US2619165A

US2619165A - Overhead door structure

Info

Publication number: US2619165A
Application number: US178672A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cecil R Wolf
Original assignee: Frantz Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Frantz Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1950-08-10
Filing date: 1950-08-10
Publication date: 1952-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1969-11-25

Description

C. R. WOLF OVERHEAD DOOR STRUCTURE Nov. 25, 1952 i Filed Aug. 10, 1950 CecLZj M052 9: %0w, 5410M Patented Nov. 25, 1952 OVERHEAD DOOR STRUCTURE Cecil R. Wolf, Rock Falls, 111., assignor to Frantz Manufacturing 00., Sterling, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 10, 1950, Serial No. 17 8,672

8 Claims. 1

This invention is concerned generally with an overhead opening door structure and more particularly with a brake for arresting the movement of an overhead opening door in opened position.

Braking of a sectional door by means of brake mechanism at the rear end of a horizontal guiding track cooperable with brake structure at the top of the door results in noisy operation. Rapid st pping of the top or leading section of the door often results in succeeding sections of the door popping up and down in the tracks and making a considerable noise. This is particularly noticeable in the case of the last or lowest section of the door which generally is stopped in a curved portion of the track and is subject to a whipping action. Furthermore, if the hinges interconnecting; the various sections of the door are somewhat loose, there is a tendency for the door sections to bang up against one another.

An object of this invention is the provision in an overhead opening sectional door of brake structure operable on the last or lowest door section to provide quieter operation and positively to prevent said last or lowest section from rattling up and. down in a curved section of the door guiding track due to whipping action as the door is brought to a stop. v

A further object of this invention is the provision in an overhead opening door structure of frictional brake surface carried by the door and.

extending substantially perpendicular to a face of the door-and engageable with pairs of opposed brake shoes carried by the door guiding tracks to stop the door by the action of contacting fric-. tional surfaces while subjecting said tracks substantially only to longitudinal strain.

Another object of this invention is the provision of structure for braking an opening overhead door as set forth in the last foregoing object wherein the braking surfaces carried by the door are disposed on the lowest or last section and are. symmetrically disposed on said door and the brake. shoes carried by the door guiding tracks are likewise symmetrically disposed whereby to centralizesaid last or lowest section of said door and thereby prevent binding of the door in the tracks upon closing of the door.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is afragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing a garage door and associated mounting-structure in a garage:

view on an enlarged scale; showing the engage! ment of the brake as the door reaches opened position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged crossv sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken sub-. stantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3'; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing. the brake structure only.

A garage door construction is shown in Fig-.1 and comprises a door J'amb I0. and a hinged sec.- tional overhead opening door l2 of any preferred type. The door is mounted by means of rollers. 13 carried in a substantially channel shaped track [4 having substantially vertical and, substantially horizontal portions I6- and [8 respectively, joined by a curved section 20. In order to provide a. tight seal between the door and. the. door jamb. the lower end of the substantially vertical track portion I6 is mounted closer to the door jamb l0 than is the upper end, and the rollers l3 are. spaced at correspondingly varying distances, from the door l2 in order to wedge the door against; the jamb as the door is closed. The tracks. M are. supported at their rear or inner ends by means of brackets or hangers 2.4 secured to any suitable cross member 26 such as a garage rafter. Support is provided for the tracks adjacent the curved sections 20 by a bracket 28 bolted, riveted or otherwise secured to the tracks and suitably secured to the door jamb or garage frame. The substantially vertical track portions 16 are supported by any suitable brackets (not shown).

secured to the door jamb or garage frame.

In order to facilitate opening of the door, a. helical counterbalancing spring 30 is providedon each side of the door. The rear end of each spring is secured by any suitable means to the brackets or hangers 24 and the front end of. each spring carries a sheave or pulley 32. A flexible cable 34 passes over each sheave or pulley 32 and over a fixed sheave or pulley 36 and extends to the lower edge of the door l2 at which point it is secured inany desirable manner. Each cable 34 is suitably secured to a chain 20. one link of which is looped over a hook 42 carried by the door jamb Ill. The tension and hence the counterbalancing eifect of the springs can be varied by looping any selected one of the links of the chains 40 over the hooks 42.

