US1700848A - Apparatus for operating garage doors - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 1929. 1,700,848

A. MARTIN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING GARAGE DOORS Filed April l2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY Z brezlys.

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A. MARTIN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING GARAGE DOORS Filed April 12. 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INI/EN TOR. Exo/vain? Mn/T//Y Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNlTE ALEXAJDER'MARTIN, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

@PARAT'US FR OPERATING GARAGE DOORS.

Application ecy April 12, 1927. Serial No. 183,074.

This invention relates to apparatuses for mechanically opening and closing doors and has for its principal object the provision of a simple and inexpensive apparatus adapted to be applied to garage doors and electrically controlled whereby it may be operated from a point comparatively remote from the ldoors to open and close the latter.

Y In carrying out the invention into practice, I mount a screw shaft within the garage above the doors, which shaft is disposed longitudinally ofthe garage and fitted with a crosshead threaded on the shaft, so that it will travel back and forth thereon upon rotation. of the shaft in opposite directions. The crosshead mentioned is operatively connected with the doors so that its movement in opposite directions will swing the doors open or closed as the case may be. For driving the screw shaft I provide an electric motor, the circuit of which is controlled by automatically operated switches which automatically open and reverse the circuit at the end of the stroke of the crosshead. Additional switches are provided for initially closing the circuit when desiring to operate the doors. These latter switches may be conveniently positioned for operation at any desired point.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by wayof example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in plan disclosing the preferred form of my apparatus mounted Within a garage and connected to the doors thereof with the doors shown in open position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section through the garage taken on line II-II of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is 'a view in plan of the device similar to Fig. 1 with the exception that the doors are shown in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a. diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuits and the switch connections controlling the motor.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of one of the doors showing the release mechanism mounted thereon.

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged fragmentary views showing the key controlling mechanism for operating the releasing apparatus. c

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragment-ary view showing a portion of the releasing mechamsm.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a garage oi the type with which private residences are usually provided. rlhis garage is fitted with a pair of outwardly swinging doors 11 which are hinged at their outer edges to the garage frame in a manner to form a closure for the garage opening, the inner edges of the doors lying closely adjacent when the doors are in closed position.

Arranged just above the doors and garage opening at the interior of the garage is an angle iron beam 12 securely bolted or other wise secured to the frame of the garage. Mounted on this angle iron beam 12 centrally of the door opening is a bearing block 14. In alignment with this bearing block 14 rearwardly of the doors is a hanger 15 carrying a bearing 16. J ournaled at its ends within the bearing block 14 and in the bearing 16 and collared to secure it from axial movement is a screw shaftl?. Due to the position of the bearing block 14 and the hanger 15, the screw shaft 17 will be disposed longitudinally of the garage at the center of the doors and slightly above the latter.

Adjacent its forward end the screw shaft 17 is fitted with a keyed pulley 18 which is engaged by a belt 19. This belt 19 is arranged over a pulley 2O secured on the shaft of an electric driving motor 21. This driving motor 21 is arranged within the garage adjacent the doors and to one side thereof. It may, however, be positioned at any other satisfactor point if desired. The manner in which te motor circuit is controlled will be hereinafter described.

i The bearing block 14 and the bearing 16 are fitted with aligned openings 22 arranged at opposite sides of the screw shaft 17 on approximately the same plane as the latter. The openings at one side of the bearing block 14 and bearing 16V receive a fixed guide rod 23. At the other side of the screw shaft. 17 a reciprocable guide rod 24 is mounted within the openings 22. It will be noticed from the drawings that the guide rods 23 and 24 extend parallel to the screw shaft 17, and are mounted at their ends within the bearing block 14 and the bearing 16. Likewise, the

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guide rods 23 and 24 are spaced approximately equal distances upon either side of the screw shaft.

Slidably mounted .at its ends on the guide rods 23 and 24 is a crosshead 25. At the center of this crosshead it is fitted with a fixed feed nut 26, which is threaded on the screw shaft 17 It is therefore apparent that rotation of the screw shaft 17 will advance the crosshead therealong and along the guide rods 23 and 24 in a direction determinedr by the direction of rotation of the screw shaft 17.

