Claims
- 1. Improved door-supporting and door self-positioning hardware comprising in combination:
- a door-mounting post;
- means for mounting a door to said post so that said door and post will rotate as a unit;
- attaching means for rotatably attaching said post to a door jamb in a predetermined door opening, said attaching means comprising an angle iron adapted to be secured to a corner of a door jamb and a first journal bearing for rotatably mounting said post to said angle iron, said angle iron comprising first and second portions arranged at a right angle to one another, and said first journal bearing having a first hollow portion surrounding and rotatably engaging one end of said post and a second plate portion that is attached to said first portion of said angle iron; and a cam follower roller unit comprising a shaft attached to said first angle iron portion at a right angle thereto and a cam follower roller rotatably mounted to said shaft;
- a cam attached to one end of said post so as to rotate therewith, said cam having an inclined surface with low and high points disposed in substantially diametrically opposed relation to one another;
- said cam and cam follower roller being positioned so that said cam follower roller makes a rolling contact with said inclined surface of said cam as said cam rotates with said door-mounting post and a door attached to said post; and
- a second journal bearing rotatably engaging the opposite end of said post for rotatably mounting said door-mounting post to a door jamb.
- 2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said means for mounting a door to said post comprises a gusset plate adapted to be attached to said door, said gusset plate being attached to said post so as to rotate therewith.
- 3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said means for mounting a door to said post comprises a gusset plate attached to said post and a yardarm attached to said gusset plate.
- 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plate portion of said first journal bearing comprises a plurality of holes, and further including threaded fastening members affixed to said first portion of said angle iron and projecting through said holes, and nuts screwed onto said threaded members so as to releasably clamp said plate portion of said first journal bearing to said first portion of said angle iron.
- 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cam is screwed onto said post, and further including means for locking said cam to said post.
- 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including air seal means for minimizing air flow through said door opening in the vicinity of said cam, said air seal means comprising:
- a U-shaped cover member having (a) a body portion shaped so as to envelope said cam and said first journal bearing and (b) first and second co-planar sections that extend parallel to the plane of said door jamb; and
- means for releasably attaching said first and second co-planar sections of said cover member to said first portion of said angle iron.
- 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cam has an axially-extending bore that is threaded, and said one end of said post is externally threaded, and further wherein said cam is screwed onto said post, and further including means connecting said cam and said post for locking said cam against rotation relative to said post.
- 8. Improved door apparatus comprising in combination:
- a door-mounting post;
- a gusset plate attached to said post so as to rotate therewith;
- a yardarm attached to said gusset;
- a resilient door supported by said yardarm and gusset plate, said gusset plate being disposed within said resilient door and secured thereto;
- attaching means for rotatably attaching said post to a door jamb, said attaching means comprising an angle iron adapted to be secured to a corner of a door jamb and a first journal bearing for rotatably mounting said post to said angle iron, said angle iron comprising first and second portions arranged at a right angle to one another, and said first journal bearing having a first hollow portion surrounding and rotatably engaging one end of said post and a second plate portion that is releasably attached to said first portion of said angle iron, and a cam follower roller unit comprising a shaft attached to said first angle iron portion so as to project therefrom at a right angle thereto and a cam follower roller rotatably mounted to said shaft;
- a cam screwed onto said post so as to rotate therewith, said cam having an inclined surface with low and high points disposed in substantially diametrically opposed relation to one another; and
- means releasably locking said cam to said post so that said cam and post will rotate as a unit;
- said cam and cam follower roller being positioned so that said cam follower roller makes a rolling contact with said inclined surface of said cam as said cam rotates with said door-mounting post and said door.
- 9. Improved door apparatus comprising in combination:
- a door-mounting post;
- means for mounting a door to said post so that said door and post will rotate as a unit;
- a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a corner of a door opening, said mounting plate having a flat portion that extends parallel to said post;
- a first journal bearing for rotatably mounting said post to said mounting plate, said first journal bearing comprising a first hollow portion that surrounds and rotatably engages one end of said post and a second plate portion that lies flat against said flat portion of said mounting plate, said second plate portion having at least one hole;
- fastener means for releasably attaching said second plate portion of said first journal bearing to said mounting plate, said fastener means comprising at least one threaded member attached to said flat portion of said mounting plate and extending through said at least one hole, and at least one nut screwed onto said at least one threaded member and forcing said second plate portion tight against said flat portion of said mounting plate; a cam follower roller unit comprising a shaft affixed to and extending at a right angle to said mounting plate and a cam follower roller rotatably attached to said shaft;
- a cam mounted on said post, said cam having an inclined surface with high and low points disposed in substantially diametrically opposed relation to one another;
- a threaded connection between said cam and said post;
- means for locking said cam to said post so that said cam and post will rotate as a unit; and
- a second journal bearing rotatably engaging the opposite end of said post and rotatably mounting said door post to a door jamb;
- said cam and cam follower roller being positioned so that said cam follower roller makes a rolling contact with said inclined surface of said cam as said cam rotates with said door-mounting post and said door.
