Stabilizing device

Abstract

A locking plate and a plurality of rigid extension members are capable of being mounted on a structure such as a gate or fence providing rigidity. The locking plate and a cover are capable of fixing the plurality of rigid extension members, when the gate or a fence is positioned properly. A first extension member may be fixedly attached to the locking plate or may be fixedly mounted in a channel on the locking plate. Additional extension members may be rotatably mounted such as on pegs that fit in holes located proximally to one end of the extension members. The length of extension members may be adjustable, such as by using telescoping extending members fixedly attachable to ends of the extension members.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field relates to gate and fence stabilizing devices.

BACKGROUND

Wooden gates often have wooden braces disposed diagonally to support the structural rigidity of the gate. However, wooden braces are not easily repositionable.

Gate stabilizers use wire rope under tension diagonally across a gate. Wire rope is placed across at least one of the two diagonals of a rectangular gate. Such wire gate stabilizers offer some sufficient rigidity but fail to keep gates from sagging, especially over time in hot sun, when the gates are made of vinyl or other polymeric materials. Also, wire rope is not rigid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A stabilizing device includes rigid members capable of being locked at an angle to each other by a locking plate. The locking plate and the ends of the rigid members may be mounted to the gate, for example. In one example, the stabilizing device for stabilizing a structure includes a locking plate, a plurality of extension members where a first extension member is fixedly mountable on the locking plate and at least one other extension member is rotatably mountable on the locking plate such that the ends of the plurality of the extension members are capable of being fixed to the structure.

The extension members may be directly connected to the structure to be stabilized, providing the rigid member or the extension members may be fitted with an extending member. Then the extending member is mounted on the gate. One advantage of the stabilizing device is that the device provides rigid members that rigidly fix a gate, preventing sagging even in extreme heat. Another advantage is that the locking plate allows the rigid member to be adjusted prior to locking the rigid members in place, when the gate is positioned on the mounting hardware of the fence, for example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The drawings illustrate examples of the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top plan view of one locking plate portion.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the portion of the locking plate in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate plan views of a locking plate portion.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a locking plate with (4B) and without (4A) a locking plate cover.

FIG. 5 illustrates a locking plate cover.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a stabilizing device with an extending member to be attached to the structure to be stabilized.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of another example of a stabilizing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description and drawings provide some examples of the present invention, but the present invention should not be limited merely to the examples disclosed. Instead, the invention should be limited only by the claims that may eventually issue. Many variations in the present invention, changes in specific components of the present invention, and uses of the present invention will be readily apparent to those familiar with the field based on the drawings and descriptions provided.

In FIG. 1, a top plan view of one example of one plate of the locking device is shown. Here, the locking plate of the stabilizing device is depicted as having a channel 23, mounting pegs 24, 25, and 26. Mounting peg 25 is shown as being at the center of the plate. Additionally depicted are bosses 21, 22 through which holes 11, 12 run. The bosses may receive connection structures such as bolts.

The plate may additionally have slots (not depicted) for retaining an attachment structure in order to attach to the structure to be stabilized. The structure to be stabilized may be a fence or a gate, for example.

In FIG. 2, a perspective view of a portion of the locking plate 10 which has a channel 23, bosses 21, 22 having tapped holes for machine screws, and mounting pegs 24, 25 and 26 for mounting of extension members (not shown). The tapped holes 11, 12, and machine screws are capable of attaching a cover plate as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5. Any other attachment mechanism may be used also.

FIGS. 3A-C illustrate plan views of a locking plate 10, having a first extension member 32 and additional two extension members 34 and 36. In one example, the longer extension member is fixedly mounted onto the locking plate. In another example, the shorter members are fixedly mounted and the longer member is mounted rotatably.

In FIG. 3A, the longer member 32 has a central hole and is fixedly mounted by a channel 23 on the locking plate and a mounting peg 25 that extends through the hole. Central is defined as being at neither of the two distal ends of the longer member. The extension member may be fixedly attached to the locking plate without using a channel or a mounting peg. The longer member, may be attached to the plate by any mechanism.

