Hi Jake, 

Thank you so much for taking this project on. I would like to help with this as I can, re: design/mounting and so on. 

Because it's at the front door, this rad hack will be noticed by an inspector. Therefore, it will have to comply with codes, which I don't think will be that hard but I wanted to point out the following constraints (possibly no big deal but fwiw):

- door arm (2x2 stick) and mechanism cannot extend lower than 2" below top of door. That's possible right? 

- opening force of the motor cannot be too strong. I assume the rpm can be adjusted? 

- per code if the door is blocked or hits someone/something, it needs to yield. What happens when the motor is stopped by something else, when the motor is engaged? Would that damage the motor? 

- Not related to the mechanics, but even if the motor is not heavy, the shelf upon which the motor sits will have to look and be very sturdy, like strong enough for someone to hang off of. Given the large transom, it will probably have to be a wide shelf, or perhaps stainless rods connecting to ceiling joists or something.

Again for the mechanism, I would refer to guidelines here:
http://www.constructionspecifier.com/understanding-new-accessibility-requirements-for-doors/ 

The door sections of the CBC are also something to refer to but I think I've got those internalized by now and the 2" allowance is the main thing to keep in mind. 

Perhaps we can set up a time for me/others to come look at the equipment and figure out how to safely and securely mount it. 

On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 4:30 PM, robb <sf99er@gmail.com> wrote:
view from above
               \
             X \
            X   \
           X     \
          X       \
_____X________
===----

what about using our actuator & assembling a scissoring mechanism poorly illustrated above?
===___ = actuator
X = scissor arms
\ = door
_ = wall above door

On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 3:23 PM, Jake <jake@spaz.org> wrote:
note:  this email goes to four lists.  Please reply only to the Access and
Building lists to avoid clogging Omni and Sudo lists with this thread.

I just want to bump this thread and see if anyone is available to work on the
physical aspects of the door opener I describe below, and as shown in this
diagram:

http://spaz.org/~jake/pix/omnidoormotor1.png

I am willing to do the electronics part of it and make it work with our
existing system, but I would like others to help with the building of a bracket
to hold the motor in place over the door, and the woodwork and nuts&bolts of
making the 2x2 stick with steel cable attached to it.

-jake


On Tue, 17 Jan 2017, Jake wrote:

the wheelchair motor that Robb wanted to use for a projection screen
raise/lower thing is something else.

The motor I want to use for the front door opener is this one:

http://imgur.com/gallery/MLuT7

it's in sudoroom in a milk crate.  Robb and I remove the wheel and the tire,
and now it's ready for the motor to be mounted on a bracket that will hold it
in the right place, which is slightly higher than the top of the door, and
basically 2' south of the door's hinges.

then, a 2x2 of wood will attach to the top corner of the door with a hinge, and
it will have a cord of this rubber-wrapped steel cable (which I have) go from
one end of the 2x2 to the other, taking a couple of turns around the motor
wheel.  It will look like this:

http://spaz.org/~jake/pix/omnidoormotor1.png

as you can see from this diagram, when the motor turns its wheel clockwise (as
viewed from above) the 2x2 stick will be pushed in the direction that opens the
door.  If it's not clear, the rubber-wrapped steel cable (shown in red/black
stripes) is attached to the 2x2 stick at both ends, but it makes a couple of
turns around the wheel of the motor on its way.

anyway, i chose this motor because when it's not being energized with
electricity, it's free-moving which means it won't interfere with regular door
movement.  But when we activate it, it will be strong enough to open or close
the door as we tell it to do.

The issues you mention about battery backup are not a problem.  We already have
a battery backup for the front door card (and soon RFID) access system, and
this motorized thing will be battery-backed as well.

I am willing to do the electrical part of this project, and I have already
acquired the rubber-coated steel cable and motor, but I ask that other people
take care of mounting the motor on a suitable frame above the door and help
make the 2x2 stick on a hinge which will attach to the door.

I will be at sudoroom tomorrow night (tuesday night at 7) in case anyone wants
to meet with me about this.

-jake

On Mon, 16 Jan 2017, David Keenan wrote:

I remember hearing about that wheelchair motor -- if it's the same one,
last I heard Robb had wanted to use it to raise/lower a projection screen
for the stage..? So I didn't think of it for this project, but if we can
use it and save ourselves some money, that's great!

I realize you may have already considered this aspect but as a DIY opener
will also need to comply with code requirements, do you think you can
design a system measurably compliant with:

- opening / closing force (<5lb) and speed (max. *N* seconds to close)
requirements throughout the swing, during automatic operation and manual
operation per ANSI/BHMA A156.19 for low-energy-operated doors, ICC A117.1,
ADA and whatever may be found in CBC?

