US3157224A

US3157224A - Starting device for sliding doors

Info

Publication number: US3157224A
Application number: US171190A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph E Spargur; Theodore C Murr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-02-05
Filing date: 1962-02-05
Publication date: 1964-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-17

Description

1964 J. E. SPARGUR ETAL 3,157,224

STARTING DEVICE FOR SLIDING DOORS Filed Feb. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS JosEPH E. Somzeua g n-500022 E.

53 I"! BY Q TSZ ATTORNEYS 1954 I J. E. SPARGUR ETAL 3,

STARTING DEVICE FOR SLIDING DOORS Filed Feb. 5,- 1962 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TNVENTORS q JOSEPH -E. Swazeuz 4\ IS imeoooraec. Muzz.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3 157,224 STARTING DEVIUE FUR SLIDWG DUGFS .Ioseph E. Eipargur, 517 7th Ave. N., and Theodore t3. Mnrr, 2001 Wentworth Ave, both of South St. Paul, Minn.

Filed Feb. 1%2, Ser. No. 171,1Q0 3 Claims. Ji. lob-189) This invention relates to starting devices for sliding doors, and more particularly to a starting device capable of easily initiating the opening of an overhead garage door.

Our invention is the outgrowth of extensive experience in the installation and service of roll-up or overhead garage doors. It was found that the major complaint leading to numerous service calls was the difiiculty for the average person in getting enough thrust into the initial lift to start the door moving in its normal upward movement.

The principal reason for this starting difficulty lies in the fact that the door must be designed so that it moves easily from partial to full opening but is tight against the door stop when it is fully closed. This tightness is especially necessary in severe climates. The result has been that the door is designed for a wedging or carnming action as it moves into completely closed position. This is achieved by the form, angle and location of the guide track or by interlocking cam and wedge members, particularly in the case of doors that swing into overhead position about a pivot. The heavy door when closed tends to tighten the wedging action, and the result is a binding requiring a considerable force to break.

A secondary reason for the binding of the door is the action of water and wet snow which tend to work around the edges of the door, and when frozen act as an adhesive, this bond requiring a great deal of force to break.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a starting device which enables any person, with the application of a moderate amount of force, to start the operation of a garage door of the overhead type and move it sufiiciently far from the closed position that any forces binding the door against normal action are broken.

A further object of the invention is to provide a starting device which utilizes the power of the leg muscles and the weight of the person operating the door starter, giving maximum effect with minimum effort.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a starting device which enables the operator to continue to apply power evenly as the door moves a substantial distance to open position, insuring a complete breaking of the binding forces.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a starting device which may be operated from the inside or outside of the garage door, and which may be easily installed by the boring of one hole through the edge of the bottom panel and the setting of a minimum number of screws.

Another object of the invention is to provide a starting device which gives a maximum starting force applied slowly when the device is in the first stages of its cycle, and then by means of a novel shifting fulcrum, changes to a reduced force operating at increased speed through a greater distance, whereby the door is given a strong impetus toward the full open position after the initial binding forces have been broken.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a starting device having means for withdrawing the device to retracted position without damage to the device or injury to the operator.

Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a starting device which is applicable to any type of overhead garage door and to many other types of closures, if desired, with low first cost, a minimum number of parts and without the installation of a wear plate, the shifting fulcrum point avoiding any concentration of force on the concrete garage floor or runway.

With the above and other objects in mind, as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly claimed.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, isometric view, showing the device as applied to a typical overhead garage door installation, the door being closed and the starting device being ready for use;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a door, showing the invention in full line in retracted position and in dotted line in fully depressed position at the end of the starting stroke;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the invention mounted on a door and showing the inner and outer operating arms, the view being taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 4 to show the fastening member at the ends of the shaft;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded isometric view of the starter assembly;

FIGURE 8 is a modification of the basic invention employing two starter members for heavy duty use; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 99 of FIGURE 8.

In the drawings, the letter D identifies a garage door to which the invention is applied. The details of the overhead garage door, as illustrated, are not a part of the invention, and the invention may be applied to any one of several types of overhead doors. In the folding panel type shown, the invention is applied to the lower panel LP, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The device is applied to the panel LP by drilling a single transverse hole 16 spaced from the lower edge of the panel. Through the hole lit) is placed a squared shaft 11, rotatable in the said hole. The shaft is shown as squared throughout its length, but it will be seen that the shaft could be round at its mid portion for better bearing relation with a pair of supporting

plates

12 and 13, the ends being squared. The

plates

12 and 13 are securely fastened to opposite faces of the panel LP by screws 14. These plates preferably extend to the lower edge of panel LP.

