US3308581A

US3308581A - Overhead door

Info

Publication number: US3308581A
Application number: US426017A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gustav A Gustavsson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-01-18
Filing date: 1965-01-18
Publication date: 1967-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1984-03-14

Description

March 14, 1967 G. A. GUSTAVSSON 3 5 OVERHEAD DOOR v Filed Jan. 18, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 18, 1965 March 1967 G. A. GUsTAvssoN 3 5 OVERHEAD DOOR 4 Sheets-Sheet a Fly. 2

March 1967 G. A. GUSTAVSSON OVERHEAD DOOR 4 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed Jan. 18, 1965 Flig- 3 IN V EN T OR.

Mrch 14, 1967 G. A. GUSTAVSSON OVERHEAD DOOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed Jan. 18, 1965 INVENTOR. %fiw United States Patent fice 3308581 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,308,581 OVERHEAD DUOR Gustav A. Gustavsson, Nygatan 6, Motala, Sweden Filed Jau. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,017 2 Claims. (Ci. 49-206) This invention relates to overhead doors having a guiding mechanism for guiding the door during its opening and closing, said guiding mechanism including on each side of the door a two-arm lever, pivotally mounted in the door frame side about a horizontal shaft, said two-arm lever having the free outer end of a longer arm pivotally connected to the lower end of the door and the free outer end of a shorter arm connected to the one end of a spring, the other end of which is connected to the door frame, and further including on each side of the door a rail, fastened to the inside of the door near its outer side, thus extending in the height direction of the door, and a support arni, pivotally mounted in the door frame side for swinging movement backwards perpendicular to the plane of the door opening, said support arm in its free end carrying a roller cooperatng with said rail, stop means being provided to limit said swinging movement of the support arm.

Such a type of overhead doors has the advantage that all the parts included in the guiding mechanism can be concentrated to the door and its frame. Thus, no parts 'have to be fastened to the ceiling of the garage, which otherwise usually is the case. consequently, the door manufacturer can deliver thedoor inserted in the frame and with all parts of the guiding mechanism mounted. The building contractor has only to fit in the frame on its place to have the door function ir the right way He has no troubles to fasten certain parts of the guiding mechanism to any other place in the garage, e.g. to the ceiling.

One of the principal features and objects of the present invention is to provide means for having said type of an overhead door to move more smoothly during its opening and cl'osing.

It is a further feature and object of the present invention to provide means for decreasing essentially the strains on the stop means for the support arms when opening said type of an overhead door.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide for said type of an overhead door a control arm, which controls the swinging movement of the support arms.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and manner of Construction, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by references to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in 'which:

FIGURE 1 is a front View, i.e. seen -from the inside of the garage, of an overhead door according to the present invention;

FIGURE la is an enlarged detail of the slding connection between elements and 12 as seen in FIGURE FIGURE lb is an enlarged detail of the buffer as seen in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the same door, a little bit'open;

FIGURE Za is an enlarged detail of the arm connection as seen in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the same door, quite open;

FIGURE 3a is an enlarged detail of the butter as seen in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3b is an enlarged detail of a support arm connection as seen in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 4 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention with the door quite open.

In the embodiment according to FIGURES 1-3, 1 designates the garage ceiling and 2 the garage floor. 3 desi-gnates the door and 4 its frame. About a shaft 7, fixed to the frame 4, is rotatably mounted a two-arm lever 6, the one, longer arm of which with its outer free end being pivotally connected to an angle bracket 5, fastened to the inside 'of the door at the bottom of its outer edge. In the end opposite to the angle bracket 5 the lever 6 with a shorter arm carries a holder for a spring 8. This is in its other end fastened to another spring holder 9, fixed to the frame 4. The parts 5-9 make t'wo complete devices arranged on each side of the door, whereby the levers 6 serve to support the door and the springs 8 to balance it.

