USRE25112E - Folding closure - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 9, 1962 s, M. COLLINS FOLDING CLOSURE Original Filed Feb. 1, 1952 .Q Q w JOZUMO/V M. (all/N5 Reissued Jan. 9, 1962 25,112 FOLDING CLOSURE Solomon M. Collins, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Clopay Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Original No. 2,667,218, dated Jan. 26, 1954, Ser. No. 269,410, Feb. 1, 1952. Application for reissue Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 799,830

6 Claims. (Cl. 160-499) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to a folding closure, particularly for use in doors of homes and commercial establishments.

It has been known to have folding doors of the wood panel type and also using collapsible plastic folds of the accordion type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an attractive looking folding door which may be easily installed in a household opening without special built-in hardware and which can be prepared from easily available miterials to provide an inexpensive but attractive door closure. Furthermore, the proposed construction provides a hingeless door, one that requires no expensive hand installations of inset hinges.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a particular construction for a folding door closure which lends itself particularly to the type of material being used and also provides a construction which may be adapted to many different types of material in the way of colors, designs and so forth.

The device may be used with fabrics or leather or synthetic plastic sheet materials with any number of cornbinations of patterns and colors. A simple and effective holding device makes it possible to mount the unit quickly and easily.

Briefly, the invention consists of double sheets of decorative material such as leather, plastic or fabric which are sewed into vertical pockets, closed at the top, and in which is inserted a. stiffening panel of inexpensive mate- I111 provided with a supporting device which projects through the top of the pockets to co-operate with a slide.

Other details of the invention will be evident in the following description and claims.

Drawings accompany the specification, and the various views thereof may be briefly described as:

FIGURE 1, an elevation of a completed doorway showing the folding closure in position.

FIGURE 2, a sectional view on line 2--2 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3, an enlarged perspective view showing a joint between two pockets in the material.

FIGURE 4, a vertical section transversely of the closure member showing the supporting slide and the details of the holding means.

FIGURE 5, a sectional view on line 55 of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 6, a perspective view of the device showing the relationship of the supporting means to the folding pockets.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings a completed folding door of the type to be described is shown in partially open position. The door frame has two vertical members and 22 and a lintel member 24.

As shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5, the door panel consists of a double sheet of material 26 which is fastened at one edge by snap fasteners 30 to the vertical riser 20 of the door frame. The material 26 is fastened together at 32 to provide a stable hinging panel. At spaced intervals the material 26 is also fastened together to provide hinge areas. In FIGURE 2 these are shown at 34 and 36.

A cord member 38 is locked between seams 39 in the material to provide a neat appearing joint. If the materiil is a fabric, it may be stitched on either side of the cord member. If it is a plastic material, it may be welded either by the application of heat or the application of a solvent, depending on the nature of the plastic.

The formation of the seams at spaced intervals in the double material provides envelopes or pockets 40 which are closed at the top at 42, as shown best in FIGURE 6. This construction continues to the edge 44, which is the free edge of the panel.

The construction of the folding panel is completed by inserting within the envelopes 40 stiffener panels 50 formed of thin plates of hard wood, pressed wood, plastic, light metal or similar equivalent material. These plates fill the pockets as shown in sectional drawings and extend substantially the full length of the pockets.

At the top of the plates 50 are inverted channels 52 which are riveted to the top edge of the plates and which have passing through the top wall thereof a supporting rivet 54. This supporting rivet passes through a slide block 56 having side grooves 58 which cooperate with inturned edges 60 of a channel member 62 fastened to the lintel 24 by screws 64, FIGURE 5.

There is an opening in the top closing edge 42 of the envelope which permits the passage of the slide blocks 56 through the top of the envelope as the plates are inserted. Each panel member, therefore, of the closure unit is supported independently and slidably, the rivets 54 being relatively rotatable so that there is free rotation with the block 56. Thus, the door panel may be opened and closed simply by sliding the blocks 56 and by manipulating them through the suspended panels as they appear in FIGURE 1.

