US3120033A - Sliding door, or the like, with floating rollers - Google Patents

Sliding door, or the like, with floating rollers Download PDF

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US3120033A
US3120033A US166611A US16661162A US3120033A US 3120033 A US3120033 A US 3120033A US 166611 A US166611 A US 166611A US 16661162 A US16661162 A US 16661162A US 3120033 A US3120033 A US 3120033A
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roller
track
frame
axle
door
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US166611A
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Edward J Andres
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Aluminite Manufacturing Co Inc
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Aluminite Manufacturing Co Inc
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
    • E05D15/00—Suspension arrangements for wings
    • E05D15/06—Suspension arrangements for wings for wings sliding horizontally more or less in their own plane
    • E05D15/0621—Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides
    • E05D15/066—Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides for wings supported at the bottom
    • E05D15/0665—Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides for wings supported at the bottom on wheels with fixed axis
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
    • E05D15/00—Suspension arrangements for wings
    • E05D15/06—Suspension arrangements for wings for wings sliding horizontally more or less in their own plane
    • E05D15/0621—Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides
    • E05D15/0626—Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides for wings suspended at the top
    • E05D15/0643—Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides for wings suspended at the top on balls or floating rollers
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF
    • E05Y2900/00—Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
    • E05Y2900/10—Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof for buildings or parts thereof
    • E05Y2900/13—Type of wing
    • E05Y2900/132—Doors

Definitions

  • the present invention relates in general to an installation comprising a sliding panel structure movable in its own plane relative to a stationary structure, the panel structure being supported by rollers or wheels engageable with and rol lable along a track extending in the direction of movement of the panel structure.
  • the invention is applicable to such installations as sliding glass doors, sliding screen doors, sliding windows, sliding window screens, sliding closet doors, and the like, the term sliding door being used generically herein to include sliding panel structures of this general type.
  • sliding door being used generically herein to include sliding panel structures of this general type.
  • the invention will be considered herein in connection with a sliding screen door, without, however, limiting the invention specifically there-to.
  • a primary object of the invention is to provide a sliding door equipped with rollers or wheels which are engageable with and r-ollable along a track extending in the direction of movement of the door, which are capable of floating vertically relative to the door, and which are continuously biased relative to the door into engagement with the track.
  • Another object is to provide a sliding door construction, capable of attaining the foregoing advantages and results, wherein the floating rollers may nevertheless be readily engaged with and disengaged from the track in the course of installing and removing the door.
  • An extremely important object of the invention is to achieve the foregoing floating roller action, with its attendant advantages and results, by providing the rollers with central holes larger than the axles on which the rollers are mounted, so that the rollers can float through a distance equal to the difierence between their inside diameter and the axle diameter.
  • the invention achieves the desired floating action of the rollers in a manner which is very effective, but which is so simple that it reduces to an absolute minimum the manufacturing costs incident to obtaining the desired floating action.
  • the track faces upwardly so that the rollers are biased downwardly into engagement therewith by the action of gravity.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a sliding door installation having floating rollers of the foregoing nature wherein the rollers are spring biased downwardly into engagement with the track to supplement the downward biasing action of gravity.
  • An important object is to provide a spring biasing means for each roller which includes simply a cantilevered spring connected at one end to the frame of the door and having its other end in engagement with the outer periphery of the roller.
  • a further object is to provide a spring which is connected to the frame of the door in 'a cantilevered manner by simply threading one end of the spring through open- 3,12%,033 Patented Feb. 4, 1964 ings in the frame, thereby minimizing manufacturing and installation costs in connection with such spring.
  • a further object is to provide a spring for biasing each roller into engagement with the track which comprises simply a length of spring wire stabilized by disposing the free end thereof in a circumferential groove in the outer periphery of the corresponding roller. This fur ther minimizes manufacturing costs.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating 'a sliding door installation which includes a sliding screen door embodying the invention
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, transverse vertical sectional View taken as indicated by the arrowed line 2.-2. of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal vertical sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a view similar FIG. 3, but showing various parts in different positions.
  • FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the manner in which a sliding door embodying the invention may be installed or removed.
  • the numeral 10 designates an exterior wall having an opening 12 therein which extends upwardly from floor level to a point approaching ceiling level.
  • Part of the opening 12 is occupied by a stationary panel structure 14- which includes a glass pane or panel 16.
  • the remainder of the opening 12 is adapted to be closed by a sliding glass door 1-8 comprising a frame 2% containing a glass pane or panel 22.
