US3331157A - Overhead door having outside controls - Google Patents

Description

Jufiy l8, 3%? R. L. DUGGER 3,331,157

OVERHEAD DOOR HAVING OUTSIDE CONTROLS Filed QCt. l, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,331,157 OVERHEAD DOOR HAVING OUTSIDE CONTROLS Ralph L. Bugger, Rte. 1, Box 121, Hopkins, Minn. 55343 Filed Oct. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 492,079 14 Claims. (Cl. 49-20(9) This invention relates to overhead door having outside controls. More particularly the invention relates to overhead doors whieh can be unlocked and opened from the outside, and closed and locked from the outside.

In respect to large overhead doors such as for use on industrial buildings, aircraft hangars and the like, certain manipulative controls are customarily provided at ground level for operating the door. These manipulative controls are normally placed inside the building which the door closes and therefore to open the door it has been necessary to provide access to the building either through a smaller door which may be set into the larger door or through a separate access door. The manipulation of the closed door therefore involves entry into the building, after which the larger door may be unlatched and/ or the manipulative controls operated for opening the large door. For closing the sequence is reversed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide large overhead doors which can be manipulated for unlocking them and opening them, all from the outside, without requiring that the operator be inside of the building. It is also an object of the invention to provide large overhead doors with manipulative controls so arranged that the doors may be closed and latched shut, all from the outside of the building.

Other and further objects are those inherent in the invention herein illustrated, described and claimed and will be apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of arrows 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of arrows 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a part of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical side elevational view of a modification form of one portion of the apparatus of the invention.

Throughout the drawings, corresponding numerals refer to the same parts.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 the embodiment of the invention therein illustrated includes a door generally designated 10 which is an integral flat panel having a width W and height H, and which, except for edge clearances, completely closes the opening 0 under the truss T over the door opening in building B. The details of the construction of the door panel 10, per se, form no part of the present invention and any form of construction providing an integral fiat panel may be used. It may be stated that the door panel 10, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, and FIGURES 3-5 may be constructed, for example, according to my Patents 2,937,415, 3,103,995, 3,184,804 or 3,172,509, and it may be rigged for opening and closing are disposed for rolling 3,331,157 Patented July 18, 1967 movement according to said patents, and/or as hereinafter illustrated.

Insofar as the present invention is concerned, it is only essential that the door be an integral fiat panel and that it is supported and rigged so as to be openable and closeable according to a motion whereby the door, when in its closed position, is substantially vertical, and when in its open position, it has been rotated and elevated so as to be closely adjacent the underside of the truss, and so that in said open position the door is in a generally horizontal or slightly downwardly and outwardly inclined position, with the front side of the door upward and with the major portion of the door inside of the building and a minor, lower, portion of the door extending outwardly through the door opening. As explained in my patents above listed, and hereinafter described in this specification, the motion for opening and closing the door can be accomplished by the use of overhead tracks plus roller hangers, or radius rods for defining the motion of the head of the door and by the use of side tracks on the ambs plus rollers on the door or radius rods for defining the motion of the lower part of the door, together with cables, counterweight and rigging, all as specified in my patents previously enumerated. Especially for narrower span doors, the overhead tracks there may be replaced by radius rod supports one one each side of the door as hereinafter described with reference to FIGURES 3-5. The motion of the door at the approximate level of the cable attachments on the door may be determined by tracks plus rollers or radius rods as desired. In short, in respect to this invention, the kind of rigging chosen for supporting the door and determining its opening and closing motion may be selected as desired, so long as the motion of the door is above described.

In the door illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 there are provided vertical backbone members 11 which serves to support horizontally arranged purlins 12, 14, 15 and 16 on which vertical sheeting 17 is attached. The door is closed by a head panel 18 and side trims 1919 so that the edge clearances C of the door are held within close limits. The door closes within a short distance of ground level G as normally installed.

