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US 4,791,757 AGranted
Roller gate opener
OwnerPaul F. Orlandoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A garage door opener is mounted on a fence to move a roller gate horizontally across a fence opening. A trolley connected to the gate slides on a horizontal guide which is mounted on the fence, extending between the fence and the gate in its open position.
Claims15
Apparatus for opening and closing a generally planar gate or other such closure of the type which slides or rolls edgewise across an opening in a building, fence, or other such structure, said apparatus comprising:
- a motor including a surrounding housing;
- means for mounting said motor housing on said structure at a location horizontally spaced from said opening slightly greater than the horizontal length of said closure so that said closure can be fully opened without reaching said housing;
- an elongated guide having one end fixed to said housing;
- a bracket for fixing the other end of the guide to said structure adjacent to said opening so that the guide when so mounted extends horizontally on said structure,
- said guide having a profile such that it can extend between said structure and the closure when the closure is in open position;
- a pulley rotatably mounted on said bracket;
- a trolley slidably mounted on said guide;
- a drive element secured to said trolley and extending in a loop on said guide from said motor and said pulley with said element being in driven relation with said motor so that said trolley can be moved horizontally along said guide in closure opening or closing directions;
- and
- connector means for connecting said trolley to an end of said closure in a manner to accommodate relative vertical movement between the moving closure and the fixed guide as said closure is rolled horizontally by said trolley.
7 more elements
The apparatus, comprising:
- a structure such as a building or fence having an opening therein;
- a generally planar closure such as a door or gate;
- means for supporting said closure for sliding or rolling edgewise movement of said closure across said opening;
- and
- an assembly for moving said closure in opening and closing positions across said opening, said assembly including:
- a motor mounted on said structure at a location horizontally spaced from said opening slightly greater than the horizontal length of said closure so that said closure can be fully opened without reaching said motor;
- an elongated guide mounted on said structure and extending horizontally between said motor and one edge of said opening, said guide being sized such that it extends between said structure and the closure when the closure is in an open position;
- a trolley slidably mounted onto said guide;
- a connector connecting said trolley and said closure in a manner to cause the closure to be pushed or pulled horizontally while accommodating relative vertical movement between the closure and said guide;
- an elongated drive element connected in driven relation to said motor and extending in a loop around said elongated guide so that the element can be driven in either direction and is slidably supported by said guide,
- said element being connected to said trolley so that said closure can be moved horizontally in opening and closing directions with respect to said opening.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.