US2966212A - Extra wide vertically sliding doors - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1960 E. FIMBEL, JR

' EXTRA WIDE VERTICALLY SLIDING DOORS Filed Sept. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOk. Edward F/ma/ J:

3.7% i 2 Afro/WW Dec. 27, 1960 Filed Sept. 18, 1959 mg: iiig E- FIMBEL, JR

EXTRA WIDE VERTICALLY SLIDING DOORS ZZA Sheets-Sheet 2 37 Lfl 45 1 INVENTOR. fon/o/"a F/mbe/ dz ATTORNEY States Patent Ofiice 2,966,212 Patented Dec. 27, 1960 EXTRA WIDE VERTICALLY SLIDING DOORS Edward Firnbel, Jr., Scotch Plains, N.J., assignor to Overhead Door Corporation, Hartford City, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Sept. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 840,955

9 Claims. (Cl. 160-193) This invention relates to upwardly acting doors and is particularly adapted to wide doors, that is, doors that are substantially wider than the average doors for garages and the like.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a relatively wide upwardly acting door comprising a plurality of horizontal articulated sections in which the door section are supported against buckline under the stress of or as a result of their weight.

Second, to provide a bracing means between adjacent horizontal articulated hinged sections that resist the tendency to buckle under the stress of their weight or the lifting force applied to the lower section of the door.

Third, to provide a brace structure for relatively wide vertically acting doors which strengthens the door against bowing due to the wind stresses or loads and against buckling due to the direct load stress to which the sections are subjected.

Fourth, to provide a bracing means for relatively wide upwardly acting sectional doors which strengthen the door against buckling without interfering with the hinging and swinging relation of the sections to each other as the door is raised and lowered on its supporting tracks.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary inside or rear elevational view of a vertical acting sectional door embodying my invention shown in relation to a doorway of a building, various parts being shown conventionally.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary outside or front elevational view of the door assembly of Fig. l with the parts being shown mainly conventionally.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on a line corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View in vertical section illustrating the relation of the lower sections of the door and the tracks when in partially open position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section corresponding generally to that of Fig. 3 of a modified form or embodiment of my invention.

My invention is particularly desirable for use in wide upwardly acting doors, that is, doors that are of substantially greater width than those commonly used, for example, doors in garages and the like. The applicant is aware that such doors vary somewhat in width but they are not of such Width as to result in a problem of buckling on their hinge connections or bowing as a result of stresses to which they are subjected in operation or as a result of their own weight. However, there is a problem of bowing and buckling in wide doors such, for example, as dOOrs for aircraft hangers, factories, garages and the like where the doors are designed to accommodate wide objects or a plurality of objects. In such doors the sections buckle or distort under their own Weight and under the lifting stress of the hoisting cables and the door opening.

such stresses cannot be overcome by tracks at the end edges of the door and it is not practical to provide intermediate vertical supporting tracks.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is an inside view of an horizontal articulated or hinged sectional door, the door and associated parts is partially broken away as the door may vary greatly in width.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a plurality of elongated door sections 1, 2 and 3. Large doors to which my invention is particularly desirable vary greatly in height and the result is that the doors are commonly fabricated to meet particular requirements of length and height as distinguished from what might be called standard doors.

At the sides of the door opening the wall 4 of the building is provided with uprights 5 of angular cross sections which serve as supports for the upright track sections 6 which are desirably inwardly inclined and merge into the curved sections 7 which in turn merge into the horizontal track sections 8. The upper track sections 8 are supported upon the hanger beams 9 and the beams in turn are supported by hanger rods 10 above The cable shaft 11 is disposed above the door opening and provided with laterally spaced cable winding drums 12.

In this embodiment means are provided for driving the shaft for lifting the door, this driving means being conventionally illustrated at 13. The counterbalance springs 14 have one end connected to the shaft and the other end anchored to the building or other fixed part.

The several door sections of the embodiment illustrated comprise rectangular frames 15 and the panels 16. The door sections desirably have coacting rabbeted edges 17, as illustrated in the drawing. The sections are connected by hinges 18 at the ends of the sections which also serve as supports for the spindles 19 of the track engaging rollers 20. End cables 201 are connected to the bottom section adjacent its lower edge, see Fig. 4.

