Problem
Our customer approached us looking for a self-closing safety gate, but didn’t want to have any springs or closing ‘mechanisms’ to close the gate. The customer had many bad experiences with failing springs on gates, and with frequent maintenance required on the gates with hardware and springs. Despite many options for pre-fabricated gates and existing options, there wasn’t anything available from either us (we stock several different manufacturers and types), or other distributors on-line.
Solution
We worked with our customer to develop a new type of gate that would utilize a unique bracket allowing for the gate to be self-closing without using springs and bolts for the hinges. We call the gate a ‘gravity gate’, since it is closed simply by the force of gravity acting on the gate and the unique bracket design. For many customers, the use of a spring or tensioner on a gate is acceptable, however a growing number of applications demand fewer moving or serviceable parts, especially on high-frequency use applications. That is why we developed our Gravity-Gate. A custom, patent pending, hinge mechanism allows us to provide a gate that is self-closing without the use of any spring or tensioner mechanisms. Our Gravity-Gate meets and exceeds numerous Canadian Building and industrial code requirements, as well as OSHA codes. The gate is a heavy duty design, with a long-lasting hinge-pivot mechanism, which is a stainless steel rod. The gate is powder-coated and has an adjustable stopper plate for either left or right hand closing. It is available in common sizes, to fit 18″-36″ openings. Common uses for it include ladder protection, warehouse traffic control, and platform guarding, and many other uses. The gates are easy to clean and may be occasionally lubricated on the pivot hinge with the approved lubricant for the area, whether it’s industrial use, machine platform access, or food processing.
Results
Our customer was extremely pleased with this custom design. The initial gates were a ‘pilot project’, to evaluate how this design would work in their frequent high-use scenario. The gates and design exceeded the customers expectations. The customer expressed to us that in the long term they’d save a significant amount of time and money not having to continually maintain the gates, compared to the original ones they replaced. The gravity gates will serve this customer for many years with minimal or no maintenance, only occasional lubrication, only when required. We have had many other satisfied customers who were surprised that nothing like this already exists in the marketplace.
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