How to open a guillotine door mechanically?

[Jack Russell]

Why is the door on a slide like that, does it need to hold water in a well as out.
There is one near me and it is hinged at the top, when the tide comes in the pressure keeps it closed, when the tide goes out the pressure of the water in the drain behind it opens it.
Could it be redesigned to work on a hinge or is there a reason it can't be done like that

We have the swing doors or Clough doors that open and close with the tides in the river. They let water out but not in. The guillotine is for various jobs. It can hold water in so we can service the Clough doors. We can jam the Clough doors open and let water in then drop the door down. Then at low tide lift the door up and it can scour the outfall out.

 

[TurboCon]

You need one these at a minimum...

https://www.gearench.com/products/surgrip-valve-wheel-wrench.asp

 

[averageguy54]

Why not take an old rear end from something laying about or from the breakers, and attach the axle side to your present wheel. You could then fit the drive end with a nut to turn with. This set up would give you greater leverage without a lot of space taken up. Might not make it go up any faster but would certainly be easier, and cheaper too.
At the breakers, you could pick a gear ration to make the job easier or faster. For example a rear end with a 4:11 ratio would give you more torque but less speed that a 2:57 rear end.

 

[Andrew]

Eulbs bed drive sounds the best one.

Another option would be PTO drive if you found a decent reduction gearbox? Most front PTO's turn different direction to the rear so that would give you direction control?

 

[Farmer_Joe]

hydraulic ram, in water industry we had rotorks as above but obviously they require power but on river intakes we had one with hydraulic rams which ran into a building with mini hydraulic power packs to drive them, as above you could use spool.

 

[Jack Russell]

Thans to all of you for your input on this. I have made a rig from an old floor drive motor from an old bunning spreader. Mounted it in a piece of old H section and attached a length of old pto shaft to it to attach to the hand wheel. I have a video of it but can’t get it up loaded somehow. Now we can lift and lower the door in comfort and in a typically modern way without burning any calories.