Concealed overhead door closer

June 23, 1964

Filed Jan. 11, 1962

C. C. BLOM

CONCEALED OVERHEAD DOOR CLOSER

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3,137,888

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June 23, 1964

C. C. BLOM

3,137,888

CONCEALED OVERHEAD DOOR CLOSER

Filed Jan. 11, 1962

Sheets-Sheet 2

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United States Patent Office

3,137,888

Patented June 23, 1964

3,137,888 CONCEALED. OVERHEAD DOOR CLOSER

Conrad C. Blom, Landrum, S.C., assignor to Bommer Spring Hinge Co., ffic., Landrum, S.C., a corporation of New York '

Filed Jan. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 165,483 1 Claim. (Cl. 16—51)

This invention relates to door closers and more particularly to concealed overhead door closers connected to the upper edge of a door.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide an improved concealed overhead door closer to be secured to the upper frame portion of a door frame which requires a minimum of space without diminishing its door actuating power or efficiency and which can be made at a minimum of cost and be installed by a worker of limited skill if any.

These and other features, capabilities, and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed descripiton of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section partly broken away of the part to be installed in the upper frame portion of a door, frame and also the part to be installed in the upper edge of the door to be connected.

FIG. 2 is a cross section at right angles to the cross section of FIG. 1 of the part illustrated in FIG. 1.

.FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective on a larger scale than the .scale of FIG. 1 with parts broken away in the interest of clarity.

.FIG. 4 is a side view of the arm secured to the door to be connected.

In the embodiment shown, the conventional arm 1 is secured to the upper edge of,the door 2 which arm 1 is preferably countersunk in the upper edge of the door 2 as shown. The arm 1 has an enlargement 3 at one end and a second enlargement 4 at the other end in which enlargement 4 there is formed a polygonally shaped socket or recess 5 concentric with the axis of its pivot point preferably tapered as shown to receive the tapered polygonally .shaped projection or stud 6 which is part of the shaft 7 concentric, to and haying the enlargement 8 journalled of the disk 73 screw threadedly connected to the bearing 9 in the wall 10 of the housing 11 adjacent the projection 6. The inner end 12 of the shaft 7 is diminished in size relative to the enlargement 8 and is pivoted in the bearing .13 formed in the wall.14. of the housing 11. The portion of the shaft 7 is fixed to the cam 16 which is heart-shaped, see FIG. 2. and. has'two recesses 17 and 18 on its periphery to form low spots or recesses from the high main spot of. the cam 16 to cooperate with the rollers 19 and 20 at the free end of the frame portions 21 and 22 and the ends 23 and 24 . of the bars 25 and 26 respectively. The rollers 19 and 2.0 and ends 23 and 24 are provided with recesses 27, 28, 29. and 30 respectively, to clear the intermediate raised.portions 31 of the cam 1.6, the raised portions 31 being disposed intermediate to similar recesses 17 on one side of the cam .16 and to similar recesses 18 on the other side of the cam 16. The rollers 19 and 20 are pivotally connected to the free ends of the frame portions 21 and 22 and by the shafts .32 and the ends 23 and 24 of the bars 25 and 2.6 are connected to the frame portions 21 and 22 by the pins 33.

The shaft portion 15 of the shaft 7 is slidably mounted in the registering slots 34 in the frame portions 21 and 22 so that the frame, portions 21 and 22 may be actuated by the cam 16 about its shaft 7 which is journalled in bearings 9.and 13_fixed imthe.walls 10 and 14relative to the movement of the frame, portions 21 and 22 along the walls 10 and 14 of the housing 11.

Intermediate the pins 33 of the bars 25 and 26 there is disposed a roller 35 journalled on the shaft 36 in the frame portions 21 and 22. From the foregoing it will be seen that the periphery of the cam 16 with its recesses 17 and 18 will be in position to cooperate with the rollers 19, 20 and 35 and the ends 23 and 24 of the bars 25 and 26. The registering slots 34 in the frames 21 and 22 cooperating with the shaft 7 will in turn cooperate with the rollers .19 and 20 cooperating with the cam 16 and still further cooperate with the bars 25 and 26 passing through in the partition 37 to control the smooth movement of the frames 21 and 22, in turn to facilitate the smooth movement of the tars 25 and 26 in the interest of an even, uniform, smooth movement of the door into and put of its open and closed door positions, when the door 2 through the cam 16 will cooperate with the rollers 19 and 20 either to compress the springs 49 and 50 when the door is moved into open position or to liberate the springs 49 and 30 when moving into closed door position. The bars 25 and 26 extentd through the partition 37 of the housing 11 and are connected to one another, by the yoke 38 which yoke' 38 in turn is connected by the pivot pin 39 to the piston rod 40 which extends through the partition 41 of the housing portion 42 and then through the sealing disk 43 in the chamber formed by the cylindrical wall 44. Beyond the sealing disk 43 there is provided the annulus 45 on the piston rod 40 and beyond the annulus 45 the cylindrical portion 46, and beyond the cylindrical portion 46 the piston 40 is connected to the piston head 47 slidably mounted in the chamber 48 formed by the cylindrical wall 44. Between the yoke' 38 and the partition 37 there are mounted the' springs 49 and 50 on the arms 25 and 26 respectively to urge the yoke 38 to the right and in turn to urge one or the other roller 19, 20 against the cam 16. Consequently, when the door is moved from open position corresponding to the position of the cam 16 in .FIG. 2, into the closed position, the movement of the door will be effected, and at least aided by the expansion of the springs 49 and 50 acting on ithe yoke 38 to move the rollers 19, 20 to the right and in turn rotate the cam 16 around the axis of its shaft .7, in turn to actuate the arm 1 and therewith .the door 2 into closed position. To check the movement of the door into and out of closed position there is provided an oil or the like medium to cooperate with the piston head 47 in the chamber 48. The chamber 51 in the housing portion 42 is a supply chamber, the oil being supplied thereto through the opening .53 provided with the screw cap 54. From the chamber 51 the oil may pass through the orifice 55 into the portion of the chamber .48 between the piston head 47 and the annulus 45. From the chamber 51 the oil may also pass through the canal 56 to the common canal 57 into the portion of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head 47 and the common canal 57. From the canal .56 in turn through the canal 58, the oil may pass into the oil expansion chamber 59. The oil expansion chamber 59 has a valve 60 under pressure of the spring .61 disposed in the chamber 59’between the valve .60 and the partition 41 the part of the chamber between , the valve 60^: and the partition 4.1 being exposed to the atmosphere and thereby to the atmospheric pressure through the opening 71. From the portion of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head 47 and the canal 57 to the portion of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head ,47 and the annulus .45 there is provided in the piston head 47 and piston rod 40, the; chamber 62 provided with a ball valve 63 to close, the entrance 64 to the canal 65 passing through the .rod 40 into the chamber 48 when .the pressure of the oil is exercised on the side of the piston head 47 disposed between the piston head 47 and the canal 57. The entrance 64 to the canal 65 and from

