Garage door noise reduction roller assembly having threads which extend to the distal end of the roller shaft, and a threaded closing member

A first hinge bracket including an interior plate with a first interior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second interior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, an exterior plate with a first exterior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second exterior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, the second opening of thee second exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the first opening of the first interior arm and the first opening of the first exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the second opening of the second interior arm, a second hinge bracket including an interior plate with a first interior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second interior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, an exterior plate with a first exterior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second exterior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, the second opening of the second exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the first opening of the first interior arm, and the first opening of the second exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the second opening of the first interior arm, the first and second hinge brackets side by side with the second opening of the second exterior arm of the second hinge bracket adjacent to the first opening of the first exterior arm of the first hinge bracket, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a metal roller shaft having an outer cylindrical wall with a proximal end affixed to a collar of a roller wheel and having a distal end, a tube retaining member formed into the outer cylindrical wall of the metal roller shaft, the tube retaining member is selected from the group consisting of treads, threads and screw threads which extend to a distal end of the roller shaft;
• (b) a tube made out of material selected from the group consisting of hard thermoplastic (such as Delrin®), and urethane (PER) durable synthetic plastics, the tube has a cylindrical outer wall and a cylindrical inner chamber surrounded by the cylindrical outer wall and open at both a first or inner end and a second or rear end, the tube is molded onto and retained by the retaining member of the metal roller shaft over the metal roller shaft with the tube front end adjacent the collar of the roller wheel and the rear end spaced apart from the distal end of the metal roller shaft leaving the tube retaining member adjacent the distal end of the metal roller shaft uncovered;
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• (c) a plastic washer affixed over the uncovered tube retaining member and a closing cover nut with interior threads threaded onto the uncovered tube retaining member on an exterior side of the plastic washer;
• (d) wherein the metal roller shaft is inserted through the aligned eight openings in the exterior and interior arms of the first and second hinge brackets, with the roller wheel and at least a portion of the collar exterior to the second opening of the second exterior arm of the first hinge bracket, a portion of the metal roller shaft covered by the tube extending through all eight openings of the exterior and interior arms of the first and second hinge brackets and between the first and second openings of the interior arms of the first and second hinge brackets, the uncovered threads extending out of the first opening of the first exterior arm of the second hinge bracket, the plastic washer having an interior surface against the first exterior arm of the second hinge bracket and the closing cover nut with interior threads threaded onto the uncovered retaining member with the nut against an exterior surface of the plastic washer.

A hinge bracket including an interior plate with a first interior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second interior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, an exterior plate with a first exterior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second exterior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, the second opening of the second exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the first opening of the first interior arm and the first opening of the first exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the second opening of the second interior arm, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a metal roller shaft having an outer cylindrical wall with a proximal end affixed to a collar retaining one end of the metal roller shaft, the collar affixed to a ball bearing assembly aligned with the collar and a separator encircling the ball bearing assembly, a first wheel section adjacent a first radial side of the separator and a second wheel section adjacent an opposite side of the wheel separator, the first wheel section having a first multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings, the second wheel section having a second multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings, a circumferential gap surrounding the separator and between said first wheel section and said second wheel section, a tire made of polyurethane within said gap, the polyurethane extends into said first multiplicity of transverse openings and said second multiplicity of transverse openings, the tire having a tire diameter larger than a first diameter of the first wheel section and larger than a diameter of the second wheel section, the metal roller shaft having a distal end, a tube retaining member formed into the outer cylindrical wall of the metal roller shaft, the tube retaining member is selected from the group consisting of treads, threads and screw threads which extend to the distal end of the metal roller shaft.
• (b) a tube made out of material selected from the group consisting of hard thermoplastic (such as Delrin®), and urethane (PER) durable synthetic plastics, the tube has a cylindrical outer wall and a cylindrical inner chamber surrounded by the cylindrical outer wall and open at both a first or inner end and a second or rear end, the tube is molded onto and retained by the tube retaining member of the metal roller shaft over the metal roller shaft with the tube front end adjacent the collar and the rear end spaced apart from the distal end of the metal roller shaft leaving the tube retaining member adjacent the distal end of the metal roller shaft uncovered;
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• (c) a plastic washer affixed over the uncovered tube retaining member and a closing cover nut with interior threads threaded onto the uncovered tube retaining member on an exterior side of the plastic washer;
• (d) wherein the metal roller shaft is inserted through the aligned four openings in the exterior and interior arms, with the tire and at least a portion of the collar exterior to the second opening of the second exterior arm, the portion of the metal roller shaft covered by the tube extending through all four openings of the exterior and interior arms and between the first and second openings of the interior arm, the uncovered tube retaining member extending out of the first opening of the first exterior arm, the plastic washer having an interior surface against the first exterior arm and the closing nut threaded onto the uncovered tube retaining member with the closing cover nut against an exterior surface of the plastic washer.

