US1925574A

US1925574A - Overhead door and construction of the same

Info

Publication number: US1925574A
Application number: US443658A
Authority: US
Inventors: John E Scott
Original assignee: ALLITH PROUTY Co
Current assignee: ALLITH PROUTY Co; ALLITH-PROUTY Co
Priority date: 1930-04-12
Filing date: 1930-04-12
Publication date: 1933-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1950-09-05

Description

p -'5, 1933. J. E. SCOTT OVERHEAD DOOR AND CONSTRUCTION OF TEE SAIE Filed April 12, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 5, 1933. 4 E, sco'r'r v 1,925,574

OVIRHEAD DOOR AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAIB Filed April 12, 1930 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 5, 1933. J. E. SCOTT OVERHEAD DOOR AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME 8 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 12, 1930 Sept. 5, 1933.

- J. E. scoTT 1,925,574

OVERHEAD DOOR AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME Filed April 12 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 5, 1933. J. E. SCOTT 1,925,574

OVERHEAD DOOR AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAIE Filed April 12, 1930 r 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 p 5, 1933. .1. E. SCOTT OVERHEAD DOOR Am) CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAIE Filed April 12, 1930 8 Sheds-Sheet 6 z e U52 Sept. 5, 1933. v J. E. SCOTT OVERHEAD DOOR AND CONSTRUCTION OF SAIE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 'Filed April 12, 19:50

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Sept. 5, 1933. J. E. SCOTT 1,925,574

OVERHEAD DOOR AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME Filed April 12 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 OVERHEAD noon AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE. SAME John E. Scott, Danville,v Ill., assignor to Allith- Prouty Company, Danville, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 12, 1930. Serial No. 443,658

Claims.

This invention relates generally to overhead type of doors for garages, warehouses, piers and other structures of like nature wherein the doors are moved into overhead, out-of-the-way open 5 position, and finds especial use in connection with the installation of doors in garages, warehouses or like structures wherein head room is at a minimum and wherein tight fitting of the doors is desirable when in closed positions.

Present day building conditions of garages or like structures, especially garages of the built-in type, call for minimum head room over the doorway and rendering impossible the installation of doors requiring much hardware and operating mechanism and/or track structure.

The present invention provides a construction of hardware and operating parts of such nature, design and arrangement that doors of the overhead type may readily be installed in garages and other structures wherein the ceiling is not over a few inches above the door lintel or header.

An object of the present invention is to .provide an overhead door construction which may be installed in a comparatively small space above the doorway.

Another object of the invention is to provide guideways for doors of the overhead type having a plurality of hingedly connected panels wherein the door is guided and supported within the outer plane of the guideways and wherein the lifting and counter-balance mechanism is also included within such plane, thereby to reduce to a' minimum the head room necessary for installation.

A further object of the invention is to provide channel-like tracks or guideways for the doors and to arrange the lifting and counter-balance mechanism within the outer plane of such guideways so that the guideways may be attached directly against the wall or ceiling without any intervening space.

Another and further object of the invention is to provide channel-like trolley tracks or guideways for doors of the overhead type and to position the lifting cables within said tracks, which cables are guided therein insuch manner as to prevent interfering with the rollers and hangers supporting the doors and also to arrange the oounter-balance mechanism substantially Within the compass of the vertical height of the horizontal portion of such tracks or guideways.

Another and further object of the invention is to provide guideways, lifting cables and counter-balance mechanism for overhead doors wherein no part of the lifting and counter-balance mechanism extends above the top side of the horizontal portion of the guideways and wherein the major portion of the lifting cables and the counterbalance means operate within the space of the vertical height of the horizontal portion of the guideway.

A still further object of the invention is to provide counter-balance and lifting mechanism for overhead doors which is contained substantially within the vertical height of the horizontal portions of the door guideways and which is enclosed within a protecting housing.

Another and still further object of the invention is to provide an overhead door construction wherein the guideways may be fastened directly to the front wall or ceiling of the garage or like structure to thus eliminate brackets or special supports.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an overhead door construction wherein the doors when in open overhead position are underslung or suspended from the guideways and with no portions of the doors extending above the upper plane or top side of the guideways.

Another and yet further object of the invention is to provide a novel wedging action between an overhead door and a door frame whereby the door may be tightly wedged against the same as it is moved into closing position.

