US3006409A - Foldable doors or partitions - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1961 H. M. PEMBERTON FOLDABLE DOORS OR PARTITIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll II II.

Filed March 26, 1959 Oct. 31, 1961 Filed March 26, 1959 H. M. PEMBERTON FOLDABLE DOORS OR PARTITIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i? i! 10 l l {I I I u nitcd States Patent ice 3,006,409 FOLDABLE DOORS OR PABTIHGNS Hector M. Pemherton, Vermont, Victoria, Australia, as-

signor to Biitwell Accessories Proprietary Limited,

North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, a company of Victoria Filed Mar. 26, 1959, Ser. N 802,083 Claims priority, application Australia Apr. 2, 1958 8 Claims. (Cl. 160-34) This invention relates to foldable closures or partitions for doorway openings and the like, especially closures or partitions of the kind having an articulated framework comprising upper and lower lazy tongs structures, with or without intermediate structures of that type, connected together by pivot rods or pintles and joined to a rear or fixed stanchion and a leading or movable stanchion. Closures or partitions of this kind have an outside cover of fabric or plastic sheeting or other suitable flexible covering material which is fold-able, in the course of extension or contraction of the partition in use, the structure being suspended from an overhead track or otherwise supported in any suitable manner so as to form a foldable partition. Foldable structures of this kind are well known and may be permanently or temporarily installed in a doorway opening or the like, or, located to form a partition within a room in which the partition may be moved from place to place, as desired, provided an overhead track or other suitable support means is available for movement of the structure in use.

Satisfactory attachment of the fabric or like covers to the stanchions of the articulated framework of a closure partition of the above kind is a problem, as adhesives, which are currently used for the purpose, give variable results in adhesion qualities; also, attachment of the covers to the stanchions by means of adhesives is largely responsible for puckering of the covers when the closure struc ture is in use, which makes the structures much less attractive in appearance than otherwise would be the case,

the puckering apparently being caused by variations in atmospheric temperature expanding or contracting the covering material between the stanchions whereas the covering material adhering to the stanchions is relatively immovable. Other disadvantages of this relatively permanent attachment of the covers to the articulated framework are that the covers cannot easily be removed or detached for repair or adjustment of the framework mechanism, and, connection of the rear or fixed stanchion to the jamb of the opening in which the closure is to be installed has to be effected exterior of the closure, that isto say, it is not convenient to attach the rear or fixed stanchion to the jamb from within the covers, which otherwise would be the preferred form of attachment. Moreover, foldable structures of the present kind are practically permanently limited to the original covers from which the structure was fabricated, and, users would prefer to'have readily detachable covers for easy replacement by fresh covers of new design.

The present invention provides improvements in the attachment of the covers to closures or partitions of the present kind in that the use of adhesives'is avoided and the covers are easily attached and detached from the closure structure, which means, on the one hand, that puckering of the covering material normally due to adhesive attachment to the framework stanchions is avoided, and, on the other hand, that fresh covers of new design may be installed by the user as desired; in addition, the framework and covers can be packaged as separate items from each other in a container for assembly on the site, which lessens the probability of damage to which the covers are ordinarily subject, in transit, when attached to the fi'amework in manufacture as done hitherto; also, the

3,006,409 Patented Oct. 31, 1961 ready detachment of the covers from the framework facilitates the making of repairs or adjustments to the framework mechanism; also the fixed or rear stanchion of the closure structure can be readily connected to the jamb of the opening in which the closure is to be installed, as it is possible to so connect the fixed stanchion by simple thumb-screws from within the covers, as hereinafter more fully described.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided improvements in foldable closures of the kind indicated, wherein the covers have longitudinally-disposed beading near their ends or side extremities and the stanchions have complementary longitudinally-disposed beading means in co-acting engagement with the beading on the covers, the covers and the closure structure also having means for ready attachment and detachment of the covers to said structure at the top and bottom of the covers, the arrangement being such that the covers are effectively retained in position on the stanchions by the co-acting beadings but said headings can be parted to allow detachment of the covers from the stanchions.