On the inner end of the shaft 11 is mounted the main operating arm 15. This arm has a squared aperture 16 at its inner end to key the arm and shaft for joint rotation, the aperture extending through a boss portion 17 which defines a bearing face 18 which engages the plate 13.

The arm 15 is generally curved, the lower carnming face 19 serving an importantfunction as a shifting fulcrum during the starting operation. At its lower end 20, the curved face 19 has exactly the same radial distance from the longitudinal axis of rotation of the shaft 11 as does the lower edge of the door panel. This is a relatively short radius, and the radius of curvature relative to the pivotal axis on shaft 11 constantly increases with longer radii. When the door is closed, and the starting device fully retracted, the lower end 20 of face 19 is in contact with the floor F of the building. Thus, the face 19 does not represent the true are of a circle but the curvature thereof is such as to permit the development of maximum force as the door D first raises, and the shifting of the fulcrum of the arm so as to change the force-distancespeed ratio. The outer end 21 of the face 19 flattens out to permit proper orientation of the foot pressure pedal 2 Spaced from the boss portion 17 by a relatively short distance is the projection 23, which is drilled to pivotally receive the lower end of a piston shaft 24. The piston shaft has at its outer end a piston 25 which reciprocates in a cylinder 26. Between the piston 25 and the lower end of the cylinder 27 is a relatively long compression spring 28. The upper end 29 of the cylinder 26 is provided with a bleed port or orifice (not shown) adjusted by means of the screw 30. A small bracket member 31 is pivotally attached to the panel LP. The spring 28 returns the arm 15 at the end of its operating stroke, but the piston and bleed orifice control the rate of return. A bolt 32 secured the piston shaft 24 to the projection 23.

The arm 15 is held against its supporting plate 13 by means of a removable fastening device 33 held in an annular groove 34 in the shaft 11.

At the opposite end of the shaft 11 and on the outside of the door is a second operating arm 35. This arm has a squared aperture 36, cooperative with the squared shaft 11, which extends through a bearing boss portion 37. The inner face of this boss portion bears against the sup porting plate 12. A fastening member 33a fastens the arm 35 on the shaft 11 in the same manner as the arm 15 is fastened. The arm in this case is straight and is pro vided with a pressure pedal 38.

In FIGURES 8 and 9 there is shown a modification of the structure particularly useful for heavy duty installations. In this form the basic assembly of the principal form is paired, with two arms 15 being used, as shown, one being the reverse of the other. The only change in the arm 15 is that the pressure pedal 22 is omitted, and apertures are bored in the ends to freely receive the pivot bolts 39. These bolts are slidably and pivotally mounted in an elongated slot 40 in a bracket 41. The bracket 41 is preferably L-shaped in cross-section, as shown in FIG- URE 9, providing a forwardly extending flange 42. To this flange is attached the piston shaft 24 of the cylinder 26, and one spring and check unit serves as a return for both arms 15. The upper face of the flange 42 serves as a foot plate. In FIGURES 8 and 9, the modification is shown as an interior starting device only, but outer arms may be applied, with a bracket member similar to the bracket 41 connecting the ends of the two arms.

Operation The operation of the device is shown by the dotted line positions of elements in FIGURE 2. The starter is normally held by the spring 28 in the fully retracted, full line position. The operator places his foot on the pedal 22, applying an easy, steady force. The lower end of the face 19 fulcrums on the floor F, forcing the door upwardly. As the door D moves upwardly, the pivot shaft 11 moves upwardly in a straight line and the fulcrum point shifts to the right, until the device and the door reach the dotted line position as shown in FIGURE 2. This structure provides maximum power at the start when resistance is greatest, the length of the lever arm being great relative to the force arm. As the door begins to open, the shifting fulcrum changes the relative lengths of the lever arm and the force arm, decreasing the effective power in the force arm but increasing its speed and distance of travel relative to the lever arm. This is desirable in that the first part of the starting stroke is directed to maximum power without distance, and at a slow speed, while the remainder of the starting stroke is 4 directed toward giving the door a faster impetus in the upward direction when the wedging and binding forces have been broken. This final movement is then aided by the counterbalance springs and hand force applied to the door by the operator.

This compound action of the starting device is an important part of the invention and helps to make it a highly practical device. It will be seen that the starting device may be operated from inside or outside of the door. The return stroke is positive and strong but is checked by the action of the piston 25 and bleed orifice to prevent injury or damage. The shifting fulcrum has the added advantage of avoiding concentrated wear on the garage floor and a wear plate is unnecessary.

The operation of the modification of FIGURES 8 and 9 is similar to that of the basic form. Foot pressure is applied to the flange 42 and the door is moved upwardly. As the arms 15 pivot to the dotted line position of FIG- URE 8, the bolts 39 slide in the slot 40 to permit the bracket 41 to move downwardly against the force of the spring 28. The pair of levers gives greater starting force and generally more symmetrical distribution and balance of the forces, permitting greater initial force to be applied by the operator without damage to the components of the starting device.

