US2084733A - Garage door opener - Google Patents

Description

June 22, 1937. w/T. KAHLIFF GARAGE DOOR OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 5, 1936 WNW gmc/who@ Sum/MAH.

June 22, 1937. w. T. KAHLIFF GARAGE DOOR OPENER Filed March 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GNV:

@Kaw "i d l' Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED 'STATES PATENT oFFlc'E amas: Gannon noon. orma mmm r. xmlfr, Elyria. ohio am nach 5. 193s, serai No. sus:

1 Claim.

This invention aims to provide a novel means for opening and closing the door of a building, such as a garage. The invention aims to provide a carriage of novel form. Opel'tively connected with the door or doors of the garage, and

to supply novel means for actuating the carriage at the will of an operator.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and ar- 1.; rangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described l,and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows, in top plan. a device constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation wherein parts are in section;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on the lineA 4--4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the anchor piece;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the motor, parts of the brake being in section;

Fig. 'I is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit;

Fig. 8 is an elevation showing a modication wherein a torque clutch is employed;

Fig. 9 is an elevation showing how the device may be applied to a horizontally swinging door. rather than to the vertically and horizontally slidable door of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a cross section on'the line iI-Il of Fig. 9.

. The numeral I marks a building, such as a garage, `having a doorway 2. The garage I is provided with inverted L-shaped guides 3 (Fig. 2). A door 4 for the doorway 2 is provided and has rollers 8 or other pmjections which move in the guides 3, the construction being such that the door 4 can be raised and slid horizontally into the dash line position of Fig. 2, in a well kknown manner.

A platform 8 is supported at 1 in the garage I, in spaced relation to the doorwayv2, a standard 8 being mounted on the platform. A track 9,

which may be an inverted channel, is secured at its inner end to the standard 8 and is secured at its outer end by a bracket I0 to the garage I, above the doorway 2.

A carriage II is mounted to move along the track 9 and has fixed upper axles I2 on which are journaled rollers I4 adapted to ride on the upper edges of the track 9, the rollers having flanges I5 that engage the outer lateral surfaces of the track 9. Spacing'sleeves I8 are mounted on one of the axles I2, between the corresponding rollers I4. The carriage II carries a lower axle I1, on which are journaled rollers I8 engaging the bottom of the track 9, the rollers I8 having flanges I8 that engage the outer lateral surfaces of the track 9.

The numeral 20 designates a two-part approximately L-shaped connection having at its upper end a fork i9 pivoted on the axle I1, between the rollers I8. The lower, forward end of the connection 28 is pivotally joined at 2| to the do'or 4. On one side of the carriage II there is a lateral projection 22 having sloping end surfaces. y

The projection 22 on the carriage Il is adapted to engage a forward crank arm 23 or a rear crank arm 24 on a shaft 28, the crank arms 23 and 24 being adjustably secured at 29 to the shaft 28. The shaft 26 is journaled in bearings 21 on the track 9.

On the inner end of the shaft 28 there is a crank arm 28 pivoted to a link 28 that is pivoted to the arm 30 of a switch 3i supported by a bracket 32 on the standard 8. A pull spring 33 is anchored at one end on one of the bearings 21 and is connected `to the link 29.

A fixed forward shaft 34 is mounted on the track 9. The standard 8 has extensions 39 in which is journaled a rear shaft 38. There are sprocket wheels 31 which are carried by the shafts 34 and 38, one sprocket wheel being journaled on the shaft 34, and the other sprocket wheel being secured to the shaft 38 to rotate therewith. A sprocket chain 39 is engaged with the sprocket wheels 31. A channel-shaped anchor piece 38 is secured to one run of the sprocket chain 39. The anchor piece 38 carries a pivot element 48 on which is mounted one end of a link 4I. The opposite end of the link 4I is pivoted on one of the axles I2 of the carriage II, between the spacing `sleeves I8.

'I'he rear shaft 38 carries a worm wheel 42 meshing with a worm 43 on the shaft of an electric motor 44 mounted on the platform 8. A wheel 4I on the shaft of the motor 44 is engaged by a one solenoid con u is energized, the brake shoe 4s is retracted from the wheel 45 on the shaft of the motor 44. A compression spring 49 within the coil 4l engages the amature 41 and serves to maintain the brake shoe 46 engaged with'the wheel 45 cn the shaft of the motor 44.

The motor 44 is interposed in a normally open ilrst motor circuit 59, in which is interposed a normally open switch located at' any convenient place outside the garage a normally .open switch 52 being interposed in the first motor circuit 59, and being located at any convenient Place'within the garage I. The switches 5| and 52 are under the control of an operator. The motor 44 also is interposed in a normally open second motor circuit 53, including a portion of the first motor circuit 5|). 'I'he second motor circuit 53 is adapted to be closed by the switch 3| that. in its turn, is under the control oi': the carriage Il. 'I'he coil 46 of the motor brake is interposed in a conductor 54, connected to the rst motor circuit 59 on opposite sides of the motor 44. All of the various circuits and conductors may be suitably housed, as shown at 55 in Fig. 2.

