Inlet fork

The infeed fork is a V-shaped component on a sliding gate, which is supposed to ensure that the closing edge of the gate finally finds its way into the lock despite certain deflections.

Sliding gates can be guided in different ways - only at the top, only at the side, side and bottom - and can be designed in one or more parts. Due to play, deformation, elasticity and forces acting across the closing path, the door leaf might not find its way into the lock smoothly. On the last stretch of the path, the prongs of the inlet fork therefore take on additional guidance. They lie horizontally next to each other and on the opening side far enough apart so that the gate runs in between, their distance then decreases and they finally guide the gate into the lock.

To ensure that the gate is guided sufficiently precisely and at the same time parallel on the last small part of the closing path, during which a striker penetrates a hole in the strike plate or a striker creates an additional form fit, a locking fork is often shaped on the inside so that it is the one on the outside lying contour resembles an outline Y.

Alternatively, a locking fork can also have prongs that are parallel to one another. Then a counterpart on the front of the gate must be wedge-shaped (and later parallel) in order to provide an analogue guide.

A locking fork and / or its counterpart typically protrudes from the edges of the gate and gate stop. In the case of sliding gates that are guided at the top or at the side, they therefore create tripping hazards due to the board near the floor. This can be avoided if the guide device is only made protruding in front of the door edge and the door is pulled back sufficiently far into a cover in the fully open position that the top of the guide disappears behind the cover.