Adjacent its ends but disposed intermediate the-bearing block and the bearing 14 and 16 the movable guide rod 24 is fitted with fixed collars 27'. These collars are arranged at opposite ends of the guide rod but spaced away from the bearing block v14 and the bearing 16. Short compression springs 28 are disposed at the inner face of each collar on the guide rod 24, and at each end of the guide rod 23 intermediate the bearings. These springs act against the crosshead 25 at either end of its stroke, so as to absorb any jars in closing or opening the doors and to resiliently stop the crosshead atjthe end of the stroke and take up any lost motion.

From the foregoing it is obvious that rotation of the screw shaft 17 by means of the motor 21 will advance or retract the crosshead 25 along the screw shaft 17 in a direction depending entirely upon the direction of rotation of the screw shaft 17.

To operatively connect the crosshead 25 to the garage doors, at its opposite ends the crosshead is fitted with rotatable spindle bearings 29. These spindle bearings 29 are arranged vertically of the crosshead and may revolve about their axis. At the lower end the spindle bearings 29 are transversely bored so that they will each slidably receive the ends of pull rods 30. These pull rods extend from the crosshead to the center of each door adjacent the upper edge thereof. At this point the pull rods are pivotally connected to the doors.

It will be noticed from the drawings that the ends of the pull rods which extend through the bores in the spindle bearings 29' are each fitted with a pair of xed collars. These collars are spaced upon opposite sides of the bearings 29 and compression springs are mounted between the collars and the bearings so that any lost motion in the device will be taken up, and also cramping due to too tight joints will be avoided.

It is intended that movement of the crosshead aiong the shaft 17 impart swinging movement to the doors and it is seen that in opening the doors the forward end of the pull rods 30 will diverge, and for this reason the spindle bearings 29 are rotatably mounted on the crosshead.

In order to control the motor so that it will automatically cease operations at the end of each stroke of the crosshead, I provide a transverse control shaft 31 which is ournaled on the angle iron beam and extends parallel thereto slightly above the beam. This control shaft is fitted with a depending crank arm 32 connected at its end to a link 33. The other end of this link is pivoted to the forward collar on the movable guide rod 24 so that any reciprocation of the guide rod 24 will be transmitted through t-he link 33 to the crank arm 32 and thereby rock the control shaft 31.

It should be stated that the crank arm 32 on the control shaft isarranged at the inner end thereof, the other end of the control shaft extending beyond the boundary of the doors so that it may be connected by a crank arm 34 to an oscillating switch member 35.

The circuit of the' motor is so arranged that this switch is actuated at the end of each stroke of the crosshead. At the end of one stroke it is swung in a forward position, permitting the current to go through the motor in one direction when the circuit is closed, and

'at the end of the opposite stroke of the crosshead the switch is thrown to a rear position, reversing `the direction of current How through the motor.

At the same time that the switch is actuated, the circuit is broken through the motor and must be completed through the medium of Control switches 36. These control switches may be positioned at any convenient point, it being preferred that one of them be disposed within the garage or within the residence to open the doors, while the other being disposed in the driveway exteriorly of the garage and within convenient reach of looa the driver of the car approaching the garage.

It is intended that this latter switch be of thel key control type so that unauthorized persons unless provided with a key to the garage.

In the event that the motor or.some of the mechanism should become out Aof order, I have provided means for disconnecting one of the doors from the mechanism so that the door may be opened and access had tothe interior of the garage. This mechanism is key controlled and is most clearly shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive of the drawings.

Reference being had to these figures it will be seen that a lock plate 40 is mounted on the interior side of one of the doors. A key hole 41 is formed through an escutcheon plate 42, the door and the lock plate 40, so that a key 43 may be inserted therethrough. A bearing 44 is formed integral with the lock plate 40 to support the inner end of the key. It will be noticed that this bearing 44 is formed with a horizontal section 45 which extends between the lock plate 40.and the bearing 44 at the uppei` edge of the lock pla-te. A vertically arranged connecting rod 46 extends above the lock plate and its lower end slidably projects through the horizontal portion 45. At its lower extremity this connecting rod 46 is formed with a foot 47 adapted to be engaged by the lug of the key 43 when the latter is revolved. A spring 48 normally tends to retain the connecting rod 46 in its lowerinost position.