  • the installation shown also includes a sliding screen door 24 which includes a frame 26 containing a panel 28 formed of woven wire screening, or the like.
  • the sliding screen door 24 is, of course, movable between an open position and a closed position wherein it closes the portion of the opening 12 which is adapted to be closed by the sliding glass door '18.
  • the present invention may be embodied in either the sliding glass door 18 or the sliding screen door 24, or both.
  • the invention is considered hereinafter as embodied in the sliding screen door 24.
  • the sliding screen door 24- is movable along a horizontal, upwardly facing, lower track 30 in the particular construction illustrated.
  • the lower track 30 is shown simply as a rib having an upper edge of semicircular cross section.
  • the door 24 is provided adjacent its lower edge with two or more horizontally spaced rollers or wheels 32, only one of which is visible in the drawing, engageable with and rollable along the lower track 30, each roller 32 being provided with an external circumferential groove 34 complementary to the lower track and receiving it therein.
  • the manner in which each roller 32 is mounted will be considered hereinafter.
  • the installation includes upper guide means 36 extending horizontally in the direction of movement of the sliding screen door 24, and engaging the upper edge of the frame 26, for guiding the upper edge of the door as the rollers 32 move along the lower track 30.
  • the guide means 36 includes a horizontal, downwardly facing, upper track 38 which is parallel to the lower track 30 and which may be similar to the lower track.
  • the upper :13 track 38 is shown as merely projecting downwardly into an upwardly facing, upper channel 40 which forms the upper edge of the frame 26.
  • the upper track 33 extends only partially into the upper channel 40 in normal operation of the sliding screen door 24, thereby providing a vertical clearance permitting sufficient vertical movement of the sliding screen door to permit its installation and removal as shown in FIG. of the drawing and as described in more detail hereinafter.
  • the lower edge of the frame 26 of the sliding scree door 24 is shown as formed by a downwardly facing, lower channel 42 the sides 44 of which are interconnected adjacent the lower edge of the lower channel by a web 46.
  • This web is cut away at each roller position to provide an enlarged opening 48 for the corresponding roller 32.
  • the horizontal dimension of each opening 48 is considerably greater than the external diameter of the corresponding roller 32 to accommodate the floating connection of the roller to the lower channel 42, as will become apparent.
  • a bushing Spanning the space between the sides 44 of the lower channel 42, and located on the vertical center of the opening 48, is a bushing which forms an axle 50 for the roller 32 and which is secured by a screw 52 extending through one side 44 of the lower channel 4-2 and threaded into the bushing.
  • the axle 56 may be spool-like, as shown, or it may simply be cylindrical, or it may have other shapes.
  • the roller 32 is annular and is provided with a central cylindrical hole 54 having a diameter considerably greater than the corresponding external diameter of the axle 50, both the axle and the roller preferably being formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as nylon Teflon, or the like.
  • the foregoing construction permits the roller 32 to float vertically through a distance equal to the difference between the diameter of the hole 54 and the corresponding external diameter of the axle 50.
  • lateral floating of the roller 32 in the direction of door movement is also possible, which explains the relatively large horizontal dimension of the opening 48.
  • the roller 32 is biased downwardly into engagement with the lower track by the action of gravity.
  • the invention provides spring means 56 carried by the lower channel 42 of the frame 26 and engag ng the roller 32 for biasing the roller downwardly into engagement with the lower track 30 to supplement the action of gravity when necessary.
  • the spring means 56 is preferably simply a cantilevered length of spring wire 58 connected to the web 46 of the lower channel 42 at one end and engaging the roller 32 at its free end. More particularly, the spring wire 58 includes an intermediate arm 60 which extends downwardly througn the opening 48 in the web 46 and engages one edge of such opening. Integral with the arm 60 of the spring wire 58 is a portion 62 which abuts the lower surface of the web 46 adjacent the opening 48. Integral with the portion 62 of the spring wire 58 is an upwardly extending portion 64 which projects upwardly through a hole 66 in the web 48.
  • the spring wire 58 terminates in a downwardly extending end portion 63, integral with the portion 64-, which presses against the upper surface of the web 46 on the opposite side of the hole 66 from the opening 48.
  • the spring wire 58 terminates in a free end portion 70, integral with the arm 60, which is disposed in the external circumferential groove 34 in the roller 32, and which presses the roller downwardly into engagement with the lower track 30.
