Gates and Vehicle Barriers

November 5th, 2009

Gates provide a useful method of access, to a site, while maintaining perimeter security.  The gates mentioned here are intended for vehicular access.

You can see configurations, for underground parking structures, that use the half canopy principle,  using steel tubing.  Half canopy doors lift overhead, with the bottom half extending over the exterior of the opening.  Nylon rollers, contained inside safety track, help stabilize door travel, and improve security against pry in.

Horizontal Sliding Gates can take the form of a fenced barrier, using pipe rollers attached to a horizontal pipe, for upper gate support.  A base track, along the span of the opening, plus a pocket width of the opened gate, usually takes form of 1 1/2″ steel angle.  It should be installed as an integral part of the asphalt, or concrete.  Horizontal Sliding Gates can also take the form of engineered steel tubing, using V-groove rollers to travel along the 1 1/2″ steel angle base track. Upper support can also use V-groove rollers, that could use a track consisting of square steel tubing. This form of gate, can also use pipe rollers, with pipe track.  Larger barrier gates, using the method of sliding horizontally, can take form with steel members, steel sheeting, and rolling systems, that can even incorporate train rail. These larger ones serve purposes for aircraft hangars, and large apparatus buildings.  Sally Port Configurations are used for high security. This configuration utilizes a “man trap” area, between a series of controlled gates, to contain unwanted entry.

Swing Gates are also useful for controlling vehicle traffic. They can use barrel pivots, or other architectural fancies, to support pivot.  A span of no more than 15′ is generally recommended for each side.

Gate Operators can respond to access control, that can take the form of remote operation, card readers, vehicle loop detectors, key stations, auxiliary switches, and can also utilize main control communication.

Other vehicle barriers are available. Tiger Teeth serve as single direction spike strips for vehicle traffic.  These can be set into the driving surface, and are also available as surface mounted.  Platform Barriers can be engineered to deter rogue entry at high security facilities.

Doorsmith, Inc. is a commercial repair, and installation, service that proudly serves Orange County, California.  We are available for inspection, maintenance, and repair of all types of commercial doors, gates, and dock levelers.

Please contact us at 1 800 315 6839.

www.http://DoorsmithInc.com

CA License 902488

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Frameless Glass Doors, Lobby Doors, Balanced Doors

November 5th, 2009

Frameless Glass Doors are the beautiful doors, you might see, inside a mall. Typically, these will be found using 1/2″ tempered glass. Holes are pre-drilled, while the glass is still raw, for hardware.  Hardware can consist of tubular handles, architectural panic hardware, also, magnetic lock armatures (a steel plate used for magnetic lock adhesion).  The vertical sides of the glass are exposed.  Door shoes for top, and bottom, can be full width, or by using corner patches (shoes, less than a foot long, which grab the glass by compression, and the help of a collared thru-bolt fastened thru pre-drilled glass).  These shoes are most always found with polished cladding (i.e. polished brass, stainless, or chrome, exteriors).

Manual lock functions can be achieved by use of manual deadbolts, secured at the bottom of the shoe. Mentioned earlier, there are very fancy tubular bar exit devices, that are very pleasing on the eye. These bars plunge by single action of the user, and a header-mounted roller strike will disengage.  Vertical face mag-locks are also used, as well as magnetic shear locks.  Egress is achieved, using motion detecion, touch-sensor bars, a request to exit switch, or wired mechanical panic exit devices.

Access control can be managed thru stand alone systems, managed by use of control boxes, or managed thru software.  Time settings, for locked mode, unlocked mode, holiday mode, or daylight savings time mode, can be easily managed by use of software.  Access control, is inherently suited for this application.  Access control can make use of card readers, retinal scanners, remote switch control, hand scanners, intercom / CCTV communications, as well as other methods.

Frameless Glass Doors are typically pivoted at the top jamb side corner. A hydraulic floor closer can serve both pivot, and closing, function. The bottom, can also be a pivot, by itself. Top pivots can make use of walking beam pivots, patch fittings, or concealed overhead closers

Balanced Doors are also frameless glass doors. These doors pivot both at the jamb (using a torsion tube), and also, by means of pivot arms, which extend about a third of the way into the opening, when the door is closed.  These are artistic pieces of work.  A quite professional representative, will often compliment the establishment as a Doorman. He’ll know all the regulars, and, will more than courteously, open the door for you. These individuals always seem content, and genuinely happy to greet everyone.

