davedj1
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You're welcome! LOL
Creative Way to Open a Gate | Open Sesame - YouTube
Creative Way to Open a Gate | Open Sesame - YouTube
Self-closing gravity gate (angled hinges)
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jwmorris
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This one was thrown together for 3 wheelers decades ago and still works.
There is am old motor that burned up but still spins to this day that was used to locate and let the gate spin on the bottom, and old broken garage door spring slid over a piece of pipe brings it back to center when you come or go.
I still can believe that not a single horse or cow has ever figured it out. We have had a few that were smart enough to figure out how to walk across a cattle guard by stepping on top of the pipes over the years.
The neatest design I have seen was in use on the King ranch, it was a pipe in the center with a gate on the right for going one way and another on the left if you were comming from the other direction (that would then be your right). Cables went from the top of the pipe to the tips of each gate on either side, that's what held them up. So you drive into a gate and twists the cables around the center pipe as they open, you drive through and gravity closes the gates.
There is am old motor that burned up but still spins to this day that was used to locate and let the gate spin on the bottom, and old broken garage door spring slid over a piece of pipe brings it back to center when you come or go.
I still can believe that not a single horse or cow has ever figured it out. We have had a few that were smart enough to figure out how to walk across a cattle guard by stepping on top of the pipes over the years.
The neatest design I have seen was in use on the King ranch, it was a pipe in the center with a gate on the right for going one way and another on the left if you were comming from the other direction (that would then be your right). Cables went from the top of the pipe to the tips of each gate on either side, that's what held them up. So you drive into a gate and twists the cables around the center pipe as they open, you drive through and gravity closes the gates.
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Sodo
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That works great for an ATV but spring pressure would drag the gate on the side of the car.
I like the cable wrap method too, but same thing.
They need to bump-swing out ahead of the car and latch. And then there's some cable/remote scheme to unlatch them farther down the drive. I like devices/mechanisms, but am inclined to have "the works" hidden for this driveway gate. The spring can be hidden, and the cable looks like a guy-wire so those are useful ideas that I'm hiding away in my bag of tricks - thanks!
I like the cable wrap method too, but same thing.
They need to bump-swing out ahead of the car and latch. And then there's some cable/remote scheme to unlatch them farther down the drive. I like devices/mechanisms, but am inclined to have "the works" hidden for this driveway gate. The spring can be hidden, and the cable looks like a guy-wire so those are useful ideas that I'm hiding away in my bag of tricks - thanks!
jwmorris
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Yeah, both methods require you to bump and drive. If you fool around long enough they are going to close back on you just like the angled hinge idea.
I suppose you could always do a 12V opener gate with in ground coils that open it from either direction, then you can set the time delay from a few seconds to minutes before they close.
I suppose you could always do a 12V opener gate with in ground coils that open it from either direction, then you can set the time delay from a few seconds to minutes before they close.
Ever see the inside of a music box?
They have a geared wheel that has to play at a certain speed so the music doesn't sound too fast. They use a governor fan.
Other devices use mechanical governors too. "balls out" for steam engines comes to mind.
So that Governor keeps a wheel from spinning too fast. If you put a ratcheting wheel on top of it you could have a latch on your gate open with a bump and when it hits the ratcheting wheel it's latch tries to spin your gear but since it's governed it can only spin so fast. That gives you time to drive through the opening and when the wheels finally spins back around the latch is released and the angle hinge or spring or whatever will close the gate.
As I think of it you could make the Governor wheel use a torsion spring or even a tightened bearing or washers so that it's hard to spin.
Think of a socket wrench on a hard to turn bolt. Instead of a handle its a wheel with notches cut all around it. Your gate, under spring tension (or gravity from angle hinges) opens, clicks the ratchet one more click and tries to return to closed position but since the wrench is hard to turn it does this slowly (while you drive through) and eventually it spins far enough around so the latch of your gate (like a finger) slips out of the notches you have cut into your wheel (ratchet handle) and closes. Done.
They have a geared wheel that has to play at a certain speed so the music doesn't sound too fast. They use a governor fan.
Other devices use mechanical governors too. "balls out" for steam engines comes to mind.
So that Governor keeps a wheel from spinning too fast. If you put a ratcheting wheel on top of it you could have a latch on your gate open with a bump and when it hits the ratcheting wheel it's latch tries to spin your gear but since it's governed it can only spin so fast. That gives you time to drive through the opening and when the wheels finally spins back around the latch is released and the angle hinge or spring or whatever will close the gate.
As I think of it you could make the Governor wheel use a torsion spring or even a tightened bearing or washers so that it's hard to spin.
Think of a socket wrench on a hard to turn bolt. Instead of a handle its a wheel with notches cut all around it. Your gate, under spring tension (or gravity from angle hinges) opens, clicks the ratchet one more click and tries to return to closed position but since the wrench is hard to turn it does this slowly (while you drive through) and eventually it spins far enough around so the latch of your gate (like a finger) slips out of the notches you have cut into your wheel (ratchet handle) and closes. Done.