  • the spring wire 58 may be installed by threading the end portion 68 and the upwardly extending portion 64 upwardly through the hole 66 in the web 46, and then swinging the free end portion 7t? upwardly through the opening 48 in the won 46 and placing it in the external circumferential groove 34 in the roller 32 on the upper side of the roller, the spring wire being sufficiently deformable to do this.
  • the spring wire 58 may be installed in its proper position first, and the roller 32 and axle 5t) installed subsequently.
  • the floating rollers 32 are constant- 1y biased into engagement with the lower track 30 by gravity and by the spring means 56.
  • the range of movement of the rollers 32 is such that they will remain in engagement with the lower track 39 even though the sliding screen door 24 is cocked in a vertical plane inadvertently in the course of opening or closing it.
  • the floating rollers 32 will remain in engagement with the lower track 30, unless the maintenance of such engagement is prevented in a manner to be described.
  • any possibility of accidcntal disengagement of the rollers 32 from the lower track 36 is reduced to an absolute minimum, and with a structure which can be manufactured very inexpensively.
  • said roller being annular and having a central hole lar er than said axle and receiving said axle therein; (f) the difference between the diameter of said axle and the diameter of said central hole in said roller providing for relative movement between said roller and said frame in directions perpendicular to said axle to enable said roller to tend to remain in engagement with said track even if said frame is displaced away from said track; and
  • roller being annular and having a central hole larger than said axle and receiving said axle therein;
  • roller being annular and having a central hole larger than said axle and receiving said axle therein;
  • roller being annular and having a central hole larger than said axle and receiving said axle therein;
  • said roller having in its outer periphery a circumferential groove in which said track is receivable;
  • said spring means including a cantilevered wire spring having one end threaded through said frame and having its other end in said circumferential groove in and in engagement with said roller;

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Support Devices For Sliding Doors (AREA)

Description

Feb. 4, 1964 I E. J. ANDRES 3,120,033
SLIDING DOOR, OR THE LIKE, WITH FLOATING ROLLERS I Filed Jan. 16, 1962 .FZra. 2Q 25 Ha. 4. E2651 l I 28 66 & 32 54 7 1 a. -M 54 34 z' 26- 70 32 H-' 34 54 i Z 64 "44 44 52 INVENTOR. EDWARD J. ANDRES B) H/S ATTORNEYS HARE/S, K/ECH, Russsu. & KER/v United States Patent 3,126,633 SLEDING DGOR, OR THE LIKE, WlTl-l FLOATING ROLLERS Edward .l. Andres, Santa Maria, Calii, assignor to Aluminite Manufacturing Co., Guadalupe, Qalili, a corporation of California Filed Jan. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 166,611 4 Claims. (Cl. 2019) The present invention relates in general to an installation comprising a sliding panel structure movable in its own plane relative to a stationary structure, the panel structure being supported by rollers or wheels engageable with and rol lable along a track extending in the direction of movement of the panel structure.
The invention is applicable to such installations as sliding glass doors, sliding screen doors, sliding windows, sliding window screens, sliding closet doors, and the like, the term sliding door being used generically herein to include sliding panel structures of this general type. For convenience of disclosure, the invention will be considered herein in connection with a sliding screen door, without, however, limiting the invention specifically there-to.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a sliding door equipped with rollers or wheels which are engageable with and r-ollable along a track extending in the direction of movement of the door, which are capable of floating vertically relative to the door, and which are continuously biased relative to the door into engagement with the track. With this construction, the possibility of accidental disengagement of one or more of the rollers from the track is minimized, even though, in the course of opening or closing the door, forces are inadvertently applied to the door tending to cock it relative to the track in a vertical plane, and thus tending to disengage the rollers from the track. Also, in the event that the door is equipped with two or more rollers, the ability of each roller to float vertically insures that it will remain in engagement with the track despite irregularities in the track.
Another object is to provide a sliding door construction, capable of attaining the foregoing advantages and results, wherein the floating rollers may nevertheless be readily engaged with and disengaged from the track in the course of installing and removing the door.
An extremely important object of the invention is to achieve the foregoing floating roller action, with its attendant advantages and results, by providing the rollers with central holes larger than the axles on which the rollers are mounted, so that the rollers can float through a distance equal to the difierence between their inside diameter and the axle diameter. Thus, the invention achieves the desired floating action of the rollers in a manner which is very effective, but which is so simple that it reduces to an absolute minimum the manufacturing costs incident to obtaining the desired floating action.
