US2401857A - Overhead door and affiliated mechanism - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1946. c, BUEHNER 2,401,857

OVERHEAD DOOR AND AFFILIATED MECHANISM Filed March 6, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 in. "I

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June 11, 1946. BUEHNER 2,401,857

OVERHEAD DOOR AND AFFILIATED MECHANISM -f) A TTOENEV'S Patented June 11, 1946 OVERHEAD DOOR AND AFFILIATED I MECHANISM Christ Buehner, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Phenix Manufacturing Company, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 6, 194 4, Serial No. 525,319

4 Claims. (01. 160-201) This invention relates to improvements in overhead doors and afilliated mechanisms.

The overhead door of the present invention is of the type which includes more than two superimposed and foldably connected sections and arranged relative to the tracks or guiding means in a manner so that the rollers carried by the top section of the door are on supports which may project outwardly or collapse relative to said door section, whereby, for the elevation of the door a path utilizing but a minimum of head room is required. In conventional doors of the type under consideration, due to the low elevation of the overhead portion of the guiding track for the door, the upper section of the door may usually break or fold inwardly before initiation of movement of the entire door, with the undesirable result that special means must be provided for controlling the upper section of the door and to insure proper closing and latching of the same when the entire door is closed.

With the foregoing in mind it is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to overcome the above objections by providing a multisection overhead door of the type mentioned in which the upper section of the door breaks or folds inwardly only upon movement of the entire door with the same being accomplished by the. same single operation used to initiate movement of the entire door, together with a novel latching mechanism for both the upper panel and the entire door.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a multi-sec'tion overhead door, a novel combination latching mechanism which simultaneously and jointly latches the upper panel of the door against inward swinging movement, and latches the entire door against vertical movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide an overhead door latching mechanism having elongated control means traversing the vertical extents of several of the foldably associated door sections, said elongated control means incorporating mechanism for automatically compensating for any foreshortening tendency therein during the movement of said door sections through an arc to overhead position.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a multi-section overhead door, latching mechanism for the door which is easily operated from exteriorily of the door by the simple manipulation of a push button.

A further object of the invention is to provide,

look and latch mechanism which necessitates, on the exterior of the door, a minimum of projecting hardware, thereby economizing in the head room required for the door when it is in its overhead position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an overhead door and affiliated mechanism of very simple construction, which is. strong and durable, which is simple and efllcientin operation, which permits easy and accurateinstallation of the door, and which is well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved overhead door and afliliated mechanism and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof. I

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate ;the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a rear or inner elevational view of the improved overhead door in its closed position and showing afliliated mechanism therefor, portions of the supporting structure being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 2-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an-enlarged fragmentary elevational view of an inner portion of the upper section of the door showing the latching mechanism carried thereby;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top view.of the showing in Fig. 3 with a portion of an associated angled plate being shown in section;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the inner portion of an intermediate section of the doorshowing the portion of the latching and locking mechanism carried thereby;

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 7, only showing the mechanism in another position;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the overhead door guiding mechanism; and

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line |0-l0 of Fig. 9.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the complete, sectional, overhead door I5 is illustrated as having four sections l6, l1, l8 and I9, but in actual practice the door may inin a multi-section overhead door, combination 66 clude any number of sections in excess of two.

3 1 The sections l6, l1, l8 and I9 are hinged together, in superimposed relation by hinges 20. For the purpose of guiding the door to and from its overhead position there are provided adjacent each side of the door a metal track H of channeled formation and comprising an upright section 22, a curved section 23, and an overhead horizontal section 24.

The mechanism for guiding the door to and from its overhead position, except insofar as it is associated with the improved door latching and locking mechanism with which the present ap-. plication is particularly concerned, will not be described in detail, as it forms the subject matter of a separate copending application, Serial No. 525,320 filed on even date herewith, now Patent No. 2,375,837, dated May 15, 1945. The door guiding mechanism is, however, of the type which requires a minimum of head room when the door is in its overhead position. To that end. the upright sections 22 of the tracks 2| terminate below the upper edge of the closed door so that the curved sections 23 of the tracks 2| curve upwardly and inwardly from the lower portion of the upper section I9 of the door. Guide rollers 25 for said upper door sections are, therefore, carried by hinged plates 26 mounted on the upper section IS, with said guide rollers being engaged in and adapted to follow the curved and horizontal sections of the track 2|. The arrangement of the roller carrying plates is such that the projection of the rollers relative to the plane of the door section I9 is variable to compensate for differences in proximity of the face of the door section to the track in diiferent positions on the door. Below the upper section I!) all of the hinges disposed on the side margins of the door sections have joumaled therein shafts 21 carrying guide rollers 28 which ride in the tracks 2|.