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Sodo
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:drink: < - - - - NOW we're talkin! - - - - > :drink:
I was just wondering two days ago what was the origin of the idiom "balls out". I had concluded it was a young-man's term
(that perhaps I should not use in my girls presence) but the guv-nor thing gives me an out if I ever have to explain it. However that guv'nor is a steam-metering-mechanism, not to scrub off energy.Thanks anyway for bringing it up
:thumbsup: it was timely too.But anyway a ratchet could operate a flywheel, with vanes that move air etc..... so the gate could bump open quickly, and close in a "damped" manner. A 1/2" ratchet from harbor freight can certainly handle that part of the job. With a grease fitting too. But that's a lot of components that could get gummed up. I want this gate to open & close two-way, like saloon doors, so how to use one damper mechanism that works both ways.....?
Now you've got me thinking of damping it with air pressure, like a bellows might be the way to do that. So when the gate opens it lifts a weight (that will close it). But a lightly spring-loaded bellows takes air in quickly and opens UNDER the weight. A flapper closes and bleeds out slowly, dropping the weight slowly.
OK enough of that, but it was fun. In the time it took to noodle that idea it occurred to me to just use a cable that pulls on a hydraulic door-closer. Quick open and slow close. They are dime-a-dozen (somewhere).
I gathered up a tub of them, knowing they'd be useful someday. Then wisely tossed them out when no "need" arose for several years. And so it goes, spanked for hoarding, spanked again for tossing stuff out.
Well you got me to a workable solution! (I think)
Good stuff, thanks!
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aczlan
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If you use the ratchet, I would permanently attach a 1/2" extension to the head of a 4" long 3/4" bolt, then run the bolt through a tube with a washer or two top and bottom and a heavy spring (valvespring?) to keep tension
Something like this (but vertical rather than horizontal):
>++@[[====]]{{{]##
Aaron Z
Something like this (but vertical rather than horizontal):
>++@[[====]]{{{]##
- >++ would be the 1/2" extension
- @ would be the head of the bolt
- [[ would be the washer(s) under the head of the bolt
- ==== would be the tube that the bolt runs through
- ]] would be the washer(s) between the tube and the spring
- {{{ would be the spring to keep tension on the bolt
- ] would be the washer under the spring
- ## would be the nut(s) on the bottom
Aaron Z
I would put the ratchet mechanism at the end of the gate, opposite of the hinge on a stop post (not attached to the gate itself) . You'd need 4 total for two saloon style gates.
A door opener as you have pictured would probably not open easily enough to bump with a car.
The mechanism you use would be easiest to implement separately and independently from the gate as a catch on a post that the gate hits at max opening.
The air pressure idea is cool too but how to implement it?
This is fun.
A door opener as you have pictured would probably not open easily enough to bump with a car.
The mechanism you use would be easiest to implement separately and independently from the gate as a catch on a post that the gate hits at max opening.
The air pressure idea is cool too but how to implement it?
This is fun.
Use a big version of a pneumatic screen door closer.
BATTALION Manual Pneumatic-Series Door Closer, Standard Duty Interior, Black - 4PB53'|'4PB53 - Grainger
Bruce
BATTALION Manual Pneumatic-Series Door Closer, Standard Duty Interior, Black - 4PB53'|'4PB53 - Grainger
Bruce
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Sodo
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Aaron I like to build stuff but I'm loaded down currently, have to look for the easest way. But still wanna have some fun.
Pretty sure the better ones have two adjustments, one for opening speed, and another screw for closing speed. For the bump to work, must be able to back off the opening speed to "zero resistance". The weight of the gate, and the bump-spring might be able to overcome it.
Yes it is!
Bruce you always come through! I think this might just work as is. Grainger usually adds a "premium" which is typical of these big industry suppliers, where the facilities guy couldn't care less about the price his company has to pay. But anyway they are good for helping to find components for sure!! Here's a similar heavy-door closer for $12 on Amazon http://a.co/5shtcex A "standard item" that can be replaced after 10 years, is good. Maybe buy the spares NOW.
I'll have to make a hold-open mechanism too. Maybe if you bump harder it overshoots to a manual catch.
One mechanism per door is preferable.
Pretty sure the better ones have two adjustments, one for opening speed, and another screw for closing speed. For the bump to work, must be able to back off the opening speed to "zero resistance". The weight of the gate, and the bump-spring might be able to overcome it.
Yeah but that's a lot of other moving parts that must be built reliable AND not gum up (outdoors).
Yeah, a cable weight on a bag of open-cell foam rubber, with neoprene mouse-pad flappers, inside a garbage can?
Yes it is!
Bruce you always come through! I think this might just work as is. Grainger usually adds a "premium" which is typical of these big industry suppliers, where the facilities guy couldn't care less about the price his company has to pay. But anyway they are good for helping to find components for sure!! Here's a similar heavy-door closer for $12 on Amazon http://a.co/5shtcex A "standard item" that can be replaced after 10 years, is good. Maybe buy the spares NOW.
I'll have to make a hold-open mechanism too. Maybe if you bump harder it overshoots to a manual catch.