437,810. Door-operating mechanism. BROWN, W. J., Danesmoor, Harefield Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, and TAYLOR, R. A., 27, Elms Road, Heaton Moor, near Stockport, Lancashire. May 1, 1934, No. 13084. [Class 65 (i)] Mechanism for opening and closing garage doors automatically or by hand, by means of a falling weight and wire or its equivalent, comprises a movable pulley block held, while the weight falls to move the door, or doors, in one direction, and released during the fall of the weight from its mid-position to the ground in moving the doors in the opposite direction. Closing the doors by hand causes the released pulley and its block to return to the retaining device, and the weight to be raised to its midposition. Opening the doors by hand causes the wire to be drawn over fixed and movable pulleys, and the weight to be raised to its highest position. Fig. 1 shows garage doors B, B<1>, attached to rods C, C<1>, which slide on a cross beam A<1> in a horizontal plane. An operating wire D is attached to a bracket C<2> on the rod C<1>, passes through a slot in a bracket E on the end of the rod C, and then around the pulley F<1>, Fig. 3, of the movable block F to guide pulleys G, G<1>, leading to the weight H. In closing the doors the end of the rod C<1> presses against the edge E<1> of the bracket E. When the block F is held by a catch J<1> attached to a beam A<2>, tension on the wire tends to close the doors, but when the block F is released from the catch, and is held inside the bracket E, the pull on the wire tends to pull the junction of the rods C, C<1> outwards, i.e., to open the doors. Guide rollers A<4>, A<5> are provided for the rods C<1>, C, and a pin A<3> ensures the engagement of the bracket E with the pulley block F when the door B is closed by hand. The door B<1> may be opened without releasing the pulley block F. Fig. 4 shows a hook C<3>, on the rod C<1>, which engages a catch K<1> on the beam A<1> to hold the door B<1> in the open position. A pivoted member K<5> is held at one end by a spring K' and has an inclined surface K<4> against which presses the lower end of the catch K<1>. A stop K<6> limits the movement of the member K<5>. Rotation of the member K<5> permits release of the catch K<1>. The catch K<1> is not operative when the doors are opened automatically. Actuating means for releasing the catches J<1>, K<1> comprises a wire L which is hand or automatically operated. The spring K' is weak compared with spring J' so that the catch K<1> is released first to allow automatic closing of the doors, the catch J only yielding to a stronger pull on the wire L. A latch J<5> has a notch J<6> which engages the hook F<2> in addition to the catch J<1>. This is released by the bracket E contacting with the latch J<5>. Where the doors are controlled by the passage of a vehicle over a ramp a catch shown in Fig. 6 is employed in place of the catch K. It comprises a double latch released in two movements by the leading and trailing wheels of the vehicle passing over the ramp. A hook C<5> on the rod C<1> enters a flared slot M<1> when the door B<1> is manually opened. Two bell-crank levers N, 0, are pivoted to a plate M, and controlled by a wire P pulled when the ramp is pressed upon. This causes anti-clockwise movement of the levers O, N, and release of the first catch N<1> and hook C<5> which engages the latch O<1>. The wire P is then released and the catch N<2> engages the hook C<5> until the rear wheels of the vehicle cause the final release of catch N<2>. The ramp may comprise a bar resting on rubber blocks with a curved cavity under the bar. The wire system may be replaced by a fluid operated control, flexible bellows being arranged under the ramp, and also to the catches N, O. To prevent slamming of the doors a dashpot Fig. 5, is fitted so that motion of the wire D causes revolving of a screw-threaded spindle U<2> and movement of a piston U<1> in an oilfilled cylinder. Non return valves U' are fitted to the piston. A further automatic catch may be fitted to one of the rods C, C<1>, or provided with a hand-controlled release associated with the garage lock. The rod mechanism may be modified so that a single door is controlled. Other release system may control the rods, such as electrical, i.e. radiant energy apparatus including a photoelectric cell controlled by a beam of light interrupted by the passage of the vehicle. A microphone responsive to a motor horn having a predetermined audible frequency may be used. The two rods C, C<1>, may have their inner ends pivoted together, in the case where a single door need not be opened. The invention is stated to be applicable to remote control of windows, doors, &c., or to sliding doors. Separate pulley systems may be fitted to the two doors, with different sized weights.