120 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
ted. The expense of repairs has been virtually nothing, and they 
have always remained in order. We think we estimated their cost, 
when made, at about $3 each, perhaps exclusive of the ironwork. 
The timber, which is white oak, was sawed at the mill to pattern. 
The principle trouble has arisen from the fastening posts having 
been put down without anchors ; they were raised by the frost, 
and required in the spring a new adjustment of the ketch. Both 
the hanging and fastening posts should have anchors, that is, a 
stout piece framed on the bottom, with two braces extending from 
it to the post near the surface of the ground ; and the former should 
also have a second anchor at a right angle with the first, at least 
on the side to which the gate is to open, thus ~j“. We have adopt¬ 
ed a different fastening from the one figured, the model of which 
was obligingly sent to us by Dr. Hosack.—See Fig. x.* 
The advantages of these over ordinary gates are— 
1. They are very light, and yet strong, and the principle weight 
is thrown upon the heel. 
2. They are easily opened, even by a child, and will readily shut 
and fasted themselves. They never drag, if hung properly. 
3. They cannot be opened by an unruly animal. 
4. They are not liable to get out of repair. 
5. In the long run they are cheap : For who that has counted 
the cost does not know, that an ordinary gate, or rails or boards 
as a substitute, cost as much or more, in the course of 15 or 20 
years—to say nothing of the damage occasioned by their being 
half of the time out of order. And 
6. They are durable—the wood, if good and well painted, last¬ 
ing 20 or 30 years, and the irons, which constitute the principal 
expense, an age, or a century. 
Subjoined is a description of the gate, in which refere 
had to the cuts. 
to 
fa 
Fig. 1—Is the tipper thimble adapted for a gate opening one way; with an 
iron strap which is to fasten with screws along the lop of the gate, made to 
extend the whole length of the gate, and finish with a round screw nut let 
into the fore part of the head of the gate as at Fig. 5; the thimble being bent 1-4 
of an inch bearing towards the hanging-post. 
Fig. 2—Is the lower thimble of a gate proportioned to the upper thimble, 
Fig. 1, as 1 3-4 inch is to 3 inches, in regard to the distance between their cen¬ 
tres and shoulders respectively. These thimbles are adapted for a gate w hose 
hinges are 40 inches asunder; and as 40 is to l 1-4, the difference in this in¬ 
stance, so should be any other distance from hinge to hinge to the proportionate 
difference or extra length of the lower thimble; and the greater the extra length 
might be made, over and above such proportion, the greater must become the 
velocity of the gate’s fall, or tendency towards the line of rest, until its course 
is arrested by the fastening-post 1-lGth part of the circle, or 22 deg. 30 min. 
short of the line of rest. The lower thimble is let into the gate by a screw of 
equal substance throughout its length, or not tapered, in order that the ad¬ 
justment of the thimbles as to the velocity of the gate’s fall, may be regulated 
to so great a nicely as half a turn of the screw: and the thimble may either be 
let into the heel of the gate, or lengthened out by a washer, as occasion shall 
require. The position of the thimbles, in respect to each other, must be fa¬ 
vored also by the lower thimble, which being placed 1-4 of an inch out of the 
middle of the heel of the gate, in the contrary direction of the upper thimble, 
the whole difference, as to the distances of the two thimbles from the linnging- 
ing post, will be 1-2 an inch; and their vertical plane, which is the same us 
that of the lines of rest and equilibrium, w ill form an angle with the line of 
fastening of 22 deg. 30 min. or l-10lh part of a circle; this adjustment, in 
effect, adds l-12lh of an inch to the extra length of the lower thimble, so that, 
by a plumb-line, it will be found (when the gate is hung upright, as it always 
ought to he) that the actual extra length of the lower thimble, or horizontal 
distance of the two centres from etch other, will be 1 1-4X 1-9=1 3-3 inch. 
Fig. 3—Represents the side view of Fig. 1. 
Fig. 4—Gives the side view of Fig. 2. 
Fig. 5—Is a complete gate for opening one way, and constructed in such a 
manner, that it shall not sink at the head, as ordinary gales are apt to do. 
The bars arc let into the middle parts of the bead and heel, and the braces are 
tapered for finishing upon a level surface with the heel, heap, and rail; as is 
evident in the follow ing directions for die sawing out ihe limber, which should 
be of kind oak, not too tough, and entirely free from sap. 
