US2255769A - Overhead door - Google Patents

Description

Sept `16, 1941.

D. GALLGHER ETAL OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Nov. fs.v 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet \l Sept 16, l941- D. GALLA/.GHER Erm. 2,255,769

OVERHEAD ADoon Filed Nov. 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Peremed sept. 1e, 194i "UNITED STATES PATENT OFI-IcaA l saumon onooit Daniel GallagherandFlarrW.Riverman,

Appueeuen November mass, sei-w No. somos 1 claims. (ci. :en -19) 'Ihis invention relates to overhead doors, and has particular reference to an improvement in voverhead doors of the rigid type which are adapted to open upwardly and assume a substantially horizontal overhead position when fully opened.

In general, the object of the present invention 4is to provide an improved overhead door for garages and the like, the door and its operating l mechanism being of inexpensive. sturdy construction, and wherein the weightof the door is counterbalanced so that little manual effort is required in the opening and closing thereof.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide an improved operating mechanism for overhead doors of the rigid type. which will hold the door either in completely opened or complete.. ly closed positions with sumcient force to prevent rattling, and which will counterbalance the weight of the door when the latter is being closed l or opened.

A further object is to provide an improved bearing and lever arm for the door operating mechanism which will reduce wear and maintain the door in proper augment at all times.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

adapted to run on the tracks 8. The rollers 5 carry the upper end of the door in its movement from opened position to closed position, and vice versa.

A bearing 6 is mounted, preferably on the door frame, at each side of the door at a height intermediate the top and bottom of the frame. 'I'he bearing 6 is illustrated as bolted or otherwise securely fastened to the inside ofthe frame I. Each bearing 6 carries a pivoted lever arm 1.

The lever arm 1 has three parts preferably formed integrally from a single steel rod of a size suitable for a proper ilt in the bearing 6. One arm of the lever 1 is provided with an extension 8 directed at right angles to the central portion contained within the bearing 8. 'Ihe other end 84 of lever 1 is directed substantially opposite from the extension 8 and is also at right angles with the central portion or journal contained within the bearing 6. The extensions 8 are pivotally attached to the respective lower corners of the door 2 by means of brackets I0. If desired,

Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views showing the doorv in opened and closed positions, respectively. Figure 3 is a. sectional view showing the door in a partly opened position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line I-l of Figure 1 with the door in opened position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as Figure '4, Vbut with the door in closed position.

bearing and lever arm with a portion of the bearing broken away.

Figure 'I is a perspective view showing the door construction.

theuppercornersofthe'doorlcarryrollersl Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a y provision may be made for adjusting the combined length of lever arm 1 and extension 8 by making 8 of a tubular construction to t over the lever 1. The lever 1 and the. extension 8 may f be integrally united, with the lever 1 extending a sufllcient distance out of the tube 8 to give the desired length. This construction admits of greater flexibility for application to doors 'of different sizes.

It is important to note that the two arms of the lever 1 are disposed at an angle of less than 180 with respect to each other. is best illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, and its purpose will presently appear, as the descriptiontion is that arm 8 shall assume a rest position in over center relation to the bearing i when the i door is in the open position of Figure l, and that arm 8 shall assume a rest position in over center relation to the bearing l when the door is in the closed position of Figure 2.

The chain l2 is attached -by any suitable adjustable means to the end portion 9 of the lever arm 1. The chain i2 secures one end of the spring il which is attached at its other end tothe bracket I4 on the lower portion of the door frame.

This angularity The pivot and spring mechanism are the same on both sides of the door opening.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the downward inclination of the track 3 is suiicient to bring the door 2 to rest in a substantially horizontal position parallel with the ceiling I5, thus allowing a maximum of clearance under the open door. Y 'I'he downward inclination of the track 3 also causes the door totendgtostay in openedposition when it has been mov'ed 'to that'l position: .It isffn'oted,

also in Figure 1 that when the door is in opened position'the extension 8 on the lever arm I has swung to an over center position and is no llonger vertical, whereby the weight of the lower portion of the door tends to rotate thelever armf'l.. ina

ment as fall within the spirit and scope of the l appended claims.

Having now described our invention and in what. mannerrthe samefmay bevulsed, what we claimvasnew and desire to pi'otectwbyiLetters Patent is:

-. 1. In an overhead door, a door frame for said Adoor, 'a p air of tracks extending from adjacent theupper portion of said door frame, supporting counter-clockwise direction, thereby also exert-ii ing a force tending to keep .thedoorin fullyr opened position. The desired angularityof the` extension 8 in the openedV position of the doorzis f n determined by the angular relationship of the extension 8 with respect to the endf portion 9 and should be such that extension 8 assumes substantially the position illustrated when the end portion 9 is directed downwardly in substantially vertical position by the tension of spring I3.

