[Help] - Lifting Gates

[kinggregus]

Dear Technic Engineers,

When I stumbble around this part of the forum, I am always in admiration with what you are able to achieve. I believe one of you will be able to help me achieve what I'd like to do for my next MOC.

I am trying to have two gates lift together. The lift support for this lift would be on one side of it. (Not on the top nor on multiple sides). Ideally, the mechanism for this lift would be at the bottom.

I had initially come up with a design that you can se below but it proved to be too weak to lift the gates. Do you guys have any idea for a mechanism that would life the gates? Do you have any improvements to suggest?

Thanks in advance,

Here is the gate design:

Here is the layout I had built:

I am sorry for the poor quality of the above picture. I did not want to destroy the whole MOC yet. I hope however that you will understand the main features of the mechanism from that picture. My idea was to have the four technic bars rotate at the same speed and lift the gate thanks to the gear worm screw. On the other side, there would be a wall preventing the gate to fall off.

[DrJB]

Does it need to be geared or can you simply use ropes/strings and pully ... motor spinds one way to lift gate, and gravity does the trick to lower the gate.

You can use a crank mechanism where rotation gets transformed into translation ... check Akiyuki's multiple GBC designs for inspiration.

Edited November 17, 2014 by DrJB

[TheNextLegoDesinger]

you can use a winch so you're gate goes up.

[kinggregus]

Does it need to be geared or can you simply use ropes/strings and pully ... motor spinds one way to lift gate, and gravity does the trick to lower the gate.

You can use a crank mechanism where rotation gets transformed into translation ... check Akiyuki's multiple GBC designs for inspiration.

Thanks DrJB. It does not necessarily need to be geared. However, I wanted to avoid having a mechanism above the gate - if that makes any sense. I fear that by using ropes/strings, part of the mechanism has to go above the gate. If there are no altenatives, I will try to use the option and use the ropes on the extremities.

Thanks also for linking me to Akiyuki's GBC... They are amazing.

you can use a winch so you're gate goes up.

Thanks TheNextLegoDesinger. Your advise is greatly appreciated. As above I am trying to avoid using any ropes. However, if this ends up being the best altenative, I will use that one.

[2x4Studios]

You could use a pulley, have it go from the bottom of the gate to the to the top of what the gate is held in, do this to both sides to make the gate open equally, the other option is to have a shaft going across the frame that is holding in the gate and have a gear connecting to the rack and pinion, then you can have your motor assembly at the side and only a small shaft above the gate

[Dalafik]

It's strange that your mechanism doesn't work as intended. Using a worm gear is the natural choice for lifting something in Technic, since it prevents lifted object from going down. Although I am not yet an expert, I see two possible reasons for your problem:

1. you are gearing up instead of gearing down the system;
   
2. your motor is not powerful enough (which one do you use?).
   

Either way, you don't have enough torque.

[TheNextLegoDesinger]

It's strange that your mechanism doesn't work as intended. Using a worm gear is the natural choice for lifting something in Technic, since it prevents lifted object from going down. Although I am not yet an expert, I see two possible reasons for your problem:

1. you are gearing up instead of gearing down the system;
   
2. your motor is not powerful enough (which one do you use?).
   

Either way, you don't have enough torque.

yeah mayby you should put a L-motor in it. You could also put a few worm gears on each other so you get a long worm.

it should be better to if you put your worms on eather side of the gate so the gate can't move out of the gears