US1581854A - Sliding hanger for folding doors - Google Patents

Description

April 20 1926. 1,581,854

E. H. MAY

SLIDING HANGER FOR FOLDING DOORS Filed Dec. 18, 1924 8 ed l 5% ZTTO/HYE),

,l atented Apr. 20, 1 926. I

UNITED STATES nrmwoon H. MAY, or MINNEAroLIsMINNEsorA.

'SLIDING HANGER FOR FOLDING DOORS.

Application filed December 18, 1924. Serial No. 756,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLwoon H. MAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hcnnepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding Hangers for Folding Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sliding hangers for folding doors, especially adapted for garage use but capable of wide general application. It is especially applicable to doors comprising a plurality of hinged sections adapted not only to be folded with said sections in parallel arrangement, but also capable of being swung back against the front wall of the building on which it is employed.

It is an object of the invention to provide an extremely simple and highly efi'icient device of this nature, which will yieldingly hold the end of the hinged section to which it is applied inwardly against the door j amb, while the door is being folded and slid into open position.

' It is a further object to provide a sliding hanger for .folding doors equipped with means to automatically assist in closing or opening said doors and swinging the hinged sections, when folded, backwardly against the front wall.-

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a sliding hanger for folding doors having a horizontally swinging hanger arm with a depending vertical portion on which the door strap of securing plate is pivotally mounted and supported, and also having resilient means carried by, said hanger arm and tensioned by said door strap which is operative. to yieldingly impel the edge of the door on which said hanger is mounted against the door jamb.

It is a s 1 further object to provide a door strap and resilient means, as above stated, which may be reversed or inverted for application on either a left or right folding door.

jThese and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to said drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the device applied to the doors of a garage;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the device mounted on a door in closed position, some parts being broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the several views, the front wall of a garage is indicated by the numeral): provided with the usual doorway and having a door jamb 5. A single swinging passage door (3 is hinged on one side of the door frame, while a double folding door 7 is hinged to the opposite side thereof. A rectilinear track or a guideway 8 is secured to the front wall 4: above and parallel to the top edge of the folding door 7, when in closed position. The sliding hanger is a supported from a wheeled truck comprising a frame 9 mounted on a pair of freely running wheels 10, disposed within guideway 8. Frame 9 carries the outturned horizontal projecting flanges 11 and 12, disposed on the outer side and below the track 8 in spaced relation, between which one end of a hanger arm, in the form of an angle bolt 13, is vertically pivoted for horizontal swinging movement. The hanger arm 13 has the vertical depending threaded portion 13 extending some distance below the top of the doorway, and is passed through a pair of vertically aligned bearings 14; carried by the drop strap or securing plate ll, which is rigidly secured to the upper free corner of the folding door 7 A pair of nuts 15, between which is interposed a washer 15, constitute an adjustable lock nut adapted to adjustably support the free end of the door from the upper b aring H of the drop strap ll. A torsional coiled spring 16 surrounds the vertical portion of the hanger arn1'13 between the nuts 15 and the lower bearing 13 and has one of its ends keyed to or seated in a vertical groove 13' on the front side of the threaded portion 13 of the hanger arm. The vertical portion of the hanger arm 13 has a second vertical groove similar to the groove 13 in alinement therewith on the back side of the same, and the coiled spring may thus be reseated in either of said grooves to vary the tension thereof. It will, of course, be understood that other grooves in the hanger arm 13 may be provided to permit fine variation of tension. The opposite end of spring 16 is extended horizontally, forming the engaging member 16 adapted to contact the front surface of the drop strap 14. To hold the free end of the folding door 7 in proper closed position, a guide holder 17, in the form of a hook, is preferably provided horizontally secured to the top of the doorway just above the free end of the foldable door 7, when in closed position. The upper Vertical portion of the hanger arm 13 is engaged by this guide holder 17.

While the novel hanger has been illustratedand described in use upon a folding door having two hinged sections, it may be readily seen that the hanger or plurality of hangers may be employed with equally successful results upon folding doors having any convenient number of hinged sections which are adapted to be foldedparallel to each other and swung backwardly against the front of the building.

The operation of the device will probably be obvious from the above description, but may be briefly summarized as follows When the hanger is applied to a folding door, tension is preferably put upon the spring 16 by winding the strap 14 inwardly about the depending end of the angle bolt 13. The amount of tension on the spring 16 may be increased by reseating one end of the same in the back groove of the pivotal portion of the angle groove 13, or by wind in the strap 14 several times around the hot 13. The angle bolt or hanger arm 13 is swung to the side of the wheeled truck adjacent the free end of the door and the drop strap 14 is then secured rigidly to the upper free corner of the folding door 7. As the folding door 7 is opened, obviously the strap 14 will be revolved somewhat about the vertical portion of the hanger arm, thereb increasing the tension on the spring 16 an consequently exerting a force against the free edge of the door and impellingthe same against the door jamb, as the door is being folded and slid open. The-horizontally swinging hanger arm 13 will thus be held yieldingly against the frame 9 of the wheeled truck, thus keeping the free end of the door in close position with reference to the door jamb 5. As the hanger slides outwardly, the door 7 will thus be permitted to fold properly without the hanger arm 13 getting into improper position or interfering. When the door 7 has been folded, so that several sections are in parallel relation to each other and in a position substantially at right angles to the front wall of the garage, the coiled spring will be at approximately a dead center and a slight push beyond this position will, of course, permit the spring tension to work in the opposite direction and tend to automatically swing the folded door against the front wall, the hanger arm 13, at that time, swinging outwardly somewhat on its pivot. In closing the door, after the position of dead center has been reached, a slight push will take the tension of the spring off dead center and normally tend to unfold the door, forcing the same to closed position, and, at the same time, keeping the free edge of the door in proper operative position against the door jamb 5,

thereby permitting the guide holder 17 to engage the upper portion of the vertical part of the angle bolt 13.

