drive over air hose to close gate

[4570Man]

You might have to put a board over the hose. A tractor tire might be capable of rolling over a hose without compressing it.

 

[Wagtail]

You might find the parts you need here:

"Ding-Ding" - Milton's Bells | Official Site |Driveway Bells | Complete kits | Wireless Kits |

Bruce

I like that, Bruce. I suppose they'd be able to recommend an adaptor... we're 230V 50Hz.

 

[TO_Bud]

Low tech idea - set a post within reach from your seat with a rope and a couple of pulleys to unlatch gate as you drive through.

 

[ugabulldog]

Low tech idea - set a post within reach from your seat with a rope and a couple of pulleys to unlatch gate as you drive through.

I wanted it to be fool proof, in case someone forgot to close gate, including me

Thanks for all the replies guys, lots to think about and look into!!

 

[franklin2]

I think I would do it electrically with a outdoor motion sensor that is made for outdoor lighting. Something like this Amazon.com: Heath/Zenith SL-5407-BZ-B Replacement Motion Sensor, Bronze: Home Improvement

Since you will be using it to close the gate, false activations from animals and other stuff won't be a problem.

 

[Garandman]

If I was going to the trouble of making a powered gate, I'd have a remote control to open and close it.....

 

[BHD]

a post with a button on it to push to open and one on the other side to close, (most likely would need 4 posts all equipped with open and close buttons, so one can open or close going or coming,

problem I see with the hose is if two cars one following the gate could close on them or a long trailer,

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

Any ideas for activation? Like a through beam with reflector? Kinda like a garage door safety sensor. I'm sure they offer them in 12v. Most of them are 110V or 24V.

The through beam would work. You could also stay with your hose idea and may be able to rig up something pressure activated tied to the hose. A pressure switch tied to the hose could trip when you drive over it. Like someone else said make sure you don't use air in the hose because it can compress and may not give the pressure rise you are looking for.
There are probably a dozen different ways to do it, just depends what you have access to and how much you want to spend.

 

[CNC Dan]

air hose is not filled with actual "air" it is completely full of "fluid" most likely some sort of antifreeze / water mixture. perhaps RV antifreeze. fluid is not compressible, air is.....

All the ones I have seen were just air.
As kids, we had great fun blowing into the end of the open hose to make the bell at the gas station ring, then running off.

I think mrpete222 on youtube did a video on how the milton bell worked.

found it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjVz-72r44g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[jwmorris]

This switch will do what you want. Use 3/8" air hose and you have to plug the other end, no need for liquid.

Barksdale D1H-H18.

If you are going for a 12v DC latch I would stop by a junk yard and get an electric trunk latch, make sure you get the plug too, will take all the work out of the project.