US2478717A - Air check door closer - Google Patents

Description

$ 2 Sheets-Sheet l H. A. SIMPSON AIR CHECK DOOR CLOSER INVENTOR Herberifl Sim 95 1,

ATTORNEY Aug. 9 1949.

Filed July 5, 1947 Aug. 9, 1949. H. A. SIMPSON AIR CHECK DOOR CLOSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1947 m Tfi mm. m M Jr 6 Z E H Patented Aug. 9 1 949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to air check door closers,

and more particularly to a door closer of the type having a coil spring for urging a door to closed position, and connected to the door by telescoping means designed to utilize a cushion of air to prevent slamming of the door.

One object of this invention is to provide a door closer of the above nature having means to approximately equalize theeffect of the spring force regardless of the degree of extension of the spring.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which includes a stop to limit opening movement of the door.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which will have the dependability and other characteristics of the more expensive hydraulic door checking devices, without the disadvantages attendant upon the use of a liquid.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature in which the air cushion serves to actuate a brake which provides the greater part of the checking force, the air cushion being compressed only enough to actuate the brake.

Still another object is to provide a device of the above nature having a bracket which is readily adaptable to mount the door closer at either the inner or the outer side of the door, and also adaptable for use with doors having either a right-hand or a left-hand swing.

A further object is to provide a door cioser of the above nature which will be simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, two forms in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a door closer showing how it is attached to a door and a door jamb.

Fig. 2 is a Side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the spring housing.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, on a larger scale, taken along the line 4--4'- of Fig. 5; and showing details of the spring mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 5-4: of Fig. 4, with the parts in the position they assume when the door is closed.

Fig.6 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 5, showing the parts in the position they assume when the door is open. 1

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View on alarger scale of the brake cylinder and one form of brake mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the brake cylindenand a second form of brake mechanism employing apair of pivoted brakeshoes. a r

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 8, but rotated 96 degrees therefrom,with

the brake shoes in inactive positions. I

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, simiiar to Fig. 19, showing the brake shoes in braking" positions.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the brake cylinder, showing a third form of'com-pres 'sion cup mounting, with the compression cupin its inactive condition.

Fig. 13 is alongitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 12, showing the com ression cup in the shape it assumesunder pressure.-

' Referring now to the drawingsin which iike reference characters denote corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, the letters C, D, and J indicate a door closer,- a swingable door,- and a door ja mb, respectively.

The door closer Cis provided with a Z-shaped mounting bracket I8 including parallel offset portions 1 1'; l2 for supporting" a substantiaiiy cubical spring housing M ser-ewe M- and to being provided for securing the bracket Hi to the jamb' J and the housing I3, respectively.- The housing H has an end wail is, a front wall iii, a back wail [8, a top wall i9, and a bottom wail 2E. The end wall f-Gis provided with an outside reinforcing plate 24 tapped for receiving the mounting screw l5, and the back wall is is provided with an 3 to receive a vertical pivot pin 21, mounted in the rear corners of the top and bottom walls I9, 26.

In order to limit the swinging movement of the bracket 24, the back wall l8 terminates at a distance from the pivot pin 21, forming a stop abutment 28.

The bracket 24 is operatively connected with the door D by a telescoping guide housing, generally indicated by 29, having one end rigidly mounted upon one face of the bracket 24, its other end being connected to the door D by a. bracket 30 and screws 3|. The telescoping housing 29 will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The spring housing l3 contains a coil spring 32 having an upper inwardly-bent end 33 received in a recess 34 of a spring base block 35. The block 35 is mounted upon a square shaft 36, held in central apertures 31, 38 in the top and bottom housing walls i9, 20, respectively. The shaft 36 carries a toothed ratchet disk 39 exteriorly of the housing for adjustable securement by a pivoted pawl 49, whereby one end of the spring 32 may be selectively fixed against rotation, in several positions.

The spring 32 also has a lower outstanding end 4| confined in an aperture 42 in a vertical connecting plate 43 of a U-shaped yoke 44 located within the spring housing I 3. The yoke 44 has upper and lower horizontal apertured plates 45, 46 which embrace the spring 32 and the spring base block 35, and receive the square shaft 36 rotatably in the apertures thereof. It will thus be seen that the U-shaped yoke 44 may be rotated against the force of the spring 32.

In order to connect the swingable bracket 2-4 operatively to the U-shaped yoke 44, provision is made of a bent link 41 (Fig. pivotally secured at one end to an anchor pin 48 held in apertures in the bracket flanges 25, 26, and secured at the other end in an aperture 48a in the vertical plate 43 of the U-shaped yoke 44.

The telescoping housing 29 includes an inner sliding guide tube 49 threaded upon a mounting disk 50 fixed upon the outer face of the swingable bracket 24. An outer cylinder 5| of the housing 29 telescopes over the inner tube 49 at one end, and is provided with a domed cap 52 at its other end, said cap being pivotally joined to the connecting bracket 39, as by a pin 53,

The action of the spring 32 in closing the door is checked by mechanism which includes a piston rod 54 threaded into the mounting disk 59 by a reduced end 55, and extending concentrically within the inner guide tube 49, and the outer cylinder 5!.