Preferably, the track faces upwardly so that the rollers are biased downwardly into engagement therewith by the action of gravity.
However, another object of the invention is to provide a sliding door installation having floating rollers of the foregoing nature wherein the rollers are spring biased downwardly into engagement with the track to supplement the downward biasing action of gravity.
An important object is to provide a spring biasing means for each roller which includes simply a cantilevered spring connected at one end to the frame of the door and having its other end in engagement with the outer periphery of the roller.
A further object is to provide a spring which is connected to the frame of the door in 'a cantilevered manner by simply threading one end of the spring through open- 3,12%,033 Patented Feb. 4, 1964 ings in the frame, thereby minimizing manufacturing and installation costs in connection with such spring.
A further object is to provide a spring for biasing each roller into engagement with the track which comprises simply a length of spring wire stabilized by disposing the free end thereof in a circumferential groove in the outer periphery of the corresponding roller. This fur ther minimizes manufacturing costs.
The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the sliding door art in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating 'a sliding door installation which includes a sliding screen door embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, transverse vertical sectional View taken as indicated by the arrowed line 2.-2. of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal vertical sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view similar FIG. 3, but showing various parts in different positions; and
FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the manner in which a sliding door embodying the invention may be installed or removed.
Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the numeral 10 designates an exterior wall having an opening 12 therein which extends upwardly from floor level to a point approaching ceiling level. Part of the opening 12 is occupied by a stationary panel structure 14- which includes a glass pane or panel 16. The remainder of the opening 12 is adapted to be closed by a sliding glass door 1-8 comprising a frame 2% containing a glass pane or panel 22.
The installation shown also includes a sliding screen door 24 which includes a frame 26 containing a panel 28 formed of woven wire screening, or the like. The sliding screen door 24 is, of course, movable between an open position and a closed position wherein it closes the portion of the opening 12 which is adapted to be closed by the sliding glass door '18.
The present invention may be embodied in either the sliding glass door 18 or the sliding screen door 24, or both. For convenience of disclosure, the invention is considered hereinafter as embodied in the sliding screen door 24.
Turning to FIG. 2 of the drawing, the sliding screen door 24- is movable along a horizontal, upwardly facing, lower track 30 in the particular construction illustrated. The lower track 30 is shown simply as a rib having an upper edge of semicircular cross section. The door 24 is provided adjacent its lower edge with two or more horizontally spaced rollers or wheels 32, only one of which is visible in the drawing, engageable with and rollable along the lower track 30, each roller 32 being provided with an external circumferential groove 34 complementary to the lower track and receiving it therein. The manner in which each roller 32 is mounted will be considered hereinafter.
The installation includes upper guide means 36 extending horizontally in the direction of movement of the sliding screen door 24, and engaging the upper edge of the frame 26, for guiding the upper edge of the door as the rollers 32 move along the lower track 30. The guide means 36 includes a horizontal, downwardly facing, upper track 38 which is parallel to the lower track 30 and which may be similar to the lower track. The upper :13 track 38 is shown as merely projecting downwardly into an upwardly facing, upper channel 40 which forms the upper edge of the frame 26. The upper track 33 extends only partially into the upper channel 40 in normal operation of the sliding screen door 24, thereby providing a vertical clearance permitting sufficient vertical movement of the sliding screen door to permit its installation and removal as shown in FIG. of the drawing and as described in more detail hereinafter.
The lower edge of the frame 26 of the sliding scree door 24 is shown as formed by a downwardly facing, lower channel 42 the sides 44 of which are interconnected adjacent the lower edge of the lower channel by a web 46. This web is cut away at each roller position to provide an enlarged opening 48 for the corresponding roller 32. The horizontal dimension of each opening 48 is considerably greater than the external diameter of the corresponding roller 32 to accommodate the floating connection of the roller to the lower channel 42, as will become apparent.
Spanning the space between the sides 44 of the lower channel 42, and located on the vertical center of the opening 48, is a bushing which forms an axle 50 for the roller 32 and which is secured by a screw 52 extending through one side 44 of the lower channel 4-2 and threaded into the bushing. The axle 56 may be spool-like, as shown, or it may simply be cylindrical, or it may have other shapes.
The roller 32 is annular and is provided with a central cylindrical hole 54 having a diameter considerably greater than the corresponding external diameter of the axle 50, both the axle and the roller preferably being formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as nylon Teflon, or the like.