The embodiment illustrated also includes an intermediate lift cable 22 and a winding drum 23 therefor. This cable is disposed on the outer side of the door to permit inward swinging of the sections as the door opens, see Fig. 3.

To prevent buckling of the elongated door sections under the load to which the lower sections are subjected when the door is closed and in open movement of the door as a result of driving the shaft 11, the door sections comprising the frame 15 are desirably provided with a plurality of upright stiles 23 and diagonally disposed strut or brace pieces 24. The bottom door section having these features is reinforced against collapsing under the load of the upper sections both when in supported engagement with the sill, designated by the numeral 50, see Fig. 3, and the load to which it is subjected when the door is opened and closed.

To further reinforce or rigidity the bottom and in some cases the adjacent sections of the door horizontal reinforcing rails 25 are provided, these being secured to the sections to project inwardly therefrom and they also serve as struts for the brace cables as will be pointed out. In the embodiment illustrated these reinforcing members are of channel section.

In the embodiment illustrated the lower door section is provided with two of these longitudinal reinforcing members as the load thereon is very great in these wide doors, the lower reinforcing member being designated by the numeral 26. The intermediate cable 22 is connected to the bottom door section by the anchor 27. These wide doors are commonly provided with a plurality of intermediate hinges, however, only one is indicated in the accompanying drawing at 271. V

The longitudinal reinforcing members 25 and 26 are quite eifective in preventing the torsional bending or twisting of the sections but they do not counteract the tendency for the sections tobuckle inwardly on their hinged connections. This inward buckling tendency is overcome by one or more bracing cables 31 which are connected at their upper endsto the inwardly projecting anchor bracket 29 secured to an intermediate door sec-. tion and corresponding anchor bracket 30, secured to the bottom door sections, desirably adjacent itslower edge as illustrated in Fig. 3. The flexible brace cable31 is connected to its ends to these.bracke ts and isrin thrust supported engagement with the reinforcing members 25 which serve as struts therefor when the door is in closed position as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

These bracing cables 31 are desirably provided with turnbuckles 32 which enable their adjustment after they are attached to the anchoring brackets and also to compensate for any stretch which may occur after being adjusted. As the door sections swing on their hinges relative'to each other in opening and closing movement as illustrated in Fig. 4, these bracing cables swing away from theirstruts or swing out of supported engagement with their struts and the arrangement is such as to permit this swinging movement. The bracing cables 31 are desirably of flexible material such as twisted wire cable stock which permits bowing inwardly as illustrated.

To prevent or minimize sagging of the long door sections in open position an intermediate upper rail 33 is provided and this has a downturned end 34 positioned in the path of the auxiliary rollers 35 mounted on the door sections in alignment with the track.

In the modified form or embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. four sections designated by the numerals 36, 37, 38 and 39 of the door are braced against inward buckling by the brace cable 40 which extends between the upper anchoring bracket 41 on the upper section 39 of these sections and the lower anchoring member 42 on the lower sections 36. A turnbuckle 43 is provided for properly tensioning the brace cable 40 when the sections are in aligned position. In this embodiment the intermediate lifting cable 22-A is con nected to the bottom section at 45. The sections in this embodiment are indicated as being of solid panel type. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 the struts 44 are also preferably a brace or reinforcing members for the sections.

With this arrangement of parts the hingedly connected door sections effectively resist buckling and distorsion stresses which are inherently incident to wide doors.

I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations of my invention as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt the invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An upwardly acting door comprising a plurality of hingedly connected door sections including a sill engaging section, side tracks comprising upright sections, horizontally disposed uppersections and curved intermediate sec-- tions mergingly associated with said upright and upper sections, an intermediate horizontal track disposed betweenrand in spaced parallel relation to said upper side track sections and having a downwardly curved forward end, said door sections being provided with track engaging rollers at their ends coacting with said side tracks and with rollers disposed on the inner sides thereof in aligned relation to said intermediate track to supportingly engage the same as the door is moved to and while disposed in open position end and intermediate lift cables connected to the bottom door section adjacent the lower edge thereof and disposed at the outer sides of'the door when it is in closed position, s'aidcables being substantially uniformly tensioned, said bottom door section having a longitudinally extending reinforcing member disposed upon the inner side thereof and projecting inwardly thered from, brace anchor brackets mounted on the inner side of the bottomrdoor section adjacent the bottom thereof and on the door section adjacent thereto to project inwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said reinforcing member on said bottom section, and a flexible brace member connected to said brackets and supportedly engaging said longitudinal door section reinforcing member which constitutes a strut element therefor when the 'A door is in closed position, said brace members acting to support the door sections to which said brace member is connected against outward buckling on their. hinged connection when the door is in closed position, the flexibility of said brace member being such as to permit relative swinging of the door sections on their hinges as the door is opened and closed.

