US1100615A - Furnace-door opener. - Google Patents

Description

T. RANKIN.

FURNACE DOOR OPENER.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.12, 1912.

Patented June 16,1914.

[Wall/2i];

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 60., WASHINGTON. D. c.

TICE RANKIN, OF OKEENE, OKLAHOMA.

FURNACE-DOOR OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed January 12, 1912. Serial No. 670,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I; Tron RA IN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Okeene, in the county of Blaine and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Door Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in furnace door openers and closers or operating devices therefor and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved novel and simple form of operating device whereby furnace doors of any approved type may be opened and closed very readily and quickly so as to permit an inspection of the fire or feeding the fuel into the furnace without the necessity of opening the door by hand or retain ing the door in an open position an unnecessary length of time.

Another important object of the inventlon is to provide an improved foot operated mechanism adapted for use with a furnace door having a latch member and in which the operation of the device will simultaneously release the latch and swing the door to an open position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain other combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, it being a still further object of the invention to provide a device which will not be likely to get out of working order.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspec tive view of a portion of a furnace showing my improved operating mechanism connected to the door thereof and with the door closed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device in an open position partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device with the door extending at right angles to the front wall of the furnace. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a certain latch and bell crank used herewith.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a front wall 10 of a furnace which is provided with the usual feed opening 11 over which a swinging door 12 operates. The door 12 has secured thereto a pair of leaf hinges 13 which are provided with outwardly extending right angular portions 14: bent forwardly of their inner edges and engaged outwardly by a pair of bearing ears 15 similarly bent from the upper and lower edge of a bearing plate 16 which is riveted or otherwise securedto the front wall 10. A pintle rod 17 is journaled in the ears 15 and 15 and extends downward to the base plate 18 which is secured to the floor in front of the furnace. Said base plate extends outward from the front wall of the furnace for a considerable distance and supportscertain parts of the operating devices as will be hereinafter described.

A bearing strap 19 is secured to the door 12 adjacent its free edge and has a pivotal latch member 20 movable vertically therein and projecting beyond the strap to engage a notched keeper 21 secured to the adjacent portion. of the front wall of the furnace whereby the door is held in a closed position, in which position the adjacent edges of the door and bearing plate 16 are in contact to insure proper closing of the door and permit accurate hanging thereof. Mounted beneath the latch member 20 which is pivotally connected to the door as shown at 22 is an angular ear 23 which has an angular trigger or lifter lever 24 pivotally connected thereto, said trigger or latch lifting member constituting a bell crank and having its lower portion or horizontally extending arm 25 provided with a straight upper edge, to engage the lower edge of the latch 20; while the upwardly extending arm 26 is disposed in front of and slightly above the upper edge of the latch 20, for a purpose to be hereinafter made apparent.

Rotatably mounted on the pintles 17, beneath the hinged connections is an operating rod 27 which is supported for rotation inde pendent of the pintle upon a radially extending bearing plate or arm 28 secured to its lower end and rotatably supported upon the base plate 18. At the point where the pintle extends through the upper end of the operating rod 27 said rod is bent inwardly or laterally at right angles as shown at 29 and then vertically upward as shown at 30 and terminates in a further laterally extended portion or horizontally disposed tapered arm 31, the free or tapered endthereof being disposed between the door inwardly of the bearing strap 19 and the trigger member or latch lifting member at its portion 26 and adapted to engage said trigger member or latch lifting member by inward movement or rotation to raise the latch and swing the door to an open position. In order to operate the door in this manner, a right angular foot lever 32 provided with a horizontally disposed or twisted tread portion 33 at its outer end, is pivotally mounted be tween a pair of bearing ears 34:, the said por tion 32 forming the longer arm of the lever while the shorter arm 35 extends upwardly and is provided with an outwardly extending projection 36 which retains and supports the outer end of a fiat operating rod or link 37 which is apertured and loosely engaged thereon. The rod or link 37 has its inner end offset downwardly and pivotally connected to the free end of the bearing plate 28 as shown at 38. The bearing plate 28 extends in the same direction as the arm 31 and is disposed adjacent to the front wall of the furnace when the door is in an open or in a closed position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, being held in such position by means of a coiled spring 39 which is secured at its inner end to the base plate 18 as shown at 4:0 and it is connected at its outer end to a hook member 41 carried beneath the rod or link 37 so as to exert pull upon said rod, and normally raise the foot lever or pedal to an operative position.

In the operation of opening and closing the door, it is only necessary to step upon the foot lever or depress the same which will exert pull upon the connecting rod 37 and rotate the rod member 27 through the me- 7 dium of the bearing arm or plate 28 and thus swing the arm 31 against the vertical portion 26 of the trigger or latch lifting lever to rotate the same 011 its pivot and move its lower portion 25 upwardly to raise the latch 20 from engagement with the keeper 21, and open the door by continued outward movement of the arm 31 against the portion 26 of the trigger or latch lifting lever whereby its momentum will carry it beyond the central position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, when the spring 39 will operate to force it to an open position as shown in Fig. 2. In closing the door the foot lever is actuated in the same manner to rotate the arm 31 in the opposite direction when it will engage with the outer face of the door and when swung to a closed position the latch will automatically engage with the keeper and hold the door closed.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple and positively operating or door opening device for the purpose specified which will permit convenient operation 3 of the door without feeling the extreme heat from the furnace and obvlating the necessity of retaining the door in an open position Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents until all the fuel has been supplied to the furnace and thereby lengthening the life of the furnace.

I wish to have it understood that I may make such changes in the construction and modification of the invention as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims, it being further understood that the device under the statutes is protected for all desirable uses to which it may be put.

I claim 1. The combination with a vertical pintle and a door having a horizontally disposed latch and being mounted to be swung on said vertical pintle, of a rotatable shaft mounted concentrically with said pintle and having a laterally extending lower arm and a laterally extending upper arm, a bell crank pivotally mounted on the door and having one of its arms in contact with the lower edge of the latch and its other arm extending to a plane above the latch, said upper arm being extended between the door and the upwardly extending arm of the bell crank, a. pedal, a link connecting the pedal with the lower arm of the rotatable shaft, and a spring engaged with the link for forcing and normally holding the link in the direction of the rotatable shaft, whereby the latter may be rotated through approximately one hundred and eighty degrees for coacting with the bell crank and thereby lifting the latch and swinging the door into open position, and whereby the door may be swung into closed position by the same movement of the pedal which caused the door to be opened.

2. In combination, a door having a latch thereon, a keeper for the latch, a latch litting lever pivotally mounted on the door in contiguity with the latch, an arm pivotally mounted adjacent to the door and extending into contiguity with the lever, a pedal, a link Econnected to the pedal, means for pivotally Econnecting the link with the said arm, and

a spring connected to said link for moving and normally holding the link in the direction of the door and in such relation that when the pedal is operated it coacts with the link and the spring and the said arm for actuating the latch ifting lever and opening the door and closing the door.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

TICE RANKIN.

Witnesses RAY J. SMITH, It. C. BIsH.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

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