US2885721A

US2885721A - Door closer

Info

Publication number: US2885721A
Application number: US664552A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alan M Lipschutz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-06-10
Filing date: 1957-06-10
Publication date: 1959-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1976-05-12

Description

DOOR CLOSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1957 Fly. 2

INVENTOR. ALAN M. LIPSGHUTZ ATTORNEY? y 1959 A. M. LIPYSCHUTZ 2,885,721

DOOR CLOSER Filed June 10, 1957 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR. ALAN M. LIPSCHUTZ ATTORNEY;

Unitecl States Patent DOORIILOSER Alan M."Lipschutz,"Narlierth, Pa. APplication1June110; 1957,;Serial No. 664,552

" Claims; .(CI; 16-59) -This-invention'-.relates to= a.-.door closer-and'check con struction adap'ted to be .used on agrightehand-door as 'well I as-v on a left-hand door :withoutrequiring rearrangement of itsinternal mechanism.

. i The door:closerconsists=-essentially of a housing :con- -.ztainingacoiledtcloclgtype springwhich is adapted to be v selectively restrained at its-inner-end or at its outer end depending upon/whether it isaused on wright-hand or leftrhand ;door.---. Means tare provided externally of. the Ca SiDEgKWhJ .Ch can betama-nually set to select the desired spring action.

,tFurther detailsr-and-advantages of--.t-he--invention will be apparentfrom the followingspecification-and accom- .Tpanying. drawings wherein:

Figure...-1.is-a vertical-longitudinalzsection ofthe-door closer,

n Figure 2 is atzsectional viewttaken. on-.,lines 22 of Figure 1,

;-Figure.-3 is--a.- view. taken on-lines 3-.3 of; Figure 1,

.. ..;Eigure 5 -.is ,aaperspeetive -yie,w of-,.the double-pawl used iH thndOfiC1QSI :shown in Figure 1,

Figure s6s-ist a perspective. wiew of; the spring -dr-iver;used inztherdoor closen-shown IIgFigUI .1'; and v Figures-71s: a perspective-view of-.the.ratchet-.wheel 51 sleeve .integral;-.therewithused in theeidoor closer T-.-Sh0Wt in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the.-casting which; carries vtheclosingand :checlging: mechanism consists of ahousing nconsis tingofiinyl-inden 10;":and aspring-housing 30 .which isnprovidedzwithssideswings-;32,;-.the rlatter having screw-"holes 34 fonattaching-the closer to a-,door.- uValve -14,.controlsithe fluid by-ipass tflow imthe cylinder 10 in a :zmannensimilarato \the-valye f3. ofi Taylor-Patent 658,518.

. .The. cylinder. 1-0 is; adapted tosifetain 1 a suitable 1 fluid Wandiisclosed by. .aniend cap llg internally threaded at M1111, .and..se,aled hyt-gaske't 7.1. }A--.piston; 9-:-provided.- with a check valve of well=knowntconstruction -to permitpassage ofthe liquid in-a wellrk-nown: manner is adapted to reciprocate.withint-thet-cylinder 10 and is --actuated by a -.crank -16:1whiehtisnconnected vto-.-one end of a: connecting ,.:1ink. 171.. The other; end ofiilink -17 is iconnected to pin 13 M fixed in.t he.-piston 9:.ErThe1fluid inethe'forward part 25 of.the..cylindersis-edapted to be -bywpassed by -adjustment oflvalvetscrewt 14twhichtcontrolsfiow of theI-fluid.

The crank 16 is integrally connected to rotatable-spindle which extends through a bearing plate 75 which is threaded at its per-ipheryi75acfandis retained thereby in the annular juncture 30a of chamber 10 with housing 30. The bearing-plate'75 is provided with a hub portion .w- 7.7 whichtembraces the spindle 15 andis adapted to. rotat- ...-.;ably =.supp ort a spring driver 60, shown in perspective in .rrFigur-e The spring driver 60 isqrrovidedwitlmas sleeve 62 having a bore 63 through which the spindle 15 extends, as shown in Figure 1. The upper portion of the sleeve 62 is provided with two parallel flattened portions 64, as shown in Figure 6, for receiving an upper ratchetwheel 50 which is provided with an opening having com- :.plemental= flattened .portions 50a, as shownin Figure 3.; adapted to slidably fit'the flattened portions 64 o f'the tsleeve' 62. It will beevident that.v upon rotation of ratchetswheel 50; spindle 15 will beJrotated in the same direction,.which in turn-will operate. the'crankt16.

