Thread: Need ideas for mechanicaly opening elevator doors.

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I am looking for ideas on how to open my elevator doors mechanicaly. I have the prop controllers and sensors. I am thinking of using wiper motors, because I have extras.

What I have plans for is to have the people push a button and the prop timer will activate. It runs the routine and then signals for the doors to open. Here's where I'm stumped. I need to come up with a way to finish it. Maybe a motor with gears and chains? I also have limit switches to use to stop the opening and then switch over to do the close cycle.

I will use the same set up to open and close the door again to get off the elevator.
An air cylinder setup may be easier, but I would like use a wiper motor, since I have them already. I could use an air cylinder system and setup would be a lot easier.

Waiting to see any creative ideas I haven' thought of.

A wiper motor could work. The simple solution is a chain on two sprockets. One sprocket on the wiper motor. The other on the opposite side of the door. A bicycle chain long enough to span the door. The door attached to the chain. The door will need to roll easily on its own of course. Might be tricky to try to suspend the door on the chain, but if it was light enough you could. The smaller the drive sprocket the more weight the motor can handle at the expense of speed.

You might be able to use a winding drum for it. One cable end to each side of the door top. Have a good slide system on door. As one side of cable is winding, other side is unwinding

What about something like this http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...t=a77b5970.mp4

Yes, this I found a while go and have the photos saved. I have thought about going the air cylinder route, because this system is simple. The controllers will be the same, the difference would be the motors may be more complicated.