US1705085A - Movable fire shutter - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 1929. w. DUNCANSON 1,705,085

MOVABLE FIRE SHUTTER Filed Feb. 27, 1928 Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E, DUNOANSON, OF NEW YORK, N Y ASSIGNOR TO THE J. G. WILSON CORPO- RATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

MOVABLE FIRE SHUTTER.

Application filed February 27, 1928. Serial No. 257,196.

This invention relates to movable shutters for closing an opening in a wall upon the occurrence of fire.

The invention is particularly adapted to be applied to a fire shutter of the coiling type and is shown as embodied in such a shutter mechanism. The invention, however, is not limited in its application to this particular type of shutter but may be embodied with advantage in other fire shutter constructions.

In movable fire shutter constructions, the margin of the shutter is usually controlled by suitable guide bars which hold the said margins in position with relation to the wall adjacent the opening which the shutter is arranged to close. These guide bars are ordinarily secured to a supporting bar by bolts or studs passing through openings in the bars, the bolts or studs having heads and nuts which engage the bars and hold the same together. The supporting bars are secured to the wall by means of fastening devices passing through openings in the supporting bars and driven into the wall. It has been the practice to provide these bars with slots through which the fastening devices pass so that the bars can expand longitudinally relatively to the fastening devices and supporting means when the bars become heated. It is necessary to secure the fastening devices for both the guide bars and the supporting bars fairly tight so as to hold the bars securely together and to hold the supporting bars rigidly in place against the wall. The friction between the heads of the fastening devices, the nuts or the washers, where washers are used, and the contacting surfaces of the bars, particularly when the parts have become rusted, is liable to prevent relative movement of the guide bars and the fastening devices at the points where the fastening devices are located when the bars become heated, with the result that. the bars will buckle. This throws the guide bars out of true so that the shutter will not run freely, and produces openings at the margins of the shutter through which the sparks may pass. When the guide bars are thrown out of true, the shutter may be stopped in its downward movement, thus allowing the fire to spread through the opening which the shutter is arranged to close. It has been an important problem in the construction of fire shutters to provide a structure which will enable the guide bars to expand. without buckling.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide movable fire shutters with an improved construction for the devices for guiding the shutter which will enable said devices readily to expand without buckling when they are heated.

With the above object in view, the invention comprises the novel and improved features, constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention in its preferred form, and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a View in front elevation partly broken away and partly in section, of a coiling fire shutter construction embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the same plane as Figures 2. 7

.In the construction shown in the drawings, a coiling shutter indicated at 2 is mounted in position to close an opening 4 in a wall 6. The shutter 2 consists of the usual series of movably connected bars or slats preferably made of metal, and the shutter is arranged to be coiled up on and uncoiled from a roller (not shown) journaled to rotate within a housing 8 located at the upper end of the opening.

The margins of the shutter are held in position with relation to the wall and guided during the movement of the shutter by the engagement thereof in channels 9 formed in channel bars 10 secured to the wall 6. Each channel bar 10 is secured by means of a series of bolts 12 to an angle bar 14, the bolts passing through corresponding openings in the channel bar and angle bar. The angle bar 14; is secured to the wall 6 by means of a series of bolts or studs 16 passing through openings in the angle bar and driven into the wall.

When the channel bars 10 and the angle bars 14 become heated, these bars will exp l g udin lly. The bars 10 and 14 will often be heated to different degrees during a fire and will expand longitudinally to unequal extents. If the bars 10 and 14 are held from longitudinal expansion, they will be liable to buckle when heated and throw the guide channels out of true and form openings at the sides of the shutter through which sparks and flame may pass. It is also important to allow for relative expansion of the bars 10 and 14 produced by unequal heating thereof.

In the construction shown, each of the uppermost bolts 12 passes through holes 18 and 20 respectively in corresponding channel bar 10 and angle bar 14, in which holes the bolt fits closely. The bolts 12 below the uppermost bolt pass through openings 22 in the channel bar in which opening the bolts preferably fit closely and through slots 24 formed in the angle bar 14 and extending longitudinally thereof. This constructionper-mits the channel bar and angle bar to expand longitudinally and also eermits the two bars to expand longitudina ly to unequal degrees.