At its upper end the connecting rod 46 is connected with one leg of a bell crank lever 49 which is pivoted at the interior side of the door. The other leg of this bell crank lever 4i) is connected with one end of a second connecting rod 50, the other end of which is connected to a second bell crank lever 51 also pivoted to the interior side of the door. The other" leg of this bell crank lever 51 is disposed beneath the end of the adjacent pull rod 30 which is detachably connected with the door, so that upward movement of this latter end of the bell crank lever 51 will disengage thc pull rod 3() from the door, permitting the door to be swung open.

From the foregoing it is obvious that when the key 43 is turned that its lug will engage the under side of the foot 47 on the connecting rod 46 and force the same upwardly against the tension of the spring 48. This, through the medium of the bell crank lever 49 and connecting rod 50, will cause the lower leg of the bell crank lever 51 to move upwardly and disengage the adjacent pull rod 3() from the door, permitting the door to be swung open without operating the door actuating mechanism. By means of this key con trolled mechanism should the motor or other parts of the apparatus become out of order, it will be an easy matter to obtain access to the interior of the garage to repair or adjust the apparatus.

In operation of the device, it is constructed and assembled as disclosed in the drawings at a point above the arage doors and interiorly ofthe garage. The pull rods 30 are connected to the doors and the circuits of the motor arranged as described, one of the control switches being disposed in the driveway. If it is desired to open the doors to admit the car, this switch is closed to close the motor circuit. When the doors are closed, it will be noted that the crosshead will be at the rear end of the screw shaft 17 and the switch will be disposed as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The moment the circuit of the motor is closed, it commences operating and through the belt 19 revolves the screw shaft 17, advancing the crosshead on the screw shaft 17 toward the doors. This movement of the crosshead 25 will be imparted to the pull rods 30 which will act to swing the doors outwardly and open them, the stroke of the crosshead being ljust suiiicient to open the doors wide.

As the crosshead approaches the end of its stroke, it abuts against the springs 28 at the Vforward end of the guide rods. This abutment and further movement of the crosshead shifts the movable guide rod 24 forwardly sufiiciently to rock the control shaft 31, through the connections 32 and 33, to throw the switch to its second position, automatically opening the circuit and reversing the direction that tht current will flow through the motor upon subsequent completion of the circuit. The car may then be driven into the garage and the doors closed by closing the second control switch which may be located with in the garage.

Closing the circuit will cause the motor to drive the shaft 17 in a reversed direction as the switch operated by the control shaft 31 has already acted to reverse the current How. The crosshead will then travel rearwardly on the screw shaft 17 closing the doors. At the end of the closing stroke, the crosshea'd will abut against the rear springs 28, shifting the guide rod 24 rearwardly and thence actu ating the control shaft 31 to shift the switch actuated thereby to its original. position, breaking the circuit and arranging the latter so that subsequent completion of the circuit will drive the motor in an opposite direction.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a comparatively simple and inexpensive mechanism for openin and closing garage doors, which is electrical y controlled and entirely automatic in operation, the mechanism being very easy to install and applicable to any garage having swinging doors.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described mv invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent In combination with a pair of swinging doors, a screw shaft disposed thereabove an at right angles thereto, a crosshead threaded on said shaft whereby it will travel therealong when the shaft is revolved, pull rods connecting said crosshead to said doors whereby movement of the crosshead along the screw shaft will operate the doors, an electric motor operatively connected to the shaft for revolving the same, a remote control for the circuit of said motor, one of said pull rods being detachably connected to one .of the doors, a ke operated mechanism for 'disconnecting sai pull rod from the door when the doors are closed whereby the door may be opened without actuating the mechanism, said key operated mechanism comprising a bell crank lever pivoted on the door having one of its legs engageable with the pull rod whereby it will detach the pull rod from the door when the bell crank lever is moved in one direction, a second bell crank lever p ivoted to the door, a connecting rod connecting said bell cranks, a second connecting rod conbe disposed ina position engageable by a key nected to said second bell crank, sprm means supported in said bearing, and a key insertible adapted to normally maintain said bel cranks in said bearing to en a e said second connect- 10 in a position unai'ecting said connection being rod to operate t e ell cranks and there- 5 tween the pull rod and the door, a key bearing by disconnect the pull rod from the door.

in the door and to which the scond connecting rod is slidably connected whereby its end will ALEXANDER MARTIN.

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