. A smaller iron
pin is pushed into the post immediately above the end of the top bar,
to secure the gate against being opened by unruly animals, which may
attempt to get in.
[Illustration: Fig. 215.—BALANCE GATE.]
[Illustration: Fig. 216.—CAROLINA BALANCE GATE.]
Figure 216 shows a balance gate which is used in some parts of North
Carolina. It is a picket gate framed into the lower side of a long
pole, which is hung near its middle to a pivot driven into the top of
the gate-post.
[Illustration: Fig. 217.—A TIDY BALANCE GATE.]
Figure 217 shows a more elegant form, the “heel” of the gate remaining
on a level with the top line of the fence.
GATE FOR SNOWY WEATHER.
The gate shown in figure 218 is suitable for all weather, but
especially useful when there is a deep snow; for it is easily lifted
up above the snow, and kept in place by putting a pin through holes in
the hinge-bar, which is firmly fastened to the gate post. The hinge-bar
should be of good, tough wood, and made round and smooth, so that the
gate can swing and slide easily. Boards can be used in place of pickets
if preferable. The latch-post to the right, has a long slot for the
latch to work in, instead of a hasp, so that it can be fastened when
the gate is at any height.
[Illustration: Fig. 218.—GATE FOR SNOWY WEATHER.]
WEST INDIA FARM GATES.
[Illustration: Fig. 219.—WIDE FARM GATE.]
The illustrations, figures 219 and 220, show two forms of gates used
on the island of Jamaica. These gates are twenty-one feet long, each,
and cannot possibly sag, even if any number of small boys swing on
them. In gate figure 220 the main post is nine by six inches; the
bars—marked 2, 3, 5 and 7—are let in the wood three inches on the upper
side and one and a half inches on the lower. The tenons, indicated
by the dotted lines, go entirely through the posts, and are fastened
with pins. Brace 6 is attached to the upper bar eighteen inches beyond
the center, _F_; _D_ is a stout fence wire fastened by a screw nut at
_E_; the wire, _B_, is held tightly by the screw hook, _A_; the iron
band, 9, is an inch thick and is bolted to the post. It works on a
pivot one and a quarter inches in diameter, and which turns on a flat
piece of iron at the bottom of a piece of a one and a half inch iron
pipe, which is soldered with molten lead in the stone, 10. Only hard
wood is used in the construction. In the gate shown in figure 219, the
construction differs from the one just described in that it has a light
chain fastened in the shackle, _C_, and is screwed firmly at _A_. It is
attached to the post, _H_, by a pivot, as seen in our illustration.
[Illustration: Fig. 220.—ANOTHER WIDE FARM GATE.]
GATE HINGES OF WOOD.
It is often convenient and economical, especially in newly settled
regions, where blacksmiths and hardware stores are not at hand, to
supply hinges for gates, to make them of wood. The simplest and most
primitive form is shown in figure 221. A post is selected having a
large limb standing out nearly at right angles. A perpendicular hole
in this secures the top of the rear gate standard. The foot rests in
a stout short post, set against the main post. A small gimlet hole
should extend outward and downward from the lowest side or point in
the hole in the short post, to act as a drain, or the water collecting
in it would be likely to soon rot both the standard and the short post
itself. Another form is to hold the top by a strong wooden withe.
A third form is illustrated in figure 222, in which the top of the
standard passes through a short piece of sawed or split plank, spiked
or pinned upon the top of the post.
[Illustration: Fig. 221.]
[Illustration: Fig. 222.]
The form shown at figure 223 is made of a stout lithe sapling or limb
of beech, hickory or other tough hard wood or, if it is attainable, a
piece of iron rod.
[Illustration: Fig. 223.—A WITHE HINGE.]
A gate can be made without hinges by having the hanging stile somewhat
longer than the front stile, and making both ends rounded. The lower
one is to work in a hole in the end of a short post raised so that the
soil will not readily get in, and the upper one works in a hole made in
an oak piece attached to the top of the gate post. Gates of this kind
can be made and hung with but little more expense than bars, and will
be found far more convenient and saving of time than the latter.