Referring to..Fig-ure.1, it?will beseenthatasleeve 62 is surrounded by.a sleeve 54 which is free to rotatethereon. vSleeve 54 is: integral with=airatchetfwheel 51, as-shown r in Figure .7 ,"1 whichiis positioned below the upper ratchet- 10c wheel 50, as. shown in.Figure 1;:v The ratchet-wheel 51 ,is provided with a lug SIa'eXtending-beyondits periphery as shown in Figure 4, fora purpose to be explained later. A- washer 53 is positionedbetween-the two ratchet- .z-wheels,;the washer 53 having an outsid'e diameter sub- 15 stantiallyv equal to. the outside diameter of lower-ratchetv wheel 51L As shown inzFigure 7','-the sleeve 54 .is providedzwith a longitudinal slot. 54a which is adapted to engage: and retain the .inner end 70a of -'acoiled clock type .steelzspring 70, as shown iniFigure 2. The outer Aind 70b of. the. spring 70 is adapted to be retained by a spring-retaining post 61 which-is-integral with thespring driver 60 as shown inFigure 6.

I Thexhousing- 36 is provided with a vertically extending recess 33 for receiving a stop plate 85 which-has a forwardly extending stop portion 86 extending -within the housing. The stop portion" 86 is adapted to be abutted by the spring-retaining .post61, as shown in Figure 2, so

as to restrain the outer end 70b of the spring 70 against .*.movement.

The upper 'end of housing 30 is closed by a frictionally retained cover: 35 which is provided with two spaced 1 :downwardly;extendingwlugs 5 which abut the side" wings 1; 3-2 and thereby prevent rotation-thereof." Cover 35 is alsovprovided with an upwardly extending-lug 80 as shown in-fFiguresl 'and-A'Which is adapted to act as a gnstop for extension. 51a ofratchet-wheel 51 fora-purpose to benexplained lateral-The: cover 35 is provided with a .nzcentral opening to permit the sleeve 54 of ratchet-wheel 51 towextend therethroughupwardly so as to permit iratchet wheel to be: rotatably supported onthe shoulder portiom 36 of the covers As described previously, a washer 53 is positioned on ratchet-wheel 51 and the upper .zs ratchebwheel 50 is positioned thereover.

2 L-The'upperiend 15a of spindle 15 may be machined to give it an octagonalushape for receiving a-complemental opening in-one. end of the closing arm '40 as-shown in 'tuFigure 3.;i-Tl16 arm 40is securely retained on spindle 15 i by; a'rnut 49. threadedthereoniagainst awasner 43 Arm a 40 .isqprovidedwithzapin 41 for rotatablymetaining a doublepawl 45 which is shown in perspective in-Figure 5-. The double pawl consists of anintegral upper pawl 47 and an integrallower .pawl 46. The double pawl 45 is adapted to be manually moved so as to selectively engage eitherpawl 46 with ratchet-wheel 51, or to engage "pawl 47 with upper ratchet-wheel 50,-depending upon whetherthe closer is to be used on arright-hand or lefthand door. Suitable indicia, such as 15', may be prov vided on the end ofspindle 15, and suitable indicia, such L as 4.07, on the end of arm 40, so that thearrn 40- rnay be iproperly positioned on spindle' 15 at any suitable-angle i to, permitoperation of the. closer for either right-hand or left-hand door operation.

At the time of installation of the closerona door,-the spring 79 is suitably tensioned or pre-loaded' by first .t-manually.::rotatingieither ratchet-wheel 51 or ratchetwheel depending uponnwhetherthe doorcloser is to bezzused on aright-hand orileft-hand doorL The-function loaded or tensioned to a suitable predetermined extent. This is accomplished by means of a suitable spanner wrench which is used to manually engage and rotate ratchet-wheel 51 in counter-clockwise direction, and likewise sleeve 54 integral therewith will also be rotated in the same direction. The inner end 70a of coiled spring 70, which is retained in the slot 54a of sleeve 54, will thereby be rotated and wound counter-clockwise while the spring-retaining post 61 will abut and thereby be fixedly retained against stop portion 86, thereby fixedly retaining the outer end 70b of the spring 70. Energy will thus be stored in spring 70 to pre-tension same to a desired degree. The pawl 46 is then manually pivoted so as to engage ratchet-wheel 51 and retain it against rotation whereby opening of the door will turn arm 40 and thereby wind up the inner end of said spring. Upon releasing an opened door to which the closer is attached,

the stored energy of spring 70 will reverse the action of the parts previously described and thereby operate arm 40 which will act to close the door. Since lever arm 40 is attached to the upper end of the spindle 15 it will act to rotate the spindle when the door is opened and in turn operate the checking mechanism in a known mannen Likewise, when the door is being closed by the action of the stored energy in the spring this movement is regulated by the checking mechanism in a known manner. The pro-loading of spring 70 previously referred to in addition to the energy stored in the spring 70 by virtue of the opening of the door supplies the necessary energy required to close a door of given size and weight on which the closer is used.

