US3041657A - Adjustable door hanger - Google Patents

Description

July 3, 1962 D. D. MoNlNcH ADJUSTABLE DooR HANGER Filed Aug. 31. 1960 United States This invention relates generally to hangers for interior doors and especially to hangers for interior doors of the slide-by type.

In one specific aspect, the present invention relates to a door hanger which is arranged to facilitate making adjustments in the vertical position of a slide-by door.

Hangers for suspending doors to operate with a sliding action are well known; and ordinarily, such hangers are arranged to cooperate with a horizontal rail iixed to the door jamb. A common problem encountered with doors so hung is the establishment and maintenance of the door in a proper vertical position. A door spaced arent too high from the door becomes easily disengaged from the bottom guide to be susceptible of swinging in'a transverse direction and resultant dislodging of the hanger from the horizontal rail. A slide-by door hung too low will tend to drag on the oor and be diiiicult if not impossible, to operate. Another common problem is establishing and maintaining -the doors plumb with respect to the side jambs.

Heretofore, the problem of establishing and maintaining a slide-by door in proper vertical position and in proper plumb has been solved by resituating the hanger brackets with respect to the door; and certain, more modern developments incorporate diagonal slots in the hanger brackets for allowing displacement of a hanger bracket relative to the door without completely removing thebracket from the door. relies on the screw fasteners developing suicient frictional force between the bracket and the door to support the weight of the door, and vibrations tending to loosen these fasteners is known to result in mal-positioning of the door. Moreover, repeated tightening and loosening of the fastener in a wooden door tends to reduce the tot-al holding capacity of the fastener thereby increasing the chances for the door to slip relative to the hanger bracket and to become mal-positioned thereby.

Therefore, an important object of the present invention is to provide a hanger for interior doors by which height adjustments of the door can be made without loosening the hanger from the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable hanger bracket in which therate of door height adjustment is a linear function of the rate of application of adjusting force.

A more general object of the invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable door hanger.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable door hanger oiering substantial variety in the degree of adjustment available.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable door hanger in which the selected height adjustment is resistant to accidental alteration.

A still further object of the invention is to provide -an adjustable door hanger in which the height adjustments of the door are easily and quickly made. Y

Additional objects and features of the invention per.- tain to the particular structure and arrangements whereby the above objects are attained. p

A structure in accord with the invention includes a ybracket ailxable to a door and dening a vertically upwardly opening channel, a tongue slidably received in the This latter arrangement l ICC frame, a drive plate rotatably mounted on the bracket in communication vwith the channelV and defining a helical camway open toward the tongue, and cam follower means' on the tongue for riding in the c/amway whereby rotation of the drive plate causes linear displacement of the tongue relative to the 'bracket and thereby vertical adjustment of the door.

The invention, both to its structure and mode of operation, will be better understood by reference to the following disclosure and drawing forming a part thereof, wherein: n

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a slide-by door installation incorporating an adjustable door hanger in accordance with the invention;

PIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken through the section -2-2 of FIG. l;

view taken through the section *K justable door hanger of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing wherein a single embodiment of the invention is shown, referring particularly to FIG. l, a door 10 of hollow core or other conventional construction will be seen suspended for sliding operation from a horizontally extending structural plate element 12. A rail 14 integrally joined to element 12 and an adjustable door hanger indicated generally by the numeral 16 cooperate in the suspension of door It).

, A second door illustrated at 17 may be similarly hung.

channel, roller means on the tongue adapted to ride in horizontally extending rail means associated with a door- As will be seen from an inspection of FIG. 5, the hanger 16 includes a bracket'18, a drive plate 20, a tongue or slide 22 and, desirably, a backplate or pocket element 24; and considering FIGS. l and 2, the tongue 22 will be seen provided with a roller element 26 rotatably mounted adjacent one end as by means of a shoulder rivet 28 or some other'suitable element. The roller element 26 is desirably fabricated from a polyamide type resin and is adapted to ride in a horizontal channel 30 lformed in the rail 14. If desired, ,tongue 22 may be providedk with an olfset Vportion 32 for accommodating the transverse spacing between channel 30 and the back surface of door 10.