An embodiment of the above enumerated and other features of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a rear elevational View of an overhead door construction representative of the present invention showing the door in closed position in a garage and with certain .parts in section, also showing an improved hinge for conmeeting the panels of the door;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the door in closed position and a side elevational view of certain parts of the guideways or track;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the curved section or gusset showing the formation of the two trackways or guideways of the gusset;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental elevational viewof the hinge embodying the present invention;

Figure 6 is a section taken substantially in the plane of line VI-VI of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a vertical section through the up- 2 i am showing the position of the door when in open overhead position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical fragmental sectional view of the front corner at the door opening showing one of the guideways in sec-=- tion and the position of the bottom roller when the door is in open overhead position;

Figure 9 is a fragmental vertical sectional view of the upper end of the vertical track section showing the position of the top roller when the door is in closed position;

Figure 10 is an elevational view of one half of the trolley track guideway showing the intermediate rollers traversing a groove of said track;

Figure 11 is a fragmental vertical sectional view taken substantially in the plane .of line XI-XI of Figure 1, showing the trolley grooves for the bottom and top rollers;

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line XIIXII of Figure 10 showing the top and bottom rollers as disposed to engage one of the grooves of the trolley track and the intermediate rollers arranged to engage the other groove;

Figure 13 is a fragmental elevational view of the trolley track with the door attaching brackets and rollers in place taken substantially in the plane of line XIIIXIII of Figure 10;

Figure 1a is an enlargedfragmental sectional view taken in the plane of line XIVX'IV of Figure 2;

Figure 15 is a longitudinal sectional fragmental view taken through the compound counterbalance springs. of the present invention showing details of construction of the same;

Figure 16 is a top plan view of the horizontal portions of the guideways or trackwaysshowing the same attached to the front wall of the building adjacent the opening and showing the doors in closed position;

Figure! 1'? is a fragmental horizontal sectional view taken through the counter-balance com- :partment and the horizontal portions of the guideways and showing the flexible lifting element within the guideways;

Figure 18 is an end view of the door in closed position showing the inclined stop cooperating with the inclined faces of the panels of the door for securing wedging action when the door is in closed position;

Figures 19 to 22 inclusive are enlarged horizontal sectional views taken on lines XIX-XIX to XXIL- inclusive of Figure 18 and showing the variation in the incline of the stops and the cooperating faces of the door;

Figure 23 is a vertical section showing the arrangement of the door and guide mechanism where the ceiling is some distance above the door opening so that only part of the door when opened will engage the horizontal guideway;

Figure 24- is an enlarged top view of a door I panel and a rollea bracket;

' horizontal section H and a gusset or intermeing a bottom. roller arrangement when the roller is about to pass from the vertical guideway to the horizontal guideway.

The drawings will nowcbe explained.

A doorway is. illustrated in the front wah A. of a garage or like structure which has a ceiling B. The doorway includes jambs C and a lintel or header D.

In Figures 2; 7, 8 and 1.1 the ceiling B is disposed but a slight distance above the header D as in common practice in the construction of small or built-in garages and like structures. The roofing material or equivalent E is applied atop the ceiling joist F. s

The door is illustrated as composed of panels, 1, 2, 3 and 4 which span the door opening and are long enough to overlie the door jarnbs C. There are four' panels illustrated in the' drawings, but it is understood that there may be as many or as few as desired and that also any one or several of the panels may be supplied with glass.

The panels are hingedly connected in the present instance by means of spring metal straps 5 which overlie the joints between adjacent edges of the panels and which straps are fastened in spaced relation to said joints. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate details of the hinge. Each end of a strap 5 is received in a canopy 6 having side walls '7 and an end wall 8 the lower edges of which are serrated at 9 so that the canopy may strap 5 in its hinging action. The strap 5 is provided near each end with enlarged openings 11 through which 'pass attaching means such as lag screws 12, which screws pass through openings 10a in the top side of the canopy 6. The

hinge just described allows hinging movement of the panels as the door is moved in use and at the same time allows for contraction and expansion of the several panels Without binding which would otherwise occur if ordinary pin or strap hinges were used. There are as many of these strap hinges applied tothe door as the weight and size of the same demands and the hinging action requires.