To close the door from the position shown in Figure l, it is necessary to exert. an outward pull on the door to raise the extension 8 overA its top dead center, whereupon the door' will swing outwardly and downwardly, assuming the position shown inl Figure 3; As thevextension 8 turns in a clockwise direction, as viewed in-Figures 1f and 3, the increasingy mechanical advantage of the spring I3 on the end portion 9 will effectively` counterbalance the weight of that part of the door supported by the extension `8'. By appropriately shiftingl the means` o f "attachment o'f the chain I2 to the end portion 9, andadjusting the spring to the proper tension, a counterbalancing effect may be obtained which will substantially' balance the weight of the door throughout' the whole course of its travel from opened position to`- closed position, and vice versa. As the extension 8 continues to rotate clockwise during Ythe closing vof thedoor, the end portion 9 rotates v'into an over center position, as `shown in'Figure V2. As soon as the line oftension of spring I3 passes the axis of the bearing 6, the-tension of the spring acting through the end portion ilv tendsftok'eep the door in' the fully cled position. This is ani j important consideration to prevent looseness and of the spring I3 will have again'passed to the left of bearing 6, as viewed in Figure 2, and the spring from that point on will exert its force in a direction tendingtoassist in opening the door by-counterbalancing the weight thereof. i .f

A mechanical lfeature of importance in the meanson the. upper end of said door carried by said tracks. a leverpivotally mounted intermediate its ends on each side of said frame, one arm of said lever'being pivotally attached to the lower portion ofsaid door, the other arm of said lever being attached to a tension means, saidimmrms Y of lsaid lever being disposed at an angle of subabove described operating mechanismis the particular construction ofthe lever arm l"I and-bearing 6. As illustrated in Figure 6, thebearing 6 I portion Illiesonthe otherfside of the bearing v6.

'IIS

This 'construction balances the forces on the lever stantially less than ,'the angle-between said arms being such that when said door is open the door carrying arm of said-lever `will' be disposed f' in an over center position beyond 'the vertical, yand when said door is closed said tensioned arm will be disposedin an over center position beyond the vertical, whereby saiddoor willitend to remain in either' fully opened or fullyclosed position, and will be substantially counterbalanced in intermediate positions. f

2. In an overheaddor adapted to' assume-a vertical Iposition when' closed andan elevated, substantially horizontal position when open, guide means for carrying the upper 'endof said door ina substantially'horizontal path; aV lever pivoted at either' side of said door and having a door supporting arm pivotally connected to the lower portion of said door so that when said door is in fully opened position said arm is in an over center `position beyond the vertical, and a tension means acting on an arm of `said lever to lcounterbalance the weightof the door-'in intermediate y positions, said two arms of saidlever being disposed'at an 'angle of substantially less than 180, said tension-means assuming an over center position fwith respect tothe pivot point of-'said lever when' said door is fully closed, whereby when said 'door is fully opened it tends to remainopen, and

when said door is fully closed it tends to remain closed.

3. In an overhead door ofv thetype adaptedto assume av vertical position when closed and a hor-- izontal position' when open, a tensioned lever an over center position whenV said door is, closed Y to hold it closed, said tensioning 'meansficou'nterf balancing Ythe` weight of the doorin intermediate positions. 'ff' l 4." In an op'eratin"gm'echariisni` forl an overhead door of the type which-assumes avvertic'al posi y tionwhen closedv and an overhead horizontal p osition when'open; a bearingadapted :to 'b'effse-l` curedto a door frame', a 'unitary operating 'lever` having one end thereof'pivotally'fconnectedtoa arm to counterbalance said door; A'said arm being" through said bearing and termiiiatingjinan and spring-tensioning means-'attached to Eidg formed on said lever at an ang-Ie sbstant less than 180 so that the closing'friovenit lof i said door will cause said spring tensioning-means assume an elevated, substantially horizontal position when open, a guide means for carrying the top of said door in a. path inclined slightly downwardly from the 4horizontal as said door is moved to open position, and a. lever pivoted at one side of said door for carrying a bottom portion of said door, said lever being pivotally attached to said door so that when said door is in fully opened position'said lever will assume an over center position beyond the vertical thereby tending to retain said door in said fully opened position.

6. In an overhead door, a guide means to carry the top of 'said door in a substantially horizontal path of travel; a lever having a bearing intermediate its ends; said lever having' a door supporting arm' pivotally connected to a lower portion of said door, an offset portion forming a journal in said bearing, and a second arm having a. tension Imeans applied thereto; said second arm deviating angularly from the direction of said door supporting arm substantially less than 180; and said two arms and offset portion being formed integrally.

7. In a door operating mechanism, a bearing adapted to be secured to a door frame, a unitary operating lever comprising a door operating arm,

Y a spring operated arm oiset from and at an angle of substantially less than 180 to said door operating arm, and an offset portion integrally connecting said arms and forming a journal therefor in said bearing.

DANIEL GALLAGHER. FRANK W. RIVERMAN.

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