To the inside of the door 3 at the upper part of its two outer edges there are fastened on each side a rail 10, which extends in the height direction of the door. Cooperating with the rail 10 there is a roller 1'1 of nyl'on or any other suitable material, which roller is pivotally mounted in the one end of a support arm 12. The other end of the support arm is pivotally mounted about a fixed sha-ft in an angle bracket 13, fastened to the frame 4. In its end opposite to the roller 11 the support arm 12 is below its rotational axis provided with a stop plate 14, which, when the support arm rotates in clockwise direction (according to FIGURES 2 and 3) arrives in contact with the frame 4, preferably via a rubber buffer 15. The support arm 12 is connected to the lever 6 through a control arm 16. This connection is made in such a way, that the lower end of the control arm 16 is pivotally mounted in the shorter arm of the lever 6 and that the upper end of said control arm is provided with a longitudinal slot 17, which cooperates with a pin 18, fastened to the support arm 12. The control arm 16 at the lower end of the slot 17 is provided with a buifer 19. The parts described in this section make also two complete devices, arranged on each side of the door.

The device described above functions in the following way. When the door is closed the springs 8 are tensioned. All levers, arms and rails are practically vertical with the upper ends of the rails 10 in engagement with the rollers 11. The pins 18 of the support arms 16 are immediately above the bufers 19.

When the door is to be opened, its lower end is lifted, 'whereby the door with the levers 6 is swung in clockwise direction (according to FIGURES 2 and 3) a bout the shafts 7. The lifting is -facilitated by the springs 8, which during the whole lifting action tend to contract. The movement of the door causes the rails to press against the rollers 11, so that the support arms 12 turn clockwise. This movement is faster than the downwards movement of the control arms 16, caused by the levers 6, and therefore the pins 18 of the support arms 12 are brought into contact with the lower edges of the slots 17 in the control arms 16, which contact has a soft introduction by means of the buifers 19. This contact, which is only temporary, thereby prevents the support arms 12 from swinging immediately to their end positions, defined by the stop plates 14 in engagement with the door frame, and the door will move in another, smoother path. On this occasion the door is supported by the levers 6, on the one hand directly via the angle brackets 5 and on the other hand via the control arms 16, the support arms 12 and the rollers 11 ir engagement with the rails 10.

During the further movement of the door the support arms 12 turn further clockwise, so that their stop plates 14 are brought into contact with the franie 4, which contact also has a soft introduction by means of the rubber buers 15. This further movement of the support arms 12 is enabled, as the control arms 16 by the levers 6 have been moved so far downwards, that the lower edge of their slot 17 has left the pins 18 of the support arms 12. Therefore there is no more any action of the control arms 16 upon the support arms 12. The final movement of the door takes place in such a way, that the door with the rails are moved into the garage, the rails thereby being supported by the rollers 11 of the support arms 12. The wholly open door is shown in FIGURE 3.

The closing of the door takes place in opposite direction, the springs 8 thereby being tensioned. Also now the swinging movement of the support arms 12 is temporarily controlled by the control arms 16 and therefore the path of the door now is the .same as during the opening of the door.

In the embodirnent according to FIGURE 4 the control arm 16 and its buffer 19 are constructed in another way. Thus, the control arm consists of an outer tube 20 and an inner tube 21, displaceable in relation to said outer tube 20. The butter consists of a helical spring 22, placed in the bottom of the outer tube 20, against which spring the lower end of the inner tube 21 can press. The lower end of the outer tube 20 is pivotally mounted in the shorter arm of the two-arm lever 6, whereas the inner tube 21, for adjustment of the smoothest possible movement of the door being adjustable as to its length, has its upper end provided with a pin 23, which forms the connection shaft of two

links

24 and 25. These links have their one ends rotatably mounted about said pin 23, whereas the other end of the link 24 is rotatably mounted in the frame 4 and the other end of the link 25 is rotatably mounted in the support arm 12. Through insertion of these links in the Construction it is of course possible to exclude the stop plates 14 and have said links Wholly to regulate the limits of the support arms 12.

The last-mentioned device functions in such a way, that, as before, the opening of the door causes the rails to press upon the rollers 11 and turn the support arms lockwise. The

links

24 and 25, forming a shear-type link, become straight, thereby causing a movement downwards of the inner tube 21. This movement is faster than the movement downwards of the outer tube 20, caused by the levers 6. The lower ends of the inner tubes 21 are thereby brought into contact with the springs 22, pressing these together, and the contact thus has a 'soft introduction. After this temporary contact of the control arms 16 with the support arms 12 during a certain part of the movement of the door, the support arms 12 during a further movement of the door will turn further clockwise without any action from the control arms upon the support arms, as the outer tube 20 now through the levers 6 has been moved so far downwards, that its bottom with the spring 22 has left the inner tube' 21.

