He Put Together A Power Door Opener For His Shop

He Put Together A Power Door Opener For His Shop FARM SHOP Miscellaneous 26-4-39 Ray Albertson, South Mills, N.C.: After building his farm shop, Ray discovered that the 20-ft. wide sliding door was too heavy for one person to push open alone. Rather than leaving the door open all the time or always having to look for a helping hand, he put together a power door opener. To make the opener, he started with a 1/2 hp electric motor. A chain and sprocket attach the motor to a 90-degree gear reduction box and speed is reduced further using a chain and sprocket to a jackshaft. To hook the drive to the door, Ray used a #35 roller chain, stretched the full width of the door. "The chain sits on an angle iron track mounted on the door and is fed through the opener mechanism and around the main drive gear," he explains. "On the end of the chain, a small threaded rod keeps proper tension on the chain. "To open the door, all you have to do is press the open button and walk away," he continues. An automatic shut-off stops the motor when the door is fully closed. When you push the close button, the motor reverses and pulls the door shut until it hits the shutoff. To protect the opener and the door, Ray put lockouts on the switches. "When the door is fully open, the open switch is locked out, and when it's fully closed, the close button doesn't function," he says.

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