US2688365A - Folding door - Google Patents

Description

A. T. GARUBO FOLDING DOOR Sept. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1951 FIG! INVENTOR ANGELO T. GARUBO ATTORNEY Sept. 7, 1 A. T. GARUBO 2,688,365

FOLDING DOOR Filed March 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ANGELO T. GARUBO maxi, ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1954 UNITED STATES l TENT OFFICE FOLDING DOOR Angelo .T. Garubo, Newark, N. J.

Application March 27, 1951, Serial No. 217,753

a 1 This invention relates to improvements in folding doors, windows, and the like, of a kind comprising a number of elongated panels having their corresponding ends moVa-bly interconnected by a pantograph, ror lazy-tong, arrangement whereby *for folding they can be closely nested together to one side of an opening with their surfaces coextensive and parallel to each other, or for unfolding they can be extended in edgeto-edge succession across the opening. More particularly, it relates to improvements in folding doors, partitions, and the like, which are disclosed U. S. Patent 2;5 7l7;8'84 which issued to me on December 1-1, 1951.

The expression, folding closure-portion, will heused in the present application as a generic term intended to include told-ing doors, windows, sections of 'walls, sections of ceilings and the like.

Certain disadvantageslimit the usefulness of prior-art types :of the closure-portions under :consideration. For example, unless their pantograph connected panels are unusually narrow, then, whenever these panels are nested, their respective edges extend beyond the two surfaces of the wall, ceiling, or the like, in which they are installed (:see Fig. 7 of the above-mentioned S. patent"). In the case of :a folding window this will preclude the mounting of an insect- ;screen flush with the outside surface of its frame in the usually preferred manner.

Another disadvantage is that it has been difzficul't to weather-strip the :ends of the closureportion at which its panels are pantogr-ap h connected.

'It is an object :of this invention to improve closure portions so :as to eliminate these and other disadvantages.

The principal improvement of the present inmention :is accomplished by modifying the priornrt way of attaching each of the pantographconnected panels of the closure-portion to the stationary frame which it is to be installed. In the prior :art the required attachment (rotatable and :slidable) of each of the panels to adiaacent stationary structures, such as to the top and bottomof :a door if-rame, has :heen efiected at pivots which protrude from the LEHGS of the panel along a longitudinal axis at for near the center line of the panel. According to the present invention it is efiected at pivots which protrude from the ends of the panel along such an axis' 'a-t or near an edge of the panel.

Ari additional improvement is accomplished by modifying the basic geometry of the pantographs 6 Claims. (Cl. 160-201) or lazy-tongs from that used in the prior art so that the succession of collapsible parallelograms defined by their pivot-connected links are no longer necessarily equilateral. As a result the "panels of a closure-portion can be made to nest (to one side of the opening in which they are installed) at any of a variety of desired angles with respect to the plane of the opening rather than necessarily at right angles thereto.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the outside of a :folding window embodiment of the invention with part of the external trim removed to show underlying structure;

Figure 2 is a sectional View of a window of the kind shown in Figure 1 taken along the line 2-,2 therein;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of another embodiment showing how lazy-tong pivots may be positioned in the ends of the panels .50 that a free set of lazy tong links joining the panels may be shorter than the panel edges serving as the other set to produce a modified pantograph according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of 'a modification of the window of Figure 2 illustrating its adaptability to weather stripping;

Figure :5 is a large-scale isometric View of a small portion of the window of Figure *2 to show details thereof which cannot be .shown in that figure because of its small scale;

Figure '6 shows a pantograph for use with a specific kind of pivot-track (or guideway') and how it may be used for an embodiment of the kind shown in Figure 3 to permit one panel to have certain .of its pivots centered with respect to its thickness dimension while all of the other corresponding pivots used for pantograph interconnecting the panels are off-center.

Figure '7 shows the specific track or guideway "with which the pantograp'h of Figure 8 is to be used; and

Figure 8 is a schematic representation of an embodiment like that of Figure '3 to show how the direction of tilt of the nested panels can be reversed from that shown in Figure 6 by using as anchor pivots the end pivots of the two free lazy tong links at the anchored end-of the pantograph rather than corresponding edge pivots in the panel at that end.