3,137,888 the canal 65 through the piston 40 into the side of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head 47 and the annulus 45 cooperates with the chamber 62 and the staked opening 71 to permit the oil in the portion of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head 47 and the annulus 45 rapidly to pass to the portion of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head 47 and the canal 57 when the door is swung from closed position into open position and the piston head 47 moves from right to left in which case the pressure of the oil is on the side of the piston head facing the annulus 45 and freeing the ball 63 from the entrance 64. On the other hand when the door moves from the open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 into the closed position, the piston head 47 moves to the right, that is toward the canal .57, and the pressure of the oil will be on the side of the piston head 47 facing the canal 57 in turn to seat the ball valve 63 on the entrance 64 to the canal 65 and thereby cause the oil in the portion of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head 47 and the canal 57 to pass out through the canal 57 and 56 into the supply chamber 51 and from the supply chamber 51 through the opening 55 into the side of the portion of the chamber 48 disposed between the piston head 47 and the annulus 45.

The valve 60 and expansion chamber 59 of course act upon the medium, the oil as an instance, to maintain the same at a substantially uniform pressure.

Intermediate the channels 56, 57 and 58 there is provided the chamber 67, the channels 56 and 58 being in communication with the chamber 67 so that oil from the supply chamber 51 may pass through the channel 56 into the chamber 67 and then through the channel 57 into the chamber 68 facing the piston head 47. Similarly the expansion chamber 59 by means of the channel 58 communicates with the chamber 57 so that an increase or decrease in pressure in the oil in the expansion chamber 59 may be transmitted to the oil in the chamber 68. From the foregoing it will appear that the smooth action of the cam 16 in turn of the door 2 is thus supplemented by the oil in the expansion chamber 59 to insure the smooth, even operation of the door 2 at all temperatures regardless of the weather and in turn regardless of the speed of motion transmitted to the door when closing or opening the same. The chamber 67 is provided with the conventional valve 69 for regulating the velocity of the movement of the oil through the channel 57 into the chamber portion 68 and thereby to regulate the speed of movement of the door 2 when opening or closing the same.

The low spots 17 and 18 of the cam 16 in turn cooperate with the rollers 17, 18 or ends 23, 24 to anchor the door in the open position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in one case or in the closed position, depending upon the position of the cam 16, as per convention.

When assembling the device before the disk 73 is screwed into position in the wall 10, and before the plates 21 and 22 are connected to the rods 25 and 26, the plates 21 and 22 with the cam 16 are placed in position so that the inner end of the shaft 7 registers with the bearing 13 and the portion of the plates 21 and 22 provided for receiving the pins 33 is positioned extending toward the partition 37. Then the rods 25 and 26 fixed to the yoke 38 are passed in through the housing 11 before the hydraulic housing portion 42 is secured in place. The rods 25 and 26 are positioned by the openings in the partition 37 and can then quickly be positioned between the plates 21 and 22 to receive the pins 33, 33. Thereupon, the disk 73 is positioned on the shaft 7 and screwed into position in the wall 10 of the housing 11 as shown in FIG. 1.

One of the advantages achieved from the concealed overhead door closer is that the danger of receiving foreign matter such as dirt, sweepings, and the like will be definitely avoided. One of the problems heretofore encountered with overhead door closers was the problem of producing a closer that would fit into a comparatively small compact space. With a single spring construction, the diameter of the spring would call for a much deeper hole than would be necessary when two springs, such as the springs 49 and 50 in the present case, are used.

From the foregoing it will thus appear:

(1) that the cushioning medium, oil, will reside in the portion of the expansion chamber 59 between the valve 60 and the canal 58, the chamber 48 in the .cylinder 44 on both sides of the piston head 47 and in the supply chamber 51 of course, and in the channel 56, chamber 67 and channel 57; .

(2) that air under atmospheric pressure will reside in the portion of the expansion chamber 59 between the valve 60 and the partition 41 in communication with the atmosphere through the opening 70;

(3) that the chamber between the partition 41 and the end wall 72 will be free of oil;

(4) that the partition 37 will clear the rods 25 and 26;

(5) that the pivot pin 39 will impart the flexibility required to the bracket 38 and rods 25 and 26 when actuated by the shaft 7 to prevent binding; and (6) that the slots 34 in the frame portions. 21 and 22 will cooperate with the shaft 7 and the piston 40 with the rods 25 and 26.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.