Fig. X. A. and B present front and side views of the jointed ketch, which 
is nailed or screwed upon the shutting post, in which a box of about 5 inches 
long and 4 deep is-made for the play of the ketch. C ig. fastened upon the 
head of the gate, by the bolt and screw shown in the cut, so as to fit the 
ketch. 1 he thumb-piece is attached to the lower joint of the ketch, and when 
pressed upon, the gate readily opens. ’ 
The waste in planing and finishing a gate may be allowed for or not, n3 the 
gate is desired to bo a little more or less strong: but when the timber is good, 
it is reduced so little by being planed and finished into a gate, that no allow- 
dimensions recommended 
the gate will be quite strong enough for its size. 
is 
Directions for sawing the Timber for 
Greatest 
the Gate. 
Tapered 
Solid 
* 
Length. 
/. in. 
thickness. 
in. by in. 
to the head. 
in. by in. 
contents. 
cubic in. 
Heel,..... 
. 4 4 
4-3 3] 
= 832 
Head, .. 
4 4 
2] 24 
. . 
= 325 
Rail,... 
. 9 0 
3] 3] 
21 2] 
= 972 
5 Bars each,... 
. 9 0 
3] 1 
21 l 
= 1417] 
Diagonal Brace,......... 
. 9 6 
3* 1ft 
24 1 
= 427] 
E 
Larger upright brace,.... 
. 2 8 
3 1-4 1 1-4 
. . 
^= 250 
4224 
Smaller do... 
. 2 8 
3 1 1-4 
wliich will be found to form a well proportioned gate, the whole of the eight 
parts at the head presenting to the eye 24 inches; and seven out of the eight 
parts at the heel, that is, all excepting the heel itself, present 3] inches. Its 
solid contents of timber is 4224 cubic inches=2 feet 5J inches, or nearly 2] 
cubic feet. 
The diagonal brace is fitted into the heel by a strong butment, even with 
the lowest bar, and its smaller end meets the upper angle at the head, and is 
confined laterally by two upright braces; which would keep up the rail, pro¬ 
vided the head were not pushed forward; and that is prevented by an iron 
strap of equal length to the gate, being attached to, or forming a part of the 
upper thimble in the first inslances, where it holds the heel of the gate by the 
shoulder of the thimble: it is afterwards screwed to the rail at proper dis¬ 
tances; and, lastly, secures the whole work together by a screw nut, round 
ed and let into the front of the gate’s head. 
The fastening is remarkably easy for a horseman to open, and as difficult, 
if not impossible, to be opened by cattle; the upright wive of the latch is fur¬ 
nished with a guard, and the mortise of the head of the gate through which 
the latch passes is finished with sheet iron escutcheons, like those at IC, the 
fastening being completed with the catch M, having a button in the place of 
the ring. 
If it w ere wished to make a larger gate of this pattern, let the above column 
of lengths be altered accordingly; but the column oi greatest thickness, and 
that of the sizes to which the parts are to be tapered, may remain as they are: 
suppose the gate is to be 9.) or ID feet long, instead of 9 feet, then add about 
half of what the length of the gate is increased to the lengths of the head and 
heel, with as much as is wanting to the braces, and the gate w ill be in a good 
form, the rails and bars being of course cu! out to the new length. 
Those numbers in the table denoting the distance of hinges, which are 
marked with an asterisk, are precisely proportioned to the horizontal distance 
of the lines filling from the hooks, for as 40 : 1J : : 32 : 1, &c. and the in¬ 
termediate numbers are nearly enough calculated, but as 40 : 1^ : : 41 : }, and 
a further fraction, 42 to a still greater sum, but not amounting to 1-12 inch 
difference till the distance of the hinges becomes 43 inches: and tliesame will 
apply to other parts of the table. 
Take any other distance of the hinges from each other, and the required 
extra length of Ihe lower thimble may be found, by placing the numbers 110 
and 6 7-8 as the first and second terms of a rule of tiiree proportion, and tho 
new distance of the lunges must be the third term: the answer divided by two 
will be the sought for horizontal distance of the two perpendicular lines falling 
from the hooks: and as the extra length of the lower thimble should always 
be the same as the horizontal distance of the perpendicular lines falling from 
the hooks, [adding the loss in hanging the gate] the answer for the one is the 
measure for the oilier. 
