US3373529A - Pivotal mounting for automatic door - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1968 G. G. INGHAM PIVOTAL MOUNTING FOR AUTOMATIC DOOR Filed Oct. 51, 1966 INVENTOR. Gary G. Ingham A TTORNEY United States Patent PIVOTAL MOUNTING FOR AUTOMATIC DOOR Gary G. Ingham, Oklahoma City, Okla, assignor to Roto- Swing Door Co., Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla., a corporation of Oklahoma Filed Oct. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 590,608 4 Claims. (Cl. 49-381) This invention relates to improvements in automatic door operators and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a pivotal mounting for an automatic door.

There are many types of hinged or pivotal doors in use today adapted to open automatically upon the approach of a person desiring to pass thereth-rough. The door operator is usually disposed either above the door or below the door and in either case the shaft of the door operator generally extends through the door frame and into the door either at the top or bottom thereof, depending upon the location of the operator, and the shaft is usually anchored to the door..In the event it becomes necessary to remove the door operator for any reason, such as repair or replacement, the door operator shaft is usually disengaged from the connection with the door by removing the usual cover plate provided for access to the connection between the shaft and the door and, of course, the shaft may be disconnected from the door. Since the disconnection of the shaft from the door leaves the door otherwise unsupported, the door must be removed from the doorway during the repair operation, or the like.

The present invention contemplates a novel means for connecting a door operator, a door check device, or the like, with a door whereby the operator may be removed for repair or replacement without removing the door from its operable position in the door opening. The pivot shaft of the door operator is of a shorter overall length than that with the usual door operator of today, and a suitable pivot pin is provided in the top or bottom of the door which may be journaled in the door frame, or in the floor below the door, to provide a substantially permanent pivotal connection or support for the door in the door opening. The shortened pivot shaft of the door operator is adapted to engage the pivot pin of the door for simultaneous rotation there-between. In the event the door operator is to be removed for any reason, the shortened shaft may be readily disengaged from its connection with the pivot pin of the door as the door operator is disengaged and removed from its position above or below the door. This may be accomplished without disturbing the support of the door in the door opening and the door may remain in its usual operable position within the door opening.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a novel pivotal mounting for an automatic door operator whereby the operator may be removed for repair, or the like, without disturbing the operable position of the door in the door opening.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel door operator particularly designed and constructed for facilitating repair or replacement of the operator without hindrance to the normal operation of the door. It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel pivot mounting for an automatic door, or the like, which is simple and elficient in operation and economical and durable in construction.

Other and further objects and advantageous features of the present invention will hereinafter more fully appear in connection with a detailed description of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a door and door operator having a pivot mounting embodying the invention, with portions shown in dotted lines for purposes of illustration.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of a door in a door frame with a portion cut away to illustrate a pivotal connection embodying the invention between the door operator and the door.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character 10 generally indicates a door operator adapted for disposition within a door frame 12 above a pivotal door 14. The door operator 10 may be of any suitable type, such as a device for opening and closing the door 14, or for checking the closing speed of the door. Of course, the door operator 10 may also be of the type installed in the floor below the door, if desired. A suitable pivot pin 16 is provided in the upper edge 18 of the door 14 and is secured to or connected with the door 14 whereby rotation of the pin 16 about the longitudinal axis thereof is transmitted to the door 14 for opening or closing thereof, and conversely rotation of the door 14 is transmitted to the pin 16. As shown in FIGURE 1, a top plate 17 may he removably secured to the edge 18 by means of a plurality of screws 19, or the like, and the pin 16 may be rigidly secured to the plate 17 in any suitable manner (not shown) whereby the pivot pin 16 will be connected with the door 14 in order to transmit rotation thereto. Of course, any suitable connection means may be provided for securing the pivot pin 16 to the door 14, and there is no intention to limit the connection therebetween to the exact structure shown herein.

A- plate 20 is removably secured to the door frame 12 and disposed above the upper edge 18 in any suitable manner. The plate 20 is provided with an aperture 22 for receiving a bearing member 24 therein. The pin 16 extends through the bearing 24 and may be provided with an enlarged head portion 26 at the upper end thereof which is journ-aled in the bearing 24. The head portion 26 maybe retained within the bearing 24 many suitable manner (not shown) to preclude any accidental disengagement of the head therefrom. A slot or keyway 28 is provided in the upper end or face of the head portion 26 for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth.