The hinged plates 26 are in the nature of cantilevers and each has its under, angularly directed leaf portion pivotally secured to the upper end portion of an adjustable link, designated generally by the numeral 29 and shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10. The lower end portion of an adjustable link 29 is pivotally secured to the offset shank portion 30 which has a thin angular keeper blade 3| which straddles the shaft carrying the guide roller 23 projecting from the hinge between the upper two door sections I8 and I9. Each keeper blade projects into the slot between the vertical side margin of the door and the adjacent track 22 and is adapted, when the door is in its closed position, to engage a fixed protuberance 32. The purpose of this arrangement is to urge the upper door section I9 toward its closed position when the entire multi-section door is in its vertical closed position. This is due to the fact that the keeper blade 3|, being engaged by the protuberance 32, exerts an upwardly directed force on the adjustable link 29 so that the rollercarrying cantilever plate 26 is urged in a clockwise direction relative to Fig. 2, exerting a closing force on the hinged door section l9. From Fig 2 it will be noted that when the door, including the upper section I9, is in its closed condition, the guide roller 25 is in the upper extent of the curved section 23 of the track. This tends toward preventing the upper door section l9 from undesirably breaking or folding inwardly. Upon initiation of upward movement of the entire door, then the upper guide roller 25' will ride into the horizontal track section 24 which will permit the upper door section l9 to freely fold or break inwardly as shown in broken lines in wardly prior to initiation of vertical movement. of the entire door.

Mounted through one of the intermediate sections of the composite door l5 and at a convenient elevation from the ground is a lock barrel 33 in which, as is customary, tumblers are adapted to be actuated by a key inserted into the barrel from exteriorly of the door. Turning the key and the tumblers controlled thereby is effective to turn a lock projection or lug 34 which lodges within a recess 35 therefor in a verticallocking bar 36. Hence, turning movement of the lug 34 in the proper direction, through the engagement of said lug and bar, lifts the bar. The bar is slidably mounted in a bracket 31 on the inner face of the door. As will appear hereinafter, and as is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, when the bar 36 is in its lowered position the latching mechanism, to be described,-is released, and when the bar 36 is in its lifted position, the latching mechanism is held or locked in its engaged condition.

The latch mechanism comprises a bell crank lever 38 of bifurcated formation and pivotally mounted as at 39 on the inner face of the door immediately over the vertical locking bar 36. Thebell crank lever is adapted to be rocked in a vertical direction by a horizontally disposed plunger bar 40. Said bar is slidably mounted through the door section so as to project outwardly of both faces thereof. Plates on the opposite faces of the door section have inturned stamped flanges 4| which enter the bore in the door section through which the plunger is passed and form bearings for the bar plunger to relieve wear on the stock of the door section. The inner end of the plunger bar is embraced by the lower arms of the bell crank lever 30 and has projecting transverse pin portions 42 engaged within slots 43 in said bell crank lever. The free ends of the other arms of the bell crank lever have pivotally attached thereto the lower ends of a pair of upwardly directed. elongated links 44. From Fig. 1 it will be observed that the intermediate hinge 20 between the door sections l8 and I9 has pivotally mounted on the hinge pintle a pair of toggle links 45. The outer ends of these toggle links embrace the upper ends of the elongated links 44- as well as the lower end of an upper rod 46, all of the same being mounted one. common pivot pin 45'. The upper end of the rod 46 has attached thereto a yoke 41, the side arms of said yoke being slotted as at 48 and the top bar of the yoke having a rectangular slot 49 therein. The flattened depending shank portion 50 of a. latching hook 5| extends slidably through the slot 49 in the yoke 41. The depending portion of the hook shank 50 carries a retaining washer 52 which serves to hold on said hook shank 50 a guide disk 53 having laterally projecting pins 54 which ride in the vertical slots 48 in the sides of the yoke 41. It will be observed that the hook shank above the flattened portion 50 is of twisted or corkscrew formation with the result that when there is a relative vertical movement as between the yoke 41 and the hook shank, the hook shank an angle plate 68 whose vertical will be turned or swung in one direction or the other. The yoke 41 is normally maintained in a lowered position relative to the hook shank by means of a confined coiled spring 66. The upper end portion of the latching hook 5| is formed with a horizontal arm at right angles to the shank, said arm terminating in a hook portion 56 which is disposed adjacent the upper edge of the top section IQ of the door.

The frame of the structure surrounding the door opening has on its upper horizontal margin a transverse beam 51 which is adapted to be abutted by the upper marginal portion of the top section of the door when the door is in closed position. The upper face of said beam, intermediate the ends thereof, has anchored thereto flange 66' is formed with a slot 63 which is adapted to be entered by the hook extremity of the latching hook when the latching hook is swung through an arc from the full line position of Fig. 5 to the broken line position in said view. When this is accomplished, not only is the entire composite door latched against vertical movement but the upper door section I9 is likewise latched against undesired inward swinging or folding, prior to initiation of opening movement of the entire door. The latching hook, which accomplishes both functions, is operated through a single operation transmitted by the rod 48, the toggle links 45, the elongated links 44 and the bell crank lever 38, all previously described. Upward movement of this train of connected elements is accomplished when the locking bar 40 is pushed inwardly from the position of Fig. 7 to the position of Fig. 8. This causes an upward rocking of the bell crank lever and through the means described the latching hook is swung to the latching position shown in broken lines in Fig. 5. The control and operation of the latching mechanism is accomplished from exteriorly of the building through the simple expedient of pushing the bar 40. If it is desired to manipulate the latching mechanism from interiorly of the building this can be readily accomplished by manually swinging the bell crank lever 38.

