US2956314A

US2956314A - Glass panels for overhead door

Info

Publication number: US2956314A
Application number: US790740A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dale H Rowe; Roy R Jackwig
Original assignee: Rowe Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Rowe Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1959-02-02
Filing date: 1959-02-02
Publication date: 1960-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 1977-10-18

Description

lOct. 18,` 1960 `1:5.1-1. Rw'E :TAL 2,956,314

Guss PANELS FOR OVERHEAD DOOR v f Filed Feb. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-sheet 1 IN VENTORS k @we T29; /Wg

Oct. 18, 1960 D. H. RowE :TAL y 2,955,314

GLASS PANELS FOR OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Feb. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 I l: il INVENTORS United States Patent O GLASS PANELS FOR OVERHEAD DOOR Dale H. Rowe and Roy R. Jackwig, Galesburg, Ill., as-

signors to Rowe Manufacturing Company, Galesburg, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 790,740

'4 Claims. (Cl. 20-36) This invention relates to glass panels for overhead doors and more particularly to a new muntin construction for sectional door frames.

Overhead doors for garages or the like commonly comprise a plurality of sections hinged one to another. Each section extends the full width of the door and constitutes a fractional portion of the doors height. A section commonly comprises four outer framing members: two horizontal members or rails and two vertical members or Stiles. Intermediate vertical members or mullions are spaced between the stiles. The stiles, rails, and mullions provide rectangular framing for panels of hardboard or plywood. Y

Glass panes are frequently substituted for all or a portion of the panels and are peripherally held in position by removable glazing strips. The intermediate vertical members between adjacent glass panes are most properly referred to as muntins. The stiles, rails, mullions, and muntins are generally of uniform thickness wooden construction and are joined to each other by mortise and tenon joints.

The glazing strips are provided to facilitate replacement of broken panes, and are commonly nailed or screwed into place. They are frequently broken or marred during the replacement of a pane and are diflcult to position correctly after they have once been removed. If nailed too tightly against the glass, the strips pinch it and cause it to break when the door slams or is jarred. lf nailed too loosely, the window rattles.

In doors with a great many glass panes, thin obscure muntins are desirable for appearance and passage of light. Standard opaque wooden muntins lessen the desired illusion of high glass area.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a removable metal or plastic muntin for use with the stiles and rails of a standard door section.

It is another object of this invention to provide a muntin construction that will facilitate the initial insertion and replacement of glass panes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a muntin that blends with the adjacent glass panes and contributes to the lbeauty of the door.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a muntin construction that resiliently holds the glass pane in place but is flexible enough to minimize pane breakage due to shocks transmitted through the framing members.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a two piece muntin construction that is easily movable within a door section, which is well adapted to continuous reuse upon repeated glass breakage, Iand which provides adequate reinforcement to expanses of glass Within the section.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of the features of the specific embodient of the invention herein described.

.Y 2,956,314 Patented Oct. 18, 1960 In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a garage with an overhead garage door.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a door section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional viewl taken substantially along line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the muntin construction herein'described showing the pieces in *clis-l assembled relation.

Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged fragmentary cross sectional v-iew of the muntin and the adjacent glass panes in disassembled relation.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional View of the muntin and glass panes in assembled relation.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the abutting portions of adjacent door sections.

Referring now with greater particularity to the drawings, Fig. l shows an overhead door 10 comprising four sections 12. Each section comprises an upper rail' 14, a lower rail 16, a left stile 18, a right stile 20, three glaSS panes 22, and two intermediate upright members or muntins 24 separating adjacent panes. Adjacent sections are pivotally'connected by hinge means 26 (see Fig. 3) on the back side of the door. The stiles are joined to the rails by moxtise and tenon joints, but the muntins 24 are of special construction as will be herein described. i

The muntin 24 (see Fig. 4) comprises a pair of parallel extruded plastic strips: a face strip 28 and a back strip 30. The face strip 28 comprises a pair of

legs

32 and 34 which are interjoined in a rounded vertex33 to form an approximate dihedral right angle. Two mutually

symmetrical flange portions

36 and 38 project from the inner sides of

legs

32 and 34 respectively. The

ange portions

36 and 38 converge to form akeyway 37 and then extend in a parallel manner to form a narrow channel 39 opening away from the vertex 33.

A long rod 40 in the nature of a bolt extends longitudinally through the keyway 37 and is trapped in position adjacent the vertex. The rod 40 extends through vertical holes 41 and 43 drilled in the upper and

lower rails

14 and 16 respectively (Figs. 3 and 7) whereby to position the face strip 28 therebetween.

An internally threaded anchor member or T-nut 42, provided with downwardly extending anchor points 45, is centered on the hole 41 and driven into the -top of top rail 14. One end of the rod 40 is threaded into the anchor member 42. The other end of rod 40 is provided with a slotted head 44 and a washer 46 for engagement with the bottomsurface of the bottom rail 16.

The back strip 30 is of approximately the same width as the front strip 28 and comprises two mutually

coplanar flange portions

48 and 50 spaced apart and interjoined by a channel portion 52. The channel portion 52 opposes the face strip ange

portions

36 and 38 when the muntin 24 is in assembled relation.

