Locking mechanism
AssigneeMaisey Fence, LLC
InventorKyler Maisey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Locking mechanisms are designed to retain gates or other passageways in a locked and an unlocked position as a way to pass through a gate in a barrier or boundary, such as a fence, that encloses a space. A rotatable locking arm is attached to the gate while its neighboring fence section has a catch secured to it. When the locking arm is radially rotated to a secured, locked position, it is retained in an enclosed channel of the catch. Any ground heave or movement that shifts the gate with the locking arm relative to the neighboring fence section with the catch will allow the locking arm to move within the enclosed channel while retaining the locking arm in a locked position, which keeps the gate closed and the enclosed space secured.
Claims18
A locking mechanism for securing a moveable gate to a fence, the moveable gate and the fence secured in ground as part of a fence system that encloses an area, the moveable gate secured to a first portion of ground and the fence secured to a second portion of ground adjacent to the first portion of ground, the locking mechanism comprising:
- a rotatable locking arm attached to a locking arm attachment element secured to the moveable gate;
- a catch having an enclosed channel and four walls surrounding the enclosed channel, the catch having a catch attachment element secured to the fence,
- wherein, when the rotatable locking arm is rotated to a first unlocked position, the rotatable locking arm is not fitted within the enclosed channel of the catch, and when the rotatable locking arm is rotated to a second locked position, the locking arm is fitted within the enclosed channel of the catch, and
- wherein when the rotatable locking arm is in the second locked position within the enclosed channel of the catch, the rotatable locking arm moves from an initial ground position to a heaved ground position when either or both of the first portion of ground and the second portion of ground heave vertically with respect to each other, and wherein the rotatable locking arm remains in the enclosed channel of the catch in both the initial ground position and the heaved ground position.
A locking mechanism for securing a moveable gate to a fence, the moveable gate and the fence secured in ground as part of a fence system that encloses an area, the moveable gate secured to a first portion of ground and the fence secured to a second portion of ground adjacent to the first portion of ground, the locking mechanism, comprising:
- a rotatable locking arm having a locking arm width and a locking arm length;
- a locking arm attachment element secured to the rotatable locking arm and secured to the moveable gate;
- an elongated catch secured to the fence and having an enclosed channel with four walls, the elongated catch having a catch width and a catch length, the catch width exceeding the locking arm width and the catch length being at least 50% greater than the locking arm length;
- wherein when the rotatable locking arm is positioned in a locked position within the enclosed channel of the catch, the rotatable locking arm moves from an initial ground position to a heaved ground position when either or both of the first portion of ground and the second portion of ground heave vertically with respect to each other, and wherein the rotatable locking arm remains in the enclosed channel of the catch in both the initial ground position and the heaved ground position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.