The longitudinally-disposed beading strips can be fixedly attached to said covers near their ends or side extremities, and, the stanchions can embody longitudinallydisposed retaining strips having complementary longitudinally-disposed heading in co-acting engagement with the headings on the covers. For this purpose, there can be provided a pair of said retaining strips fitted to the movable stanchion and a similar pair of such strips fitted to the fixed stanchion which is connected to the jamb of the opening in which the closure is installed, the side extremities of said covers contacting side faces of the stanchions and the beadings on said covers being directed outwards in coacting engagement with the headings on the retaining strips. The latter headings are directed towards the covers so that the beadings on said covers can be readily engaged so as to hold the ends or side extremities of the covers in position against the stanchions and disengaged for detachment of the covers. The retaining strips can each consist of an extrusion section having a cross-sectional profile consisting of an arcuate central portion having an inwardly directed beading at one end and an inwardly directed flange at the opposite end terminating in an inturned tongue portion, each said retaining strip being semi-rigid to allow the strips to be parted from the stanchions.

Each stanchion can consist of a channel member, the ends of which are inturned towards each other to form flanges, the retaining strips being fitted to the stanchions so that the inwardly directed flanges and inturned tongue portions of the retaining strips embrace the inturned flanges of each said channel member. Suitable spacer means can be located between the retaining ships and jam the flanges thereof against the inturned flanges of the stanchions. The spacer means is conveniently embodied in an ornamental facing strip which is attached to the movable stanchion the ornamental facing strip being an extrusion section having a cross sectional profile consisting of a main rectangular body portion having a central projection on the inner face and extending into a sidewardly directed portion forming a slot with the main rectangular body portion lengthwise of said ornamental facing strip, the central projection and sidewardly directed portion constituting said spacer means.

Said ornamental facing strip can be held in position by a series of clamping plates, each said plate having a bent leg at one end which is adapted to be located in the slot formed between the sidewardly extending portion and the main rectangular body portion of the ornamental facing strip, the opposite end of said clamping plate having a tongue, said tongues of the series of clamping plates protruding through a series of slots arranged at suitable in- 3 tervals throughout the length of the inner face of the stanchion channel member. The ornamental facing strip can be in two longitudinal sections with a closure handle interposed, the closure handle being removably attached to the channel member of the movable stanchion.

In'the case of the fixed stanchion, said spacer means can consist of a series of channel-form clamping plates, a side of each of which is elongated and has a tongue, the channel-form portion of said plates being located to jam the flanges of said retaining strips against the inturned flanges of the fixed stanchions and the tongues of the clamping plates protruding through a series of slots arranged at suitable intervals throughout the length of the inner face of the fixed stanchion and twisted to lock the spacer means in position.

The means for ready attachment and detachment of the covers to the closure structure at the top and bottom of the covers can comprise studs fixed to the top and bottom portions of the covers at suitable intervals across the width'of the covers and connected to complementary stud members. Said studs can have inwardly directed retaining heads engaging with U-form clips pivotally attached to the top of the short pintles of a closure structure having top and bottom lazy-tongs mechanism, the U-form clips having slots in the opposite outstanding legs to receive said retaining heads of the studs.

The covers advantageously are of thermoplastic sheeting material and the top and bottom portions of the covers are folded over in attaching said studs thereto, the folded portions being turned back on themselves and the studs being nestled between the folded layers and fixed in position by heat welding of the thermoplastic material,

the heads of the studs being located between the layers of the material and shanks of the studs extending through the material for engagement with the U-form clips.

In order, however that the invention may be fully understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an example of a closure or partition of the kind with which the invention is concerned, shown installed in a doorway opening and extending across only part of the doorway opening;

FIG. 2 is part-sectional fragmentary front elevation of a preferred form of closure or partition structure, in embodying interconnected upper and lower lazy-tongs mechanism connected to a movable stanchion and fixed stanchion, the front cover being removed to show said mechanism and the stanchions; V 7

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of a cover according to the invention and showning a longitudinally-disposed beading strip fixedly attached to the cover near the end or side extremity of the cover;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken at lines 4"4 of FIG. 2 and illustrates the arrangement at the movable-stanchion end of the closure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view taken at lines 55 of FIG. 2, and is similar to FIG. 4 but shows the closure handle connected to the movable stanchion;

'FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional planview taken at lines 6-6 of FIG. 2 and illustrates the arrangement at the fixed-stanchionend of the closure;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional end view takenat lines 77 of FIG. 2 and shows the attachment of the covers to the lazy-tongs mechanism, illustrated with respect to the bottom of the closure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional end view taken at lines 8--8 of FIG. 2 and shows the attachment of the covers to the channel member of the movable stanchion, illustrated with respect to the top of the closure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective detail view of the fastening clips shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective detail view .of a clamping plate, aseries of which are used to hold the ornamental facing strip in position as seen in FIG. 4;

FIG. 11 is a perspective detail view of a channel-form and minor body plates 19 and 11.

