US1904010A - Pass-type elevator door - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1933. R s PEELLE 1,904,010

PASS TYPE ELEVATOR DOOR Filed Dec. 5. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l j; ATTORNEY Aprll 18, 1933. R. s. PEELLE PASS TYPE ELEVATOR DOOR Filed Dec. 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WV N A ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT s. PnELLnoF norms, NEW YORK, ,ASSIGNOR TO THE PEELLE co PA'nYfoF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK" PASS-TYPE ELEVATOR DOOR Application filed December 3, 1931.- Serial No. $7 8,791.

The invention relates to pass-type elevator doors, and more particularly to a construction of pass-type doorwherein the distance between the lintel of a lower dooropening and the sill of an upper door opening is so limited as to preclude the use of pass-type doors of ordinary construction.

A pass-type door consists of two counterbalanced se ctions movable in parallel vertical planes, one of these sections being positioned closely adjacent the walloi the elevator shaft, and the other section being spaced away'fr'om this wall a distance suiticient to form a pocket for the reception of a section of a door closing the opening at an adjacent landing; This type of door 1s old in the art and is used only when the distance between the lintel of one door opening and the sill of the opening above is insuflicient to permit full opening movement of the doors closing either openingp Ordinarily, even though the distance between the lintel of one opening and thesill of the opening above is inadequate to permit the full opening movement of the'door, there is suflicient space available to permit the installation of the mechanisms of adoor in a manner to allow such full opening providing the section of one door is permitted to move in a plane parallel with the other. In some buildings, however, where low ceiling heights are characteristic. of the architecture, the space between floors is so small as to preclude the installation of pass-type doors of the ordinary type. V

The purpose of my invention isto provide a pass-type door, the construction of which is such that it may be installed in any building, irrespective of the height of the wall space between the lintel and an opening at one floor, and the sill at the opening of the floor above, the construction being such that all of the operative parts of the door installation are contained within the height of the door opens ing. In the development of this construe tion it was found necesary to materially alter the 'constructionof the upper door section in order to secure a'suflicient run of the flexible connections between the two sections to accomplish the full opening movement of the door. P

The difiic'ulties of installing pass-type doors, when the available space is'limited as. above described, are more pronounced with motor operated doors and with doors embodying therein what is known-as a truck bar or truckable sill feature of the type wherein the truck bar or sill is supported from the guide rail structure.

In the door of the invention, the construction and arrangement of parts is such that the operator mechanism may be utilized as a stop for arresting downward movement ,ofthe lower section of the door'at' an upper landing with the truck bar or truckable sill of this door substantially flush with the floor at the opening closed by that door. I also provide in the door of the invention a special construc-tion of extension lintel normally closing a-pocket between the upper door section and the wall of a shaft and operated as a result of the relative movement of the upper section of one door carrying the same-and the lowersection of the door closing the opening immediately above; I v

The invention consists primarily in a passtype elevator door vembodying therein two sections oppositely movable Yin parallel planes, guide rail'structures upon which said sections have movement, whereby one of said sections is positioned closely adjacent the upper door section when'the door is closed,

legs projected downwardly from the lower edge of the upper door section, hanger fittings adjacent'the top ofithe lower-door section, and flexible connections between the wall of an elevator shaft, and the other is lower end of each leg'and one of said hanger fittings, and passing about said sheaves, whereby all partsof the door stru'ctureyineluding said sheaves but excludingsaid guide rail structure,v are contained within the height of said door; and in such other novel, features of construction and combination of v parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended. 1

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertically and laterally condensed view from the shaft side showing pass-type doors embodying the invention at door openings upon succeeding floors of a building;

Fig. 2 is asection onthe line 22 of Fig. 1 upon a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 upon the same scale as Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view upon a still larger scale and laterally condensed of the upper portion of the upper doorsection, showing details of the extension lintel.

- Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a lower floor is indicated at '1' and the floor immediately above at 2. The

sill at the floor opening 1 is indicated at 3 and the lintel ofsaid opening at 4. The sill of the opening 2 only-is shown at 5. The lintel of the opening below thefloor l is shown at'6. q In the drawings, the space between the lintel at one opening and the floor of the opening above is about twelveor fourteen inches, this s'pace'bein'g inadequate to permit the installation of counterbalanced doors within the shaftof any type used prior to my present invention.- I 1 Extending throughout the shaft adjacent all of the openings is a guide rail'structure consisting of a wall angle 7 supporting parallel guide'rails 8 and 9 which may be of the construction commonly used with pass-type doors. That is to say, the rails 8, instead of extending continuously throughout the entire height of the shaft, extend only from a point adjacent the'meeting line of the door sections at one floor to adjacent the meeting line. of the door section at the floor below, while therail 9 extends from adjacentthe meeting line of the doors at one floor,'upwardly. to adjacentthe meeting line of the doors closing the opening at the floor above.

Each door section is provided with shoes 10 or other. suitable means projecting laterally from the door, co-operating with the guide rails 8 and 9. This arrangement of staggered parallel guides is not essential since if such rails be made*continuous 1 throughout the shaft they would not-interfere with the operation of any door. I 1

The upper door. section at one floor is shown at 11 and the lower door section of said door 'at 12. The upper door section on thefioor-above is shown at 13 and the ,lower door sections are guided initheir movements by the guide rail 9, and all lower door sections by the guide rail 8. The guide rail 9 is positioned inwardly of the shaft in relation to the guide rail 8 and the shoes 10, carried by the upper door section, are mounted 7 relates more particularly tothose details of construction incidental to the mounting of the sections of each door in the shaft so that all of. the working parts of each door will be contained substantially within the height of the door opening, allowing for that overlapping at the top, bottom and sides of a door opening required in fire retardant elevator doors.

The detailed construction of each door in 'ashaftis identical with that of every other, so that a detailed description of but one door and the manner of mounting same, is required. I The lower door section is provided with a reinforcing top bar structure 17, known in the art. as a trucking bar or truckablc sill, this bar being provided with a top angle of a width to span the gap between the edge of the door sill and the platform of an elevator car to permit the trucking of vehicles,

containing merchandise, between the eleva-' tor car and the floor of a building without likelihood of blocking the wheels of the truck. The truck bar 17 has projecting ends eX- tending across and closely adjacent the inwardly directed flange ofthe wall angle 7 Priorto my invention, the common practice was to provide the wall angle with an adjustable stop engageable by the lower edge of the truck bar, when the top angle of this bar was substantially flushwith the floor of a building, so that-loads passing to or from the elevator car were transmitted through the truck bar and the guide rail structure to the wall of the building in a manner to prevent thedevelopment of racking stresses upon thelower door sections. 7

The flexible connections between the two door sections upon opposite sides of the door are also attached to the protruding ends of the truck bar, thuspermitting the truck bar to also serve as a hanger bar.

The guide rails 8 and 9, as'to each door, being staggered. it follows that the guide rail 8 for the lower section of a door at an upper floorwill extend parallel with the guide rail 9 for the upper section of the door on'the floor below, and be CO-QXtQHSiVG in length therewith.

Each of the door sections as shown is of the metal angle bar frame, metal sheathed wood panel type, but the detailed construction of the door sections in such respects is immaterial to the invention.

Th'e angle 16 carried. by the upperdoor section not only permits-the oflsetting of the shoes 10 which are carriedby that sec tion, but acts as a flame angle in relation to this door section. The lower door section is provided with a flame angle 18 which supports the shoes 10 forthat section and also acts as a flame angle in relation thereto; The lower door'sectionis provided, along its lower edge, with a toeguard 19 toprevent possibility of the crushing of the foot of a person upon a car, between the car platform and'thelower edgenof the door. This guard is providedwith an inwardly presented, upwardly inclined face from adjacent the wall of a shaft toward the inner plane of the door section, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Mounted upon each guide rail structure is a housing 20, having I mounted therein a sheave 21 over which the flexible connection 22, between the two door sections, passes. One end of this flexible connection is secured in-the usual manner to the hanger bar 17,

and the other end thereof is secured to the lower door section in a manner to be more,

fully described hereinafter, the construction permitting this manner of attachment being one of the essential characteristics of the presentinvention. Also carried by the housing 20 is an electric motor M geared to the sheave by means of enmeshed gears 23, said doorsbeing opened and closed by means of said motor and said gearing.

