US2520855A

US2520855A - Closure operator

Info

Publication number: US2520855A
Application number: US700079A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edmund A Rehwald
Original assignee: Barber Colman Co
Current assignee: Barber Colman Co
Priority date: 1946-09-28
Filing date: 1946-09-28
Publication date: 1950-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1967-08-29

Description

Aug. 29, 1950 E. A. REHWALD CLOSURE OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1946 INVENTOR. Edmund A. Rehu/a/d ATTORNEYS INVENTOR. Edmuhd A. .Rehu/a/d ATTORNEYS Aug. 29, 1950 E A REHWALD CLOSURE OPERATOR Flled Sept 28 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l, I nlmwfl i atenteci Aug. 29, 1 950 CLOSURE OPERATOR;

Edmund A. Rehwald Rock-ford, 111., assignor to Barber-Colman Company,- Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 28, 1946, Serial No". 706,019

12 Claims.

This invention relates to power driven operators for closures such as garage or factory doors, and has more particular reference to such'operators in which the reciprocating motion to open and close the closure is effected by a unidirectionally rotatable electric motor.

' The general object is to reduce substantially the cost of an electric motor closure operator, while at the"same'time providing an operator which is durable in construction and is adapted to actuate'a closure with a smooth and substantially uniform motion even though the closure is not balanced accurately.

The :foregoing object is achieved in part through the provision of a novel yieldable ine-' chanicalconnection between an actuating element-moved' in an endless path and a reciprocatory member connected to the closure to be operated. I

Another object i to form the reciprocable member above referredto in two parts arranged for relative rotation in one direction only,

Still another object is to provide a novel quick detachable connection between the reciprocable member and the element which moves in the endless path. a

1 Other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a motor operator-embodying the present invention and arranged to actuate a garage door.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the yieldable connection between the operator and the door.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the part shown in Fig. 2.

" Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an overrunning clutch. t

Fig. 5 is a detailed-*viewof the parts forming the detachable connection between the door and the operator; these'parts being shown in disengaged position. I

I Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are fragmentary perspective views showing the parts of the yieldable connection in different positions.

For purposes of illustration the improved motor operator is shown in the drawings applied to a garage door ill of the overhead type and comprising a plurality of hingedly connected sections guided along sidetra-cks H for movement from a vertical position (Fig. 1) closing a door opening I2 to anoverhead or horizontal position beneath a. ceiling I3. The operator proper is mounted on a .frame H! secured to the ceiling l3 and spaced.

rearwardly from the door opening,

A unidirectional electric motor l5 operates through speed reduction mechanism such as belts"v Hi to drive a vertical shaft ll having a sprocket [8 fast on its lower end. This sprocket meshes with an endless chain 1 9 which extends to a posi-' tion adjacent'the door opening l2, where its other end meshes with a sprocket 20 rotatable on a vertical stud 2| which is supported by a bracket 2-2- secured to the building wall above the door open-'- ing. 7 The chain carries an actuating element inv the form of a vertical pin 23 secured to one link". of the chain and depending therefrom so as'to'; travel with'the chain in an endless path defined by the sprockets l8 and 20 and the intervening? straight runs of the chain.

' The back and forth motion of the actuating pin" 23 is imparted to the door through the intermediary of a car 24 of U-shaped cross section having upstanding sides which terminate in tubular guides 25 slidable along spaced rods 26. The lat ter are located above the chain l9 and at'opposite" ends are secured by clamps 21 to the bracket 22" and the motor frame M. A vertical shaft 29' pro-j jecting through the car 2 4 and J'ourna'led' ina" bearing 38 thereon is "formed at its lower end with" a downwardly opening yoke 3| pivotally connected by a pin 32 to one end of an adjustable link 33. The other end of the latter isj'connecte'd; to the upper section of the door 'I 0 Which is thus; opened and closed in the rearward and forward: strokes of the car 24 between limit positions determined by abutmentofthe car with the clamps;

In accordance with the present. invention, the: motion of the actuating pin 23. on the chain transmitted tothe car Zllthrough a novel yield;-

horizontal positionasshown in Figs. 1. and 2 The block is urged into this position by a torsion.

spring 38 encircling the pivot36. By prying the block 35 oif from.the-pin 23 and swinging the block downwardly out of engagement with the.v

pin as shown in Fig. 5, the door may be -discon-.

nected from theohain and the motor operator thereby permitting the door to be opened and closed manually.