As will be apparent, the foregoing construction permits the roller 32 to float vertically through a distance equal to the difference between the diameter of the hole 54 and the corresponding external diameter of the axle 50. As an incidental matter, lateral floating of the roller 32 in the direction of door movement is also possible, which explains the relatively large horizontal dimension of the opening 48.
With the construction shown, the roller 32 is biased downwardly into engagement with the lower track by the action of gravity. The invention provides spring means 56 carried by the lower channel 42 of the frame 26 and engag ng the roller 32 for biasing the roller downwardly into engagement with the lower track 30 to supplement the action of gravity when necessary.
The spring means 56 is preferably simply a cantilevered length of spring wire 58 connected to the web 46 of the lower channel 42 at one end and engaging the roller 32 at its free end. More particularly, the spring wire 58 includes an intermediate arm 60 which extends downwardly througn the opening 48 in the web 46 and engages one edge of such opening. Integral with the arm 60 of the spring wire 58 is a portion 62 which abuts the lower surface of the web 46 adjacent the opening 48. Integral with the portion 62 of the spring wire 58 is an upwardly extending portion 64 which projects upwardly through a hole 66 in the web 48. The spring wire 58 terminates in a downwardly extending end portion 63, integral with the portion 64-, which presses against the upper surface of the web 46 on the opposite side of the hole 66 from the opening 48. The spring wire 58 terminates in a free end portion 70, integral with the arm 60, which is disposed in the external circumferential groove 34 in the roller 32, and which presses the roller downwardly into engagement with the lower track 30.
The foregoing construction for the spring means 56 provides a very simple and inexpensive way of biasing the roller 32 downwardly into engagement with the lower track 30. As will be apparent, the spring wire 58 may be installed by threading the end portion 68 and the upwardly extending portion 64 upwardly through the hole 66 in the web 46, and then swinging the free end portion 7t? upwardly through the opening 48 in the won 46 and placing it in the external circumferential groove 34 in the roller 32 on the upper side of the roller, the spring wire being sufficiently deformable to do this. Alternatively, the spring wire 58 may be installed in its proper position first, and the roller 32 and axle 5t) installed subsequently.
The foregoing construction completely eliminates any necessity for any auxiliary securing means for the spring Wire 55, the spring wire being anchored at one end by threading it through the opening 48 in the web 46 and the hole 66 therein in the manner described, and being stabilized by virtue of the positioning of the free end portion 70 thereof in the external circumferential groove 34 in the roller 32, which is an important feature.
Considering the overall operation of the invention, it will be apparent that the floating rollers 32 are constant- 1y biased into engagement with the lower track 30 by gravity and by the spring means 56. The range of movement of the rollers 32 is such that they will remain in engagement with the lower track 39 even though the sliding screen door 24 is cocked in a vertical plane inadvertently in the course of opening or closing it. For example, even if the sliding screen door 24 is elevated to the extreme position shown in FIG. 5, the floating rollers 32 will remain in engagement with the lower track 30, unless the maintenance of such engagement is prevented in a manner to be described. Thus, any possibility of accidcntal disengagement of the rollers 32 from the lower track 36 is reduced to an absolute minimum, and with a structure which can be manufactured very inexpensively.
As shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing, when installing or removing the sliding screen door 24, it is merely necessary to displace the door upwardly to the limit provided by the upper guide means 36, and to press upwardly on the rollers 32, as by means of a screwdriver blade 72, sufficiently to permit engagement with or disengagement from the lower track 30. Assuming that the sliding screen door 24 is equipped with two of the rollers 32, the installation or removal is preferably effected by cocking the sliding screen door so that only one of the rollers 32 is engaged with or disengaged from the lower track 36 at a time.
Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.
I claim:
1. In a sliding door installation, or the like, the combination of:
(a) a panel structure movable in its own plane and including a frame and a panel carried by said frame;
(1)) a track extending along one edge of said frame in the direction of movement of said panel structure in its own plane;
(c) an axle caried by said edge of said frame adjacent and oriented perpendicularly of said track;
(d) a roller rotatable on said axle and cngageable with and reliable along said track;
(c) said roller being annular and having a central hole lar er than said axle and receiving said axle therein; (f) the difference between the diameter of said axle and the diameter of said central hole in said roller providing for relative movement between said roller and said frame in directions perpendicular to said axle to enable said roller to tend to remain in engagement with said track even if said frame is displaced away from said track; and
(5:) spring means carried by said frame and engaging said roller for biasing said roller into engagement with said track.