The housing 20-is so positioned that the top thereof is located below the sill of the adjacent door opening a distance approxie mating the depth of the vertical flange of the hanger bar, so that when a door closing an opening at an upper floor is in its lowermost position, said hanger bar engages the top of this sheave and motor housing 20 and maintains the upper surface of the truck bar structure on a plane with the sill of said upper door opening. 7 The upper portion of the housing 20 is provided with an upwardly extending flange 24, notched at 25 as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. r The flange of the truck bar entering the notch 25 relieves the door structure from stresses inwardly of the shaft from loads passing over the truck bar.

The overall height of the housing 20 is approximatelyeight-een inches, so that .it is necessary to locate the major portion of this housing below the lintel of the door opening in order to permit a full opening movement of the door at a floor at the opening of a floor immediately above; It is essential, however,

'I that the lower edge of the upper door section, y

when a door is fully open, be brought in substantially the plane of the lintel 0f .the opening closed thereby.

, Prior to my lnvention thepractice was-to connect the chain or other flexible connection 22 adjacent the lower edge of the 'upperdoor section,j'the practice with pass-type doors not diflering'from that followed withthe standard'typeof counterbalanceddoors, in which both doors have movement in the same vertical plane but in opposite directions.

vWithv the motor and sheave housing 20 located mainly below the lintel, however, this practice is impossible, since'the housing will prevent the full opening movement of the door.

In pass-type doors, prior to my. invention, the floor thickness, or the space betweenthe linted at one floor and the sill at the floor above, had. to be sulficientto permit the sheave housing to be located, in its entirety, well above the lintel and still have space above the housing sufficient to permit the full opening movement of the door above. With the tendency toward a reduction of the space between floors,.this-old construction is'impossible to use, andeven with a greater'space it is impossible to install an electricmotor operated sheave within this space,since even though the sheave and its motor could be located so as not to interfere with the opening of the door at an upper landing, the height of the sheave housing is such that the upper section ofthe door, of which it forms a part of the operating mechanism, could not be fully opened. In fact, a motor operated sheave structure cannot be usedwhere the available space between floors is adequate toaccommodate the run: ning gear fora manually operative passtype door. i a r v To overcome the above difficulties, I ,provide each side of theupperi door section with a downwardly extending leg26' projecting well below the bottom edge of the upper door section. Toward'the bottom of-this leg is a fitting 27 to which the lower end of the chain orother flexible connection'22 is attached.

The leg26 forms a part of a T-bar 28 firmly secured to the side edge ofthe upper door section throughout its entire length, one flange of thexhead of this T-bar beingicut away toward the lowerportion thereof, as shown at 29, for permitting the leg 26.to pass the vertical flange of the truck bar of the lower door'section (seeFig. 2). The leg 26 is of a length substantially equalling the height of the housing 20, so that when the door is fully open the point of attachment of'the chain or other flexible connection 22 with the leg will be well below the horizontal centerof the. sheave 21, thus avoiding any possible interference between the lower door section and the housing 20, or the parts'carriedthereby;

By this construction the lower edge of the upper'door section. may be brought to or even above th'elintel of the door opening, notwithstanding that the space between the lintel at one-floor and the sill at'thefloorabove is only twelve orfourteen inches. "The construction heretofore described would permit the installation of pass-type 'doors. even though the floor thickness was less than that specified. NVith the: construction described, all of the operating parts of a door may be brought within the height dimensions of that door. so that no restrictions whatever are placed upon the use of pass-type doors irrespective of the spaceavailable above the lintel of the door. i

It is necessary, in allfire retardant freight elevator doorsthat the door lap the opening inaccordance with the requirements of various fire ordinances, so that in referring to bringing all of the parts of the'door within the height of a door opening is meant bringing all these parts within the height required for the installation of the door the door'opening;

