US972631A - Automatic door-closing device. - Google Patents

Description

E. MOCLURE.

AUTOMATIC. DOOR CLOSING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED 11,111.29. 1909..

mL Patented 001;. 11,1910.

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N anic EDWARD MCCLURE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANKLIN P. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC DOOR-CLOSING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MCCLURE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Door-Closing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic door closing devices, and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved form of mechanism in which power will be stored up through the opening of the door, and so arranged that when the latter is released, the power thus stored up will be employed to automatically close the door.

To such end this invention consists in mechanism on the moving door which cooperates with an element on the stationary part of the inclosure and incorporating a spring' which will be wound up through the opening of the door, together with gearing bet-Ween said mechanism and device upon the stationary portion ot' the inclosure arranged to move the door to a closed position when it is released after having been opened.

The invention further consists in the several novel features of construction and arrangement which .are described in this specication and particularly pointed out in the claims appended. hereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished herewith in which- Figure 1 is a side view of an inclosure, a door movable thereon, and my improved door closing device applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a detail vertical cross section taken on t-he line 8 3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a detail vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is an edge view partly in vertical cross section of a modified form of the device and Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

In these views A, represents an inclosure such as is used in offices, banks and the like, for providing a cage, or such an inclosure as is used in inclosing elevator wells. In fact the device may be employed in any situation where a wall is used which contains a doorway and a sliding door for closing the same.

B, represents the door which is adapted to close the doorway C, which as shown is formed between two posts 0, of the inclosure. The door is carried by hangers 10, which contain rollers 1l, that run upon a track 12, secured upon the inclosure by blocks or brackets 13.

14 represents stops which limit the movement of the door in either direction. The structure thus far described forms a simple inclosurel and door, but it is evident that any well known form of arrangement may be substituted in its place.

A rack bar 15, is mounted either upon the inclosure A, or upon the door B, which rack bar engages with a toothed wheel 16, carried by the other member. In the form shown in the drawings the rack bar 15, is secured to the side of the track 12, which is supported on brackets 13, projecting outwardly from the wall of the inclosure A, said rack bar being so located as to engage a toothed wheel 16, mounted upon a standard 17, secured to the upper edge of the door B. It is evidentthat when the door is moved along the track 12, the toothed wheel will be turned by reason of its engagement with the rack bar 15. Rotation of the toothed wheel 16, is utilized to wind up a coiled spring 18, which is shown as secured in a housing 19, provided upon' the standard 17. In the form shown in the drawing one end 21, of the spring is secured to the housing and the other end 22, is secured to the hub 23, of the toothed wheel 16. Rotation of the wheel 16, and its hub 23, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4 will wind up the spring and apply tension thereto so that it will rotate the toothed wheel .in the opposite direction whenever the door is released after having been opened, and inasmuch as the toothed wheel 16, engages with the rack bar 15, it will be caused to travel along said bar and close the door. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the hub 23, of the toothed wheel 16, turns upon a pin 24, which projects from the inner face of the standard 17, and the toothed wheel is held in place thereon by a washer and screw 25. This particular form of construction is however immaterial to my invention, broadly speaking, as any well known bearing may be provided for the toothed wheel.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the wheel 10a, of the hanger 10b, is formed With teeth upon one of its flanges which teeth mesh with a rack bar 15a, secured upon the i track l12s. The spring 18a, is conlined within the hollow body of the wheel, one end being shown as secured to a pin 21a, which projects out from the hanger 10b, and the other end of the spring being secured to the hub 23a, of the wheel 10a. It desired either one or both of the wheels of the hangers may be thus provided with a spring which when wound up by the movement ofthe door in being thrown open will close the same when it is released.

The device is particularly adapted for use upon doors of cages of banks, counting houses or the like where it is desired that the gate shall close automatically. It is however applicable to inclosures of elevator wells or in other positions where it is desirable to employ a self-closing door.

The at vantages oit the device are periectly apparent. t is'eXtremely cheap in construction, can be applied to any sliding door, is efficient in its operation and does not require any great amount of exertion to operate the same.

am aware that various alterations and modifications of the details of construction are possible without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not therefore desire to limit myself to the exact form of construction shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination with an inclosure havingI a doorway therein, a track carried by the inclosure, a door and door hangers secured to said door and having wheels traveling on ,the track and arranged to carry said door directly thereunder, of an independent, rotary toothed wheel which is bodily movable with the door, a stationarily supported rack bar meshing with said toothed wheel and operating to rotate the same whenever the door is moved toward-its open position and a suitably supported coiled spring adapted to be wound up by the toothed wheel whenever the door is moved toward its open position, and operating to turn said toothed wheel back when the door is released.

2. The combination with an inclosure having a doorway therein, a track carried by said inclosure, a door and door hangers including flanged wheels carrying said door and running upon said track, of an independent, stationary raek bar, a standard secured to the door, a. toothed wheel rotatably mounted thereon and meshing with said rack bar and a coiled spring, the ends of which are connected to the standard and toothed wheel respectively and adapted to be wound up whenever the door is moved in one direction.

3. The combination of a suitably supported track, a door, hangers secured to the door, wheels journaled in said hangers to run upon said track whereby the door is adapted to travel directly thereunder, a stationary rack bar secured to the side of the track below the tread thereof, a standard independent of the door hanger and secured to the door, a coiled spring one end of which is connected with the standard, a toothed wheel meshing` with the rack bar and journaled upon the standard, and a connection between the other end of the coiled spring and the toothed wheel.

4. rlhe combination with a suitably supported track, of a door, door hangers including flanged wheels running` on the track to carry the door directly thereunder, a stationary rack bar secured to the side of the track, an independent standard carried by the door, a housing on said standard, a coiled spring within said housing and having one end secured thereto, and a toothed wheel meshing with the rack bar and `iournaled upon the standard and connected with the other end of the coiled spring.

The combination with an inclosure having a doorway therein and a track supported by said inclosure, of a door movably mounted thereon to travel directly thereunder, a rack bar secured to the side of the track, an independent standard secured to the door, a housing thereon, a pivot pin projecting beyond the housing, a toothed wheel journaled upon said pin and meshing with the rack bar, and a coiled spring within said housing, the ends of which are respectively connected to the toothed wheel and housing and adapted to be wound up whenever the door is drawn toward its open position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 24th day of March A. D. 1909.

EDWARD MCCLURE.

l/Vitnesses K. H. THORP, HY. FRIDSTEIN.

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