AU706877B2 - A closer - Google Patents

Description

Preferably the method of includes pre-fixing an annulus by a preforming operation to provide an annular lip and a beneath recess.

Preferably the closer includes an enclosure at one end of the tubular member having means for external attachment and an enclosure at the other end having an aperture to provide passage and support for a rod connected to a piston within the tubular member, and a biassing spring supported between the piston and apertured enclosure and preferably the assembly method comprises assembling the spring onto the rod and passing the rod through the aperture in the apertured enclosure, assembling the piston, rod and spring into the tubular member and placing the enclosures adjacent tube ends, one on each end of the tubular member, within the jaws of a press and by moving the jaws of the press relatively towards each other simultaneously assemble the enclosures one on each end of the tubular member.

The invention also provides a method of assembling a closer comprising a substantially cylindrical tubular member interspaced between two enclosures said method including in one operation by external means providing internal fixing between the enclosures and tube ends.

Description of the Drawings •Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a closer, Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a closer end portion showing an •enclosure having radially bent fingers to retain the tubular member, *Figure 3 is a schematic view of a closer end portion having an enclosure having an annulus to retain the tubular member, •Figure 4 is an end view of the piston, Figure 5 is a schematic side view of an assembly method and associated dies, Figure 6 is a schematic side view of the dies for and method of pre-forming the fingers shown in Figure 2, Figure 7 is a schematic side view of the dies for and method of pre-forming an enclosure to retain the annulus shown in Figure 3.

RA -3 Description of the Preferred Embodiments The accompanying drawings illustrate a number of embodiments of the invention which provides a number of closures and pneumatic door closers.

The same reference numerals are used for like components in all embodiments as shown. The positional prepositions such as rear and forward are used to assist in description of the preferred embodiments and have in general no absolute other significance.

The invention comprises a substantially conventional door closer which differs significantly in the means of attaching the tube (herein also referred to as a tubular member) to end enclosures. Conventional closers require the insertion of a mandrel up the tube to swage an internal flange over to grip the tube end. For one end this works satisfactorily but the other cannot be so swaged because the mandrel is denied access by the already fixed end. The second end must therefore be treated otherwise by (for example) spinning over the tube to form an end. This method has assembly, quality and cost disadvantages.

C

This invention provides end enclosures which are formed or swaged prior to assembly onto the tube so that in a simple pressing operation both ends can then be assembled at the same time.

.eo In summary the invention comprises a closure 1 consisting of a first cupped enclosure 2, a second cupped enclosure 3 and a cylindrical tube 4. The invention also comprises a door closer employing the above described closure and methods of manufacture.

As is conventional the closer includes a piston 5 connected to a rod 6 having a protruding end 7 which is attachable to a door jamb bracket 8 by a rivet 9. The rod has passage through the first enclosure 2 via the aperture and is biassed inwardly by spring 11 which is compressed between the piston and the enclosure 2.

The chamber formed between the piston and the enclosure 3 is substantially air tight but has an adjustable air escape mean. As is conventional, when the rod is pulled out and released it moves inwardly under the action of the spring but as it does so the volume of the chamber reduces to increase the air pressure to provide an outward force. Theoretically the 'A-4spring would compress the air in the chamber until the spring force equalled that resulting from increased air pressure. The air escape means provides for the gradual release of air from the chamber and, as air is released, the piston moves inwardly to close the door to which it is attached at a controlled rate.

When the door is almost closed it is desirable for the rod to move without the restraining influence of the air pressure so that the door gets a little slam to assist latching. This is achieved by providing an internal concave channel over which the piston cannot seal so that when the piston moves over the channel the air escapes through the channel from the chamber to the other side of the piston to escape. This channel is positioned to coincide with the position of the piston when the door is almost closed.

As will be appreciated for this scheme to work it is essential that the closer be correctly fitted to the door and that the distance between the bracket 8 and the door bracket 16, the means of attaching the closer to the door, be fairly exactly spaced. The invention also provides a fitting aid comprising a horse-shoe like spacer 17 by which to achieve this. This spacer stradles the rod and is held prior to fitting clamped between the enclosure 2 and ears 18 ;V on the rod by spring force. With the spacer in place the piston is at the afinishing end of the channel and the start of the channel coincides with a door being partly open in a position from which it can be slammed. This spacer is o*ooo removed after the closer has been fitted.

The piston preferably comprises an annular member having an axial flange 21 with an axial recess and an angled annular face 12 on which the O ring 13 seats and rearwardly an aperatured disc 14 is held against an annular shoulder 19 by a protruding rivet-like portion of the shoulder which passes through the disc aperture to be spread behind the disc. The apertured disc ;retains the O ring in close proximity to the face 12. When the piston moves inwardly the O ring seals by being forced against the face 12 by friction with the tube wall. When the rod moves outwardly the O ring moves slightly away from the face 12 to permit air to pass between the aperatured disc and face 12 and then through an aperature 20 between the disc 14 and the annular shoulder 19 on which it is supported. Retention of the internal rod end in the recess in the flange 21 is achieved by displacing flange side-wall material into -I4A a side recess in the rod end and retention of the apertured disc 14 on the rivet-like portion 39 of the shoulder is achieved by radially displacing the rivet-like portion in a press.

The invention provides a number of means for assembling the enclosures 2 and 3 onto the tubular member 4.