While the device lia s been illustrated inhorizontally swinging hanger arm pivoted to a wheeled truck, but these devices have no means thereon for keeping the end of the door to which the hanger is attached in proper operative position against the door jainb, when the door is being opened or closed. Consequently the hanger arms of these devices will often swing outwardly, causing the doors to jam or interfering with the proper folding of the hinged sections. In closing the door, these present devices often cause the free end of the door to be disposed at some distance from the jalnb, thereby causing considerable inconvenience in bolting or engaging the free end. Applicants novel and efiicient device overcomes these disadvantages and, moreover assists in unfolding the hinged sections of the door to closed position, as well as in swinging the folded sections back against the wall in opening.

Extensive actual usage of the device has shown the same to be highly successful for all the purposes intended.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, proportions, details and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of the in- 1. A slidable hanger for doors comprising a member slidable across a doorway, a door supporting arm pivoted to said slidable member and swingable outwardly away from said doorway and means adapted to normally impel said arm inwardly towards said doorway in proper operative position for the opening or closing of said door.

2. A slidable hanger for doors comprising a member slidable across a doorway, an

outwardly swingable arm pivoted adjacent one end of said slidable member carrying means adjacent its outer end for supporting a. section of a folding door, and resilient means adapted to yieldingly hold said arm inwardly towards said doorway and in II proper operative position for the opening or closing of said door.

3. A slidable hanger for folding doors comprising a member slidable on a guideway across a doorway, a door supporting means pivoted to said slidable member and capable of being swung outwardly and horizontally, and means operative on a vertical axis adapted to yieldingly hold said door supporting means inwardly and in proper operative position during opening and closing.

4. The combination with a doorway, a guideway secured thereacross and a folding door comprising a plurality of hinged sections, the outer one of which is hinged to one side of said doorway, of a sliding door hanger including a member slidable in said guideway, a door supporting means pivoted to said slidable member and capable of being swung outwardly and horizontally, and a torsional means yieldingly holding said door supporting means inwardly in proper operative position during the opening and closing of sald door.

5. The combination with a doorway, a guideway secured thereacross and a folding door comprising a plurality of .hinged sections, the outer one of which is hinged to one side of said doorway, of a sliding door hanger including a slidable member disi posed in said guideway, a hanger arm pivoted to said slidable-member and capable of being swung outwardly andhorizontally, a

'- membervertically pivoted to and supported by said hanger arm to which the top edge of one of said hinged sections is secured, and resilient means carried by said hanger arm adapted to yieldingly hold the same inwardly in proper operative position during opening or closing. 4

6. In a door structure, the combination of a guideway mounted across a doorway, a folding door having a plurality of hinged sections, the outer one 'of which is hinged to one side of said doorway, a member slid able in said guideway, 'a horizontally and outwardly swingable hanger arm pivoted to said sliding member, a drop strap vertically pivoted to said hanger arm and secured to the upper corner of one of said hinged sections, and a torsional spring carried by said hanger arm and exerting a resilient force thereagainst operative to yieldingly. hold said hanger arm inwardly and substantially parallel with said doorway in proper operative position during the opening and closing of said door.

7. A slidable hanger for folding doors comprising a member slidable on a rectilinear guideway secured across a doorway, an angular hanger arm pivoted to said slidable member for outward and horizontal swinging movement, a drop strap vertically pivoted to the lower end of said hanger arm and secured to an upper corner of the drop strap and said coiled spring being re versible on said hanger arm to permit usage of the same on either a right 'or a left sliding door.

- 8.'The combination with a rectilinear guideway mounted across a doorway and a folding door having a plurality of hinged sections, the outer one of which is hinged to one side of said doorway, of a slidable door hanger comprising a member slidable in said guideway, a horizontally and out wardly swingable hanger arm pivoted to said slidable member and adapted to support said door, and a resilient means carried by said hanger arm yieldingly holding the same inwardly and operative after said door has been folded open to a position slightly beyond a ninety degree angle with said oorway to automatically assist in swinging said folded door back against the front wall of the building, said resilient means being also operative to assist automatically said hinged sections in unfolding to closed position. f

9. A slidable hanger for. folding doors comprising a member slidable on arectilinear guideway secured across a doorway, a door supporting means pivoted to said slidable member and capable of being swung outwardly and horizontally, resilient means adapted to yieldingly hold said supporting. means inwardly and in proper operative position during the opening and closing of said door and a means for varying the tension of said resilient means.

10. In hanger construction, the combinathereby exerting its tension in a manner to means operative on said depending member assist in closing the door. adapted to normall keep said door parallel 11. In hanger construction, the combinawith said slidable hanger bod 10 tion of a slidable hanger body, a depending In testimony whereof I a 2: my signa- 5 member mounted on said body and adapted ture.

to support a door, means pivotally connect ing said depending member to a door and v ELLWOOD H. MAY.

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