US2549611A - Door check and closer - Google Patents

Description

April 17, 1951 A. E. KUNZL 2,549,6ii

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER Filed Aug. -21, 1947 1 1 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1. 44/ v fivvew 702. 1 4/1/0250, AU/VZL A. E. KUNZL 2,549,6H

DOOR cmscx AND CLOSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 1?, 1951 Filed Aug. 21, 1947 Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER Andrew E. Kunzl, Marshall, Mich., as'sign'or to Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Allegheny County, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August-21, 1947, Serial No. 769,912

This invention relates to hinging door checks and closers for mounting and controlling swinging do ors,- and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improvedstructure of cam and controlling mechanism by which force is applied directly to the hinge spindle of the door to yieldably resist swinging of the door to and from a predetermined position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved. combination of cams, springs and dashpot action as applied to a hinge spindle of a door to control the swinging movement thereof.

In one form of the invention a floating piston having cam followers theron is mounted upon a hinge spindle which'is formed with a cam track to receive the cam followers. Rotation of the spindle about a vertical axis moves the'piston vertically in a bath of fluid, such as oil, which is enclosed in a chamber containing the mechanism, and, in conjunction with a'dashpot arrangement, the vmovement of the piston is checked in one direction while it is permitted relatively free movement in the opposite direction.- In other words, the door opens freely from a closed or dead center position" and it is checked returning' to' suchposition. Springsengag'e the piston on one side, and through a camm'ing action, force is transmitted'from the springs to the door toclose it against the checking" action of the dashpot arrangement;

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary diagrammatic illustration of a door' equipped with my improved door check and closer and the mountings therefor in a frame structure; Fig. 2 is a plan, on a large scale of adoor checking and hinge mechanism; Fig; 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line III- III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an irregular vertical section taken substantially along the line IV-IV of Fig- 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line VV of Fig. 4; Fig.6 is a diagrammatic planof a development of a cam track included in the structure shown in the other figures of the drawing; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line VII-VII of Fig. 2.

In practicing the invention a swinging door H1 is disposed: vertically in a frame l2 in which upper and lower spindles l4 and are vertically aligned to carry the door in its swinging motion in opposite directions about a vertical axis defined by the spindles. The lower cam spindle l5 constitutes a part of a door hinge and checking. and closing. mechanism which includes a casing 2| mounted in a protective metal box 22'. A rigid support 23, such as a part of a cement of concrete floor structure of a building, receives the box 22 rigidly set therein. I

The casing 2| including its cover 24 encloses influid tight relation the working parts of the hinge and; checking mechanism. The cover 24 is secured and centered upon the casingby means hag-3,9; which is formed in: a boss 40 in the bottom of the casing receives the bearing plug rigidly therein and in fluid tight relation. The bottom of the cam spindle is is thus spaced by the boss and bearing structure from the area of the bottom of the casing surrounding the boss '40-.

The cam spindlet5 which operates about a vertical axis upon thes'upporting bearings and 31- is formed at its lower end with an an nular' ri-m or flange 4 within which the lower race rings 35"arefitted'. The upper portion of the spindle P5 'issurrounded by a stufling box llz'designed to prevent escape of'fluid 43 con tained in the casing. This stuffing box is car'- ri'ed in a collar 44" that is screw threaded in the cover 24 tocon'fine' the upper bearing poembers 34 in proper position. The fluid 43 may be a suitable oil. The body portion of thecam I spindle I5 is substantially cylindrical and is formed with an endless circumferential 'cam track or channel 45', a development of which is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6. An an nular block in the'form of a piston fits coaxially around thelc'a n spindle 5 and is slidable vertically thereon. The inner vcylindrical walls of the casing 21' and the outer cylindrical sur face of the" piston 'fit closely together in coaxial sliding relation. It is to be understood that the spacebetween the outer surfaces of the spindle l5 and theinner cylindrical wall of the casing 21 constitutes an annular chamber 5, in which the'p'is'ton 58 is vertically reciproc'able'.

Vertically disposed compression springs 52 having. their lower ends confined in sockets" 53 formed in theuDpeifSi'de of the piston are spaced a i l o at ns around annular bod? of the piston. The upper end of these springs are confined in sockets 54 formed in the lower side of the casing cover 24. These springs are installed under compression.

Vertical posts 58 and 59 (Fig. 3) are anchored at their lower ends, as indicated at 9B, in the bottom of the casing 2I in fluid tight relation. Gaskets GI surround the upper portions of the posts, and pressure rings 62 are fitted over re duced upper portions of the posts so as to rest upon shoulders 64 formed thereon. The gaskets are thus confined in recesses 55 in thecasing cover to prevent leakage of fiuid at this location. The upper portions of the posts are dispose-d in cover openings 68 so positioned as to insure vertical alignment of each post with respect to its upper and lower anchorage mountings. When the cover 24 is applied to the casing the gaskets BI are compressed and the posts are thus secured in fluid tight relation with respect to the cover. Vertical openings 59 in the annular piston receive the posts in sliding relation so that the piston can reciprocate vertically, but is held against rotation.