To the upper ends of the veitical backbone members 11, there are pivotally attached at 20 the downwardly extending pendants 21 of roller hangers, not shown, which movement within the tracks 22 that are supported on the truss T and by the hanger 24 from the roof of building B. The roller hangers'being attached to the vertical backbone members 11 serve to translate the head of the door from the vertical position shown in FIGURE 2 to a rearward position, within the hanger. At the approximate level of line 25, see FIGURE 1, there is attached on the inside of the door a pivot 26 to which one end of a radius rod 27 is connected the other end of the radius rod being pivotally attached at 28 to a side wall of the hangar. Alternatively, as shown in my patents above enumerated, the radius rod may be substituted by channels on the side jambs of the door, having rollers therein for guiding along a vertical path of movement that portion of the door at the approximate level of the line 25, and similarly, the overhead tracks and roller hangers may be replaced by radius rods as shown in FIGURES 3-5 herein. Upon the front of the door at pivots 30 there are attached several cables 31-34, see FIGURE 1, the exact number and spacing being a matter which is determined by the width and framing of the door and the particular style of rigging desired. Each of the cables 31-34 extends upwardly outside the front of the door and passes over its pulley 35, and thence connects through the turnbuckle 36 and spring 37 to portion 38 of the cable and then passes around a guide pulley 39 and thence extends parallel to other cables, to and then around and downwardly from drum 40 which is pivotally supported by bearings 41-42 mounted in a frame 44 which is at an elevated position above the door. Each of the cables then extend down to a weight'box 45, which counterbalances a part of the weight of the door. Around the weightbox there is customarily provided a shield 46 which is attached to a wall of the building. The position of the weightbox 45 in the building, the particular pattern of the runs of the cables to the weightbox and other factors can be varied as shown in my patents previously enumerated herein.

According to the method of closure of the aforesaid patents, the rum 40 is arranged to be rotated by a sprocket 47 which is connected by a chain 48 to a lower sprocket 49 that is rotated by a crank and handle 50 conveniently mounted on the shield 26 of the weightbox.

According to the present invention the upper spocket 47, chain 48, lower sprocket 49 and crank 50 may be entirely dispensed with. Such portions of the rigging may be included in the rigging arrangement if desired since they are undoubtedly convenient and permitmanipulation of the door for opening and closing it from the inside of the building, but for the mode of operation of the present invention there is not necessity for the inclusion of such components. Such components have therefore been enclosed in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, with the intention of indicating that, pursuant this invention such portions of the system should be regarded as optional equipment, to be included or removed, as desired. Please note that in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 such components are not included.

Pursuant my Patent 3,103,995, latches may be provided at 51 on the lower member of the truss T, these latches being engaged by latch bars 52 that are mounted at 53 on a rotatable shaft 54. The shaft 54 is provided with a handle 55 that is normally swung upwardly by the spring 56 and may be swung downwardly by a pull rope 57 which is secured to handle 55 and has its lower end secured to the inside of the door. Thus :by pulling down on the rope 57, all of the latch bars 52 are drawn downwardly and released from the latches 51 and the head of the door will swing inwardly, a little, after which the door, as a whole may, according to my patents above mentioned, be elevated by rotation of the crank 50. For this, the operator must, of course, be inside the building.

Pursuant the present invention I have discovered that the opening and closing of the door may be accomplished from the outside of the building and without release rope 57 and without the drive 47-48-49-50 by the addition of the following instrumentalities, in the door system:

On the latch release shaft 54 (or whatever latch release means as may be used) there is provided an outwardly accessible handle, here illustrated as the outwardly extending latch release handle 60 which extends through a suitable slot in the door. Outside the door, the handle is curved downwardly at 60A so as normally to lie against the door and it is provided with a handhold at 60B. Along side of the latch release handle 60A, on the front of the door, there is provided a clip 61 with a hole in. it and the handle is provided with a hole in it so that when the latches are holding the door, a padlock may be inserted for securing the latch release handle, thereby immobilizing it, to thus secure the door. Assuming that the padlock is removed, the operator has merely to pull forwardly on the handle 60B-60 and the shaft 54 will be rotated and all of the latch bars 52 are released from latches 51, thus permitting the head of the door to be then pushed inwardly a slight distance. Then the operator can take hold of the lower edge of the door and the opening motion begins. Even if the rigging includes the sprockets 47 49, chain 48 and crank '50 (and if these are not immobilized) these will merely turn freely and motion of the door is not impeded, and all of the rigging and the counterweight are moved according to the pattern of movement which is normally obtained by movement of the crank 50. Then as the door is opened a little it is only necessary for the operator to continue the motion by lifting the lower edge 10L of the door mentum gained during this portion of the upward movement will be sufficient for the door to carry on upwardly beyond reach of the operator, until the door gains its uppermost position where it will halt and stay, the rigging being such that the door tends to stay at its open position.

