Cantilevered Driveway Remote Gate

[JazzDad]

I looked at your first picture before I read any of the narrative. I thought it was the entrance to a military installation. Even the unusual green looks like some government contract colour.
Tool Time Tim would also like this!

 

[steveinmo]

Larry,

Very impressive!!! That's quite a project. No wonder it took you so long to tackle it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The only thing I might suggest is a chain oiler since it is exposed to the elements. They make a brush oiler with a reservoir that is stationary and just brushes oil on the chain as the chain moves post it. I looked on the internet to find a link and this is all I could come up with.

Brush Lubricator

Seeing what you've done with your gate, I have no doubt that you could make one yourself.

Nice project.

Steve

 

[EddieWalker]

Larry,

You did an amazing job both on building the gate and explaining how it works. The more I read, the more overwhelmed I became. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Too many technical details that I didn't comprehend, but enjoyed learning about.

I'm very curious about the pros and cons to your system. I understand the advantage of having it cantelevered to keep the end off the ground and out of the snow. That explains the need for the length of the gate.

My question is why couldn't you have used a wheel of some kind, either a solid rubber one, or something on a track to support the end, have the gate half as long, and just push it throught the snow? Does the snow really cause that much resistance? Seems the gate would be half as heavy if it was half as long, and it would take have the power to open and close it.

Why did you choose to use a sliding gate over a swinging one? I've always thought a swing gate would have less moving parts resulting in less maintenance and repairs. I've heard and experienced plenty of chain issues on sliding gates that lead me to this conclusion.

Isn't the main reason for a slider is lack of room for a swing style gate? If you have the room, isn't the swing gate better?

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[DCRC]

Are you selling guns at your Compound? LOL.

Pretty impressive. I modifed a gate setup like that for a friend of mine. They made it to wide and you could not get to the mailbox in the stone wall when the gate was open or closed.

The had a 1-2 foot extension added to the bottom of the gate for the chain to attach to. SO I cut about 15" inches of the other end of the gate so that when it closed it traveled another 15" so that you could get to the mailbox.

One thing you didn't mention was battery back up, or a way to put the motor in nuetrual to be able to manual open the gate in a power outage.

 

[GuglioLS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Driveway Alert Transmitter... looks like a cell phone antenna on top of it. Does it detect motion and then send an alert signal out? Did you make that or can it be bought? )</font>

The Driveway alert system is available from Northern Tool & many others here is the link to Northen tool.
The antenna you see is hooked up to the garage door receiver electronics for improved range. I also have a hard wire run all the way to the house so that we can open the gate from there as well.

 

[GuglioLS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...We had similar commercial units at work. They never worked worth a darn. )</font>

Just a quick note on reliailibilty - The gate has worked flawlessly for 7 years now. I grease the wheel bearings once a year. & the chain is oiled about every 4-6 months. The motor, Disk break & gear reducer are major heavyduty overkill they will last for many years to come.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...That is the most impressive 120V power feed I've ever seen. You may have addressed this but an overhead feed like this need lightning arrestors on each end. )</font>

One of my major concerns as well. I have had lightning strikes already that vaporized the fuses I placed at the gate end. But did not fry any circuit boards or relays (yet). This summer I am going to make the power go underground.

 

[GuglioLS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Larry,

.....The only thing I might suggest is a chain oiler since it is exposed to the elements. They make a brush oiler with a reservoir that is stationary and just brushes oil on the chain as the chain moves post it......
Steve )</font>

Hey Steve - what a cool idea thanks for the tip.
The chain is gettin a little rusty.

 

[GuglioLS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Larry,
......My question is why couldn't you have used a wheel of some kind, either a solid rubber one, or something on a track to support the end, have the gate half as long, and just push it throught the snow? Does the snow really cause that much resistance? Seems the gate would be half as heavy if it was half as long, and it would take have the power to open and close it. )</font>
Good question Eddie - Answer Snow, Ice, Hail & Mud.
A wheel would ride up on heavy packed snow or get frozen to the ground jamming up the gate. A track for a wheel to follow is a speed bump just waiting to be ripped out when I plow the snow. Another disadvantage to a wheel or track it that it must be level and clear of all debris at all times.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Why did you choose to use a sliding gate over a swinging one? I've always thought a swing gate would have less moving parts resulting in less maintenance and repairs. I've heard and experienced plenty of chain issues on sliding gates that lead me to this conclusion. )</font>

A swing gate will not open in deep snow, you must first plow or (Heaven Forbid) shovel? the snow away from the gate, then open the gate then plow / shovel? the snow on the other side. With a Sliding gate – simply open the gate and keep on plowing, no inefficient back & forth motions with the tractor to clear out the snow in front of the gate before you can open it.

