Automated Gates - Arm Connection Issue - Help Urgently needed

[GeddyMortgage]

Hi all,

Having a bad time with our automated gates today. 

We had automated iron gates already but about 3 weeks ago decided to add a bit of privacy and swapped the iron gates for closed board timber ones, but kept the automation as it's been fine for us the past few years we've lived here. (Automation is an old SEA UK hydraulic 230v system that I estimate to be 10years old or so)

All has been fine till today I noticed one of the gate leaves banging against the stopper in the wind. On closer inspection I can see the coach screws used to screw the bracket to the gates have sheered off!   

I've set them to manual release now and you'll see on the images and pictures below that when it's opening and closing the plate  is now heavily  pivoting from the 2 screws still attached rather than the plate staying parallel to the gate leaf and freely sliding up and down? I know it's going to do that with now with those 2 screws being the only contact point.... but should it be rotating like this that at all?... is that normal? I mean for the heads to be sheered off, it must've been trying to pivot like this and putting pressure on the heads of the screws at an angle? I'm at a bit of a loss here and in need of some advice, If I leave them like this undoubtedly the other 2 will sheer off in no time and i'm gonna be left with no security at the property. 


It is worth noting that the wooden block on the back of the gates which has the arm secured to it and the coach screws securing that to the gate.... the installer did that very much as a temporary solution, knowing the arms were old and are quite tired and will need replacing in the near future. He said when the arms do give up in the near future you'll need to have the arms secured to the gate by bolting through and attaching that way....

So I guess there's 2 questions here , based on the above

• Is it time for new arms? ( I assume it is) 
  
• Is the only way to attach the arms to timber gates by bolting through the gate as described above? or is there another secure way that will last for years?
  

photos






Video

https://streamable.com/ouzepe

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thanks so much

 

[Sharpend]

I would suspect the weight of the wooden gates is too much for the arms and the additional stresses caused have resulted in the failure. ? 

 

[GeddyMortgage]

I wonder if it was too much stress for the arms, or just too much stress for the temporary way the arms were attached to the gates (coach screws as above).

I mean something must be badly wrong here for the screws heads to have been sheered off, right? 

 

[Sharpend]

The screws will not be designed for shear stresses so the whole weight hanging on them with the pull of the arm and horizontal movement of bracket will find the weakness. 
who ever installed the gates should have assessed the opening mechanism for compatibility prior to fitting. 

 

[GeddyMortgage]

Yeah, he did say to be fair that this was a temporary measure. Though I expected it to last longer than 3 weeks.....

To fix securely is the only option to bolt straight through? 

 

[Andy™]

id be willing to bet that the gates are dangerous and not safe for use anyway. any more photo's of the overall gate?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I am no expert on these things...

But I would hazard a guess that since your original gates were fitted, a few legal requirements have changed..

(as you said the existing control mechanisms are quite old)

Basically due to some fatal injuries, (including children), caused by gates without appropriate safety devices.. 

https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/powered-gates/safety.htm

As Andy suggests, you may want to double check that either you or your gate fitter has complied with all HSE guidance..

Not just your fixing methods between gates & arms.

p.s.

Those look like relatively standard crosshead screws to me not coach-bolts, (with a hex head for a spanner), which would be a bit more robust.  :C

 

[Andy™]

actually, very little has changed since 2002... just 99% never did comply to start with, just there's some more awareness since a few kids got killed in them

 

[Sidney]

That's a lot of weight you've added to the system and the angles are off increasing the strain on the motors and arms, you've quite possibly exceeded the design limits on the system. Added to that a solid gate will also be affected  by wind.

As others have pointed out, there's a lot of safety considerations to be taken into account with automatic gates and it should be left to the professionals, and with no 'temporary' fixes in place.