2. An upwardly acting door comprising a plurality of hingedly connected door sections including a sill engaging bottom section, tracks comprising upright sections, horizontally disposed upper sections and curved; intermediate sections mergingly. associated with said upright and upper sections, said door sections being provided with track engaging rollers at their ends coacting with said side tracks and with rollers disposed on the inner sides thereof in aligned relation to said intermediate track to supportingly engage the same as the door is moved to and while disposed in open position, said bottom door section having a longitudinally extending reinforcing member disposed upon the inner side thereof and projecting, inwardly therefrom, brace anchor brackets, mounted on the inner side of the bottom door section adjacent the bottom edge thereof and on the door section adjacent thereto to project inwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said reinforcing member on said bottom section, and a flexible brace member connected to said brackets and supportedly engaging said longitudinal door section reinforcing member which constitutes a strut element therefor when the door is in closed position, said brace members acting to support the door sections to which said brace member is connected against outward buckling on their hinged connection when the door is, in closed position, the flexibility of said brace member being such as to permit relative swinging of the door sections on their hinges as the door is opened and closed.

3. An upwardly acting door comprising a plurality of hingedlyconnecteddoor sections including a sill engaging bottom section, tracks comprising. upright sections, horizontally disposed upper sections and curved intermediate sections mergingly associated with said upright and upper sections, said door sections being provided with track engaging rollers at their ends coacting with said side tracks and with rollers, disposed on the inner sides thereof in aligned relation to said intermediate track to supportingly engage the same as the door is moved to and while disposedin open position, said bottom door section having a longitudinally extending reinforcing member disposed upon the inner side thereof and projecting inwardly therefrom, brace anchor brackets mounted on the inner sidesof the bottom door section adjacent the bottom edge thereof and on the door section adjacent thereto to project inwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said reinforcing member on said bottom section, and a flexible brace member connected to said brackets and supportedly engaging said longitudinal door section reinforcing member which constitutes a strut element therefor when the door is in closed position, said brace member acting to support the door sections to which said brace member is connected against outward buckling on their hinged connection whenthe door is in closed position, the flexibility of said brace member being such as to permit relative swinging of the door sections on their hinges as the door is opened and closed, said brace memgaging bottom section, side tracks comprising upright sections, horizontally disposed upper sections and curved intermediate sections mergingly associated with said upright and upper sections, an intermediate horizontal track disposed between and in spaced parallel relation to said upper side track sections and'having a downwardly curved forward end, said door sections being provided with track engaging rollers at their ends coacting with said side tracks and with rollers disposed on the inner sides thereof in aligned relation to said intermediate track to supportingly engage the same as the door is moved to and while disposed in open position, end and intermediate cables connected to the bottom door section adjacent the lower edge thereof and disposed at the outer sides of the door when it is in closed position, said cables being substantially uniformly tensioned, a flexible brace member connected to the bottom door section and to a second section of the door to extend across the hinge connections for the sections connected by the brace member, said brace member acting to support the sections against outward buckling on their hinge connection when the door is in closed position and the brace is in supported engagement with the strut, the brace member being collapsible to permit relative swinging movement of the sections so connected on their hinges as the door is opened and closed, the brace member including a turnbuckle for adjustment thereof.

