US3097689A

US3097689A - Vehicle operated garage door opening means

Info

Publication number: US3097689A
Application number: US184800A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur W Faecher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-04-03
Filing date: 1962-04-03
Publication date: 1963-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-16

Description

July 16, 1963 A. w. FAEcHER 3,097,689

VEHICLE OPERATED GARAGE DOOR OPENING MEANS Filed April 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

July 16, 1963 A. w. FAEcHl-:R 3,097,689

VEHICLE OPERATEE GARAGE DooR OPENING MEANS Filed April 3, 1962. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .dll e S Z-I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,097,689 VEHICLE OPERATED GARAGE DOOR OPENING MEANS Arthur W. Faecher, 46 Henry Drive, Glen Cove, N.Y. Filed Apr. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 184,800 Claims. (Cl. 160-189) This invention relates to garage door opening means, and more particularly concerns a device responsive to the abutment thereof by a vehicle about to enter a garage `to release the closed door and allow the same to be automatically lifted to its open position.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved compact device attachable to a vertically movable garage door of the -hinged horizontal panel type with spring means -for raising the same to its open position, for releasing the door from its looked condition in response to pivoted movement of an abutment member as the same is engaged by a vehicle about to enter such garage. i Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, which comprises a minimum number of component parts, which parts are readily mounted on standard garage door constructions and which will operate smoothly under all conditions of use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, which has pivoted moving parts on the inner surface of the garage door, such parts being compact and lying close to the door surface so as not to unduly project therefrom.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved garage door opening means which includes an abutment member mounted on one of the door panels, said abutment member being of a construction to conform to the successive door panels as the same move in a curved path during the opening movements of the door and thereby avoid interference with adjacent portions of the frame structure.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the lower portion of a garage door including the opening means embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 a rear elevational view of the lower portion of the garage door.

Referring in detail to the drawing, designates a garage structure incorporating door opening means embodying the invention. Garage 10 comprises a doorway 11 in which a door '.12 is arranged for vertical movement between closed and open positions. Door 12 is made up of

horizontal panels

13, 14, 1S etc. hinged together as at 16, in a manner known in the art.

Door 12 is provided with means for exerting a lifting force on the same to raise the Idoor to its open position. To this end, spring means 17 is anchored at one end, as at 18 on a suitable braoket, not shown, extending from a wall portion, not shown of the garage. A cable 19 extends from the other end of spring means 17, runs over a pulley 20` mounted on a bracket 21 'fixed to door frame portion `22, the lower end of said cable being secured to a lower portion of the lowermost door panel 13 adjacent the end edge thereof. Spring means 17 has a Ibias of an onder to overcome the lweight of `door l12 so as to exert a positive lifting power, yet allowing the door 1-2 to be pushed down to its closed position by means of handles 23, 24 on opposite sides of the door.

-Means is provided for releasably holding door 12 in ice its closed position; and further for effecting the release of the holding means by suitable action of a vehicle approaching the door 12 to enter the garage. To this end, keeper means 25 is iixed to the floor F of -garage 10, said keeper means comprising a short at bar portion 26 secured to floor F by bolts 27, and a raised olfset portion 28. Keeper means 25 is located adjacent the bottom edge 29 of the lowermost door panel 13 and extends parallel thereto.

Latch means 30 is pivotally mounted on the door panel 13 immediately above bottom edge 29 thereof, for releasably engaging keeper means 2S. Latch means 30 is in the form of a lever member having a reversely hooked portion at one end thereof. Thus, latch means 30 cornprises an elongated arm portion 31, a substantially S- shaped portion 32 extending from one end of arm portion, said S-shaped portion terminating in a hook portion 33.

Latch means 30 is pivotally mounted on a bolt 34 extending through a lower edge portion of door panel 13, said bolt 34 carrying spacer washers 35 and passing through the medial portion 36 of S-shaped portion 32. A nut 37 locks bolt 34 in place. A spring 38 is anchored at one end to hook portion 33 at a point adjacent to pivot bolt 34; the other end of said spring 38 being secured to door panel 13 as at 39 which is a point adjacent bottom edge 29 of said door panel. Thus, spring 38 tends to turn pivoted latch means 30` in a direction to engage hook portion 33 thereof, with keeper portion 28, when the door l12 it in its closed position. Thus, door 12 is retained in such closed position despite the lifting action of spring means 17.

Means is provided for releasing latch means 30 to allow door 12 to automatically rise to its open position, merely in response to lforward movement of a vehicle, not shown, as the same approaches door 12. T o this end, a bumper member 40 is pivotally mounted on door panel 14 to pass the angularly related arm portions disposed arm portion 41 which is held in spaced relation to the front surfaces of

door panels

13, 14 by an angle portion 42 which extends upwardly and inwardly from the upper end of arm portion 41; and a downwardly and outwardly extending arm portion 43.

The juncture of angle arm portions 42, `43 is mounted on a short ychannel member 44 which is fixed to the outer surface of door panel 14 on a mid portion thereof, for pivoted movement by means of a transverse pivot pin 45. The wall of channel member 44 is formed with an opening 46 which registers with an opening 47 in door panel 14; said member 40 comprising a vertically of member 40 therethrough.