Operation of the latching mechanism can only be accomplished when the vertical locking bar 36, previously referred to, is in its lowered position. When the latching mechanism is engaged and the locking bar 36 is in its upwardly reciprocated position, theupper free end of said bar 36 engages in a slot 60 in the latching bar 40, thereby holding the latching bar in its innermost position. When the locking bar 36 is reciprocated downwardly, the slot 60 is disengaged, thereby freeing the parts for movement. and downward movement of the yoke 41 and associated connections to accomplish an unlatching movement of the hook 5| is urged by the spring 55.

As was mentioned, the reciprocations of the locking bar 36 are accomplished from exteriorly of the door by the key operated tumblers in the barrel 33, and from interiorly of the building the locking bar may be dropped and released by manually engaging the flanged lower extremity thereof.

The lost motion connection between the yoke 41 and the shank 50 of the latching hook is of considerable importance. It will be appreciated that the train of connected operating members between the bell crank lever 38 d the latching hook 5| traverses the line of hinged connection between the door sections l8 and i9. These sections, in moving from closed vertical position to overhead position, ride along the curved sections 23 of the tracks 2|. If nospecial provision were made for a yielding shortening in the connections between the members 36 and 6| during movement through the arc of the curved sections of the tracks, an undesirable bending or breaking of said connections would result. This possibility, however, is effectively taken care of by the lost motion connection between the yoke 41 and the shank B0 of the hook 6|. When the 'door sections l6 and I! are being moved through the are caused by the curved sections of the track and fold relative to each other, a yielding shortening of the previously mentioned connections is permitted because the yoke then ridesupwardly on the hook shank 50, against the tension of the spring 55, permitting the connections to temporarily shorten to an extent to protect them against strain imposed by the folding movement of said door sections. When the door sections reach the overhead position or reach the closed vertical position, the yoke 41 and hook shank 50 float or elongate relative to each other in a rectilineal path to compensatingly increase the over-all length of said connections.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved overhead door mechanism provides efficient and easily operated mechanism for latching the door, including the upper section thereof, and for locking the latching mechanism. These devices have a minimum of projecting parts and do not affect the overhead room required by the door. The door and its associated mechanism are, furthermore, of simple and novel construction and are well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. Fastening means for an overhead door of the type which includes a plurality of sections hinged together in superimposed relation to fit in a door frame with tracks adjacent the sides of the door frame curving upwardly therefrom and bearings on the door sections engaging the tracks to guide the door sections into and out of the frame, comprising a latch on the uppermost foldable door section to jointly latch said section against independent swinging movement and the entire door against sliding movement on the tracks, manual control means for the latch mounted on a door section remote from the latch, and a jointed linkage connecting said control means to the latch.

2. Fastening means for an overhead door of the type which includes a plurality of sections hinged together in superimposed relation to fit in a, door frame with tracks adjacent the sides of the door frame curving upwardly therefrom and bearings on the doorsections engaging the tracks to guide the door sections into and out of the frame, comprising a latch on the uppermost door section to latch it against swinging movement and to latch the entire door against sliding movement on the racks, manual control means for the latch, and jointed linkage connecting said control means to the latch, said linkage including therein a yielding lost motion connection to permit automatic shortening and elongation of said linkage.

3. Fastening means for an overhead door of the type which includes a plurality of sections hinged together in superimposed relation to fit in a door frame with tracks adjacent the sides of the door frame curving upwardly therefrom and bearings on the door sections engaging the tracks to guide th door sections into and out of the frame, comprising a swingable latch hook movably mounted on the uppermost door section, a fixed female latch plate carried by the door frame to engage said hook. an elongated, jointed linkage connected at one end with said hook and reciprocable to swing said hook, and manual control means projecting from a door section remote from the hook and engaging the linkage toreciprocate the latter.

4. Fastening means for an overhead door of the type which includes a plurality of sections hinged. together in superimposed relation to fit in a door frame with tracks adjacent the sides of the door frame. curving upwardly therefrom and bearings I on the door sections engaging the tracks to guide the door sections into and out of the frame, comprising a swingable latchhook mounted on the uppermost section of the door. a fixed female latch plate carried by the door frame to engage said hook, an elongated, jointed linkage reciprocatably mounted on the door, a yielding, lost motion connection between the linkage and the hook, said connection including means eflective to swing the hook, and a reciprocatable plunger mounted through the door remote from the latch hook and engaging the linkage to reciprocate it.

CHRIST. BUEHNER.

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