US3722028A

US3722028A - Sliding panel roller assembly

Info

Publication number: US3722028A
Application number: US00227719A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Schoenbrod
Original assignee: AIRCHECK Inc
Current assignee: AIRCHECK Inc
Priority date: 1972-02-22
Filing date: 1972-02-22
Publication date: 1973-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 1990-03-27

Abstract

A roller assembly for sliding panels having a U-shaped frame with one leg portion being longer and in spaced relation to the other, and a roller carrying arm portion pivoted adjacent to the shorter leg portion and releasably held at its other end by a latch at the free end of the longer leg portion. A first coil spring yieldingly urging the arm to remain on the latch and a second coil spring yieldingly urges the arm to swing in a direction away from the longer leg portion and a bolt threaded in a bore on the longer leg portion engages the arm whereby upon threading the bolt, the arm is released from the latch.

Description

Elite States aten Schoenbrod SLIDING PANEL ROLLER ASSEMBLY Michael P. Schoenbrod, Miami, Fla.

lnventor:

US. Cl. ..16/9l, 16/97, 49/420 Int. Cl. ..E05d 13/02 Field of Search 16/91, 97; 49/420, 425

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1963 I Banner ..49/420 9/ 1970 Saunders ..49/420 9/ 1972 Schoenbrodm. ..42/42O X Primary Examinerl(enneth Downey AttorneySalvatore G. Militana ABSTRACT A roller assembly for sliding panels having a U-shaped frame with one leg portion being longer and in spaced relation to the other, and a roller carrying arm portion pivoted adjacent to the shorter leg portion and releasably held at its other end by a latch at the free end of the longer leg portion. A first coil spring yieldingly urging the arm to remain on the latch and a second coil spring yieldingly urges the arm to swing in a direction away from the longer leg portion and a bolt threaded in a bore on the longer leg portion engages the arm whereby upon threading the bolt, the arm is released from the latch.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAR271075 .723302 IN VE N 70/? MICHAEL E SCHOENBROD /,Z,;5; ,&

ATTORNEY SLIDING PANEL ROLLER ASSEMBLY CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This invention is an improvement over the described and claimed in my application Ser. No. 100,326, filed on Dec. 21, 1970, for Roller Assembly For Sliding Panels now U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,340.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to rollers and is more particularly directed to roller assemblies for sliding panels.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art includes the following prior patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,090,084; 3,283,444 and 3,526,995.

Some of the advantages thatthe present invention has over these prior patents is as follows:

These roller assemblies either are complicated in structure requiring corner brackets or the springs mounted therein functions both as a tensioning member as well as a support member forthe roller. In the latter instance, although the roller assembly are simple in construction, the entire roller assembly has to be replaced when the spring loses its spring effect or becomes fractured. In those roller assemblies that are complicated, the cost per unit is high and a longer time is used to mount the roller assemblies in the sliding panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention there is provided a roller assembly for sliding panels which is simple in construction and is readily mounted in position on the panel without the necessity of special tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a single roller assembly for the upper and lower rollers of a sliding panel wherein the upper rollers are yieldingly maintained on the upper track while a threaded bolt extending through a bore in the panel frame supports the weight of the panels directly on the lower rollers.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a roller assembly with a roller carrying arm normally in a latched and retracted position, wherein the roller and arm are released upon the threading of a bolt in the direction of the roller carry arm.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the longitudinal centerline of the roller assembly with the roller assembly in its released position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the roller assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT in position by a bolt 15 that extends through a threaded opening 16 in the inner wall 17 of the frame 14.

All of the roller assemblies 10 are identical in construction consisting of a U-shaped frame -F-having

leg portions

21 and 22 joined at one end by a web portion 23, the leg portion 21 being longer than that of the leg portion 22. Extending between the

leg portions

21 and 22 is a rivet type pin 27 received through an enlarged opening 25 on a roller carrying arm 26 with a coil spring 24 mounted on the pin 24 and extending between the leg 21 and the pivoted arm 26.

At one end of the pivoted arm 26 there is provided a pair of spaced depending flanges 28 forming a support for a roller 30 rotatably mounted thereon by a pin 31. The other end of the arm 26 is reduced in width as at 32 to be received by an opening 33 in the web portion 23 and to form a shoulder 34 on the arm 26. Mounted on the reduced end portion 32 and extending between the shoulder 34 and the inner surface of the web portion 23 is a coil spring 35.

