AU604800B2

AU604800B2 - Gate controller

Info

Publication number: AU604800B2
Application number: AU82028/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stephen John Harries; Errol Maxwell Kowald; Royden James William Lake; John Chisnall Moore
Original assignee: University of New England
Current assignee: NEW ENGLAND THE, University of
Priority date: 1986-12-04
Filing date: 1987-12-02
Publication date: 1991-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2007-12-02
Also published as: AU8202887A

Description

'7r 604800 S F Ref: 44307 FORM Pem7:ir--~Tl;:-: II ki i i. 2

:IIILLLL

iT j COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

LO

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Application Number: PH9316 I r r tr r re t t i r rr Lodged: 2 December 1986 Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: a HIUNI LH TET DO S ND LLA Name and Address of Applicant: University of New England Centre For Electronics in Armidale NSW 2351

AUSTRALIA

Agriculture L AIL OFFICE.

Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Royden James William Lake, Errol Maxwell Kowald, John Chisnall Moore, Stephen John Harries, Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Gate Controller The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 5815/2 GATE CONTROLLER The present invention relates to a gate controller, and more specifically but not exclusively to power operated gate opening/closing apparatus.

There exists a variety of power operated gate opening/closing apparatus designed for specific markets such as residential or commercial entrances etc. However, these known designs have not catered for the agricultural industry wherein such apparatus is necessarily inexpensive since a plurality of gates are often required on land used for agricultural purposes. Further, these designs often require the gate per se to be designed to suit the gate opening apparatus, that is, the gate and gate opening/closing apparatus are specially designed to match one another.

As such, the type of gates commonly in use on agricultural properties are often not suitable for use with available power operable gate opening 0 0o°".2 apparatus. Alternatively, the agricultural gates must be extensively o modified to suit the available apparatus.

Furthermore, as most gates on agricultural properties are remote from convenient power supplies, independent power supplies must be provided with such gate operating apparatus. The apparatus preferably must also operate ooo 0 with a minimum drain on the power source.

In some agricultural applications, it is necessary for the gate to operate over a large swept angle (ie greater than 1800) whereby some available gate control apparatus are not suitable.

One agricultural application whereby known gate operating apparatus are generally net suitable, involves the operation of an unattended cattle trap drafting gate whereby cattle moving towards the gate can be categorized by a predetermined criteria such as weight, and the gates controlled to guide the different categories into desired locations.

Previous electrically operated systems designed for this purpose have been very complex in structure, of high cost and of excessive power requirements.

I 'A popular alternative to power operated gates for such applications provide gates employing mechanical mechanisms which are not directly controllable, and do not offer the advantages of power operated, and hence controllable, gate operating means.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art.

I n one broad -fom-of- the present in'--t.-there is provided gate controllin apparatus for -gatep ivtahlI m in ted to a .nd spp.rt by a 8l1b 2v^ i RJE/706b

A

a I~ -3- The present invention provides a pivot and drive assembly for a panel, said assembly comprising: a vertical panel support member to be attached to or form part of said panel, to support the panel for pivotary movement about a vertical axis; a meae.means; an elongated vertical torsion member having one end coupled to said panel support member and having other end coupled to said mwmeQrmeans so that operation of said otOr causes rotation of said support member about said axis.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: ,Figure 1 Is a schematic side elevational part sectional view of a gate and gate control apparatus; o* S Figure 2 is a schematic side elevational view of the drive ,i transmitting member of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of the anchoring means for the torsional rmember; and Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of alternative operative modes of gates for which the present invention is designed.

o There is depicted apparatus 10 for power operation of a gate 1 comprising, a torsion member 11, an electric motor 12 with drive shaft 13, and a drive transmitting member 14.

A typical agricultural gate 1 comprises a tubular, generally rectangular frame 2 having first and second upright members 3, 4, and first and second transverse cross bar members 5 joining said upright members 3, 4. The first upright member 3 is pivotably connected to, and supported by, a support member 6 of the fence 7 (not shown) via two hinge members 8. The hinge members 8 allow the gate 1 to easily rotate about the hinge axis, that is, an axis defined by the longitudinal axis of the upright member 3.

0rr e o 0 9 a o KLN/0430t

'I

The first upright member 3 defines the axis of rotation of the gate 1. The torsion member 11, being relatively long and slender, and having a predetermined torsional resiliency coefficient about the longitudinal axis titereof, extends, and is accommodated, within the recess of the upright member 3. The torsion member 11 is rigidly fixed at one end thereof to the upright member 3 by an anchor The anchor 15 receives an end portion 17 of the torsion member 11 in a recess 16. The end portion 17 extends generally transverse to the torsion member 11. The anchor 15 is secured to, and within the recess of, the upright 3 by a fastener 18.

The other end of the torsion member 11 also comprises an end portion 19 extending transverse thereto. Attached to the end portion 19 is the drive transmitting member 14. The drive transmitting member 14 comprises a drive gear 20, a drive shaft 21 and a clamping means 22. The clamping 0 00 means 22 is adapted to attach the end portion 19 of the torsion member 11 0 to the drive transmitting member 14.

ao.,ac The drive gear 20 co-operates with a helical gear 24 provided on the :drive shaft 13 of the electric motor 12. The electric motor 12 is mounted on a mounting bracket 26 which in turn is mounted to the support member 6 "ZO of the fence 7. The electric motor 12 is electrically connected to a control means/power supply In operation, the electric motor 12 is operated to "twist" the Sa torsion member 11 in a desired direction about the longitudinal axis S thereof. The torsion member 11 is caused to resiliently rotate a predetermined "twist-angle" sufficient to generate a resilient moment force

I

capable of initiating rotation of the gate 1, and thence rotating the gate 1 a predetermined sweep angle.

