Jack shaft garage door operator

A jack shaft garage door operator for mounting in proximity with a garage door opening of a parking structure and for opening and closing a multi-panel garage door, comprising:

• a track mounted near the garage door opening for carrying the multi-panel garage door, the track having a horizontal section and a vertical section coupled by a curved section having a curved outer boundary on a radius of curvature of the curved section:
• a jack shaft garage door operator drive adapted for mounting on a wall;
• an opening flexible link drive for coupling to the multi-panel garage door for supplying a tensional force for opening the multi-panel garage door;
• an opening flexible link storage unit connected to the jack shaft garage door operator drive to be driven thereby and connected to the opening flexible link for reeling in the opening flexible link for storage as the multi-panel garage door is drawn open by it and for paying out the opening flexible link as the multi-panel garage door is being closed;
• a closing flexible link for coupling to the multi-panel garage door for supplying a tensional force at least a portion of which is applied as a closing force for closing the multi-panel garage door;
• a closing flexible link storage unit connected to the jack shaft garage door operator drive to be driven thereby and connected to the closing flexible link for reeling in the closing flexible link for storage as the multi-panel garage door is being closed by it and for paying out the closing flexible link as the multi-panel garage door is being opened by the opening flexible link;
• a compressional force transmitting member comprising a door mounting bracket for attachment to the multi-panel garage door and a pivot arm pivotally attached to the door mounting bracket, the pivot arm adapted to be rollably mounted for travel along the track;
• and
• means for providing a resilient closing force between an end of the closing flexible link and the compressional force transmitting member, the resilient closing force means is mounted outside the outer boundary and outside the radius of curvature of the track, the compressional force transmitting member for coupling the closing flexible link to the multi-panel garage door and adapted for connection to an upper portion of the multi-panel garage door to provide a uniform positive closing force to the multi-panel garage door irrespective of its position, the compressional force transmitting member and the resilient closing force means preventing slack in the closing flexible link during the movement of the multi-panel garage door around the curved section of the track.