US1930685A - Door operator - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 17, 1933. E LEHMAN 1,930,685

DOOR OPERATOR Filed March 1952 Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STAT BOOB ()PERATOR Edward H. Lehman, Chicago, 111., assignor to W. Miner, End, Chicago, Iii, a corporation of Delaware Application March 3, 1932. Serial No. 596,512-

' 9 (Claims. (c1. 2e2-2is) This invention relates to improvements in door operator'sespecially designed for use in connec tion with refrigerator cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a 5., rotary operating means for forcing the doors or refrigerator cars either open or tightly closed, including end members and a rotary operating bar, wherein the cost of manuiacture application of the operating means is greatly ren. duced by so designing the parts thereof that the same may be operatively connected with each other and held so assembled solely by bearing members employed to rotatably support the same on the door, thus dispensing wi'h securii means or fastening members ordinarily nployec. ,0 con-- nect the end members to the rotary bar, and further dispensing with the usual operations required in permanently fastening the parts together. 1 2 0 A more specific object of the invention to provide an operating means comprising a rotary bar and separate end members actuated by the bar, wherein the end membershave keeper engaging crank means thereon engageable with fixed keepers, and wherein the usual means for fastening the end members to the bar is entirely dispensed with, the parts being held assembled by bearing supports which are fixed to the door, each bearing support being provided with 3;), an elongated cylindrical bearing opening accommodating the corresponding end of the bar and the bearing sections forming" one of the end members, wherein the bearing sections have heads or flanges cooperating with the bearing supports to prevent endwise disengagement oi the bearing sections from the supports, the operating bar being disposed between bearing sections or" theend member for holding the same sprea dapart to bring the heads or flanges there- 4(1). of in overhanging shouldered engagement with line 33 of Figure l, certain parts being shown 5 in' elevation. And Figures 4 and 5 are horizontal sectional views, corresponding respectivelyto the. lines 4 4 and 55 of Figure 2.

In said drawing, l0 designates the side wall, of the car, provided with the usual door opening 11, which is closed by a pair of hinged doors 12 .60,

and 13. The hinged doors are of the usual design having beveled edges which cooperate with correspondingly beveled edges oi'the door frame. The meeting edges oi the two doors are also] beveled and all of the cooperating engaging faces v of the doors and door frame are provided with the usual insulating material. The door 12 isv the first closed, the beveled edges being soar? ranged that the inner edge of the door 13 ov n. laps the inner edge of the door 12. As shown,- 7 each door is supported by a pair of hinges 14li; oi the usual type employed in oonnectionwith double doors of refrigerator cars. The door 12; is provided with a protecting wear plate 15fat-the lower inner corner thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 1, over which a pivoted latch member. 16 is adapted to engage to hold the door closed. The usual top and bottom keepers 17 and. 18 are employed in connection with improved operating means, the same being provided with cam slots within which the offset endmembers of the operating bar are adapted to engage. As shown in Figure 1, the lower keeper is extended. to the left and has the pivoted latch 16 mounted on the outer end thereof. a

My improved operating means comprises broad,- ly a vertically disposed, substantially flatbarh, having pairs oi sectional bearing members: B-B and B-B at opposite ends thereof forming the keeper engaging means oftheactuating. mechanism; a pair of top and bottom bearing brackets CC secured to the door; and an operating; lever D. j

The bar A is of substantially rectangulartrans verse cross section throughout itslengthandhas the top and bottom ends thereof reduced in width, as indicated at l9--19, so as to be accommodated within the corresponding bearing brackets C C- and provide transverse shoulders 2020 for a purpose hereinafter pointed out. The bearing brackets CC, which are secured respectively to the top and bottom portions of the door 13;"ar of similar design, each comprisinga substantially cylindrical sleevelike bearing section 21 and; aplatelike section 22 formed integral therewith; Each bracket is fixed to the door by bolts 2323 or other suitable securing elements extending through the platelike sectionsthereor" and throughthe body of the door. 11

