Spring retainer for garage door hardware
OwnerWilliam Halopoffinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retainer to restrain pieces of a coil spring from scattering when the spring breaks under tension makes use of two mutually slidable elements located within the interior of the coil spring. Adjacent ends of the elements have a sliding engagement with each other and include a yieldable cushion inherent in the structure to absorb the impact when the spring breaks. The respective opposite ends of the elements are attached, one to the spring keeper at one end of the spring and the other to the spring keeper at the opposite end of the spring.
Claims5
In a counterbalance spring assembly which includes a coil counterbalance spring having a bracket at each end for attachment respectively to a stationary supporting structure and to a movable panel, each said bracket comprising spring engaging means at one end, a hook member at the other end and an intermediate portion exterior with respect to the spring having a transversely extending opening therethrough, and a safety device for restraining parts of the spring in event of rupture of the counterbalance spring when under tension,
- said safety device comprising a pair of mutually extendable elongated composite retention elements each having a length not exceeding the length of the counterbalance spring in retracted position of the counterbalance spring,
- an inner section of each of the retention elements located intermediate opposite ends of the spring having a sliding engagement with the other of the retention elements,
- and an outer section of each retention element adjacent the corresponding end of the spring being attached to a respective one of said brackets at the intermediate portion thereof,
- interlocking means on the inner section of said retention elements operative when the counterbalance spring is at substantially the full extended position,
- said retention elements having yieldable stop means operable when the counterbalance spring ruptures under tension whereby to prevent rupture of the safety device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.