[Illustration: Fig. 224.—GATE WITHOUT HINGES.]
[Illustration: Fig. 225.—SOCKET HINGES.]
Figure 225 represents a small hand-gate hung upon an iron pin driven
into a hole bored in the bottom of the hinge-post, and one of similar
size and material bent to a sharp angle, and fitted in the top. The
lower pin rests in the sill and the upper one extends through the post
to which the gate is hung.
DOUBLE GATES.
[Illustration: Fig. 226.—A DOUBLE GATE.]
Figure 226 shows a substantial method of hanging two gates to the same
post. The post may be of masonry and the hinge bolts pass through the
post, thus preventing any sagging. It is frequently convenient to have
gates in the barnyard hung in this manner, then yards may be shut off
one way or the other by simply swinging the gates.
[Illustration: Fig. 227.—DOUBLE BALANCE GATE.]
[Illustration: Fig. 228.—DOUBLE BALANCE GATE WITH STONE POST.]
Figure 227 represents a balanced gate for a double driveway. The total
length is thirty feet—sixteen feet on one side of the supporting post
and fourteen feet on the other. The horizontal top-piece may be of
sawn timber, or better still, of a round pole cut from a straight
young tree, the larger end being on the short side, its additional
thickness serving to counterbalance the longer extremity of the gate.
The vertical strips of the original gate, from which the sketch was
made, were lag-sticks from an old tread horse-power, and the chain was
a part of the remains of a worn-out chain pump. It is held in place by
staples driven into the vertical pieces, as shown in the illustration.
A pin pushed into the post at either end of the large top bar fastens
it securely when closed.
Figure 228 is a gate which combines some of the features of the
preceding two. The stone pillar is round, three feet across and four
and a half feet high. A post is placed in the center, upon the end of
which the bar rests, bearing the two gates. The fence is arranged in a
sweeping curve, so that only one passageway can be open at once.
[Illustration: Fig. 229.—THE GATE LATCH.]
[Illustration: Fig. 230.—A DOUBLE HINGELESS GATE.]
Figure 230 shows a style of double gate, which has been found very
useful on large stock farms, where it is necessary to drive herds of
cattle through it. Two high posts are set in the ground about twenty
feet apart, and a scantling is put on, which extends from the top of
one post to that of the other. A two-inch hole is bored in the center
of this scantling, and a similar hole in a block of wood, planted
firmly in the ground in the center of the gateway. The middle post of
the gate-frame is rounded at each end to fit these holes, and this post
is the pivot on which the gate turns. With this gate one cow cannot
block the passage, besides there is no sagging of gate posts, as the
weight of the gate is wholly upon the block in the center. To make the
latch, figure 229, a bar of iron one and a half inch wide and eighteen
inches long is bolted to one of the end uprights of the gate, and a
similar bar to one of the posts of the gateway. For a catch, a rod of
three-eighth inch iron passes through a half-inch hole near the end of
the bar upon the gateway. This rod is bent in the form shown in the
engraving, and welded. It will be seen that the lifting of this bent
rod will allow the two bars to come together, and when dropped it will
hold them firmly.
DOUBLE-LATCHED GATES.
[Illustration: Fig. 231.—A DOUBLE-LATCHED FARM GATE.]
Figure 231 represents a substantial farm gate with two latches.
This is a very useful precaution against the wiles of such cattle
as have learned to unfasten ordinary gate-latches. The latches work
independently of each other, the wires, _b_, _b_, being fastened to the
hand lever _a_, and then to the latches _e_, _e_. A roguish animal
will sometimes open a gate by raising the latch with its nose, but
if one attempt it with this, it can only raise one latch at a time,
always the upper one, while the lower one remains fastened. As soon as
the animal lets go, the latch springs back and catches again. A hog
cannot get through, for the lower latch prevents the gate from opening
sufficiently to allow it to pass. A cow will find it difficult to open
the gate, because she cannot raise the gate high enough to unlatch it.
The latches _e_, _e_, work up and down in the slides _c_, _c_, and when
the gate is fastened they are about half-way between the top and bottom
of the slides.