The window shown in Figures 1 and 2 is set in frame Hi and comprises three panels H, l2, and 13. The panels I i-l3 are supported in a manner, which is to be described below, so that the panels can be raised together to a nesting position near the top of the window opening. The mechanism provided for this purpose operates in such a manner that as the bottom panel is drawn upward, as shown at 15 in Figure 2, each of the panels will rotate in a clockwise direction, for the orientation shown in Figure 2, about a longitudinal axis which extends along the panel near its lower edge, whereby its top edge will tilt backward as shown by arcuate arrows B. At the same time the lower edge of each panel will move upwardly as shown by arrows U. The relative rates of the rotational and upward movements will be such that each panel will move upward as a whole. As a result, the panels I l-l3, in any positions intermediate their extreme positions for the fully closed or fully opened conditions of the window, will slope downward, toward the out-of-doors. Therefore they will serve to deflect upward any inwardly moving air drafts, and any driven rain which strikes them will run downward and outward to fall harmlessly upon the outer edge of the window sill 16. Moreover, no part of any of the panels will ever protrude beyond the front edge I! of the Window frame l0. Because of this last fact an insect screen may be flush-mounted on the outside of frame In without impeding the operation of the window or being susceptible to being damaged by it. However, since the top edges of the panels do move inwardly, proper precautions must be taken in so far as the positioning of any appurtenances which may be attached to the inside of the window. For example, a valance 28 should not extend downward below the arcuate path followed by the top edge of the top panel [3 in opening the window.

There is generally represented in Figure 1 at l8 the pantograph mechanism for movably interconnecting panels lI-I3 and causing them to operate together. The details of the pantograph arrangement l8 cannot be shown in this figure because of its small scale. However, in it a guideway 19, in which a number of pivots of the pantograph l8 are rotatably and slidably supported, is large enough to be recognizable in this figure. The ends of the guideway l9 are partially cutaway to show how a metal strap is carried within the guideway and is connected to the bottom-edge pin 2| of the bottom panel H. The strap 20 is thin enough so that it occupies little of the space inside of the guideway I9 and therefore does not interfere with its function of supporting and guiding certain of the pivots for the pantograph [8. In order to reach and engage the end of the strap 20 while the strap is closely adjacent the back inside surface of the guideway [9 the pin 2! is made longer than the other pins of the pantograph. Shortly beyond the point where the strap 20 emerges from the top end of the guideway l9 it passes over a pulley 23 and extends downward to a counterweight 24. It is to be understood that a similar counterweighing arrangement is built into the left side of the window even though it cannot be seen inasmuch as the frame is not shown to be cut away on its left side. The weight 24 should be heavy enough so that the only force required to nest or extend the panels is that needed to overcome the cumulative friction of the various pivots and links employed in the two pantographs l8. It will be found that this friction will suffice to hold the panels in any of their positions intermediate fully nested or fully extended if the weights 24 are properly selected to exactly counterbalance the dead weight of the panels.

The details of the control mechanism used along each side of the folding window for movably interconnecting the panels ll-l3 appear most clearly in Figures 3, 6, 'I and 8. In general this mechanism comprises (I) a pantograph I8, (II) a guide-way I9, and (III) an anchoring socket 34. Each of the pantographs is made up of (l) a set of free links 30, (2) a set of pane links 3| (by a panel link, as that term is used herein, is meant either an actual link which is fastened to and along an end-edge of a panel or simply an end-edge of a panel which itself serves as a link. Moreover, according to the present invention, the panel links may be either of the same length as the free links or of a different length), (3) a number of center pivots 32 each rotatably joining the center of a "free link with the center of a panel link, and (4) a number of end pivots 33 each rotatably joining the end of a free link with the end of a panel link. All of the end pivots 33 which are located on a given side of each pantograph l8 have extensions for holding the assembly operably captive in the frame Ill. To this end these extensions of all but one of the end pivots 33 of each pantograph are adapted to be retained within and guided along a respective guide-way IS, the extension of that one pivot 33 of each pantograph [8 being adapted to be rotatably captive in a respective anchoring socket 34. Thus each guide-way I9 will have the extensions of appropriate ones of the end pivots 33 caught captive between its guiding surfaces 25 and 26 while its associated anchoring socket 34 will have the extension of an appropriate single one of the end pivots 33 held rotatively captive in it. In this arrangement, as distinguished from many arrangements of the prior art including those described in my above-mentioned U. S. patent,'the guide pivots of each pantograph are end pivots instead of center pivots. As a result no part of any of the panels I l-l3 can move outwardly during opening of the window and. thus one of the disadvantages of the prior art, that of interference with exterior insect netting, screens, storm windows, etc., is eliminated.

