Estate gates, effectively tall drive way gates around 5 or 6ft tall, because of the additional height this allows for a massive possibility in terms of designs, although some of these designs will work for gates around 4ft tall, some redesigning might be required.
This is primary help in designing your own gate. A large number of possibilities that can in many case be mixed and matched. Although you may just find a design here that you like and don’t want to change.
if you haven’t looked at the bars page yet this would help as it contains individual details on upright bar designs, this page mainly deals with frame design, but obviously does contain design patterns.
A point to note is that these gates are drawn at around 3mtrs wide for a pair. Wider gates will need to have more bars to maintain a sensible bar gap, likewise narrower gates will need less bars.
Rectangular frame, with a mid horizontal bar to provide support for the upright bars.. It is usual to space the bars around 100mm (4 inches). although distance between bars would depend on specific needs, Ideal as a no frills gate to provide security.. Although frills can be added in the form of a pattern in the gate.
A simple traditional idea, if you are trying to keep smaller animals in or out, then you need bars closer together. Taking the bar part way up, can give you close bottom gapping of 75mm or less.. With gaps of around 150mm on the upper bars. On old traditional style gates it wasn’t unusual to have 2 half or dog bars, between each upright. This practice in modern designs seems to have died out.
An arch top version of the flat top one, with this arch it starts flat then rises up and then the curve is reversed mid way through so it creates a “flowing” arch top. Usually 5ft and the hanging side and 6ft in the centre. This would depend on customer requirements, one of the things that you have to bear in mind is width of the gate. A single leaf at 4ft wide with a rise of 1ft in the middle, will be a more pronounced curve than that of an 8ft single leaf
Looks almost the same as the previous version with the except of the double centre bar and detail contained within. But the arch is different here just a curve that starts from a small shoulder then rises to the centre.. it really is a small difference but its always about personal preference and something that can be done when making gates to order.. The addition of the double mid bar adds strength and does allow detail to be added, but it does create more work
Reversing the arch with shoulders so that instead of going up, it now goes down. usually 6ft tall at hanging side and 5ft in the middle. Again this would be decided on the width of the gate and how much of a profile you want to the curve.
This is just the 3rd design with the arch flipped, creates and alternative version to create a lower centre. The drawing has detail in middle and top but can easily be plain with out any of the detail or some of it.
So now we have some basic ideas of gate shapes possible time to look at in more detail. what can be done in terms of internal design
Using a plain frame, but here C scroll pairs line the top of the gate to provide some detail.
Same as the plain frame but an arched version Circles could be used as an alternative, it has a small issue in that mass produced circles can be used to reduce cost, but they are available in limited sizes 150mm and 130mm, these size are not alway ideal to fit the gap, Although hand made circles can be made but obviously not as cheaply as mass produced.
C scrolls in top following the arch, but has a double centre bar with C scrolls detailing the gap between middle bars
Just the double middle bar not top c Scroll detail. Double middle bars are idea for gates that will be automated, the double bar adds strength and rigidity to the gate.
Flat top gate with top C scrolls and double bar details
A tiny difference here between this and previous gate, this has a double top bar. only a small detail but a matter of choice, the additional bar adds more work and thus adds to the cost.
Finally into the internal patterns of the gate
Parallel double top bar. A mix of twisted bar, cage and ring bar. individual bar positions can be swapped around to change the pattern as required
Same pattern as before but a tweak to the top, missing the double bar but instead of pairs of C scroll. a single C scroll turned side ways, another alternative option to frame
Justed cage bars here, but unlike the previous few with patterns you notice these partly follow the contour of the shape of the top gate, rather than just remain level
Twist and ring bar pattern, but this could be use in a plain arched frame without top detail or middle detail. or even in any of the flat top frames or dip down ones.
Using an alternative plain and ring bar pattern following top contour
Twisted bar and cage bar pattern
Simple alternate twisted bars
You seen this pattern before but in an arched frame, but here it is in a dip frame. Just to prove the patterns are changeable between frame types
Scroll pattern that follows the curve with double mid bar.
Plain frame but still the same pattern, as previous gate. just showing how the frame can help define the look of the gate.
Single Scroll and cage pattern, but could just as easy be multiple ones in each gate.
Didn’t realise until i had saved the drawing that i had got some of the scroll in the wrong orientation, but thought it was still worth placing here, as you can figure out the idea for the pattern and decide which way you want the scrolls up.
A full scrolled top half lower railing heads have been dropped so as to accommodate the scrolls
Pattern here is base on something i did a few years ago. effectively get a circle cut into 4 quarters, shape until it fits the upright bar you are using and weld and grind in. time consuming but a nice effect.
Same parts but adding a twist in
This was the original pattern for the previous two. but in a railing, works fine in a gate.
No idea what this was, perhaps a late night coffee fuelled madness of drawing, but top half is full C scroll. but its all about ideas. if it gives some good inspiration then great.
Railing heads can obviously be changed for a different styles. Round or Square can be used as option for the uprights. The lower bars, dog bars on these drawings are drawn as 12mm thick bars but can easily be from 16mm which is what the main upright bars are drawn as.
As said the patterns can be swapped between frame designs, if you have looked at some of the other designs for other types of gates, you should realise that a twist can be swapped for a ring bar can be swapped for a cage etc
Sorry none of the designs have a circle as detail through middle or top, but excluding those. you have at least 5 possibilities on frame shape. then you Flat, flat with double middle bar etc, which adds another 5 possibilities. So just on the frames and frame you have 25 possible choices.
With perhaps 12 or so possible infill designs drawn here, with some imagination that can obviously be expanded based on the examples here. Swapping bars out for alternatives.. There must be at least 30 plus. then based on the frames that gives 25 x 30 so at least 750 designs of which sadly as much as i would like, i just dont have the time to draw and post on here