US2189020A - Overhead door construction - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1940. A R 2,189,020

- OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 27, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l k l I I N VEN TOR.

ATT RNEYJZ Feb. 6, 1940. A. v. ROWE OVERHEAD DCOR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 27, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 6102M fljzozue ATTORNEY.

Feb. 6, 1940. A. v. ROWE OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 2'7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 g y \IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEIIIHIIIIM a, gggml INVENTOR. awry flflwe m ATTORNEYJ'.

frame.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Alvin Bowe, Galesburg, 111., minor to Rowe Manufacturing Company, Galeaburg, 111., a corporation of Illinois Anne-monke 27, 1939, Serial No. 278,096

' 10 Claims. (01. sci-) This invention relates generally to overhead door constructions and, more particularly, to overhead door constructions equipped with door sealing means operable after the door has been .i shifted to its lowermost closed position.

The present invention contemplates improved mechanism for effecting the simultaneous sealing of a plurality of hingedly connected door panels after said panels have been shifted to their doorclosing position, and to this end it is an object of thepresentinvention to provide simple and improved means; manually operable from a convenient location for laterally urging the door panels into sealing relation with respect to a door The present invention constitutes an improvement of the mechanism disclosed in my co-pending application SerialNo. 243,245, filed November 30, 1938, wherein mechanism of. less simpli- 20 fied form is disclosed for causing'the door panels by means of a conventional lock-operating handle centrally disposed with respect to the door panels.

: It is a further object of the present invention to provide mechanism as set forth above for late-rally urging door panels into sealing relation "with a door frame wherein the number of operating parts is 'reduced'to a minimum and 40 wherein most of'said partscan be stamped from sheet metal, thereby materially reducing the cost of manufacture without sacrificing. strength and durability.

Further objects and advantages will be more -5 apparent from the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line i-l of Figure 2'showing a door strucsu ture including the door frame and a plurality of shiftable hingedly' connected door panels;

equipped with door sealing mechanism embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is also a'vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Figure 1 to more clearly illustrate the general disposition. of the door-sealing mechanism disclosed in Fig- Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view taken substantially along the line 3-3 5 .of Figure 2 showing a section of the track or guide rail and the shiftable U bar and operating mechanism therefor;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view sim ilar to Figure 3 disclosing the U bar shifted to 10 its uppermost position, the bar actuating mechanism being dissociated from the trackstructure in order to more clearly illustrate the disposition of theinclined guide slots which serve todirect. the U bar toward and away from the pintles of 1 the guide rollers;

Figure 5 discloses the structure of Figure 3 as viewed along the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the shiftable U bar'dissociated'from the track 90 structure;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view disclosing the manner in which the pintle of each guide roller is engaged by theU bar so as to cause the roller to move into a com- 85 panion registering slot in the track structure and thereby permitsufllcient movement of the associated door panel to cause the sealing engagement of said panel with the door jamb;

Figure 8 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Figure 'l to more clearly illustrate the position occupied by the guide roller, pintle, door panel, and U bar prior to the shifting of the panel into sealing engagement with the door frame; 35

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, showing the door panel shifted into sealing engagement with the door frame as a result of the engagement of the U bar with the roller pintle; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged transverse horizontal 4 sectional view taken substantially along the line ID -Ill of Figure 5 to more clearly illustrate the structural features of the pivotally supported arm of the U bar actuating trigger mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, 5 it will be seen that one embodiment of my invention is disclosed in operative association with a shiftable door structure designated generally by the numeral l2. This door structure comprises a plurality of panels I4, l6, l8, and 2!! 5a which" are joined together along their margins by panel 20 carries toward its upper edge a roller 3 -'support 26-. which is the equivalent of the lower tion 44. One'ofthese vtra clrstructures .38, isassosection of the hinge mechanism 22.