The door may be supplied with handles13 ai 1 ranged at convenient places for raising and lowering the same. a

It is to be understood that there are two trackways or guideways utilized, one at each side of the door opening for guiding theside margins of the door in use. These guideways are alike and therefore the description of one, it is believed, will suflice forbdth.

The track or guideway construction includes in the present instance a vertical section G, a

diate curved section K.-

The vertical and horizontal sections are made as trolley tracks, that is, a track formed of sheet metal shaped to provide twoparallel

roller receiving grooves

14 and 15 which are laterally spaced and which provide a slot 16 between the same throughout the length of the trolley track. Sections of the track are illustrated in Figures 3 and 14. The sides of the track are bowed at 17 so as to allow free passage of the axles supporting the rollers traversing the grooves of the track.

The vertical sections G are provided at intervals in the length thereof with countersunk holes 18 through which lag screws or similar attaching means 19 may be applied for securing the base of the trolley track directly to the jamb stud 20. The countersunk portions 18 are driven into the wood of the stud so that the track will have a firm bearing on its rear or contacting side with respect to the stud, thus preventing any tendency to rock in service.

The horizontal sections H are of similar construction and similarly attached to the ceiling.

The vertical sections G extend up to and terminate at the line 21 of Figure 10 whereas the outer end of the horizontal sections H terminate at 22 in Figure 10.

The gusset or intermediate curved trackway section may be formed from a sheet of metal of suitable thickness and as so formed includes a curved roller receiving groove 23 registering with the grooves 14 of the vertical and horizontal sections G and H. The formation of the gusset or intermediate portion K is'illustrated in Figure 4 and as so formed provides a stop 25 to prevent derailment of the rollers traversing the groove 23. The gusset is secured to the door jambs by lag screws or similar means 19 passing through the countersunk portions 26 of the same' which are driven into the wood of the jamb.

Likewise the gusset K is provided with a horizontal track member carrying the groove 27 which registers with the groove 15 of the horizontal track section H. The outer end of this portion 27 is curved downwardly terminating above the header D of the door frame.

The gusset likewise is formed with a vertical track member 28 which registers with the groove 15 of the vertical track section G and at its upper end with the groove 27 of the horizontal portion of the gusset. The meeting endsof the

grooves

27 and 28 of the gusset form an arc 29 which is described on a short radius suflicient to provide a smooth curve so that the rollers may readily pass about the corner of the track at this point.

The provision of the vertical and horizontal trolley track sections G and H and the gusset or intermediate curved section X provides therefore two continuous trackways, one consisting of the groove 14 of the vertical section, groove 23 of the curved or gusset section, and the groove 14 of thehorizontal section H as is illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawings. is that consisting of the vertical groove 15 of the vertical section G, the aligning groove 28 of the vertical portion of the gusset and the groove in the horizontal curved portion 27 of the gusset meeting to form the curve 29 as illustrated in Figure 9, thus providing a continuous trackway of different contour, curved part.

The illustrated door consisting of four panels is provided at each side thereof with roller carrying brackets. Top brackets are provided on the uppermost panel of the door near the top of the same. As best shown in Figures 24 and 25 each bracket comprises an L-shape bar 30 whose outer end 30 extendsupwardly (Fig- "ure 9) and into the slot 16 formed in the adjacent track and journals a roller 31. The horizontal or inner partof the bar is bridged by a strap or housing 32 which is secured to the panel, these straps permitting longitudinal play of the bars to compensate for-expansion and contraction of the panel and inequalities in the tracks. The to traverse the outer roller grooves 15 of the 'tion to open overhead The other groove however, at the top rollers 31 are arranged trackway, that is, the ones nearer the door opening.

Lower brackets 34 are fastened to the lowermost panel of the door near the bottom thereof and are similar to the top roller-brackets 30 except that they are in reversed position so that the roller bearing ends 34 extend downwardly instead of upwardly, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 11 and 26 to 29. These bottom brackets carry bottom rollers 35 which like the top rollers 31 traverse the roller grooves 15 of the several track sections.

Intermediate brackets 36--three being shown -are secured to various panels of the door preferably adjacent the hinges of the same. These brackets are L-shaped but are not deflected vertically, their outer ends extending into the slots 16 of the adjacent trackways. Rollers 3'7 are journalled on the outer ends of these brackets within the trackway and traverse the

grooves

14, 23 and 14 of the'vertical, intermediate and horizontal rail sections respectively.

