THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



173 



Fig. 1. 



CIRCULAR SELF-ACTING GATE. 



PATENTED TO WILLIAM THOMPSON, OF NASHVILLE, 

 TENN., JUNE 19, 1855. 



The above engraving is a perspective view of 

 the gate. The invention relates to gates for 

 farms, parks, and enclosures of any kind. A 

 is the gate closed. It is perfectly circular in 

 form, and may be made of any proper material, 

 and of any size desired. B and C are the gate- 

 posts, secured firmly in the ground, or to any 

 proper supports. The left-hand post, B, has a 

 channel, d, entirely through it, from the cap- 

 piece to the bottom. The right-hand post, C, 

 has a channel in it, but not entirely through it, 

 to receive a part of one side of the gate, and re- 

 tain it when the gate is closed. The gate A. 

 rests upon a rail, D, sunk in a platform, a little 

 below the rcrad-way, in the middle of the track, 

 but elevated on one side and extending some 

 distance to the left. The platform rests upon a 

 lever, and extends both in front and back of the 

 gate. On the rail, D, which is firmly fastened 

 to the platform, the gate operates : the fulcrum 

 on which the platform rests is next to the short 

 end of the rail upon which the gate rolls, and 

 the platform has a weight, G, at its edge, suffi- 

 ciently heavy to keep the short end of the rail 

 upon the ground, and consequently the long end, 

 D, in an inclined position, as shown in the above 

 engraving. When a person or carriage shall be 

 on the platform, approaching the gate, the 



weight will depress the left edge of the platform 

 and the now elevated end of the rail, J), fastened 

 to it, and the gate will roll into the position 

 shown in the dotted lines, A 1 , giving way for the 

 person or carriage to pass ; and when the car- 

 riage or person shall have passed off the plat- 

 form on the other side, the weight, G, at the 

 edge of the platform, next to the short end of 

 the rail, causes that end to be depressed, and 

 the gate rolls back and shuts itself. It is. seen 

 that the gate, when rolling out of the way, 

 passes between the double fence, F. E is a rail- 

 ing on the side of the platform, which can be 

 used or dispensed with at pleasure. 



The inside corners of the posts, at the ground, 

 may be extended as close to the gate as possible, 

 so as to fill up the space between the gate and 

 the posts, to prevent hogs, etc., from passing 

 through. These spaces can be readily and neat- 

 ly filled up. 



Fig. 2. 



Figure 2 is a catch, or fastening, placed on 



