US1872177A - Operator for canopy type doors - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1932.

s. PEELLE OPERATOR, FOR CANOPY TYPE DOORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1931 VENT 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 l l lJu-MHH II I L I'IWHHHHWHH lloll II n T ru c n u v R. s. PEELLE OPERATOR FOR CANOPY TYPE DOORS Filed Deo. 3, 1931 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 ROBERT S. PEELLE, OF HOLLIS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO THE PEELLE COMPANY, OF

a BROOKLYN, NEW.YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK OPERATOR FOR CANOPY TYPE DOORS Application filed December 3, 1931.

extensively used to close the openings at loading platforms of freight houses, warehouses and similar buildings; Such doors are usually of large dimensions, of heavy, durable structure and of great weight. Such doors consist of two sections, the upper of which is hinged above the lintel of the door opening, and the lower of which is hinged to the bottom edge of the lower door section. The lower door section, adjacent its bottom edge,

is guided in its movement by tracks at the sides of the door opening, so that when lifting power is applied to the bottom of this door section, its lower edge will rise in a substantially straight vertical path, thus causing the two sections to have a horizontal component of movement on the line of their hinged connection away from the door opening.

The common practice prior to my invention was to apply opening power only to the lower door section, and to rely upon manual effort or special appliances to break the joint between the two door sections, or provide a,

special construction of support for the upper door section having a normal tendency to impart such movement to the upper door section as would automatically break the oint. In. such doors, the likelihood of difficulty in opening and closing same was ever present, notwithstanding the various devices employed to overcome those difliculties of breaking or closing of the joint between the two sections preparatory to the opening or following the closing of the door. In some instances a special construction was employed Serial No. 578,790.

to minimize the danger of crushing the hands of workmen when it was attempted to apply manual power to effect the closing of the door.

With the above conditions in mind, I have provided an electric motor driven operator for such doors, by means of which power derived from the operator is utilized to open a door, to release the lock holding the door in the closed position, break the joint between the two door sections and simultaneously apply opening power to both the lower and the upper section of the door, the characteristic jackknife operation of the two sections being the same as in the old type of door. v

The construction of the operator is also such that when closing the door, both sections of the door will be under the control of the electric motors until the closing movement of the two sections has been completed, the joint between the two sections being closed by the operator and the lock mechanism set while the operator is still acting upon the upper door section.

By the construction of the invention, the load of the two sections, insofar as it is not sustained by the hinged supports therefor above the lintel and by the counterweight, is divided between two synchronized electric motor actuated mechanisms, the two mecha nisms being subjected to varying loads, ac cording to the position of the door. Each 7 mechanism relieves the other of some of the stresses incidental to the movement of the two door sections and thus greatly facilitates the operation of opening and closing the door.

By theoperator of the invention, I may, by the use of independent electric motor operated mechanisms, the power of one of which is applied adjacent the bottom'edge of the lower section, and the power of the other of which is applied adjacent the bottom edge of the upper section, not only distribute the load of the two sections between the two motor operated mechanisms, but compensate for the constant varying load upon each mechanism in a manner to assure a rapid, easy opening and closing movement of the door.

The invention consists primarily in an operator for canopy type doors embodying A therein the combination with an upper door section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bottom thereof, counterwei 'hting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, an arm pivotally supported adjacent the lintel of a door opening and projecting substantially parallel with the upper door section, connections between said arm and said door sections, and an electric motor geared to said arm; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a laterally and verticallycondensed view in elevation of a closed canopy type door equipped with an operator of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the door the open position; v

Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, laterally condensed and on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a laterally condensed plan view of Fig. 1 upon a larger scale; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 upon a larger scale. v

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the wall of a building is shown at 10. the lintel line of the door opening being indicated at 11 and the floor line at 12. The jambs of the door opening are indicated at 13. At each side of the door opening is a guide structure 14. The upper door section is shown at 15 and the lower door section at 16. These sections are of substantially the same height and width, and the lower section is supported from the upper section by meansof hinged connections such as 17. The upper door section is supported from the wall of the building above the lintel by means of hinges 18. y

In the form of the invention shown, the top of the upper door section is recessed to form the extension 19 with which the strap of one of the hinge parts of each hinge is connected.