Brake mechanism Referring now to Fig. 7, the piston rod 54 is provided with an extension 56 which includes an integral sleeve portion 51 slidably embracing the end of the rod 54. The rod extension 56 is retained for limited sliding movement upon the rod 54 by a pair of diametrically opposed slots 58 in the sleeve portion 51, which receive a cross pin 59 fixed in the rod 54.

The ends of the cross pin 59 support a tubular portion 60 of a rigid backing washer 6| in fixed position relative to the rod 54 and exteriorly of the extension 56. The washer Bl serves as an abutment for a flexible brake cup 62 of a diameter to fit within the cylinder 5|. A nut 63 threaded upon the outer end of the extension 56 holds thereon a retaining rigid washer 64, a flexible compression cup 65 preferably of leather and a rigid expander cone 66 having a frustoconical peripheral surface 61. A restoring coil spring 68 is disposed upon the extension 56 and normally holds the expander cone 66 and the brake cup 62 in substantially disengaged relation. A headed screw 69 is loosely threaded in the end cap 52 to serve as an adjustable bleed valve,

whereby the speed of operation of the door closer will be governed.

Operation In the operation of the door closer, opening movement of the door D, by means of the telescoping means 29, will swing the bracket 24 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6, against the force of the spring 32. The toothed disk 39 and the pawl 40 will first have been adjusted to tension the spring 32 to produce a desired closing force. As the yoke 44 is swung, the spring 32 will undergo a build-up," or increase in tension. It will be noted, however, that the effective radius at which the link 4'! applies its force to the yoke 44 will increase as the yoke is swung, whereby the spring build-up will be approximately compensated for and substantially the same closing force will be exerted upon the door at all positions thereof.

The force of the spring 32 will be transferred to the door through the lever action of the tube 49 and the cylinder 5| telescoping thereon, thereby relieving the piston rod 54 and check mechanism of any side thrust.

When the door starts to close, the piston rod 54 will move inwardly in the cylinder 5i (to the right in Fig. 7), and as soon as air pressure is picked up by the flexible compression cup 85, the rod extension 56, with the expander cone 66 thereon, will be retarded against the force of the spring 68, thereby pressing the frusto-conical surface 6'! of said cone into the brake cup 62. The cup 62, being flexible, will be expanded by the cone not only at its edge, but also at the root of its cylindrical portion, due to a tendency of said cup to flatten under pressure. Accordingly, the air pressure against the compression cup 65 will cause the cup 62 to act as a frictional brake against the cylinder wall, and only a minor and incidental part of the direct checking force will be provided by said air pressure.

The bleed valve 89 will serve, as in the more conventional air check door closures, to control the speed at which the air is released, and hence the speed of the closing movement.

Second form In the second form of the invention, shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11, provision is made of an outer cylinder 10 and a piston rod H mounted in all respects as the cylinder 5| and piston rod 54 of the first form. The piston rod H is provided with an extension 72 comprising a sleeve portion 13 slidable on therod 7|, and a threaded stud l4 fixed in one end of the sleeve portion 13.

The extension 12 is secured for limited sliding movement on the rod 54 b a pair of slots 15 in the sides of the sleeve portion 13 which receive projecting end portions of a cross pin 16 fixed in the piston rod H. The ends of the cross pin 16 are provided with heads 11 which retain the legs of a pair of U-shaped cam members 18 upon the cross pin 16 at each exterior side of the sleeve portion 13-said cross pin being received in slots 18a extending inwardly from the ends of the legs of said U-shaped cam members 18. The slots 1811 are so proportioned that when the parts are in inactive position, as in Fig. 10, the cross pin 76 will engage the inner ends of said slots 18a.

The outer curved parts of the .U-shaped cam members 18 are engaged at one edge bya pair .of fulcrum hooks 19, each forme'dcentrally on the inside of one of a pair of semi cylindrical brake shoes 80. The brake shoes are further provided with frictional facings 8| upon their outer surfaces, and have inwardly turnedears 81a at their forward edges. g v I The stud 14 of the rod extension 12 is provided with a nut 82 threaded thereon for coaction with a shoulder 83 of the rod extension 12 to hold a flexible compression cup 83a having a retaining washer 84 and a backingwasher 85,.

As a means for holding the rod extension I2 .and compression cup 8 3a normally in theirmo'st extended position, a restoring coil spring 85 is provided upon the extension 12, The spring 86 bears at one end against the rigid backing washer 85, and at the other end against the .U-shaped cam members 13 through the medium of a hearing ring 81.

The modified form of the device shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 will operate generally in the same manner as described above, except that the camactuated brake shoes perform the braking function. In this device, when the compression cup 8341 picks up air pressure, said cup 83a, acting through the ears 81a, will press the brake shoes 88 rearwardly with relation to the cross pin 16 whereby the U-shaped cam members 18 will be tilted as shown in Fig. 11. Inasmuch as the cross pin 18 engages the inner ends of the slots 18a, the cam members 18 will have an effectively greater radius when tilted and will press the brake shoes 88 outwardly into frictional braking engagement with the cylinder surface.

