Jet Press gas springs provide bird's eye view
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Jet Press product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Oct 13, 2008
Jet Press has described how its installation of gas springs at a hide operated by the Mull Eagle Watch partnership is helping nature lovers enjoy a grandstand view of a rare bird of prey's nest.
Jet Press helped the Forestry Commission Scotland solve a problem at the hide, which is situated on the banks of Loch Frisa, Mull, and is the only one in the country that offers a view of a white-tailed sea eagle nest.
The hide has canvas interpretation panels and two screens featuring live CCTV footage of the eagles, as well as three large windows facing towards the nest.
The windows weigh 6kg each and the Commission had no way of propping them open securely or closing them quickly.
The Forestry Commission Scotland, in consultation with Jet Press, decided that the task would be best served by using a Varilift gas strut in the 8-18 range.
The Varilift has a gas release valve, which would allow the fitters to release small amounts of gas from the strut until the correct 'feel' of the gas strut is achieved.
So the windows did not spring open as soon as the catch was released - causing injury to anyone standing nearby - Jet Press worked out the static and dynamic mounting points so the window had a slight self-closing action over the final five to 10 degrees of movement.
The next problem was how to ensure that the windows could be opened and closed by one person.
It was impossible for one person to reach from side to side, so they could not operate the locking mechanism on both struts at the same time as closing the window.
In response, each window was fitted with one Varilift Swift and Sure strut - with no lock - and one strut from Jet Press's Econloc range, which have a locking shroud which springs into place once the gas strut has reached its full extension, preventing closure of the window without manually releasing the locking shroud.
The springs were fitted in time to allow watchers to see the eagles' eggs hatch earlier this year.
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