Straight Out Door Better Than Bifolds

Straight Out Door Better Than Bifolds BUILDINGS New Techniques 22-1-44 "Our new hydraulic-driven overhead door opens and closes two to three times faster than a bifold door. It closes flush to the building with a tight, wind-resistant seal that makes it maintenance-free," says Doug Kerkvliet, Cottonwood Welding & Machine, Cotton-wood, Minn. The "HydroSwing" is a one-piece over-head door mounted inside a steel frame that you bolt or weld to the wall of the building. The door is opened or closed by a pair of hydraulic cylinders powered by an electric motor and pump. The top of the door mounts on a steel rod hinge. A 3-position hydraulic valve controls door direction, and a check valve locks the door in place. "It offers a number of advantages over conventional bifold doors," says Kerkvliet. "The biggest problem with bifold doors is that they're slow and have a lot of moving parts that can wear out. Our door has no moving parts except for the hinge pin, which makes only a 1/4 turn. There are no rollers, springs, cables, pulleys, or tracks to wear out. The door takes only about 35 seconds to open and 30 seconds to close. The fast cycle time al-lows less heat to escape which can result in big energy savings. If you don't need a full opening you can stop the door in any position which reduces the cycle time even more. Once the door is closed the cylinders hold it tight against the frame, which allows it to withstand winds up to 90 mph. There's nothing to latch. "Most bifold doors close against the exterior of the building, leaving joints that are exposed to the elements, whereas our door closes flush into the building wall - only the frame is exposed. The cylinders that open and close the door are connected to the frame so all the load and stress is against the frame, not the building. There's no need to reinforce the building at all. A truss keeps the bottom of the door rigid, and a Teflon seal keeps it sealed tight against the floor. When this door is closed, even a mouse can't get through it. "The cylinders are designed with built-in orifices to keep the door from closing too rapidly in the event of a hydraulic failure. Hydraulic couplers (optional) can be added, allowing you to use your tractor's remote outlets to open the door during a power out-age or in remote locations where power isn't readily available. "The door can be filled with up to 4 in. of insulation. We can custom build doors up to 65 ft. long and 18 ft. high. An 18-ft. high, 40-ft. wide door will accommodate a 30-ft. combine head," notes Kerkvliet. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Cottonwood Welding & Machine, Box 15, Cottonwood, Minn. 56229 (ph 507 423-6666).

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