The vertical sections G of the trackway are perpendicular to the floor, that is, parallel to the 'front wall A of the garage .or like building and as illustrated in Figure 14 are set in the door jambs a slight distance.

The door in moving from-vertical closed posiposition is carried by the several rollers described with the top and bottom rollers engaging the outer roller grooves of the track sections and the intermediate rollers engaging the inner grooves of such track sections.

Figure 9 illustrates the normal position of the toprollers 31 when the door is closed, that is,

grooves of the track sections and along the curves 23 of the gussets or intermediate portions or sections.

The upper rollers 31 travel along the grooves of the horizontal portions 27 of the gussets and the inner grooves 15 of the horizontal sections H, while the bottom rollers 35 travel vertically along the outer grooves 14 of the vertical sections G and the vertical sections of the gussets;

The lifting element supplied for raising the door includes two cables 38. As best shown in Figures 26 to 28, the cables is attached to the horizontal leg of an inverted L-shaped link 39 whose vertical link receives the pin or axle 35 of the corresponding roller 35. The cables extend upwardly within the track sections G and 28 and outwardly through openings 40, thence over pulleys 41 supported in blocks 42 fastened to the top side of the horizontal portions 2'7 of the gussets, thence rearwardly entering the horizontal portions of the trackways through openings 43 therein and continuing within the horizontal portions of the trackway. The horizontal portions of the. trackway are provided with means for guiding the horizontal runs of the cables 38 .to prevent entanglement with the rollersand in the present instance these guides consist of stirrups 44 struck inwardly from the top sides of the sections for receiving thecables 38 as illustrated in Figure 3. The .rear ends of the horizontal seclower end of each of these tions of the track H are open. Plates are bolted against the inner sides of the horizontal track sections H at their rear open ends and project beyond said ends; Pulleys 45 journalled in blocks 46 are secured to these plates 45 and the cables 48 pass about the pulleys 45 thence extend transversely between the horizontalsections H of the track around other pulleys 47 and are attached to eyes 48 secured to the plates 45, thus fixing the ends of the cables 38. The operation of the cables is controlled by means of a counterbalance spring arrangement now tobe described.

Each pulley 17 is carried by a rod 50 which extends through a plug 51 into a tension spring 56 whose adjacent end is secured to the plug. The inner end of the rod 50 is provided with a nut 53 forming an adjustable abutment for a cup 54.. Disposed about the rod 50 inside the -spring 56 and between the plug 51 and cup 54 is a compression spring 55 which spring when the door is in its lowermost or closed position is compressed as shown in Figures 15 and 17.

The other end of each spring 56 is secured to an S-link 58 or other suitable fitting from which extends a length of chain 49 for adjustably anchoring the spring from a hook 57. There are two such counter-balance spring structures, one for-each of the cables, and they operate transversely and pull in opposite directions between the horizontal portions of the trackQthat is, parallel to the door and door opening. In Figures 15 and 17 the spring structures are shown in fully expanded position, the door being closed.

The counter-balance springs and pulleys are preferably enclosed within a housing 59 suit- I ably secured to the plates 45, and on the bottom of the housing is a board or other deadening material 60. The plates 45 rest against the ceiling and the housing may be entirely above the lower planes of the horizontal track sections H. The housing 59 and the track structures enclose andprotect the spring structures and the cables and contact with them by persons is prevented, this assuring safety. The housing will also catch the drippings of oil or grease from the spring structures.

The various rollers are so designed as to engage the roller receiving grooves of the several track sections and members and not be derailed or displaced. The diameters of these rollers are therefore such as to be greater than the distance between the inturned edges 61 of the guides oi the grooves and the back of the trolly track members. The width of the rollers is also less than'the width of the grooves. This arrangement permits suflicient play of the rollers and consequently of the supported door with respect to the fore and aft dimensions of the track sections so as to prevent binding.

Thevertical track -sections G and 28 are preferably perpendicular to the floor so that vertical movement of the panels of the door will be parallel tothe front wall of the building. To insure a tight sealing fit of the door when closed, each jamb of the door frame is provided with a stop 62 which inclines downwardly from the top thereof and, inwardly, thus iorming an inclined edge 63 which is uniforni from top to bottom. The end faces of the door panel which engage the stop 62 are rabbeted to be beveled in a complementary manner as is clearly indicated at 62' in Figures 18 to 22 so that "when the door is lowered perpendicularly and .will be directly secured to the rollers are held to the. vertical trackways the door will be wedged against the stops 62, thus forming a tight and secure closure.

