Rolling gate opener converted for roll up doors.

[jwmorris]

I’m not really sure why but roll up door openers seem to bring a premium while rolling gate openers can be found fairly cheap. So I picked one up a few years ago to see if I could make it work on my roll up doors.

These are the style I have but they don’t have the vevor name on them but were a little less expensive.

I looked through my chain sheaves and even online but couldn’t find any the right size for the chain on my doors and the door manufacturer doesn’t sell just that part, I’d have had to buy another complete setup to rob it from, so I made them.

Its two of these with a spacer between them for the parallel link and two 6” aluminum disks on the outside.

I drilled and tapped the original chain sprocket for 10-32 bolts to hold the stack of 5 parts. This is my newer one that I made the chain a bit tighter. These openers also have magnetic limit switches that attach to the gate, I wired in regular limit switches into their location and put them on the door frame.

There is a lockable release on the side, so if you lose power, you roll up the door as normal. This is my first one with a PVC collar on the chain. Both ways work, without does look better though. The first one is also smaller but it’s plenty for the 14x14 door it opens and closes.

They also have features like soft start/stop where they accelerate and slow once they get close to where they last tripped a limit switch.

Thought it might give someone else some ideas.

 

[Doorman63]

That’s definitely creative!!
Those links on the hand chain aren’t welded so keep an eye on them.

Most coiling door operators drive a gear via roller chain.
Here’s one I’m installing today

 

[jwmorris]

Oh, they’ve been in use for a couple years now, installed them before the insulation was blown in. The openers have torque sensing too, so if your gate rolled into something in the driveway they reverse. For the roll up doors, the most sensitive setting is where I keep them. More force would be imparted to the chain with a good swift yank of a mans arm, lifting the door from rest.

 

[BarryTX]

You really made it work! Nice project

 

[scootr]

I have one of these gate openers on one of my gates that gets a lot of traffic. Been in service for several years, no problems rolling a 500 pound gate across a 12 ft drive.

 

[pmsmechanic]

It would be real easy to build a slip clutch into the parts. Just a circular center part for the "sprockets and spacer" to rotate on. Then bolts as pictured for the putside 2 pieces with a slip clutch pad in between on each side. Springs on the bolts and set tension with how snugged up the bolts are.

 

[EddieWalker]

Super creative!!!!!

 

[jwmorris]

I have one of these gate openers on one of my gates that gets a lot of traffic. Been in service for several years, no problems rolling a 500 pound gate across a 12 ft drive.

Yeah around 6 years ago I installed one for a friend on a 20ft board on board rolling gate. I didn’t think it would work from the start (all the rolling gate openers I had messed with before were well over $1000 and built more robustly) but it impressed be enough to try a couple myself.