W'ith the construction of the invention, the housing 20, in its entirety, might be positioned entirely below the lintel, but in order to utilize this housing'as a stop for the truckable bar of thedoor above, the construction described is resorted to. A The oifsetting of the rail 9 in relation to the rail 8 and the wall of the shaft in the manner described, brings the upper door section 11 to a position where a pocket is formed between this section and the wall ofthe shaft suitable to receive the lower door section of a door at the floor above. To reduce the fire hazard it has long been the practice to close the upper portion of this pocket, when all doors are closed, by what is known as an extension lintel. 'This'lintel has taken different forms at different times. In-connecsections at tion with the construction described, Iprovide an extension lintel consisting of an angle plate slidably mounted upon the top of the upper door section 11. This angle plate 30 is provided with downwardly projecting lugs 31 at the edge thereof'presented toward the wall of the shaft.

Secured in these lugs are rods 32 passing through bearing blocks 33carried by the top of the upper door section. Between the blocks 33 and the lugs 31 are springs 34 hav ing a normal tendency'to thrust the angle plate 30 toward the wall of the shaft.

The blocks 33 have lateral extensions 35 having a slot 36 therein for the reception of atongue 37 carried by the angle plate 30..

Carried by the top of the angle 29 are bearing fittings 38 having mounted therein antifriction rollers 39 in a position to maintain .them in engageable'relation with the toeguard 19 of the lower section of the door at the floor above;

- Each lower door section is provided with wear straps 40 along which the anti-friction rollers 39 may travel during the opening and closing movement of the door. 7

The operation of theherein described door is substantially as follows When installing doors embodying the invention, the housing 20 is located with its flange 24 sop'ositioned as to properly locate motor of the housing co-operate, to ensure the full opening movement of that section irrespective of the position of the sheave. The two sections of the door associated with each housing are then mounted upon the guide rails 8 and 9, the former of which extends downwardly, and the latter of which extends upwardly from adjacent the meeting line of the door sections in the usual manner, and the chain 22 is connected atone end with the offset endof the hanger or truck bar 17, and the other end thereof attached to thefittings 27 at the bottom of the leg 26.

WVhen the partshave been properly assembled in thestructure in the manner above described,'the upper section of one door, when the door is closed,may be so positioned that the rollers 39 thereon may be in actual engaging relation with the toeguard 19 of the lower section of the door immediately above, asshown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to open a door, poweris applied to the motor M, thus rotating the sheave 21, applying lifting stresses through the chain or other flexible connection 22 to the upper door section and permitting the lower'door section to descend by'gravity. Since the means of controlling the application of power and the duration of run of said motor is immaterial to the invention, such has not been shown and will not be described. 7 -As the upper door section 11 ascends, the leg 26 will permit it, inits entirety, to pass the sheave 21 until the lower edge of said upper section is approximately at, or has passed the lintel 4, at which time the fitting 27 will be well below the horizontal diameter of the sheave. i As the door begins its ascent, the antifriction rollers 39, in their effort to pass along the inclined faceof the toeguard 19,

.will' force the extension lintel angle plate 30 in a right line inwardly of the shaft against the tension of the springs 34, thus enabling the upper SeCtlOIlll to pass the lower section of the door above, as 14 shown in Fig. 1', and 15 shown in Fig. 2.

Thestraps 40, extending alongthe inner face of the lowerfsection of each door protect the metalsheathing'of that door from undue wear."

. When-the lower section 12 or 14 reaches the fully open position, each projectingend of the hanger or truck bar 17 ,by engagement with anotch in the flange 24 of a. motor housing '20, will arrest downward movement of the lower door section and upward movement of the upper door section asa' result ofslippage between the sheave and the chain or other flexible connection 22". ,When the lower door section is thus brought to rest, the truck bar thereof will been the plane of the sill of the door opening, or approximatelyso.