5. An upwardly acting door comprising a plurality of hingedly connected door sections including a sill engaging bottom section, tracks comprising upright sections, horizontally disposed upper sections and curved intermediate sections mergingly associated with said upright and upper sections, said door sections being provided with track engaging rollers at their ends coacting with said side tracks and with rollers disposed on the inner sides thereof in aligned relation to said intermediate track to supportingly engage the same as the door is moved to and while disposed in open position, cables connected to the bottom door section adjacent the lower edge thereof and disposed at the outer sides of the door when it is in closed position, a brace member connected to the bottom door section and to a second section of the door to extend across the hinge connections for the sections connected by the brace member, said brace member acting to support the sections against outward buckling on their hinge connection when the door is in closed position, the brace member being collapsible to permit relative swinging movement of the sections so connected on their hinges as the door is opened and closed.

6. An upwardly acting door comprising a plurality of hingedly connected door sections including a sill engaging bottom section, tracks comprising upright sections, horizontally disposed upper sections and curved intermediate sections mergingly associated with said upright and upper sections, said door sections being provided with track engaging rollers at their ends coacting with said side tracks and with rollers disposed on the inner sides thereof in aligned relation to said intermediate track to supportingly engage the same as the door is moved to and while disposed in open position, cables connected to the bottom door section adjacent the lower edge thereof and disposed at the outer sides of the door when it is in closed position, a flexible brace member connected to the bottom door section and to a second section of the door to extend across the hinge connections for the sections connected by the brace member, and a strut element on at least one of the door sections so connected by said brace member is supportedly engaged when the door is in closed position, said brace member acting to support the sections against outward buckling on their hinge connection when the door is in closed position, the brace member being collapsible to permit relative swinging movement of the sections so connected on their hinges as the door is opened and closed, the brace member including a turnbuckle for adjustment thereof.

7. In combination with a vertically acting door having a plurality of horizontally elongated hingedly door connected sections, means for opening and closing said door comprising upright tracks at the ends of the door curving inwardly at the top, rollers on the ends of said door sections laterally supporting and guiding said door from said tracks, end support cables secured to the lower section of the door and extending upwardly along the outer side of the door, lifting means mounted above said door and connected to raise and lower said cables, a strut member secured to the inner side of one of said door sections and projecting inwardly therefrom, a brace cable disposed on the underside of and secured to two of said door sections in generally opposed relation to said intermediate cable and extending in laterally supported engagement across the inner edge of said strut means, and means drawing the brace cable tight in the upright position of the lower sections of the door to resist inward buckling of the door sections under the influence of upward lifting stress applied by said intermediate cable and the weight of the door upon the lower sections when the door is closed.

8. A horizontally elongated vertically sliding door arranged to close a door opening in a building comprising a plurality of horizontal sections extending completely across the door and hingedly connected along horizontal hinge lines to swing inwardly of the door, upright guide rails extending along the sides of said door opening and curving inwardly to horizontal reaches above the door opening, rollers on the ends of said door sections guidingly supported in said rails, an auxiliary rail positioned between said upper horizontal reaches and extending parallel thereto with a downturned end positioned adjacent the door opening, auxiliary support rollers carried by said door sections arranged to engage and roll along the top of said auxiliary rail when said door is open, lift cables connected to a lower section of the door and extending vertically to winding drums adapted to wind up and pay out said cables, one of said cables being positioned intermediate of the ends of said door and extending downwardly along the outer side of the door, horizontally elongated reinforcing members secured to the inner sides of part of said door sections and extending laterally inwardly from the door, a flexible brace member secured to the inner sides of two sections of the door and extending transversely across the hinge line of two adjacent door sections opposite said intermediate cable, said anchor cable extending in taut contacting engagement with said reinforcing members when said door is closed.

9. A horizontally elongated vertically sliding door arranged to close a door opening in a building comprising a plurality of superimposed horizontal sections extending completely across the door and hingedly connected along horizontal hinge lines to swing to one side of the door, upright guide rails extending along the sides of said door opening and curving to horizontal reaches above the door opening, rollers on the ends of said door sections guidingly supported in said rails, lift cables connected to the lower section of the door and extending vertically to winding drums adapted to wind up and pay out said cables being positioned intermediate of the ends of said door and extending downwardly along the opposite side of the door from said one side, and a brace member secured to said one of two sections of the door and in spaced relation thereto and extending transversely across the hinge line of two adjacent door sections, said brace member being taut when said door is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,438,047 Lotz Dec. 5, 1922 1,931,166 McCloud Oct. 17, 1933 2,083,467 Morris June 8, 1937

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