A brake plate 44 is carried at each side of the door preferably on the lowest'section thereof:

and comprises a plate 45 extending perpendicularly from the inner face of the door. and parallel.

to the direction of movement of the door. An integral flange 48 on the plate 46 extends at right angles thereto and is held against the inner face of the door by bolts 50 extending through the flange and through the door.

A bracket 52 is carried by each track 14 on the curved section 20 thereof opposite the brake plate 44 when the door is in fully opened position. Each bracket 52 has a vertical section 54 secured to the outer face of the curved track section 20 by means of rivets or the like 56 and a downwardly and inwardly directed section 58 extending below the track section 20. An integral horizontal section 60 of the bracket is terminated by an upstanding flange 62 carrying at its upper end an integral brake plate 64. The brake plate 64 has a substantially flat frictional surface with outwardly deflected sections 66 at each end thereof. A confronting brake shoe 68 having a frictional surface terminated in outwardly deflected end sections '10 is carried by an angle bracket having a vertical wall 12 and a horizontal wall 14. The

inner edge of the horizontal wall '14 abuts the bracket wall 62 and the vertical wall is apertured to receive elongated bolts 16. The bolts 16 also extend through the vertical wall 62 and compression helical springs 18 encircle the bolts and are held against the vertical wall or section 62 by means of nuts 80 threaded on the ends of the bolts.

The springs 18 normally maintain the upper edges of the frictional surfaces of the

brake shoes

64 and 68 in contact with one another. When the door [2 is raised from the closed position shown in Fig. l to the opened position shown in Fig. 2, the brake plate 44 carried by the lower door section engages the front outwardly deflected end sections 66 and T of the brake shoes to cam the frictional surfaces apart. The frictional surfaces of the brake shoes then engage the opposite faces of the brakes 44 to frictionally arrest the opening movement of the door and to hold the door in fully opened position. Braking effectiveness readily may be varied by relatively rotating the bolts 16 and nuts 80 to compress the springs 18 to a greater or lesser degree.

After initial engagement of the braking surfaces of the brakes 44 carried by the door with the braking surfaces of the

brake shoes

64 and 68 carried by the tracks, the contacting areas continue to increase to provide a smooth braking action and to prolong the life of the brakes. When the brake plates 44 are carried on the lowest or last section of the door as preferred, there is no tendency of the various sections to bang up against one another and to buckle slightly causing the rollers to rattle up and down in the tracks. The brake plates carried by the lowest door section are frictionally gripped by the brake shoes carried by the tracks so that the lower or trailing edge of the door is not raised by a whipping action to cause the rollers carried thereon to rattle in the tracks. The pair of brakes carried by the tracks and symmetrically disposed relative to the door and gripping each brake plate on the door from opposite sides thereof stops the door with substantially no strain other than longitudinal being imparted to the tracks. The lowest section of the door is centralized by the brakes so that there is no tendency for the door to bind when a pulling force is exerted on the lowest section to close the door.

Although a particular embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it is to 4 be understood that this is for illustrative purposes only and my invention is to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and overhead opened positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, a pair of substantially flat brake plates carried by said door on the lowest section thereof and extending transversely to the faces of said door in a vertical plane, and a pair of brake shoes having substantially flat surfaces carried by each track in opposed relation, said brake shoes being aligned with said brake plates to engage said brake plates as said door approaches overhead opened position to frictionally arrest movement of said door and prevent said lowest section from moving upward in the curved portion of said track due to a whipping action.

2. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and overhead opened positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, a pair of substantially flat brake plates carried by said door on the lowest section thereof and extending transversely to the faces of said door in a vertical plane, a pair of brake shoes carried by each track in opposed relation and having substantially flat braking surfaces, and outwardly deflecting end sections on said brake shoes, said brake shoes being aligned with said brake plates whereby as said door approaches overhead opened position the brake plates will encounter the outwardly deflecting sections and be cammed between the opposed brake plates to frictionally arrest said door and prevent said lowest section from moving upwardly in the curved portion of said track due to a whipping action.

3. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and overhead opened positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, a pair of brake plates carried by said door on the lowest section thereof and ex-' tending transversely to the faces of said door in a vertical plane, said plates bein of substantial extent in the direction of motion of said door, a pair of brake shoes carried by each track in opposed relation, said shoes being of substantial extent in the direction of motion of said door, resilient means urging the opposed brake shoes toward one another, and outwardly deflected end portions on said brake shoes, said brake shoes being aligned with said brake plates whereby a brake plate will encounter the outwardly deflected portions as said door approaches overhead opened position and will cam opposed brake shoes into engagement with the brake plates frictionally to arrest said door and prevent said lowest section from moving upward in the curved portion of said track as a result of a whipping action.

4. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and overhead opened positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, brake mechanism carried by the lowest section of said door, and means on one of said tracks substantially at the curved portion threreof frictionally engageable with the brake mechanism on said lowest door section frictionally to arrest opening movement of said door With no tendency of said door to buckle and therefore rattle in said tracks.

5. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and overhead opened positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, a brake plate carried by said door and extending transversely to the faces of said door in a substantially vertical plane, said brake plate being fixed relative to said door and having oppositely disposed, substantially flat frictional surfaces, a pair of brake shoes carried by one of said tracks in confronting relation and having substantially flat frictional braking surfaces, and outwardly deflected ends on said brake shoes, said brake shoes being aligned with said brake plate and positioned to engage said frictional surfaces on said brake plate to arrest opening movement of said door, the contacting areas of said brake plate and said brake shoes increasing following initial contact whereby to provide smooth braking action.

6. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and overhead opened positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, a brake plate carried by said door and extending transversely to the face thereof in a substantially vertical plane, and a brake carried by one of said tracks and including a bracket extending downwardly and inwardly of said track, an upstanding flange on said bracket, a brake shoe atop said flange having a frictional surface and outwardly deflected end portions, a second brake shoe in confronting relation with said first named brake shoe and having a frictional surface and outwardly deflected end portions, an angle bracket depending from said second brake shoe and engaging said upstanding flange at the lowest portion thereof, and means extending between said upstanding flange and said angle bracket above the lower portion thereof resiliently to urge said brake shoes toward one another, said brake shoes being aligned with said brake plate whereby as said door approaches overhead opened position said brake plate will engage the outwardly deflected portions of said brake shoes to cam the brake surfaces of said brake shoes and the frictional surfaces of said brake plate into frictional engagement to arrest said door.

7. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and overhead opened positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, a pair of brake plates carried by said door on the lowest section thereof, each of said plates having parallel frictional surfaces and extending transversely to the face of said door in a vertical plane, a pair of brake shoes carried by each track substantially on said curved portion, each of said pairs of brake shoes having confronting frictional surfaces and being substantially aligned with one of said brake plates whereby the frictional surfaces of said brake plates and said brake shoes will engage one another as said door approaches overhead opened position to frictionally stop said door.

8. In an overhead opening door structure, a multisectional door shiftable between closed and opened overhead positions, a pair of tracks having curved and substantially horizontal portions for guiding said door from one to the other of said positions, a pair of brake plates carried by said door on the lowest section thereof, each of said plates having parallel frictional surfaces and extending transversely to the face of said door in a vertical plane, a brake carried by each track on said curved portion, each of said brakes including a bracket extending downwardly and inwardly from the track, an upstanding flange on said bracket, a brake shoe carried at the top of said flange and having a frictional surface and outwardly deflected end sections, a second brake shoe confronting said first named brake shoe and having a frictional surface and outwardly deflected end sections, an angle bracket depending from said second brake shoe and engaging said upstanding flange substantially at the bottom thereof, a bolt extending through said angle bracket and through said upstanding flange above the bottom thereof, a coiled spring about said bolt, and a nut on said bolt whereby to adjust the pressure exerted by said spring, said spring urging the frictional surfaces of said brake shoes toward one another, said brake shoes being aligned with said brake plates to engage the frictional surfaces of said brake plates and thereby frictionally arrest movement of said door as it reaches fully opened overhead position.

CECIL R. WOLF.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 823,772 Fitch, Jr June 19, 1906 846,210 Jackman Mar. 5, 1907 897,747 Joyce Sept. 1, 1908 2,142,562 Greegor et al Jan. 3, 1939 2,166,746 Bartel July 18, 1939