US2593710A - Door operator - Google Patents

Description

F- J- WARNER DOOR OPERATOR April 22, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 18, 1947 April 22, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1947 April 22, 1952 J WARNER 2,593,710

DOOR OPERATOR Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE Application December 18, 1947, Serial No. 792,495

In Great Britain October 16, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires October 16, 1964 This invention is for improvements in and applicable to doors and has'particular reference to ventilation doors in coal mines. It is well known that it is customary'in coal mines to provide hinged doors which must normally be maintained closed for ventilation purposes; at intervals pit tubs have to pass through such doors, and according to customary practice the opening and closing of these doors is controlled by an operator. An object of this invention is to dispense with the service of an operator for each door and to provide means whereby the tubs or the like themselves control the opening and closing of the doors.

- According to this invention there is provided apparatus for automatically operating hinged doors normally disposed in the path of rolling stock such as pit tubs, comprising a lever device pivoted-intermediate its ends, one of said ends being normally disposed in the path of tubs approaching the door and also arranged to overlap the door when the door is fully open, and means connecting the other end of said lever device to the door at'a position on said door remote from the hinge thereof.

It will be appreciated that by this arrangement tubs approaching the doors make contact with and actuate said lever automatically to open the door, and when the door is fully open the lever overlaps the door; this ensures that when the tubs reach the free end of the open door said door is out of line of the movement of the tubs. Preferably the lever is connected to the door by a rigid link or connecting rod.

The hinged door may have connected with it an additional hinged door in such manner that the two doors together constitute double doors and the invention therefore also provides apparatus for automatically operating double hinged doors normally disposed in the path of rolling stock such as pit tubs, comprising a lever device pivoted intermediate its ends one of said ends being normally disposed in the path of tubs'approaching the doors and arranged to overlap one of the doors when said door is fully open, means for connecting the other end of said lever device to said door at a position on the door remote from the hinge thereof and means connecting the two doors for simultaneous operation.

Means may also be provided for causing the single door or the double doors to be opened by a tub travelling'in either of two directions;

The invention therefore further provides apparatus for automatically operating hinged doors normally disposed in the path of rolling stock scams. 268-36) such as pit tubs, comprising a lever device pivoted intermediate its ends one of said ends being normally disposed in the path of tubs approach ing the doors in one direction and arranged to overlap the door when the door is fully open, means connecting the other end of said lever device to the door at a location on said door remote from the hinge thereof and means for transmitting motion to the door from a tub travelling in the opposite direction.

In order that the nature of the invention may be more readily understood, a particular embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational View.

- FigureZisaplan View. v

Figures 3 and 4 are detail views on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modification. The door i which may be of wood or other suitable material is provided with a fixed front plate 2 and back plate 3 and is hung on hinges 4 and 4a door jambs are provided at 5. The door frame is not set vertical but slopes backwardly, a suitable angle of slope being indicated at Y in Figure 1 and from Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that the lower hinge 4a is set outwardly further from the frame than the upper hinge l. Extending from the front plate 2 is a lug 6, and said lug and the bifurcated head I of an adjustment screw 8 are transfixed by a pin 9. This adjustment screw is received in one end of a link or connecting rod It] the other end of which is pivotally connected at Hi to a lever H fulcrumed at I2; the function of the screw 8 is to vary the effective length of the link l8. Fulcrum pin I2 which is preferably formed with oil grooves (not shown) is fixed such as by screw thread and split pin in a stirrup l2a riveted to a mild steel plate I222 secured by rag bolts (not shown) on the upper plain surface of a concrete foundation it. The lever II is conveniently formed by riveting or welding two lengths of angle iron together and is formed with a boss Ila for the reception of pin l2. The end l5 of such lever remote from the pivot i4 is curved and tapered as shown and is normally disposed midway in the track it along which the tubs ll travel and approximately midway in the height of the tub bodies. On the back of the door is mounted a bumper I8 (Figure 2) preferably of spring steel; the height of this bumper is determined by the height of the tubs which are to pass through the door.

It will be seen from Figures 3 and 4 that the lug 6 is-of tapered configuration; the pin 9 is a comparatively loose fit in the bifurcated head "i so that the link I9 and lug B are capable of slight movement in a vertical plane relatively to one another. Grooves are formed in the door sill for the accommodation of the rails I5 and haulage rope I9 so that the door is a good fit when closed.

