Slide gate brake member

A slide gate mechanism comprising:

• a gate adapted to be moved across a pathway and including a drive rail secured therealong;
• a drive mechanism including a pair of opposed drive wheels adapted to frictionally engage said drive rail and controllably move said gate across said pathway, said pair of opposed drive wheels being spring-biased toward said drive rail so as to ensure adequate frictional engagement with said rail;
• a first limit switch positioned on said drive mechanism which is adapted to deactivate operation of said drive mechanism in a first direction;
• a second limit switch positioned on said drive mechanism which is adapted to deactivate operation of said drive mechanism in an opposed second direction;
• a pair of switch-engaging members secured proximate opposite ends of said gate and each being operative to engage a respective one of said first and second limit switches;
• and
• a pair of brake members secured proximate opposite ends of said drive rail of said gate at a position beyond the point where said gate will stop after said switch-engaging member on the respective end deactivates said drive mechanism, each said brake member having a slanted drive mechanism engaging face such that in situations where movement of said gate does not stop prior to said corresponding brake member, said brake member operates to gradually brake said gate as at least one of said drive wheels engages said slanted drive mechanism engaging face.

A method of controlling the movement of a gate member, comprising the steps of:

• providing a movable gate;
• providing a drive mechanism for laterally translating said gate across a location to be blocked;
• providing a switch engaging member on said gate adapted to deactivate the operation of said drive mechanism by tripping a limit switch on said drive mechanism;
• and
• positioning a brake member on said gate at a position beyond the point where said gate will stop after said switch engaging member deactivates said drive mechanism, said brake member having a slanted drive mechanism engaging face such that in situations where said gate does not stop prior to said brake member, said brake member gradually brakes said gate.