4 clamping plate, a series of which are used to jam the longitudinally-disposed retaining strips in position as seen in FIG. 6;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the ornamental facing strip seen in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary erspective view of one of the longitudinally-disposed retaining strips seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a foldable closure or partition 1 installed in a doorway opening or the like 2, the closure or partition structure being suspended from an overhead track 3 at the top of the doorway opening. The closure or partition structure may comprise an articulated framework 4 formed by upper and lower hinged or lazy tongs structures 5 and 6 respectively, each comprising a series of pairs of hinged plates 7 connected together serially by central hinge pins or short pintles 8 and pivotrods or long pintles 9, the short pintles or central hinge pins 8 pivoting at the intersecting or mid-points of the major A fixed stanchion 12 is adapted to be secured to a door jam-b or the like 13 for hinging the structure thereto, inner pairs of major and minor end plates 14 of the lazy tongs structure being hingedly attached to said stanchion 12 at both upper and lower parts. At the opposite end of the articulated framework, a movable stanchion 15 is connected to outer pairs 16 of said end plates, the movable stanchion 15 having a closure handle 17 or the like for a user to grasp so as to open or close the structure in use.

A foldable cover 18 of any suitable flexible covering material is provided on both sides of the articulated framework, said covers being attached to the fixed stanchion 12 and the movable stanchion 15 in accordance with the invention as hereinafter more fully described. The foldable covers 18 also have means for ready attachment and detachment of the covers to the articulated framework at the top and bottom of the covers. This attachment can be effected by stud means 19 adapted to be detachably connected to U-form clips 20 connected to the pivot rods or long pintles 9 as hereinafter more fully described.

The overhead track 3 conveniently embodies a channel member or the like, the closure structure being suspended therefrom by slide blocks 21 located at the top of certain of the central hinge-pins or short pintles 8, said slide blocks 21 being held to the ends of said pintles by any suitable means. The slide blocks 21 preferably are nylon mouldings and are rectangular in elevation, with a central countersunk opening for attachment to the pintles 8 and having horizontally disposed side slots or recesses extending the length of the slide blocks for engagement with inwardly projecting flanges or webs of the channel member forming the overhead track 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 13, according to the invention the covers 18 are provided with longitudinallydisposed beading strips 22 having beading 23 and fixedly attached to the covers near their ends or side extremities as best seen in FIGS. ,3 to 6, and, the stanchions 12 and. 15 have fitted to them longitudinally disposed retaining strips 24 having beading 25, the beading 25 of said retaining strips 24gbeing complementary with the heading 23 of longitudinally-disposed strips 22 for coacting engagement. This arrangement consists of a pair of saidretaining strips 24 fitted to the opposite side faces of the movable stanchion 15, a similar pair of such strips being fittedto the opposite side faces of the fixed stanchion 12 connected to the jamb 13 of the opening in which the closure is to berinstalled. The ends or side extremities of said covers 18 contact side faces 26a of the stanchions '12 and 15, and the beadings 23 on said covers. 18 are directed outwards in coacting engagement with the headings 25 on the retaining strips 24, said beadings 25 of the retaining strips 24 being directed towards the covers 1 8 so that the headings 23 on the'be ading strips 22 can he slipped over the beading 25 on the retaining strips 24 so as to hold the ends or side extremities of the covers in position against the stanchions 12 and 15.

Each retaining strip 24 may consist of a synthetic plastic extrusion member having a cross-sectional profile comprising an arcuate central portion 26 having the beading 25 at one end and inwardly directed beading, an inwardly directed flange 27 being provided at the opposite end which terminates in an inturned tongue portion 28. The synthetic plastic material is of such a nature that said retaining strip 24 is semi-rigid but has a flexibility sufiicient to allow the strip to be forced apart from the stanchions 12 and 15 by the users fingers, when the strips are fitted to said stanchions and the headings 23 on the covers are being slipped behind the heading on said retaining strips 24 in attaching the covers 18 to the stanchions 12 and 15, or, when the headings 23 on the covers are being slipped passed the beadings 25 on said retaining strips 24 in detaching the covers from said stanchions.