Moreover, as another result of this kind of movement it is possible to use a weather strip arrangement like that shown in Figure 5 at 35, 36. In this arrangement one fixed grooved element 35 for each end-edge of I each panel is mounted in the frame II] with its groove facing inwardly while one conjugately-shaped edge piece 36, is carried along the outside surface of each endedge of each panel with a tongue positioned to engage the groove in an element 35 when the window is closed. As a result of using pantographs which are guided by end pivots rather than center pivots, i. e., as a result of using pantographs like those shown herein, each entire window panel moves forward as a whole and therefore thistype of weather stripping ar rangement is rendered feasible, whereas it would not be feasible if the panel were controlled by a conventional center-pivot-guided pantograph, since in that case half of the panel would move in the direction to disengage the tongued element from the grooved one at the same time that its other half would be moving in the direction to engage them. Thus another disadvantage of the prior art is eliminated.

The dimensions D and d shown in Figure 3 for the panel links 3| and the free links 32 are unequal, the dimension D being the larger in this particular example.

it is possible to attain the following :by using free and panel links of unequal lengths:

The panels can be made to tilt in direction toward which the panels are :moved for nesting them by making the free links the shorter while an end pivot of a free .as the anchor pivot of a pantograph orzby making the :free links the longer whiie using an edge pivot of a panel link as the anchor; or the panels can be made to tilt in the direction opposite to that in which the panels are moved for :nesting them by doing the converse, i. :.e :by makzmg the me the s'hmter while using edge pivot of a panel link longer while using an end pivot of a .free link as I the anchor.

The type of relative movement which is imparted to the panels l1|-|13 lay the pantograph 1:8

also facilitates weather stripping of the :top and bottom edges of the panels. Two ways of adapting these edges for interlocking tightly when the window is closed are shown in Figures 2 and 5 on the one and .Figure 4 on the other. In the first of these two ways the juxtaposed edges of adjacent panels are ship-lapped so that when the window is closed there is no straight line opening between them through which light wind, ,or rain can directly penetrate. Each two cooperating ship-lapped edges come firmly together because of the fact that while the lower of the two edges, i, e., the top edge of the lower of two adjacent panels, moves outward, the upper one, i. e., the bottom edge of the upper panel, moves directly downward. As a result, at the very last part of the closing cycle the bottom edge of the upper one of each adjacent pair of panels moves directly downward upon the top edge of the panel beneath it and this closes the space between them. In the second of these ways, see Figure 4, interlocking metal window stripping is added to the bottom and top edges of each panel as shown at 3! and 38. The use of such stripping is advantageous for the following reasons: (1) they will provide better sliding surface; (2) they will permit the use of more complex interlocking joints since thin sections, such as tongues and grooves will be less prone to break or Warp when made of metal; and (3) metal stripping may be made resilient, e. g., in acordance with the prior art practice of fastening the strip along only one of its edges and spring loading it to bend slightly outr ward away from the underlying panel edge.

Figure '7 shows how the track 19 may be made to deviate slightly from a straight axis in a terminal portion 39 near its end at which the pantograph is anchored to permit a slight modification in the positioning of the anchor pivot in the edge of the anchored panel. lhe pivot in question is positioned midway between the two surfaces of the anchored panel so that its edge near to its anchored axis of rotation may be rounded as shown at 4!]. It is sometimes desirable to round this edge so that the clearance between it and the adjacent side of the frame in which it is mounted will remain constant as the anchored panel is rotated. However, since all of the edge pivots 33 of the panel links are positioned nearer to one surface of the panels than the other in order to make possible the use of free and panel links of difierent lengths, such center positioning of the anchor pivot will cause the entire mechanism to bind as the panels are moved toward their nested condition. In other words with center positioning of the anchor pivot the anchor socket 34 must be misaligned with the guideway [9 to attain proper alignment of the panel surfaces when the window or door is closed. However, when the guideway is bent in the manner shown herein, binding "is averted and, if the length of the terminal portion .39 is no greater than the width of one panel, the surfaces of all of the panels will be proper .alignmentwhen the closure portion is fully closed.