Pursuant the present invention, on the inside of the door there is provided a rope (or stick) 65, which is attached to a loop 66 on the inside; of the door, and has, to a position such,

may be pushed up to fully open position (where element 1 is a stick) or pulled down to start its movement in a closing direction by pulling downon element 65. When the door is fully open, with element 65 hanging down, when element 65 is pulled the entire door and attendant mechanism will be brought into motion and the door will start down and will continue moving down as long as a pull is exerted on element 65. As the door gets down to a level such that its lower edge 10L is within reach, so that it can be grasped by the hands of the operator, the operator will grasp the lower, edge 10L and pull downwardly. The motion can actually be uninterrupted, from fully open to nearly closed, and will continue moving toward closed position. The door will come to-rest in a nearly vertical position close to the closed position, but it will not usually be latched.

I have found that where needed, the lastpart of the closing motion and latching may be accomplished very easily from outside the door 10 by providing a step 70 at one or more places across the width of the door, the step being positioned low down in respect to the height of the door, and by providing a handle 71, which is attached to the front of the door vertically above each such step at a height a little above shoulder height for an average man, so it can be engaged as a handhold. Then assuming that the door has, been brought down to a nearly vertical position but not yetlatched, the operator OP will place one foot on the step 70 and will grasp the handle 71 and lean back. Thisproduces a weight down on the lower part of the doorand a rotational motion on the door in the direction of the arrows 73 at the handle 71 and step 70, and this will serve to bring the head. of the door to closed position and bring latch bars 52 into engagement with the latches -51. The head of the door is thus made secure.

A very large door, say 40 feet or so in width may latch shut" atone end and still be warped a little and be a little open and not latched at the other end. By having several steps 70 and handholds 71 at several places across the width of the .door, preferably but not necessarily aligned vertically with the latches, it will be possible for the operator easily to go along the width of the door on the outside, and by placing weight on the step and pulling out on the handle at any location, bring the door closed and latch it at each location. Usually two steps plus handholds are enough for a door 40 feet wide.

It will be understood, of course, that during the dos ing motion, after the door has been brought to a nearly vertical position, the operator will first see to it that the latch release lever 60A-69B is in a position as shown in full lines in FIGURE 2, so that the latches are capable of latching closed. The latches are, of course, spring biased. Normally the downward position of handle 60 and as the lower edge 16L passes his shoulders he pushes upwardly. The mo- 6tlA will be maintained by the action of the spring 56 but it is best for the operator to check it.

It will be readily apparent that the crank operating mechanism 47-50 for imparting power input to the door system and the inside release for the latches (composed of lever 55 and pull rope 57) were not needed in this sequence of operation, just described. They may therefore be omitted from the system and manipulation will then be made entirely from the outside of the door. However, I have found that it is convenient to have these portions of the apparatus, i.e. latch release rope 57 and drive mechanism 47-50 (which are enclosed by dotted lines in FIGURE 2) left in place, so that the door can also be operated from the inside of the building as well as the outside.

If desired, the sprocket chain and crank assembly 47- 50 may be constructed so that it can be thrown out of gear and thereby immobilized, this being described subsequently with reference to FIGURE 6.