The manner of operation is as follows: As a tub approaches the door it engages the end E5 of lever II and rotates the latter about its fulcrum I2 with the result that through the .intermediary of link ID the door .I is opened and is moved through approximately 90 by the-time the end of the tub has moved past" theend of the lever.

The arrangement and dispositionaofthe parts is such that the curved end of the lever overlaps and bears upon the endof the door remotefrom its hinges when the door is opened, as is clearly shown. in chain lines in-Figure 2. As the tub continuesin its travel the curved end leof the lever rides along the near side of the tub thus holding the door open andsuch side of the tub then rubs along the bumper I8 after riding off the end of the lever. The door is thus maintained fully opened until the tub (or the last tub if a line of tubs is being hauled) has passed through'the door, when the door automatically swings back to the closed position. At the same time the lever is restored to its starting positiona'nd in this manner as successive tubs or lines'o'f tubs approach the door the door is automatically opened to allow the passage thereof and immediately afterwards the door automatically closes.

It will be appreciated that as thesdoor is' being opened th'erewould be a risk of it fouling the haulage rope I9 if the door did not rise and it is for this reasonthat the frame is setback andthe hinges are disposed as described. Furthermore' consequent upon this rise of the door in'open'ingi it is necessary to allow for relative movement between link I and lug 6' and it is for this reason that the lug is tapered and fitted in" themanner described.

Inthe construction shown in Figure an additional hinged door 20 is provided associated with the door I (hereinafter referred to as the main door) to provide double doors. These double doors are provided transversely across the track IB'in such manner that their hinges 4, ea, 2I, 2Ia, are located outside the track and their free ends 22, 23 meet at a location substantially centrally between the rails of the track. In the closed position the two doors I, 28 are substantially in alignment. The main door i is constructed and arranged as above described insodoor 20. For this purpose the link 24 is disposed at the rear of the doors and its innermost end 25 is pivotally connected to a comparatively small bracket 26 fixed to the main door at the upper end thereof and located substantially centrally of its Width.

the-additional door at its upper end. It will be understood from consideration of this arrangement that when the tub I? approaches the front of the doors it automatically opens the main door I as previously described and this opening movement of the main door is imparted by the link 24 connecting the two doors to' the additional door 23 in such manner as to cause this additional .door to open simultaneously with much as it is connected by the rigid link iii (which is disposed in front of the door and is adjustable for length as previously described) to one end Id of the double armed lever H (also disposed at the front of the door) and the other end I5 of which is located in the path of an approaching tub I! or the like, the arrangement being such that the approaching tub i! engages the lever II to open the said main door I and 7 the main door. The connecting link. 24 is preferably adjustable: for length by being provided in two parts 24. Z ta, which have a-screw threaded engagement with each other; by this means the extent to which the additional door 20 opens may be adjusted to ensureth'at it is out of lineof the passingtub when the door 20 is in its fully open position. It is-also to be understood that the link 24 connecting the two doors is located at such a height that when the doors are open the tubs pass beneath it without touching it. A suitable stop 29 may be provided withwhich the additional door 20. may engage when fully open, and a bumperguard 3G is preferablyprovided. ontherear face of thedoor 20 as a protection against the door being. damaged by a passing tub.

Thearrangementabove described or the arrangement shown in Figures .1 to 4 is readily adaptable for a double roadhaulage system, that is to say wherein tubs or the like may travel along the track in either of two opposite. directions, and by way of example'a double-track system is shown in Figure5 as appliedto double doors. It has already been described how the doors may be opened by a tub approaching the front of the doors and in order to cause the necessary opening movement of the doors automatically when a tub approaches the rear. of the doors (i. e. in the opposite direction) an additional double armed lever 3| is provided located at'the rear of the doors and its free end 32 is disposed in the path of atub 33 approaching from the rear; its other end 34 is connected by an adjustable link to the first mentioned double arm lever H located at the front of the doors and the arrangement is therefore such that when a tub 33 approaches the rear of the doors it rocks the additional double armed lever 3| which through the medium of thexsaid adjustable link 35 rocks the first mentioned lever II to open the doors in the manner previously described.

If desired there may be provided one or more springs to assist in closing the doors, e. g. there may be a leaf spring 36 fixed in such a position as to be flexed by the mainv door at the end of its opening movement and said spring being then so flexed as to impart an initial closing movement to the doors when a tub has passed.