Referring to Figures 26 to 30, the links 39 have comparatively loose engagement with the cables 38 and the pins 35' of the lower rollers 35 so that the pull of the cables will always be entirely on the pins. Each link has an abutment wing 63 which is engaged by the depending end 34. of the-corresponding door supporting bracket 34 when the lower panel is in vertical position and such engagement holds the links 39 in upright position during vertical travel of the lower panel in order to keep the cables 38 close to the backs of the vertical guide rail structures. As the intermediate rollers above the lower rollers engage in the curved trackway 23 and the lower panel assumes an inclined position, the lower supporting brackets 34 will be correspondingly inclined, as indicated in Figure 30, but the links 39 will maintain their upright.

may travel freely position so that the cables over the pulleys 41. When the door is lowered and the lower panel resumes its vertical position the dependingends 34" of the supporting brackets will again come into engagement with the abutment wings 63 and the links 39 will be held in upright position to keep the cables back in the trackways. The cables are thus at all times held out of the way of the moving door and they can freely and without straintravel around the guide pulleys.

In some installations of the door structure the door opening header D may be some distance below the ceiling, as shown in Figure 23. Under such conditions the gussets or corner members of the trackways are supported in the corners between the front wall and ceiling and the wall and ceiling. However, the horizontal track structure will be shorter and the vertical track structure will be correspondingly longer as only part of the door will have to travel around the corner or gusset track structure. Where the ceiling is only a short distance above the doorway, as for example in Figure 2, the horizontal gusset section 27 will be necessary for receiving the upper rollers and for swinging the upper door panel into closed position against the doorway stop. However, in the arrangement shown in Figure 23, where the ceiling is higher and where the lower panel may never assume an inclined position, the horizontal and

vertical gusset sections

27 and 28 may be dispensed with and the upper rollers may travel along the curved sections 23 of the gussets. v

To facilitate traveling of the door structure on its downward movement ropes or chains 64 are preferably provided which are anchored at their lower ends to the bottom of the lower panel and 4 at their upper ends are anchored to the framework surrounding the doorway. Such ropes may be readily grasped and pulled to start the door on its downward movement and the ropes are preferably of such length. that they will act as stops for the opening movement of the door, and preferably springs 65 are included in'the ropes to gradually check. the final opening movement of the door structure. By means of these ropes the door may also be more readily started in its upward or opening movement, particularly when the door is heavy.

The operation of the overhead door construction is briefly as follows:

The door when in its lowermost or closed 1 quick closing of the top panel as the door is lowposition is urged into tight cooperation with the door jamb by engagement of the rabbeted portions of the panel ends with the jamb stops 62 and is maintained thereagainst by engagement of the rollers with the grooves l4 and 15 of the track. Such wedging engagement'together with the weight of the door overbalances the pull of the spring structures and the door remains closed. A slight upward effort imparted to the door will assist the spring structures to raise the door and move it horizontally to expose the door-way. Where the ceiling is low the upper rollers rapidly pass around the bend 29 so that the upper panel is quickly swung into inclined position to proceed along the horizontal sections 27 of the gusset structure.

During a substantial portion of the upward movement of the doors the spring 55 remains compressed and the raising of the door is accomplished by the contraction of the springs 56. The energy of the springs 56 will, aided by a slight upward pressure against the door, draw the door upwardly and inwardly, the intermediate rollers 37 following the inner grooves of the tracks and passing along the curved sections 23 of the gussets. The bottom rollers 35, however, being guided in the outer grooves will move vertically upwardly and until the links 39 on the brackets 34 come against the upper portion of the gusset track part 27 as illustrated in Figure 8 whereupon further movement of the cables is stopped and the door comes to rest in this position. The curve 29 of the track is placed a sufiicient distance above the header D of the door so that the bottom or lower margin of the lowermost panel is raised above the tion as illustrated clearly in Figure 7.

The energy of the main springs 56 becomes gradually dissipated as the door is raised, but the springs 55 which have for a time been retained under compression will begin to expand and will assist the main springs in raising the door clear of the door-way. The expansion of the springs 55 will cease when the adjustable stop nuts 52 on the rods-50 reach the plugs 51. The arrangement of the springs is desirable as it allows the use of the shorter and lighter main springs 56 and enables the installation of spring structure of suflicient power and strength within the distance between the opposite rail structures to efiiciently balance the weightof the door.

