GB2234955A - Displacement arrangement e.g. for door - Google Patents

Abstract

A displacement arrangement transferral means 10 including a first set of pulley wheels or rollers 20 and a second set of pulley wheels or rollers 18 arranged substantially parallel to said first pulley set and so as to be substantially perpendicularly displaceable relative thereto, displacement means 16 operative to produce a linear displacement in said second pulley set, said first and second sets of pulley wheels being interconnected by flexible means 22 looped alternately about the first and second pulley wheel sets, such that means' free ends will be displaced by movement of the second pulley set, or if they are fixed, means 10 will be displaced. The invention also discloses a horizontally or vertically slideable door including such a displacement arrangement or operated remotely thereby, possibly with a restoring second displacement arrangement with a common support for pulley wheels.

Description

DISPLACEMENT ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to a displacement arrangement especially suitable for use with a vertically displaceable door where access is desired to working parts.

Door displacement mechanisms for automatically moving a door in either a vertical or horizontal plane are generally known. One particular problem with displacement mechanisms for vertical moving doors is the ease of access to the actuating means and the linkage between those means and the door itself. This is especially important in the paper industry where totally enclosed hoods for drying paper during its processing include large vertically slidably doors. In order to provide access to the processing machinery these doors need to be slidable through a distance equal to their own height. Such a displacement requires the use of overhead line shafts, winches, gear boxes, brakes etc.

and consequently necessary walkways for access during maintenance periods. Such arrangements can be quite costly and can add significantly to the cost of installing such totally enclosed hood arrangements.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door displacement arrangement operative to effect the slidable displacement of a door whilst permitting access to the actuating means.

With this object in view the present invention provides a displacement arrangement comprising transferral means including a first set of pulley wheels or rollers and a second set of pulley wheels or rollers arranged substantially parallel to said first pulley set and so as to be substantially perpendicularly displaceable relative thereto, displacement means operative to produce a linear displacement in said second pulley set, said first and second sets of pulley wheels being interconnected by flexible means looped alternately about the first and second pulley wheel sets, such that means' free ends will be displaced by movement of the second pulley set.

Preferably the displacement arrangement is enclosed within one slat of a vertically or horizontal displaceable door which is composed of a plurality of such slats. In this configuration the flexible means, advantageously a cable, rope, chain, belt or the like, would be secured to a fixed point located substantially over the said door such that displacement of the belt will cause the door to move towards that fixed point.

It will be appreciated that the number of rollers in each set of the transferral means will depend on the actual distance through which the door in question is to be displaced and the maximum stroke distance through which the displacement means is operable to move the second set of displaceable pulley wheels.

One advantage of apparatus according to an aspect of the invention is that the connection between the two sets of pulley wheels serves to magnify the stroke distance of the displacement means such that by selecting the number of pulley wheels in each set a large displacement of the door can be effected for only a short movement of the second set of pulley wheels with respect to the first said set.

The actual displacement means can be a pneumatic or a hydraulic cylinder or an electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic driven motorised gearbox. The actual distance of door displacement achieved is equal to the stroke of the displacement means multiplied by the number of belt passes between the two-sets of pulley wheels.

In the case of a hinged panel type up and over door the displacement arrangement according to an aspect of the invention can be disposed inside the leaving or trailing edge of the door and such a disposition would also be advantageous for a hinge panel type sliding door.

It is also possible that the displacement arrangement could be fitted at a location remote from the door. However, this obviates the main advantage of the arrangement which is ease of access for maintenance purposes, the arrangement normally being disposed on or within the door itself thus being readily accessible.

Although the invention is particularly applicable to vertically displaceable doors with suitable modification a displacement arrangement according to the invention can be adapted for use with a horizontal sliding door or any other form of slidable door. With a horizontal slidable door it is preferable that the belt is arranged in an endless loop configuration such that reversing of the displacement of the second set of pulley wheels will reverse the displacement of the door itself.

A further aspect of the invention provides a door including a displacement arrangement comprising a first set of pulley wheels or rollers fixed relative to said door and a second set of pulley wheels or rollers arranged substantially parallel thereto and such as to be perpendicularly displaceable relative to said first set of rollers, the second set of rollers being connected to displacement means operative to produce a linear displacement in response to a control signal, said first and second sets of pulley wheels being interconnected by a cable looped alternately about the first and second pulley wheel sets, the belts free ends being secured to pegs arranged in a frame at a point substantially equal to the maximum desired travel of said door.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a door displacement arrangement according to an aspect of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line A-A of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a door including a door displacement arrangment according to an aspect of the invention.

Referring firstly to Fig.l, a door displacement arrangement according to an aspect of the invention is referred to generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a frame 12 retaining therein a slidably displaceable bar 14. The bar 14 is attached to a actuating member 16 which in turn is connected to displacement means, for example, a rotating screw or double acting cylinder (not shown) disposed substantially adjacent to the frame 12.