Intermediate its ends, the link 34 has a lost motion connection with the car shaft 29, which connection is formed by projection of the shaft through a slot 38 of substantial length formed in and extending longitudinally of the link 34. The slack in this lost motion connection isnormally taken up by a spring 40, which preferably is of the compression type and encircles and is supported by a rod ll secured at one end to a depend-- ing flange 42 on the other end of the link 34, The rod projects loosely through and is guided in a cross hole 43 in an enlargement. :ot the: shaft While the position of? the car: 24.:remains; fixed;

In the present instance, the; length: of. the spring. I is somewhat greater than the. spacingi of the flange 421 and the.- shaftenlaiigementt 44 when the: shaft is. at the end of the slot' 3.5L farthest: from the flange. 42: as. shown in.Fig.;.7-... This-arrangerment; insures. that all; slack. in. the. lost motion: connection will be. taken up at, all. times,

accordance. with another: aspect of the in.-

ventioman overrunnmgclntcl'rdevice.crone Way ratchetv is: provided. to, prevent; turni 11g, of the shaft relative to the carinone direction vwhile pera mitting: free turning of tho shaft and thelink 34. in, the other direction; astheaotuatingpinz travels;

, around; the chain. sprockets, Herein; thisv device comprises, a helical.- p in i ,-.e1 Qe y Wou d. around a cylindrical nutiljlthl'eaded Q on other; wise rigidlyv secur d. o .th unoenend' o t e Shaft 295 abovofihecar-Zfl-s Thisls r ngi ict onal y rips heibcdro i the ne hile th l we en e sr: tamed: y a; screw 591 20. he: car 149,. W t th ar rangeme t. o w e turn n o the. S a t 29 as viewed n; Fig. -w 11. tenditq unw d he. spr n permitt he h t ,3. i0: 21 reel f lfiii t h s Th v insf isht nei ew eri r nd; tbs-r v se: t rn n t e shaft and h s locks t s f. (3 19 turn nsrr lm. Biz-misses Wetlands? f a-n-unb eq er to more, b. k; and forth relative; to, the oqntinuously. t% 39i -.PP 9 3 re d. andiin: 9 insta r ces substantially eliminated. The door. is, t lrerefore, moved. speciajlw mm closing. direc; tion with a smoother and'le'ss 'jerky motion even, though it, is connected. to the actuating, pin 23 by arealily yielda le cormection,v

'I'hfe. cycles of the, motor 1.5"arestarted in the usual way by manual'or automatic closure of a suitable switch (not. shown), and are terminated" in, response to actuation of a limit switch 52. by either of two cams 53 (Fig, 3'): fixed tot e chain [9; at. spaced points, The cams arepositi'oned'to actuate the, limit swit hes the actuating pin 23 starts around the corresponding-sprocket (Fig. 6) when the door reaches its limit' positiongthe motor and the chain motions being arrested when the actuating pin reaches the dead center nosition as shown in Fig. 3orisdisposed'slight1y'beyondthis position.

Assuming that the motoroperator is, at restwith the door closed. the parts will be o itionedas shown in Figs. 1 2, and 3: the shaft 7.9 being disposed in t e near end of the slot 39" with the link 34* lying substantially parallel tothe path-of i e. r nel; r pin of. he-n by he-f 4 the car 24. When the motor is started in the next door opening cycle, the actuating Pin 23 moves farther around the sprocket 20, the link 34 turning around the shaft 29 and sliding relative to the latter to permit this motion.

In this motion, the distance between the actuating pin 23 and the shaft 29 is shortened as permitted by sliding of the-shaft aiong the;v slot 39, this motion being assisted by-tlr'e force of the spring 4-D. Thus, during the initial part of each cycle, there is no load on the motor l5, and the latter, comes up to full running speed before any load is imposed, thereby permitting the use of an; inexpensive. low: starting torque motor without danger'ofthe latter being damaged in service use.

As the actuating pin approaches a position opposite theshaft 29, that is, when the link 34 extends transversely of the path of the car, the parts will then be disposed in the position shown in Fig. '7. Then in the further movement of the actuating pin, the, link 34; slides reylerselyniclative to. the; shaft 2:9; and; acting through th spring; 4.9 applies; the force of; the operator to; the; carianct. the door to initiate moyement of: the latter.-.. The: shock of: starting: the door: thus cushioned. by;- the spring which forms a yieldablei conneeti'onfor: transmitting the, motiorr: of actuatingzpin 23 to the door to-open. the latten.

