US1978234A - Door or closure - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets- Sheet l H wmmwww-whnwv.. i551?, /j I l, I IH/ DOOR OR CLOSURE R. w. STEVENS Filed Feb. 1, 195o Oct. 23, 1934.

Odi. Z3, 1934. W STEVENS A 1,978,234

DooR 0R cLosURE` Filed Feb.A 1. 1930 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. /Fffr W. STEVE/V5,

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Patented Oct. 23, 1934 PATENT@ OFFICE DOOR OR CLOSURE `Robert W. Stevens, Huntington, Ind., assigner to The Majestic Company, Huntington, Ind., a

corporation Application February 1,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to folding self sustaining structures such as doors for garages and the like. i

The chief object of the invention is to provide a closure door for such as garages and the like, and having the aforesaid character and which in addition theretoycan be readily locked in the opening closing position and can be readily mounted in such an opening.

. One feature of the invention consists in the self sustaining relationship that is obtained between two hingedly connected sections of a closure embodied in a door.

Another feature of the invention consists in the multiple character counter-weight associated with the hingedly connected folding closure `,sections at a plurality of points of connection.

Another feature of the invention consists in the multiple guideway for a plurality of adjacent counter weights and the support for the sustainingpulleys whereby the latter are supported in angular relation, the vertex of which is substantially'coincident Awith the cable connections tothe closure. l

`Another feature of the invention consists in the means provided for normally maintaining "the `sec-tions inrelative alignment when the closure is in the `full closed position'. l Another feature of theinventi`on consists in the `latch construction, whereby the several sections may beV locked in the closed positionwhen closed and which is of such arrangement that the same may'be readily applied to two adjacent portions, 'of three or more hingedly connected door sections in substantially collapsed relationship.

Another feature vof the invention consists in .the construction of the combined counter-weight housing and the track-way.

A furtherfeature of the invention consists in forming the 'latter in sections, whereby the mid- 'section mayxbe removed; permitting access to :bev had to the counter-weights for connection and adjustment. l `Another feature of the invention consists in :the unitary hood construction that secures the Vtrack-way andthe counter-weight housing together vand serves as a protecting hood for the 0 guide pulleys.

The full nature of the' 'invention will be more `,fully understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

y In the drawings Fig` 1 is an elevational view of `a door construction `showing the same fully 1930, Serial No. 425,101

(Cl. -20) i closed, the right hand portion of said view representing the interior of the door and the left hand portionv representing the exterior of the door and the frame portion associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a Vertical sectional view through the 60 door in its open position and through the midportion thereof and showing the latch for the same in its nested relation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the counter-weight housing, track-way g5 and illustrates the position of the guide pulleys for the counterweights and the relationship of the cables connected thereto relative to the section supporting rollers.

Fig.' 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of 10 the latch and catch construction showing the same in the closed door position.

Fig. 5 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 4 and is looking from the upper end thereof.

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view through a 75 unitary housing cover.

In the drawings 10 indicates the sides of the door opening, 1l the top thereof, l2 indicates the floor of the building structure provided with said opening, such as a garage or the like, and 13 in- 30 dicates the ceiling of said structure, although as a general rule the ceiling is not as low as that shown, for the latter represents the worst condition encountered. Hingedly connected to angle plate 14 secured within and at the top of the 85 opening and as at 15, is a door section 16, hingedly connected at its opposite end as at 17 to another door section 18. The latter is hingedly connected at its opposite end as at 19, to the adjacent end of a door section 20, which in turn at its opposite end is connected as at 2l to a door section 22. The average garage door opening is about eight feet in height so that four sections approximate two feet ror thereabouts in width and when hinged together, form a satisfactory door opening closure. Herein four sections are illustrated as sufficient for closing the door opening. The bottom of the door supports a sealing `strip 23 which may be nested in the groove 124 formed in the bottom of the last section.