Above each guide structure 14 is a sheave 2021, and at one side of the door is a housing 22 in which a counterweight 23 has vertical movement. The sheave 21 is twice the width of the'sheave 20.

Connecting the counterweight 23 and the lower door section 16, adjacent the bottom thereof, are flexible connections 24 and 25, the former of which passes about the sheaves 20 and 21,and the latter of which passes only about the sheave 21. The foregoing construction is old and well known in the canopy type of door art and is typical of this type of door.

In some doors, channel guides are used, while in other doors angle guides are used, since the jacklrnife action of the .door will thrust the bottom of the lower sect-ion toward the opening. In the drawings, the channel type of guide structure is shown. The bottom of the lower door section, when opening and closing the door, is caused to have vertical movement only by the flexible connections or chains 24, although the manner of connecting these chains with the door is such as to permit a swivelling movement of the door in relation to the connections. This also is old in the art.

Prior to my invention, when power operators were used with canopy type or bi-part foldup doors, the usual practice was to apply the power of the motor to the lower door section only through'the flexible connections between the lower door and the counterweight.

In the operator of my invention, I apply motor power to both the upper, and the lower, door section and apply it in a manner to not only effectively distribute the load of the two door sections between the two motor actuated mechanisms operative upon the different door sections, but do so in a manner which will ensure a gradual shifting of this load from one motor actuated mechanism to the other as the position of the two door sections changes with the opening or closmg movement.

Adjacent the sheave 21, I mount an electric motor 26, the shaft of which carries a small pinion 27 in mesh with a gear 28 forming one of the shrouds of the sheave 21. The axis of the pinion 2? is at right angles to the wall of the shaft, or the plane of the door, being parallel with the axis of the sheaves 20 and 21.

Intermediate the sheaves 20 and 1, I mount a second motor 29, the fitting 3O supporting which is attached to the wall of a building and projects well away therefrom to provide space for the gear train 31, 32, 33 and 34, the first gear of whici train is carried by the shaft of the motor 29, and the last gear of which train has a shaft 35 to which an arm 36 is rigidly secured. The axis of this shaft 35 is offset horizontally and vertically with relation to the axis of the hinges 18, so that the arm 36 in its arc of movement will act with a varying leverage upon the upper door section 15.

The arm 36 extends parallel with the upper door section 15 and projects beyond the bottom of this door section. Carried by the door section is akeeper 3'? provided with an anti-friction roller 38 spaced away from the face of the door a distance sufficient to permit a limited play or oscillation of the arm 36 prior to and following the initial opening or closing movement of the door. The reason for this construction will appear more fully hereinafter. V

Mounted in suitable bearings 39 adjacent the bottom of the upper door section is a rock shaft 40. At each end of this shaft is an offset latch fitting 41 co-operating with a toothed keeper member 42 secured in relation to the wall of the building by means of the guide structure 14 at each side of the door opening. Carried by the said shaft 40 is an offset forked fitting 43 carrying an anti friction roller 44. The arm 36 passes through the fork of the fitting 43 into engaging relation with the roller 44, the extreme end of the arm being slightly upwardly inclined, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so as to ensure the actuation of the rock shaft 40 and the lock mechanism with short movement of the arm 36, prior to its engagement with the roller 38.

The arm 36 has sliding movement in relation to the rollers 38 and 44 during both the opening and closing movement of the door, this sliding movement resulting from the difference in the arc of movement of this arm as compared with that of the upper door section 15. As the door is being opened, the efiective radius at which the arm 36 acts de creases, thus increasing the effective leverage as the load upon the arm increases. While this is not absolutely essential to the invention it is desirable for reasons to be hereinafter described.

The operation of the herein described mechanism is substantially as follows "When the door is in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, the two sections are suspended from the hinges 18, the lower section 16 being suspended from the upper section by the hinges 17 As those hinges are located at one face of the door, there is a tendency of the door sections to get out of vertical alinement with each other, and resistance is offered to their being brought into vertical alinement when closing the door. When they are once alined, however, there is a tendency for them to remain so alined. In the canopy type door art the destruction of this alinement is known as breaking the door.

