US1754841A - Door mechanism - Google Patents

Description

c. c. TOMKINSON DOOR MECHANISM April 15, 1930.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27, 1926 NVENTOR [la/ks t. Tam/final:

*4 I 2 MW April 15,1930. c. c. TOMKINSON noon mEcHANIs'u Fil ed Dec. 27. 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 A Nm Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES C. TOMKINSON, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO J. EDWARD OGDEN COMPANY, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY DOOR MECHANISM Application filed December 2'2 1926.

This invention relates to doors and particularly to door closure and locking mechanism.

The invention has been particularly developed for use in connection with large doors of the sectional type, such as are used for closing door openings in pier sheds, warehouses and like structures. Such doors are subjected to severe wind pressures and to other severe strains and stresses and must be so constructed and mounted as to withstand such stresses. Furthermore, when a heavy wind is blowing against the doors or into the door openings, it is difiicult to close the door against the wind pressureand to lock the door in closed position.

This invention has for its salient object to facilitate the closing of doors of the type specified and to lock the doors securely in closed position against the door casing or jamb.

Another object of the invention is to provide door closure mechanism so constructed and arranged that the door opening movement of the door will store up energy available during the closing movement to assist in moving the door against the door casing or jamb in position to be locked,

Another object of the invention is to provide door mechanismso constructed and arranged as to lengthen the periodof breakout and thus reduce the average pull required for the breakout.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section showing a two section door prior to the break-out of the door section from the vertical position, the door being provided with closure and locking mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but'showing the door sections positioned in the breakout period of their movement after the spring has been compressed and the lower section has reached its fully superimposed position on the upper section;

Serial No. 157,118.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but show ing the door sections in wide open position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the closure and locking mechanism in looking position, the lower door section being disposed in position to release the locking mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the upper door section unlocked and the two door sections about to be locked by the downward movement of the lower section;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5, but showing the door sections returning from open position to position against the door j amb or casing;

Fig. 7 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view parallel in section of the structure shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale showing the abutment at one end of the spring whereby the spring can be adjusted as to tension.

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 6 but showing another position in the closing movement of the door.

The invention briefly described consists of door mechanism comprising a plurality of door sections mounted for vertical and lateral movement, locking mechanism for locking the door against lateral pressure and means in conjunction with the locking mechanism for assisting in swinging the doors toward the door header. This means is so constructed and arranged that supplemental power for actuating the means is stored up during the opening movement of the door for use during the closing movement thereof. Furthermore, the supplemental power actuating means is so constructed and arranged that it functions during the storing up of power therein to lengthen the period of break-out and thus decrease the average pull required for the break-out. The means in the particular form of the invention shown engages the upper door section and locks this section against the door header or casing. The locking means is released by one of the lower door sections when this section is raised into overlapping relation with reference to the upper door seclei tion. Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the particular form of the invention illustrated, the mechanism is shown in connection with a two section door comprising an upper section and a lower section 11. The door sections are mounted in an opening 12 of a wall 13 and the door casing includes a header or lintel formed by an angle iron 14. The lower door section is slidable on the upper door section, being provided with flanges 15 embraced by flanges 16 formed on the upper door section.

The details of construction of the door mechanism form no part of the present invention and for a more complete showing of the door sections and operating mechanism, attention is directed to Patent No. 973,691 to J. E. Ogden, granted October 25, 1910. It will be understood without further showing or description that the door section 11 is raised vertically to a position in which it overlies the upper section 10 whereupon these sections will be swung laterally inwardly in unison on links 17 to an inclined or horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3. The raising and swinging of the door is accomplished by means of lifting chains and counterbalancing mechanism in the usual manner with this type of doors as shown in the patent referred to. In this position, the inner end of the door may be supported by shelves 18 engaged by rollers 19 carried by the upper door section. It will be understood, however, that any other desired means may be utilized for supporting and guiding the doors, such, for instance, as tracks.

The door locking and closing mechanism comprises two devices.

One of these devices consists of a keeper or hook 20 pivoted on a fixed pivot 21 secured to the wall structure above the door opening. A stop 22 limits the downward movement of the keeper. The keeper 20 has a downwardly extending ofl'set end 23 which forms the hook and a cam 24 is formed on the outer surface of this portion 23 and extends upwardly and laterally therefrom.

