DOOR OPERATOR

• US 3,785,089 A
• Filed: 07/14/1972
• Issued: 01/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wesley A. Smith
• Original Assignee: Wesley A. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Wesley A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US05/272,021
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 49/139,197,199,200,358 160/199
• US Class Current: 49/139
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/627 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables using flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/619
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A power operated tilting door system for opening and closing a portal in a building includes a door and pivot elements in the building mounting the door for tilting movement on a horizontal axis. A winch and a motor for rotating the winch are carried by the door adjacent the upper edge thereof. An elongate strand wraps around the winch, one end of the strand being secured by a quick release unit to the building and the other being secured to the door remotely from the winch. A strand tension member is mounted on the building and extends therefrom to a position, near the winch location when the door is open, for supporting the portion of the strand between the winch and the other end of said strand. The ends of the strand and the tension member are located to equalize the required length of the strand at all positions of the door. Limit switches are fixedly mounted with respect to the building for engagement by an actuator pivotable with the door so as to de-energize the motor at the fully open and fully closed positions of the door.

Claims

1. A power operated tilting door system for opening and closing a portal in a building, comprising in combination:

a door mounted on said building at said portal for tilting movement about a substantially horizontal axis, to open and close said portal;

rotatable winch means on said door and motor means on said door for rotatably driving said winch means;

an elongate strand in wrapping engagement with said winch means and having first and second free ends;

first means securing said first end to said building on one side of said door;

second means securing said second end to said door remotely from said winch means;

strand tension means carried by said building on the other side of said door, said strand movably engaging said tension means intermediate its engagement with said winch means and second means;

whereby rotation of said winch means by said motor means moves said winch means along said strand for opening and closing of said door.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the top of said door is spaced above said axis, said winch means comprises a winch located near the upper edge of said door, said motor being secured to said door above said axis, said motor and winch being located adjacent one end of said door, said winch describing an arc about said axis as said door pivots between its open and closed positions, said first means and said strand tension means being located adjacent the position of said winch on said arc with the door closed and open respectively.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 in which said first means and strand tension means are substantially symmetrically located with respect to the position of said winch when said door is located at equal distances from its fully open and fully closed positions and said second means is located on said door above said door axis and below said winch.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said second means is so located on said door so as to be disposed substantially on a line between said door axis and said strand tension means when said door is substantially midway between its open and closed positions, whereby reduction of an effective strand length between said first means and said strand tension means as said door swings from said mid position toward its open or closed position is compensated for by an effective increase in strand length between said strand tension means and said second means due to corresponding movement of said second means with said door.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said winch means is spaced along said door from said door axis and said second means is located on said door at a lesser distance from said door axis whereby a change in the effective length of strand between said first means and said strand tension means during tilting of said door is compensated for by an opposing change in effective length of strand between said second means and said strand tension means so as to minimize changes of strand tension during tilting of said door.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said strand tension means comprises an elongate member fixed to said building adjacent said door axis and extending interiorly of said building, Pulley means slidably engageable with said strand for changing the direction of said strand and means mounting said pulley means on said elongate member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said means mounting said pulley means comprises a resilient element and means for adjusting the resilient force applied by said resilient element to said pulley means, said resilient element being arranged for causing said pulley means to impose a preselectable tension on said strand.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which said pulley means comprises a pulley and said means mounting said pulley means further comprises a shaft slidably mounted on said elongate member and secured to said pulley for allowing movement of said pulley for tightening or loosening tension of said strand, said resilient element comprising a spring disposed between said elongate member and said shaft for causing said pulley to impose tension on said strand, said adjustment means comprising a manually engageable element threadedly engaging said shaft and adjustable thereon for changing the force of said spring.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 including a shaftlike element defining the pivot axis of said door and extending endwise from said door, bearing means on said building rotatably supporting said shaftlike element, said elongate member comprising a substantially U-shaped inner element pivotally engaging said shaftlike element on opposite sides of said bearing means, said elongate member further comprising an elongate outer element carried by said inner element in adjustably spaced relation to said bearing means and further including a positioning rod carried adjacent one end thereof by said building and of adjustable length, the remaining end of said positioning rod supporting said elongate member intermediate its ends for fixedly but adjustably locating said pulley means.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 including strand length adjusting means interposed in said strand intermediate said second means and strand tension means.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 including limit switches and means fixedly locating said limit switches at a preset radial distance from said door axis, said limit switches being angularly spaced from each other with respect to said door axis, bearing means on said building and a shaftlike element on said door supported by said bearing means for defining said door axis, said shaftlike element being pivotable with said door, an elongate actuator fixed to said shaftlike element for actuating ones of said limit switches when said door is adjacent its open and closed positions, respectively.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said first means comprises a catch for releasably securing said first strand end to said building and an elongate actuating element connected to said catch for enabling remote operation of said catch.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said first strand end includes a latch ring, said catch including a bracket defining a slot for receiving said latch ring, an axially movable release rod which extends across said slot and through said latch ring for securing said first strand end to said building, means resiliently urging said release rod into said slot and cam means responsive to a pull on said actuating element for pulling said release rod from said slot and out of engagement with said latch ring for releasing said first strand end from securement to said building, whereby upon release of said first strand end, said door can be manually tilted without actuation of said winch means.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 including a slip clutch interposed between said winch means and said motor means.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said winch means comprises a rotatable input shaft, a rotatable output member and means coupling said input shaft and rotatable output member, said strand having an intermediate portion wrapped upon said output member and defining a first strand layer thereon, means defining a cover layer surrounding said first strand layer, saiD cover layer having a pair of openings adjacent opposite ends thereof through which portions of said strand extend from said first layer, said extending portions of said strand being wrapped in opposite directions on said cover layer to define second strand layer portions, the ends of said strand extending from the opposed inner ends of said second strand layer portion.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which said output member comprises telescoped outer and inner sleeves, said first strand layer being wound on said outer sleeve and said inner sleeve being rotatably coupled to said input shaft, said output member further including means releasably engaging said inner sleeve and said outer sleeve whereby rotation of said inner sleeve results in a corresponding winding and unwinding of said strand ends on said cover layer.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said motor means is located on said door in spaced relation between said winch means and said door axis and including endless drive means connecting said motor means and winch means for moving said winch means along said strand.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said motor means and winch means have coaxially aligned shafts and are located adjacent the upper edge of said door, said motor means lying inboard of said winch means with respect to said door, a coaxial drive connection coupling said motor means and winch means, said drive connection including a slip clutch, means for adjusting the output of said slip clutch including resilient means for axially shifting said motor means with respect to said winch means and means adjustable for setting the resilient force of said resilient means.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said motor means comprises a gear motor fixed to said door adjacent the end thereof, said winch means comprising a winch fixed to the end of said door adjacent the upper edge of said door and drivingly coupled to said gear motor means.