Referring now to FIGURES 3-5, in this embodiment the door 101) is of the type illustrated in my Patent 3,172,- 509, the sheeting being laid horizontally and supported by special reinforcements on the inside and outside of the door, all as set forth in said patent, to which reference is made. The rigging can be as illustrated in that patent. For translating the head of the door there may be used overhead tracks as in FIGURE 2 or an equivalent translatory motion may be provided by radius rods as at 102, see FIGURE 4. Such radius rods may be used in the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2, if desired. Where used, such radius rods 102 are pivoted to the sidewall at 194 and pivotally attached at 105 on the inside of the door, near the head of the door, two such radius rods being provided one on each sidewall. This can be done where there is a sidewall or other building structure, to which pivotal attachcments 104 can be made and the door has sufficient transverse stiffness across the width of the door at the head of the door to resist sagging when open, and where the door is not too wide or too heavy. In buildings in which there is no sidewall or other building structure on which to amount pivots 194, and for wide or heavy doors, or where it is not desired to use the necessary weight of material to provide stiffness across the width of the door at its head, tracks and cooperating roller hangers are used and otter many advantages, for supporting and defining the motion of the head of the door. Also in FIGURE 4 there are provided radius rods 127, one at each side of the door, attached at 128 to the sidewall and pivotally attached at 126 to the door 100, one such rod being provided at each side of the door. The two radius rods 102 and 127 are offset sufficiently (when viewed in plan configuration) so as not to interfere with each other as they swing arcuately to provide the translatory and rotational motion of the door. The radius rod m2 in swinging will provide a path of movement at 1132A, for the upper pivot 105, and the radius rod 127 will provide a path of movement 127A for the pivots 126. These two radius rods therefore determine the motion of the door. If desired, vertical tracks on the side jambs and cooperating rollers on the door may be substituted for radius rods 127, as shown in my patents aforementioned.

On the outside of the door there are provided the brackets 1311 to which the cables, here illustrated as two in number at 131132, are attached by means of the pivots 133-134. The cables extend upwardly and at such elevated level extend along a defined path of cable travel, as exemplified in my patents aforesaid and my application Ser. No. 351,734, filed Mar. 13, 1964, now Patent No. 3,280,508, and Ser No. 492,172, filed Oct. 1, 1965, executed of even date herewith and entitled Overhead Door and Building and now abandoned, which are incorporated herein by reference. The cables will eventually run parallel as shown at 105 or can at that time join as one cable, and thence pass partially around a drum 140 (or merely a pulley) and downward to a counterweight 145, which is housed by the shield 146. In FIGURE 4 no drive sprocket, chain and crank arrangement is illustrated for rotating the drum since it is assumed that the owner desires to operate the door entirely from the outside, whether for opening, closing or adjusting the position of the door, but crank, chain and sprocket drive arrangements can be included as optional equipment as in FIGURES l and 2 or in FIGURE 6.

As in respect to the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES l and 2, there is, in the embodiment of FIGURES 3-5, provided on the inside of the door, a horizontally disposed rotatable latch release shaft 153 having, in this instance, a plurality of short radius rods 154 thereon, to which latch bars 155 are pivotally attached at 156, these latch bars extending up above the upper edge of the door. This is best shown in FIGURE 5. The upper portion of the bars 155 will pass through slots 157 which allow the bars to move freely up and down. The latch bars 155 are arranged so as to engage a latch mechanism generally designated 158, which can be constructed as shown in my Patent 3,103,995. The crank arms 154 are normally pulled upwardly by a spring 159 and are arranged to be pulled downwardly or pushed upwardly by a rod 160 which is pivotally attached at 161 to the inwardly extending end 162A of a bent lever 162, which is, in turn, pivoted at 163 on the outer truss member 164 of the door framing. The lever 162 bends down at 162A, so as to be closely adjacent the face of the door, when the latch bars 155 are in their up (or latching) position and the lower end of the handle 162 is provided with an aperture at 165A adjacent a matching aperture in the clip 165, through which a padlock may be inserted. Assuming the padlock is removed, the lower end 162A of lever portion is swung outwardly to the dotted line position, and in so doing the rod 160 is pulled down thereby actuating the cranks 154, thereby pulling down the latch bars 155, to release the head of the door which swings inwardly, a little. On the inside of the door there is pivotally attached at 167 a rope or stick 168 which element is loose at its lower end so that it can hang down and act as a handle or pull, for pulling the door downwardly from its fully opened position, as during the start of the closing movement or for pushing it upwardly toward and to fully opened position when the body of the door is out of reach of a man standing at ground level. On the outside framing member 164 of the door there are clips 169 to which the pivots 133134 for securing the lower ends of the cables 131-132 are attached.