The lower end of arm portion 43 is connected to the outer end of latch arm portion 31 by a cable 48; a screw connection 49 on the latch arm portion 3K1 allowing for adjustment of the effective length of cable 48. Cable 48 is guided in a predetermined path by means of

eyes

50, 51 fixed to the door panel 1-4. A spring 53 is secured at one end thereof to a lower portion of arm portion 43 and is anchored at the other end to panel y14 at a point 54 above opening 47. In lthe event that bumper member 40 is moved only slightly by the vehicle approaching the same, which movement is sucient to release latch means 30, but leaves arrn portion 41 projecting outwardly of the outer surface of door panels, 13, 14; spring 53 is operative to pull arm portion 41 inwardly towards said door panels, thereby facilitating the movement of the door 12 as the same moves upwardly and then horizontally, in the usual manner.

The juncture of

arm portions

41 and 42 is located in relation to the abutting edges of

door panels

13, 14 so as to allow said bumper member 40 to conform to the angular relation of said

door panels

13, 14 as the same move in a curved path adjacent door frame portion 22, when door 12 is raised to its open position by spring means 17. Spring means 17 may be augmented by supplementary spring means, not shown, to provide the necessary lifting power in terms of the weight of door 12.

The door 12 may rbe operated manually by handles 23 or 24 to lower the same against the action of spring means 17 and 'bumper member 40 is pulled outwardly or lever' arm portion 31 is' depressed to allow hook portion 33 to reengage keeper means 2S. The lifting action of spring means 17 will then keep said hook portion 33 and keeper means Z5 in interengaged relation, aided by the action of spring 38.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I `claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a vertically movable garage door having a plurality of horizontally disposed, hinged panels, spring means operatively connected to said door for exerting a lifting force thereon, an opening in one of said door panels and yfulcrum means on said panel at said opening therein, and keeper means on the floor of said garage adjacent the bottom edge of the lowermost door panel, a pair of members, one of said members being pivotally mounted on the inner surface of the lowermost door panel for releasa-bly engaging said keeper means, the other of said members bein-g pivotally mounted on said fulcrum means and comprising a vertically disposed vehicle abutment portion adjacent the outer surface of said one door panel arranged for movement toward said one door panel upon contact therewith by a vehicle moving towards said door and an arm portion angularly related to said abutment portion and extending through said door panel opening and in a downward direction, and means connecting said arm portion and said one pivoted member for moving said one pivoted member to release said keeper means in response to movement of the abutment portion of said other memlber toward said door panel.

2. In the .combination as in claim 1, wherein said one member comprises a hook shaped end portion Afor engaging said keeper means and a lever arm portion extending from said hook shaped portion, said connecting means comprising cable means connecting the outer end of said lever arm yportion and the outer end of the angular arm portion of said other member.

3. In the combination of claim 1, andv further including spring means on said door panel and connected to said one pivoted member for urging said one pivoted member in a direction to engage said keeper means.

4. In combination with a vertically movable garage door having a plurality of horizontally disposed hinged panels, means operatively connected to said door for exerting a lifting force thereon, keeper means on the iloor of the garage, a member pivotally mounted on the inner surface of the lowermost door panel adjacent the bottoni edge thereof and including a hook portion for releasa'- bly engaging said keeper means, a vehicle abutment member pivotally mounted on the door panel immediately above the lowermost door panel, said abutment member comprising a vertically disposed first arm portion adjacent the outer surface of said door panels, a second arm portion extending from the upper end of said rst mentioned arm portion and projecting" through an opening in the second mentioned door panel, fulcrum means on said second mentioned door panel adjacent the opening therein for pivotally mounting said second arm portion and a third arm portion extending downwardly from the inner end of said second arm portion and adjacent the inner surface of said second mentioned door panel, and means connecting the free end of said third arm portion and said first mentioned member for pivoting said first member in a direction to release said keeper means in response to movement of the vertically disposed arm portion inwardly toward said door panels.

5. The combination as in claim 4 wherein said rst and second anm portions are angularly related at a point immediately above the hinged joint between the lowermost door panel and the `door panel immediately thereabove to allow said abutment member to substantially conform to the relative disposition of the adjacent door panels as they move upwardly and then in a curved' path.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,074,347 Steiner Mar. 23, 1937 2,621,038 Boyd Dec. 9, 1952 2,629,435 Dadswell Feb. 24, 1953

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VERTICALLY MOVABLE GARAGE DOOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, HINGED PANELS, SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DOOR FOR EXERTING A LIFTING FORCE THEREON, AN OPENING IN ONE OF SAID DOOR PANELS AND FULCRUM MEANS ON SAID PANEL AT SAID OPENING THEREIN, AND KEEPER MEANS ON THE FLOOR OF SAID GARAGE ADJACENT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE LOWER MOST DOOR PANEL, A PAIR OF MEMBERS, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE LOWERMOST DOOR PANEL FOR RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID KEEPER MEANS, THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FULCRUM MEANS AND COMPRISING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED VEHICLE ABUTMENT PORTION ADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ONE DOOR PANEL ARRANGED FOR MOVE MENT TOWARD SAID ONE DOOR PANEL UPON CONTACT THEREWITH BY A VEHICLE MOVING TOWARDS SAID DOOR AND AN ARM PORTION ANGULARLY RELATED TO SAID ABUTMENT PORTION AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID DOOR PANEL OPENING AND IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID ARM PORTION AND SAID ONE PIVOTED MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID ONE PIVOTED MEMBER TO RELEASE SAID KEEPER MEANS IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF THE ABUTMENT PORTION OF SAID OTHER MEM S BER TOWARD SAID DOOR PANEL.