Third form The third form of the invention shown in Figs. 12 and 13 includes generally the same structure as was disclosed in the first form, shown in Figs. 1 to 7, but is distinguished therefrom by an improved specific mounting for the compression cup.

In this form, a flexible compression cup 88 is mounted upon the end of a rod extension 89 for sliding movement within an outer cylinder 90. A backing for the cup 88 is provided by a rigid expander cone 9| having a rearwardly-extending frusto-conical surface 92 and a front surface includin a frusto-conical portion 93 surrounding a flat apertured transverse central portion 94, received upon the rod extension 89. A nut 95 and a washer 98 serve to hold the cup 88 in its assembled relation against the flat central portion 94 of the cone 9 I.

It will be understood that the rod extension 89, and the expander cone 9| are the counterparts of the extension 56 and the cone 66 as shown in Fig. '7. A restoring spring 91 performs the same function as the restoring spring 68 in the first form.

In the operation of the third form of the invention shown in Figs. 12 and 13, a frusto-conical front portion 93 of the expander cone 9| permits the compression cup 88 to flex rearwardly under the influence of pressure in the cylinder 90, thereby assuming the shape shown in Fig. 13.

The purpose of this feature is to provide repeated flexing of the cup 88 with each movement of the door closer, thereby preventing the cup material from taking a set and thus failing to pick up compression. This construction also pre-- vents excessive friction or vacuum drag, such as 6 sometimesoccurredin prior door closures'dm?" ing the return stroke of the piston. I

Further, the mounting bracket in is'equally well adapted to provide eitherright or left-hand mountings merely by rotating the -,doorcloser.1- degrees with relation to said bracket, said tion being permittedby the releasable clamping screw is secured in the reinforcing plate 2! .or 22, as the case maybe. Thus, the'bracket [0, when inserted from the position shown in 2,

will be adapted for mounting the door closer in reversed position upon the opposite door jambm While the improved door closer has been .herein described as applied in an inside mounting-it may, if desired, also be applied to a door closer in an outside mounting. In this .case. the-1Z- shaped mounting bracket will be appliedto the upper rail of the. door, and the offset bracket portion I2 will be secured by the screw I 51110 the back reinforcing plate 22, the connecting bracket 38 being secured to the door lintel.

One advantage of the three forms of door closers herein disclosed is that only a small degree of air pressure is required to operate the check means. The air compression cup is never called upon to resist excessive pressure, and consequently will have a long life and will not require constant adjustment.

Further, the closer not Only has the dependability and smoothness of operation found in hydraulic door closers, but will also maintain uniform operation despite changes of temperature.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 has been found particularly suitable for heavy doors because of its large braking surface.

The brake mechanisms herein disclosed are claimed in my copending divisional application Serial Number 64,851, filed December 11, 1948,

u entitled Check mechanism for door closers.

While there have been disclosed in this specification three forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms Without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a door closer, a coil spring, means securing one end of said spring in fixed position, a rotatable yoke embracing said spring and securin the other end thereof, swingable means adapted for connection to a door and mounted upon a fixed pivot adjacent said yoke, and a link connected at one end to said swingable means and at its other end to an outer edge of said yoke, whereby the spring is adapted to exert a force through said yoke, link, and swingable means to close the door.

2. In a door closer, a mounting means including a housing open on one side, a shaft adjustably secured in opposite walls of said housing, a coil spring secured at one end thereof to said shaft, a yoke rotatably mounted on the shaft within said housing and embracing said spring, said spring being secured at its other end to said yoke, swingable means adapted for connection to a door and including a bracket portion adapted to close the open side of the housing and pivoted therein, and a link connected at one end to said bracket portion and at its other end to an edge of said yoke.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, wherein the bracket portion in its closed position lies contiguous to the yoke, and the link extends past said shaft, whereby the efiective radius of the force applied to the yoke by the link will increase as the bracket portion i moved to open position.

' 4. In a door closer, at swingable means adapted for connection to a door to urge the door to closed 10 position, and means for mounting said swingable means including a housing, a spring therein connected to said swingable means, a tapped reinforcing plate secured to one side of said housing, a second tapped reinforcing plate secured to the rear of said housing, a bracket, and a screw whereby said plates may be selectively attached to said bracket in erect and inverted position, for inside, outside, left-hand and right-hand mounting of the door closer.

HERBERT A. SIMPSON.

,8 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 669,118 Kindermann Mar. 5, 1901 703,371 Beauregard July 1, 1902 859,521 Robertson July 9, 1907 931,701 Newsam Aug. 17, 1909 1,266,864 Schmidt May 21, 1918 1,425,271 Mukden Aug. 8, 1922 1,491,388 Foster Apr. 22, 1924 1,528,195 Bush Mar. 3, 1925 1,662,395 Norton Mar. 13, 1928 1,832,699 Garrison Nov. 17, 1931 2,066,795 Moore Jan. 5, 1937 2,220,234 Hadaway Nov. 5, 1940 2,416,828 Hamre Mar. 4, 1947

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