A plurality of self-tapping screws 54 with a common minor diameter of slightly less than the width of the channel 39 is provided for insertion through preformed holes 56 in back strip 30. The screws 54, when driven into the channel 39, hold the-front and

back strips

28 and 30 resiliently against opposing faces of adjacent glass panes 22 whereby iirmly to clamp and seal the glass panes 22 inposition and to reinforce them. f A i The screws 54 and back plate 30 are easily removable to free the clamped edges of the glass panes for removal if necessary. Glazing strips 58 (Figs. 2 and 3) are used in the usu-al manner along the stiles and rails to clamp the remaining sides of the glass panes in position.

The anchor member 42 is driven into the top rail flush with the surface of the wood, but a recess is pro- Several advantages ofthe structure just describedrirayv now be, noted. The holes 56 may be positioned anywhere along 'the longitudinal center line .of .the Vback strip 30 and may be easily relocated in the event of damage Vto the channel threads since the channel is of propernwidth throughout its length for reception ofthe self-tapping screws.

If a lesser or greater number of panes are .desired the muntins can be easily relocated merely by drilling new holes through the upper and lower rails and relocat-I ing vthe rods 40 therethrough. This ,can be done without disassembling the door if the work is done while the door is Vpartially raised. The sections are then hinged at sucient anglesto one another to provide access to the tops and bottoms of the sections.

The muntins are more easily removed and replaced than would be the additional glazing strips necessary with wooden muntins of conventional construction. In addition, the flexible resilient clamping action of the two

strips

28 and 30 minimizes breakage due to shock transmission through-the door framing since nowhere is the glass tightly pinched.

It will be noted from Figs. and 6 that the iianges 36-38 whenk drawn within the complementary recess on theunderside of the back strip 30, are firmly gripped by the wall defining this recess. Thus, as the threadcutting screw is tightened withinihe .groove formed between the anges 36 and 38, a very snug iit between these flanges and the back strip 30 is assured.

When made of clear plastic, the muntins of the present invention presenta desirable appearance. An illusion of a more or less continuous expanse of glass is created, and'more light passes through thedoor than if the Wider, opaqueY wooden muntins were used.

Aluminum or other decorative metal may be used in place of the plastic to create a desired effect. Also, the clamping strips may vary in cross-sectional shape without deviationV from the present invention. 'I'he extruded strips of plastickare easily cut to length and useable for varioustypes of door section. The precise extruded shape may obviously be changed within limits to function in similar manner to the particular embodiment above described. The numerous modications of the present invention that may occur to one skilled in the art are to be .understood as forming a part of this invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention isclaimed as follows:

`l. In an overhead garage door section comprising two horizontal rails, Ytwo vertical stiles .interjoined therewith, and aplurality of glass panes, the improvement which comprises a removable plastic muntin disposed between and in clamping relation with respect to two adjacent glass panes, said muntin comprising a rst strip member of uniform cross section which comprises a pair of equidimensional angularly disposed leg portions, the end surfaces of said, leg portions being disposed in a common `plane whereby conveniently to be engageable with mutually coplanar surfaces of adjacent panes, intermediate flange portions projecting from the central region of `each of said leg portions inwardly toward one another whereby to form a longitudinal groove, said flange portions being bent so as to form a slot portion which extends between saidpanes, the outer portions of said ange portions being engageable with the adjacent edges of said panes, a second strip member of substantially equal width and length with said iirst strip member and comprising outer ange portions for engagement with said panes opposite the areas of engagement of the leg portions of said first strip member with said panes, a central portion offset from said panes and interconnected with said lflanges, screw means extending through said central portion and into said `slot Yportion for threaded engagement with said intermediate flange portions, said screw means -being tightenable whereby to urge said iirst strip member flange portionsand said second strip member flange portions resiliently against opposing sides of said panes, elongated rod'means of greater diameter than the width of said slot and extending through said groove longitudinally throughout said first strip member and through suitable apertures in said rails, said rod means being secured between said lrails whereby to -be held in fixed relation to said section.

2. In an overhead garage door section comprising two horizontal rails, two vertical Stiles interjoined therewith, and a plurality of glass panes, the improvement which comprises a'removable muntin disposed between and in clamping relation'with respect to two adjacent glass panes', said muntin comprising a first strip member of uniform cross sectional configuration which comprises two equidimensional angularly disposed leg portions, the end surfaces of said legportions being disposed ina common plane whereby conveniently to be engageable with mutually coplanar surfaces of adjacent panes, a projection cornprising intermediate flange portions projecting from each of said leg portions and extending between said panes, a second strip member of substantially equal width and length with said .first strip member and comprising outer'flange portions for engagement with said glass panes opposite the areas of engagement of "the leg portions of said `iirst strip member with said panes, ra central portion offset from said panes and providing a longitudinal recess of a width substantially equal to the thickness of said projection telescopically receiving and gripping Vthe outer surfaces of said intermediate flange portions to resist separation thereof upon the insertion of fastening means therebetween, and fastening means extending through said central offset portion and into grippingengagement with the inner surfaces of said intermediate flange portions whereby resiliently to urge said rst strip member leg portions and said second strip member ange Vportions against opposing faces of said panes.

3. In an overhead garage door section as claimed in claim 2, wherein saidfastening `means comprises screw elements vthreadedly .embedded in the inner surfaces of said intermediate ange portions.

4. In an 4overhead garage door section as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first strip member includes a longitudinal groove at the inner end of said intermediate ange portions and ,elongated rod means extending through said groove and secured between said rails.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS