US1602717A - Door opening and closing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

F. K. SMITH DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1924 A \HHHHHU NHL? I I Patented .Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRANKLIN KEITH SMITH, OF LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 19, 1924, Serial No. 693,777, and in Canada December 27, 1923.

This invention relates to door opening and closing apparatus and more particularly to that type of apparatus in which the door is positively operated from its closed position to its open position and vice versa, and in which one operation causes a sequence of movements to return the door to-its original psition and my object is to provide simple and effective mechanism for effecting the above movements.

I attain my object by means of the constructions which include a reversing motor as hereinafter described and illustrated in i the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the doors and the apparatus for closin the same;

Fig.2 a wiring diagram oi the electric circuits showing the switch for the motor circuits in one position;

Fig. 3 a wiring diagram of the electric circuits diagrammatically showing the switch in the opposite position;

Fig. i a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the main switch is operated;

Fig. 5 a diagrammatic view showing the two arrangements of the connections of the motor circuits; and i Fig. "6 a cross section of the switch shown in Fig. 2.

1 and 2 are a pair of doors slidably mounted on a track 3 so that they may be opened and closed'by pushing them in opposite directions or pulling them towards one another respectively. To automatically open the doors on the approach of a vehicle towards them and to close them after the ve hicle has )assed through the doorway I provide the ollowing means.

A flexible member 4 is secured at 5 to each door. These members are preferably formed of cable or rope and'have theirends secured to one end of a tension springet. The opposite end of the spring is connected to a flexible member or chain 6 which is passed round a pulley 7 having a peripheral groove which may have teeth formed therein (not shown) for engagementwith alternate links of the chain. To each fastening means 5 is secured a second flexible member 8. These members are similar to the members 4 and each member 8 may be formed integral with the adjacent member 4. The free ends of the members 8 are connected with one end of a tension spring 8, the other end of which evident that by re-arranging the pulleys 9 the members 4. and 8 would operate a pair of swing doors. A single sliding or swinging door could also be operated by omitting one set of the flexible members 4 and 8.

- To efi'ect the desired movements of the chain 6 by means of the ulley 7, the motor 10, adapted to be reversed as hereinafter described, is provided. On the shaft of the motor is secured a worm l1 meshing with a worm wheel 12 secured to a shaft 13 on which the pulley 7 is also secured. The worm drive is also adapted to serve as a lock for the doors and hold them as positioned by the motor.

Circuits formed by the wires A, B, C and D are provided which lead to the motor so that bychanging the connections the flow of current through the field coils or the armature may be reversed to effect the reversal of the motor in a known manner. this reversal I provide. a switch 18 having the movable arms a, b and d adapted torespectively engage either one of the contacts F, E; C, and B B and C. The arms a, b and d are pivotally connected with- -the terminals A and A and D respectively.

In the drawings a.

To effect The wire A is connected with the terminals A and A the wire B to the contacts 13 and B, the wire G to the contacts C and C and the wire D to the terminal I).

The switch arms are connected by an in sulating bar 31 so that they may be moved simultaneously. To this bar are suitably connected the oapositely directed actuating members 31* an 3l which pass through the op osite sides of the switch box in which the switch mechanism is mounted. It will be noted that each switch arm is formed with two'portions extending substantially at right angles to one another. This permits one portionof each arm to be in. engagement with the adjacent contact while .the other portion is in its off position. This arrangement considerably rlzduces the amount direction when the switch of movement required to move the arms from engagement with one set of contacts into engagement with the other set of contacts, see Fig. 6.

Electrical energy is fed, by means of a circuit 17 connected to a suitable source of supply, to the circuits formed by the wires A, B, C and D. One wire of this circuit is connected to the wire D while the other wire of the circuit is connected to a movable contact 141 of a controlling switch 14 for the said circuits. Preferably two contacts 14 are provided which are insulated from and carried on opposite sides of a sliding bar 15 and are both connected with the sec ond wire of the circuit 17. The upper contact is adapted to engage a terminal E and the lower contact is adapted to engage a terminal F when the bar 15 is raised and lowered respectively. The terminals E and F are carried in the frame of the switch 14 and are respectively connected, by the wires E and F to the contacts E and F. The sliding bar is provided with springs 16 adapted to normally hold it in its raised position whereby the current will be normally led to the contact E When the bar is lowered the current will be led to the contact F and thus when the arms a, b and d of the switch 18 are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the current will pass from this contact through the arm a to the terminal A, through wire A to the motor and to terminal A then through arm Z) to contact G and through wire C to motor thus connecting wires A and C. The wires D will be connected, through the terminal D, arm at, contact B, to the wire B. These connections are adapted to revolve the motor in a certain direction to cause the doors to be opened.

The sliding bar 15 is adapted to be depressed by the weight of a vehicle approaching the doors, to cause the motor to open the latter. The sliding bar is adjustably carried on a pair of rods 19 suitably guided in the frame of the switch 1d and to the upper end of these rods is secured a cross bar 20. The switch 14: is located outside the doors with the cross bar 20 normally positioned slightly above the level of the ground. To enable the doors to be opened while the vehicle is approaching them and to prevent the doors being closed before the vehicle is clear thereof, a plank is rested intermediate its ends on the cross bar so that it forms a runway on each side of the latter, see Fig. The movable arms of the switch 18 are adapted to automatically break the active door opening or door closing motor circuit, when the doors are fully opened or closed, andto reverse the motor connections whereby the doors will be moved in the opposite 14 is again moved.

This is accomplished by securing a flexible member 21 to each of the actuating members 31 and passing the said members over suitable guide pulleys. The other ends of these members are connected to light coil springs 21 which are suitably connected with sleeves 22 disposed on opposite ends of the chain 6. Each end of the chain is provided with a lateral projection 23, which may be formed as a bolt passed through one of the links of the chain and adapted to engage the adjacent sleeve. Either one of the sleeves is thus engaged when the chain has moved sutiiciently in either direction to open or close the doors, to pull one of the actuating members and thus disengage the switch arms a, b and (Z from the active set of contacts F, C and B or E B and C and thus break the motor circuit. This ull on either of the actuating members is a apted to also move the switch arms into engagement with the opposite set of the switch contacts and thus condition the other motor circuit for reversing the direction of the motor to move the doors in the opposite direction after the switch 14 is again moved.

Assuming the doors are closed as shown in Fig. 1 and a vehicle is approaching them as indicated in full lines in Fig. 4, and the switch 18 is positioned as shown in Fig. 2, the mode of operation is as follows. As soon as the front wheels of the vehicle rest on the plank 30 the switch sliding bar 15 is depressed to bring the lower Contact 14* into engagement with the terminal F. The current will then pass through one wire of the lead-in circuit 17 through the contact 14:, terminal F, wire F 3 to the contact F. From this point it is passed through the wires A and C, as hereinbefore described, to the motor 10. The other wire of the leadin circuit 17 is connected with the contact D which is electrically connected with the wires B and D which are connected to the motor 10, as hereinbefore described. The motor will thus be rotated in a certain direction to open the doors as previously mentioned. This rotates the pulley 7 and actuates the chain 6, the s ring 4 permittin the motor to get speede up before the load is applied thereto. This spring also absorbs the shock of the load and permits it to be gradually taken up by the motor. When the spring is stretched to nearly its limit of elasticity the flexible members 4 are moved to open the doors. As the chain 6 is being moved the projection 23, adjacent the spring a, engages the adjacent sleeve 22 and stretches its spring connection 21". Then the doors have been fully opened the spring connection is adapted to pull the flexible member 21 and thus the actuatin member 31 to rock the switch arms a, b an (1 out of engagement with the contacts F, C, B and into engagement with the contacts E B and C. The door opening motor circuits are thus broken and the switch 18 moved to condition the other motor circuits for completion.

When the vehicle has passed through the doorway and out of engagement with the plank 30, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the springs 16 return the sliding bar 15 to its normal position and the current then passes from one wire of the lead-in circuit 17 through the upper contact 14, terminal E, wire E contact E arm a, ter minal A, wire A to the motor 10 and to the terminal A arm 1), contact 13", wire B to the motor, see l i 8. The wires and B are thus connecte The other wire of the leadin circuit which is connected with the terminal D and wire D to the motor is also connected, through the arm d, contact 0, with the wire C to the motor, thus connecting the wires C and D. The motor circuits are thus connected to reverse the direction of theflow of current to the motor and thus reverse the direction of movement of the chain 6. This stretches the spring 8 and actuates the members 8 to close the doors. The projection 23 adjacent the spring 8" then engages its adjacent sleeve 22 to actu ate the member 31 to break the motor door closing circuits, when the doors are fully closed and to also throw the switch arms into engagement with the contacts F, C and B. The motor door opening circuits are thus reversed for operation and will be completed when the switch bar 15 is again depressed to cause the above cycles of operation to be again repeated.

