Automatic parking lot gate with four-way flex connector
OwnerDavid Poppkeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A parking lot gate is provided with a flexible connector between the elongated gate arm and the arm drive mechanism to prevent breakage of the gate arm or the arm drive mechanism. The flexible connector includes a first connection plate connected to the arm drive mechanism, a second connection plate connected to the gate arm, and first and second coil springs connected between the first and second connection plates. The first and second coil springs are positioned essentially parallel to one another and in an essentially vertical plane.
Claims15
A parking lot gate for selectively blocking a path of a vehicle, the parking lot gate comprising:
- an elongated gate arm for blocking the path when in an essentially horizontal position and being pivotable about a pivot axis in an essentially vertical plane to an upraised position out of the path;
- arm drive means for selectively pivoting the gate arm about the pivot axis;
- a first connection plate connected to the arm drive means;
- a second connection plate connected to the gate arm;
- a first coil spring having a first end connected to the first connection plate and a second end connected to the second connection plate;
- a second coil spring having a first end connected to the first connection plate and a second end connected to the second connection plate, the first and second coil springs being positioned essentially parallel to one another in an essentially vertical plane;
- first connecting means for connecting the first ends of the first and second coil springs to the first plate, wherein the first connecting means comprises first inserts which extend into and are welded to the first ends of the first and second coil springs and are connected to first connection plate;
- and
- second connecting means for connecting the second ends of the first and second coil springs to the second plate, and wherein the second connecting means comprise second inserts which extend into and are welded to the second ends of the first and second coil springs and are connected to the second connection plate.
For use with a parking lot gate of the type having arm drive means which automatically and selectively pivots an elongated gate arm about a pivot axis in an essentially vertical plane from an essentially horizontal position which blocks a path of a vehicle to an upraised position out of the path, the improvement comprising:
- a first vertically oriented connection plate for connection to the arm drive means;
- a second vertically oriented connection plate for connection to the gate arm;
- first and second coil springs each having a first end and a second end, the first and second coil springs being positioned essentially parallel to one another in an essentially vertical plane;
- third and fourth vertically oriented plates attached essentially orthogonal to the first and second plates, respectively;
- first inserts which extend into and are connected to the first ends of the first and second coil springs and are connected to the third plate;
- and
- second inserts which extend into and are connected to the second ends of the first and second coil springs and are connected to the fourth plate.
For use with a parking lot gate of the type having arm drive means which automatically and selectively pivots an elongated gate arm about a pivot axis in an essentially vertical plane from an essentially horizontal position which blocks a path of a vehicle to an upraised position out of the path, the improvement comprising:
- spring means connected between the arm drive means and the gate arm, the spring means having greater flexibility in the horizontal plane than in the vertical plane when the gate arm is in an essentially horizontal position, so that the gate arm is held securely in the essentially horizontal position, but is flexible in the horizontal plane to permit a vehicle to drive through the path without breaking the gate arm or the arm drive means, wherein the spring means comprises first and second tightly wound coil springs positioned essentially parallel to one another in an essentially vertical plane and connected between the arm drive means and the gate arm, the first and second springs having central axes oriented essentially parallel to the elongated direction of the elongated gate arm.
A parking lot gate for selectively blocking a path of a vehicle, the parking lot gate comprising:
- an elongated gate arm for blocking the path when in an essentially horizontal position and being pivotable about a pivot axis in an essentially vertical plane to an upraised position out of the path;
- arm drive means for selectively pivoting the gate arm about the pivot axis;
- a first connection plate connected to the arm drive means;
- a second connection plate connected to the gate arm;
- a first coil spring having a first end and a second end;
- a second coil spring having a first end and a second end, the first and second coil springs being positioned essentially parallel to one another in an essentially vertical plane;
- first and second inserts having externally threaded portions to receive the first and second ends, respectively, of the first and second coil springs;
- and
- means for connecting the first and second inserts to the first and second plates, respectively.
A parking lot gate for selectively blocking a path of a vehicle, the parking lot gate comprising:
- an elongated gate arm for blocking the path when in an essentially horizontal position and being pivotable about a pivot axis in an essentially vertical plane to an upraised position out of the path;
- arm drive means for selectively pivoting the gate arm about the pivot axis;
- a first connection plate connected to the arm drive means;
- a second connection plate connected to the gate arm;
- a first coil spring having a first end and a second end;
- a second coil spring having a first end and a second end, the first and second coil springs being positioned essentially parallel to one another in an essentially vertical plane;
- first inserts which extend into and are connected to the first ends of the first and second coil springs;
- second inserts which extend into and are connected to the second ends of the first and second coil springs;
- and
- third and fourth plates attached essentially orthogonal to the first and second plates, and wherein the first inserts are connected to the third plate and the second inserts are connected to the fourth plate.
A parking lot gate for selectively blocking a path of a vehicle, the parking lot gate comprising:
- an elongated gate arm for blocking the path when in an essentially horizontal position and being pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis in an essentially vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal pivot axis to an upraised position out of the path;
- arm drive means for selectively pivoting the gate arm about the pivot axis;
- a first veritcally oriented connection plate connected to the arm drive means and generally parallel to the vertical plane;
- a second vertically oriented connection plate connected to the gate arm and generally parallel to the vertical plane;
- a first coil spring having a first end connected to the first connection plate and a second end connected to the second connection plate;
- and
- a second coil spring having a first end connected to the first connection plate and a second end connected to the second connection plate, the first and second coil springs having first and second central axes, respectively, positioned essentially parallel to one another in an essentially vertical plane and oriented essentially in the elongated direction of the elongated gate arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.