Glossary term
landing gate
A manually opened gate at the landing of a platform or goods lift, interlocked so it cannot be opened unless the platform is there.
What it means
A landing gate does the same job as a landing door but is opened by hand. It is common on platform lifts, small goods lifts and older installations. The gate is held locked while the platform is elsewhere and released when the platform arrives level with that landing. Gates are lighter than doors, which makes them easier to knock out of alignment.
Where you see it
At the top and bottom landings of most enclosed platform lifts, and at each landing of many goods lifts. Outdoors, the bottom gate is often the one that suffers most from weather and knocks.
How it works
The gate carries a lock and contact just like a lift door. Closing the gate has to complete two things: the latch has to go fully home, and the contact has to make. A gate that is only pushed to, not latched, looks closed and behaves as though it is open.
Because the gate is closed by a person rather than by a motor, its alignment drifts over time. Hinges settle, frames move slightly with the building, and the latch stops meeting the keeper cleanly. The lift then refuses to run and the cause looks invisible.
Why it matters
The most common platform lift complaint — will not run from the bottom landing — is very often the gate at the other end of the travel not latched. Checking both gates before reporting a fault saves a great many callouts.
Commonly confused with
A landing gate is confused with a landing door because both guard the opening. A gate is opened by hand and often used on platform and goods lifts. The interlock is what makes it safe, so a gate that can be opened when the platform is elsewhere is a hazard, not an inconvenience.
Wear, service and lifespan
Gates sag on their hinges, and sagging gates stop engaging their locks cleanly. Service work checks hinges, self-closing action, latch engagement and the interlock contact. On outdoor and semi-outdoor installations corrosion is checked as well, because a corroded lock keeper is a common winter fault.
Signs to watch for
- The lift will not move although the gate looks shut.
- The gate needs lifting or shoving to latch.
- The latch is worn bright where it rubs the keeper.
- The gate swings open slightly on its own.
- Travel stops as soon as the gate is touched.
Troubleshooting landing gate
The platform will not move after the gate is shut
What it usually means: The gate is closed but not latched, so the interlock is open
Safe check: Check the gate has actually latched and is not resting against the frame.
The gate drags on the floor
What it usually means: Hinges have dropped
Safe check: Note where it catches and whether the latch still lines up.
The gate can be opened with the platform on another level
What it usually means: The interlock has failed
Safe check: Stop use at once, keep people away and report it as urgent.
How to report it
Give the level, whether the gate latches, and whether the lift runs afterwards. Say plainly if the gate opens with no platform behind it, because that changes the call from a repair to a safety response.
Ask us about landing gate on your lift
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Related terms
Definitions that usually come up alongside landing gate when you are describing a fault.
- platform lift
A slow-travelling lift with an open or enclosed platform, used mainly to move a wheelchair user over a short rise.
Lift types
- interlock
A lock and switch combined, so a door cannot be opened unless the car is there and the lift cannot move unless the door is locked.
Safety devices
- goods lift
A lift built to move materials rather than people, with a rugged car, heavy-duty doors and, in many cases, no permission to carry passengers at all.
Lift types
- emergency stop
A latching switch that cuts the drive immediately and holds the equipment stopped until it is released.
Controls and electrics
- landing door
The door in the wall at each floor, locked shut until a lift car is present and level behind it.
Doors and entrances