A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one
person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of
people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a
coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar. Thus a turnstile can be used in the case of
paid access, for example public transport as a ticket barrier or a pay
toilet, or to restrict access to authorized people, for example in the
lobby of an office building. Turnstiles are used at a wide variety of
settings, including stadiums, amusement parks, mass transit stations, office
lobbies, airports, ski resorts, and casinos.
From a business/revenue standpoint, turnstiles give an accurate, verifiable
count of attendance. From a security standpoint, they lead patrons to enter
single-file, so security personnel have a clear view of each patron. This
enables security to efficiently isolate potential trouble or to confiscate any
prohibited materials. They can, on the other hand, become a serious safety
issue when a speedy evacuation is needed.
Persons with disabilities may have difficulties using turnstiles. In these
cases, generally a wide aisle gate or a manual gate may be provided. At some
locations where luggage is expected, a line of turnstiles may be entirely
formed of wide aisle gates, for example at Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 Underground
station. History and applications
Turnstiles were originally used, like other forms of stile, to allow human
beings to pass while keeping sheep or other livestock penned in. The use of
turnstiles in most modern applications has been credited to Clarence Saunders,
who used them in his first Piggly Wiggly store.
Turnstiles often use ratchet mechanisms to allow the rotation of the stile in
one direction allowing ingress but preventing rotation in the other
direction. They are often designed to operate only after a payment has been
made, usually by inserting a coin or token in a slot; or by swiping, or
inserting, a paper ticket or electronically encoded card.
Turnstiles are often used for counting the numbers of people passing through a
gate, even where payment is not involved. They are used extensively in
this manner in amusement parks, in order to keep track of how many people enter
and exit the park and ride each ride. The first major use of turnstiles at a
sporting venue was at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland.
Types of turnstiles = Waist-high =
A turnstile used in fairs, attractions, and arenas. The user inserts a ticket or
pass into the slot, from which a barcode is read; if access is to be granted, a
sensor determines the speed with which the user passes through, and sets the
electric motor to turn the turnstile at the corresponding speed. Sometimes also
referred to as "half-height" turnstiles, this fixed arm style has traditionally
been the most popular type of turnstile. There are many variations of this style
available, including one which is designed to be accompanied by a matching
ticket box, and one with a ticket box built in. Some styles are designed to
allow entry only after a payment are inserted, while others allow access
after a valid barcode is electronically read. A disadvantage to this type is
people can "jump the turnstile"; as happens commonly on the Moscow Metro and
other mass transport systems in Russia. = Drop Arm Optical =
The drop arm optical turnstile is a combination of the security of a tripod
or barrier turnstile and a fully optical turnstile. The lanes can have either
single or double arms. When access is granted the arms drop into recesses in
the cabinet. Once the arm/s drop out of the way, the turnstile functions as a
fully optical turnstile. = Optical =
Optical turnstiles are an alternative to the traditional "arm"-style turnstile
and are increasingly used in locations where a physical barrier is deemed
unnecessary or unaesthetic. Optical turnstiles generally use an infrared
beam to count patrons and recognize anyone attempting to enter a site
without a valid entry pass. = Full-height turnstiles =
The full-height turnstile, is a larger version of the turnstile, commonly
7-foot high, similar in operation to a revolving door, which eliminates the
possibility of anyone jumping over the turnstile. It is also known as an "iron
maiden", after the torture device of the same name, or "high-wheel". It is
sometimes called a "Rotogate", especially in Chicago, where it is used
at unstaffed exits of Chicago 'L' stations, and is also used at many New
York City Subway stations. In Europe, however, "Rotogate" refers to a
different kind of gate that is not a turnstile.
There are two types of full height turnstiles, High Entrance/Exit Turnstile
and Exit-Only. The difference between them is that HEET turnstiles can rotate
in both directions thus allowing two-way traffic, while exit-only turnstiles can
only rotate in one direction thus allowing one-way traffic. Exit-only
turnstiles are commonly used in mass transit stations to allow passengers to
exit the system without interfering with those entering.Thus Turnstile entry is
solution for stadiums and all recreational facilities which offers
optimal protection against unauthorized access.
Turnstiles in Russia In the public transport systems of the
Soviet Union, the only common use of turnstiles was at the entrance to subway
stations. City buses and commuter trains usually operated on the honor system.
But as fare collection became a more pressing business in post-Soviet Russia,
railway terminals and high-traffic railway station in the Moscow area,
Nizhny Novgorod and elsewhere had turnstiles installed.
In the early 2000s, Moscow authorities sought to further improve fare
collection; since enclosing all bus and tram stops and providing them with fare
gates was not feasible, they installed turnstiles inside each city bus and
tram. This practice has caused passenger complaints, as it slowed boarding
compared to the traditional honor system. A similar system is in use in
Brazilian and some Chilean city buses, and in Hong Kong Trams.
Electronic turnstiles The first electronic barriers were
developed by OMRON of Japan. See also
Optical turnstile Stile
Revolving door References
External links Page showing various designs of
turnstiles in the history of the New York subway system.