Hampshire gate

Last updated

A wire gate, western United States Wire gate.jpg
A wire gate, western United States

A Hampshire gate, New Zealand gate or wire gate is a type of agricultural gate formed from a section of wire fence which can be removed temporarily. This type of gate is used where access is only needed occasionally, or when the cost of a conventional rigid gate cannot be justified. It does not require the heavy gateposts needed to support the weight of a rigid gate, it can be adapted to a variety of terrains, it is cheap and simple to make, and if necessary it can easily be made much wider than a conventional gate.

Contents

Terminology

This type of gate has many different local names throughout the world, sometimes hinting at its rough-and-ready nature and cheap construction.

The term Hampshire gate is widely used in Britain (including Hampshire) the names of other counties are occasionally substituted, or more often that of New Zealand. In New Zealand itself it is called a Taranaki gate, [1] named after the Taranaki region of that country, while in Ireland it is known as a slap, and in Australia as a cocky's gate (from the vernacular for "farmer"), bogan gate, running gate, machinery gate or Queensland gate. In the United States it is called a wire gate, [2] portagee gate (Coastal California), [3] New Zealand gate, Texas gate, and other local terms.

Though the origins of the gate are obscure, the name Taranaki gate is believed to reflect the location of its first widespread use; [4] it may well have been invented independently in several places. Most likely, however, is that the common barbed wire version was originally used in the place barbed wire was invented, the United States.

Composition

One type of gate latch that provides additional leverage, making the gate easier to tension. Gate latch.jpg
One type of gate latch that provides additional leverage, making the gate easier to tension.

A Hampshire gate occupies a gateway in a fence similar to that used for a conventional gate. However, instead of a rigid gate, a short section of loose wire fence fits into the gap this may consist of wire netting or barbed wire, and it usually matches the adjacent fence. One end of the wire is attached permanently to the main fence, and two or more short posts or battens keep it upright and flat one of these is at the loose end. When the "gate" is closed, this end post fits into a loop of wire at the base of the fixed fence, and the top is then pulled tight to tension it. The top of the post may be held by another loop of wire, or additional tension may be provided by a length of chain looped around the post and hooked onto a nail. A lever-lock gate replaces the upper wire loop with a wooden lever. [5] Proprietary closures are also available which give still greater tension, usually by means of an over-centre mechanism (see photo below).

If use is likely to be very rare (perhaps only in emergencies), the gate may be wired shut for security an emergency then only requires the cutting of the securing wire, not cutting the fence itself. When open, the Hampshire gate is folded back against the adjacent fence to avoid it becoming entangled with animals, people or machinery.

Usage

Typical uses for a Hampshire gate include giving occasional access between adjacent landowners, giving access to small woods for forestry operations, rotational grazing, or allowing unusually large traffic to bypass a normal route. In the American West, it is extremely common in rural areas, particularly on ranches, where it is the most frequently used type of gate used between pastures, and in fencelines separating rangeland of different owners, or separating public and private land.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pantograph</span> Mechanical linkage used for copying drawings

A pantograph is a mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a second pen. If a line drawing is traced by the first point, an identical, enlarged, or miniaturized copy will be drawn by a pen fixed to the other. Using the same principle, different kinds of pantographs are used for other forms of duplication in areas such as sculpting, minting, engraving, and milling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fence</span> Freestanding structure preventing movement across a boundary

A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbed wire</span> Type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points

Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is the construction of inexpensive fences, and it is also used as a security measure atop walls surrounding property. As a wire obstacle, it is a major feature of the fortifications in trench warfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Razor wire</span> Mesh of metal strips with sharp edges to prevent trespassing

Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent trespassing by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products. Razor wire is much sharper than the standard barbed wire; it is named after its appearance but is not razor sharp. The points are very sharp and made to rip and snag clothing and flesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agricultural fencing</span> Used to keep animals in or out of an area

In agriculture, fences are used to keep animals in or out of an area. They can be made from a wide variety of materials, depending on terrain, location and animals to be confined. Most agricultural fencing averages about 4 feet (1.2 m) high, and in some places, the height and construction of fences designed to hold livestock is mandated by law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wire obstacle</span> Defensive obstacles made from barbed wire

In the military science of fortification, wire obstacles are defensive obstacles made from barbed wire, barbed tape or concertina wire. They are designed to disrupt, delay and generally slow down an attacking enemy. During the time that the attackers are slowed by the wire obstacle they are easy to target with machine gun and artillery fire. Depending on the requirements and available resources, wire obstacles may range from a simple barbed wire fence in front of a defensive position, to elaborate patterns of fences, concertinas, "dragon's teeth" and minefields hundreds of metres thick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lock and key</span> Mechanical or electronic fastening device

A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object, by supplying secret information, by a combination thereof, or it may only be able to be opened from one side, such as a door chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Webbing stretcher</span> Upholstery tool

A webbing stretcher is an upholstery tool used to stretch webbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Glidden</span> American inventor (1813–1906)