[Illustration: Fig. 232.—A GATE FOR ALL LIVESTOCK.]
Figure 232 shows another form of double latches, which are closed by
absolute motion, instead of depending upon their own weight. There are
two latches fastened to a jointed lever, so that when the upper end or
handle is pushed backward or forward, the latches both move in the same
direction. The construction of the gate, and the form and arrangement
of the latches and lever, are plainly shown.
IMPROVED SLIDE GATE.
The old style slide gate is an unwieldly contrivance, and the only
excuse for its use is its simplicity and cheapness. Numerous devices
have been invented and patented to make it slide easier and swing
easier, but their cost has prevented them from coming into general use,
and the old gate still requires the same amount of tugging and heaving
to open and close it.
[Illustration: Fig. 233.]
Figure 233 shows the attachment. The blocks at top and bottom are hard
wood, one inch and a quarter thick. The two boards should also be of
hard wood. Between the boards are one or two small iron or hard wood
wheels, turning upon half inch bolts, which pass through both boards.
The bars of the gate run on these wheels. The gate complete, with
attachment, is shown in figure 234, the gate being closed. To open
the gate, run it back nearly to the middle bar, then swing open. As
the attachment turns with the gate, the lower pivot should be greased
occasionally. It is well to fasten a barbed wire along the upper edge
of the top bar, to prevent stock from reaching over and bearing down on
the gate. Where hogs are enclosed, it is advisable to fasten a barbed
wire along the lower edge of the bottom bar, as it keeps small pigs
from passing under, and prevents large ones from lifting the gate up,
or trying to root under.
[Illustration: Fig. 234.—THE GATE COMPLETE.]
A COMBINED HINGE AND SLIDING GATE.
[Illustration: Fig. 235.—THE GATE OPEN.]
[Illustration: Fig. 236.—THE GATE CLOSED.]
The illustrations, figures 235 and 236, show a gate very handy for
barnyards. It is fourteen feet wide for ordinary use, and has three
short posts. The middle one is movable. A box of two-inch boards made
to fit the post is planted in the ground; in this the post is set, and
can be removed at pleasure. This post is placed three feet from the
outside one. The hinge is made of hard wood, with a wheel six inches
in diameter, as shown in the engraving. It should be so constructed
that the gate will move freely, but not too loosely. It is supported
at the top by a cap, placed diagonally across, and at the bottom by
a block of locust or cedar under it. The middle uprights of the gate
should be placed a little to one side of the center, so that the gate
can be balanced under the roller. Wooden catches are placed in the
middle post, upon which the gate rests. To open the gate, push it back
to the middle post, elevate the gate slightly, and it will roll down to
the center, where it can be readily opened. Figure 235 shows the gate
open, and in figure 236 it is seen closed. This gate has no latch.
A barnyard gate is not usually opened wide. A space large enough to
admit a man or horse is all that is necessary in most cases. It is more
easily opened than the ordinary gate, and it will stay where it is
placed. By cutting a notch in the third board, and elevating it to the
upper catch on the middle post, a passage is made for hogs and sheep,
excluding larger animals.
GATES OF WOOD AND WIRE.
[Illustration: Fig. 237.—A NEAT GATE OF SCANTLING AND WIRE.]
One of the cheapest and most popular styles of farm gate is made of
plain or barbed wire, supported by wooden frames. Figure 237 shows a
very neat form of combination gate. To make it, obtain three uprights,
three inches by one and a half inches, five and a half feet long, and
four strips, three inches by one inch, eleven feet long. Cut shoulders
in the ends of the strips, and saw out corresponding notches in the
uprights; make these one and a half inch, or half the width of the
strips. The bottom notch is two and a half inches from the end of the
upright, and the upper one nine and a half inches from the top end. Fit
the strips into the notches. There is then a space of one inch between
the strips, into which put inch strips, so as to make all solid, and
fasten together with carriage bolts. Braces three by one and a half
inches are inserted, and held in place by bolts or wrought nails. Bore
as many holes in the end-pieces for one-quarter inch eye-bolts, as
it is desired to have wires. Twist the wire firmly into the bolts on
one upright, and secure the other end to the corresponding bolts on
the upright at the opposite end. In stretching the wires, pass them
alternately on opposite sides of the center piece, and fasten in place
by staples. This will, in a measure, prevent warping. By screwing down
the bolts with a wrench, the wires may be drawn as tightly as desired.