One of the hinge mechanisms 22 is clearly disclosed in Figure 7. It will be seen that the lower section of the hinge 22 slidably carries a bar 28 which is provided with a slot 38 to permit free shifting of the bar 28 within the lowermost hinge flange. The bar 28 is bent forwardly at its outer extremity and is formed with an upwardly extending sectio'n;32 which serves as a supportjor a pintle 34, said pintle carrying a guide roller 36. By having the pintle supporting bar 28 freely slidable within the lower flange of the hinge mechanism 22, the roller 36-is renderedself adjustable to any track irregularities and the like The rollers 36 just described co-operat'e"with" track structures designated generally by the numeral 38 in guiding the-,hin'gedl-yrconnected panels of the door structure l2 between vertical door closing position and open overhead position.

The track structure "includes a vertical section v 48 and a substantially,horizontalsection,|2-; said sections being connected by a curved track. secciated with each margin'of the doorstructure.

.' sponding surface. area 'oithedoor. lamb 48.,

suitably secured to the doorjamb 68.;- Thus, as. the door panels are shiftedto. their verticaldoor closing position, as showl'i inv Figure-.7; the marginal areasgof the door panels overlie a corre- The present invention is-particularly concerned with the-problem. of sealing-allot thedoor. panels against the d'oorljamb 48 aftersaid panels :have been shifted to their lowermost position,,a s illus- =trated .in Figures..1,.2, and-7. The-mechanism 55. shifts downwardly by the force of gravity. These 1 slots 54'openat the margin of-the lip 52 topermit for accomplishing thissealing of thedoonpanels will now be described.

' The door'sealing mechanism includes a pair of pin 12 atone extremity and pivotally coupled with shiftable door engaging members or U bars vU,

: one U.-bar being associated with each'vertical sec tion M'I-of'the track structure (Figs.-3- to 9,

'. therarm 14 normally move together as a unit due 'tostheinteraposition 'of a coil spring 18, one exincl.)'.. These-door actuating members .or 11 bars 58 'embracethe lip portion52 ofthe vertical track section and are verticallyshiftable with .re-

spect thereto: .Attention isdirected to the fact that the lip portion 52: ofuthe vertical track section 40 is provided atspaced intervals (Figs. 3

and 4) with slots 54 which co-act withpins or member I6, as, for example, the force exerted by thelock bar 62, exceeds the yielding resistance afforded by the coil spring 18 (as will later aprivets 56 in controlling the-direction. of movement experienced by the-bar 58 when said bar is urged upwardly in responseto .the actuation ofJnechanismxabout to be 'described', and when said .bar

initial'association of the' pins 56;.and said-slots have a short vertical section' which serves to preventdislodgment of th'epins from the slotswhen i said pins areshifted to' their uppermost position.

-. as indicated in Figurez4. The inclination of the lower section of. each slot 54" is-such as to insure ures 3 and'8. linithisjpos-ition .theiouter surface (oi-the. U- bar is spaced-'slightly-rfrom' the :pintle 70' 'rollers 'in the vertical'seotion ofthe-tracln .How-

34, thereby permitting free movement ofthe ever, as the U bar' is shifted upwardly, the inclined section of theislots Nico-acts with'thej'pinsx56. to

direct the outer vertical edge of'the U- :bar: into engagement with theroller p'lntle ;34. A series jmedia'tertheamargins of the door panels.

roller pintles 34, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the recesses or slots 58 in the track provide sufllcient clearance for the rollers 36 to enable the door ap anels tabe urged into sealing engagement with the door frame .48.

I prefer to have the slots 56 located in the immediate vicinity of a companion roller so as to insure more positive engagement of the Uybar 58 ,with the roller pintles.

Lateral and upward movement of the sealing an 58fisf'controlled from a manually operable lo clg' bar' handle68 (Fig. 2). This handle 68 is pivotally mounted in a convenient position inter- A pair of loclg bars 62 extendin opposite directions from "and are pivotally supported by a plate 64 which rotates withthe handle 60. Thefree extremity wardly, that .is, toward each other, through the action. of suitable springs 68 carried by each bracket 66., Thus,..the. springs .68 serve to expedite unlocking movement of the bars 62 when rotationisimparted to the handle 68.-