The sectional bearing members B-B atopposite, ends of the bar are of similar design an most clearly shown in Figures 3, 4, and ,5-,'aieeisposedat opposite sides of the corresponding end portion 19 of the bar and within the cooperating bearingbracket 0; Each bearing section B has a flat inner fa ce; which bears directly on the corresponding side of the bar A, and a curved, substaiitially cylindrical outer face at cooperating with the interior bearing face of the bearing sleeve of the bracket C. Each section B has an enlarged head 25 at the inner end thereof of the general outline shown in Figure 4. At the bottom end, one of the sections B is provided with a headlike member 26, while the other is provided with a laterally offset crank portion 2"! having a keeper engaging element 28 at the outer end thereof. As most clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the heads 25-25 at the upper ends of the two sections B-B of the lower bearing member normally engage the upper end of the bearing sleeve of the lower bracket C, thereby supporting the bearing sections B-B against downward displacement. As will be evident, the shoulders 20-28 at the lower end of the operating bar A also rest on the upper end of the sleeve 19 of the'lower bearing bracket C, there by holding the bar against downward movement. The heads 25-25 at the inner ends of the bearing sections BB of the upper end member of the operating means also prevent upward displacement of these bearing sections by overlapping the bearing sleeve of the upper bearing bracket C. The shoulders 20-20 at the corresponding end of the bar A cooperate with the sleeve of the upper bearing bracket C in a similar manner,

Qthereby limiting the upward movement of the bar.

The heads 25-25 of the sections BB of each end member of the operating means are of such a size that they will pass freely through the corresponding sleeve of the bearing bracket when displaced laterally inwardly to the proper extent. As will be evident, the sections 13-3 of the end members may be inserted through the corresponding sleeves before the bar A is in position. The opposite ends of the bar A serve as filler or spreading means b tween the sections B-B of each end member to hold the sections spread apart, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, and maintain the shoulders thereof in overhanging relation to the sleeves of the bearing members C-C. Inasmuch as the outer end of one of the sections B of each pair is provided with a laterally oifset crank arm and the other section B of said pair is provided with the head 26, accidental upward displacement and disengagement from the corresponding bearing sleeve 10f the sections 3-3 are prevented.

In assembling the parts of my improved operating mechanism, the two sections 3-? of each end member are inserted through the bearing sleeve 19 of the corresponding bracket C by pass- .ing the heads 25-25 through the opening of the sleeve. The sections B-B assembled with each bearing bracket C are then spread apart so as to occupy substantially the position shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5. The corresponding ends of the joperating bar are then inserted between the sections BB and B-B of the two pairs, thereby bringing the heads of the sections into overhanging relation with the sleeve of each bearing bracket. After the lever D has been secured to the bar A, the assembled parts are applied to the door, as shown in Figure 1, being secured to the same by the bolts 23-23 or other fastening means extending through the plates 22-22 of the brackets C-C.

In the operation of my improved door actuating means, assuming that the doors are closed as shown in Figure 1, the operating lever D is swung outwardly and away from the door 12 from the position shown in Figure 1 and toward the door 13. Rotation of the bar thus actuates the end members 28-28, which have camming action in the slots of the keepers 1'7 and 18; thereby forcing the door open. As most clearly shown in Figure 5, each engaging section 28 of the crank members is provided with a flat outer face 30, which normally bears on the inner wall of the cam slot of the corresponding keeper to prevent accidental rotation of the operating means. When the door has been partly forced open as described, the operator may readily swing the same to fully open position. After the door 13 has been swung open, the door 12 is unlatched and may also be opened. In closing the doors, the door 12 is first swung to fullyclosed position and latched by the pivoted member 16. The door 13 is then swung partly shut so as to bring the engaging end sections 28-28 of the operating means into registration with the slots of the top and bottom keepers. When the keeper engaging elements have been so registered, the bar A is rotated in a reverse direction to that hereinbefore described by means of the lever D, thereby effecting rotation of the crank ends of the operating means and forcing the door- 13 inwardly by the camming action of the end sections 28-28 on the outer walls of the slots of the keepers l7 and 18. When the door has been tightly closed, the lever arm D is locked and sealed in position by the usual locking and sealing means, indicated by 31.