Considering, first, the mechanical means for opening and closing the door 4, suppose that the door 'is in the closed position of Fig. 1. The motor 44 operates the worm 43, the worm 43 rotates the worm wheel 42, the shaft 36 is rotated and motion is transmitted vto the sprocket chain 39 by the sprocket wheel 31 on the shaft 36. 'I'he sprocket chain 39 carries the anchor piece 38 backwardly, the link 4| draws the carriage backwardly along the track 9, and the connection 29 raises the door 4 and slides it backwardly to open position on the guides 3.

The motor 44 is not reversed, but continues to rotate in one direction. 'I'he anchor piece 38 on the sprocket chain 39 is carried around onto the run of the sprocket chain 39 that is shown uppermost in Fig. 1'.'vvv The carriage moves to the left in Fig. 1, back intothe position of Fig. 2, andthe connection closes the door 4.

Passing to the control features, when the door is in the closed position of Fig. 2 the switch 3| 'is held open, because the crank arm 23 on the shaft 26 rests against the projection 22 on the carriage Switches 5| and 52, under the control of an operator, also are open. 'I'he solenoid coil 46 is not energized, and the spring 49 thrusts the brake shoe 46 against the wheel 45 on the shaft of the motor 44.

Assuming that the operator is outside the garage I, he operates the switch 5| of Figs. 2 and 'Lto close the ilrst motor circuit 50. vThe motor 44- thus is energized and put into operation. At the same time, current ilows through `the conducto54, and the solenoid coil 49 moves the brake shoe 46 out of engagement with the wheel 45 on the shaft of the motor 44. I'he carriage is moved to the right from the position of Fig. '1, the operator keeping the switch 5| closed until the projection 22 on the carriage is clear of the crank arm 23 on the shaft 26. Then the switch 5| may be released by the operator. The spring 33 rotates the shaft 26, and the arm 24 on the shaft 26 is swung inwardly toward the track 9, so as to be in the path of the projection 22 on the carriage When `the shaft 216 is rotated by the action of the'spring 33, the switch 3|;is closed by the action of the arm 29, the

link 29, andthe arm 39 of Fig. 4. The second cira,os4,7ss v -cuit 53 through the motor 44 is energized, and themotor continues to operate, to can-y the carriage to the right in Fig. '1.

When the carriage has proceeded far enough to the right in Fig. 7 to open the door into the dash line position of Fig. 2, the projection 22 on the` carriage engagesthe crank arm/24 on the shaft 26 and rocks the shaft, the second motor circuit 53 being opened by the switch 3|, and the door stopping in the opened position shown in dash line in Fig. 2. The flow of current through the conductor 54 is stopped at this time, the coil 46 is deenergized, and the spring 49 of Fig. 6 applies the brake shoe 46 to the motor 44.

If the operator wishes, he can go outside of the garage, operate the switch 5| again, and cause the carriage to move to the left, into the position of Fig. 2. If the operator wishes, he can stay within the garage and operate the switch 52, the door being closed again.

It is not necessary to use the structure in connection with the slidable door 4 of Fig. 2. In Figs. 9 and 10, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals previously used, with the suffix a. In this form-of the invention, the door 4a is hinged 'at 56 to the building la. Longitudinally adjustable links 51 are pivoted at 58 to the' lower portions of the carriage ||a. The forward ends of the links 51 are pivoted at 59 to the doors 4a. 'Ihe construction, obviously, is such that horizontally swinging doors, or one horizontally swinging door, can be' operated, as well as the vertically slidable door 4 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 8,parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals previously used, with the suilix b. The modification here shown provides a clutch engagement between the rear shaft 36h and the corresponding worm wheel 42h. The worm wheel 42h has a. hub 60 in which the shaft 36h may rotate, if too great a strain is thrown on any part of the mechanism. The worm wheel 42h, however, is coupled to the shafi 36h in the normal operation of the machine by a mechanism including a collar 6| secured at 62 to the shaft 36h. 'I'he collar 6| has an upwardly extended arm 63, against which abuts one end of a resilient friction band 64 extended around the hub 6|! of the worm wheel 42h. A bolt 65 or the like extends through -the said end of the band, and through the arm 63 on the collar 6|. The opposite end of the. band 64 is slidable on the bolt 65. A nut 66 is mounted on the bolt 65. A compression spring 61 surrounds a portion of the bolt 65, one end of the compression spring abutting against the nut 66, and the opposite end of the compression spring abutting against the adjacent end of the band 64, and tending to tighten the band around the hub 66 of the worm wheel 4'2b, the worm wheel thus being`coupled to the shaft 36h, in the ordinary operation of the device, but it being possible for the worm wheel 42h and the shaft 36h to have relative rotation if too great a strain is thrown on some part of the mechanism, for instance, if something happens to be below the Adoor 4, as the door 4 descends, or between the doors 4a of Fig. 9, as those doors are closed.

What is claimed is:

A device for opening and closing a door, comprising a track in the form of a channel having upstanding flanges, a carriage having wheels mounted to move along the upper edges of the of the track, upstanding arms on the secondv shaft, an outstanding cam projection on one side of the carriage, yieldable means for rocking the second shaft in one direction to dispose the arms in such postion that they will be in the path of the cam projection, the cam projection then engaging the arms, one at a time, and rocking the second shaft in an opposite direction, means under the control of an operator for starting the motor, and mechanism for stopping the motor when the second shaft is rocked in said opposite direction by engagement between the cam projection and 10 either arm.

- WILLIAM T. KAHLIFF.

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