[Figure 233] shows the attachment. The blocks at top and bottom are hard wood, one inch and a quarter thick. The two boards should also be of hard wood. Between the boards are one or two small iron or hard wood wheels, turning upon half inch bolts, which pass through both boards. The bars of the gate run on these wheels. The gate complete, with attachment, is shown in [figure 234], the gate being closed. To open the gate, run it back nearly to the middle bar, then swing open. As the attachment turns with the gate, the lower pivot should be greased occasionally. It is well to fasten a barbed wire along the upper edge of the top bar, to prevent stock from reaching over and bearing down on the gate. Where hogs are enclosed, it is advisable to fasten a barbed wire along the lower edge of the bottom bar, as it keeps small pigs from passing under, and prevents large ones from lifting the gate up, or trying to root under.
A COMBINED HINGE AND SLIDING GATE.
Fig. 235.—The Gate Open.
Fig. 236.—The Gate Closed.
The illustrations, [figures 235] and [236], show a gate very handy for barnyards. It is fourteen feet wide for ordinary use, and has three short posts. The middle one is movable. A box of two-inch boards made to fit the post is planted in the ground; in this the post is set, and can be removed at pleasure. This post is placed three feet from the outside one. The hinge is made of hard wood, with a wheel six inches in diameter, as shown in the engraving. It should be so constructed that the gate will move freely, but not too loosely. It is supported at the top by a cap, placed diagonally across, and at the bottom by a block of locust or cedar under it. The middle uprights of the gate should be placed a little to one side of the center, so that the gate can be balanced under the roller. Wooden catches are placed in the middle post, upon which the gate rests. To open the gate, push it back to the middle post, elevate the gate slightly, and it will roll down to the center, where it can be readily opened. [Figure 235] shows the gate open, and in [figure 236] it is seen closed. This gate has no latch. A barnyard gate is not usually opened wide. A space large enough to admit a man or horse is all that is necessary in most cases. It is more easily opened than the ordinary gate, and it will stay where it is placed. By cutting a notch in the third board, and elevating it to the upper catch on the middle post, a passage is made for hogs and sheep, excluding larger animals.
GATES OF WOOD AND WIRE.
Fig. 237.—A Neat Gate Of Scantling And Wire.