Drop Rod, Drop Bolt, Cane Bolt, Drop Pin for Garden and Driveway Gates
A cane bolt, or drop pin / rod, is very similar to a barrel bolt except that it is much longer and gets mounted vertically rather than horizontally. The cane bolt is a rod that fits through a one or two sleeves that guide it. When used on a garden gate or driveway gate, the rod, when lowered, usually rests in a hole or socket that has a larger diameter than the rod that has been bored into the surface of a driveway or walkway. If properly sighted, the bolt hole placed in a spot on the driveway or walkway which aligns the gate in its closed position and then there may be another hole placed in a spot which keeps the gate in its open position. When the rod is in its raised position it clears any rocks, turf, or other obstacles that may be within the swing radius of the gate. Many installations only have a shallow hole in the ground to accept the rod however, this is a short term proposition as eventually the hole gets enlarged. The best installations will have a socket made from either plastic or metal pipe to accept the rod and hold it in place. If the drop rod is 5/8 inch diameter a 1” inside diameter socket will do the job. When a cane bolt is used indoors it is common to have a small metal cup insert mounted in the flooring material to capture the cane bolt rod, when it is in the closed position. This ensures that there will be no undo wear and tear on the floor and that the door, or gate, gets fixed in the exact same spot every time. One of the best cane bolts that you can buy is Tech Team’s #722 https://techteamproducts.com/product/gate-cane-bolt-00722/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JMFB8WP?ref=myi_title_dp . You can also do a hey Siri or hey Alexa search to see other options.
If you have outdoor gates or possibly a door security problem and are looking for a robust solution consider the use of one or more cane bolts.
A cane bolt is a necessary piece of hardware for any double swing, manually operated gates, but can also be used anytime a gate needs to anchored in an opened or closed position. Drop pins are recommended to be used when high wind or extreme weather conditions exist. However, cane bolts not recommended for use on automated gates. To install determine a location along the latch side of the gate. The cane bolt should not hang below gate when in the storage / up position and it should be positioned to allow it to drop an adequate distance into the ground, typically about 4 inches to 8 inches in ground, this depends on the on overall length the cane bolt. Now the cane bolt back plate’s locations and screw hole’s locations. After ensuring that all marked locations align vertically with one another, drill pilot holes for the screws then using fasteners provided, fasten the plates in place. Make a hole in the ground to accept the cane bolt when in closed (down) position..