Floor closers can be costly, but should be expected to last for years. You can replace existing floor closers with newly manufactured, or rebuilt, replacements. Rebuilt floor closers will only be as good as the mechanic.  Some older, obsolete models, require a retrofit to a new model floor closer. Floor closers are typically housed inside cases, which are set into the concrete floor. Floor closers can also be de-activated, by use of center pivots, or offset arm pivots. This allows for use of more economical surface mounted, or concealed overhead closers.  While the initial retrofit may, or may not cost more, future benefits can be realized by easier replacement, and less costly closer replacements.

The face of the tempered glass, on these doors, is remarkably strong. The edges of the glass is a  vulnerable point. Chipped edges, will compromise the tensile strength of the glass. Is is the safest bet to replace the glass, if the edges are chipped. Try to limit errant damage by delivery personnel, or toted suitcases.  Simply taking a door down, in this condition, brings a risk of the glass breaking. Through communication, the customer, should be made aware of this.  Existing door shoes, and hardware, can be transferred to the new glass.  Another thing to watch out for, is misalignment of the door(s), causing center glass edges, or jamb side edges meeting side-lites, to rub on each other. This can be caused by worn out pivots, improper alignment, or slipping door shoes. The pivots can be replaced. Proper alignments can be made, and shoes can be re-shoed.

Doorsmith, Inc. is a commercial repair, and installation, service that proudly serves Orange County, California.  We are available for inspection, maintenance, and repair of all types of commercial doors, gates, and dock levelers.

Please contact us at 1 800 315 6839.

www.http://DoorsmithInc.com

CA License 902488

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Reversing Devices

November 4th, 2009

Reversing Devices have the purpose of helping the operator detect an obstruction, while closing. This will then cause operator to reverse, into upward direction, until full open position.

Basically, a “normally open” switch is activated, thereby closing the reverse circuit of the electric operator’s open contactor. Some operators offer the feature of a time delay, before abruptly reversing the momentum of a traveling door. This can even be an upgradeable option.

A Photo Eye is an approach typically used with residential operators, as well as commercial. Residential Trolley Operators are also required to have the operator unit itself sense unusual resistance, and reverse the door. Most residential operators use an emitter/receiver style photo eye. One optical unit transmits, while the other receives. If the transmit path is broken, while the operator is in between the open, and close, position, a circuit will close, and the operator will open the door.  Other industrial style Photo Eye units are also available. These ones can emit/receive, or transmit/reflect. These boxed units offer mount to a sturdy bracket. They can be less susceptible to outdoor environments, keenly, less affected by interference from the sun.

A Safety Edge can be attached to the bottom of a door, along the entire width.  If the door closes on an object, the safety edge should detect it, and activate the reverse circuit.  A Pneumatic Safety Edge uses a gum hose, and air switch, to detect obstructions. An Electrical Safety Edge can use two lengths of conductors, separated by a segmented foam, to open, and close, a circuit.  A Safety Edge will often take use of a take up reel, or a curly cord, to communicate to the operator.  The signal can also be transmitted by remote.  The transmitter can be attached to the bottom of the door, and powered by a 9 volt battery.

When redundant devices are used, a cord for the Safety Edge can cross the path of the photo eye during normal door travel.  Adjustable sensitivity of some available photo eyes can allow the cord to pass, while still serving it’s purpose; detecting unwanted obstructions.

Gate operators often use vehicle  loop detectors as  a means of sensing obstruction.  They can also incorporate use of photo eyes and safety edges.

Nothing is fool proof.  Obstructions may not always be caught within the zone of the detecting device(s).  One consideration, for all safety devices, is the amount of “downward coast” that still occurs before the door actually reverses. This can be affected by variables, such as, the means of braking, the weight of the door (after being calibrated for spring balance, how much force is still applied to the operator), the condition of the door, or, the condition of the devices themselves.  An electric operator can be wired “constant pressure to close”, so that someone must physically hold the close button while the door is shutting.  This encourages monitoring for obstructions during  the close cycle of the door.

Doorsmith, Inc. is a commercial repair, and installation, service that proudly serves Orange County, California.  We are available for inspection, maintenance, and repair of all types of commercial doors, gates, and dock levelers.

Please contact us at 1 800 315 6839.

www.http://DoorsmithInc.com

CA License 902488

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