The tongue 22 includes a depending plate portion 34 which is slidably received in a vertically upwardly opening cha-nnel 36 formed in bracket 18; and bracket 18 is secured to door 10 with the pocket element 24 disposed therebetween, bracket 18 being secured to door 10 by means of screws 38 which pass through apertures 40 in bracket 18 and through apertures 42 in pocket 24. Additionally, bracket 18 is advantageously provided with ilanges 44 spaced-apart on either side of channel 36 forl engaging the top edge of door 10.

The pocket element 24 is provided with a formed-over edge 46 which denes a groove that is adapted to receive and retain the corresponding edge of bracket 18. When bracket 18 is received into the pocket element 24, pocket element 24 provides an anti-friction surface against which the side of tongue 22 may operate. Accordingly, pocket element 24 is advantageously fabricated from light gauge metal, vulcanized fibre, ethyl cellulose, polyamide type resin, or other suitable material. Pocket element 24 additionally serves to Yhold the depending plate portion 34 of tongue 22 in the channel 36 of bracket 18 during shipping, handling and installation.y

As is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive plate 20 is rotatably mounted to bracket 18 by a headed element indicated generally by the numeral 50, element Sil being formed integrally with plate 20. The drive plate 20 eX- tends a stern portion 52 through an aperture 54 provided in the front surface of the channel 36. The stem portion SZ'engages headed Yelement 50 Aby means .of a press tit or in some lother lixed manner. Channel por-tion 36 also includesa countersink S6 for cooperation with the beveled head lof element 50 to achieve a ush-mounted relationship, countersink S6 being'fashioned in a circular bossed portion 58 of channel 36.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention, a rib 60 is upraised from the inner face of drive plate V20 tracing a spiral or variable volute whereby to define a helical carnway 62. For ease in its manufacture and to provide a linear relationship between the rate of door height adjustment and the rate of adjusting force application, camway 62 is desirably formed as an Archimedean spiral, as is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Camway 62 opens toward the depending plate portion 34 of tongue 22; and plate portion 34`has a pair of vertically aligned pins 64 raised from its surface as by extrusion. The pins 64 are adapted to enter camway 62 on opposite sides of a cooperating portion of the rib 6G. By means of this arrangement, rotation of drive plate 20 is converted or transduced lto linear displacement of tongue 22 whereby to achieve adjustment in the vertical position of the door 10 relative to the plate element 12 and accordingly relative to the iloor beneath door 10.

In order to facilitate rotation of drive plate 20, the head of element 50 is advantageously provided withv a transverse slot 66, best Ishown in FIG. 1, slot 66 being adapted to receive the blade of a screwdriver for purposes of imsaid tongue adapted to ride in `tion with said channel yand defining a helical camway; cam follower means on said tongue for riding in said camplementing this rotation of vplate 20. Other Vsuitable means'may be provided for implementing rotation of drive plate 20, Ibut a slot is generally preferred when the headed element S is `hush-mounted because such a slot does not tend to interfere with this mounting relationship.

With the hanger 16 mounted lto door 10 and cooperating with rail 14 as is generally indicated in PIG. 1, height adjustments of the door are readily achieved simply by turning the headed element 50 as by using a screwdriver. The rotation of plate YZtl thus achieved is realized by the rib 60 and, correspondingly, by the camway 62. Depending upon .the direction of rotation selected, the pair of pins 64 will be directed to trace either a vertically upward or a vertically downward path across the diameter of disc 20; and as will be realized, the .height Y position of door 10 can be varied continuously over the span defined by the diameter of disc 20 minus the spacing between pins 64'. As will .berfurther recognized, the cooperation between camway 62 and pins 64 ris such as to create no component of force tending to rotate the plate portion 34 of tongue A22 inthe plane generally defined by door v10; and because of the continuous evolution of rib 60, only minimal force is required to achieve adjustment in the height position of -the door. Moreover, very tine adjustments can be achieved.