If desired also any or all of the adjustable links, and particularly the link- I 0 connecting the main door I to its operating lever ll may have a shock absorbing device incorporated in it, e. g. a coil spring 31 may be provided'at the junction of the two parts 8 and I0 forming the link.

Each or any of. the levers II, 3|, may carry at its free end a roller or ball which partly projects so as to constitute a bearing surface for engagement by approaching tubs.

I claim:

1. A device'for automatically opening a door pivotally mounted for movement over a path having a center line which passesbeneath'a central portion of the door frame in which the door is mounted, comprising, in combination, an elongated lever having one end portion pivotally mounted for movement over the path and located ahead of the door, said one end portion of said lever being movable between a first position when the door is closed and a second position when the door is fully opened; and link means having one end portion pivotally connected to said lever and another end portion pivotally con: nected to the door, said other end portion of said link means being movable between a first position when the door is closed and a second position when the door is fully opened, and said second position of said other end portion of said link means being located at a greater distance from the center line of the path than said second position of said one end portion of said lever.

2. A device for automatically opening a door pivotally mounted adjacent a vertical edge thereof for substantially horizontal swinging movement over a path leading through the door, comprising, in combination, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends at a point located adjacent to the path and ahead of the door, said lever having a first portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof to a point located over the path and having a second portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof in a direction away from the path, said first portion of said lever being longer than the difference between the width of the door and the distance between said pivotal mounting of said lever and the pivotal mounting of the door; and a link pivotally connected at one end portion thereof to said second portion of said lever and at the other end portion thereof to said door, whereby when said first portion of said lever is actuated to move the door to its fully open position, said first portion of said lever overlaps said door.

3. A device for automatically opening a door pivotally mounted adjacent a vertical edge thereof for substantially horizontal swinging movement over a path leading through the door, comprising, in combination, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends at a point located adjacent to the path and ahead of the door, said lever having a first portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof to a point located over thepath and having a second portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof in a direction away from the path, said first portion of said lever being longer than the difference between the width of the door and the distance between said pivotal mounting of said lever and the pivotal mounting of the door; and a link pivotally connected at one end portion thereof to said second portion of said lever and at the other end portion thereof to said door, whereby when said first portion of said lever is actuated to move the door to its fully'open position, said first portion of said lever overlaps said door and is located between the door and path so that the door cannot move toward the path until the object actuating the lever is out of contact with said first portion thereon 4. A device for automatically opening a door pivotally mounted adjacent a vertical edge thereoffor substantially horizontal swinging movement over a path leading through the door, comprising, in combination, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends at a point located adjacent to the path and ahead of the door, saidlever having a first portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof to a point located over the path and which is located above said path by a distance approximating one half of the height of the door and saidlever having a second portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof in a direction away from the path, said first portion of said lever being longer than the difference between the width of the door and the distance between said pivotal mounting of said lever and the pivotal mounting of the door; and a link pivotally connected at one end portion thereof to said second portion of said lever and at the other end portion thereof to said door, whereby when said first portion of said lever is actuated to movethe door to its fully open position, said first portion of said lever overlaps said door and is located between the door and path so that the door cannotgmove toward the path until the object actuating the lever is out of contact with said first portion thereof.

5. A device for automatically opening a door pivotally mounted adjacent a vertical edge thereof for substantially horizontal swinging movement over a path leading through the door, comprising, in combination, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends at a point located adjacent to the path and ahead of the door on one side thereof, said lever having a first portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof to a point located over the path and which is located above said path by a distance approximating one half of the height of the door and said lever having a second portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof in a direction away from the path, said first portion of said lever being longer than the difference between the width of the door and the distance between said pivotal mounting of said lever and the pivotal mounting of the door; a link pivotally connected at one end portion thereof to said second portion of said lever and at the other end portion thereof to said door, whereby when said first portion of said lever is actuated to move the door to its fully open position, said first portion of said lever overlaps said door and is located between the door and path so that the door cannot move toward the path until the object actuating the lever is out of contact with said first portion thereof; and means located on the other side of the door and operatively connected to said lever for actuating the same when an object approaches the door from the other side thereof.

6. A device for automatically opening a pair of doors each pivotally mounted adjacent a vertical edge thereof for substantially horizontal swinging movement over a path leading through the door, comprising, in combination, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends at a point located adjacent to the path, said lever, having a first portion extending from the pivotal mountin thereof to a point located over the path and having a second portion extending from the pivotal mounting thereof in a direction away from the path, said first portion of said lever being longer than the difference between the width of one of

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