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Comment by adrr | Hacker News Reader

Why are we still using springs?

Garage doors weigh from 80 to 200 lb (37 - 90 kg)[0], so you'd have to hang one of these from it[1]. Hmm, that doesn't sound too bad. Here's some smarter people than me discussing it[2]. Also, here's a company that sells them[3]. Looks like they use a pully system to double the weight and half the distance. Neat! I feel like I may have seen one of these before...

[0] https://veterangaragedoor.com/faq/how-much-do-garage-doors-w...

[1] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Heavy_Du...

[2] https://engineering.stackexchange.com/questions/8692/why-are...

[3] https://www.hermco.ca/products/2000-series/

The people answering apparently don't know that you can use counter-weights, cables and pulleys instead of a torsion spring. It takes more space, but it rock solid and safer to fix.

It is very common in some other countries.

Counterweights provide a constant force, whereas springs can be precisely balanced to the decreasing weight as the overhead door becomes more horizontal. It is inherently related to the design of segmented overhead doors.

300lbs of counterweights strapped to the doors would take up a good bit of space. Pulley systems would need to either be 1 to 1 or would need some space to fall below the garage floor or to be stored above garage door height.

They seem far safer, longer lasting, and cheaper and easier to repair than springs, but are more expensive to install, take up more space, and probably cost more all in all compared to springs.

I found this that also goes into it:

https://engineering.stackexchange.com/questions/8692/why-are...

That looks super cool actually, like passing the Pillars of Hercules every time I drive https://hermco.ca/wp-content/uploads/img_14.jpg

You know, that design makes a lot of sense, since the door would be mostly horizontal by the time the pulley got close to bottoming out the motor would still be able to move it.

I bet those tubes go below the foundation though and god help you if the cable breaks and you have to fish those weights out to reattach it.

Maybe there is some easily reachable latch point on top or some sort of fluid pump port that will make it easier on you?

Why not?

Seems like there should be something better that can last longer and not kill you if you try to fix it.

There are safer spring systems, such as TorqueMaster that goes into a hollow torque tube.

Why does it seem like there should be something better?

Our garage doors openers are better. No more loud chain and they last longer too.

It's an American upper middle class thing.

Did you even read the article?

Why are we still using passive, reliable mechanisms to reduce the force needed to move heavy objects?

>Please don't comment on whether someone read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that".

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

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