- The uppermost bolts 16 by which each angle bar is secured to the wall, asses through an opening 26 in the angle ar in which the bolt preferably fits closely. The fastening devices .16- below the uppermost device pass through slots 28 in the angle bar extending longitudinally of the bar, as clearly shown in Figure 1. This construction allows for the longitudinal expansion of the angle bar 14.

It is the practice to setup the nuts on the bolts 12 fairly tightly to secure together the channel bar and the angle "bar and also to drive the bolts 16 rather tightly into the wall to secure the angle bars upon the Wall.

As shown clearly in Figure 4, a washer 30 is preferably inserted beneath the head of each of the bolts 16 and washer 32 is ap plied to each of the bolts 12 beneath the nut and the angle bar 14. I

The friction between the heads of the bolts or the nuts and the bars, .or between the wash ers and the bars where washers are used, tends to prevent longitudinal expansion of the'bars,'andthis friction may be so great as to cause the bars-to buckle when heated, especially when the bars and bolts or other parts have become rusted. In order to pre vent rust and to facilitate the longitudinal expansion of the channel bars and angle bars, these bars are covered with a coating G of such a character that it will fuse when the bars are heated and act as a lubricant to render the bars slippery so that the contacting surfaces of the bars will readily slide with relation {to each other and that the surfaces of the bars 14 will slide readily with relation to the contacting surfaces ofthe wall. This coating preferably consists of a metal-lie gaL vanizing material and is applied hot to the bars by dipping the bars into a fused bath of this material. The coating is preferably of very little thickness, the thickness of the coating being immaterial provided sufiicient coating material is used to lubricate the sur faces of the bars when the material fuses.

As is usual in coiling shutter constructions, the lower end of the shutter 2 is provided with an angle bar 34 secured to the lower end of the shutter by means of a series of bolts 36 passing through openings in the angle bar and corresponding openings in the lowermost slat or bar of the shutter proper. As shown in Figure 2, a central bolt 36 passes through openings 38 and 40 in the angle bar 34 and the lowermost slat of the shutter, in which openings the bolts preferably fit tightly. The bolts 36 on each side of the central bolt, each pass through a slot 42 in the angle bar 34 and through an opening 44 in the lowermost slat of the shutter in which the bolt fits closely, the slots 42 extending in the direction of the length of the bar 34. The bar 34 is preferably provided with a coating of galvanizing material of the same character as that applied to the channel bars 10 and the angle bars 14 to provide a lubricant to render the bar 34 slippery when heated to a high temperature so that it will readily expand longitudinally on each side of the central bolt 36.

Preferably a washer 46 is inserted beneath the head of each of the bolts 36, and a Washer 48 also is inserted beneath each of the nuts on these bolts to prevent removal of the lubricant by abrasion when the nuts are tightened on the "holding bolts.

The above construction provides a permanent coating upon the bars which will facilitate the longitudinal expansion of the bars under the influence of'heat. In the case wherefusible nuts, washers or elements of this character are employed, these are liable to be omitted at one or two points by the workmen, through carelessness or inadvertence, and the bars will then buckle when heated, with all the attendant disadvantages. The coating on the bars also prevents the formation of rust which tends to prevent the longitudinal expansion of the bars.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts of the illustrated embodiment of the invention, but that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the claims.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention vand having specifically described a construction embodying the inventionin its preferred form, whatis claimed is:

1. in a fire retarding shutter construction a movable shutter and guide members for the same, said guide members having metallic means forming a unitary Structure therewith and fusible when subjected to a high temperature, to permit the guide members to expand.

2. A fire shutter construction comprising and a metallic material indestructible, but 10 in combination a movable shutter and guides rendered friction-reducing by heat, said 1116- for the sides of the shutter, each having mctallic material being permanently associated tallic material permanently attached to the with n f id d i t it ready 5 guide and fusible at a high temperature to pansion of the same.

form a lubricant topermit the expansion of Signed at New York, N. Y., this first day 15 the guide. of February, 1928.

3. In a fire retarding shutter construction a movable shutter, guiding devices therefor, W'ALTER E. DUN CAN SON

Images