The invention has here been described in connection with two certain embodiments. Of course other embodiments are possible within the scope of the appended laims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An overhead door having a guiding mechanism for guiding the door during its opening and closing, said guiding mechanism including on each side of the door a two-arm lever, pivotally mounted in the door frame side about a horizontal shaft, said two-arm lever having the free outer end of a longer arm pivotally connected to the lower end of the door and the free outer end of a shorter arm connected to the one end of a spring, the other end of which is connected to the door frame, and further including on each side of the door a rail, fastened to the inside of the door near its outer side, thus extending in the height direction of the door, and a support arm, pivotally mounted in the door frame side for swinging movement backwards perpendicular to the plane of the door opening, said support arm at its one end being provided with a roller cooperating with said rail and' at its other end being provided With stop means cooperating with said door frame side, preferably via a butter, to limit said swinging movement of the support arm, and further including on each side of the door a control arm, the one end of which being pivotally mounted in said shorter arm of said two-arm lever and the other end of said control arm being mounted in said support arm through a pin and slot connection.

2. An overhead door having a guiding mechanism for guiding the door during its opening and closing, said guiding mechanism including on each side of the door a two-arm lever, pivotally mounted in the door frame side about a horizontal shaft, said two-arm lever having the free outer end of a longer arm pivotally connected to the lower end of the door and the free outer end of a shorter arm connected to the one end of a spring, the other end of which is connected to the door frame, and further including on each side of the door a rail, fastened to the inside of the door near its outer side, thus extending in the height direction of the door, and a support arm, pivotally mounted in the door frame side for swinging movement backwards perpendicular to the plane of the door opening, said support arm in its free end carrying a roller cooperating With said rail, and further including on each side of the door a shear-type link, consisting of two link parts and a shat connecting said parts, said shear-type link with one end being pivotally mounted in said door frame side and with the other end being pivotally mounted in said support arm, and further including on each side of the door a control arm connecting said shorter arm of said two-arm lever With said connecting shaft of said link parts for controlling said swinging movement of said support arm, said control arm consisting of a pair of telescoping tubes and a compression spring therein. I i

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,244,182 6/ 1941 Allen 20--16 2,557 ,833 6/ 1951 McFarlane 20-16 2,75L624 6/l956 Lipking 16-0 XR 3,208,108 9/1965 Doring 20-16 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Pr'mary Examine'.

KENNETH DOWNEY, Exam'ner.

Claims

1. AN OVERHEAD DOOR HAVING A GUIDING MECHANISM FOR GUIDING THE DOOR DURING ITS OPENING AND CLOSING, SAID GUIDING MECHANISM INCLUDING ON EACH SIDE OF THE DOOR A TWO-ARM LEVER, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN THE DOOR FRAME SIDE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL SHAFT, SAID TWO-ARM LEVER HAVING THE FREE OUTER END OF A LONGER ARM PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF THE DOOR AND THE FREE OUTER END OF A SHORTER ARM CONNECTED TO THE ONE END OF A SPRING, THE OTHER END OF WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE DOOR FRAME, AND FURTHER INCLUDING ON EACH SIDE OF THE DOOR A RAIL, FASTENED TO THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR NEAR ITS OUTER SIDE, THUS EXTENDING IN THE HEIGHT DIRECTION OF THE DOOR, AND A SUPPORT ARM, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN THE DOOR FRAME SIDE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BACKWARDS PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF THE DOOR OPENING, SAID SUPPORT ARM AT ITS ONE END BEING PROVIDED WITH A ROLLER COOPERATING WITH SAID RAIL AND AT ITS OTHER END BEING PROVIDED WITH STOP MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID DOOR FRAME SIDE, PREFERABLY VIA A BUFFER, TO LIMIT SAID SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE SUPPORT ARM, AND FURTHER INCLUDING ON EACH SIDE OF THE DOOR A CONTROL ARM, THE ONE END OF WHICH BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID SHORTER ARM OF SAID TWO-ARM LEVER AND THE OTHER END OF SAID CONTROL ARM BEING MOUNTED IN SAID SUPPORT ARM THROUGH A PIN AND SLOT CONNECTION.