Pursuant this invention, on the outside of the door, for example, at the lower end of the framing member 164, there is provided (for each such framing member 164) a step 170, and at about shoulder height, approximately about the step170, there is provided a handheld 171. Such steps 170 and handholds 171 are provided at several places along the door, preferably one for each of the door framing members 164. The handholds may be offset a little, so as not to interfere with cables 131132.

The manipulation of the door as shown in FIG- URES 35, is as previously described. Assuming that the door is closed, the operator will first remove any padlock at hole 165A and will then pull outwardly on the lever 162A162 and this releases the latches on the inside of the door and permits the head of the door to move slightly inwardly, such motion being assisted by the outward pull on the lever which, being below the level of pivots 126, imparts a slight clockwise torque on the door, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. Then the operator grasps the lower edge 100L of the door and pulls it outwardly and upwardly. During the first portion of the movement thus initiated, the door and all portions of the rigging and counterweight are accelerated in a door-opening direction, and as the lower edge 100L moves beyond where a man can reach upwardly the momentum will carry the door to the fully opened condition where it will stay due to the characteristics of the door and rigging which tend to keep the door poised at its open position. Where element 168 is a stick (rather than a rope) the operator may push up on it to assist opening movement and insure that the door reaches fully open position. For closure of the door the operator takes ahold of the lower end of the element 168 and pulls downwardly thus initiating the closing motion. One or several of these elements may be provided, and if they are made of soft material such as cotton or similar fiber, they will do no damage to equipment even if they should engage, for example, an airplane wing which might pass outwardly or inwardly under the door. If desired, these element 65, whether rope or stick, can be located closely adjacent the side edges of the door so as to be as much as possible out of the way of engagement by equipment. It will be noted that the lower ends of element(s) 168 are slightly above ground level. The operator pulls down on the element 65 and this brings the lower edge 1901. of the door into reach where the operator can grasp it and he continues to pull downwardly on the lower edge of the door, and this causes the door to move toward the closed position. The motion of the door will normally slow down and then cease at a position close to the closed position and will normally not close hard enough so as to operate the latches 155-158 although a strong pull downwardly may be sufficient, in some instances, to slam the door and cause bars 155 to engage latches 158. However, in order to insure latching of the door (when it has not done so) the operator then places one foot on the step 170 and takes ahold of the handle 171 and placing his full weight (or as much as is necessary) on the step 170 he will simultaneously pull outwardly on handle 171 and this produces a rotational movement on the door in a counterclockwise direction as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, and this moves the head of the door into position where the latch bars 155 will engage the latches 158, and thus secure the door. A padlock may then be placed through the hole 165A and the door is thus locked against unwarranted I ferring to FIGURE 6-, this is a modification which may be utilized in any embodiment of the invention (FIGURES l2. or FIGURES 3-5) where the crank mechanism is desired to be included but it is not desired to have the sprocket 47, chain 48, sprocket 49 and handle 50 move when the door is directly operated by element (65 or 168), step (70 or 170) and handle (71 or 171) as previously described. To accomplish this end, provision is made to disengage sprocket 47 (or 147) from shaft 46A. To this end, the sprocket 47 is provided with a face having a notch 47A thereon which is adapted to engage a corresponding notch in the collar 180 which is fastened to shaft 40A, when the sprocket is moved to the right as shown in FIGURE 6 and is adapted to be disengaged when the sprocket 47 is moved to the left. On the opposite side the sprocket is provided with an extension 47B having a circumferential groove therein, which is adapted to be engaged by the forked end 181 of a bell crank lever 182. The sprocket is freely rotatable on the shaft 40A and it can slide to the left (FIGURE 6-) on shaft 40A until extension 473 of the sprocket engages collar 184 which ispinned to the shaft. Sliding movement of sprocket 47 to the right (in FIGURE 6) is limited by engagement of the notch 47A in collar 180, which is also pinned to shaft 40A. The bell crank lever 182 is arranged to be swung up or down by rod 185 extending downwardly to a lever 186 pivoted at 187. When the lever is moved upwardly the sprocket will move to the right to engage with the notch 47A in collar 180 .so as to complete the drive connection and when the lever 186 is pulled downwardly the sprocket will be disengaged and rotation of shaft 4%A will not be imparted to sprocket 47, and hence through chain 48 and sprocket 49 to crank 50. Thus when the operator desires the drive chain 48 and crank 50 and lower sprocket 49 not to rotate,

