US3116946A

US3116946A - Door check

Info

Publication number: US3116946A
Authority: US
Inventors: Deloume Jean Etienne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-05-23
Filing date: 1962-05-23
Publication date: 1964-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1981-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1964 J. E. DELOUME 3,116,946

DOOR cascx Filed May 23, 1962 & Fig./ 4/ 2 Jean E lie/me De/oume 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,116,946 DGGR CHEEK Jean Etienne Deluume, Box 88, RR. 1, Cobble Hill, British (Ioiumbia, Qanada Filed May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 196,977 7 Claims. (El. 292-77) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in door checks of the friction wheel type and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, novel means for firmly holding a door in any desired position without marring the iloor and with a minimum of wear.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved door check of the aforementioned character wherein both the position of the wheel relatively to the door and the frictional resistance may be expeditiously and accurately ad 'usted.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a door check of the character described comprising a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby skidding and side slippage will be prevented.

Another object is to provide a check of the character set forth which may be readily installed for use on conventional wooden doors.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved door check which is comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, of light weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in horizontal section through the lower portion of a hinged door, showing a check embodying the present invention installed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the device.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that reference numeral 4 designates the lower portion of a conventional wooden door. As usual, the door 4 is mounted for horizontal swinging movement on a frame structure 5 by hinges 6.

The embodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated comprises an elongated attaching plate of suitable bendable metal which is designated generally by reference numeral 7. The plate 7 is to be secured on the lower portion of the door 4- adjacent the free end thereof. Toward this end, the plate 7, which is preferably of substantially the shape shown to advantage in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, includes an end portion 8 having openings 9 therein for the reception of screws it for securing said plate in the desired position on the door 4. It will be noted that the plate 7 tapers toward the end portion 8 thereof and that said plate further includes the comparatively large end portion 11 which extends angularly, as indicated at 12, from the attached end portion 8. The end portion 11 of the plate 7 extneds angularly away from the door 4 and has fixed thereon a pair of substantially horizontally aligned apertured ears or lugs 13. It will be observed that the innermost ear or lug i3 is adjacent the angle or bend 12 of the plate 7.

Mounted for swinging adjustment in a generally vertical plane on the end portion 11 of the plate 7 is a bracket 14 of suitable resilient sheet metal. The bracket 14 includes a substantially U-shaped intermediate portion 15 providing a bight or bearing which receives a pin or bolt 16 which is mounted in the ears 13 for mounting said bracket for swinging adjustment on the end portion 11 of the plate 7. A retaining nut 17 is threaded on one end portion of the pin or bolt 16.

The bracket 14 further comprises a spring arm 18 having extending thereinto from the free end thereof a longitudinal slot 19 providing bifurcations 2i). The bifurcations 2h terminate in substantially inverted U- shaped free end portions providing hearings or semicylindrical journals 21 the purpose of which will be presently set forth. The bracket 14 further includes an upstanding, tapered end portion 22 having an opening 23 in the upper portion thereof. A nut 24 is affixed to the back of the end portion 22 of the bracket 14 in registry with the opening 23. The opening 23 receives an adjusting screw 25 which is threaded through the nut 24 for engagement with the end portion 11 of the plate 7.

The resilient arm 18 of the bracket 14 connects a floor wheel 2-5 to the door 4 and presses said wheel downwardly on the iloor, as indicated at 27. The hub portion of the wheel 26 includes trunnions 28 which are journaled in the bearin s 21, said wheel being operable in the slot 19 of the arm 18. The wheel 26 further includes a tire 29 of hard but deformable rubber or other suitable material.