When the door reaches a: limitpositikm, for ex;- ample,. the closed position, the'a'ctuating pi'nIZS. will have reached thersprocket 20: and. started-i around the latter, with the linkrlfi lr and the: spring? 35] in the relation shownin Fig. 6; The motor circuit is now opened: by=-thez cam 53 and the actuating pin 2-3 continues tot'ravel around me sprocket: T29. tothe: final position shown: in" 3' The car 24 and the shaft; 2-9 now biaingstatio1rary. the link 34 will move endwise relative to the shaft as permitted by further compressiori of without a je ky motion inspite of" the yield nee essarilv provided in order to perm t the use'ofa un direct onal electric mot r. The overall cost of the door operator" is reduced; substantiallyas ccmnared tooperators having reversible electric motors. I

I claim as mvinvention:

1'. A c osureoperator hav ng; incombination, an act ating element movable along an endless path having strai'ght'sides-and arcuateconnect 5; ing ends, a car guided: for reciprocatory move ment ba k a d for h between limit positions" along a line dispos'ed betwe'en said path sides; a shaft .iournaled on said car to turn about an perpend cularto-theplarie ofsaid path and ada ted for pivotal connection with a closure member t be operated, al ink'pivotally connec ed atone end to-said actuating element/and havin a longitudinally elongated slot" intermediate its ends receiving said shaft, and a resilient;

element? acting in compressionbetween the other endofsaid lihkand saidshaft, I

2. A closure operator having, in combination," an actuating-.- element-movable alongan endless path, a car guided; for recipro'catory m(weiri'ent back and forthv in a line disposed between the: sides of said path, a shaft-journaled -on said car to turn about an axis perpendicular to thepfa ne' of s'aid' path: and-i adapted for pivotal connection with a closure member-to be operated; alink pivotallyconnected at one end to'said car aetu ating element having a lost motion connection intermediate its ends with said shaft, and a resilient element acting in compression between the other end of said link and said shaft.

3. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movement back and forth within said path, a shaft journaled on said car to turn about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted for pivotal connection with a closure member to be operated, a link pivotally connected to said car and having a lost motion connection with said shaft, and means resiliently connecting said link and said shaft.

4. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movement back and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turn about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted for pivotal connection with a closure to be operated, and means providing a longitudinally extensible link connection between said member and said actuating element including a part resiliently yieldable longitudinally of the link.

5. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movement back and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turn about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted for pivotal connection with a closure to be operated, a link connection longitudinally extensible and contractible and pivotally connected at spaced points to said actuating element and said member, and means associated with said connection and acting yieldably to cushion the endwise contraction of the connection.

6. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movement back and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turn about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted for pivotal connection with a closure to be operated, means providing a resiliently yieldable and longitudinally extensible link connection between said member and said actuating element, and means providing an overrunning clutch connection between said car and said member permitting turning of said link connection relative to the car as said actuating element travels around the ends of said path but restraining reverse relative turning between said car and member.

7. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movement back and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turn about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted for pivotal connection with a closure to be operated, means providing a resiliently yieldable and longitudinally extensible link connection between said member and said actuating element, and means connecting said car and said member to permit free relative turnin of the two in one direction but restraining such turning in the opposite direction.

8. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movement back and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turn relative to the latter in one direction, means restraining turning of said member relative to said car in the opposite direction, and means providing a resiliently extensible connection between said member and said actuating element.

9. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating pin movable along an endless path, a car reciprocable back and forth longitudinally of said path and adapted for connection with a closure to be operated, means providing a resiliently extensible and contractible link connection pivotally connected to said car, and a member hinged on said link connection and adapted to interengage with said pin to connect the latter detachably to said pin.

10. A closure operator, having, in combination,

an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car reciprocable back and forth longitudinally of said path and adapted for connection with a closure to be operated, means providing a resiliently extensible and contractible link connection pivotally connected to said car, and a member hinged on said link and adapted to interenga e with said element and form a readily disengageable connection between said element and said car.

11. A closure operator having, in combination, two spaced sprockets, an endless chain extending around said sprockets, a car guided for reciprocatory movement back and forth within said chain and adapted for connection with a closure to be reciprocated, a member journaled on said car, a link connection between said member and a point on said chain, said member turning relative to said car while said point is traveling around one of said sprockets, and means constantly exerting a friction force resisting turning of said member in at least one direction relative to said car.

12. The combination of, an endless chain having laterally spaced parallel sides and arcuate ends, sprockets supporting said chain and meshing with the latter at said ends, a unidirectional electric motor driving one of said sprockets, a switch controlling the stopping of said motor, a car guided for movement back and forth between said chain sides, a member journaled on said car and adapted for connection with a device to be reciprocated, a link connected at one end to said member and pivotally connected at the other end to a point on said chain whereby to permit said point to travel around the said sprockets while said car dwells at the end of its stroke, and means carried by said chain and actuating said switch to stop said motor during said dwelling of the car and while said chain point is engaging said sprocket whereby to allow for idle travel of the point after starting of said motor and before movement of said car is initiated.

EDMUND A. REI-IWALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 170,927 Withington Dec. 7, 1875 1,787,164 Parkin Dec. 30, 1930 2,052,911 Weathers Sept. 1, 1936