it is only necessary to pull downwardly on the lever 186 to disengage the sprocket 47, and then any motion of the shaft 40A, occasioned by manual manipulation of the door from the exterior, as previously described, will not cause any motion of the crank 50. However, if the operator desires to manipulate the door from the inside of the building he need only push up on the lever 186 and slightly rotate the crank handle 50, until the notch 47A of the sprocket is aligned with the corresponding notch in the collar 180. This engages the crank mechanism and manipulation of the door thereafter is as described above, and in my patents previously enumer ated herein.

It will be understood that insofar as the present invention is concerned, the precise pattern of rigging, that is to say whether the head of the door is supported on tracks or radius rods and whether the lower portion of the door is guided by radius rods or vertical tracks and rollers, and whether or not the crank mechanism is 3 included may be selected as desired so long as the door motion is as described. Such being true, the door and rigging may be manipulated entirely from the exterior of the door, for opening and closing the door.

As many widely apparently different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that 'I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments disclosed herein.

What I claim is:

1. A door system for closing a door opening in a building, comprising a fiat unitary door panel,

upper guide means attached to the head of the door for translating the head of the door along a predetermined path of movement to and from a position where the door is substantially vertical and closed to an open position where the head of the door is within the building and the door panel is elevated to a position near the top of the door opening and a lower portion of the door panel extends outwardly through said opening, cable means attached to the front of the door at a common level above the bottom of the door and 1 below the middle of the door, a plurality of guide pulleys, including one guide pulley above each attachment point of the cable means, and common pulley means at a level above the head of the door and within the building, a counterweight below said common pulley means, said cable means extending from attachment points and thence over said guide pulley means and into the building and thence to and downward around said common pulley means to said counterweight,

lower guide means attached to the door, at the approximate level at which the cable means are attached, for translating that portion of the door at said level along a predetermined path of movement from a lower position in which the door is closed to a raised position where the door is open,

step means on the exterior surface of and near the lower portion of the door, a handhold on the exterior of the door above said step and so located as simultaneously to permit application of foot pressure downwardly on said step and pulling force outwardly on said handhold for moving the door from a partially closed position to fully closed position. 2. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that cooperating latch and keeper means are provided on thedoor and door opening at the head of the door for holding the head of the door from opening movement when the door is closed, and release means is provided accessible from the exterior of the door for operating said latch means to free the head of the door preparatory to opening the door.

3. The combination of claim 2 further characterized in that said release means is on the exterior of the door.

4. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that a pull is provided on the inside of the door and has its upper end attached at an intermediate level on the door between the top and bottom thereof, said pull being otherwise free so as to swing downwardly under its own weight when the door is open.

5. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that manual means is also provided on the inside of the door for operating said latch release means.

6. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that manual drive means is provided inside of the building for rotating the common pulley means for energizing the door system from within the building.

7. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that said means attached to the head of the door for translating the head of the door comprises radius rods pivotally attached to the head of the door and to a portion of the building for translating the head of the door along a cylindrical path of movement between closed and opened positions.

8. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that the upper guide means comprises track means extending from adjacent the head of the door and thence inwardly within the building and roller hangers in said track means pivotally attached to the head of the door for translating the head of the door along a planar path between its closed and opened positions.

9. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that said upper guide means comprises radius rods having opposite ends thereof pivotally attached to the door and the building structure.

10. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that the lower guide means comprises vertical tracks on the sides of the door opening and cooperating rollers on the door.

11. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that the lower guide means comprises radius rods having opposite ends pivotally attached to the door and building structure.