The horizontal sections of the tracks are attached directly to the ceiling so that a minimum head room is required for installation of the present invention. The head room required need be sufllcient only to receive the horizontal sections of the track plus the width of the door when in fully opened position. It has been found'that trolley tracks of approximately three inches (3") vertical height are sufficient to carry the heaviest door utilized in small garages, consequently the head room required for the installation of this overhead door. construction is substantially less than six inches (6") a feature which is very desirable in built-in types of garages. 1

It will be observed that the door is raised completely out of the door opening thus offering no obstruction to vehicles passing through the doorway, and consequently clearing any vehicle which may be underneath the same.

The arrangement of the top rollers and the formaLm of the track in the manner described and illustrated for low ceiling spaces enables a ered into closed position as the top rollers 31 roll over the are 29 into engagement with the downwardly, the force of gravity set up by this movement is sufficient to overcome the heavier springs 56 thus stretching and elongating the springs as the door lowers until finally it is lowered to closed position, whereupon the springs.

are stretched to maximum elongation as shown in Figure 17. During the downward movement of the door the springs 56 are elongate, thus storing up energy in the springs for subsequent raising of the doors. At the same time the springs 55 are compressed, also storing up energy in these springs for opening of the doors.

The door in reaching its lowermost or closed position is moved perpendicularly by reason of the perpendicular arrangement of the vertical sections of the track and also by reason of the fact that the axes of all of the rollers, top, bottom and intermediate, are the same distance from the inner face of the door. Such movement brings the door into frictional tight engagement with the inclined stops 62, thus tightly closing the door.

All of the rollers are the same size and all the axes of the rollers are the same distance from the inner surface of the door. Consequently the door is maintained close against the track at all times. The hangers being made L-shaped "with portions extending into the slots between stallation where the tracks are fastened directly to the ceiling and wherein the doorsare suspended from the tracks when in open overhead position, and at the same time allowing clear ance between the doors and the top of the door opening.

Applying the track sections directly to the jambs and to the ceiling in the manner heretofore stated prevents any play of the track, thus preventing binding of the rollers and hangers or brackets with the track. The trolley track employed is strong and rigid and safely carries any door of ordinary size and weight.

The top rollers travel substantially horizontally while the bottom rollers travel vertically and the intermediate or hinge rollers 'travel vertically, horizontally and also along a curved path connecting the horizontal and vertical sections of the track. The provision of a trolley track having double roller receiving grooves enables the arrangement of the rollers in the manner stated and the utilization of rollers having the axes thereof the same distance from the door.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely, yet it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereby, as

changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An overhead door construction for doorways of garages or like structures including,

, guide rails, a door guided by and movable along said guide rails, said guide rails having vertical portions along the door jambs and rearwardly extending horizontal portions'above the doorway, curved portions connecting said vertical and horizontal rail portions, rollers supported on the door for operation along said guide rails, side edges of the door being rabbeted from top to bottom; in a continuous line which inclines downwardly from the front face of the door, and stops on the jambs having similarly inclined contacting faces for engagement by said rabbets when the door is closed, said rollers being positioned at equal distances from the inner face of said door and cooperating with the guide rails in 'maintaining the rabbets against the stops when the door is in closed position.

2. A building structure of the class described including a vertically. disposed and movable door, said door consisting of a plurality of hinge'dly connected panels, guide rails extending perpendicularly from the floor adjacent the lower part of the doorway upwardly along the sides of the door opening and thence rearwardly in a horizontal direction away from the doorway, said rails having grooves therein extending throughout the lengths thereof, brackets attached to'the door and supporting rollers for traversing said grooves, the axes of all of said rollers being the same distance from the inner face of said door, said doorway having inclined door engaging stops, said door having rabbeted portions tor forming similarly inclined faces whereby on lowering the door the several panels will be forced to tight wedge-like closure with the door stops and on opening will be moved away from. and released from frictional engagement with the door frame.

3. An overhead door construction including a door and a doorway, said door comprising hingedly connected panels, guide rails for said door at each side of said doorway, said guide rails each'including two parallel spaced grooves, rollers supported near the top and bottom of said door and disposed to traverse one of said grooves, and rollers supported adjacent the hinges of said door, arranged to traverse the other of said grooves.

