Locking the gate arm at secure facilities -16, Locking the, Gate arm at secure facilities – Controlled Products Systems Group SWINGSMART DC 20 User Manual
Page 38: Locking the gate arm at secure facilities
Gate Bracket and Linkage Arms
1-16
SwingSmart DC Installation and Reference Manual
Revision E
Locking the Gate Arm at Secure Facilities
The purpose in leaving the gate arm with a slight bend in it (i.e. turning the set screw to offset the over travel
stop) is to lessen the transference of energy along the gate arm during gate strikes. With the gate arm bent at a
slight angle, it can absorb more of the impact and possibly cause less damage to the gear box in the
SwingSmartDC operator.
At facilities that require higher security, you may want to consider straightening the gate arm to “lock” it in
place so pushing the gate open becomes much more difficult.
Some aspects to consider, if you want to limit opportunities to force the gate open:
•
Turn ON the Force Open Alert in the User Menu by setting the menu item FA to 1. When set to 1 and the
gate is forced open, a 3-second buzzer alerts the surrounding area that the gate is being forced off its closed
limits. The gate operator attempts to close the gate, but if the gate does not begin to fully close within
4 seconds, the motor turns off and the buzzer continues for another 30 seconds. ALERT 1 - FORCED
OPEN appears on the display. (An OPEN or CLOSE command clears the alert and resets the display.)
•
Fully straighten the gate arm, so it is in a straight “locked” position. Throughout the instructions found in
this manual, it states that a bend in the gate arm is critical to offset the damage that may be inflicted to the
gate operator during a gate strike. If the purpose is to use excessive measures to keep the gate closed,
consider fully straightening the gate arm during installation. Straightening the gate arm after installation
will require loosening the set screw and moving the gate bracket or other gate hardware.
•
Lock the movement of the gate using an external method, such as a locking chain.
NOTE
Keep the taper clamp tight as explained in the procedures on the previous page. Do not over-
tighten the taper clamp. Overtightening the taper clamp may cause excessive wear to the clutch
mechanism or damage to the taper clamp causing it to stick during normal gate operation.