In article ,
Dan wrote:
I'm having trouble doing some research on a weight-operated gate closing
system. It's either because I don't know the right keywords or there just
isn't much stuff out there.

I just put up a short section of cedar fence, about 44 inches high, with
a gate, so the dogs won't run into the neighbor's yard every time something
moves. The gate is about 39 inches and I want to try using a weight on a
cable to close it instead of a spring. Just to be different, I guess, but
if it works it wouldn't slam the gate shut like a spring would.

Absent anything else, a weight-driven closer _will_ slam the gate, just
like a spring-loaded one.
I saw
something like it on Norm's show some time back. Does anyone know of any
gates that use a weight on a chain or cable to pull it shut? I'm still
going to give it a try but maybe I can save myself a little
experimentation.


Design is simple/trivial. Hang a bracket of some sort on the 'back' side
(the side _away_ from the direction the gate opens towards), of the hinge-
side support post that the gate is hung on, that extends out a few inches.
Put a pulley on it. Tie the cable to the gate, 1/3 or so of the distance
from the hinge to the latch side. Run it through the pulley, and hang a
weight on the other end. Make sure the weight is off the ground, when the
gate is fully closed.