From the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, it will be evident that I have provided an exceedingly simple and eflicient operating means for actuating the doors of refrigerator cars, wherein the parts are readily assembled and mounted on the door in operative position wholly by the supporting brackets which are secured to the door, no additional securing means being necessary to fix the end sections to the operating bar. This arrangement further avoids-the labor ordinarily necessary in constructing operating bars of the crank type wherein the crank end members must be brought into proper alignment so as to accurately fit within the slots of the keepers. In the present construction, the alignment of the crank ends is taken care of by the top and bottom bearing brackets C-C within which the pairs of end sections B-B and B-B are journaled.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a one-piece combined bearing and supporting bracket, said bracket having a cylindrical bearing opening; of a pair of elongated partly cylindrical members within said bearing opening, one of said members having a flange at one end and a crank arm at the other end, the other of said members having flanges at opposite-ends thereof; and a rotary operating shaft having one end portion thereof engaged with the cylindrical bearing surfaces of said members in bearing engagement with the walls of said cylindrical opening.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary operating bar; of a supporting bearing bracket having a substantially cylindrical sleevelike bearing section, said bar extending into said bearing bracket; journal means comprising elements within said sleeve of the bracket disposed about said bar in embracing relation, said elements having shoulders adapted to overlap the bracket adjacent to the opening of the sleeve thereof to hold said elements against endwise disengagement from said bracket, said elements being held spaced apart by said bar to maintain the shoulders in said overlapped relation with respect to the bracket; and a shoulder on said bar engaging said bracket for holding said bar against endwise movement with respect to said bracket.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary operating bar; of spaced supporting bearing brackets, each bracket having a substantially cylindrical sleevelike bearing section, said bar having its opposite ends extending into said bearing brackets and having shouldered engagement therewith to hold said bar against endwise movement; and journal bearing elements within said brackets at oppo site sides of said bar in embracing relation, one of said elements having offset keeper-engaging means at the outer end thereof.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary operating bar; of a supporting bearing bracket having a substantially cylindrical, sleevelike bearing section, said bar having a reduced end section extending into said bearing bracket and being in shouldered engagement with said bracket to support the bar on said bracket; and journal bearing elements within said bracket at opposite sides of said bar in embracing relation, one of said elements having oifset keeper-engaging means at the outer end thereof, each of said elements having shoulders overhanging the bracket to prevent removal of said elements endwise of the bracket.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary operating bar having its opposite ends reduced, thereby providing shoulders inwardly of said ends; of a pair of spaced supporting brackets, each of said brackets having a substantially cylindrical, sleevelike bearing portion, said bar having the reduced ends extending into said brackets and having the shoulders thereof bearing on said brackets; pairs of bearing elements at opposite ends of said bar, each pair of bearing elements embracing the corresponding reduced end of the bar and being j ournaled in the sleeve of the corresponding bearing bracket; and keeper-engaging crank means on one of the members of each pair of elements.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary operating bar; of a pair of spaced supporting bearing brackets; a pair of journal bearing elements at each end of the bar embracing said end and rotatably supported in the corresponding bracket, said bearing elements of each pair having heads at the inner ends thereof, the heads at the inner ends of the bearing elements at one end of the bar having shouldered engagement with the inner end of the corresponding bearing bracket, one of the elements of each pair having keeper-engaging crank means at the outer end thereof; and means for holding said bar against endwise movement with respect to said brackets.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary operating bar; of a supporting bearing bracket having a bearing opening therethrough, said bar extending into said bearing bracket; journal bearing elements within said bracket at opposite sides of said bar in embracing relation, one of said elements having offset keeper-engaging means at the outer end thereof; and means on the bar engaging the bracket for supporting said bar on said bracket.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a vertically disposed, rotary operating bar; of supporting bearing brackets mounted at the top and bottom ends of the bar, said brackets having vertically aligned bearing openings receiving opposite ends of said bar; pairs of bearing elements at opposite ends of said bar, each pair of bearing elements embracing the corresponding end of the bar and being journaled in the bearing opening of the corresponding bear-- ing bracket; crank means on one of the members of each pair of elements; and means for preventing endwise displacement of said bar in said brackets.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially flat, elongated operating bar; of a bearing bracket having a substantially cylindrical, sleevelike bearing section, said bar extending into said bearing bracket and having shouldered engagement with said bracket to hold said bar against movement in one direction; and journal means comprising elements within said sleeve of the bracket disposed about said bar in embracing relation, said elements having shoulders adapted to overlap the bracket adjacent to the opening of the sleeve thereof to hold said elements against endwise disengagement from said bracket, said elements being held spaced apart by said bar to maintain the shoulders in said overlapped relation with respect to the bracket.

EDWARD H. LEHMAN.

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