2. In a sliding door installation, or the like, the combination of:
(a) a panel structure movable in its own plane and including a frame and a panel carried by said frame;
(b) a track extending along one edge of said frame in the direction of movement of said panel structure in its own plane;
() an axle carried by said edge of said frame adjacent and oriented perpendicularly of said track;
(d) a roller rotatable on said axle and engageable with and rollable along said track;
(:2) said roller being annular and having a central hole larger than said axle and receiving said axle therein;
( the difference between the diameter of said axle and the diameter of said central hole in said roller providing for relative movement between said roller and said frame in directions perpendicular to said axle to enable said roller to tend to remain in engagement with said track even if said frame is displaced away from said track;
(g) spring means carried by said frame and engaging said roller for biasing said roller into engagement with said track; and
(h) guide means engaging the opposite edge of said frame and extending in said direction of movement of said panel structure in its own plane.
3. In a sliding door installation, or the like, the combination of:
(a) a vertical panel structure movable horizontally in its own plane and including a frame and a panel carried by said frame;
(b) an upwardly facing track extending horizontally along the lower edge of said frame in the direction of movement of said panel structure in its own plane;
(0) an axle carried by the lower edge of said frame adjacent and oriented perpendicularly of said track;
(at) a roller rotatable on said axle and engageable with and rollable along said track;
(:2) said roller being annular and having a central hole larger than said axle and receiving said axle therein;
(1) the difference between the diameter of said axle and the diameter of said central hole in said roller providing for relative movement between said roller and said frame in directions perpendicular to said axle to enable said roller to tend to remain in en gagement with said track even if said frame is displaced away from said track;
(g) gravity biasing said roller downwardly into engagement with said track; and
sense I G (/1) guide means engaging the upper edge of said frame and extending horizontally in said direction of movement of said panel structure in its own plane. 4. In a sliding door installation, or the like, the com- 5 bination of:
(a) a vertical panel structure movable horizontally in its own plane and including a frame and a panel carried by said frame;
(5) an upwardly facing track extending horizontally along the lower edge of said frame in the direction of movement of said panel structure in its own plane;
(a) an axle carried by the lower edge of said frame adjacent and oriented perpendicularly of said track;
( d) a roller rotatable on said axle and engageable with and rollable along said track;
(e) said roller being annular and having a central hole larger than said axle and receiving said axle therein;
(f) the difference between the diameter of said axle and the diameter of said central hole in said roller providing for relative movement between said roller and said frame in directions perpendicular to said axle to enable said roller to tend to remain in engagement with said track even if said frame is dis placed away from said track;
(g) said roller having in its outer periphery a circumferential groove in which said track is receivable;
(h) spring means carried by said frame and engaging said roller for biasing said roller downwardly into engagement with said track;
(i) said spring means including a cantilevered wire spring having one end threaded through said frame and having its other end in said circumferential groove in and in engagement with said roller; and
(j) guide means engaging the upper edge of said frame and extending horizontally in said direction of movement of said panel structure in its own plane.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. IN A SLIDING DOOR INSTALLATION, OR THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A PANEL STRUCTURE MOVABLE IN ITS OWN PLANE AND INCLUDING A FRAME AND A PANEL CARRIED BY SAID FRAME; (B) A TRACK EXTENDING ALONG ONE EDGE OF SAID FRAME IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PANEL STRUCTURE ITS OWN PLANE; (C) AN AXLE CARRIED BY SAID EDGE OF SAID FRAME ADJACENT AND ORIENTED PERPENDICULARLY OF SAID TRACK; (D) A ROLLER ROTABLE ON SAID AXLE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH AND ROLLABLE ALONG SAID TRACK; (E) SAID ROLLER BEING ANNULAR AND HAVING A CENTRAL HOLE LARGER THAN SAID AXLE AND RECEIVING SAID AXLE THEREIN; (F) THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIAMETER OF SAID AXLE AND THE DIAMETER OF SAID CENTRAL HOLE IN SAID ROLLER PROVIDING FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ROLLER AND SAID FRAME IN DIRECTIONS PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXLE TO ENABLE SAID ROLLER TO TEND TO REMAIN IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TRACK EVEN IF SAID FRAME IS DISPLACED AWAY FROM SAID TRACK; AND (G) SPRING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND ENGAGING SAID ROLLER FOR BIASING SAID ROLLER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TRACK.