The other device which cooperates with the keeper is mounted on the top or upper end 25 of the upper door section 10 and is supported in brackets 26 and 27. This device 29 is carried by a shaft 28 mounted in the brackets 26 and 27 and includes an unlocking member having a cut out portion 30 ada ted to extend under the upper end 25 of tiie upper door section as shown in Fig. 4. This member has a cam surface 31 adapted to be engaged by a roller 32 mounted in brackets 33 secured to the upper end of the lower door section 11. The shaft 28 also has secured thereto at the end opposite from the unlocking cam 31, an arm 35 having a cross head or T-shaped end 36 at the free end thereof. When the door is looked as shown in Fig. 4,

the end 36 is disposed within the hook 23 of the keeper 20.

A spring 40 encircles the shaft 28 and has one end extending into a notch 41 formed in a sleeve or collar 42 keyed as shown at 43 to the shaft 28. The opposite end of this spring is secured in a notch 45 formed in a sleeve or collar 46 rotatably mounted on the shaft 28. The collar 46 is provided with longitudinally extending, circumferentially arranged apertures 49 and the collar is locked in any desired position of adjustment by means of a set screw 47 mounted in the bracket 27 and adapted to enter one of the apertures 49. Peripheral openings 50 are formed in the collar 46 to receive a spanner wrench so that the collar can be rotated to any desired extent to place the required tension on the spring 40. After the collar has been rotated, the set screw 47 is screwed into one of the apertures 49, looking the collar in adjusted position. In this way, the tension of the spring can be regulated as desired.

The spring 40 is so arranged and connected to the shaft 28 that the pivotal movement of the unlocking member 31 in an anti-clockwise direction or in a direction to releasethe lock from the upper door section will wind up or tighten the spring.

In actual practice, it is desirable to provide at least two sets of locking and closing mechanisms, but since they would be exactly alike, only one set has been illustrated and described.

Operation The locking mechanism operates as follows. Fig. 4 illustrates the mechanism in locked position and it will be seen that the clearance portion 30 is disposed beneath the upper end 25 of the upper door section and the arm 35 which acts as a toggle arm is disposed beneath the keeper 20, the end 36 of the arm being disposed within the hook 23 of the keeper. Any wind pressure against the outside of the door will be withstood by the locking mechanism since this will tend to force the toggle member 35 in approximately a straight line against the hook 23. In other words, the toggle arm is substantially at dead center-and is held in this position by the spring tension and the locking mechanism cannot be unlocked by wind pressure.

In order to open the door, the lower section 11 is first raised to the position shown in Fig. 4 wherein the roller 32 engages the cam surface 31. Further movement of the lower door section to opening position will cause the cam 31 and the shaft 28 to swing in an anti-clockwise direction, thus raising the keeper and releasing the arm 35 from its locked position, and thereafter swinging the sections to the position shown in Fig. 2 as the spring is gradually compressed. The door sections 10 and 11 maintain the relative positions shown in Fig. 2 throughout the further door opening movement as shown in Fig. 3 and, therefore, the spring is retained under tension since the cam 31 cannot swing in a clockwise direction.

The spring is preferably made strong enough so that its resistance through the cam 31 to the roller 32 transmits a lifting force to the upper section which will be sufficient to start the break-out movement before the lower section 11 is fully superimposed on the upper section 10 and thereby the spring performs a useful function. This distributes the breakout movement over a part of the travel of the lower door section and decreases the average pull required to break the door away from the header. In other words, the pull that winds the spring is transmitted through the spring to the upper door section and has a vertical component thereon which swings the combined sections away from the header and the inertia of the door against lateral movement is gradually overcome.

When the door is to be closed, the lateral. closing movement will cause the end 36 of the toggle arm to engage the cam 24 formed on the outer surface of the hook 23 and swing the hook and keeper in an anti-clockwise direction, permitting the toggle arm to pass beneath the hook to the position shown in ig. 6. If the lower door section maintains the position shown in Fig. 6, the sections will return to the closed position shown in Fig. 5 and will be locked thereafter by the downward movement of the lower section without any help from the spring 40 as a closer. If a strong wind is blowing against the doors and holds them from closing be yond the position of Fig. 6, which corresponds to that of Fig. 2, the operator by means of the mechanism raises the counterweight and thus releases the tension on the lifting chain attached to the bottom of the lower section 10, and the two sections by their weight, now unsupported, will close suihciently for the arm 35 to engage the hook 20 and the section 11 will drop relatively to the upper scction 10, the spring released by the downward movement of roller 32 out of contact with the cam 31 will rotate the shaft 28 and parts carried thereby in a clockwise direction until the end 36 of the toggle arm 35 engages the hook 23 forming a toggle as shown in Fig. 1G. The roller 32 then being out of contact cam 31, the full force of the spring is exerted at the center of the toggle 23, 36 in a direction other than the resultant movement of the pin 28 of the toggle toward pin 21 with increasing leverage as the door approaches the closed position until in the fully closed position the toggle reaches the locked position as shown in Fig. 4:. It will be noted that the roller 32 can move downwardly a predetermined dis tance prior to any material or effective move ment of the cam 31 thus preventing the toggle arm from raising prematurely if there is any relative movement of the two door sec tions before they reach the position in which the arm will engage the hook. This is further insured by the extended length of the cam 24- on the keeper. If premature motion of the toggle arm occurs before the arm reaches the hook the upper part of cam 24 will still be engaged by the toggle arm.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that the mechanism described will eii'ectively look a door against the door casing and will withstand the wind pressures and strains to which such doors are subjected. Furthermore, it will be evident that the movement of the door to open position will store up energy available to assist in closing the door against the casing or jamb.