In one example, mounting pegs 24, 26 rotatably attach the members 34 and 36 through holes to one proximal end. This structural configuration allows some degree of rotation about the mounting peg. In one example, the degree of rotation may be 45 degrees. In one example, the members are tubular. The tubes may have any cross section such as a square cross-section, as shown in FIGS. 3B-C.

In one example, the three members, 32, 34 and 36 have free ends which may be attached to a structure to be stabilized, such as a gate or a fence. In FIG. 6, an extending member is attached to the free end and is adjustable in length. Bolts or machine screws may be used to fix the extending members 60 to the free ends of the tubular members 32,34,36 at a length fitted to a gate or other structure. The other end of the extending member may be mounted directly or indirectly to a gate or structure. In another example, no extending member is used. Instead the extension members 32,34,36 are directly or indirectly mounted to the gate or other structure. For example, the extension members 32,34,36 may be cut to length before or after mounting on the plate 10. The distal ends may be attached at comers of the gate or other structure. The distal ends are examples of the free ends.

The locking plate may be directly bolted to the gate. Bolts or machine screws may be used to mount the locking plate on the gate. For example, the extension member fixed to the plate may be attached at each end to the frame of the gate. Then, the plate may be mounted to the gate. Subsequently, the rotatably mounted extension members are mounted on the frame of the gate, as the gate is positioned properly on the fence. Thus, the gate is stabilized, and the locking plate and extension members prevent immediate distortion and sagging over time, such as high temperatures.

In FIG. 4A, the stabilizing device 40 is shown without a cover plate 52. The locking plate 10 has an extension member 32 which extends across the width of the plate 10 and two extension members 34, 36, which do not extend beyond a centerline of the plate 10. The extension members each have free ends for attachment to a structure. An extending member 60 may be attached to the free ends. In this example, the locking plate has a channel 23 for receiving the first extension member 32, bosses 21, 22, and mounting pegs 24,25,26. The bosses 21, 22 provide a mechanism for attaching a cover plate 52, as illustrated in FIG. 4B. The mounting pegs 24, 25, 26 fix rigidly or rotatably, the extension members 32, 34, 36 on the plate 10.

In FIG. 4B, the stabilizing device has a cover 52. It may include an area for supporting an ornamental decoration as illustrated in the drawing or the cover plate 52 may be ornamental. A recess 40 is capable of supporting a logo or a design. The cover plate 52 includes mounting holes 41,42 for machine screws or other attachment devices. The machine screws are threaded into tapered holes 11, 12 in bosses 21, 22. The cover plate 52 has two slots 46,48, disposed in an arcuate geometry, such that slot machine screws are capable of being inserted and threaded into tapped holes in each of the rotatably mounted extension members 34,36. Thus by tightening the machine screws, the rotatably mounted extension members 34,36 may be fixed in place by the locking plate 10. In one example, the edges of the two slots are tapered to allow the head of each of the slot machine screws to rest at or below the surface of the cover plate 10.

FIG. 5 illustrates the underside of a cover plate 52 with a locking channel structure 50 at opposite peripheries of the plate 52. This structure may be used to rigidly mount a first extension member in the locking plate assembly 10,52,32,34,36.

FIG. 6 illustrates a stabilizing device similar to a previous locking plate 10. The rotatable members 34,36 exhibit a degree of rotation until rigidly affixed by connection structures such as machine screws. The stabilizing structure may have an extending member 60 which attach to extension members 32,34,36 to a gate or a fence. For example, machine screws 66,68 are shown attaching the extending member 60 to one of the extension members, extension member 34.

In one example, the free end of the extending member 60 may have holes 62,64, through which machine screws or bolts 61, 63 pass to connect to a gate, a fence or another structure. Caps (not depicted), such as caps of polymeric material, may be used to cover holes 62,64.