The assembly of the slide blocks 56 into the track 62 can be accomplished before the entire device is suspended or it can be accomplished through a suitable opening provided at one end of the track.

It will thus be seen that there is disclosed an inexpensive envelope type of folding closure which is readily adaptable to many types of household materials which can be mounted in practically any vertical opening as an attractive and inexpensive closure member.

I claim:

[1. A folding closure member for vertical openings such as doors which comprises a doubled sheet of flaccid material having a length substantially equal to the height of the opening to be closed and a width substantially equal to the width of said opening, said doubled sheet being joined together in vertical seams spaced along its width to form pockets extending substantially the length of the sheet, and stiffening means comprising panels of relatively rigid material compared to the sheet material slidable into said pockets substantially the full length thereof, fastening means on said panels adjacent the to; of said closure member and passing freely through said sheet material, and means slidably associating said fastening means with the top of the opening to be closed tc permit said pockets of the closure member to fold together and to extend horizontally] [2. A folding closure member for vertical openings such as doors which comprises a doubled sheet of flaccid material having a length substantially equal to the heigh1 of the opening to be closed an a width substantially equa to the width of said opening, said doubled sheet being joined together in vetrical seams spaced along its widtl to form pockets closed at the top except for a small central opening and extending substantially the length of the sheet, and stiffening means comprising panels of relatively rigid material compared to the sheet material slidable do said pockets substantially the full length thereof, fasaning means on Slld panels adjacent the top of said clo- .H'B member and passing freely through said sheet mate- .al, and means slidably associating said fastening means ith the top of the opening to be closed to permit said ockets of the closure member to fold together and to xtend horizontally] [3. A folding closure member for vertical openings ich as doors having vertical riser members and a conecting lintel which comprises a doubled sheet of flexible, accid decorative material having a length substantially qual to the height of the opening to be closed and a 'idth substantially equal to the width of said opening, lid doubled sheet being joined together at the side and lp edges and in vertical seams spaced along its width to )rm pockets extending substantially the length of the reet and having a horizontal dimension approximating to width of the frame members forming the opening, and nitary means received in each of said pockets each havlg suspension means mounted thereon projecting freely trough the top of said pockets, and slide means fastened a said lintel to cooperate with said suspension means to :rmit each pocket of said closure member to slide as panel and to fold relative to the adjacent panel] [4. A folding closure member as defined in claim 3. which the unitary means comprises a relatively thin, gid plate of stiffening material] [5. A folding closure member for vertical openings loh as doors having a vertical riser and a connecting itel to form the frame therefor which comprises a )ubled sheet of decorative material having a consistency lCh as fabric, leather, and synthetic sheet material and wing a length substantially equal to the height of the setting to be closed and a Width at least equal to the idth of said opening, said doubled sheet being closed at .e top and the vertical edges and being joined together vertical seams spaced along its width to form pockets itending substantially the length of said sheet, relatively in, rigid plate means in each of said pockets, fastening eans passing freely through the closed top edge of said )ubled sheet, and slide means fastened on said lintel to r-operate with said fastening means to suspend the iubled sheet on the stiffening panels] 6. A folding closure member for vertical openings such doors having a vertical riser and a connecting lintel form the frame therefor which comprises a doubled .eet of decorative material having a consistency such as brie, leather, and synthetic sheet material and having length substantially equal to the height of the opening be closed and a width at least equal to the width of id opening, said doubled sheet being closed at the top [(1 the vertical edges, a plurality of stiffening plates posined between the sheets of material forming said clore members in relatively closed spaced relation and tending substantially the full length of said sheet, means position said plates within the doubled sheet in vertil spaced relation, and means on said plates to slidably spend each of said plates at the top and from the lintel, id sheet materill being supported entirely on said plates .d said sheet of material constituting the sole connection tween the plates.

