US2043490A - Overhead door construction - Google Patents

Description

June 9,1936. w, .5. REDRUP' 2,043,490

OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCT ION ATTORNEYS.

June 9, 1936. W D. REDRUP 2,043,490

' OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 14, 1935 l 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATFORNEY.

Patented .June 9, 1936 STATES PATENT OFFICE OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION corporation Application January 14, 1933, Serial No. 651,789

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a sectional door which is of the rolling and folding type such as disclosed in the co-pending application, Serial No. 574,716, flied November 13, 1931, entitled Folding door construction, but is not necessarily sole- 1y restricted thereto.

The chief object ci this invention is to produce an improved counterbalancing system, particularly for a door of the aforesaid types and generally for a folding door arrangement and wherein there is obtained a change in effectiveness of the system during the movement of the door from closed to open positions and Vice Versa.

The chief feature of the invention consists in modifying the effectiveness of a multiple counterbalance arrangement at a predetermined point in the movement of the door by changing the pulley and cable (or equivalent support) system from direct action to a modied action and Vice versa.

One feature of the invention consists in anchoring both ends of the cable system to the door.

Another feature of the invention, when weights are utilized for counterbalancing, consists in providi-ng an adjustable weight construction, and when dual weights are employed either or both may be of adjustable character.

The full nature of the invention will be more fully understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claimst In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the door and one o1" the side guide structures and associated parts, the door being shown in the door closing position, the dotted lines indicating an intermediate position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of the guide structure with the door in the overhead and folded position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the left half portion of the door and guide structure in the closed position, the dotted lines diagrammatically indicating the open position, the weights being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View of the counterbalancing arrangement shown in the door closed position corresponding to Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of the same parts in the partially open position, shown dotted in Fig. l.

In the drawings there is illustrated a pair of substantially vertical upwardly directed guide or trackway structures I0, the same being oppositely directed and positioned at opposite sides of the dooi1 and including a face II and an opposite face I2, the guide being of substantially channel arrangement. One or both of the face structures may have an intulned flange I3. The side jamb I5 covers a weight box arrangement in which are mounted the weights.

Herein the door structure is shown of the sectional and folding type but is not necessarily limited thereto in its broadest phase with respect to the counterbalancing system. Herein also the door structure is illustrated as comprised of an odd number, to wit, three sections, although ve sections or any additional odd number of sections may be utilized when the door has its upper section move rearwardly and the other sections fold into an overhead position beneath the top section. These sections also may be of equal or unequal length.

Herein the bottom section is indicated by the numeral I9, the intermediate section by the numeral and the upper section by the numeral 2 I. 20

Sections 2i) and ZI are hingedly connected together at 22. Sections I9 and 20 are similarly connected together as at 23. Certain of the sections mount guide members in the form of wheels 24 that travel in the upwardly directed track or guides before mentioned.

The upper door section near its upper edge carries the guide wheel 25 which is mounted in the projecting end 28 of an angular bracket member E20, adjustably secured at the Side of the door. This structure is duplicated at each side of the door and each guide wheel is associated with a horizontal rearwardly directed track 30, the latter terminating in an abutment or stop which may be cushioned if desired. Herein said stop member is shown comprised of a transverse connection SI that connects the rearward and free ends of the horizontal tracks which are channel shaped and opposite-ly directed. Member 3l serves as a spacing and bracing member. A coil spring 2l is suitably secured as at 32 to the upper edge of the upper door section at an appreciable distance in from the side edge thereof and the opposite end of the spring is secured at the rearward end of the rearwardly directed guide 30, or may be secured to the member 3I when employed adjacent the connection of said member to the horizontal guide 30, such connection being indicated at '33. The rearward ends of members 30 and/or the rearward ends of springs 21 may be secured to the ceiling or supports depending therefrom.

In certain instances, the door may be provided with springs 34 which herein are shown positioned at each side of the door. A single spring 34 may be employed, if desired, and may, if desired, 55

be medianly positioned. The spring 34 is secured at one end as at 35 to the upper door section and its opposite end to the next lower door section at 35. The upper section has its upper end moved rearwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2. Said spring assists in the elevational movement of the second section, and the lower section or sections when more than three are employed, and also assists in breaking the door at the rst hinged joint and assists in the automatic folding of the sections.