FIG. 7 illustrates a locking plate 10 that connects extension members 32,34,36 to a structure using mounting fixtures 72,74,76 and 78 for attachment to a portion of the structure to be stabilized such as a frame element. In one example, the mounting fixtures 72,74,76,78 are attached at ends of extension members 32,34,36. The fixture 78 may have a bottom fixture 80 and a top fixture 79. In one example, the bottom fixture 80 may be any fixation device, such as a clamp or a plate for machine screws or bolts. The fixture 80 may attach to a gate or fence via a bracket, for example.

Any materials that have adequate rigidity may be used for the locking plate and the extension members. In one example, the locking plate is a metal casting and the extension members are extruded metal tubes, such as aluminum, magnesium, steel, and combinations and alloys of these metals.

Alternative combinations and variations of the examples provided will become apparent based on this disclosure. It is not possible to provide specific examples for all of the many possible combinations and variations of the embodiments described, but such combinations and variations may be claims that eventually issue.

Claims

1. A stabilizing device for stabilizing a structure, comprising: a locking plate; a plurality of rigid extension members wherein a first extension member is fixedly mountable on the locking plate and at least one other extension member is rotatably mountable on the locking plate such that the ends of the plurality of the extension members are capable of being fixed to the structure, and the rotatably mountable extension member is capable of being locked in position when the structure is mounted properly.

2. The stabilizing device of claim 1, further comprising at least one extending member capable of being fixed to one of the plurality of extension members such that the length from the locking plate to a free end of the extending member is adjustable until locked in place.

3. The stabilizing device of claim 2, wherein the extending member includes a connecting structure.

4. The stabilizing device of claim 3, wherein the connecting structure includes machine screws or bolts.

5. The stabilizing device of claim 4, wherein the extending member is connected to the structure directly by machine screws or bolts.

6. The stabilizing device of claim 5, further comprising caps sized to cover the machine screws or bolts.

7. The stabilizing device of claim 1, wherein two of the plurality of the extension members are rotatably mountable to the locking plate and each is locked in place by machine screws threaded into tapped holes in the extension members that extend through slots in a cover plate.

8. The stabilizing device of claim 7, wherein the locking plate has a plurality of pegs extending from a surface of the locking plate such that the holes disposed in each of the plurality of extension members are capable of receiving the plurality of pegs.

9. The stabilizing device of claim 8, wherein the pegs are tapered.

10. The stabilizing device of claim 9, wherein the first extension member is fixedly mountable by a channel structure and a peg extending from a surface of the locking plate.

11. The stabilizing device of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate fixedly mountable to the locking plate, such that the plurality of extension members are held between the locking plate and the cover plate.

12. The stabilizing device of claim 11, wherein the cover plate has two arcuate slots.

13. The stabilizing device of claim 12, wherein two of the plurality of extension members have holes tapped with threads disposed such that machine screws are capable of being inserted through the arcuate slots, and screwed into the holes, locking the two extension members into a fixed, non-rotatable position, when the machine screws are tightened.

14. The stabilizing device of claim 13, wherein the arcuate slots have opposite edges, and the opposite edges are tapered.

15. The stabilizing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of extension members is tubular.

16. The stabilizing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of extension members consists of three tubular extension members, the first extension member being capable of being mounted fixedly on the locking plate such that each of the two ends of the first extension member extend outwardly from the locking plate, the second and third extension members being capable of being mounted at one end such that the opposite end is rotatably positionable until locked by a locking structure.

17. The stabilizing device of claim 16, wherein the locking plate comprises a cover plate having two arcuate slots, a threaded hole in each of the second and third extension members and machine screws, such that tightening of the machine screws in the holes is capable of fixedly locking the second and third extension members within the locking plate, when the machine screws are inserted through the slots of the cover plate.

18. A gate utilizing the stabilizing device of claim 1.