The hinges are to be put on with bolts, and any sort of fastening may
be used that is most convenient. Barbed or smooth wire may be used.
A GOOD AND CHEAP FARM GATE.
Figure 238 shows a gate of common fence boards and wire, which can be
made by any farmer. The longer upright piece, seven feet long, may be
made of a round stick, flattened a little on one side. The horizontal
bars are of common fence boards cut to the desired length, and the
shorter, vertical piece may be made of scantling, two by four inches.
Three wires, either plain or barbed, are stretched at equal intervals
between the upper and lower bar. A double length of wire is extended
from the top of the long upright to the opposite lower corner of
the gate. A stout stick is inserted between the two strands of this
diagonal brace, by which it is twisted until it is sufficiently taut.
If the gate should at any time begin to sag, a few turns brings it back.
[Illustration: Fig. 238.—GOOD AND CHEAP FARM GATE.]
AN IMPROVED WIRE GATE.
[Illustration: Fig. 239.—IMPROVED WIRE GATE.]
Figure 239 shows an improved form of wire farm gate, in which the wires
can be made tight at pleasure. Instead of attaching the wires to both
of the end standards of the gate, a sliding standard is put on near
the end, to which the wires are fastened. This is secured to the main
standard by two long screw bolts, leaving a space between the two of
five or six inches. The wires are tightened by turning up the nuts.
A plainer but very effective gate is shown in figure 240. The uprights
are three and one-quarter by two inches, the horizontals twelve or
thirteen feet long, by three and a half by two inches, all of pine.
The horizontals are mortised into the uprights, the bolts of the
hinges strengthening the joints. The barbed wires prevent animals from
reaching over and through the gate. To put in and tighten the wires,
bore a three-eighth inch hole in the upright, pass the wires through,
one or two inches projecting, plug up tightly with a wooden pin, and
bend down the ends of the wire. Measure the distance to the other
upright, and cut the wire two inches longer. Pass the wire through the
whole and tighten with pincers. When the wire is stretched, plug up
with a wooden pin, and then bend down the wire. If the wire stretches,
it can be tightened very easily.
[Illustration: Fig. 240.—GATE OF WOOD AND WIRE.]
Figure 241 represents a light gate, that a child can handle, which does
not sag or get out of repair, and is cattle proof. The materials are
two boards, twelve or fourteen feet long, three uprights, the end-piece
three and one-half feet and the center four and one-half feet, two
strands of barbed wire, one between the boards, and the other at the
top of the uprights. It is hung the same as the common form of gate.
[Illustration: Fig. 241.—BARBED WIRE IN A GATE.]
TAKING UP THE SAG IN GATES.
[Illustration: Fig. 242.—REMEDY FOR A SAGGING GATE.]
Various means have been devised for overcoming the sagging of gates.
In figure 242 the hinge-post of the gate-frame extends somewhat above
the upper bar of the gate. A board is fastened to the top of this
post, _a_, which runs downward to _b_, near the middle of the upper
cross-bar, and then connects with a short double band—one on each side
of the long board—which is provided with a bolt fitting into notches,
_c_, cut in the under side of the upper bar of the gate. The form of
the double-latch piece, with its bolts, and its attachment to the board
is shown at _d_.
Figure 243 represents an arrangement which not only provides for taking
up the sag, but also for raising the gate above encumbering snow. The
gate is made of ordinary inch boards put together with carriage bolts,
upon which the joints play freely. The end of the gate, _a_, is made of
two boards, and the post, _b_, is four by six inches. One board of the
end, _a_, is notched. The diagonal piece, _c_, is fastened at _d_, by
means of a bolt through it and the lower board. The end, _a_, of the
diagonal piece, is shaped to fit the notches, by means of which the
gate can be raised and lowered. It can also be used as a passage for
pigs between fields, by simply raising the gate sufficiently to let
them go through. A board, not shown in the engraving, is tacked to the
notched board, to prevent the diagonal piece from slipping out of its
place.
