Barrier with panels sliding parallel

1. A residential barrier employed to keep children or pets in or out of certain areas, comprising:

a) a first panel comprising a first rectangular frame and a first grid within the first rectangular frame;

b) a second panel comprising a second rectangular frame and a second grid within the second rectangular frame, with the first and second panels being engaged to each other and being slideable relative to each other in parallel fashion;

c) a connector connecting the first and second panels, with the connector including a base, with the base traversing each of the first and second panels, with the base being fixedly connected to the first panel and including a lip for guiding and retaining the second panel, with the connector further including a swinging clamp pivotally connected to the base and engagable to said second panel to fix said first and second panels relative to each other in a nonsliding fashion;

d) a first bottom horizontally extending member having a front section, a mid-section, and a rear section, the first bottom horizontally extending member being engaged to the first panel at a right angle;

e) a second bottom horizontally extending member having a front section, a mid-section, and a rear section, the second bottom horizontally extending member being engaged to the second panel at a right angle;

f) said front sections extending forwardly of each of the first and second panels;

g) said rear sections extending rearwardly of each of the first and second panels;

h) the front and rear sections of the first bottom horizontally extending member having respective first and second feet depending therefrom to space said front and rear sections from the floor;

i) the front and rear sections of the second bottom horizontally extending member having respective third and fourth feet depending therefrom to space said front and rear sections from the floor;

j) the first panel having a fifth foot depending therefrom to space the first panel from the floor; and

k) the second panel having a sixth foot depending therefrom to space the second panel from the floor.

2. The residential barrier of claim 1 , wherein:

a) the first panel includes a first lower horizontally extending member having a first height, and wherein the mid-section of the first bottom horizontally extending member includes a second height, the first and second heights being generally the same; and

b) wherein the second panel includes a second lower horizontally extending member having a third height, and wherein the mid-section of the second bottom horizontally extending member includes a fourth height, the third and fourth heights being generally the same.

3. The residential barrier of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second rectangular frames comprises wood.

4. The residential barrier of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second panels includes an outer end and an inner end, wherein said fifth foot is adjacent to said inner end of the first panel, and wherein said sixth foot is adjacent to said inner end of the second panel.

5. The residential barrier of claim 1 , wherein:

a) each of the front sections includes an end, and wherein each said foot of each said front section is adjacent said end; and

b) each of the rear sections includes an end, and wherein each said foot of each said rear section is adjacent said end.

6. A residential barrier employed to keep children or pets in or out of certain areas, comprising:

a) a first panel comprising a first rectangular frame and a first grid within the first rectangular frame;

b) a second panel comprising a second rectangular frame and a second grid within the second rectangular frame, with the first and second panels being engaged to each other and being slideable relative to each other in parallel fashion;

c) a connector connecting the first and second panels, with the connector including a base, with the base traversing each of the first and second panels, with the base being fixedly connected to the first panel and including a lip for guiding and retaining the second panel, with the connector further including a swinging clamp pivotally connected to the base and engagable to said second panel to fix said first and second panels relative to each other in a nonsliding fashion; and

d) wherein the swinging clamp includes first and second ends, with the first end being pivotally connected to said base, with the second end including a cylindrical portion, and with the cylindrical portion engaging said second panel to fix said first and second panels relative to each other in a nonsliding fashion.

7. The residential barrier of claim 6 , wherein the cylindrical portion is a roller.

8. A locking mechanism for permitting first and second objects to slide by each other and for fixing the first and second objects together in a nonsliding fashion, the locking mechanism comprising:

a) a base, the base being fixed to the first object, the base including a lip that confronts the second object; and

b) a swinging element, the swinging element having first and second ends, the first end being pivotally connected to the base on a first axis, the second end having a cylindrical portion on a second axis, the first and second axes being parallel to each other, the swinging element being swingable away from the base to an unlocked position in which the first and second objects can slide by each other, the swinging element being swingable toward the base to a locked position in which the cylindrical portion engages the second object such that the cylindrical portion pinches the second object to the base that is fixed to the first object such that the first and second objects are fixed together in a nonsliding fashion.

9. The locking mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the cylindrical portion is a roller.