While there has been herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A starting device in combination with a vertically moveable garage door, including an operating arm, means mounting said operating arm on said door adjacent the lower end thereof, which end when said door is closed moves into engagement with a floor surface forming one edge of a door opening for said vertically movable door, said mounting means pivotally connecting said arm at its inner end to said door about a pivot axis which is substantially normal to the plane of said door and which is closely adjacent the end wall of the lower end of said door, said arm having adjacent its opposite outer end an upwardly directed foot pedal surface for downward foot pressure in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said door, said arm further having on its lower edge between said pivot means and said foot pedal a floor engaging fulcrum surface, and resilient means biasing said arm and said fulcrum surface into a retracted position, whereby said fulcrum surface is normally out of engagement with said floor surface but may be moved into engagement therewith by the applied weight of a person operating said starting device, said fulcrum surface being in the form of an elongated, curved camming face directed toward and engageable with said floor surface when said door is closed, said camming face extending along said arm and having a relatively short radius adjacent said pivot means and a constantly increasing radius relative to said pivot means toward the outer end, whereby said door will be started slowly with maximum force and then will be moved more quickly but with lesser force a substantial distance toward open position.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes a shaft extending through said door, said operating arm being fixed to one end of said shaft, and a second operating arm on the other side of said door attached to the other end of said shaft.

3. A starting device in combination with a vertically sliding door, including a pair of operating arms mounted on said door closely adjacent the free leading edge thereof, which edge when said door is closed slides into engagement with a surface forming one edge of a door opening for said sliding door, said arms each being pivotally mounted on said door about a pivot axis normal to the plane of said door and having their free ends inwardly directed one toward the other, each of said arms having an elongated curved camming face directed toward and in contact with said surface when said door is closed, said camrning faces each having a relatively short radius at an inner terminal end adjacent its pivotal axis and a constantly increasing radius relative to its pivotal axis toward its outer end, an elongated foot pressure member connecting said free ends of said arms, said member having a longitudinal elongated slot therein, said free ends having pivot elements freely slidable in said slot, and means connected to said foot pressure member for retracting said arms to retracted position from an extended operating position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/16 Elvin 26831 6/34 Henderson 2019 1/39 Friend 268 31 8/ 46 Hofiman 26872 3/53 Denker et al 268-72 FOREIGN PATENTS 7/ 39 Australia.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

NORTON ANSI-1BR, Examiner.

Claims

1. A STARTING DEVICE IN COMBINATION WITH A VERTICALLY MOVEABLE GARAGE DOOR, INCLUDING AN OPERATING ARM, MEANS MOUNTING SAID OPERATING ARM ON SAID DOOR ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF, WHICH END WHEN SAID DOOR IS CLOSED MOVES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A FLOOR SURFACE FORMING ONE EDGE OF A DOOR OPENING FOR SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE DOOR, SAID MOUNTING MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID ARM AT ITS INNER END TO SAID DOOR ABOUT A PIVOT AXIS WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID DOOR AND WHICH IS CLOSELY ADJACENT THE END WALL OF THE LOWER END OF SAID DOOR, SAID ARM HAVING ADJACENT ITS OPPOSITE OUTER END AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED FOOT PEDAL SURFACE FOR DOWNWARD FOOT PRESSURE IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID DOOR, SAID ARM FURTHER HAVING ON ITS LOWER EDGE BETWEEN SAID PIVOT MEANS AND SAID FOOT PEDAL A FLOOR ENGAGING FULCRUM SURFACE, AND RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID ARM AND SAID FULCRUM SURFACE INTO A RETRACTED POSITION, WHEREBY SAID FULCRUM SURFACE IS NORMALLY OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLOOR SURFACE BUT MAY BE MOVED INTO ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH BY THE APPLIED WEIGHT OF A PERSON OPERATING SAID STARTING DEVICE, SAID FULCRUM SURFACE BEING IN THE FORM OF AN ELONGATED, CURVED CAMMING FACE DIRECTED TOWARD AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FLOOR SURFACE WHEN SAID DOOR IS CLOSED, SAID CAMMING FACE EXTENDING ALONG SAID ARM AND HAVING A RELATIVELY SHORT RADIUS ADJACENT SAID PIVOT MEANS AND A CONSTANTLY INCREASING RADIUS RELATIVE TO SAID PIVOT MEANS TOWARD THE OUTER END, WHEREBY SAID DOOR WILL BE STARTED SLOWLY WITH MAXIMUM FORCE AND THEN WILL BE MOVED MORE QUICKLY BUT WITH LESSER FORCE A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE TOWARD OPEN POSITION.