Joseph Farwell Glidden was an American businessman and farmer. He was the inventor of the modern barbed wire. In 1898, he donated land for the Northern Illinois State Normal School in DeKalb, Illinois, which was renamed as Northern Illinois University in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lever tumbler lock</span> Type of lock

A lever tumbler lock is a type of lock that uses a set of levers to prevent the bolt from moving in the lock. In the simplest form of these, lifting the tumbler above a certain height will allow the bolt to slide past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cattle grid</span> Ground object that impedes animals but allows humans and vehicles to pass

A cattle grid – also known as a stock grid in Australia; cattle guard, or cattle grate in American English; vehicle pass, or stock gap in the Southeastern United States; Texas gate in western Canada and the northwestern United States; and a cattle stop in New Zealand English – is a type of obstacle used to prevent livestock, such as sheep, cattle, pigs, horses, or mules from passing along a road or railway which penetrates the fencing surrounding an enclosed piece of land or border. It consists of a depression in the road covered by a transverse grid of bars or tubes, normally made of metal and firmly fixed to the ground on either side of the depression, so that the gaps between them are wide enough for an animal's feet to enter, but sufficiently narrow not to impede a wheeled vehicle or human foot. This provides an effective barrier to animals without impeding wheeled vehicles, as the animals are reluctant to walk on the grates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric fence</span> Shock barrier to contain animals or people

An electric fence is a barrier that uses electric shocks to deter people and/or other animals from crossing a boundary. The voltage of the shock may have effects ranging from discomfort to death. Most electric fences are used for agricultural fencing and other forms of non-human animal control, although they are also used to protect high-security areas such as military installations or prisons, where potentially-lethal voltages may be used. Virtual electric fences for livestock using GPS technology have also been developed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Core drill</span> Drill specifically designed to remove a cylinder of material

A modern core drill is a drill specifically designed to remove a cylinder of material, much like a hole saw. The material left inside the drill bit is referred to as the core.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chain-link fencing</span> Type of woven metal fencing

A chain-link fence is a type of woven fence usually made from galvanized or linear low-density polyethylene-coated steel wire. The wires run vertically and are bent into a zigzag pattern so that each "zig" hooks with the wire immediately on one side and each "zag" with the wire immediately on the other. This forms the characteristic diamond pattern seen in this type of fence.

A fence viewer is a town or city official who administers fence laws by inspecting new fences and settles disputes arising from trespass by livestock that have escaped enclosure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Number 8 wire</span> Culturally significant wire gauge

Number 8 wire is a 0.16-inch-diameter (4.064 mm) gauge of wire on the British Standard Wire Gauge that has entered into the cultural lexicon of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortifications of the inner German border</span> East Germanys barriers to prevent its citizens from entering West Germany

The inner German border was a complex system of interlocking fortifications and security zones 1,381 kilometres (858 mi) long and several kilometres deep, running from the Baltic Sea to Czechoslovakia. The outer fences and walls were the most familiar and visible aspect of the system for Western visitors to the border zone, but they were merely the final obstacle for a would-be escapee from East Germany. The complexity of the border system increased steadily until it reached its full extent in the early 1980s. The following description and the accompanying diagram describe the border as it was around 1980.

Eben Ernest Hayes was a New Zealand engineer and inventor who founded the Hayes Engineering works in Oturehua, Central Otago. He developed a wind turbine and manufactured wind pumps and agricultural tools for farms.

Inductive discharge ignition systems were developed in the 19th century as a means to ignite the air–fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines. The first versions were low tension coils, then low-tension and in turn high-tension magnetos, which were offered as a more effective alternative to the older-design hot-tube ignitors that had been utilized earlier on hot tube engines. With the advent of small stationary engines; and with the development of the automobile, engine-driven tractors, and engine-driven trucks; first the magneto and later the distributor-type systems were utilized as part of an efficient and reliable engine ignition system on commercially available motorized equipment. These systems were in widespread use on all cars and trucks through the 1960s. Manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Citroen, Mercedes, John Deere, International Harvester, and many others incorporated them into their products. The inductive discharge system is still extensively used today.

The Fence Cutting Wars occurred near the end of the 19th century in the American Old West, and were a series of disputes between farmers and cattlemen with larger land holdings. As newcomers came to the American West to farm, established cattlemen began to fence off their larger tracts of land with barbed wire in order to protect them from the farmers' claims. The settlers viewed this as a closing of the open range, and began to cut fences to attempt to reclaim lands in the public domain. The ensuing, widespread series of conflicts was known as the Fence Cutting Wars.

References

  1. Orsman, H. W. (1999). The Dictionary of New Zealand English. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-558347-7.
  2. K., J.B. (31 July 2019). "Wire Gates and Fences". Denver: Colorado Department of Transportation . Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  3. "Wildlife Study Area Fence Installation". Sacramento: California Department of Parks and Recreation. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  4. Taranaki gate" in Collins English Dictionary.
  5. Nichols, Jesse "Tex" (9 May 1981). "The Lever-Lock Gate" (Interview). Interviewed by Fleischhauer, Carl; Wilson, William Albert. hdl:loc.afc/afc96ran.v029 via Library of Congress.