A first hinge bracket including an interior plate with a first interior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second interior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, an exterior plate with a first exterior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second exterior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, the second opening of the second exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the first opening of the first interior arm and the first opening of the first exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the second opening of the second interior arm, a second hinge bracket including an interior plate with a first interior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second interior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, an exterior plate with a first exterior arm having a first opening and a spaced apart second exterior arm with a second opening parallel to and aligned with the first opening, the second opening of the second exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the first opening of the first interior arm, and the first opening of the second exterior arm exterior to and aligned with the second opening of the first interior arm, the first and second hinge brackets side by side with the second opening of the second exterior arm of the second hinge bracket adjacent to the first opening of the first exterior arm of the first hinge bracket, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a metal roller shaft having an outer cylindrical wall with a proximal end affixed to a collar retaining one end of the metal roller shaft, the collar attached to a ball bearing assembly aligned with the collar and a separator encircling the ball bearing assembly, a first wheel section adjacent a first radial side of the separator and a second wheel section adjacent an opposite side of the wheel separator, the first wheel section having a first multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings, the second wheel section having a second multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings, a circumferential gap surrounding the separator and between said first wheel section and said second wheel section, a tire made of polyurethane within said gap, the polyurethane extends into said first multiplicity of transverse openings and said second multiplicity of transverse openings, the tire having a tire diameter larger than a first diameter of the first wheel section and larger than a diameter of the second wheel section, the metal roller shaft having a distal end, a tube retaining member formed into the outer cylindrical wall of the metal roller shaft, the tube retaining member is selected from the group consisting of treads, threads and screw threads which extend to a distal end of the metal roller shaft;
• (b) a tube made out of material selected from the group consisting of hard thermoplastic (such as Delrin®), and urethane (PER) durable synthetic plastics, the tube has a cylindrical outer wall and a cylindrical inner chamber surrounded by the cylindrical outer wall and open at both a first or inner end and a second or rear end, the tube is molded onto and retained by the retaining member of the metal roller shaft over the metal roller shaft with the tube front end adjacent the collar of the roller wheel and the rear end spaced apart from the distal end of the metal roller shaft leaving the tube retaining member adjacent the distal end of the metal roller shaft uncovered;
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• (c) plastic washer affixed over the uncovered tube retaining member with a closing cover nut with interior threads threaded onto the uncovered tube retaining member on an exterior side of the plastic washer;
• (d) wherein the metal roller shaft is inserted through the aligned eight openings in the exterior and interior arms of the first and second hinge brackets, with the roller wheel and at least a portion of the collar exterior to the second opening of the second exterior arm of the first hinge bracket, a portion of the metal roller shaft covered by the tube extending through all eight openings of the exterior and interior arms of the first and second hinge brackets and between the first and second openings of the interior arms of the first and second hinge brackets, the uncovered tube retaining member extending out of the first opening of the first exterior arm of the second hinge bracket, the plastic washer having an interior surface against the first exterior arm of the second hinge bracket and the one-piece carriage bolt and nut threaded onto the uncovered tube retaining member with the nut against an exterior surface of the plastic washer.