The bar 14 slidably located within the frame 12, carries six pulley wheels or rollers 18 rotatably mounted therein. Furthermore, a lower edge of the frame 12 also carries seven further pulley wheels or rollers 20 disposed with axes of rotation substantially parallel to the wheels 18 carried by the bar 14. The pulley wheels 20 carried on the frame 12 provide a first set of wheels or rollers according to an aspect of the invention and the wheels 18 carried on the bar 14 provide the second set required by an aspect of the invention.

It will be appreciated that displacement of the bar 14 within the frame by way of the actuating member 16 causes the distance between the first and second pulley wheel sets to be reduced or increased depending on the direction of motion of the bar 14. The first and second pulley wheel sets are interconnected by way of a cable 22 which is looped alternately about wheels in the first and second pulley sets respectively.

Turning now to Fig. 3 a door displacement arrangement as previously described is mounted in a door, for example, as would be used in a totally enclosed paper machine hood. An electrically operated jacking device 24 is located on one edge of a duct 26 to which is attached at its bottom edge a door displacement arrangement 10 as previously described. The cable 22 is guided along the door's bottom edge and up a door guide 28 disposed substantially vertically and arranged at each end of the door 26. Two pegs 30, 32, providing a cable fixing point, and located within the door guide 28 and the cable 22 is attached by its free ends to the siad pegs 30, 32.

When the jacking device 24 is operated the bar 14 in the displacement arrangement 10 is moved substantially away from the first pulley wheel set 20 from its rest position directly adjacent thereto. By such movement the cable 22 is drawn between the pulley wheel sets and hence the door 26 is raised up towards the pegs 30, 32. It will be understood that the movement of the bar 14 with respect to the first pulley wheel set 20 is magnified by the number of pulley wheels used and thus only a short stroke of the electrically operated jacking device 24 is required to achieve a relatively large movement of the door.

In the embodiment described there is no return arrangement required as the weight of the door 26 will be sufficient to lower the door 26 against a reciprocal motion of the jacking device 24 and bar 14. However, where a horizontally sliding door is used it is advantageous to provide a further displacement arrangement according to an aspect of the invention and operative in the reverse direction. Preferably such a further displacement arrangement has its respective second set of pulley wheels on a bar 14 common with the first displacement arrangement. In this way a reversal of the movement of the bar 14 will cause the door to be returned to its original position by simultaneously releasing and tightening the two flexible cable means.

Although the displacement arrangement according to the invention has been described with particular reference to paper making machinery it is not restricted thereto and its application to movement of sliding doors or other surfaces is much wider in scope and not limited thereto. For example, a door displacement arrangement according to the invention could be used to move a known garage up and over door type arrangement by simple modification of the existing configuration. Other uses of a displacement arrangement according to an aspect of the invention will also be readily apparent.

Claims (12)

1. A displacement arrangement comprising transferral means including a first set of pulley wheels or rollers and a second set of pulley wheels or rollers arranged substantially parallel to said first pulley set and so as to be substantially perpendicularly displaceable relative thereto, displacement means operative to produce a linear displacement in said second pulley set, said first and second sets of pulley wheels being interconnected by flexible means looped alternately about the first and second pulley wheel sets, such that means' free ends will be displaced by movement of the second pulley set.

2. A displacement arrangement as claimed in claim 1 in which the transferral means is enclosed within one slat of a vertically or horizontal displaceable door composed of a plurality of such slats.

3. A displacement arrangement as claimed in claim 2 in which the flexible means is secured to a fixed point located substantially over the said door such that displacement of the said flexible means will cause the door to move towards that fixed point.

4. A displacement arrangement as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 in which the flexible means is provided by a flexible belt or the like.

5. A displacement arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the displacement means includes a pneumatic or a hydraulic cylinder.

6. A displacement arrangemment as claimed in any preceding claim in which the transferral means is disposed inside the leading or trailing edge of a hinged panel type door.

7. A displacement arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the transferral means is disposed at a location remote from the door.

8. A displacement arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the flexible means is arranged in an endless loop configuration such that reversing of the displacement of the second set of pulley wheels will reverse the displaceement of the door itself.

9. A door including a displacement arrangement comprising a first set of pulley wheels or rollers fixed relative to said door and a second set of pulley wheels or rollers arranged substantially parallel thereto and such as to be perpendicularly displaceable relative to said first set of rollers, the second set of rollers being connected to displacement means operative to produce a linear displacement in response to a control signal, said first and second sets of pulley wheels being interconnected by a cable looped alternately about the first and second pulley wheel sets, the belts free end being secured to pegs arranged in a frame at a point substantially equal to the maximum desired travel of said door.

10. A door as claimed in claim 9 further including a second displacement arrangement disposed so as to oppose movement of the door caused by the first such arrangement, the second displacement arrangement being operative to produce a displacement of the door in response to a second control signal, the resultant displacement being such as to return the door to a starting position.

11. A door as claimed in claim 10 in which the second displacement arrangement has its respective second set of pulley wheels located on a member on which is also located the first displacement arrangement's respective second set of pulley wheels.

12. A displacement arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.