US3036329A - Door closers - Google Patents

Description

May 29, 1962 H. J. HENDRICK ETAL 3,035,329

' DOOR CLOSERS Filed Aug. 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 35/3 3 I mvsmons E i 1,4 /W

ATTORNEYS May 29, 1962 H. J. HENDRICK ETAL 9 DOOR CLOSERS Filed Aug. 6, 1958 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 mvmons ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,036,329 DOOR CLOSERS Hobart J. Hendrick, Hamden, and Fritz C. Benson, West Haven, Conn., assignors to The H. B. Ives Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 753,437 5 Claims. (Cl. 16-80) This invention relates to a door closer and more particularly to a device to hold in closed position a door of relatively light weight such as a screen door, closet door or cupboard door, for example. It will be understood, however, that it may be applied to other doors or hinged closure members as well.

In connection with manipulation of closure members it is desirable to have means to insure that the door is tightly closed. When such devices are spring operated, as is usually the case, the spring is usually tensioned by the opening of the door and the greater the distance to which the door is open, the greater will be the tension imposed upon the spring and, therefore, the greater will be the resistance to the opening movement of the door. This is undesirable in some respects in that it is only necessary for the closing mechanism to act during a small part of the range of movement of the door, that is, the part toward the end of the closing movement.

It is contemplated by the present invention to provide door closing means which will be operative through only a small part of the range of movement of the door and be inoperative during the remainder of such movement. As the device is spring actuated and the spring tensioned by the opening movement of the door, the resistance offered by the spring to the opening movement will only be felt through a small range and thereafter the spring will have no effect on the movement of the door either to resist its opening or to close it. However, when the door is being closed, the spring will take over at a time when the door reaches a point near its closed position and thereafter will effect a closing force upon the door and insure its being returned to its final position. 4

One object of the present invention is to provide a spring-operated door-closing mechanism which will be tensioned by the initial portion of the opening movement of the door and will exert a closing force upon the door only when the door nears its closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a doorclosing mechanism of the character described which will be simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and efficient in operation in that it will insure the door closing to its final position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a doorclosing mechanism provided with spring-actuating means to apply a closing force to the door during a predetermined part of the range of movement of the door but which will be inactive during the remainder of such movement.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door and door frame havingthe improved door-closing mechanism applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the mechanism applied to a door showing the parts in the position occupied when the door is closed; 5

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 Showing the parts in the position occupied when the door is open;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on lne 6--6 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the position of the parts when the door nears its closed position.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown in the drawings a door frame 10' and a door 11 hinged to the frame at 13 in the usual manner. Secured upon one of these members and in this instance to the door 11 is a channel-shaped elongated guide member 14 provided at one side with a depending flange 15 which may be secured to the door by screws 16.

Secured to the door frame or lintel is a casing 17 having the improved door-closing mechanism mounted therein. As shown more especially in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, this casing is of substantially U-shaped construction although its particular configuration may be varied. A pin 18 is secured in the upper and lower walls of the frame 17, and upon this pin is rotatably mounted a disklike member 19 having a projecting arm 20. As the thickness of the disk 19 is not as great as the depth of the case 17, suitable spacing washers may be placed above and below the disk to hold it in place, one of these washers being shown in dotted lines at 21. As shown more especially in FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, the disk 19 is also provided with a projection or tooth 22 at one side thereof, while being circular in shape over the greater part of its area. A tension spring 23 is secured at one end to the arm 20, as shown at 24, and the other end of this spring secured at 25 to th casing so that, when the spring is tensioned, it will tend to rotate the disk 19 in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in the drawings.

A second generally circular disklike member 27 is rotatably mounted in the casing upon a pivot sleeve 28, this sleeve having its'ends peened over at 29 to secure it to the casing. This disk member may be held in place by suitable spacing washers 30 placed above and below the same, as shown in FIG. 6.

The disk 27 is provided with a recess or notch 31 which in a predetermined position of the parts will receive the projection or tooth 22, the recess 31 having an abrupt surface 32 to be engaged by a complemental surface 33 upon the projection 22 as will be later explained.

Secured to or integrally formed with the disk 27 is an arm 34- which projects from the casing (the latter being open at one side and at its ends), the arm 34 having a bent end 35 turned inwardly, to the door so as to overlie the guideway or track in the member 14. A pin 36 is loosely mounted in the end 35 of the arm 34, this pin being provided at its upper end with a disk or head 37 and at its lower end with a similar member 38 which is slidably received in the channel guidew-ay or track in the member 14.

The casing 17 may be secured to the door frame by means of the screws 39 and 40. The screw 39 is passed upwardly through the upper and lower walls of the casing 17 as shown, while the screw 40 may be inserted through the sleeve 28. With this construction the casing will be rigidly mounted upon the door frame while at the same time the screws will not interfere with the movement of the closing mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 3 the door is in closed position with the arm 34 substantially parallel to the plane of the door and the disk 38 on the pin 36 disposed adjacent one end of the guide member 14. It will also be noted that the shoulder or abrupt surface 33 upon the disk 19 is in engagement with the shoulder 32 of the recess 31 in the disk 27. When the door is moved to open position about its hinge the disk 27 will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction and by the engagement of the shoulders 32 and 33 just referred to, the spring 23 will be placed under tension. Upon a further movement of the door the shoulder 32 will ride out ofengagement with the shoulder 33, which disengagement occurs upon a slightly greater opening movement than shown in FIG. 7. From this point until the door reaches substantially its full open position, as shown in FIG. 4, the circular edge of the disk 27 will ride freely over the edge of the disk 19 and tooth the arm about its pivot.

