Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (
More info?)
On Sun, 04 Sep, Rick Swanson wrote:
> Mine looks like this:
>
http://webpages.charter.net/rswanson3354/TommyGate.jpg
Damn, that's one I never used. I got to skip that generation somehow.
> I believe that the newer models have
> their safety features integrated into
> the external switch box. I think the
> only safety mechanism on my older model
> is a remote "in cab" switch that
> provides/cuts the power to the external
> switch box.
I'd be surprised if that was the only safety feature. Reason I say that is
that the generation before what you have pictured had a big knob that came
up from the lower part of the gate that you pulled up to make the gate go
down, and pushed down to make the gate go up (go figure). While you could
always pull it up to get the gate to go down, before you could make it go
up you had to flip a small lever around at the bottom that "engaged" the up
direction. Once you released making it go up it fell out of the way again
so you couldn't "accidentally" hit the knob to make it go up.
Now, there's the chance that since they moved the switches to the side like
this that for a while they didn't think they needed a safety mechanism. I
doubt it, though.
> What I'm really trying to determine is
> if my lift is supposed to have a
> dedicated grounding cable that would run
> from the pump motor to the negative side
> of the truck battery. The lift came
> with the cable that runs from the
> positive side of the battery to the pump
> motor but no other cable. The wiring
> diagram for the newer TommyGate shows
> the dedicated grounding cable.
Don't know why you'd need a grounding cable. The thing is a big steel
object that's bolted directly to the best ground you have on a truck, the
frame. Your pump probably derives its ground from the mounts, just like
lights and other automotive accessories do.
> Also, I don't know if I have to do
> anything other than push "up" or "down"
> to get this thing to operate. The newer
> ones you have to press the "TommyGate"
> logo on the switch box face in order to
> activate the "up" and "down" buttons.
> Actually, on the newer ones I think you
> also have to put your left leg in and do
> the Hokey Pokey before the thing will
> operate. ;-)
Yeah, that's the generation I've dealt with with external controls. But
that generation has a little LED and must have some sort of internal PCB
with circuitry on it. Looks like you can remove your control panel and
look and see if there's anything complex in there, or if you just have
momentary switches that are wired to relays somewhere in the gate (the
relays are probably near the pump). If there's no advanced looking
circuitry then you probably don't have additional safety measures. If
there is, well, you'll need someone with one of these gates to tell you
what the hell to do. But you knew that. ;-)
This thing doesn't need to be very complex...the "up" switch should just go
to a "solenoid" (automotive term for "heavy duty power relay") that runs
the pump. The "down" switch should just connect to a small pressure
release solenoid that lets fluid out of the system and back into the
reservoir. When my Dad's fancy safety control circuitry gave up on one of
his he just replaced the whole mess with one switch (two direction, center
off). You run power to the middle of the switch. On one side run to the
"up" solenoid. On the other run to the "release" solenoid. Use a
momentary switch for safety and mount somewhere you can't easily bump it.
End of overly-aggressive safety mechanism, and probably far cheaper than
fixing it anyway.
--Donnie
--
Donnie Barnes
http://www.donniebarnes.com 879. V.
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