:;--When they door panels occupy their vertical door closing position, the free extremity of each lock-bar 62 is positionodhin Operative association with atrigger or actuating-mechanism designated generally ,by thenumeral 10 (Figs. 3 and 5). Movement of the lock bar 62 in the direction or 1 the arrow. shown. in Figure 5,-causes the pivoting or pivotmember 12. The trigger mechanism 10 comprises an arm |4 pivotallysupported by the a U-shaped arm or trigger member 76 at the opposite extremity. This trigger member I6 and tremity ,ofthe coil spring being received by an apertureprovi'led in the arm (Fig. 3) and the other extremity of the coilspring resting within the channel provided by the U-shaped trigger member 16. ,If the force acting upon the trigger pear), relative movement between the trigger Thelower extremity of the trigger arm I6 is -pivotally connected'wit-h the upper end of a link 82,. the-lower extremity of said link being slotted to receivea tongue 84 of a plate 86. This plate -88 is securedby vmeansof rivets 81. or'other suitableefastenings. to the-lower extremity of the U bar (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5). The plate 86 is provided with .anupwardiy extending tongue porgtion 88- which co-acts with a shoulder 90 presented by arcut out'portion-of the vertical track section 48 to limit the degree of upward movement of'the-Ubar 5li. When the U bar 58 isinitiallyassociated with the lip 52 of the vertitogether'without interference. and after said parts have beenuproperly associated the tongue 88 is sprung inwardly by the blow of a hammer or the like and then occupies the solid-line position shown in Figure 8. In this position the upper extremity of the tongue will abut the shoulder 90 when the U bar has been shifted upwardly a given amount. This shoulder 90 comes into play as the lock bars 62 approach the limit of their outward movement. During the initial movement of the bars, the trigger mechanism III as a unit pivots about the pin 12 and, when the tongue 88 is stopped by the shoulder 90 so as to prevent further upward movement of the U bar 50, the final continued movement of the lock bars 62 causes the trigger members 16 to pivot about the pin 80 against the yielding force of the spring 18. Should the U bars 50 reach the limit of their clamping movement before the tongue 88 engages the shoulder 98, this same pivoting of the trigger member 16 about the pivot or pin 80 will take place.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that when the lock handle 60 is shifted to the position shown in Figure 1 after the door panels have been moved to their door-closing position, the lock bars 62 will have moved the trigger mechanism 10 about the pin or pivot 12 and thereby caused the pins 56, carried by the U bar 50, to be guided upwardly and laterally.within the inclined section of the slots 54, thereby causing the outer edge of the U bars to be moved into engagement with the door structure or pintles 34. This, as previously described, effects simultaneous sealing engagement of the door panels with the door frame. After the U bars reach their final clamping position, the lock bars 62 continue their outward movement a sufficient distance to cause the pivoting of the trigger member 16 about the pivot 80 against the resilient action of the spring 18. The yielding action of this spring co-operates to prevent rattling of the door panels after the U bars have been moved to their final door-sealing position; It should also be understood, when/the lock bars are shifted to their outer locking position, as

shown in Figure 2, that upward movement of the door panels is prevented due to the presence of a lug 92 formed integral with a plate 94 which is secured to the web portion of the vertical track section 40 by any suitable means, such as bolts 96 (Fig. 5). This plate 94 also serves as a support for the pin 12. The lower portion of the plate 94 is formed semi-circularly so as to partially encircle the pin 12, and these parts are then welded together. Thus the pin I2 is firmly secured in position along the lower edge of the plate 9 4 and the arm I4 of the trigger mechanism 10 is pivotally supported by the fixed pin 12.

Summarizing the foregoing description, it should be apparent that when the door panels l4, I6, l8, and of the door structure I! are shifted from the overhead position within the upper horizontal track section 42 to the d00rclosing vertical position within the vertical track section against the action of a suitable counter-balancing spring 88"(Flg. 1), these panels are in readiness to be urged laterally into sealing engagement with the door jamb 48. By manually turning the handle 66so as to shift the lock bars 62 outwardly in opposite directions, the free extremities of these bars move into engagement with the trigger members 16 and thereby cause the trigger mechanism 10 to pivot about the pin 12 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure5. The trigger mechanism tary surface portions of the door lambs.