The juxtaposed edges of adjacent panels may he formed either to permit the panels to come into the coplanar relationship as shown in Figure 4-01 into the lapped relationship shown in Figure .2.

What is claimed is:

l. A folding closure portion comprising 2, rectangiilar frame; within the frame a plurality of elongated panels at least two of which are of the "same width; a pair :of pantograph means tolda'blyand-u-n-foldably interconnecting the panels along their opposite end-edges; a pair of guideway means mounted in said frame facing each other across the opening surrounded thereby for carrying the interconnected panels slidably in said frame along a path parallel to a pair of opposite sides of the frame; each of said pantograph means comprising a set of free-links of a first predetermined length and a set of means acting as panel-links of a predetermined "length different than said first length 'ar-ticulate'ly joined by center pivots andend pivots in a lazy-tong arrangement, each of the center pivots being positioned so that an extension of its axis will pass between the thickness boundaries of a respective panel in any position thereof, a number of the end pivots which are positioned in each lazy-tong arrangement along one of its sides having portions which extend between guiding surfaces of the guideway means and are rotatably and slidably captive therebetween, whereby each of the panels in its entirety will tilt away from the plane of the opening defined by said frame as the panels are progressively folded together to open the closure portion; and weather stripping means comprising for each end-edge of each panel, an element, fixed in said frame, which has its surface which faces in the direction toward which the panel is tiltable formed with a predetermined interlocking configuration, and a surface on said end-edge having a conjugate configuration for tightly engaging that of the fixed element when the closure portion is fully closed.

2. A folding closure portion as in claim 1 also comprising an anchor means for each pantograph means, each anchor means having a socket aligned with one of said slots for anchoring the pantograph means so that a predetermined one of said panels can be made to rotate without sliding while each of the others simultaneously rotates and slides; and an anchor end pivot on the same side of the lazy tong arrangement as its said end pivots which are captive in said one guideway, said anchor pivot being an end pivot of the panel-link means of said predetermined panel and having a portion which extends into said socket and is rotatably captive therein.

3. A folding closure portion as in claim 2 in which all of the end pivots but the anchor end pivots are positioned in alignment with axes which extend parallel and near to respective ones of the long sides of the panels and are off-center with respect to the thickness boundaries thereof, while said anchor pivots are positioned in alignment with an axis which extends similarly with respect to one of the long sides of said predetermined panels but is substantially centered between its thickness boundaries, each of said slots is rectilinear over most of its length but for an end portion which deviates from the axis of the rectilinear portion by a predetermined fraction of the thickness of said predetermined panel, and

.each of said sockets is aligned with the end of guideways positioned with their slots facing each other and adapted to carry the interconnected panels slidably along the axis of the slots; each of said pantograph means comprising a set of free-links of a predetermined first length and a set of means acting as panel-link of a predetermined length different than said first length, such as end-edges of the panels or actual panel-links .25

attached respectively therealong, articulately joined by center pivots and end pivots in a lazytong arrangement, each of said center pivots being positioned in each lazy tong arrangement in alignment with a longitudinal axis of a respective panel which axis is parallel to the long sides of the panel and is located substantially midway between the long sides and also the thickness boundaries of the panel, and for each lazy tong arrangement a number of the end pivots which are positioned along one of its sides having portions which extend into the slot of a respective one of the guideways and are rotatably and slidably captive therein; a rectangular frame surrounding said interconnected panels and carrying said guideways; and means, including fixed elements mounted on said frame and movable elements mounted on the edge-ends of said panels, for weather-stripping the end-edges of the panels.

6. A folding closure portion as in claim 5 in which the pairs of edges of the long sides of adjacent panels which are juxtaposable by unfolding the closure portion are provided with interlocking surfaces for weather-stripping the closure portion when it is closed.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 702,146 McCloud June 10, 1902 765,196 Ritter July 19, 1904 1,495,589 Hofiman May 27, 1924 1,892,340 Guth Dec. 27, 1932 1,933,709 Cooper Nov. 7, 1933

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