At the free end of the leg portion 21 is a spring latch or catch 36 having a shoulder 37 that engages the free end of the arm 26 when the arm 26 has been pivoted upwardly to its retracted position as shown by FIGS. 2 and 4. The arm 26 is released by the bolt 15 that is threaded into a threaded opening 39 in the arm 21, the free end of the bolt 15 normally engaging the arm 26 when the roller assembly 10 is in its retracted position when the spring catch 36 is in engagement with the free end of the arm 26. It is to be noted that either of the

bores

16 and 39 may be threaded or both

bores

16 and 39 may be threaded. If the metal of the leg portion 21 is thin, then the bore 16 must be threaded. The coil spring 35 yieldingly urges the arm 26 to slide in a direction away from the web portion 23 to maintain the free end of the arm portion engaged with the shoulder 37 of the latch 36.

In the normal use of my roller assembly 10, the roller support arm 26 is pivoted to its retracted position against the coil spring pressure 27, as shown by FIG. 2 and held there by the latch 36 that engages the free end of the roller support arm 26. The bolt 15 is unthreaded and removed from the leg portion 21 permitting thenow boltless roller assembly 10 to be placed in position within the frame members 14 with the

bores

16 and 39 aligned and the leg portion 21 in contact relation with the inner surface of the inner wall 17 of the frame 14. The bolt 15 is then threaded into the threaded bores 16 and 38 and stopped when the bolt 15 engages the roller support arm 26 of the two roller assemblies mounted on the lower edge of the panel 11. As to the two roller assemblies 10 mounted on the upper edge of the panel 11, the bolt is continued to be threaded causing the end of the roller support arm 26 to become disengaged from the latch 36. The coil spring 24 now yieldingly forces the roller arm 26 to swing away from the leg portion 21 about its pivot support 32 until it engages the leg portion 22 and assumes a position parallel with the leg portion 21 as shown by FIG. 3.

Now, the sliding door panel 11 is ready to be placed between the

rails

12 and 13. The upper rollers 30 are first made to engage the rail 21 and then the entire panel 1 1 is forced upwardly against the coil spring pressure 27 of the upper roller assemblies 10 until the lower edge of the panel 1 1 clears the lower rail 13. When the rollers 30 of the lower roller assemblies 10 are aligned with the rail 13, the panel 11 is lowered until the rollers 30 engage the lower rail 13. Due to the rollers 30 of the upper roller assemblies 10 being under the influence of their respective coil springs 30, those rollers 30 will remain engaged to the upper rail 12. Now, the bolts 15 of the frame and rails l2, l3.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A roller assembly for sliding panels comprising a U-shaped frame member having one leg portion substantially longer than the other leg portion and a web portion joining said leg portions, an arm portion, pivoting means mounting one end of said arm to said web portion adjacent said shorter leg portion, spring means mounted on said one end of said arm portion yieldingly urging said arm portion in the direction away from said web portion, said arm portion having an opening, a pin received by said opening and extending between said leg portions, a coil spring mounted on said pin and extending between said longer leg portion and said arm portion, a spring catch having a shoulder mounted on the free end of said longer leg portion being normally engaged by the free end of said arm portion, a roller rotatably mounted adjacent the free end of said arm portion, said roller extending beyond a plane passing along said shorter leg portion, said longer leg portion having a threaded bore in substantial alignment with said roller and a bolt threaded insaid bore and engaging said arm portion whereby upon the threading of said bolt in said bore, said arm will be released from said latch and swing under the influence of said coil spring on said pin in the direction of said shorter leg of lower roller assemblies 10 whose rollers 23 are supthe spring pressure27 until the lower edge of the panel 1 1 clears the rail 13 and then swing the panel outwardly portion.

Claims

1. A roller assembly for sliding panels comprising a U-shaped frame member having one leg portion substantially longer than the other leg portion and a web portion joining said leg portions, an arm portion, pivoting means mounting one end of said arm to said web portion adjacent said shorter leg portion, spring means mounted on said one end of said arm portion yieldingly urging said arm portion in the direction away from said web portion, said arm portion having an opening, a pin received by said opening and extending between said leg portions, a coil spring mounted on said pin and extending between said longer leg portion and said arm portion, a spring catch having a shoulder mounted on the free end of said longer leg portion being normally engaged by the free end of said arm portion, a roller rotatably mounted adjacent the free end of said arm portion, said roller extending beyond a plane passing along said shorter leg portion, said longer leg portion having a threaded bore in substantial alignment with said roller and a bolt threaded in said bore and engaging said arm portion whereby upon the threading of said bolt in said bore, said arm will be released from said latch and swing under the influence of said coil spring on said pin in the direction of said shorter leg portion.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said arm pivot means comprises an opening in said web portion receiving said one end of said arm portion, said arm portion having a shoulder adjacent said one end thereof and a coil spring mounted on said one end of said arm portion and extending between said shoulder and said web portion yieldingly urging said arm portion in the direction away from said web portion.