18, being coupled with the U bar through the agency of the link 82 and the plate 86, causes, said U bar to be shifted upwardly. The inclined sections of the slots 54 co-operate with the pins 56 to effect lateral movement of the U bars into engagement with the rollermechanism or pintles of the door panels. The presence of the slots or openings 58 provides sufficient clearance for the rollers 36 to permit movement of the door panels into sealing engagement with complemen- The" degree of shifting experienced by the U b'ars is limited by engagement of the tongues 88 with the companion abutment or shoulder 90. It will, of course, be apparent that the U bar. may extend upwardly, as disclosed herein, a distance which is sufficient to cause engagement thereof with the roller pintles carried by the supports 26 (Fig! 2), or, in instances where itis deemed advisable, the U bar mayterminate just above the pintle carried by the uppermost hinge mechanism 22, other mechanism being'provided to effect the sealing of the uppermost. margin of the upper door panel 20. The weight'of the U bar 50 is sufiicient to carry the bar downwardly after the lock handle 60 has been turned so as" to withdraw the lock bars 62 from the trigger mechanism 10. The coil spring 18 of the trigger mechanism 10 also serves to insure against the loosening of the door panels whenthey are subjected to vibration. In fact,- due to the constant tendency of the spring 18 to maintain the trigger arm 16 and the companion arm .14 separated, this action of the spring also tends to maintain the clamping or sealing action of the U bar, should the door panels be subjected to vibration. Thus, the action of the spring 18, after the U bar has been shifted toits door-sealingxposition, serves to continually maintain said U barsin clamping engagement with the.doo1"pintles,.even

though the panels have a tendency .iected to vibration,

By employing my improved actuating bar arrangement,-to-wit, the U-shaped actuating bar 50 and the elements associated therewith,-

to be sub-e the necessity of making adjustments v.to-insure proper sealing effect is completely avoided. In other words, the arrangement of the inclined cam slots 54, associated guide pins 56, and the springs 16, together with the mechanism for imparting movement to the actuating bar, is such as to insure a tight fit after the structure has been installed without the-necessity of making adjustments. There are no bolts, screws, or the like to work loose. Furthermore, the U bar moves each of the roller pintles the same distance and theamount of travel experienced by the U'bar is controlled by the degree of slant or inclination of the cam slots 54. Obviously, these cam slots could be provided in the U bar aswell' as the lip of the track, in which instance the pins 56 wouldbe mounted within the lip of the track.

I have found that a 20"v inclination permits the upward movement of the U bar to effect the proper sealing of the panels. Obviously this inclination may be varied to suit the conditions in cident to the particular installation or use. Should one installation require the upward travel of the U bar'a greater distance than. another in order to effect the proper seal against the jamb, additional movement may be imparted to the U bar.

Obvious changes in the specific structural features described hereinmay be madewithout dcparting from thespirit-and scope of the following claims. 7

Having thus described my -invention, what I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is: v -1. In an overheadydoor construction, aplu- 'ralityof hingedly connected shiftable door panels for traversing a door opening, guiding means for directing movements of said door panels between open and closed positions-including upright track sections having a web portion .and an oppositely disposed lip portion, said sections being positioned in the vicinity. of the opposite sides of said door opening, and door sealing means including members on said lip portions shiftable vertically and laterally with respect to the door panels for simultaneously causing aplurality of said panels to be urged-laterally. at vertically spaced positions into sealin'g relation .with respect to said door :opening after said panels reach their door closing position.

2. In an overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connected shiftable door panels for traversing a door opening,.guiding means for directing the-movements of. said door panels between "open and, closed positions, said guiding means including upright track sections, and means shiftable laterally of said panels for simultaneously engaging a plurality of said panels to,

" directing the movements of said door panels be- -tween-open andv closed positions, said guiding means including upright track sections, and actuating members shiftably supported along one edge of said upright track "sections for simultaneously engaging a plurality of said panels to laterally urge said panels into'sealing relation with respect to said door opening after said panels reach their closing-position.