When the door closer is to be used on a right-handed door, it is suitably attached to the door by screws passed through holes 34 in plates 32. The spring 70 is then preloaded or tensioned by manually rotating ratchet-wheel 50 in a clockwise direction by means of a suitable spanner wrench. Since ratchet 50 is engaged with the upper portion of sleeve 62, clockwise rotation of sleeve 62 will parts previously described and thereby rotate arm 40 in a counter-clockwise direction and close the door.

The construction of the universal closer herein described is particularly advantageous on account of its simplicity of parts, each of manufacture and assembly durability and relatively low cost. The parts will not get out of order and will operate efliciently. The door closer furthermore has the advantage that the checking of an opened door will occur at about 85 from the closed position thereof for either right-hand or left-hand operation because the described construction in conjunction with the stored energy in the coiled spring 70 initiates hydraulic checking action at this angle.

It will be understood that the specific construction of the various parts of the door closer as herein described are intended to be an illustrative embodiment of the invention and that changes and modifications may be made which are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. door closer comprising a casing formed to provide a cylinder and a spring chamber, a reciprocable piston in said cylinder, a spindle rotatably mounted in said casing,

said spindle being connected to said piston, a spring driver positioned in said spring chamber and having a sleeve portion and a spring-retainer post, said sleeve portion being rotatably mounted on said spindle, a ratchetwheel having a sleeve portion integral therewith rotatably mounted on the sleeve portion of said spring driver, a coiled spring in said spring chamber, said sleeve portion of the ratchet-wheel being provided with a slot for retaining the inner end of said spring, a lug extending from the periphery of said ratchet-wheel, a cover on said spring chamber for closing same, a stop portion on said cover, said lug on said ratchet-wheel being adapted to be retained against said stop portion, whereby upon clockwise rotation of said ratchet-wheel so as to position the said lug of said ratchet-wheel against said stop portion the outer end of said coiled spring is free to be wound while the inner end of said coiled spring is fixedly retained in the slot of said sleeve portion to store energy in said coiled spring, the upper end of the sleeve portion of said spring driver being provided with at least two opposed flattened portions, a second ratchet-wheel positioned on said upper portion of said upper end of the spring driver sleeve portion, the said second ratchet-wheel being provided with an opening adapted to mate with the said opposed flattened portions and being rotatable therewith, a lever arm pivotally carried on the upper end of said spindle, a double pawl pivotally mounted on said lever arm, said double pawl having an upper pawl and a lower pawl adapted to be manually positioned and selectively engaged with the said ratchet-wheels, the lower pawl being adapted to be engaged with the said first-mentioned ratchet-wheel and the upper pawl being adapted to be engaged with said second ratchet-wheel, a stop portion retained in the wall of said spring chamber, said stop portion being adapted to retain the said spring retainer post against rotation in a counter-clockwise direction, said spring retainer post being adapted to retain the outer end of said coiled spring, whereby upon counter-clockwise rotation of said second ratchet-wheel the inner end of said coiled spring is free to be wound up while the outer end of said coiled spring is fixedly retained against said stop portion retained in the wall of said spring chamber to store up energy in said coiled spring, said door closer being adapted to be used selectively on a rightor left-hand door by manual adjustment of said double pawl.

2. A door closer as defined in claim 1, wherein a washer is interposed between the ratchet-wheels, the outer diameter of said washer being substantially the same as the outer diameter of the first-mentioned ratchet-wheel.

3. A door closer as defined in claim 1, wherein the easing is provided at its inner periphery with a longitudinally extending channel for slidably receiving a plate therein, said stop portion being integral with said plate and extending within the spring casing and adapted to be engaged by the spring-retainer post.

4. A door closer as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper end of the spindle is of octagonal contour and one end of the lever arm is provided with a complemental oc tagonal opening for receiving the upper end of the spindle, and indicia on adjacent portions of the upper end of the spindle and end of the lever arm for indicating predetermined positions of the lever arm with respect to the spindle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 654,304 can July 24, 1900 654,305 Cliif July 24, 1900 658,518 Taylor Sept. 25, 1900