With the door closed, the offset latch mem bers 41 engage the ofiset keeper members 42 and prevent movement of either door section I from the result of the application of pressure to the face of the door to the right of Fig. 2.

hen it is desired to open the door, the

motors 26 and 29 are energized by the closing of a switch which may be positioned remote from the door, since the construction of the operatoris such that the workman is not required to apply any manual effort either in breaking? the door, closing it, or releasing the latch. Ordinarily, a constant pressure switch is used and the motors 26 and 29 are door section.

connected in parallel. The above, however, are largely matters of choice since the invention resides, not in the particular construction of motor employed, but in the manner of applying power of such motors to the door.

As the motors are'energized, the sheave 21 is rotated, thus applying lifting power to the lower portion of the lower door section 16, and paying out the flexible connections 2425 toward the counterweight 23. Simultaneously, with the initial rotation of the armature of the motor 26, the shaft will also be turned by the reducing gear train between it and the armature of the motor 29..

The speed reducing gearing 31 to 34 is so proportioned that the movement of the arm 36 will be substantially in accord with the turning movement of the upper door section as a result of the vertical travel and hori zontal component of movement of the lower lVith the initial application of power to the lower door section by the motor 26, the vertical lift of the lower part of this section will be great as compared with the horizontal component at the upper portion of the section, and the upper portion has very little vertical movement. With the full opening movement of the door, the lower portion of the lower door section will have twice the vertical movement of the upper portion of this section, and the vertical movement of the lower end of the upper door section will be approximately one-half of that of the vertical movementof the lower portion of the lower door section. Consequently, the vertical com.- ponent of the arm 36 is only approximately one-half of the lineal travel of the chains When the door is in the closed position, the

arm 36 is spaced from the roller 38 so that l with the initial movement of said arm. it will act upon the fork 43 to rock the shaft 40 to an extent to disengage the latches 41 from the keepers 42, prior to the application of the power of this arm to the upper door section through the roller 38 and the fitting 37. The interval, however, is so short as to not interfere with the action of the sheave 21 in applying the power of the motor 26 to the lowerdoor section, particularly as slippage can occur between the sheave and the flexible connections 2425.

After the shaft 40 has been rocked to release the lock mechanism 40, 41 and 42, the arm 36, by engagement with the roller 38, applies the power of the motor 29 to the upper door section with a substantial horizontal component of movement and a small vertical component. From the moment of the engagement of the arm 36 with the roller 38, the movement of the upper door section will be under the control of the motor 29 through the arm 36 and the gear train between this motor and the shaft carrying this arm, and this condition will continue until the door has Eeached the fully open position, as shown in During the first stage of the opening movement, the load upon the motor 26 will be at its maximum, but as the upper portion of this door swings away from the wall, this load will be progressively decreasing, since the lower door section will have two effective points of support, to wit: the chains 24-25 and the hinges 17. This is due to the fact that the upper door section, instead ofbeing supported in part from the lower door section, is supported from the arm 36.

WVhen the door reaches the fully open position, as shown in Fig. 2, the load sustained by the'chains 2%25 and the counterweight 23 will be only approximately one-half of the load of the lower door section alone upon the initiation of the opening movement.

As the opening movement of the door proceeds, the load upon the arm 36 will progressively increase, not only because the upper door section approaches the horizontal position during this interval, but because the load of the lower door section upon the upper door section and the arm 36 increases as the doors approach the fully open position.

As heretofore stated, however, the radius at which the arm 36 acts upon the door, progressively decreases with the opening movement of the door, and hence this arm acts as a more effective leverage as the door approaches the fully open position. The power of the motor 29, however, is sufiicient to sustain the maximum load to which the arm is subjected.