[7. A folding closure member for vertical openings rich comprises a sheet of material having a length sublntially equal to the height of the opening, pockets rmed substantially the entire length of said sheet of aterial, separate flat, elongate stiffening members re- .ned in said pockets extending vertically in spaced relatn, individual supporting means, each mounted on and sitioned centrally and adjacent the top of said stiffening :mbers, and slide means supportable at the top of an ening to co-operate with said individual suspension :ans to provide a sliding suspension for said closure amber, said sheet of material being supported entirely I said stiffening members] [8. A foldable closure for doorways which comprises a plurality of thin, fiat, elongate panels adapted to form a door when in aligned position, separate supporting means at the top of each panel centrally thereof, a track for'slidably mounting said supporting means at the top of a door opening, and an ornamental sheathing for said panels covering each side and joined between said panels to space the panels and being flexible to form with the panels a hinged series of panels positionable at will in closely spaced, parallel relation or in aligned relation, the joined portions of the sheathing forming the sole hinge between the panels .1

9. A combination as defined in claim 8 in which the sheathing is closed at the top to receive its sole support from the top edges of said panels.

10. A combination as defined in claim 9 in which the sheathing is open at the bottom to permit the removal and replacement of individual panels.

[11. A foldable closure for doorways which comprises a plurality of thin, flat, elongate, relatively stiff, formretaining, uniformly dimensioned panels adapted to form a door when in aligned position, separate supporting means at the top of each panel centrally thereof, a track for slidably mounting said supporting means at the top of a door opening, and an ornamental sheathing for said panels covering each side and joined between said panels to space the panels and being flexible to form with the pinels a hinged series of panels positionable at will in closely spaced, parallel relation or in aligned relation, the joined portions of said sheathing forming the sole hinge between said panels] 12. A foldable closure for walk through doorways which comprises, a plurality of thin, flat, elongate, relatively stifi, form-retaining, uniformly dimensioned panels of substantially door length, adapted to form a door when in aligned position, a track for slidably mounting said panels at the top end only, at the top of a door opening, separate supporting means at the top of each said panel centrally thereof and slidably and pivotdlly engaging said track, and a flexible ornamental sheathing on and supported by said panels covering each side and extending the full length thereof and joined between the panels spacing the panels from each other and forming when in use, hinges between the panels, thereby creating a hinged series of panels positionable at will in closely spaced parallel relation or in aligned relation, the joined portions of the sheathing forming the sole hinge between the panels.

13. A foldable closure for doorways which comprises, a plurality of thin, flat, elongate, relatively stiff, formretaining, uniformly dimensioned panels adapted to form a door when in aligned position, a flexible ornamental sheathing on both sides of said panels supported by and joined between said panels to space the panels from each other and to form when in use hinges between the panels, thereby creating a hinged series of panels positionable at will in closely spaced parallel relation or in aligned relation, the joined portions of the sheathing forming the sole hinge between the panels, a track for slidably mounting said panels at the top of said doorway as a first support means for said closure, and slides mounted only at the top and centrally of each of said panels to form a second support means for said closure, said first and second support means being slidably engaged one with another with little lateral play and said first and second support means pivotally connecting said panels with respect to said track whereby the first and second support means afiord stability to said closure while permitting free opening and closing thereof.

14. A foldable closure for doorways which comprises, a plurality of thin, flat, elongate, relatively stiff, formretaining, uniformly dimensioned panels adapted to form a door when in aligned position, a flexible ornamental sheathing on both sides of said panels supported by and join-ed between said panels to space the panels from each other and to form when in use hinges between the panels,

thereby creating a hinged series of panels positionable at will in closely spaced parallel relation or in aligned relation, the joined portions of the sheathing forming the sole hinge between the panels, a track for slidably mounting said panels at the top of said doorway as a first support means for said closure, and slides mounted only at the top and centrally of each of said panels to form a second support means for said closure, means for mounting said slides on said panels for pivotal movement about axes generally parallel to the hinges between the panels, said first and second support means being slidably engaged one with another with little lateral play References Cited in the file of this patent or the original patent 1,024,305 Apples Apr. 23, 1912 1,558,533 Cone Oct. 27, 1925 1,877,950 Nordell Sept. 20, 1932 2,325,992 Wirthman Aug. 3, 1943

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