US166611A 1962-01-16 1962-01-16 Sliding door, or the like, with floating rollers Expired - Lifetime US3120033A (en)

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Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3265329A (en) * 1963-08-27 1966-08-09 Postelson Steven Flying platform-automobile-boat and air suspension car combination
US3284953A (en) * 1965-01-25 1966-11-15 Florida Aluminum Entpr Inc Sliding panel structure
US3290824A (en) * 1965-02-08 1966-12-13 Amerock Corp Closure guiding device
US3443340A (en) * 1967-08-14 1969-05-13 B J Helmick Adjustable spring-loaded supporting roller assembly for sliding doors and the like
US3641705A (en) * 1968-04-11 1972-02-15 Hans Schmidlin Window unit
US4838332A (en) * 1986-10-28 1989-06-13 Mlenek Patrick L Swinging screen door for sliding glass doors
US4899493A (en) * 1989-03-13 1990-02-13 Columbia Manufacturing Corporation Replaceable sliding door roller assembly
US5273363A (en) * 1991-09-23 1993-12-28 Ashland Products, Inc. Roller for sliding windows and doors
US20050210764A1 (en) * 2004-03-12 2005-09-29 Foucher Brian R Prefabricated building with self-aligning sections and method of manufacture and assembly of same
WO2014121350A1 (en) 2013-02-05 2014-08-14 Reynaers Aluminium, Naamloze Vennootschap Method for installing a leaf of a sliding door and aid used thereby
US10047527B2 (en) 2009-09-04 2018-08-14 Valinge Innovation Ab Resilient floor
US11725395B2 (en) 2009-09-04 2023-08-15 Välinge Innovation AB Resilient floor

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US162930A (en) * 1875-05-04 Improvement in mounting car-doors
US423051A (en) * 1890-03-11 John v
US3085298A (en) * 1960-08-02 1963-04-16 Morton Tucker Slidable door mounting

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US162930A (en) * 1875-05-04 Improvement in mounting car-doors
US423051A (en) * 1890-03-11 John v
US3085298A (en) * 1960-08-02 1963-04-16 Morton Tucker Slidable door mounting

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3265329A (en) * 1963-08-27 1966-08-09 Postelson Steven Flying platform-automobile-boat and air suspension car combination
US3284953A (en) * 1965-01-25 1966-11-15 Florida Aluminum Entpr Inc Sliding panel structure
US3290824A (en) * 1965-02-08 1966-12-13 Amerock Corp Closure guiding device
US3443340A (en) * 1967-08-14 1969-05-13 B J Helmick Adjustable spring-loaded supporting roller assembly for sliding doors and the like
US3641705A (en) * 1968-04-11 1972-02-15 Hans Schmidlin Window unit
US4838332A (en) * 1986-10-28 1989-06-13 Mlenek Patrick L Swinging screen door for sliding glass doors
US4899493A (en) * 1989-03-13 1990-02-13 Columbia Manufacturing Corporation Replaceable sliding door roller assembly
US5273363A (en) * 1991-09-23 1993-12-28 Ashland Products, Inc. Roller for sliding windows and doors
US20050210764A1 (en) * 2004-03-12 2005-09-29 Foucher Brian R Prefabricated building with self-aligning sections and method of manufacture and assembly of same
WO2005089177A2 (en) * 2004-03-12 2005-09-29 Good Ideas, Llc Prefabricated building with self-aligning sections and method of manufacture and assembly of same
WO2005089177A3 (en) * 2004-03-12 2009-05-22 Good Ideas Llc Prefabricated building with self-aligning sections and method of manufacture and assembly of same
US10047527B2 (en) 2009-09-04 2018-08-14 Valinge Innovation Ab Resilient floor
US11725395B2 (en) 2009-09-04 2023-08-15 Välinge Innovation AB Resilient floor
WO2014121350A1 (en) 2013-02-05 2014-08-14 Reynaers Aluminium, Naamloze Vennootschap Method for installing a leaf of a sliding door and aid used thereby
BE1021366B1 (en) * 2013-02-05 2015-11-06 Reynaers Aluminium Naamloze Vennootschap METHOD OF PLACING A WING OF A SLIDING DOOR AND A DEVICE USED THEREOF
US9708843B2 (en) 2013-02-05 2017-07-18 Reynaers Aluminium, Naamloze Vennootschap Method for installing a leaf of a sliding door and set used thereby

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