The counterbalancing structure, which is the chief feature of the invention, is provided in duplicate, one arrangement being positioned at each side of the door. Each counterbalancing arrangement, see Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 comprises a cable 31 secured as at 38 to the lower portion of the lower door section and at a point a considerable distance above the bottom of the door. Said cable is directed upwardly and rearwardly with reference to the side jamb passing over a guide pulley 39. The cable 3'! after passing the guide pulley 39 passes under pulley i8 and attached thereto is one of the counterbalances, herein shown in the form of a weight and indicated generally by the numeral i'l. The cable 37 thence passes upwardly and over a pulley 42 and is connected at di to an extension .of the hinge pin which also serves as a support for the guide wheels 24 at the connection between the rst and second top sections. In the run of the cable be'- tween the pulleys i8 and 42, there is interposed a second weight indicated generally by the numeral I6.

In the present form of the invention, it will be-noted the cable is interrupted and the second or weight IS is interposed therebetween.

The weight I6 is approximately 131/2 percent of the weight of the rst section plus the total weight of the second section, plus the weight of the glazing, if used, in either or both sections. The weight I'I is approximately 41 percent of the weight of the rst section plus the weights of the second and third sections, plus the weight of any glazing used in any section.

As shown, the weight structure il is combined with pulley I8 and comprises a yoke 50 that supports the pulley and depending from the yoke is a bolt 5l. A nut 52 mounted on the lower end retains the desired number of disc weights 53 perforated at 5d for mounting upon the bolt.

The cable 39, as before mentioned, is interrupted and the end 55 is suitably secured as at 5S to a weight supporting member 5l, the other end thereof as at 58 connecting to the other end of the cable at the interruption. Suitably mounted on the member 5l are the desired number of disc weights 59, whereby the amount of counterbalancing included in weight l5 may be adjusted to that desired or necessary.

As the door opens, both Weights travel downwardly, the distance between the two weights gradually increasing as the sections start folding. The weight i8 comes to rest when the guide 25 between said sections 2l and V22 reaches the top of the vertical track or, otherwise expressed, when the top section 2l is positioned, as shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter the weight l'l continues its movement downwardly until it reaches its lowermost position when all the sections are folded in the overhead relation, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description and drawings that at a certain period in the movement of the weights, the full effectiveness of both weights is obtained and that at a certain position in the movement of the door, the effectiveness of Weight I1 is divided. There may be intermediate positions where the effectiveness of the weight varies from that before mentioned. In certain instances when a latch mechanism is associated with the door construction and socalled full automatic opening is desired, the springs 3d are employed. In other instances, a latch mechanism may be employed and the springs 34 omitted or the latch and the springs 3d may be omitted. Such latch mechanism is disclosed in the pending application before mentioned.

Inasmuch as the two weights never pass each other, a single runway or housing is sufficient and in this particular the present invention dit. fers from that shown in the co-pending application. In View of the fact that one run of the cable 31 moves along the side of the weight IB in the weight housing, the weight i6 is preferably made in elongated form to permit clearance between the weight and the cable. The weight il may be made elongated or of any desired width and the discs both 59 and 53 may be either square, rectangular or circular in outline as found most practical. Usually the discs 53 will be square or rectangular, since it is easier to form a rectangular weight runway. In certain instances, spring means may be substituted for the counterweighting but counterweighting is preferable.

The invention claimed is:-

1. In a sectional door having a plurality of door sections hingedly connected end to end and adapted for movement into an overhead position to expose a door opening, a counterbalancing system at a side of the door including a single cable or the like connected at opposite ends to the same side of door, a pair of overhead pulleys stationarily mounted on the door frame or the like adjacent the opening each associated with said cable, a plurality of counterbalances, and a iioating pulley operatively associated with said cable between the rst mentioned pair of pulleys, said floating pulley constituting an anchorage for one end of one of the counterbalances, the other counterbalance having a relatively xed connection with said cable between said iirst mentioned pair of pulleys.

2. A device as defined by claim 1 characterized by the cotmterbalances being of counterweight character, the pulley anchorage for one weight being of support character, one of said weights including an elongated member and perforated sectional weight members thereon for weight adjustment.

3. A device as defined by claim 1 characterized by the counterbalances being of counterweight character, the pulley anchorage for one weight being of support character, each of said weights including an elongated member and perforated sectional weight members thereon for weight adjustment.

WILL D. REDRUP.

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