Gate stop

Claim 2

A gate stop comprising: 1. a flat plate having on the face of the plate a forward first section, a central second section, and a rear third section, each of said sections extending from the upper boundary of said plate to the lower boundary; 2. a narrow slit through the face of said plate following a path beginning at the junction of said second and said third sections near said lower boundary, extending toward said first section, then upwardly toward said upper boundary and then toward said third section, and terminating at the junction of said second and said third sections near said upper boundary to form a flap defined by said slit which projects outwardly in the same plane from said third section when said third section is bent perpendicular to said second section; and 3. a weakened area at the junction of said first section and said second section to allow said first section to be bent perpendicular to said second section.

Claim 3

The gate stop defined in claim 1 wherein said flat plate is rectangular.

Claim 4

The gate stop defined in claim 2 wherein said first and said third sections are perforated to allow connecting means to penetrate the flat plate for attachment to a gate post.

Claim 5

The gate stop defined in claim 2 wherein said weakened area is a rectangular hole with the sides of the rectangular hole being substantially parallel to the sides of said plate.

Claim 6

The gate stop defined in claim 2 wherein said narrow slit extends towards said first section parallel to said lower boundary, upwardly parallel to the ends of said plate and towards said third section parallel to the upper boundary to form a substantially rectangular flap when said third section is bent perpendicular to said second section.

Claim 7

The gate stop defined in claim 2 wherein said plate is a metallic plate.

Claim 8

A gate stop comprising: 1. a flat rigid rectangular plate having on the face of the plate a first forward section, a second central section, and a third rear section, and having an upper and a lower boundary. 2. a narrow slit following a path beginning at the junction of said second and said third sections near said lower boundary extending (a) substantially parallel to said lower boundary toward said first section, (b) then upward parallel to the ends of said plate, and then (c) toward said third section parallel to the upper boundary of said plate, and terminating at the junction of said second and said third sections near said upper boundary to provide a flap defined by said slit which projects outwardly from said third section when said third section is bent perpendicular to said second section; and 3. a weakened area at the junction of said first and said second sections to allow said first section to be bent perpendicular to said second section.

Claim 9

A gate stop comprising: 1. a flat rigid rectangular plate having on the face of the plate a first forward section, a second central section, and a third rear section, and having an upper and a lower boundary. 2. a narrow slit following a path beginning at the junction of said second and said third sections near said lower boundary extending (a) substantially parallel to said lower boundary toward said first section, (b) then upward parallel to the ends of said plate, and then (c) toward said third section parallel to the upper boundary of said plate, and terminating at the junction of said second and said third sections near said upper boundary to provide a flap defined by said slit which projects outwardly from said third section when said third section is bent perpendicular to said second section; and 3. a weakened area at the junction of said first and said second sections to allow said first section to be bent perpendicular to said second section.

Claim 10

The gate stop defined in claim 7 wherein said third section has a length form 0.1 to 0.3 times the length of the rectangular plate.

Claim 11

The gate stop defined in claim 7 wherein said weakened area is a rectangular hole with the sides of the rectangular hole being parallel to the sides of said rectangular plate.

Claim 12

The gate stop defined in claim 9 wherein the area of said rectangular hole is form 0.05 to 0.3 times the area of the rectangular plate.

Claim 13

In combination: A. an elongated column having a rectangular cross-sectional area; B. a flat rectangular plate having a first section connected to a first side of said column, a second section perpendicular to said first section and connected to a second side of said column adjacent said fist side and a third section perpendicular to said second section extending in the same direction as said first section and connected to a third side of said column opposite said first side, a flap parallel to said third section extending outwardly from the junction of aid third section and said second section; and wherein said flap is formed (1) by a long narrow slit through said second section beginning at the junction of said third and said second sections near the lower boundary of said plate extending through said second section along a path forming said flap and terminating at the junction of said third and said second sections near the upper boundary of said plate and (2) by bending said second section perpendicular to said third section thereby forcing the flap to extend outwardly from said third section.

Claim 14

In combination: A. an elongated column having a rectangular cross-sectional area; B. a flat rectangular plate having a first section connected to a first side of said column, a second section perpendicular to said first section and connected to a second side of said column adjacent said fist side and a third section perpendicular to said second section extending in the same direction as said first section and connected to a third side of said column opposite said first side, a flap parallel to said third section extending outwardly from the junction of aid third section and said second section; and wherein said flap is formed (1) by a long narrow slit through said second section beginning at the junction of said third and said second sections near the lower boundary of said plate extending through said second section along a path forming said flap and terminating at the junction of said third and said second sections near the upper boundary of said plate and (2) by bending said second section perpendicular to said third section thereby forcing the flap to extend outwardly from said third section.