The stanchions 12 and 15 advantageously are fabricated from metal and may each consist of a channel member 29 the ends or extremities of which are inturned towards each other to form flanges 30. Said retaining strips 24 are fitted to each stanchion channel member 29 so that the inwardly directed flanges 27 and inturned tongue portions 28 thereof embrace the inturned flanges 30 of the stanchion channel member in each case, suitable spacer means being located between the retaining strips 24 so as to jam the flanges 27 thereof against the inturned flanges 30 of the stanchions thereby to hold the retaining strips 24 in position.

In the case of the movable stanchion 15, said spacer means is conveniently embodied in an ornamental facing strip 31 which also functions toimprove the general appearance of the outer face of said movable stanchion. The ornamental facing strip 31 advantageously consists of a synthetic plastic extrusion having a cross sectional profile comprising a main rectangular body portion 32 having a central projection 33 on the inner face and ex tending into a sidewardly directed portion 34 which forms a slot 35 with the main rectangular body portion 32 lengthwise of said ornamental facing strip 31. Said central projection 33 and sidewardly directed portion 34 constitutes said spacer means for the movable stanchion and are adapted to be located between the inwardly directed flanges 27 of the retaining strips 24 so as to jam said flanges 27 against the inturned flanges 30 of the stanchion 15 as indicated.

The central projection 33 and sidewardly directe/d portion 34 of the facing strip 31 are located in the space extending lengthwise of the movable stanchion. In this instance the ornamental facing strip 31 is conveniently held in position by a series of metal or other suitable clamping plates 35, each having a bent leg 37 at one end which is adapted to be located in the slot 35 formed between the sidewardly extending portion 34 and the main rectangular body portion 32 of the ornamental facing strip 31, the opposite end of each said clamping plate 36 having a tongue member 38, the series of tongues of plates protruding through a series of slots arranged at suitable intervals throughout the length of the inner face of the stanchion channel member 29. Said facing strip 31 is in two parts so that the closure handle 17 can be interposed.

In the case of the fixed stanchion 12, said spacer means consists of a series of metal channel-form clamping plates 39 each of which has one leg elongated which terminates in a tongue member 40, a series of slots being arranged at suitable intervals throughout the length of the inner face of the fixed stanchion channel member 12, and the series of said tongue members 40 protruding through said slots so as to be twisted and lock the spacer means in position.

The means for ready attachment and detachment of the covers 18 to the articulated framework 4 at the top and bottom of the covers 18 can comprise stud means 19 fixed to the top and bottom portions of the covers at suitable intervals across the width thereof. Said stud means 19 can each have an inwardly directed retaining head 41 for engagement with each U-form clip 20 pivotally attached to the top of the short pintles 8 of the top and bottom lazy tongs structures 5 and 6, the U-form clips 20 each having a slot 42 in the opposite outstanding legs 43 to receive said retaining heads 41 of the studs. Advantageously, the top portion of the covers 18 are folded over, in attaching said studs 19 thereto, the folded portion being turned back on itself and the studs 19 being nestled between the layers and suitably fixed inposition such as by heat welding of the thermoplastic material from which the covers may be fabricated. The bottom portion of the covers 18 has the studs 19 fixed in position in the same way. In each instance, it is preferred that the heads 41a of the studs 19 be located between layers of material so that the heads 41a are not apparent from the outside, the shanks 44 of the studs extending through the cover material and in turn protruding through the slots 42 of the U-form clips 20 for engagement of the retaining heads 41 with said U-form clips as indicated.

The top portion of the covers 18 at both ends are also detachably held to the movable stanchion 15 and the fixed stanchion 12 by means of cover-suspending fastening clips 45, which have a U-form leg 46 for engagement with the top of the stanchions, as shown in FIG. 8, said clips also having upstanding lugs 47 expressed from the clip body for threading through appropriate slits cut in the covers 13. These fastening clips 45 are located behind the retaining strips 24 so that they are not visible and do not mar the appearance of the structure.