In a preferred embodiment each enclosure comprises a cupped member having a concave recess substantially comprising a conical space open at one end and reducing in diameter longitudinally to join a spherical end portion having an annular portion which is inclined to and preferably substantially orthogonal to the axis of the tubular member.

In a preferred embodiment the internal wall 23 of the enclosure has longitudinally, in relation to the open end, an inwardly tapering wall 24 joined to a radiussed portion 25 which has an end portion 26 which is inclined to and preferably substantially orthogonal to the axis of the tubular member.

At the open end of the cupped enclosure the diameter of the internal recess is large enough to accept the tubing and tapers inwardly to a diameter less than that of the tube. Adjacent the end portion 26 there is a recess 27 beneath a shoulder comprising an annulus 28 or one or more recesses formed beneath shoulders comprising elongated longitudinal finger 29 which have been displaced radially outward.

~20 In one embodiment during assembly the tube is forced longitudinally o:into the enclosure and along the tapering internal wall at which time the tube is gradually compressed inwardly while the enclosure is forced to expand; the -°tube conforming substantially to the deformed shape of the enclosure internal wall. On reaching the radiussed wall portion the tube is formed inwardly along this portion to form a radiussed portion 30 which ends in and includes a portion which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular portion, said portion 30 locating beneath a shoulder to provide longitudinal engagement between the tube and enclosure and said portion corresponding to the wall portion 26.

Preferably the shoulder comprises a laterally disposed annulus having a normal axis co-linear with the axis of the conical portion, said annulus having a beneath surface similarly shaped in part to the adjacent spherical wall portion and longitudinally removed to provide a recess therebetween also similarly shaped in part to the adjacent spherical wall portion and into which r 1-6the tube end is deformed when the enclosure and tube end are moved relatively together during attachment.

The residual stress developed between the tube and enclosure along the internal wall where strain has occurred also provides longitudinal engagement by dent of static friction. In a preferred embodiment the deformation would occur both elastically and plastically.

In one embodiment the tube is retained within the enclosure by frictional force alone; in another embodiment the tube is retained by the shoulder alone in which case the enclosure may have substantially parallel internal walls joining a radiussed portion while in a preferred embodiment the tube is retained by both means.

In an embodiment the enclosure having longitudinal fingers 29 attached to the internal end wall is pre-formed as shown in Fig. 6 by placing a flaring tool 33 over the fingers and within the jaws of a press 34 and moving the jaws relatively towards each other to cause the fingers to displace radially outward to form a recess between the end wall of the enclosure and the deformed fingers.

In another embodiment the enclosure has an annulus retained adjacent protruding boss of the internal end wall by rivet-like protrusions of the boss 20 which pass through the annulus aperture to be formed radially outwardly to retain the annulus. As shown in Fig. 7, the enclosure is pre-formed by a flaring tool 37 placed over the rivet-like portions 38 and within the jaws of a press 34 and moving the jaws relatively towards each other to cause the rivet-like portions to displace radially outward over the annulus to retain it S" 25 attached to the boss.

During assembly of the preferred embodiment as shown in Figure 5 the sub-assembly comprising the rod and piston, spring and pre-formed first enclosure 2 are assembled to the tube as shown with the opening of the enclosure adjacent the tube end. The second pre-formed enclosure 3 is assembled adjacent the other end and the assembly is placed between the jaws 34 of a press to be assembled by moving the jaws relatively towards each other to causes the enclosures to be assembled onto the tube ends as described above.

-7- To assist sealing of the chamber a sealant or neoprene 0 ring 36 may be placed within the orthogonal recess beneath the annular disc to be squashed during assembly of the tube. Likewise a sealing material may be applied to the internal wall 23 of the enclosure prior to assembly of the tube to provide a film of sealing material between the surfaces after assembly.

This invention also provides a closure which may be used for the storage or containment of materials including gasses.

Throughout this specification and claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers or steps but not exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

a« a a a *e -8- P:\OPER\RSH\11678-95 CLM -3113/99 -9- THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:- 1 A closer for a wing or the like including a substantially cylindrical longitudinally elongated tubular member having a tube end to which an enclosure is attached by bonding means not visible externally of the closer, said enclosure substantially comprising a cupped member having internally a substantially conical portion of reducing diameter joining a substantially spherical end portion and adjacent the spherical portion a laterally disposed shoulder, said bonding means being characterised by deformation of the tube end to conform with the conical portion and further deformation of the tube end to locate beneath the shoulder.

2 A closer according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder comprises a substantially radially disposed annular lip.

3 A closer according to claim 2, wherein the enclosure includes an annulus prefixed within the enclosure to provide the annular lip, said annulus being a formed disc- *oolike member having a central aperture by which it is fixed within the enclosure and a normal axis located substantially co-linearly with the longitudinal axis of the enclosure.

4 A closer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bonding means is characterised by deformation of the tube end and deformation of the conical portion each by the other so that each conforms with the other.

A closer according to claim 4, wherein the enclosure and tube end retain each other elastically deformed to provide bonding therebetween.

6 A closer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tube end is deformed by the spherical portion to locate beneath the shoulder.

7 A closer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shoulder comprises a laterally disposed annulus having a normal axis co-linear with the axis of o: 7;A r ~G