STypically the "twist-angle" of the torsion member 11 is an angle equivalent to the desired sweep angle of the gate, plus an angle required to overcome any resistance and/or coupling backlash, plus a minimum "over-drive" angle of the order of 400.

If the movement of the gate is unrestricted it will start to rotate when the turning moment exerted upon it via the torsion member 11, exceeds the gate bearing frictional forces, and it will typically cease to rotate when caused to do so by the limit of travel stop. The gate will remain against the travel stop by virtue of the force exerted on the gate by the torsion member 11 which remains resiliently deformed by the "over-drive" angle of rotation.

The torsion member 11 should be of sufficient stiffness to cause, DG:0581b 4upon rotation thereof by the electric motor 12, the gate 1 to rotate fully to the required "open" or "closed" limit positions. The torsional stiffness should also be chosen in order to allow the gate to be rotated manually through a minimum sweep angle of approximately 300 irrespective of the position of the drive shaft 13 in order to allow both human access, and the self release of animals which may stop in the path of the gate 1.

The geared electric motor 12 should be of sufficient power in order that the drive shaft 13 may be driven fully to a specified limit of travel position regardless of position of the gate. Alternatively, if the swept angle is of the order of 1800 or more, the apparatus 10 should be connected to a controlling means 25 adapted to control the electric motor 12. If the movement of the gate is inhibited, or if the resilient force of the torsional member 11 is of an order that can cause the motor to stall the control means will regulate the power supply. A preferred aspect of the controlling means is to detect the temperature of the motor 12 and interrupt the supply of power to the motor 12 when the temperature of the motor 12 is at or above a predetermined level. The power controlling means will reinstate power supply to the motor 12 when the temperature of the motor 12 is at a safe level.

Another preferred aspect of the controlling means is to control the electric current. That is, the controlling means detects the power required to rotate the gate, interrupts the supply of power to the motor 12 when the electric current exceeds a predetermined value, and reinstates power supply to the motor 12 after a predetermined time.

A motor should also be chosen in order that the drive shaft 13 may be S driven through the required sweep angle, that is, between the open and closed limits, in a reasonable time. For example, for a typical unattended cattle trap drafting gate, the desired sweep time is of the order of two I seconds for a sweep angle of approximately 450.

A further alternate mode of operation provides an automatic catch 27 which secures the gate 1 into the limit of travel position. Upon operation a ,of the electric motor 12 to sufficiently twist the torsion member 11, the catch 27 can release the gate 1 (by virtue of the control means 25). This allows the sweep time of the gate to be reduced.

In an alternative control means, the apparatus 10 may incorporate a limit switching means in order to enable control of the motor 12 by automatically removing the power supply from the motor 12 when the drive from supporting member 14 has reached the desired limit of travel position.

A preferred aspect of the limit switching means provides a coded DG:0581b 5 electrically conducting disk mounted on the drive gear 20, or in, or proximate, the electric motor 12. Electrical contacts positioned to detect the code on the conducting disk are provided. The code on the disk is arranged in order that the code detected by the electrical contacts provides an indication of the position of the gate 1.

The geared electric motor 12 should be chosen to be of sufficient power in order to store a level of resilient energy in the torsion member 11 that will enable the torsion member 11 to drive the gate 1 against the frictional forces between the upright member 3 and the hinges 8. Power is applied to the motor 12 in, order that once sufficient energy is imparted to the torsion member 11, the power supply will be limited or removed. The gate 1 will then begin to rotate and dissipate the energy stored in the torsion member 11. The power to the motor 12 can then be either set to a level that will continue to cause the gate to rotate, or pulsed on and off in order that the average resilient moment force stored in the torsion member 11 will be sufficient to cause the gate 1 to continue to rotate.

This would allow the power drain on the power supply 25, and the required power of the motor 12 to be kept to a minimum.

The upright member 3 may alternatively be a solid rod whereby the torsion member 11 generally longitudinally abuts the upright member 3. The torsion member is able to deform sufficiently about ones other than the longitudinal axis thereof, to co-operate with the external surface of the upright member 3, whilst applying a movement force thereto.

DG: 0581b 6

Claims

1. A pivot and drive assembly for a panel, said assembly comprising: a vertical panel support member to be attached to or form part of said panel, to support the panel for pivotary movement about a vertical axis; a drive means; an elongated vertical torsion member having one end coupled to said panel support member and having its other end coupled to said drive means so that operation of said drive means causes rotation of said support member about said axis.

2. An assembly as clairrd in claim 1 where the panel support member is vertically elongated and is coaxial with respect to said vertical axis.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 where the panel is a gate and the panel support member is a hollow tube forming part of said gate and I5 defining the vertical axis of rotation of said gate.

4. The assembly as claimed in any one of claim 1 to 3 wherein said drive means is adapted to rotate a predetermined sweep angle at least save sufficient to achieve a desired sweep angle of said panel. S

5. The assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the drivable connection between said torsion member and said drive means provides a predetermined gearing ratio therebetween.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sweep angle of said panel is defined by a first and a second limit position of said panel.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein a 25 control means detects a temperature of said drive means and if said temperature is above a predetermined level, isolates said drive means from a power source delivering power to said drive means.

8. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a control means detects an electrical current required during operation of said drive means and isolates said drive means from a power source delivering power to said drive means when said current is above a predetermined level.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a latch means adapted to automatically secure said panel into said first or said second limit position, and a control means adaptedto operate said drive means to rotate said other end of said torsion member and resiliently deform said torsion member, and operate said latch means to release said panel. r gr/411r ,4> i L 9 ;Llllli r. 4 ^h -8- A pivot and drive assembly for a panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this FOURTEENTH day of SEPTEMBER 1990 University of New England Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON i t t ttit fli gr/411r .4 A