??????Automatic Coop Door????

[Nifty-Chicken]

Ok, I built a page on my hobby site for the project as I work on it. Once completed I'll make a page on BYC.

I get a lot of tinkering / engineers on that site, so hopefully I'll get some great feedback / ideas:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/automatic-chicken-coop-door.php

 

[Xtradust]

Nifty, THAT IS AWESOME!!!

I can't believe you can get an actuator for five bucks! I was staying away from the "car lock actuator" because I knew it would be expensive.

I think I'll rig that up to open the door in the am. I have too many new girls in the coop and I need them out as soon as it gets light. My coop door flops open with the hinges on the bottom, so the same set up should work fine.

Also, as far as the "wall adapter", is it fairly common to find one that puts out 12volts?

You know, for me to close my coop door, I could rig a bag of sand with a string and the actuator could let the bag go and that would pull the door shut. Maybe I could have a sprinkler fill a small bucket and that would close the door. Hmm.

Excellent work Nifty!

Matt

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Matt, you may have something there. What if you just got a hose timer (like they sell for drip irrigation systems), set it to come on before dusk and slowly fill a jug or carboy that acts as a weight to close the door via a pulley. You would have to fiddle with the water valve to get the right flow rate (to close door but not overfill jug -- you would set timer to turn off fairly soon, of course).

I'd place it *outdoors* in case something goes kerflooey... but aside from that, and the fact that you'd have to shell out maybe $30 for the timer, it would have the advantages of great simplicity and no electricity involved (except the battery inside the hose timer).

Since it sounds like folks would be content with a close-only device that has to be manually opened and reset every morning, you could just put a ratchet type latch on the door to keep predators out once it's closed.

I really think this might work...


Pat

 

[FourIsWaltz]

Use this kit...

http://www.bakatronics.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=375

Hook it to a small electric motor that will drive a rack and pinion gear, or some belt system to raise (or lower) the door, then switch off/flip to reverse (just like an overhead garage door does).

Use another controller to run the other way when it gets dark.

Position the photoresistors where the hens won't cast shadows on them!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Pat, link me to an image or a sales page for the ratchet type lock to which you are referring

 

[patandchickens]

Uh, I meant just make one, Rob

You know, like.... aargh, I want to just sketch it on a piece of paper and show it to you but our scanner was not working the last time I checked. Surely you know what I mean? Just any ole kind of positive latching mechanism, and there are MANY, that would 'chunk' into place once the door is closed and not let the door raise back up without manual intervention.

Heck, a spring-loaded latch pin just above the door's closed position would work.

Aaargh, I can't explain mechanical things if I can't scribble on paper!

Did that make any sense?

Pat

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Pat, I think that's kinda what I have in my drawing. The red "L" shaped bracket swings into place once the door goes down past it and locks the door shut.

Is that kinda what you're describing?

 

[patandchickens]

<goes back and looks at drawing>

Yes, that does the same thing

There is a whole huge family of devices that accomplish that sort of task.

I still think the hose-timer design may be useful.



Pat

 

[Xtradust]

The way it would be easiest for me to work the water open/close method would be with my sprinkler timers. I have 7 sprinkler lines and my timer runs 8 zones, so one goes unused. I think I might have even installed an extra sprinkler valve (anti-siphon w/ solenoid) in case I wanted to run another sprink line someday. I'd have to go look. But, if that is the case, I could just set the timer to run for x minutes at x time of day and fill the bucket.

For that matter, you could buy a 4 zone timer for $19.99 at Home Depot, etc. and have it run 4 different water goodies. Open door, shut door, open run door and shut run door?

I figured I'd use a one gallon milk/water jug and put a little hole in it, so it would eventually drain, but over the period of hours. That way it wouldn't provide too much resistance for the milk jug going the other way, later that day. Maybe put a dish under it to catch the water for the spoiled chickens that haven't laid any darn eggs!

Matt