Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Domestic Drawbridge

 For extra garden space
  (+7)
(+7) 		  [vote for,
against]

Most of the time, the area in front of your garage is a green haven of blossoming flowers, cool grass and low-lying shrubbery.

When you want to get your car out, just push the button of your remote garage door opener. With creaking timbers, rattling chains and the clackety-clacking of ratchets your sturdy garage door (hinged at the bottom) opens out and gently lays itself upon your front garden; settling several inches above ground level and bending – but not breaking – the daffodils, daisies and bluebells growing there.

Open the portcullis (optional); drive out over the high-traction inner (now upper) surface of your door-cum-driveway; hit the button to close it all up again; and off you go, your front garden restored to driveway-free tranquility. Don’t leave your bike there.

—AO, Dec 18 2003

Moblie Bridges http://www.kockums....bilebridgesmai.html
Mmm - tanks! [Letsbuildafort, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Here We Go! http://www.toyadz.c...mobilelauncher.html
Military mobile scissors bridge! [Letsbuildafort, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

[link]






       Oooh, can I have a moat too please? Water features are becoming very popular in gardening circles these days I understand. Crocodiles might be a bit over-the-top though. (+)
—dobtabulous, Dec 18 2003
   

       what garage? ooh have I suddenly got a garage?
—po, Dec 18 2003
   

       It's got some child safety issues. Also, what would happen if you attempted to close it while under the parked car?
—k_sra, Dec 18 2003
   

       Just like a normal garage door, it’s got lasers, photodiodes, and all that stuff for safety so it can’t open on your children, or close while you’re driving over it.
—AO, Dec 18 2003
   

       +++++++++
An idea that's time has come. Then gone. Then come again.
—Worldgineer, Dec 18 2003
   

       Would it swing sideways?
—Letsbuildafort, Dec 18 2003
   

       heh. You got me there. Perhaps a counterballance?
—Worldgineer, Dec 18 2003
   

       Perhaps.
—Letsbuildafort, Dec 18 2003
   

       //what would happen if you attempted to close it while under the parked car?// Perfect for poor drivers. Let the garage tip over and cover the car.
—FarmerJohn, Dec 18 2003
   

       If such a "drawbridge" were properly counterweighted, the actual force required to raise and lower it would be very slight. Thus, it shouldn't pose a hazard to someone in the way unless (and this point is key) someone tried to drive over it while someone else was underneath. In that case, all bets would be off.   

       As an addendum, though, another feature of the drawbridge if there were enough of a moat (wet or dry) below it would be that it would not have to be shoveled unless it was left open.
—supercat, Dec 18 2003
   

       The outer/bottom surface could be covered with pressure-sensitive panels, so a person could push anywhere on the door (or get pushed by it if they’re asleep) to stop its decent.   

       To avoid the crushing of sunbathers by careless drivers who drive onto the bridge while it’s partially open, there could be strain gauges that detect the weight of a vehicle and cause the ratchet (the one that unwinds the chains) to lock, preventing the door from being forced down. An alarm would sound to alert the driver to drive back into the garage until the door is fully open.
—AO, Dec 18 2003
   

       Some of the new minivans have automatically-closing hatches and doors - they have sensors that somehow tell if a small child is going to get squished, then re-open the door. The drawbridge could use something similar, right? I do like the idea of the crush sensor as well - garage door openers just stop if they feel any resistance while closing the door.   

       [+] Especially if you can put a little pond or stream right in front of your garage. That would be great!
—sycorob24, Dec 18 2003
   

       Instead of a swinging drawbridge, why not one that rises up out of the moat? As long as there's a bit of clearance beneath the bridge in its "down" position, there should be no goldfish crushings.
—friendlyfire, Dec 18 2003
   

       Answer: Scissors-type bridge. Those are SO COOL!
—Letsbuildafort, Dec 18 2003
   

       heh. You got me there. Perhaps a counterballance?   

       Worldgineer, Dec 18 2003   

       >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   

       Perhaps.   

       Letsbuildafort, Dec 18 2003   

       __________________________________________   

       funny how the swiss cheese effect woiks sometimes.
—po, Dec 18 2003
   

       if I had a garage and a moat and a big garden and a drawbridge I would croissant this. oh what the hell, jealousy is a bad thing. +1
—po, Dec 18 2003
   

       I croissanted this because I want a garage and a moat and a drawbridge.
—Worldgineer, Dec 18 2003
   

       Please let me add a portcullis and murder holes.
—oneoffdave, Dec 18 2003
   

       //fish jump in the stream// which have been placed there to feed the aligators.
—Worldgineer, Dec 18 2003
   

       Well, an Englishman's home *is* his castle.   

       +
—gnomethang, Dec 18 2003
   

       I can't help but think toll bridge. Yeah a toll bridge, with maybe two or more billy goats and a troll. No scratch the troll. That would be gruff, er great. (+)   

       I loved the idea.   

       Then I remembered that if I ever do get a house with a garage, I plan to use the garage as a shop and keep the car in the driveway out front.   

       Too bad. It would have been cool. ++
—scad mientist, Dec 18 2003
   

       [dobtabulous] way up there at the top.   

       If you want your moat to reflect current water feature trends, it would have to be a child-safe, pebble filled moat with a cross-eyed, stone-effect frog or heron spitting water into it.   

       I would love a moat. I would be torn between stocking it with Koi and stocking it with trout though.
<makes weighing-up gesture> Pretty... or tasty? Pretty.. .. .. ..or ...tasty?
—squeak, Dec 19 2003
   

       I don't think a child-safe moat would be an effective barrier against invading hordes, [squeak].
—friendlyfire, Dec 19 2003
   

       Would it be possible to make a moat child-safe yet non-invading-horde-safe? Hmmmmm.
—squeak, Dec 19 2003
   

       Wow. Creeping phlox good, normal phlox crushed. Cute. +
—sartep, Dec 19 2003
   

       What if the invading horde is entirely made up of children?
—krelnik, Dec 19 2003
   

       //What about carol singers//
Thats what the massive cauldrons of hot chocolate above the door are for.
—Letsbuildafort, Dec 19 2003
   

       LBAF that's perfect. I'm giving them the hot chocolate they want in a form they never expected. BUAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
—sartep, Dec 19 2003
   

       ...and the arrows shall be topped with flaming marshmallows.
—lintkeeper2, Dec 20 2003
   

       "Come to think of it, i haven't seen little Johnny since yesterday." -Domestic Drawbridge Owner
—whatastrangeperson, Dec 21 2003
   

       Where can I get one?   

       Furthermore, will said drawbridge-producing company make other items to truly make a man's home his castle, including, but certainly not limited to: trebuchets for seiging the unruly folks across the street, cauldrons for pouring foul things on unwelcome visitors, and moat-building equipment? :)
—Agamemnon, Apr 05 2006
   

       Great churn. I had forgotten the wonders of the domestic drawbridge. Sadly, I now have a city house with no garage. (or so it appears...)
—Worldgineer, Apr 05 2006
   
      
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