By reason of the action of the arm 36, the initial application of power in starting the opening movement of the door, so far as the motor 26 is concerned, is very much reduced. During this period the arm 36 will impart a large horizontal component of movement to the upper section, but, as stated, a small vertical component. With a continued actuation of the two motors, however, the vertical component will progressively increase and the horizontal component will progressively decrease. This is due to the fact that the arm 36 moves in an are from a substantially vertical dead center. Consequently, the opening movement will start slowly but will become progressively more rapid until the full open position is reached.

lVhen the door is fully open, power to the two motors 26 and 29 is interrupted, and the counterweight is relied upon to maintain the door in the open position. While the door is open, the entire load of both sections is sustained by the counterweight 23 through the chains or flexible connections 24t25.

In closing the doors, the varying speed of the sections will be the reverse of that above described, the initial closing movement being rapid as to the vertical movement of both sections, this movement gradually slowing down as the door approaches the fully closed position.

When it is desired to close the door, power is applied to the motors 26 and 29 to cause a reverse rotation of the armatures thereof. During this closing movement, the arm 36 will describe a downward arc and thus sustain the load of the upper door section during its downward swinging movement. The motor 26 will merely raise the counterweight 23 and pay out the connections 24l-25 in a manner to permit the descent of the lower door section. The movement 01": both sections will be by gravity under the control of the motors operative thereon respectively.

As the door approaches the fully closed position, the arm 36 passes out of engagement with the roller 38 and also out of en gagement with the roller l4, thus permitting the shaft 40 to turn in a manner to so position the latch members 41 that they may engage the striker and keeper members 42, and become automatically operative to prevent any possible rebound of the door. The restraint placed upon the gravity descent of the upper door section, however, by the motor 29 and the arm 36 will minimize any tendency tor the development of acquired momentum suiticient to cause such rebound.

The final slow closing movement of the two sections, with ordinary canopy doors, results in likelihood of a failure of both sections to come into alinement, so that the joint between these sections is not closed, thus requiring the application of manual force to complete the closing movement.

With the operator of the invention, however, the power of the motor 29, when the two door sections reach almostavertical position, imparts a thrust to the upper door section so that the final closing movement is accomplished by the power of this motor through the arm 36.

In opening a door, the upward movement of the lower door section is limited upon the completion of the full opening movement by the engagement of the counterweight 23 with the bottom of the housing therefor, thus permitting slippage between the sheave 21 and the flexible connections 2425 so that no provision for securing any nicety in the duration of the operation of the motor 26 is necessary. Intact, during both the opening and closing movement, slippage may occur between said sheave and said connections so as to secure a proper timing of the run of the connections 24l25 in relation to movements of the arm 36.

Upon the initial opening movement, the connections 2425 are relieved from the resistance and stresses resulting from the necessity for the breaking of the oint in developing the desired horizontal component of movement of the two-sections of the door adjacent their point of pivotal connection, this being taken care of by the arm 36. On the other hand, practically no support is afforded the upper door section by the arm 36 at this time. lhe fact that the door section movements are slow makes this condition, however, immaterial. As a result of the action of the arm 36, however, this slow opening movement is faster than with the ordinary canopy door. As the arm 36 assumes an increasing proportion of the load of ti e two door sections, theload on the motor 26 is progressively decreased, so that by the construction described, a rapid opening and closing movement; of the door is secured. r .7 I

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. V

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. An operator for canopy type doors embodying therein the combination with an upper door section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bot-. tom thereof, counterweighting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said eounterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, an arm pivotally supported p adjacent the lintel of a door opening and projecting substantially parallel with the upper door section, connections between said arm and said door section, and an electric motor geared to said arm. j

2. An operator for canopy type doors embodying therein the combination with an upper door section hinged adj acent'the lintel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bottom thereof, counterweighting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, an arm pivotally supported adjacent the lintel of a door opening and projecting sub stantially parallel withthe upper door section, a keeper carried by said upper door section, said arm extending between said keeper and the door section, and an electric motor geared to said arm.

3. An operator for canopy type doors embodying therein the combination with an upper door section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bottom thereof, counterweighting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom ofsaidlower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, an arm pivotaily supported adjacent and offset in relation to the lintel of a door opening and-the hinged support for the upper door section, and projecting substantially parallel with the upper door section, a keeper carried by said upper door section, said arm extending between said keeper and the door section, and an electric motor geared to said arm.

