Garage door operator mechanism
AssigneeHolmes-Hally Industries
InventorRoger J. Folger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic radio actuated mechanism for opening and closing panels, such as a garage door, makes use of an electric motor to rotate a specially constructed spiral drive screw and move a traveler along a track, the traveler being connected to the door to pull the door open or push the door shut. Included in the mechanism is a camming arrangement for precisely adjusting the full open and full closed positions by action of an electronic circuit which activates the motor. For reversing the operating direction of door movement in the event such movement should be obstructed, the motor housing is mounted in a manner allowing it when restrained to swing for a limited distance, one way or the other, thereby to actuate a switch in the electronic circuit for reversing movement of the door.
Claims37
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control and a control shaft having an actuator in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said first and second positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor at said first and second positions, and means for adjusting the relationship between said motor control means and said actuator, said motor control means comprising a cam track element and a cam follower element, one of said elements being located on the control shaft and the other of said elements being located on the frame, said elements being adjustable relative to each other for establishing the location of said first and second positions of the panel.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control and a control shaft having an actuator in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said first and second positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor at said first and second positions, said drive block including a retractable and resiliently extendable arm normally biased towards extended position, a releasable detent for holding said arm in retracted position, a laterally open recess in said traveler, an arcuate aperture in said drive block of upwardly progressively diminishing cross-sectional area adapted to receive a free end of said arm when in extended position, and obliquely disposed ramp means on said drive block adjacent said recess adapted to direct the free end of said arm into said recess upon movement of said traveler relative to said drive block.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control and a control shaft having an actuator in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said first and second positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor, said motor control means comprising an adjustable cam means, said cam means comprising a cam follower responsive to operation of said control shaft and movable thereby along an axial path throughout a range of travel proportionate to the range of travel of said panel drive block, a first cam member having a cam track thereon at one end of said range of travel of said cam follower corresponding to one of said established positions and a second cam member having a cam track thereon at the other end of said range of travel of said cam follower, said cam follower having a displacement position in response to engagement of said cam follower with said cam tracks and a switch in said electronic circuit adapted to shift in position in response to action of said cam follower whereby to stop operation of said electric motor.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respsective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control and a control shaft having an actuator in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said first and second positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor at said first and second positions, a shiftable connection between said motor and said frame whereby to provide a limited shift in position of said motor when movement of said drive means is restrained, a motion control component in said electronic circuit, and a motion control actuator on said motor in operative relationship with said motion control component whereby to effect a modification in operation of said motor, the shiftable connection comprising a circumferentially yieldable support for said motor on said frame, projection means on said motor comprising a stop acting between said motor and said frame whereby to establish limits to shift in position of said motor in both forward and reverse directions, said motion control actuator being responsive to shift in position of said motor whereby to modify the operation of said motor in response to restraint of movement of said panel drive block, a yieldable connection between said projection means and said frame whereby to damp movement of said projection means in both forward and reverse directions, said yieldable connection comprising a free-standing bracket having an element in engagement with said projection means and a flange on said bracket comprising a bridge member adjacent the frame, said bridge member having a pair of laterally spaced legs, a threaded connector for each end of the bridge member acting between the respective end and an adjacent portion of the frame, and resilient means acting between each end and a corresponding portion of the flange whereby to enable adjustment of the restraining effect of said bracket on the shift in position of said motor relative to said frame.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control and a control shaft having an actuator in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said first and second positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor, said motor control means comprising an adjustable cam means, said drive means comprising a screw, there being a releasable coupling assembly between said drive shaft and said screw, said coupling assembly comprising a sleeve on said drive shaft and a supporting shaft on said screw and a non-rotatable and axially separable connection between said sleeve and said supporting shaft, an end section of said supporting shaft having the separable connection with said sleeve and there is another section of said supporting shaft with a rotatable mounting in said track.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control and a control shaft having an actuator in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said first and second positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor at said first and second positions, a catch means attached to said track comprising in part a laterally open recess in said traveler, a latching means carried by said drive block in operating relationship with said laterally open recess and an arm having one end for attachment to said panel and the other end having an attachment to said drive block, said other end having a motivating engagement with said latching means operable in closed position of said panel.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control and a control shaft in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said established positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor, said motor control means being an adjustable cam means comprising a cam follower responsive to operation of said control shaft and movable thereby along an axial path throughout a range of travel proportionate to the range of travel of said panel drive block, a first cam member having a cam track thereon at one end of said range of travel of said cam follower corresponding to one of said established positions and a second cam member having a cam track thereon at the other end of said range of travel of said cam follower, said cam follower having a displacement position in response to engagement of said cam follower with said cam tracks and a switch in said electronic circuit adapted to shift in position in response to action of said cam follower whereby to stop operation of said electric motor, an adjustable cam mounting on said frame, said adjustable cam mounting comprising a pair of threaded adjusting screws, one of said screws having a threaded engagement with one of said cam members and the other screw having a threaded engagement with the other of said cam members for effecting an adjustable shift of position of said cam members whereby to vary said first and second established positions of said panel, a manually adjustable end element for each said adjustable screw, a circumferentially yieldable support for said motor on the frame, projection means on said motor comprising a stop acting between said motor and said frame whereby to establish limits to shift in position of said motor in both forward and reverse directions, said motion control actuator being responsive to shift in position of said motor whereby to modify the operation of said motor in response to restraint of movement of said drive block, said motion control actuator having a flange mounted adjacent a portion of said frame whereby to damp movement of the projection means in both forward and reverse directions, a yieldable connection between the projection means and the frame comprising a bridge having opposite end portions and a resilient adjusting connector between each respective end portion and a corresponding portion of the frame having a manually adjustable end element, and a display board at an exposed location relative to the frame having mounted thereon in juxtaposition said manually adjustable end elements of said connectors and said manually adjustable end elements of said adjustable screws.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft and a casing for said motor, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means on one side of said motor casing in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, a motor driven control shaft on a side of said casing remote from said drive means, an electronic circuit support mounted on said frame on said remote side, said electronic circuit support including an electronic circuit and respective components for effecting starting, stopping and reversing operation of said electric motor, said starting component being responsive to remote control, said control shaft being in driven relationship with said electric motor, motor control means on said frame responsive to motion of said control shaft at said established positions of the panel and adapted to effect stopping of operation of said electric motor, and a manual adjusting means for said control means, a shiftable connection between said motor and said frame on the remote side of said motor casing whereby to enable a limited shift in rotative position of said motor casing when movement of said drive means is restrained, a motion control component in said electronic circuit, a motion control actuator on said motor in operative relationship with said motion control component including a manual adjustment means whereby to effect a modification in operation of said motor in both rotational directions, and a display board on said remote side of said motor casing having an outwardly directed face, all said manual adjusting means being mounted on said outwardly directed face.
A remote control panel moving mechanism for moving a panel between a first and a second of two established positions, said mechanism comprising a frame with motor supports thereon, an electric motor on said frame having a drive shaft, a track in operative alignment with said drive shaft, a drive means in driven relationship with said drive shaft, a traveler in sliding relationship with said track and in driven relationship with said drive means, and a panel drive block in longitudinally moving relationship with said track and having an engagement with said traveler, said panel drive block having a range of travel corresponding to the range of travel of said panel between said first and second positions, said drive block including a retractable and resiliently extendable arm normally biased towards extended position, a releasable detent for holding said arm in retracted position, a recess in said drive block adapted to receive a free end of said arm when in extended position, and obliquely disposed ramp means on said traveler adjacent said recess adapted to direct the free end of said arm into said recess upon movement of said traveler relative to said drive block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.