- req'd UPS / backup battery power for opener, for *N* many operations
(need to look it up)

- compliant location of upper and lower door actuators (buttons), assume
this will be no issue

If it's helpful, here is a decent article I found that glosses the subject
of codes for low-energy openers:
http://www.constructionspecifier.com/understanding-new-accessibility-requirements-for-doors/
<http://www.constructionspecifier.com/understanding-new-accessibility-requirements-for-doors/>

Given the above, and I realize I only now just brought this up to you, but
I guess my only concern about any DIY implementation is, if you / access
group has the time to implement it relatively soon..? E.g., do you think it
might be possible to complete in the next 2-3 weeks or so..?

I realize perhaps that is an unfair question to ask before you've really
started hacking on it, but I'm also trying to be realistic and pragmatic
wrt to how busy everyone is and the understandably extended timelines of
volunteer labor in general that comprises the bulk of omni efforts --

If after reviewing the door req's, you think a DIY system is doable in the
next 2-3 wks, let me know how / when I can help hack on this and I will
follow up with you and access control group directly -- and perhaps we can
set a date to meet up about it?

Best,
David

On Mon, Jan 16, 2017 at 12:20 AM, Maureen Muldavin <muldavin.m@gmail.com>
wrote:

If you are working on RFID cards any possibility that the entrance to
sudo/ccl could get a card reader? Been wanting access control for
awhile.

On Sun, Jan 15, 2017 at 11:46 PM, Jake <jake@spaz.org> wrote:
i brought in a wheelchair motor a while ago that I think could be made
into
a
power door-opener pretty well.

I can work on a proof-of-concept for that and then be able to show you
what
I
mean, and then we can see if it will be good enough for our needs as
opposed
to
spending $2800 on a "proper" door opener.

as for the RFID cards, Alex and I have been working on implementing the
card
reader thing for a little while and I think I can add it to the front
door
pretty relatively easily.., and I guess i'll do that first, rather than
trying
to do a storage closet first?

as always, if anyone wants to participate in this process they should
definitely jump in, otherwise it's subject to my chaotic schedule.

technical questions about making this happen should be sent to the access
list
and possibly the sudoroom list, but probably not the building list as it
will
be a major distraction if we get into the weeds of microcontroller boards
and
door server code...

also, yes I do have the box of RFID stuff you ordered and i've been
working
on
it~

-jake

On Sun, 15 Jan 2017, David Keenan wrote:

Hi Jake / access control folks -

So now that our front door is publicly labelled as accessible, we need
to
install an automatic door opener & remote button (kickplate &
hand-height
or a long bar) to make it legal.

Reason I bring this up to you guys is, the opener system will need to
integrate into our existing/future access control somehow. The quote I
got
is $2800 (50% parts, 50% labor) for a package including the Open Sesame
Model 233 (brochure
<http://www.opensesamedoor.com/index_htm_files/open_sesame_brochure.pdf
,
spec
sheet <http://www.opensesamedoor.com/index_htm_files/specs_model233.pdf
),

made in San Leandro.

Also, some of us met last week re: sketching out Omni's accessibility
plan,
and Yar suggested this might be a good time to also implement RFID
system
for the front door, if that was possible? In part because, proximity to
an
RFID fob is more accessible than a card swipe which (after thinking
about
it) I realized requires a pincing motion that is likely not ADA...
because
of the excessive door opening pressure and iffy slope on the front
landing,
we need an RFID & auto-opener.

So -- I'm not sure if any more work has been done on the RFID systems I
put
in sudo a little while ago (stashed in under-stair storage area), might
it
be possible to integrate these into the door opener? I note in the
brochure
they offer a keypad access option - perhaps an opportunity for 2-factor
authentication like Marc had talked about? Anyhow what do you guys
think?

I apologize for not helping y'all more with a better access control
system
(helping spaces post-ghostship consumed my bandwidth), but as there is
now
renewed pressure I want to help as I can. Would installing a trial
RFID/throw on the Omni Office for example still be helpful towards
getting
this nailed down? Lmk

Fwiw - I see the opener as pressing at this point not just 'cause its
long
overdue, but because every day our front door is labelled as accessible
when it's technically not, is actually a not-insignificant liability
issue
(accessibility lawsuit). Plus of course, we are still under scrutiny by
the
city, nimby neighbors trying to call us out for bogus reasons, etc etc.
And
per building code the front door must be made fully accessible before
any
other accessibility work starts on the rest of the building - at some
point
an inspector's gonna notice since they all go through that door..anyhow.

Let me know how myself & those of us working on accessibility might be
able
to help -

Best,
David




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