US2802244A - Revolving door - Google Patents

Description

Aug. "13, 1957 K. PARKER REVOLVING DOOR Filed March so. 1955 [wen-2 0)" Ken/761W Par/fer y 6 M REVOLVING DOOR Kenneth Parker, Janesville, Wis.

Application March 30, 1955, Serial No. 498,019 1 Claim. 01. 20-18) The present invention relates to revolving doors.

The invention has to do more particularly with safety provision in a revolving door.

I have observed that revolving doors hold a certain degree of danger, particularly to older people, or infirm people." Because of the fact that often several people pass through a revolving door at the same time, each one does not have complete control over the speed at which it is revolved when he is passing through it. If a person wishes to pass through the door slowly, it may not be possible to doso, at least with case, since another person behind him or coming in the other direction may rotate the door fast and force it against him. A substantial danger exists in such circumstance, particularly in the case "of an old or infirm person who cannot move fast to avoid the danger. The danger may be physical, as when the door is forced against ones feet, causing his footto be caught between the wing of the door and the doorframe, or, pushing him over. Even though there may be no actual danger of physical injury, there may be fear of such danger and consequent hesitation to pass through the door.

An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a revolving door having safety means incorporated therein effective for obviating the danger and fear of. danger mentioned above.

' Another and more specific object is to provide a revolving door having flexible wings'capable of yielding in the event the door is forced against a person, eliminating the possibility of the door being forced against his foot, or of catching his foot between the door and the doorframe.

,A further object is to provide a revolving door having flexible wings, as referred to, in which the wings have special shape, namely, tapering from the center of the dooroutwardly with the two-fold advantage that the door is less responsive and hence not so easily forced against a person, and the construction minimizes the possibility of a persons catching his foot or ankle between the wing of the door and the doorframe.

Another object is to provide a revolving door of the foregoing character capable of incorporation in doorframes as presently constructed, so that specially constructed doorframes are not necessary, with consequent advantage in economy.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a door construction embodying the principles of the present invention, and a section of a wall in which it is contained;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the door construction of Fig. 1 taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal view, similar to Fig. 2 but on a reduced scale and somewhat diagrammatic in form, of a modified form of door construction.

Referring in detail to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a door construction embodying the principles of the invention is disposed in a wall 12, a portion of which is shown and which has an opening 14 for the door. The door includes a rotatable door proper or door member 16,opposite casing members or elements 18, a head 20, and of course the floor element 22.

The door member 16 includes a central shaft 24 and a plurality of wings 26 mounted in the shaft and extending radially therefrom. These wings, also sometimes known as panels, cooperate with the casing members 18 in sealing the doorway against the weather as in conventional revolving doors. Each of the casing members 18 is approximately a quadrant in extent, or slightly more, so that regardless of the position in which the door member 16 stops, at least one of the wings or panels will be in sealing engagement with each of the casing members.

In accordance with the main purpose of the invention, namely, the provision of means for presenting accident or injury to a person using the door, the wings 26 are of flexible and resilient nature. The dotted line position of one of the wings in Fig. 2 shows that it is readily flexible over a major portion of its radial length to a dis-, placed position enabling a person to pass between the wings and the casing member 18, or as an equivalent condition, enabling the wings to pass over a person standing in the doorway adjacent the casing member 18.

The wings 26 are preferably of a flexible, plastic material, and I have found that Vinylite serves well for the purpose. The wings are of rectangular outline shape, dimensioned for filling and sealing the doorway, namely, of radial extent to engage the casing members 18 in a sealing or wiping action, and of a height sufficient to engage the floor and header in a similar manner, namely, in sealing or Wiping engagement. This sealing effect may result from direct engagement by the material forming the body of the wings, made possible by the fact that the material is flexible, but it is within the compass of the invention to provide thin and more flexible strips, or astragals, on the edges of the wings to engage the casing members and the floor and ceiling.

The shaft 24 is mounted for rotation on a vertical axis in the doorway, supported by the floor element 22 and guided in the head 20. The specific detail mounting means for the shaft may be as preferred such as for example hearings in the floor and head with pins or reduced portions on the ends of the shaft rotatably mounted therein. The wings 26 may be supported in the shaft as by providing a central core member of the shaft and outer strips secured thereto forming grooves in which the inner edges of the wings are gripped.

The material forming the wings 26 is of such rigidity as to maintain its shape in the absence of external forces tending to distort it. The average thickness of the Wings is such that each wing maintains its rectangular shape so as to sealingly engage the intended elements at all points while being supported only at its inner edge by the central shaft 24.