4. An operator for canopy type doors embodying thereinthe combination with an upper door section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bottom thereof, counterweightingmeans, rotatable guides adjacent theopposite sides ofthe door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, co-- operating latch members carried by the upper section and the wall of a building adjacent the door opening, a rock shaft carrying one of said members rotatably mounted adjacent the lower edge of said upper section, an arm pivotally supported adjacent the lintel of a door opening and projecting substantially parallel withthe upper door section, connectionsbetween said arm and said rock shaft and between said arm and said door sections respectively, and an electric motor geared to of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bottom thereof, counterweighting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means'and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, a

keeper member supported from the wallof a building adjacent the door opening, a rock' shaft rotatably mounted adjacent the lower edge of the upper section, a latch member carriedby said rock shaft and co-operating with said keeper, an offset forked fitting upon said rock shaft, a keeper carried by the upper door section, an arm pivotally, supported adjacent the lintel. of a door opening and projecting substantially parallel with the upper door section and in engageable relation with said.

GOT

forked fitting and the keeper upon said upper section, and an electric motor geared to said arm.

6. An operator for canopy type doors embodying therein the combination with an upper door section hinged adjacent the lintel of adoor opening, alower door section hinged to said upper door sectionadjacent the bottom thereof, counterweighting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, a keeper member supported from the wall of a building adjacent the door opening, a rock shaft rotatably mounted adjacent the lower edge of the upper section, a latch member carried by said rock shaftand co-operating with said keeper, an offset forked fitting upon said rock shaft, a keeper carried by the upper door section, an arm pivotally supportedadjacent and offset in relation to the lintel of the door opening and the hinged support for the upper door section and projecting substantially parallel with the upper door section and in engageable relation with said forked fitting and the keeper upon said upper section, and

, an electric motor geared to said arm.

7. An operator for canopy type doors embodying therein the combination with an upper door section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bottom thereof, counterweighting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the dooropening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one of said rotatable guides, an arm piyotally supported adjacent the lintel of a door opening and projecting Substantially. parallel with the upper door section, connections between said arm and said door section, an electric motor, and a speed reducing gear train connecting said motor with said arm.

8. An operator for canopy type doors embodying therein the combination with an upper door section hingedadjacent the lin- V tel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent v the bottom thereof, counterweighting means,

rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared-to one of said rotatable guides, a keeper member supported from the wall of a building adjacent the door opening,

a rock shaft rotatably mounted adjacent the lower edge of the'upper section, a latch mem- I ber carried by said rock shaft and co-operat- .ing with said keeper, an offset forked fitting ported adjacent and offset in relation to the l ntel of the door opening and the hinged support for theupper door section and project ing substantially parallel with the upper door section and in engageable relation with said forked fitting and the keeper upon said upper section, an electric motor, and a speed reducing gear train connecting said motor with said arm.

9. An operator for canopy type doors embodying therein the combination with an upper door section hinged adjacent thelintel of a door opening, a lower door section hinged to said upper door section adjacent the bottom thereof, counterweighting means, rotatable guides adjacent the opposite sides of the door opening, flexible connections extending from adjacent the bottom of said lower door section to said counterweighting means and passing about said guides, of an electric motor geared to one ofsaid rotatable guides, a keeper member supported from the wall of a building adjacent the door opening, a rock shaft rotatably mounted adjacent the lower edge of the upper section, a latch member carried by said rock shaft and cooperating with said keeper,'an offset forked fitting upon said rock shaft, an anti-friction roller carried by said fitting, a keeper carried by the upper door section, an anti-friction roller carried thereby and spaced from the door section, an arm pivotally supported adjacent and offset in relation to the lintel of the dooropening and the hinged support for the upper door section and projecting substantially parallel with the upper door section and passing between said rollers respectively and the uppersection, an electric motor, and a speed reducing gear train connecting said motor with said arm.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 2nd day of December,

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