Herein a pair of spaced track members 24 and 25 provide a groove construction that receives a grooved roller 26 carried by the -axle 27, said wheel being locked thereon as at 28 and inter-- posed therebetween is a cable mounting portion 29; The loop of the cable is indicated at 30. "Axle 27 constitutes the hinge pin of the hinge construction and herein the hinge construction `19 is shown with its pin extended and supporting the guide roller 26. The lower end of the lower section supports a similar roller supporting axle 128 but not of hinge character.

Axle 121 supports roller 30. Lower axle 128 is connected at 129 to a cable 33, which in turn is connected at its opposite end to a counterweight 34. The upper axle 27 is connected by a cable 31 to a counterweight 32. Both sides of the door construction are similarly provided and as will be readily apparent from the position of the weights and the comparative size of the weights, weight 32 carries all of the load of the two upper sections and part of the load for part of the distance of the two lower sections, while the small weight 34 carries part of the load of the two lower sections during all of the travel and all of the load of the two lower sections during part of the travel, that is the latter part of the door opening movement. v

It will be understood that the several pairs of rollers 26 and 30 are always confined in the' trackway and the hinging arrangement is such that the rollersfare always in alignment, although the spacing therebetween will and does vary between the positions of Figs. 1 and 2.

Since the roller bears against the track member 24, the effective length, when the sections are shown as illustrated in Fig. 2, is measured from the wheel engagement 26 and since the section 18 is inclined upwardly from the wheel towards the hinge 17, the length thereof is greater than the length from pin 17 of section 16 to 15 indicating the point where section 16 passes the engaging edge of track 24, so that infefect a brace construction or relationship is obtained,

L whereby the weight effective through the cable and connected to the axle of roller 26 serves to maintain in elevated relation the adjacent hinged ledges of the sections 16 and 18 through the bracing action of section 18. Similarly the distance from the contact of wheel with track 24 to hinge pin 2l is not less than the distance between said hinge pin and the contact of wheel 26 against track24 so that the weight connected by the cable to the axle of the wheel 30 serves to maintain elevated the two hingedly connected ends of sections 20 and 22, together by the bracingaction of the section 22. In other words, no latches are required to hold the sections in elevated position.. They counter-weights are suilcient and the action is automatic.

Each side lof the door opening is provided with a combination counter-weight housing and roller track-way,` the same terminating at its opposite end in a bracket (not shown) which supports a pair of guide pulleys in angular relation. The .details of said counterweight housing construction are shown in Fig. 3 and in said figure, 34 indicates a U-shaped sheet metal housing andvit has been determined that one of 20-gauge metal is suincient. Another U-shaped member 35, having' angular directed ends 36 which are directed towards each other, has an overall width of approximately that of the width of the U or channel shaped housing 34. An angle member 37 having one edge terminating in a I .J-shaped grooved portion 38 longitudinally receives the inturned flange 36 of the U-shaped member 35 and the sides of said members form a groove that receives the projecting end or edge of the U-shaped housing 34. The angle member and the channel may be suitably secured together as by spot-welding or the like and the same with the projecting edge of the U-shaped member 34 interposed therebetween, may be similarly secured together.

With this construction, the tracks 24 and 25 are vwhich is engaged by maintained in spaced relation by the base portion of the second mentioned U-shaped construction and said base portion also serves as a. cover for the counter-weight housing. An angular piece of sheet metal 39 may be secured as at 40 to said counter-weight housing and forms a partition therein providing two compartments in each of which is mounted a counter-weight.

As shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 counterweight pulleys 41 are mounted at the top of the construction and are arranged in angular relation with the vertex of the angle substantially coinciding with the track-way and the cable over each pulley is connected to the roller axle.

In order to maintain the several sections in substantial alignment when the door opening is to be closed, a cam type guard 42 is provided a curved spring 43 carried by the upper portion of the lower door section. When the lower door` section is in substantial alignment and as it is moving downwardly toward complete closing position, the spring 43 engages the cam type guard 42 and said section is forced into substantial alignment and when lowered it is maintained in substantial alignment by said guard 42. It will, of course, be understood that the two lower sections in substantially vertical alignment aided by guard 42 and spring 43 prior to vertical alignment of sections above when door is beingclosed conversely when door is being opened the two lower sections are held in substantial vertical alignment aided by guard 42 and spring 43, while the upperv sections are being folded in substantially horizontal position.