' Diametrically opposite bearing pins 80 are screw threaded, as indicated at 8|, in the body of the piston and they are horizontally aligned in co-axial relation. Roller bearings 82 carried upon the inner ends of the pins support cam followers 83 which are in the form of rollers and are confined in the cam channel 45. The rollers 83 normally rest upon symmetrical lower cam sections 8 of the cam channel under the influence of the compression springs 52 which bear down- Wardly upon the piston 50. These lower cam sections communicate with similar higher cam sections 85 which are also on the lower wall of the cam channel. Upon rotation of the cam spindle I about the vertical axis the rollers 83 ride upon the lower wall of the channel 45 and are forced upwardly or downwardly depending upon the direction of rotation of the spindle and the position of the rollers in the cam track. In this way, movement of the piston 58, from any position depends upon rotation of the spindle I5. However, it is tobe understood that from a dead centerposition of the rollers 83 the latter are forced upwardly in response to rotation of the spindle in either direction. The lower sections 84 of the cam channel are formed to correspond substantially to the curvature of the rollers 83 and there is appreciable space between the upper wall of the cam channel and the adjacent peripheral portion of each roller 83.

Humps 86 forming parts or extremities of the lower cam sections are traversed by the rollers 33 as the spindle is rotated in either direction from its normal or dead center position. Likewise, at the upper cam sections 85 similar humps 89 are provided between which portions of the peripheries-of the rollers are respectively disposed. When the rollers are disposed in these sections appreciable force must be exerted in rotating the spindle in order to initiate movement of the rollers over the humps and thence to the other sections of the cam channel.

2 The lower spindle I5 is mounted rigidly on the door Ill which is capable of being swung on the spindle approximately 90 in either direction from its normally closed or dead center position. Until the door is opened it is maintained in its closed position by the pressure of the springs transmitted through the rollers 83 to the cam track while the rollers are resting in the lower cam sections 84. As the door begins to open the rollers must first traverse the humps 88 in response to appreciably more force than that required to continue the swinging of the door to its open position. As the door approaches its extreme open position the rollers are forced over the humps 59 and the contour of the cam channel in the sections is such that the door can be maintained in the extreme open positions by the resistance ofiered by these humps. However, only a slight degree of force applied to the door is necessary to start the door in its swinging movement back to its closed position under the influence of the force exerted by the springs 52.

In order to limit the movement of the door or to prevent over-swinging beyond its open position, as determined by the upper cam sections 85, a stop rojection 99 is formed upon the lower rim ll of the spindle I5. A stop plate 9| is disposed in the lower portion of the casing 2| and is provided with an anchoring lug 92 which fits into a'recess 93 in the inner Wall of the casing. Notched portions 94 of the plate fit closely about the lower end portions of the vertical posts 58 and 59 further to stabilize the plate and prevent accidental displacement thereof. Two stop shoulders 95 formed on the plate 9I aredisposed in such position that the stop projection 99 strikes one or the other of these shoulders when the door H) is swung to an open position.

In order to control the operation of the piston 5i! under the influence of the operation of the springs 52 a dashpot action is provided in the chamber 5| in response to upward and downward movement of the piston. At least two of the sockets 53 of the annular piston communicate with the lower side of the piston through openings Hill in which one-way ball valves IBI are mounted. Each valve is held yieldably against a valve seat I02 by means of a coil spring I03 which is in turn held under compression by means of a tubular plug I04 screw threaded into the lower portion of the opening I00. It is to be understood that the fiuid in the casing flows freely through each valved opening and through the tubular plug I04, when the-piston 50 is moved from a lower position to an upper position, but the valve is closed and remains closed during downward movement of the piston. That is, the movement of the door in opening it is not materially resisted by the fluid flowing through the valved openings I00 as the cam spindle is rotated in either direction from the dead-center position indicated in Fig. 4.

Needle valves I05 and IE6 are mounted in openings H18 and I09 formed longitudinally in the posts 58 and 59, respectively. Intermediate portions of these valves are screw threaded, as indicated at H2 and II3, in the posts 58 and 59, respectively. The upper portions of the needle valves are formed with circumferential channels i Id and H5 which receive packing rings H6 and II? respectively. These packing rings provide fluid tight fitting of the upper ends of the needle valves in the openings I08 and I09.

Ducts I 20 and IZI communicate through the walls of the hollow posts 58 and 59 with the upper area of the chamber 5| above the piston 59. Ducts I23 and I24 are formed vertically in the screw threaded portions of the needle valves to provide for fluid communicating between the upper and lower portions of the hollow posts 58 and 59, respectively. By adjusting the needle valve I05 verticallyin response to turning it in its screw threaded mounting, the lower portion the lower portion of the post wit lqr branching ductsections I31 formed vertically along the opposite sides of the post The upper extremities of the duct sections ISI are located at least ashigh.

as thelower edge of. the piston 50 in it's-dipper position. Fluid can thus. colmrlunicateithrough the post 58' from the upper torthe lower'sides of the-piston 50.. andv the. flow of: such fluidais, con.- trolled by regulating the needle valve I05 which can be set as desired. During the entire movement of the piston from its upper position to its lower position the fluid will flow uniformly through the valved openings in the post 58, and in an amount determined by the adjustment of the needle valve.

