I'm working on a 25 year old Stanley Vemco automatic gate. It has a shorted
solenoid that is located within this controller box:

http://www.pbase.com/image/37414260

It's no surprise that the part isn't available anymore. Is there a modern day
replacement for this controller? The one significant function of this box is
that it mechanically locks out one set of microswitches when the other set of
microswitches is activated. I would replace it with some regular relays
otherwise.

Thanks for your reply.

--
David Farber
David Farber's Service Center
L.A., CA

"David Farber" wrote in message
...
| I'm working on a 25 year old Stanley Vemco automatic gate. It has a
shorted
| solenoid that is located within this controller box:
|
| http://www.pbase.com/image/37414260
|
| It's no surprise that the part isn't available anymore. Is there a modern
day
| replacement for this controller? The one significant function of this box
is
| that it mechanically locks out one set of microswitches when the other set
of
| microswitches is activated. I would replace it with some regular relays
| otherwise.

If there is enough room, I would go to a place that sells motor starters and
buy a reversing controller. That's what this looks like. They come with a
mechanical interlock that physically prevents both contactors being closed
at once. If you don't need thermal overload protection you can buy one
without that. If you can take this in they may be able to advise a
replacement.

N

"NSM" wrote in message news:Rhrvd.23265$U47.5281@clgrps12...

"David Farber" wrote in message
...
| I'm working on a 25 year old Stanley Vemco automatic gate. It has a
shorted
| solenoid that is located within this controller box:
|
| http://www.pbase.com/image/37414260
|
| It's no surprise that the part isn't available anymore. Is there a
modern
day
| replacement for this controller? The one significant function of this
box
is
| that it mechanically locks out one set of microswitches when the other
set
of
| microswitches is activated. I would replace it with some regular relays
| otherwise.

If there is enough room, I would go to a place that sells motor starters
and
buy a reversing controller. That's what this looks like. They come with a
mechanical interlock that physically prevents both contactors being closed
at once. If you don't need thermal overload protection you can buy one
without that. If you can take this in they may be able to advise a
replacement.

N



How hard could it be to build a replacement with some off the shelf relays
and perhaps a few diodes?

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:lwtvd.3534$Zn6.2565@trnddc08...

| How hard could it be to build a replacement with some off the shelf relays
| and perhaps a few diodes?

It isn't easy to mechanically interlock relays.

N

"NSM" wrote in message
news:GNtvd.23284$U47.19879@clgrps12...

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:lwtvd.3534$Zn6.2565@trnddc08...

| How hard could it be to build a replacement with some off the shelf
relays
| and perhaps a few diodes?

It isn't easy to mechanically interlock relays.

N




Why would you need to though? Just use multipole, double throw relays and
you can wire them together to do just about anything you want. I missed the
exact function of the original device though.

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:iJvvd.4172$N%6.261@trnddc05...

| It isn't easy to mechanically interlock relays.

| Why would you need to though? Just use multipole, double throw relays and
| you can wire them together to do just about anything you want. I missed
the
| exact function of the original device though.

Hard experience has taught us that when a motor is operated both forward and
in reverse, it is best to make damn sure both contactors cannot close at the
same time no matter what. Thus the choice of a mechanical interlock system
so that even if the contacts weld closed on one side the other contactor
cannot close.

NM (Electrician)

2 Heavy duty "Contactors" (relays) in this configuration can be bought from
any industrial electrical supply outlet, and can be "Stacked" side by side
in this configuration to make certain that when 1 pulls in, the other
physically cannot. The exact same configuration of relays is always used in
food equipment controllers that I repair. You can used 2 separate relays,
but as a previous poster explained, safety-wise its not a really good idea.
Expect to pay between $50.00 to $75.00 for each contactor. As well,
depending on the OEM, often these contactors have removable coils, and
contact points that can be replaced only, making the repair even less
expensive (assuming that Stanley hasn't obliterated the OEM number).
Take the 2 contactors apart, under the "Stanley" cover, there may well be a
OEMs name and part number. I've had contactors that look like they come from
the dawn of time, or from a really obscure European machine, that my local
electrical supplier(Torbram Electric) can still cross reference to, and find
me a 2004 equivalent... just by the OEM number, and the coil voltage.
--
Kim..."A Man Of True Frankenstinean Proportions"


"NSM" wrote in message
news:aPvvd.23287$U47.20358@clgrps12...