The sprin s 4 and 8 absorb all shocks due to the oors engaging anything while moving from one position to another and they also keep the members 4 and 8 taut at all times.

To prevent any unauthorized person opening the doors by standing on the plank 30 I provide a manually operated switch 24 connected in the lead-in circuit 17 and located at any suitable position away from the doors. When my device is applied to the doors of a public garage the switch 24 would be located in the office thereof while in the case of a private garage the switch 7 would preferably be in the owners house.

In. some instances, such as when the device is installed in a large public garage, it

may be desirable to control the movements of the door or doors from the ofiice of the garage and in this case a manually operated three point switch may be substituted for the switch 14. The three point switch is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3, the leadin wire of the circuit 17 being connected with the movable arm 14c and the wires E and F being connected with the two contacts of the switch. The current may be passed to the contacts E or F of the switch 18 by engaging the corresponding contacts of the three way switch. The device may be locked with the doors in any desired position by simpl r moving the arm 14' out of engagement with both of its contacts.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In door opening and closing apparatus, the combination of adoor; an electric motor; circuits connected with said motor for sup plying electrical energy thereto; a switch for making and breaking said circuits and including a movable part for reversing the connections to the motor to reverse its direction of rotation; a flexible member adapted to be moved by the motor; a suitably guided flexible member connected with the ends of the first mentioned member and with the door for moving the latter in the opposite directions; projections carried by the first mentioned member, means connected with the movable part of. the switch and adapted to be engaged by the projections to cause the said movable part to be actuated in one direction when the door has been fully opened and to cause the said part to be actuated in the opposite direction when the door has been fully closed to cause the said switch to break the active circuit and to reverse the connections; and a switch for closing either circuit whereby the door may be alternately moved in opposite directions.

2. In door opening and closing apparatus, the combination of a door; an electric mo tor; circuits connected with said motor for supplying electrical energy thereto; a switch for making and breaking said circuits and including amovable part for reversing the connections to the motor to reverse its direction of rotation; a flexible member adapted to'be moved by the motor; a suitably guided flexible member connected with the ends of the first mentioned member and with the door for moving the latter in opposite directions; projections carried by the first mentioned member; sleeves disposed on the ends of the first mentioned member and adapted to be engaged by the said projections, the sleeves being connected with the said movable part in such a manner that the latter is actuated in one direction when the door has been fully opened and is actuated in the opposite direction when the door has been fully closed to cause the switch to break the active circuit and to reverse the connections; and a switch for closing either circuit where by the door may be alternately moved in opposite directions.

3. In door opening and closing apparatus, the combination of a door; an electric mo tor; circuits connected with said motor for supplyin electrical energy thereto; a switch for making and breaking the said circuits and including a movable part for reversing the connections to the motor to reverse its direction of rotation; a flexible member adapted to be moved by the motor; a suitably guided flexible member connected with the ends of the first mentioned member and with the door for moving the latter in the opposite directions; project-ions carried by the first mentioned member; sleeves disposed on the ends of the first mentioned member and adapted to be engaged by the said projections oppositely directed actuating mem bers connected to the said movable part of the switch; yielding connections between the sleeves and the actuating members to actuate the movable part in one direction when the door has been fully opened and in the opposite direction when the door has been fully closed, to cause the switch to break the active circuit and to reverse the connections; and a switch for closing either circuitwhereby the door may be alternately moved in opposite directions.

4. A door operating mechanism including a door movin member operatively connected with the dbor; a motor operatively connected with the member; a switch for controlling the motor and including a movable part for reversing the direction of rotation of the 1notor;'projections carried by the member; sleeves disposed on the member and adapted to be engaged by the projections, the sleeves being connected with the movable part of the switch in such a manner that the said movable part is actuated in one direction when the door has been fully opened and is actuated in the opposite direction when the door has been fully closed to actuate the said'switch to circuit breaking and reverse position; and a manually controlled switch for controlling the current to the said reversing switch.

Signed at London, Ontario, this 6th day of February, 192 i.

' FRANKLIN KEITH SMITH.

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