Although one specific embodiment of the in vention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

l Vhat I claim is l. A door comprising a plura ity of sections arranged iior relative vertical movement and for movement vertically and laterally in unison, locking means for said door comprising a device pivoted to one of said sections and means movably mounted on a iixed support and adapted to coact with said device.

2. A door comprising a plurality of sections arranged for relative vertical movement and for movement vertically and laterally in unison, locking means for said door comprising a device pivoted to one of said sections and means pivotally mounted on a fined support and adapted to coact with said device.

Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable vertically and laterally away from said casing, locking means for holding the door against the casing including a member pivoted on the door and a member pivoted on the door casing and adapted to coact therewith.

a. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable vertically and laterally away from said casing, locking means for holding the door against the casing including a member pivoted on the top the door and a member pivoted on the door casing and adapted to coact therewith.

5. A door comprising a plurality of sections arranged for relative vertical movement and for movement vertically and laterally in unison, and means for swinging said door to closed position and for locking the door in closed position, said means comprising mechanism pivoted on one of said sections, a spring connected to said mechanism and adapted to be tightened during the opening movement of the door, and pivoted means mounted on a fixed support and engageable by said mechanism as the door moves to closed and locked position.

6. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position and identical mechanism for assisting in moving said door to closed position and for locking the door in closed position, and power actuating means for said mechanism, said power actuating means being operated upon the opening movement of the door to store up power for use in actuating said closure mechanism during the closing movement of the door.

7. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position and identical mechanism for assisting in moving said door to closed position and for locking the door in closed position, and actuating means for said mechanism, said spring actuating means being operated upon the opening increment of the door to store up power for use in actuating said closure mechanism during the closing movement of the door.

8. A door comprising upper and lower sec tions arranged for vertical and lateral move ment to open position, and toggle means for locking the upper section against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivoted to the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above the upper door section and engageable by said pivoted member.

9. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position, and means for lockin" the upper section against lateral movement, said means comprising a member'pivoted to the upper door section and a member movably mounted above the upper door section and engageable by said pivoted member.

10. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position, and means for locking the upper section against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivoted to the upper door section and a member pivotally mounted on a fixed pivot above the upper door section and engageable'by said pivoted member.

11. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position, toggle means for locking the upper section against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivoted to the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above the upper door section and engageable by said pivoted member, and means on a lowe door section engageable with said pivoted member to break the toggle and release said locking means.

12. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position, toggle means for locking the upper section against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivoted to the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above the upper door section and engageable by said pivoted member, and means 011 a lower door section engageable with said pivoted member to swing said member on its pivot and release said locking means.

13. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position, toggle means for locking the upper section against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivoted to the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above the upper door section and engageable by said pivoted member, means on a lower door section engageable with said pivoted member to swing said member on its pivot and release said locking means, and a spring connected to said pivoted member and operable to swing said member to locking posit-ion.

14. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open position, a locking member pivoted above the door opening, a member pivoted to the upper door section and having a portion engageable with said locking member to lock the door against lateral movement and having a cam, and means carried by another door section for engaging said cam and releasing the locking member.

15. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open position, toggle locking means for holding the door in closed position and comprising a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot and having a hook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of the upper door section and having an arm disposed below and within the keeper and hook when the door is closed.

16. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open position, locking means for holding the door in closed position and comprising a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot and having a hook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of the upper door section and having an arm disposed below and within the keeper and hook when the door is closed, said member having a cam surface and means on another door section engageable with said cam surface to release the locking means.

17. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open position, locking means for holding the door in closed position and comprising a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot and having a hook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of the upper door section and having an arm disposed below and within the keeper and hook when the door is closed, and means on said keeper engageable by said arm Whereby the arm will lift the keeper upon the movea the top of the upper door section and having an arm disposed below and within the keeper and hook when the door is closed, the pivot of the keeper and pivot of said member being so relatively located that the keeper and member form a toggle lock.

19. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open 1 position, locking means for holding the door in closed position and including a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot and having a hook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of the upper door section and having an arm disposed below and within the keeper and hook when the door is closed, the pivot of said member being disposed approximately in a line between the keeper pivot and keeper hook.

20. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open position, toggle locking means for locking the door against lateral movement, a spring for actuating said locking means to locking position and means carried by one of the door sections for breaking the toggle and releasing the lock and compressing the spring.

21. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open position, toggle locking means for locking the door against lateral movement, a spring for actuating said locking means to locking position and means carried by one of the door sections adapted to break the toggle and release the lock and compress the spring.

22. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable door sections, combined locking and swinging means carried by one section and adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper section will be unlocked and will be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised,

and a compression spring connected to said means and adapted to transmit the lifting force from the lower section to the upper section and cause the door to swing laterally as said means is engaged by the lower section. 23. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable door sections, pivoted means carried by one section and adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper section will be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, said pivoted means being movable through an angle of approximately 180 during the door opening movement.

24. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable door sections, means pivotally carried by one section and adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper section will be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, and a compression spring connected to said means, said pivoted means being movable through an angle of approximately 180 during the door opening movement and storing up energy in said spring during said 180 movement.

25. A door comprising a pair or vertically and laterally movable door sections, a casing including a header, a device carried by one section and adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper section will be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, and a member pivoted above the upper section andcoacting with said device to lock the door against the header.

26. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable door sections, a casing including a header, a device carried by one section and adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper section will be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, a member pivoted above the upper section and coaoting with said device to lock the door against the header, and a spring engaging said device and adapted to resist the release of said device from looking position.

27. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable door sections, a casing including a header, a device carried by one section and adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper section will be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, a member pivoted above the upper section and coacting with said device to lock the door against the header, and a spring engaging said device and adapted to resist the release of said device from looking position, said spring also functioning to cause the door to swing away from the header when the de vice is engaged by the lower section.

28. A door comprising a door casing, a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally toopen position, locking means for holding the door in closed position and comprising a latch membermounted above the 1 door and on the door casing and a member pivoted to the top of the upper door section and having an arm disposed below and within the latch member when the door is closed, said member having a cam surface constructed and arranged to swing the pivoted member through an angle of approximately 180 when the door is opened and means on another door section engageable with said cam surface to release the locking means and swing said pivoted member.

29. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically and laterally to open position, locking means for holding the door in closed position and comprising a keeper and a member pivoted to the top of the upper door and having an arm adapted to coact with the keeper to lock the door in closed position, a spring connected to said pivoted member and arranged to resist movement of the member to unlock the door, a cam connected to said pivoted member, and means on another door section adapted to engage said cam and swing the arm to release the door, said cam being so constructed and arranged that the door section and cam engaging member carried thereby can move downwardly on the upper section an appreciable distance before releasing the pivoted member and permitting the member to swing under the action of the spring.

30. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position, means including a toggle joint for swinging said upper section to closed position, and actuating means for said joint.

31. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position and means including a toggle joint for swinging said upper section to closed position, said joint comprising a member pivoted on said upper section and means pivoted on a fixed support and adapted to coact with said member.

32. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable vertically and laterally away from said casing, means including a toggle joint for moving said door to closed posltion against said casing, and actuating means for said joint.

33. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable vertically and laterally away from said casing and means including a toggle joint for moving said door to closed position against said casing, said joint being formed by a member pivoted to the door and means pivoted on a fixed support and coacting therewith.

34. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical and lateral movement to open position and means including a toggle joint for swinging said upper section to closed position, said joint comprising a member pivoted on said upper section and means pivoted on a fixed support and adapted to coact with said member and resilient actuating means for said pivoted member.

35. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable vertically and laterally away from said casing, means including a tog le joint for moving said door to closed position against said casing, said joint being ormed by a member pivoted to the door and means pivoted on a fixed support and coacting therewith, and actuating means for said pivoted member.

36. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position and mechanism including a toggle joint for assisting in moving said door to closed position and power actuating means for said mechanism, said means being operated upon during the opening movement of the door to store up power for use in actuating said closure mechanism during the closing movement of the door.

37. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position and mechanism including a toggle joint for assisting in moving said door to closed position and power actuating means for said mechanism, said means being operated upon during the opening movement of the door to store up power for use in actuating said closure mechanism during the closing movement of the door, said joint comprising a member pivoted on a fixed support and a member pivoted to said door.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of October, 1926.

CHARLES C. TOMKINSON.

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