12. A door system for closing a door opening in a building, comprising a large fiat unitary panel, rigging for supporting said door comprising a plurality of cables extending upwardly in front of the door from attachments at a common level below the middle of the door and above the bottom of the door, a pulley for each cable positioned above each attachment, a drum journalled for rotation at a position within the building at a level above the head of the door, a counterweight below the drum means, said cables extending each along a path of cable travel from its attachment and around its pulley and thence around said drum means and downwardly to said counterweight, upper and lower radius rod means for guiding the head of the door and a lower portion of the door at approximately said common level for bringing the head and the door panel to and from a door-closed position where the door is substantially vertical and closed and a door-open position wherein the door panel is elevated to an upper part of the door opening, and the door is mostly within the building and its lower portion extends at a near horizontal orientation outwardly through the door opening, each such radius rod means having one end pivotally attached to the door and its other end pivotally attached to a portion of the building, said upper radius rod means being pivotally connected to the door adjacent the door head, said lower radius rod means being pivotally connected to the door at approximately said common level, said upper and lower radius rod means being, respectively, pivoted for separate swinging movements about separate upper-rod pivot means and lower-rod pivot means, said separate pivot means being at different elevations on the building.

13. The combination of claim 12 further characterized in that means are provided on the exterior of the door for applying forces to the door for moving it to closed position.

14. The combination of claim 1 further characterized in that cooperating latch and keeper means are provided on the door and door opening adjacent the head of the door for holding the head of the door from movement from a fully closed position inwardly in respect to the building, and latch release means is provided accessible from the exterior of the door for releasing said means to free the head of the door preparatory to opening the door.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,959,663 5/1934 Evans 49197 3,103,995 9/ 1963 Dugger 49-200 3,119,608 1/1964 Bateman 49-199 X 3,226,144 12/1965 Lomaz 49197 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. KENNETH DOWNEY, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,331,157 July 18, 1967 Ralph L. Dugger It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 14, for "rum" read drum line 25, for "not" read no column 5, line 36, for "attachements read attachments line 41, for "amount" read mount Signed and sealed this 18th day of June 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

Claims (1)

1. A DOOR SYSTEM FOR CLOSING A DOOR OPENING IN A BUILDING, COMPRISING A FLAT UNITARY DOOR PANEL, UPPER GUIDE MEANS ATTACHED TO THE HEAD OF THE DOOR FOR TRANSLATING THE HEAD OF THE DOOR ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH OF MOVEMENT TO AND FROM A POSITION WHERE THE DOOR IS SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AND CLOSED TO AN OPEN POSITION WHERE THE HEAD OF THE DOOR IS WITHIN THE BUILDING AND THE DOOR PANEL IS ELEVATED TO A POSITION NEAR THE TOP OF THE DOOR OPENING AND A LOWER PORTION OF THE DOOR PANEL EXTENDS OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING, CABLE MEANS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT OF THE DOOR AT A COMMON LEVEL ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR AND BELOW THE MIDDLE OF THE DOOR, A PLURALITY OF GUIDE PULLEYS, INCLUDING ONE GUIDE PULLEY ABOVE EACH ATTACHMENT POINT OF THE CABLE MEANS, AND COMMON PULLEY MEANS AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE HEAD OF THE DOOR AND WITHIN THE BUILDING, A COUNTERWEIGHT BELOW SAID COMMON PULLEY MEANS, SAID CABLE MEANS EXTENDING FROM ATTACHMENT POINTS AND THENCE OVER SAID GUIDE PULLEY MEANS AND INTO THE BUILDING AND THENCE TO AND DOWNWARD AROUND SAID COMMON PULLEY MEANS TO SAID COUNTERWEIGHT, LOWER GUIDE MEANS ATTACHED TO THE DOOR, AT THE APPROXIMATE LEVEL AT WHICH THE CABLE MEANS ARE ATTACHED, FOR TRANSLATING THAT PORTION OF THE DOOR AT SAID LEVEL ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH OF MOVEMENT FROM A LOWER POSITION IN WHICH THE DOOR IS CLOSED TO A RAISED POSITION WHERE THE DOOR IS OPEN, STEP MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF AND NEAR THE LOWER PORTION OF THE DOOR, A HANDHOLD ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE DOOR ABOVE SAID STEP AND SO LOCATED AS SIMULTANEOUSLY TO PERMIT APPLICATION OF FOOT PRESSURE DOWNWARDLY ON SAID STEP AND PULLING FORCE OUTWARDLY ON SAID HANDHOLD FOR MOVING THE DOOR FROM A PARTIALLY CLOSED POSITION TO FULLY CLOSED POSITION.

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