[Illustration: Fig. 243.—A LIFT-BAR FOR A GATE.]
A much firmer gate is shown in figure 244. The hinge-post is about
twice the height of the gate, and has a cap-piece, _a_, near the top.
This cap is of 2 by 6 hard wood, strengthened by two bolts, _e_, _e_,
and held in place by two wooden pins, driven just above it and through
the tenon end of the post. Wedges _c_ and _d_ are driven in the cap
on each side of the post. Should the gate sag, the wedge, _d_, may be
loosened, and _c_ driven further down. The lower end of the gate turns
in a hole bored in a hard wood block placed in the ground near the foot
of the post.
[Illustration: Fig. 244.—A REMEDY FOR A SAGGING GATE.]
[Illustration: Fig. 245.]
Figure 245 shows a gate similarly hung on pivots driven into the ends
of the hinge-bar. These play in eye-bolts which extend through the
post to which the gate is hung, and are fastened by nuts on the other
side. As the gate sags, the nut on the upper bolt is turned up, drawing
the upper end of the hinge-bar toward the post, and lifting the gate
back to a horizontal position.
GOOD GATE LATCHES.
Some cows become so expert, they can lift almost any gate latch. To
circumvent this troublesome habit, latches made as shown in figure 246
will fill this bill exactly. It is a piece of iron bar, drawn down at
one end, and cut with a thread to screw into the gate post. A stirrup,
or crooked staple, made as shown, is fitted by a screw bolt and nut to
the bar. A small bolt must be driven in to keep the stirrup from being
thrown over. A projecting slat on the gate, when it is shut, lifts the
stirrup and holds the gate. This latch is too much for breechy cows,
and they are never able to get “the hang of it.”
[Illustration: Fig. 246.—GATE LATCH.]
[Illustration: Fig. 247.—SPRING GATE CATCH.]
A simple catch for a gate may easily be made from a piece of seasoned
hickory, or other elastic wood, cut in the shape as shown at _a_ in
figure 247. This is fastened strongly to the side of the gate, with the
pin, _c_, working through the top loosely, so that it will play easily.
The catch, _b_, is fastened to the wall or post, as the case may be.
The operation will be easily understood from the illustration, and it
will be found a serviceable, sure, and durable contrivance. The gate
cannot be swung to without catching, and it may swing both ways.
[Illustration: Fig. 248.—LATCH IN POSITION.]
[Illustration: Fig. 250.]
[Illustration: Fig. 249.]
A very simple and convenient style of fastening is illustrated in
figures 248 to 251. It can be made of old buggy springs, or any flat
steel, and should be one inch broad by three six-tenth inch thick, and
about eighteen inches long, at the distance of four inches from the
lower end. The lever is slightly bent, and has two screw or bolt holes
for fastening, figure 249. Eight inches of the top portion is rounded
and bent at right angles. The upper part passes through a narrow
mortise in the head-post of the gate figure 248. A flat staple, large
enough to go over the spring holds it in place. An iron hook, figure
250, driven into the post, holds the latch. A wooden lever, bolted to
the top board of the gate, figure 251, enables a person on horseback
to open or close the gate. This latch can be applied to any kind of a
gate, and is especially desirable in yards or gardens, when, by the
addition of a chain and weight, one may always feel that the gate is
securely closed. The latch does not cost more than fifty cents, and if
properly made and put on will last as long as the gate.
[Illustration: Fig. 251.—LATCH WITH TOP LEVER.]
[Illustration: Fig. 252.—GATE LATCH.]
In figure 252 is represented a style of gate latch in use in some
Southern States. It possesses marked advantages, for certain
purposes, over others. It holds to an absolute certainty, under all
circumstances, and by allowing the latch pin to rest on the bottom of
the slot in the post, it relieves the hinges and post from all strain.