The other needle valve 59 can be adjusted vertically to regulate the flow of fluid through a duct I35 in the lower portion of the post to permit the desired amount of fluid to flow from the upper to the lower side of the piston. A transverse duct section I36 communicating with the main duct I35 opens at its opposite extremities into the lower portion of the chamber 5| below the piston when the latter is in its upper position. When the door begins to close and the piston begins to move downwardly from; its upward position fluid will flow relatively freely from the lower side of the piston to its upper side and the initial closing of the door will be relatively rapid. As soon as the lower edge of the piston slides past the transverse duct section I36 the flow of fluid through the valve openings in the post 59 is then substantially stopped and the speed of the closing door is reduced by the relatively limited flow of fluid permitted through the ducts I30 and I3I alone. The p0sition of the transverse duct I36 is such that the door is checked to a very slow speed during the last 20 to 25 of its movement until it assumes a closed position. The speed of this final closing movement is determined by the amount of fluid permitted to flow through the ducts I30 and ISI.

The protective metal supporting box 22 includes in its structure four upright corner posts I40 welded therein, as indicated at I4I, to form a rigid supporting structure. The casing cover 24 overhangs the casing body 2| and is fastened securely to the protective box 22 by means of externally threaded leveling nuts I42 that are screw threaded into the casing cover 24 in such position as to rest upon the upper ends of the four corner posts I40. Locking screws I43 extend slidably through the leveling nuts I42 and are screw threaded into the upper end portions of the corner posts I40. By manipulating the nuts I42 and tightening the screws I43 to lock these nuts in adjusted positions, the assembled casing 2| and cover 24 can be positioned with precision for supporting the door IE].

A shielding plate I55 covers the casing cover 24 and is secured thereto by means of suitable screws I46. A dust shield in the form of a cap I48 fits around the upper portion of the spindle 'wl l In a' door check structurefa casing; having; vertically aligned bearings therein and having upper and lower walls, a hinge spindle rotatable in s'aid bearings and saidspindle :having a camtraclr -disposed" along the outercircumferential portion thereofg means for holding the spindle against axial displacement in the'casing,. said cam track having lower cam areas and uppertcam.

areas, apair of spaced upright posts anchored in stationary pas-remain the upper and lower walls of the casing, a block surrounding the spindle and being axially slidable in non-rotatable relation upon the upright posts, said block having thereon cam followers projecting inwardly from opposite directions onto the cam track and normally resting in the lower cam areas, anchoring. means securing said followers on the block, a series of resilient members confined under compression between the upper sides of the block and the upper wall of the casing and yieldably resisting movement of the cam followers from the lower cam areas to the upper cam areas in response to turning of the spindle in its bearings.

2. In a door checking structure, a sealed fluid containing casing having upper and lower walls, a hinge spindle rotatable in said bearings and having a cam channel extending circumferentially thereon, said cam track having lower cam areas and upper cam areas, a pair of upright posts anchored in the upper and lower walls of the casing, a block surrounding the spindle and slidable upon the upright posts, said block including oppositely disposed cam followers normally disposed in the lower cam areas and movable to the higher cam areas in response to rotation of the spindle in either direction, said posts having valved ducts extending therethrough and communicating through the upright posts from upper to the lower sides of the block for a passage of fluid in the casing from one side of the block to the other, valve members exposed on the outside of the casing and being selectively operable in said ducts to regulate the passage of fluid therethrough, a oneway valve communicating from the upper to the lower side of the block at a location spaced from the posts, and a series of resilient members confined under compression between the upper side of the block and the upper wall of the casing and resisting movement of the cam followers from the lower cam areas to the upper cam areas in response to the turning of the spindle in either direction in its bearings.

3. In a door checking structure a sealed fluid containing casing having upper and lower walls, a hinge spindle rotatable in said bearings and having a cam channel extending circumferentially thereon, said cam track having lower cam areas and upper cam areas,- a pair of upright posts anchored in the upper and lower walls of the casing, a block surrounding the spindle and slidable upon the upright posts, said block including oppositely disposed cam followers normally disposed in the lower cam areas and movable to the higher cam areas in response to rotation of the spindle in either direction, valved ducts leading from upper tothe lower sides of the block through the upright posts for a passage of fluid in the casing from one side of the block to the other, a one-way valve communicating from the upper to the lower side of the block at a location spaced from the posts, and a series of resilient members confined under compression between the upper side of the block and the upper 8. wall of the casing and resisting movement of the REFERENCES CITED cam followers from the lower cam areas to the higher cam areas in response to the turning of i figg gggg a of record m the the spindle in either direction in its bearings;

said ducts having sections terminating at difier- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ent distances from the bottom of the casing to Number Name Date regulate the degree of checking action of the block 665,603 Henry Jam 8, 1901 as the latter moves toward the bottom ofthe 1,688,428 Morgan mtg-23,1928

casing. 10 2,158,417 Garrison Mair 16, 1939 ANDREW E. 2470.156 Popivalo Aug 22, 1939

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