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:iJvvd.4172$N%6.261@trnddc05...

| It isn't easy to mechanically interlock relays.

| Why would you need to though? Just use multipole, double throw relays
and
| you can wire them together to do just about anything you want. I missed
the
| exact function of the original device though.

Hard experience has taught us that when a motor is operated both forward
and
in reverse, it is best to make damn sure both contactors cannot close at
the
same time no matter what. Thus the choice of a mechanical interlock system
so that even if the contacts weld closed on one side the other contactor
cannot close.

NM (Electrician)

"NSM" wrote in message
news:aPvvd.23287$U47.20358@clgrps12...

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:iJvvd.4172$N%6.261@trnddc05...

| It isn't easy to mechanically interlock relays.

| Why would you need to though? Just use multipole, double throw relays
and
| you can wire them together to do just about anything you want. I missed
the
| exact function of the original device though.

Hard experience has taught us that when a motor is operated both forward
and
in reverse, it is best to make damn sure both contactors cannot close at
the
same time no matter what. Thus the choice of a mechanical interlock system
so that even if the contacts weld closed on one side the other contactor
cannot close.

NM (Electrician)



With a DC motor if both close at once it should behave exactly as it does
with both open, both sides of the motor are connected to the same supply
rail and nothing happens. If it's a reversible AC motor I'd have to look at
the wiring to find out what happens, but I would think the worst case would
be a blown fuse, we're not talking a 10hp 3 phase industrial motor here.

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:sEGvd.3675$Z%1.1396@trnddc03...

| With a DC motor if both close at once it should behave exactly as it does
| with both open, both sides of the motor are connected to the same supply
| rail and nothing happens. If it's a reversible AC motor I'd have to look
at
| the wiring to find out what happens, but I would think the worst case
would
| be a blown fuse, we're not talking a 10hp 3 phase industrial motor here.

Probably a PSC motor. If the makers used an interlock system, I'm not going
to try to second guess them.

N

Subject: Automatic driveway gate.
From: "NSM"
Date: 12/14/2004 11:28 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id: Y9Hvd.35017$Ya4.4717@edtnps84


"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:sEGvd.3675$Z%1.1396@trnddc03...

| With a DC motor if both close at once it should behave exactly as it does
| with both open, both sides of the motor are connected to the same supply
| rail and nothing happens. If it's a reversible AC motor I'd have to look
at
| the wiring to find out what happens, but I would think the worst case
would
| be a blown fuse, we're not talking a 10hp 3 phase industrial motor here.

Probably a PSC motor. If the makers used an interlock system, I'm not going
to try to second guess them.

N



I'm fairly certain it's an AC motor. There are no sign of any rectifiers
external to the motor. There are also some capacitors (motor starting?)
adjacent to the motor. The wiring uses two ganged circuit breakers in the fuse
box so does that mean it's running on 240V? I can only locate one 120V line
coming into the box. Perhaps the other side of the 120V line is wired directly
to the motor and the wires are hidden by the enclosure.

By the way, I was successful in locating a company, whose name escapes me at
the moment, that will research a replacement for the shorted solenoid.
Hopefully, I can get this thing working with its original design in tact.

Thanks for your replies.


--
David Farber
David Farber's Service Center
L.A., CA

"David Farber" wrote in message
...

| I'm fairly certain it's an AC motor. There are no sign of any rectifiers
| external to the motor. There are also some capacitors (motor starting?)
| adjacent to the motor.

I'd bet dollars to donuts it's a PSC (permanent split phase capacitor)
motor. This has two windings. A capacitor is switched from one winding to
the other which will make the motor reverse even while running. See

http://www.iprocessmart.com/leeson/l...se_article.htm

It's a good choice for this service. It could also be a cap start, cap run,
but they are harder to stop and reverse.

| The wiring uses two ganged circuit breakers in the fuse
| box so does that mean it's running on 240V? I can only locate one 120V
line
| coming into the box. Perhaps the other side of the 120V line is wired
directly
| to the motor and the wires are hidden by the enclosure.

Could be 120 or 240 if the two breakers are locked together so opening one
opens the other. You don't need a grounded line if the motor is 240V. What
does the nameplate say?

| By the way, I was successful in locating a company, whose name escapes me
at
| the moment, that will research a replacement for the shorted solenoid.
| Hopefully, I can get this thing working with its original design in tact.
|
| Thanks for your replies.
|
|
| --
| David Farber
| David Farber's Service Center
| L.A., CA