' 4. An overhead door construction including a door and a doorway, said door comprising hingedly connected panels, guide rails over which the door is movable from a closed to an overway and there connectmg with corresponding groove of the overhead section with the con- 11 .:tion described'as an arc, the other of said grooves curving rearwardly below the top of the doorway and connected with its corresponding groove of the horizontal section away from the doorway, said door having rollers supported near its top and bottom and engageable with the first mentioned groove, other rollers supported on the door between the top and bottom rollers and engageable. with the second mentioned groove, cables connected to said door at the bottom of the same and passing upwardly within the vertical track sections and outwardly thereof at the top thence about a pulley and thence horizontally through and within the horizontal track sections, spring counter-balance connections arranged crosswise of said horizontal guides and connected to said cables, said cables raising the bottom edge of said door above the door opening when the door is raised to fully open position. 5. An overhead door construction including a track having vertically and horizontally disposed sections, a panelled door slidably supported on said track, said track comprising trolley track having spaced parallel'roller receiving grooves therein, .L-shaped brackets secured to said door and having the ends thereof extending into said trolley track between the grooves, certain of said brackets carrying rollers traversing one of said grooves and certain other brackets carrying rollers traversing the other of said grooves whereby said door is hung from said horizontal track sections when the door is in overhead open position.

6. An overhead door construction including a track having vertically and horizontally disposed sections, a panelled door slidably supported on said track, said track comprising trolley track having spaced parallel roller receiving grooves therein, L-shaped brackets secured to said door and having the ends thereof extending into said trolley track between the grooves, certain of said brackets carrying rollers traversing one of said grooves and certain other brackets car.- rying rollers traversing the other of said grooves whereby said door is hung from said horizontal track sections when the door is in overhead open position, the contacting faces of the door and the door jambs being sloped to wedge said door between said jambs and said track when in lowered closed position.

7. An overhead door construction including a door composed of hingedly connected shiftable panels, guide means for said door, said means including vertical sections arranged parallel with the wall about the door opening, a substantially horizontal section arranged for fastening against the ceiling inwardly of the door opening, said guide means including two parallel roller grooves, one of said grooves of the vertical section joining a corresponding groove of the horizontal section above the top of the doorway, theother groove being connected to its corresponding groove by a curved groove of greater curvature which connects with the vertical section below the top of the doorway, brackets attached to said panels and extending inwardly between said grooves, rollers journalled on said brackets within the guide means, the rollers near the top and bottom of the door traversible along said first mentioned groove and rollers adjacent the hinges traversible along the other groove.

8. An, overhead door construction including a door consisting of hingedly connected panels, guide rollers at the top of said door, guide rollers at the bottom of said door, guide ways for said rollers, intermediate rollers adjacent the hinges of said door, other guideways for saidinter?v mediate rollers, each of said guideways including a vertical portion and ahorizontal portion connected by curves, the curves of the guideways being difierent and arranged with one below the other. a a

9. An overhead door construction including a door consisting of vhingedly connected panels, guide rollers at the top of said door, 1 guide rollers at the bottom of said-door, guide ways for said rollers, intermediate rollers adjacent the hinges of said door, other guideways' for intermediate rollers, each of said guideways 'including a vertical portion and a'horizontal portion connected by curves, the curves of the guideways being different andiarranged with one below the other, a portion ofthe guides ofthe top and;

bottom rollers meeting. above the door opening 'in an arc of short radius, a portion of the guide for the intermediate rollers being joined by a curve of greater radius which meets the vertical portion below the top of thedoor opening.

10. An'overhead door construction-for doorways of garages and like structures, including side rails having horizontal andvertical portions l and curved portions 'c'onnecting the horizontal and'vertical portions, the vertical portions being attachable directly against the door jambs and the horizontal portions-being attachable directly againstthe ceiling without intervening spaces,

a door guided by and movable along said rails from vertical closed position to open horizontal overhead position and vice versa; lifting means for said door operating within the compass of the transverse dimensions'of said rails, said lifting means including springs extending between the horizontal portions of said rails and substantially parallel to the doorway and sunof the horizontal portions of the rails, the door {portedwithin the compass of the vertical height when in open overhead horizontal position being