It is thought that the use or operation of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Brielly, the plate 7 is secured in the desired location or position on the door 4, the bracket 14 is mounted on said plate and the arm 13 is engaged with the wheel 26. Downward pressure of the wheel 26 on the floor 7 is regulated in an obvious manner through the medium of the adjusting screw 25. As shown to advantage in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the end portion 11 of the attaching plate 7 angulates the wheel 26 relatively to the door 4. This angularity may be adjusted or regulated as desired by bending the end portion 11 of the plate 7. When the plate 7 is installed on the door it is so positioned or adjusted as to incline the axis of the wheel 26. When properly installed and adjusted a line, as indicated at 36), through the axis of the wheel 26 would strike the floor 27 directly below the pintle 31 of the lower door hinge 6. Thus, the wheel 26 is orientated to follow the are described by the door 4 in its opening and closing movements and side slippage of said wheel on the floor is avoided. The construction and arrangement also is such that, with the tension of the spring arm 13 properly adjusted through the medium of the screw 25, skidding of the wheel 26 on the floor is prevented. As the frictional resistance of the bearings 21 to the trunnions 28 is altered, the frictional resistance of the wheel 26 to the floor 27 is correspondingly altered. With the adjusting screw 25 in its outer position the resilient arm 18 of the bracket 14 may be easily swung upwardly sufficiently to facilitate installation or removal of the floor wheel 26. It will be noted that the resilient bracket 14 is normally under tension and exerts a constant downward pressure on the door wheel 26. Of course, the greater the pressure of the floor wheel 26 on the door the greater will be the frictional resistance to rota- -tion of the wheel 26 and the movement of the door 4 relative to the floor 27.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A door check comprising a mount adapted to be secured to a free-swinging portion of a door, an elongated support arm, meansmounting oneend portion of said support arm on said mount for swinging movement of the other end portion of said support arm relative to said mount, a friction wheel, journal means journailing said wheel on said other endportion of said support arm for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the plane through which said other end portion of said support arm is swingable, said wheel and said journal means including coacting brake means operable to progressively increase the frictional drag of rotation of said wheel relative to said support arm in response to an increase of thrust transmittedthrough said arm in its plane of swinging movement and in a direction increasing the rolling frictional engagement of said wheel with the surface with which said wheel is rollingly engaged, and adjustable thrust means connected between said supportarrn and said mount operable to apply a variable amount ofthrust on said arm to rotate said support arm in said direction.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said thrust means includes means for applying said thrust to said one end portion of said arm, said arm being stiff but resilient whereby small irregularities in. said surface will be readily and automatically compensated for without appreciably changing the frictional drag of rotation of said wheel relative to said arm.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mount includes mounting means adapted to secure said mount to a door, said mounting meansincluding means for shifting said mount relative to said door so as to angularly displace the axis of rotation of said wheel in a plane generally paralleling said door.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mount comprises a mounting plate having a first portion adapted to be secured to said door and a second portion from which said arm is supported and which may be angularly adjusted by bending said plate along a line paralleling the plane in which said wheel rotates.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support arm comprises a first arm of an L-shaped member pivotally secured to said mount adjacent its apex for rotation relative to said mount about an axis extending transversely of the medial plane of said L-shaped member, said thrust means defining an adjustable connection between the free end portion of the second armof said L-shaped member and said mount.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said L-shaped member is constructed of stitf but resilient material.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the. free end portion of said support arm defines a pair of axially aligned and spaced generally semi-cylindrical journals, said wheel including axially projecting stub axle portions cradled in said journals, said journals and said stub axle portions comprising said coacting brake means.

References Qited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 114,253 'Bacheller May 2, 1871 415,590 Turncy Nov. 19, 1889 509,305 Foreman et al Nov. 21, 1893 2,983,392 Kuo June 13, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 227,993 Australia May 6, 1960

Claims

1. A DOOR CHECK COMPRISING A MOUNT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A FREE-SWINGING PORTION OF A DOOR, AN ELONGATED SUPPORT ARM, MEANS MOUNTING ONE END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM ON SAID MOUNT FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM RELATIVE TO SAID MOUNT, A FRICTION WHEEL, JOURNAL MEANS JOURNALLING SAID WHEEL ON SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE PLANE THROUGH WHICH SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM IS SWINGABLE, SAID WHEEL AND SAID JOURNAL MEANS INCLUDING COACTING BRAKE MEANS OPERABLE TO PROGRESSIVELY INCREASE THE FRICTIONAL DRAG OF ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL RELA-