The door operator 10 is provided with the usual door operator shaft 30 which extends downwardly therefrom as viewed in the drawings. However, the shaft 30 is substantially shorter in overall length than the usual door operator shaft, and is provided with a downwardly depending tongue or key member 32 adapted to engage the slot or keyway 28 in the pivot pin 16. The shaft 30 is rotated by the door operator 1G in the usual manner, as is well known, for transmitting rotation to the pivot pin 16 in order to open and/or close the door 14. Of course, in conditions wherein the door operator 10 is inoperative, the door 14 may be opened by manual pressure against one face thereof whereby the rotation of the door 14 will be transmitted to the shaft 32 through the engagement with the pin 16. When the operator 10 is a door check device, the engagement between the shaft 30 and pin 16 will function for controlling the closing speed of the door 14 in the usual manner for this type of device.

When the door operator 10 is to be removed from the normal position within the door frame 12 for any reason, the key 32 may be easily disengaged from the keyway 28 in order to disengage the shaft 30 from the pin 16. It is to be noted that it is preferable to provide a slight clearance between the adjacent ends of the shaft 30 and pin 16 in order to permit a small amount of play therebetween in order to facilitate removal of the engagement of the shaft 30 with the pin 16 as the door operator 10 is removed. The connection of the pivot pin 16 within the bearing 24 is in no manner disturbed by the removal of the shaft 30 from engagement with the pin 16. As a result, the door 14 remains supported within the door frame 12 and may function in the normal manner as for the well known type of pivotal door of the manual operation type. Thus, use of the door may be maintained for normal flow of traffic through the door opening during such periods of time as required for repair, replacement, or the like, of the door operator 10.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel pivot connection between a door and a door operator, door check device, or the like, wherein the door operator may be removed for repair or replacement without a disconnection of the door itself from its pivotal installation with the door opening. Thus, the door may be utilized in the normal manner of doors of the manual operation type during the times in which the door operation, door check device, or the like, is removed from its normal installation. The door is provided with a pivot in journaled within a bearing member provided in the door frame, and the door operator is provided with a relatively short operator shaft adapted to engage the pivot shaft of the door for opening and closing thereof, as is well known in door operator devices. When it is necessary to remove the door operator for any reason, the operator shaft may be quickly and easily disengaged from the pivot shaft of the door without interrupting or otherwise disturbing the pivotal connection of the pivot shaft in the door frame. The novel pivot connection between the door operator and the door is simple and efficient in operation and economical and durable in construction.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that any modification in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pivotal connection between a door operator and a door mounted in a door opening and which comprises shaft means carried by the door operator, pivot shaft means carried by the door means for independently journaling the pivot shaft in the door opening for pivotal movement of the door therein, and means providing removable driving engagement between the door operator shaft means and the pivot shaft means whereby the door operator may be removed and installed independently from the door to permit uninterrupted use of the door.

2. A pivotal connection between a door operator and a door mounted in a door opening as set forth in claim 1 wherein the door operator shaft means is relatively short for facilitating engagement and disengagement thereof from the pivot shaft means.

3. A pivotal connection between a door operator and a door mounted in a door opening as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means providing removable engagement between the door operator shaft and pivot shaft comprises cooperating slot and key means provided on the adjacent ends of the shafts for transmitting rotation therebetween.

4. A pivotal connection between a door operator and a door mounted in a door opening and which comprises a pivot shaft secured to the door for simultaneous rotation therebetween, bearing means provided on the door opening for independently journaling the pivot shaft for rotation with respect to the door opening, a door operator shaft carried by the door operator and rotatable thereby, and means cooperating between the door operator shaft and pivot shaft for transmitting rotation therebetween while permitting a disengagement therebetween independent of the pivotal connection of the pivot shaft and hearing means whereby manual opening and closing of the door is undisturbed in the disengaged position of the pivot shaft and door operator shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,896,032 1/1933 Sherman et al. 6410 2,082,455 6/1937 Lasler 1670 XR 2,640,334 6/1953 Spang 64-10 XR 3,210,067 10/1965 Ferguson et a1. 49334 XR 3,237,932 3/1966 Catlett 49334 XR 3,266,191 8/1966 Dugan 49--504 KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN A DOOR OPERATOR AND A DOOR MOUNTED IN A DOOR OPENING AND WHICH COMPRISES SHAFT MEANS CARRIED BY THE DOOR OPERATOR, PIVOT SHAFT MEANS CARRIED BY THE DOOR MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY JOURNALING THE PIVOT SHAFT IN THE DOOR OPENING FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE DOOR THEREIN, AND MEANS PROVIDING REMOVABLE DRIVING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE DOOR OPERATOR SHAFT MEANS AND THE PIVOT SHAFT MEANS WHEREBY THE DOOR OPERATOR MAY BE REMOVED AND INSTALLED INDEPENDENTLY FROM THE DOOR TO PERMIT UNINTERRUPTED USE OF THE DOOR.

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