When it 's desired to close the door, the motor M is, operated in the reversedirection, thus-raising the lower door section and permitting the upper door section to descend by gravity. r

. The legs 26, at-opposite sides of the upper door section may projectbelow that section to. any desired extent so as to ensure the point of connection of the chain or flexible connection 22 with the door section to be so located as to ensure afree running of the chain about the sheave 21 until the lower edge of the upper door section is adjacent the lintelof the door opening. The length ofsuch legs is therefore subject to considerable variation, it; being desirable, however, to make the leg as short as possible in order to avoidunnecessary weight in the upper door section which must be compensated for by added weight in the lower door section. Since the legs26 are, positioned at one side of the door opening and, when the door is closed, arespaced well away from the housing 20 of the doonmechanism at the floor below, there is no possibility of; any interference of parts which will'prevent free opening and closing movement ofthe door atfall times., I Y It is customary to form the hanger or truck bar mechanism 17 ofa T-Vbar, the top flangesof the T-bar being cut away closely adjacent the sidebars of the door so that only the stem of the bar projects laterally. of

the door; This construction is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. 'In this construction the legs 26 pass the stem of the T-bar of the hanger or truck bar inwardly of the shaft in relation to the lower door section, which is shown in Fig. 2, the cut-away portion shown at 29 permitting this positioning of' parts. r V f While in the drawings I have'shown a sliding extension lintel upon the-upper-door section, it is not my intention to limit myself to this particular construction since. any

other form of extensionlintel may be em:

ployed if desired. I i ,Itis not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, itbeing apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spiritand scope ofthe invention;

byLetters Patent, is-:

'1. A pass-type elevator door embodying thereintwo sections oppositelymovable in parallel planes, guide, rail structuresupon which said sections. have movement, where.- by.one1of;said sections is positionedclosely adjacent the wall of an elevatorshaft, and the other is spaced away from saidawalli to permit sectionslofqdoors at adjacent'fioors to pass each other whenjopening a door, sheaves ,carried by said guide-rail structures at opposite sidesof the door 'openingand below the top of the upper door section when the door is closed, legs projected downward, ly fromthe lower'edge ofthe upper .door section, hanger fittings adjacentthe top. of the lower door section, andeflexible connectons between the lower. end of eachleg and one ofsaid-fittihgs, and passingabout said by one of saidsections is positioned closely adj acent the wall of an elevator shaft, and the otheris spacediaway from said wall to permit sections of doors atadjacent floors to pass each other when-openinga door,

sheaves carried-by said guide rail structures at opposite sides ofthe door openingzand below the top of the upper door section when the door is closed,legs projected downwardlyfrom' ;the lower edge ofthe upper door section,- hanger 'fittings adjacent the top of V the lower door section, flexible connections between "the lower end of-eac h leg'and-one of said fittings, and passing about .said sheaves, whereby all parts ofthedoorstructure, including said sheaves but. excluding saidguide rail structure, are contained within the heightv of said door, an extension lintel, and means whereby said lintel is normally positioned with: oneedge adjacent the wall of the shaftbut-is permitted. to have movement away from said wall. 1 3. A' passetype elevator door embodying therein two sections. oppositely; movable in parallel planes, guide rail structures ,upon which said sections have movement, whereby one of said sections is positioned closely adjacent the wall of an elevator shaft and the other is spaced away from said wall to permit sections of doorsv at adjacent floors to legs projected downwardly, from the lower edge of-the upper doorsection, hanger fittings adjacent the top of the lower door section, and flexible connections between the lower end of each leg and one of said fittings, and passing about said sheaves, whereby all parts of the door structure, including said sheaves and said housing but excluding said guiderail structure, are contained within the height of said door.