Chain Issues – Another good point and question, I have solved this with the unique attachment design. I have a spring attached to the chain on both ends of the gate that absorbs the start up & stopping forces on the chain, and turnbuckles to keep the chain properly tensioned. Also the limit switches work every time all the time – A major factor in keeping the chain from breaking.
Take a close look at picture # 10 for the chain attachment details.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Isn't the main reason for a slider is lack of room for a swing style gate? If you have the room, isn't the swing gate better? )</font>

Yes and No, The main reasons around here (for a lot of things) are sometimes dictated by weather.
Swing gate vs. Slider gate in some parts of the country are a matter of preference, style or how well it might fit into the application of the individuals circumstances. My choice was a slider because I didn’t want to have to plow the snow first before I could open my gate.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to answer your questions.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for the reply. Since I've never lived in an area that gets snow, I didn't consider the build up or plowing concerns.

What's common knowledge to some it totally forign to me. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Eddie

 

[GuglioLS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ……One thing you didn't mention was battery back up, or a way to put the motor in nuetrual to be able to manual open the gate in a power outage. )</font>

Aha yes the famous “reliable” Electric Coop power NOT!

Well a couple of answers, I choose the one that best fits the circumstances.

1. Good excuse not to go to work – “I’m locked in and I can’t get out” LOL
2. I remove one of the turnbuckles from the chain then manually push it open / pull it closed. This is what I do most of the time, not too often though, our power seems to go out on weekends or at night during a bad storm.
3. Fire up the 10KW backup generator before the wife comes home so she can push the button like nothings wrong.
4. Don’t open the gate or don’t fire up the generator if the wife “has” to go out shopping.

 

[ejtaylor822]

Larry,
Very cool! You need to come take care of the gate (ie, build a new one) at the storage units that we rent! They are nowhere as a nice as what you have, nor as heavy duty. A couple of times they have stuck half way open on me.

Good job and well done!

Eddie

 

[ns_in_tex]

Hi Eddie,
I can't address the safety of swing gates. Don't have much experience with them. I did install a slide gate about 25 years ago. Built on the same order as Larry's, except:
1. Gate made out of 2" medium wall tubing( Less than schedule 40).
2. About 21' opening
3. About 31" overall (I think)
4. Probably not near the concrete Larry has in his.

About the most trouble we have had, is from lightning.
It has a 1 HP slide gate operator on it which we purchased & installed the system ourselves.

I would be glad to show it to you, if you were ever interested.
We are not that far apart.

 

[EddieWalker]

Neal,

Are you the same Neal on Pondboss????

My question on the gate is strictly based on interest. I have no plans or need for an electric gate at this time. It's just very interesting to me.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[gates]

GuglioLs,

Nice job on the gates. I recently fabricated and installed a twin cantilever gate system. I love it. I will be using commercial operators. They handle loss of electric by having the opener disengage from the gate when no power is available. This allows the gate to be manually opened with no tools. Some have a lever or foot pedal to depress to release the gate from the opener. You may be able to incorporate some of these concepts in your design.

Ron

 

[gates]

Another picture.

 

[gates]

Another.

 

[gates]

Another one.

 

[gates]

Last one.

 

[heehaw]

now that is nice..can we have some details on what the gates are made of, how you installed them etc..
a standard garage door opener has a release handle so the doors can be operated by hand.
heehaw

 

[gates]

Heehaw,

The gates are made of 2"x5"x.125" aluminum box tubing. After fabrication I had them powder coated. This was a real task. I had to find a coater with a big enough oven for the gates. The cantilever system is from Europe. It uses a track and a trolley. It is the same concept as your typical sliding barn door but the track & trolley are on the bottom. These systems can handle huge loads. The track is galvanized steel that I had powder coated. The trolley is galvanized from the manufacturer and has sealed bearings on the guide wheels. The upper guide is galvanized and powder coated. Each guide has 4 teflon guide wheels to guide the gate. The mounts for the trolleys are made out of 6"x6"x1/2" aluminum angle (powder coated). The mounts are u-bolted to the posts. This gives me my adjustability. The u-bolts I had made out of stainless. I wanted as little maintenance as possible thus all parts are aluminum or stainless and powder coated. The gates are effortlessly opened. I have replaced all 17 gates on my farm with these. There are no hinge, post, swing, opening, sagging or ground contour issues. I will never own another swing gate!

Ron