4. In an overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connectedshiftable door panels for traversing a door opening, guiding means for directing the movements ofsaid door panels between open and closed positions, said guiding" means including upright track sections, and

U-s'haped actuating members shiftably supported along one edge of said upright track sections for simultaneously engaging a plurality of said panels to laterally urge said panels into sealing relation with respect to said door opening after said panels reach their closing position.

5. In an overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connected shiftable door panels for traversing a door'opening, guiding means for directing the movements of said door panels between open and closed positions, said guiding means includingupright track sections, and an.

actuating member shiftably mounted upon each upright track section forsimultaneously engaging a plurality of said panels to laterally urge said panels into sealing relation with respect to said door openingafter said panels reach their closing position, each of said actuating members being U-shaped in horizontal cross-section, the

, material jromii g as, base of said U-shaped member being constructed and arranged for. en-

- gaging the structureof said panels.

.6. Inan overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connected door panels for traversing a door opening, guiding means for directing-the movements of said door panels between open and closed positions, said guiding means including upright track sections which in horizon--v tal cross-section present oppositely disposed tread portions, a connecting web portion, and a lip portion oppositely disposed from said web portion, and an actuating member embracing the lip-portion of. each upright track section, each of said actuating members being shiftable laterally of said panels forsimultaneously urging .said panelslaterally into sealing relation with respect to said door openingafter said panels reach their closing position.

7. In an overhead. door construction, a pair -.of guide tracks, each track comprising a fixed, .vertical .section adapted to be positioned adja- 7 cent the inner surface of a door frame defining a door opening, a horizontal. overhead section, and a curved section intermediate said vertical and horizontal sections, a plurality of hingedly connected door. panels slidably mounted upon said tracks and adapted to be shifted thereon between door closing vertical position and open overhead position, guide rollers carried by said panels, and shiftable means adapted to engage a plurality of said panels at positions axially spaced from said rollers for simultaneously moving: said panels at vertically spaced positions in a lateral direction only into sealing relation with respect to the door opening after the door panels have reached their lowermost position closing the door opening.

8. In an overhead door construction, a pair of guidetracks, each track comprising a fixed vertical section adapted to be positioned adjacent the inner surface ofa door frame defining a door opening, a horizontal overhead section,

and a curved section intermediate said vertical and horizontal sections/a plurality of hingedly connected door panelsslidably mounted upon said tracks and adapted to be shifted thereon between door closing vertical position and open overhead position, guide rollers carried by said panels, and shiftable'means adapted to engage a plurality of said panels at positions axially spaced from said rollers for simultaneously mov ing said panels at vertically spaced positions in a lateral direction into sealing relation with respect to the door opening after the door panels have reached their lowermost position closing the door opening, said shiftable means being manually controllable from a position intermediate the sides of said door panels.

9. In an overhead door construction, a pair of guide tracks, each track comprising a. fixed ver- Zi J) tical sectionadapted to be positioned adjacent the inner surface of a door frame defining a door opening, a horizontal overhead section, and a curved section intermediate said vertical and horizontal. sections, a plurality of hingedly connected door panels slidably mounted upon said tracks and adapted to be shifted thereon between door closing vertical position and open overhead position, guide rollers carried by said panels, pintles supporting said rollers, and shiftable means adapted to engage a plurality of said pintles for simultaneously moving said panels at vertically .spaced positions in a lateral direction into sealing relation with respect to the door the inner surface of a door frame defining a door opening, a horizontal overhead section. and 'a curved section intermediate said vertical and horizontal sections, a plurality of hingedly connected door panels slidabiy mounted upon said tracks and adapted to be shifted thereon between door closing vertical position and open overhead position, guide rollers carried by said panels, and shiftable means provided with an arrangement of inclined cam slots and adapted to engage a plurality of said panels at positions axially spaced from said rollers for simultaneously moving said panels at vertically spaced positions in a lateral direction into sealing-relation with respect to the door opening after the door panels have reached their lowermost position closing the door opening.

ALVIN V. ROWE.

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