The latch may be formed by a common strap-hinge, made to work very
easily, and the pin should be either a strong oak one or an iron bolt
or “lag screw.”
[Illustration: Fig. 253.—LATCH AND PIN.]
[Illustration: Fig. 254.—GATE LATCH.]
Figure 253 shows a latch which cannot be opened by the most ingenious
cow or other animal. The latch of wood slides in two iron or wood bands
screwed to the gate. It is moved by a knob between the bands, which
also prevents it from going too far. The outer end is sloping and
furnished with a notch. It slides through a mortise in the gate post,
indicated by dotted lines. When the gate is closed, the latch is slid
through the mortise, and the drop-pin, which plays vertically in two
iron bands, is lifted by the slope on the latch, and drops into the
notch. It can be opened only by lifting the drop-pin, and sliding back
the latch at the same time.
Figure 254 shows a very ingenious and reliable form of latch. The
curved tail must be thin enough and sufficiently soft to admit of
bending, either by a pair of large pincers or a hammer, just so as to
adapt it to the passage of the pin bolted through the front stile of
the gate. As the gate closes, the latch lifts out and the tail-piece
advances. The catch-pin cannot possibly move out, unless the whole end
of the gate moves up and forward.
TOP HINGE OF FARM GATE.
[Illustration: Fig. 255.—TOP HINGE OF FARM GATE.]
Continual use, more or less slamming, and the action of the weather,
make the gate settle somewhat, but the illustration, figure 255, shows
a hinge which obviates this trouble. The upper hinge is made of a
half-inch rod, about sixteen inches long, with an eye on one end, and
a long screw-thread cut upon the other. This thread works in a nut,
which nut has a bolt shank and nut, whereby it is firmly attached to
the top bar of the gate. If the gate sags at all, it must be simply
lifted off the thumbs, and the hinge given a turn or two in the nut;
and the same is to be done in case of subsequent sagging. The hinge
bolt must, of course, have some opportunity to move in the stile, and
must be set long enough at first to allow the slack to be taken up
whenever found necessary.
GATEWAYS IN WIRE FENCE.
[Illustration: Fig. 256.—GATEWAY IN A WIRE FENCE.]
[Illustration: Figs. 257 and 258.—BUCKLE AND SNAP HOOK FOR CHAIN GATE.]
Regular posts and bars at a passageway through a wire fence are
inconvenient and unsightly. A good substitute for a gate is illustrated
in figure 256. Light galvanized iron chains have a “swivel” near the
end, by which they may be loosened or tightened, so as to be of just
the right length, and a snap-hook at the other. These are both shown
of larger size in figures 257 and 258. The chains are attached by
screw-eyes to the posts, and should correspond in number, as well as
in position, with the wires. Thus they appear to be a continuation of
the same, and as they are larger, they appear to the animals to be
stronger, and even more dangerous than barbed wire—hence are avoided. A
short rod of iron may be made to connect them at the hook-ends, and so
in opening and closing the way, they may all be moved at once.
[Illustration: Fig. 259.—THE GATE CLOSED.]
A cheaper and simpler form of wire gate is shown in figures 259 and
260. It consists of the same number of strands as in the adjoining
fence, attached to a post in the ordinary way at one end, while the
other wire ends are secured to an iron rod. This rod is pointed at the
lower end, and when the gate is closed, as seen in figure 259, this end
passes down through a loop, and the upper end is secured to a hook. In
opening the gate, the rod is loosened and swings out, when the sharp
end is thrust into the earth, or a hole in a wooden block set in the
ground at the proper place to receive it.
[Illustration: Fig. 260.—THE GATE OPEN.]
[Illustration: Fig. 261.—A WIRE GATE.]
Figure 261 shows a somewhat similar arrangement. The gate wires are
fastened to one post with staples, and attach the loose ends to a
five-foot pole. To shut the gate, take this pole or gate-head and put
the lower end back of the lower pin, and spring the upper end behind
the one above. If the wires are all of the right length, they will be
taut and firm. Two slats fastened to the gate wires will keep them from
tangling. A short post set at one side of the gateway may be found
convenient to hold the gate when open.