In use, the articulated framework 4, the covers 18, and the retaining strips 24, together with the closure handle 17 and other essential parts are advantageously packaged as separate items in a container for assembly on the site. In assembling the structure, the fixed stanchion 12 is connected to the jamb 13 of opening in which the closure is to be installed suitably by means of thumbscrews 48 having a fiat head, said thumb screws extending through the inner face of said stanchion 12 and screwing into said jamb 13, any number of said screws being employed for the purpose. In this way the rear stanchion 12 is readily connected to the jamb 13 and may be equally readily detached if so desired by simple preliminary detachment of the covers 18 from said stanchion 12. In attaching the fixed stanchion 12 to the jamb 13, the retaining strips '24 are first fitted to said stanchion 12 as indicated above, the spacer means holding said strips in position whilst the screwing of the stanchion to the jamb also serves to position said strips firmly against the jamb. The retaining strips 24 associated with the movable stanchion 15 are then fitted thereto and the ornamental facing strip 31 and closure handle 17 attached to said stanchion 15. Said stanchions 12 and 15 are now ready to receive the covers 18, which are attached to the opposite sides of the articulated framework 4, and said covers 18 are fitted thereto by firstly connecting the stud means 19 to the U-form clips 29 as indicated above at the top and bottom of the covers, then threading the covers 18 over the lugs 47, and then slipping the heading 23 on the covers 18 between the stanchions and the beading '25 of the retaining strips 24. As will be understood from the foregoing, said covers 18 may be equally simply detached by slipping the heading 23 on the covers 18 from between said stanchions and the heading 25 of the retaining strips 24, with all the attendant advantages indicated.

I claim:

1. A foldable closure comprising an articulated lazy tongs framework including fixed and movable stanchions, semi rigid strip members on both of said stanchions, said strip mernbers having opposite ends and including a bead adjacent one of said ends, flexible covers foldably between said stanchions, said flexible covers including a beading strip detachably engageable with said bead of the strip member with the bead and beading strip adjacent one another, said flexible covers having a top and bottom, and fastener means on said covers adjacent said top and bottom for detachably engaging said covers with the articulated lazy tongs framework.

2. A foldable closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said stanchion comprises a channel member including flanges having ends which are turned towards one another and define a space therebetween, each of said strip members including an arcuate central portion and a U shaped flange portion at the other of said ends, said flange portion being engageable with the end of the flange of the stanchion, and spacer means in said space jambing the flanges of the strip members against the flanges of the stanchions.

3. A foldable closure as claimed in claim 2 wherein said spacer means in the movable stanchion is constituted by at least one ornamental facing strip attached to the movable stanchion, said ornamental facing strip including a rectangular body, and a projection on said body, said projection being provided with a slot adjacent the rectangular body, said projection being adapted for engagement in said space for jambing the flanges of the strip members against the flanges of the stanchions.

4. A foldable closure as claimed in claim 2 wherein spacer means in the fixed stanchion is constituted by a plurality of spaced clamping plates having a channel cross section, said clamping plates being attached to the fixed stanchion, said channel including two flanges one of which is elongated and terminates in a tongue, said channel being at least in part in said space whereby the flanges of the strip members are j-ambed against the flanges of the stanchion, said fixed stanchion being provided with a plurality of spaced slots, said tongues protruding through said slots whereby the spacer means is locked with respect to the fixed stanchion.

5. A foldable closure as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a plurality of spaced clamping plates for engagement with the movable stanchion, each I of said clamping plates including a flange engageable in said slot, said movable stanchion having a plurality of spaced perforations, each said clamping plate including a tongue which is adapted to protrude through said perforation whereby said clamping plate is locked with respect to the movable stanchion.

6. A foldable closure as claimed in claim 5 wherein said spacer means is constituted by two ornamental facing strips in longitudinal alignment and defining a space therebetween, and a closure handle in said space removably on the movable stanchion.

7. A foldable closure as claimed in claim 5 wherein said spacer means in the fixed stanchion is constituted by a plurality of spaced clamping plates having a channel cross section, said clamping plates being attached to the fixed stanchion, said channel including two flanges one of which is elongated and terminates in a tongue, said channel being at least in part in said space whereby the flanges of the strip members are jambed against the flanges of the stanchions, said fixed stanchion being provided with a plurality of spaced slots, said tongues protruding through said slots whereby the spacer means is locked with respect to the fixed stanchion.

8. A foldable closure as claimed in claim 7 wherein said spacer means is constituted by two ornamental facing strips in longitudinal alignment and defining a space therebetween, and a closure handle in said space removably on the movable stanchion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,104,261 Landau 'Jan. 4, 1938 2,340,173 Case Ian. 25, 1944 2,732,894 Harris Jan. 31, 1956

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