Lift link gate having a plurality of tabular gate elements

A lift link gate for use with lateral guide tracks, including:

• a plurality of tabular gate elements joined together by hingedly connected joint means with each said hingedly connected joint means extending about a horizontally extending pivot axis, each said gate element having a front face and a rear face;
• guide means coupling said gate elements for sliding movement in said lateral guide tracks for guiding the gate in a vertical direction out of a vertically closed position along an arc path region into a horizontal direction to a horizontal open position;
• in a first direction of movement, an upper edge of each gate element except a leading gate element includes a tooth-like projection substantially symmetrical relative to a gate center plane and having a tooth tip, a rear flank having a first surface and front flank having a second surface and third surface with an included angle therebetween ascending from said front face up to said tooth tip, said first surface of said rear flank descending form said tooth tip to said rear face of said gate element;
• each said gate element at the lower edge thereof, except a last gate element, having at least one depression complementary to said projection of a next adjacent gate element for receiving therein the projection of said adjacent element said depression having a fourth surface and a fifth surface with an included angle therebetween and a sixth surface forming a second angle with said fifth surface, said fourth surface being complementary to said first surface and said fifth surface being complementary to and in a parallel condition with said third surface when said gate elements are axially aligned with each other;
• each of said gate elements comprising two substantially identically formed sheet metal shells;
• connection means for connecting said sheet metal shells together including inwardly directed members at each end of said substantially identically formed sheet metal shells and sealing members for forming a seal between said inwardly directed members at each end of said sheet metal shells;
• and
• an aperture region provided between said adjacent elements which aperture region includes an aperture spacing free of any other material to take up said aperture spacing precluding the wedging of a finger therein, said aperture spacing being formed by said second surface and said fifth surface which are in said parallel condition when said gate elements are axially aligned and in a non-parallel condition relative to each other upon pivoting of any two said two adjacent elements in said arc path region of the guide track, said aperture spacing being sufficient to preclude wedging of the finger therein for all positions of said gate elements relative to each other.