v 4. A pass-typeelevator door embodying therein two sections oppositely movable in parallel planes, guide rail structures .upon which said sections have movement, wherebyone ofsaid sections is positioned closely adjacent the wall of an elevator shaft and the otheris spaced away from said wall to permit sections of'doorsat adjacent floors to pass each other when opening a door, a housing, a sheave rotatably mounted therein,a motor carried thereby,a gear train connecting said motor with said sheave, said housing being positioned below the top of the upper door section when the door is closed, an upwardlydirected flange upon sa'i'drhousin positioned below, thesill of the door opening immediately above, legsproj'ected downwardly from thelower edge of the upper door section, a hanger bar adjacent the top of-the lower door section adapted to-e'ngage the upwardly directed flange upon the housing of thedoor'at a lower landing, and flexible connections between the lower end of each leg and an end of said hanger bar, and passing about said housing, whereby all parts of the door structure and said upwardly directed flange, arecontained withintheheightofsaid door, 7 l 5. A pass-type "elevatordoor embodying therein two "sections oppositely movable in parallel planes, guide rail structures upon which said sectionshave movement, where'- by one offsaid sections is positioned closely adjacent the wall of an elevator shaft, and the 'o'ther is spaced away from said wall to p'erm'itsections of doors at adjacent floors to pass each other when openinga door, sheaves carried by saidguide railstructures at opposite sides of the door opening and below the top of theupper doorsection when the door is closed, legs proj'ecteddownwardly from the lower edge of the upper door section,

' hanger fittings adjacentthe top of'the lower door section, flexible connections between the lowerend ofea'ch'leg and one of said fittings, and passing about said sheaves, whereby all parts of the door structure, including said sheaves but excluding said guide'rail structure, are contained within the height of said door, a horizontally slidable extension lintel,

' fittings carried'thereby, guide rods secured to said flttings,be'aring fittings carried by the top oftheupper door'section, said rods being slidably mounted in said bearing fitting, and springs acting to normally position said lint-e1 with one edge adj a ent'the wall of th shaft, but permitting it to have movement away from said wall. 6. A pass-typeelevator door embodying therein two sections oppositelymovable in parallel planes, guide rail structures upon which said sections have movement, whereby one of said sections is positioned closely adjacent the wall of'an-elevator-shaft', and the other is spaced away from said wall to permit sections of doors at adjacent floors to' passeach other when openinga door,sheaves carried by said guide rail structures atoppo site si'des ofthe dooropei'iing and below the top of the upper door section when the door SPIlIlgS acting to normally-position said -1in- "95 tel with one edge adjacent the wall-"of the shaft but permitting it to have movement away from said wall, bearing-fittings can ried by said extension lintel adjacent the edge thereof towardthe wall of the sh'aft,an anti-friction "roller carried by "each said fitting,"a toeguard carried the lower door section having a surface upwardly inclined away" from the wall of the shaft, and wear stra s upon the lower'doorse'ctidnin' ngageable relation with said antifrict'i'onrollers, whereby with mgve lent or a door at "any floor the lower section thereof willfmove the extensiondi'ntel upon the upper section 'of'the floor belowfaway from the wall "of the shaft, and theextens'ion lintel uponthe upp'r 'seetion of the door b'eingopened,'will hem-wed awayfrom the 'wall 'of the shaft by engageiiio its

iio

ment ofsaid anti-friction'rollersand the lowe H er section ofthe' door immediatel above;

'7. A 'pass type elevator door embodying therein two sections "oppositely inevable in parallel planes, guide rail structures upon which said sections have movement, whereby one of SaiClS e CtioIis is pdsitioned' cldsely adjace'nt'th'e wall of an elevatorshafhandfthe other is spaced away fromsaid wall w permit sections ofdoors at adjacent floors to iis pass -each other when opening a uee sheates carried by said guide rail structures atop posite sides of the door'openin'g "below the top oft-he'upper'd orseeuon whnthe doojris closed, T-bafszitildin'g along uppesi'te edges and tei'mina'tiiiginjlegs projected downwardly from the "lower edge ofthe upper door section, hanger fittings adjacent the top of the lower door section, one flange of the head of said T-bar throughout the leg portion thereof being cut away to permit said leg to pass said hanger fitting, and flexible connections between the lower end of leg and one of said fittings, and passing about said sheaves, whereby all parts of the door structure, including said sheaves but excluding said guide rail structure, are contained within the height of said door.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature, this 2nd day of December, 1931.

ROBERT S. PEELLE.

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