Project

Tyler Jackson · Jan 18, 2011

Senior year is almost over with and it's time for an engineering project. I've already done my 46 H for my senior project and now I have to do a project for my enineering class. I've taken 6 college classes including this year and this final class wraps up everything by making us come up with a new invention or improving an existing product. My idea is to make a new style gate latch. My issues that I'm basing this on is:
1: With the chain style latches that wrap around a post to latch you can cut your arm on barbed wire or shock the crap out of yourself if you hit the hot wire(it's happened to me many times.)

2:With the pull up latches that are multidirectional the animals can open them. We have somewhere around 10 cows that know how to open the latches in one of our newer barns which is an issue lol.
Have any of you out there ever had these problems? I figured who better to ask than people that deal with the issue? This will help back up my claim for making a new design. Thanks for your time!!

Mark - IN. · Jan 18, 2011

I will give you credit for trying to come up with a better latch. I do. But on my gates I generally use the model below and never had a problem with them. On some gates, the latch has bars on either side that when lifted allows the gates to swing either way. They lock pretty good, and I also tie a piece of rope around the gates and fence post just to be safe. And I have one gate that I just tie shut with a piece of thick rope. I have never had trouble with any of them, and they seem to do pretty good.

Good luck though.

Mark
Pretty good latch

Ralph wd45 · Jan 18, 2011

I reckon that your idea would be a timely invention, what with the demise of baleing wire. Boy do I miss my bale wire! That darned poly binder twine is as near to nothing, as I have ever tied up a gate with! Sometimes progress, looks the same as backing up!

Tom in TN · Jan 18, 2011

Tyler,

Congratulations on your achievements! I hope you'll have great success with your project, too.

I don't have any suggestions for a better gate latch, but I would just mention that anything that has a tight fit or close contact can be a real problem when it rains/snows/freezes. I have a couple of gates that I latch by wrapping a short piece of chain around the gate and gate post and then hooking the two ends of the chain together with a double snap hook. When it rains and freezes, I have to hold a cigarette lighter under the hook to thaw it enough to unhook it.

Good luck with your project.

Tom in TN

Nate V. IA · Jan 19, 2011

I like your idea for improving the gate latch. I have a couple of gates with slam latches that catch the gate when you swing it and I wouldn't go without them. My latches are high enough on the gate that my ewes don't bother them but in the past I've had some dairy steers that got pretty good at free ranging. I thought of turning them upside down and using a spring to hold the pins closed, but I never made it.
Best of luck and keep us updated.
Nate

Project

Tyler Jackson

Member

Mark - IN.

Well-known Member

Ralph wd45

Member

Tom in TN

Well-known Member

Nate V. IA

Member

Similar threads