PRIOR ART
This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 468570 filed Feb. 22, 1983 for Door Cam Hardware now abandoned.
The present invention pertains to improved cam hardware for a door; more specifically, it is related to an arrangement wherein a self-closing door is mounted to a rotatable post onto which is attached an improved inverted cam structure that moves on a roller affixed to the door jamb.
Door hardware that utilizes a cam and roller arrangement so as to provide a self-positioning door is well known. Normally, hardware of this type includes a rotatable door post to which the door is mounted. The post usually rotates within, and is supported by, two journal bearings that are affixed to the door jamb--a lower bearing, and an upper bearing that has a curved upper surface and also functions as a cam.
In this typical prior art door hardware configuration, a cam follower device attached to the upper end of the door post has an attached roller member which coacts with the curved upper surface of the cam affixed to the door jamb. When the door is in its normally closed and at-rest position, the roller member rests in a depression in the upper surface of the cam. When the door is opened in either direction, the roller moves up an inclined portion of the curved surface, so that when the door is subsequently released the roller will tend to move back down the inclined surface to the cam's depression, thereby causing the door to return to its normally closed position. Self-closing doors utilizing door hardware of this type are exemplified in U.S. Pat Nos. 4122887, 4124955, and 4292764, and in the references cited therein.
One problem with this type of door cam hardware arrangement is that dirt tends to accumulate on the curved upper surface of the upper bearing. Eventually, enough of this dirt may collect on the upper surface to interfere with proper operation of the roller on the cam surface. Dirt also tends to accumulate in the area of the roller and thus may impede proper operation of the roller.
Another prior art configuration utilizes the same hardware described above together with a compression spring positioned around the door mounting post just below the lower bearing in order to provide a resistance force against the force required to push the door open. A problem with the latter configuration is that the resistance force tends to gradually increase with time, primarily because of accumulation of dirt which causes increased frication between moving parts.
Another configuration of prior art door hardware comprises an inverted crown cam member nonrotatably mounted on the upper end of the door mounting post so as to be capable of sliding axially up and down the post a predetermined distance while being contained at the top of the post. This cam has a substantially flat side surface which is slidably positioned against the door side jamb so as to prevent rotation of the cam member about the door post. A compression spring is positioned above the cam and exerts a downward force on the cam. A roller-type cam follower is nonrotatably and nonslidably affixed to the door post just below the cam member so that the roller travels down the inverted crown cam member's inclined lower surface when the door is opened in either direction. Door hardware of this type is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,365 and in the references cited therein. Door hardware of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,365 suffers from problems similar to the problems of the other types of door hardware previously described.
It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide improved door cam hardware that eliminates, or substantially reduces, the problems noted above. Another object of the invention is to provide improved door cam hardware which is superior to hardware of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3263365, 4122887, 4124955, and 4292764.
A more specific object is to provide door cam hardware that is quieter in operation than the door hardware of the prior art.
A further object is to provide improved door cam hardware which minimizes problems caused by dirt buildup, yet is reliable and can be produced and installed at less cost.
Still another object of this invention is to provide improved door cam hardware which facilitates the installation of an air seal around the hardware so as to minimize air leakage through the doorway
A further object is to provide improved door cam hardware that allows the cam to be precisely positioned at the time of installation.
Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide door cam hard which facilitates leveling the door quickly and easily.
Attainment of these objects is achieved by a new door cam hardware which comprises a cam adapted to be affixed to a door mounting post, a cam follower roller adapted to be attached to a door jamb, and two door post journal bearings which axially align and rotatably support the door mounting post. The cam has a low point and a diametrically opposed high point with those two points being connected by inclined surfaces. The hardware is attached so that when the door is in its normally shut or at-rest position, the cam is disposed so that its high point is engaged with the roller. When the door is opened, the cam rotates with the door mounting post, and simultaneously the cam and door post are forced upwardly as the inclined surface of the cam moves relative to the roller. Since the weight of the door is supported by the cam resting on the roller, the roller acts as a thrust bearing as well as a cam follower. In a selected embodiment the cam and door post are coupled by a threaded connection.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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468570 |
Feb 1983 |
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Patent Grant
4945606