The lock and latch construction is shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 5. The second section from the top is herein shown provided with a lock 44, the key-hole being exposed through the escutcheon plate 45. The cylinder portion of the lock is associated with a bolt operating mechanism enclosed within housing 46 and whereby the bolt 47 may be retracted. Extending through the door section supporting the lockv cylinder, is a squared shaft. 48,'and said shaft is rotatably mounted therein. The shaft projects oppositely beyond both sides of the door and each projecting end terminates in a hingedly supported handle 49, the reason, therefore, being perfectly obvious, see Fig. 2, to wit, due to the requirement that the handle be nested to permit folding of the door sections into the open position and thus permit the door sections to lie substantially above the top l1 of the door opening.

The handle 48` on the inside of the door extends through a matched squared opening in a latch -plate 50. Latch plate 50 is oscillatably mounted and is confined against displacement transverse to the plane of oscillation by a bracket or guard plate 51 and extension 52 of said plate 50 has an abutment 53 and a camming portion I54, both being associated with the bolt 47 of the lock construction. If the bolt is in the locking position and the extension is in the unlocked position, it may be readily turned clockwise and the bolt seated in a notch in said extension 52. The bolt 47 must be retracted in order to free the extension and permit operation of the handles 49 totilt the lever latch 50 from the locked to the unlocked position. A spring 50' is so mounted between 51 and 50 to force latch 50 automatically' into asubstantially vertical position.

, The catch comprises an angle plate having the base portion 55, the retaining portion 56 and a cam extensionV 57, the seat or recess being indicated at 58. Fig. 5 illustrates several successive positions assumed by the tiltable latch in moveing from door locking to unlocked position, theA door sections.

In order to facilitate mounting of the device, it is to be understood that the U-shaped counterweight housing extends continuously from the bottom to the top of the opening but the combination cover and track-way therefor is formed in three sections and the top and bottom sections preferably are permanently united to the counterweight housing as previously described and illustrated in Fig. 3. The central sections of thetrackways are detachably associated with the upper and lower end sections and this detachability permits the sections to be installed, the weights inserted and secured to the cables through the openings to the counter-weight compartments and after proper adjustment has been made for the desired length of the cable, the central section of the combination track-way and counter-weight housing cover is detachably mounted on the adjoining sections.

The invention claimed iszl. In a collapsible closure construction, the combination of a plurality of hingedly mounted closure sections, a guide or track-Way associated therewith, guide associated means carried by the sections, a cam guard adjacent said trackway, and a spring carried by one of the lower sections adjacent the hinge connection between the two lowest sections and having engagement with said guard in the movement of said closure sections into closing position for cushioning the closing movement and retaining said sections in aligned closure closing position.

2. In a horizontally hinged closure construction, the combination of a plurality of horizontally hinged closure sections arranged for overhead folding, the uppermost section being of greater width than the next section and having its upper edge supported and arranged for tilting movement, vertical guide means positioned rearwardly of a vertical plane including the tilting axis of the upper support,A means carried by said sections operatively associated with the guide means, and counterbalancing means associated with the sections, one of the lower sections being positionable in a downwardly and forwardly inclined plane for bracing the sections to hold same in substantially overhead position.

3. In a horizontally hinged closure construction, the combination of a plurality of horizontally hinged closure sections arranged for overhead folding, the uppermost section being of greater width than the next section and having its upper edge supported and arranged for tilting movement, vertical guide means positioned rearwardly of a vertical plane including the tilting axis of the upper support, guide associated means carried by the sections, counterbalancing means associated with the sections, one of the lower sections being positionable in a downwardly and forwardly inclined plane for bracing the superposed sections to hold the same in substantially overhead position, a cam guard adjacent the guide means, and a spring carried by one of the lower sections adjacent the hinge connection between the two lowest sections and having engagement with said cam guard in the movement of said closure sections into closing position for cushioning the closing movement and retaining said sections in aligned closure closing position.

\ ROBERT W. STEVENS.

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