It’s just past midnight on a mid December Monday. My brain is thinking of the connections that had to have happened previous to tonight that led me to my latest iteration in my mind of the auto closing farm gate.
My early days on the farm involved occasionally being a passenger to the car or farm ATV around the property. The passengers only duty is to open and close the various gates before and after the vehicle as it travels the various fields and pastures of the farm.
It reminded me of the days as a child, always being the one to open the garage door for the family car.
I joked on numerous occasions that farming was easier than I expected. It’s mainly just opening and closing gates so the cows eat the grass in different pastures evenly.
I knew it was a joke and I arrived here shortly after the hard labour haying season. There are obviously many aspects to bring a farmer, but as a newcomer, all I really got to see was the chore of running ahead to open this gate or that one, let the driver through and then close it and catch up p the car.
From day 1, I started thinking how amazed I was they had not solved this in the 10 years they’d worked this farm. I guess they always had a daughter or farmhand to for for them.
This family has cupboards galore in the kitchen with every tool and appliance money can buy to make even minor inconveniences go away. The sewing room had so much equipment and supplies in closets and storage some of which I believe may have been purchased to be used once or twice. The dusty treadmill and stationary bike were too of the line. Almost everything inside was.
I checked, and automated farm gates exist, but they’re costly and every one of the ones I saw had complex installation issues or were not suitable for year round weather.
So now that I’m tasked with the daily solo mission of maintaing food and water for the animals, I also play the dial roles of driver and gatekeeper.
There must be a better way.
I’ve had this idea on my head for years because my previous home had a make-shift partion that closed off the livingroom from the rest of the house and we had to keep it closed to keep the cats in the main house.
Essentially it was a wall on hinges, but it worked much like a gate to keep animals out , and people often left it open.
My idea for it was to use weights on strings and pulleys that would return the door to its default state with a counter weight much like an elevator, except without needing electricity.
As you pushed the door open in either direction, coming or going, the weight would raise, and then close the door when you were done.
The cow gate could be designed with a hinge system on the ground in the centre. The car or tractor would approach and drive directly into the gate, which would give in and lay down under the vehicle as you passed, returned to its upright default after you drove away.
It would work in summer or snow, take up very little extra room and be cheap.
It’s now 1am and I should sleep, so I can work out all the logic and mechanical issues I’m choosing to not currently see in my perfect design.
In keeping with the way I live my life, this blog is the first and last time I will think about this. Tonight it is perfect.
I don’t want to spoil my pride by actually yelling anyone who could see its flaws and I know I wouldn’t build it anyway.
I feel like I solved the need in my head, and that’s almost as good. I won’t spoil the joy by actually trying and failing.
That’s how I live my life. A false confidence I figured out and solved the world’s issues but never got past the excitement of the idea stage.
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