The specific example herein illustrative only. Various changes in structure will, lno doubt, occur -to those skilled in the art; and these changes are to be understood as forming a part of this invention insofar as they fall Within the spirit land scope'of the Iappended claims. j

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An adjustable Vdoor hanger comprising: bracket means afiixableto a door and defining a channel; a tongue slidably received in saidchannel; a pocket element arranged kto receive said bracket means at the edges thereof forretaining said tongue in said channel; roller means on Y horizontally extending rail means associated with a doorframe', drive plate means rotatably mounted on saidbracket means in communica- Y and 'way whereby rotation of' said( drive plate means causes linear displacement of said tongue relative to said bracket means and thereby Vvertical adjustment of the position of said door.

2. An adjustable door hanger accordingto claim V1l shown and described isv 4 Y l wherein said pocket element defines an anti-friction surface in communication with the surface of said tongue.

Y 3. An adjustable door hanger comprising: bracket means aiiixable to a door and defining a channel; a tongue slidably received in said channel; roller means on said tongue adapted to ride in horizontally extending rail means associated with a doorframe; drive plate means rotatably mounted on said bracket means in communication with said channel and dening a helical camway; and cam follower means on said tongue including two pins radially aligned with respect to said drive plate and arranged to ride on opposite sides of a portion of the rib upraised from said drive platev dening said camway whereby rotation of said drive plate means causes linear displacement of said tongue relative to said bracket means and thereby vertical adjustment of the position of said door.

4. An adjustable `door hanger comprising: bracket means adapted to be aflixed permanently to `a door `and `deiining a channel; a tongue slidably received in said channel; roller means on said tongue adapted to ride in horizontally extending rail means associated with the doorframe; drive plate means-freely rotatably mounted ou said bracket means in communication with said channel and deiining a iiat, helical camway open toward said tongue; and cam follower means on said tongue including a plurality of vertically spaced pins for riding in said camway whereby rotation of said plate causes linear displacement of said tongue relative to said bracket means and thereby vertical adjustment of the position of said door. *l

5. An adjustable door hanger according to claim 4 wherein said camway is an Archimedean spiral.

6. An 4adjustable door hanger comprising: means aiiixable to a door; a member arranged tor vertically slidable movement relative to said means; anti-friction means on said member adaptedto cooperate with horizontally extending rail means associated with a doorf-rame; drive plate means rotatably mounted on said tirst mentioned means; rib means raised 4from the surface of said drive plate means facing the movable member, said crib means being 4arranged to trace a yvariable volute, the confronting sides of said rib means defining a camway therebetween; `and cam lfollower means 0n said member including a plurality of vertically spaced pins for riding in said camway wherebyrotation of said plate means causes the sides of said rib -means to coact with said follower means resulting in Ylinear displacement of said movable member relative to said -rst mentioned means and thereby Vertical adjustment of said door.

Y, 7. 'An adjustable door hanger comprising: a vertically movable member; anti-friction means on said member adapted to cooperate with horizontally extending rail means associated with a doortrarne; means attached to a door for yguiding, themovement of said member; drive plate means rotatably mounted on said lastra-mentioned means; Ia formation on said drive plate meansdeiining a spiral groove confronting said movable member; cam follower means on `said movable member including two, vertically aligned pins adapted to ride in spaced portions of said groove whereby rotation of said drive plate means causes linear displacement of said movable member relative to said means attached to a door and thereby Vertical Y adjustment of the position of said door.

8. Ani-adjustable door hanger comprising bracket means aixable to a door andi-defining achannel, a tongue slidably received in said channel, roller means on said tongue 4adapted to ride in horizontally extending rail means associated with a door Iframe, mutually interengaging cam means on said bracket means and saidV tongue and in- Vcluding drive means operable to eiect linear displacement of said tongue relative to said bracket means for vertical adjustment of the position of the door, a pocket element receiving said bracket means to close the open 5 face of said channel and retain the tongue in assembly with the bracket means during shipping, handling and install-ation; and aligned fastener receiving lapertures in said bracket means and pocket element for mounting the assembly :as a -unit to the door.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 949,076 Jacobs L Feb. 15, 1910 1,066,236 Wells July 1, 1913 2,999,267

Sterling et al. Sept. 12, 1961

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