To work toward the retention of the wings in upright supported position while permitting the desired flexibility of them, it is desired that the wings be somewhat rigid at the radially inner portions. The partially rigid construction also facilitates the gripping action of the strips on the central shaft on the wings. The rigid portion may extend radially outwardly a short distance, while at their outer portions, the wings are very flexible so that they will yield and pass over a person in the manner mentioned without injuring the person.

It is also preferred that the Wings 26 taper or decrease in thickness in radially outward direction. Such shape forms one specific means of producing greater rigidity at the inner portion than at the outer portion, and the wings increase in flexibility in outward direction, since the thinner the material the greater will be. the. flexibility. The feature has two main advantages in the function of the door; one, the door is less responsive to impulsive thrusts such as would otherwise rotate the door fast, and the second is that greater flexibility at the outer edge. substantially eliminates the possibility of a person being caught between the wings and a fixed portion of the doorframe. An additional advantage is that the thicker portion facilitates mounting the wing on the central shaft.

Concerning the first of the two advanatges just mentioned, the greater flexibility at the outer portions of the wings renders the door less responsive to sudden impulses, I have observed that many people hesitate going through a revolving door, particularly people who are older and less sprightly. Such people usually delay passing through until they are sure no one else is near the door. A person who is fearful of such dangers will have the satisfaction that he is free from such injury in passing through a door made according to the present invention. As he is using it, the door member 16, is being rotated by him at, for example, some moderate speed, but if someone else who is of impulsive character should pass through the door at the same time and attempt to suddenly speed up the rotation of it, he would apply the force at the outer portion of the wings, but since that portion of the wings is relatively flexible, the wings would not respond quickly to the impulse and hence would not injure the subject person.

With reference to the second advantage stated, even if the door should be rotated fast, the danger to the subject personwould nevertheless cease to exist because if the door should be rotated as to be forced against him, the outer portion or portions of the wings are so flexible that they would yield and pass by the person without in jury to him. The outer portions of the wings are sufliciently flexible as not to cause any uncomfortable scratching, pushing or dragging effect on the person. v An old or infirm person finds it diflicult to step quickly in circumstances of danger or apparent danger so as to avoid injury to the feet as might occur in revolving doors of conventional nature. The great flexibility of the outer portions of the wings of the door member of this invention assure that a persons foot or ankle cannot become caught between the panel and a fixed portion of the doorframe.

The user of the door is not only free of actual danger but free of fear of danger, and as an added precaution in this direction, the wings 26 are made of transparent material. The user of the door not only has the satisfaction that the actual danger is eliminated but has the additional comfort that there will be nooccasion for possible danger because of the opportunity he has of seeing through the doors so that he may await the occasion when no one is approaching the door.

The door member 16 and the door construction, as a whole, can be adapted to the revolving door framework constructions that are now in use. The wall element. 12v and the. casing members, 18 as. well as the head 20 are the same as are in use today in conventional doors, and the revolving door member 16 may be substituted for the corresponding revolving door members now in use. Thus, conversion to a door construction embodying the present invention may be made with a minimum of expense in both materials and time required.

A modified form of the invention is shown in ,Fig. 3. The construction in this figure includes the door member 16 and casing members 28 of part-cylindrical form and of substantially quandrant extent, but of greater radius and provided with a plurality of flexible flaps or vanes 30 mounted on the. inner concave surfaces 32. These flaps or vanes 30 may be of the same material as the door member 26, namely, of flexible plastic and are secured to the surface 32 in any desired manner. The flaps extend from the floor to the head and seal with those elements against the weather. The flaps are of course flexible and are free of attachment to the floor and, head so that they may flex laterally. The flaps, casing members 28, and the door member 16 are all so relatively proportioned that the door member engages the inner edges of the flaps and seals the doorway against the weather. Preferably the flaps are of relatively thin material and they are spaced apart circumferentially such distance that at least one flap always engages the wing. Thus added provision is made for eliminating any possibility of a person having his foot or ankle caught between the wing and the doorframe since the etfective engagement between those elements is between the Wings and the flaps 30. The wings of the door member 16 in the present case are also preferably flexible as are the wings in the form above described.

I claim:

A revolving door construction comprising a door memher having radial wings and mounted for rotation on a vertical axis, a pair of concave casing members on opposite sides of the door member defining a passage therebetween and positioned for efiective engagement by the wings of the door member, the casing members having means constituting the medium through which the wings engage them which includes shell-like elements spaced radially beyond the wing tips and a plurality of flexible flaps secured to the shell-like elements extending the height of the casing members and radially inwardly for engagement by the wings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,084,781 Shields June 22, 1937 2,240,942 Peremi et al May 6, 1941 2,279,572 Kann Apr. 14, 1942 2,619,167 Eckel Nov. 25, 1952 2,621,725 Shacikoski Dec. 16, 1952 Maid-

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