3 22 and effect no further rotation of the disk 19 or the arm 20. Therefore, as soon as the shoulders 32 and 33 are disengaged, the spring 23 will no longer oppose the further opening movement of the door but will remain in its initially tensioned position. Thus the greater part of the opening movement of the door is effected without opposition from the spring.

When the door is being closed, the spring 23 and the disk 19 are inactive during'its movement from the position shown in FIG, 4 until it reaches approximately the position shown in FIG. 7. At that time the recess 31 will have been rotated to such a position that the shoulder 33 on the disk 19 will again engage the shoulder 32 on the disk 27, as shown in FIG. 7. At this time the spring will take over and exert a closing force upon the door to move it to its final closed position.

As described the pin 36 is loosely mounted in the end '35 of the arm 34so that, if'circumstances require it, the

mechanism may be mounted in a reverse position and the disk 37 eng-aged with the channel of the track 14, the loose connection of the pin permitting it to slide through the arm and, therefore, space the disk 37 below the frame member as is'the disk 38 as illustrated. a

While we have shown andv described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all o'ftthe details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of V the invention and Within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is: 7 1. Mechanism for controlling the movement of a movable member hinged to a stationary member, said mechanism comprising an arm pivotally connected to one of said members and slidably connected to the other of said members whereby movement of said movable member 'on its hinge will move said arm toand fro, a spring anchored to said one of the members and adapted to urge said arm about its pivot in one direction and resist movement thereof in the other direction, means operably connecting said spring to the am only during a predetermined part of the movement of the armiin either direction and permitting movement of the arm without further spring'action during theremain'der of its range of movement, said connecting meansycomprising a, generally circular portion of the arm disposed about its pivot, a pivoted member adjacent said portion to which said spn'ngis connected at a point eccentric to its pivot, and

' the generally circular portion of said arm and said pivoted member having interengageable members operativelytengaged during a part only of the swinging movement of 2. A closer mechanism for a door hinged to a frame member, said mechanism comprising a casing adapted to be mounted uponone of said members and a guide track adaptgjd to be mounted. upon the other of said members, an aim having anend portion of generally circular shape rotatably mounted in the casing and having a follower adjacent its other end slidably engaged with 7 .said track to efifect rotationot said arm about its pivot :when the door member is moved about its hinge,,a lever arm having a portion of generally circular shape rotatably mounted in the casing adjacent the: generally circular end portionjot said firstarm, said arms beingmounted on spaced substantially parallel axes, a spring in the eas- 3. A-closer mechanism for a door member hinged to a trarne' member, said mechanism? comprising a casing adapted to be mounted upon one of said members and a guide track adapted to be mounted upon the other of said members, an arm having an end portion of generally circular shape rotatably mounted in the casing and having a follower adjacent its other end slidably engaged with said track to effect rotation of said arm about its pivot when the door member is moved about its hinge, a lever arm having a portion of generally circular shape rotatably mounted in the casing adjacent the generally circular end portion of said first arm, said arms being mounted on spaced substantially parallel axes, a spring in the casing biasing said lever arm in one direction, one of said generally circular portions having a projection on its periphery and the other having a recess in its periphery to receive said projection to eifect interengagement of said members during-a part only of their rotative movement.

4. Mechanism for controlling the movement of a movable member hinged to a stationary member, said mechanism comprising a casing secured to one of said members, an arm pivoted to the casing, a spring actuating said arm, a second arm pivoted to the casing and slidably connected to the other member to be moved about its pivot when said movable member is moved about its hinge, said arms having generally'circular portions adjacent their pivots, the peripheries of which portions are in close juxtaposition, and means on the peripheries of each of said portions connecting said arms during a predetermined part of the movement of said second arm by movement of said movable hinged member whereby the first of said arms will be rotated by the second against the resistance of said spring and thereafter disconnect said arms for unopposed movement of the movable member on its hinge, the slidable connection of the second arm with the other member comprising a guide track secured to said other member and a pin loosely carried by the arm and slidably receivedin said track,

5. Mechanism for controlling the movement of a movable member hinged to a stationary member, said mechanism comprising a casing secured to one of said members, an arm pivoted to the casing, a spring actuating said arm, a second arm pivoted to the casing and slidably connected to the other member to be moved about its hinge, said arms having generally circular portions ad- 7 jacent their pivots, the peripheries of which portions are in close juxtaposition, and means on the peripheries of each of said portions connecting said arms during a predetermined part of the movement of said second arm by movement of said movable hinged member whereby the first of said arms will be rotated by the second against the resistance of said spring and thereafter disconnect said arms for unopposed movement of the movable member on 7 its hinge, the slidable connection of the second arm with the other member comprising a guide track secured to said other member and a pin loosely mounted in said in said track. 7

arm and having a head upon one end thereof slidably engaged in said track, the pin having a similar head upon the other end thereof whereby said arm may be reversed in position and the last-named head engaged References Cited in the'file of this patent "UNITED STATES PATENTS 969,150

7 Andersen Sept. 6, 1910 2,626,420. Lambertet al. Jan. 27, 1953 2,653,043 Carlson. Sept; 22, 1953 'j FOREIGN PATENTS- Germany Mar. 21, 1913

Images