US 6,179,036 B2Granted

Automatic overhead door opening system with dual motor drive and automatic door lock

OwnerR{acute over (e)}my Harveyinventor

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Abstract

An automatic overhead door opening system for a transport container whereby to operate the displacement of a panel door from a closed position to an open position. The system is housed in a restrained size housing which incorporates a motorized drive for driving an endless chain associated with an elongated central guide track on which the door is guidingly attached. The motorized drive is comprised of two small d.c. motors each having a drive gear drivingly coupled to a common driven gear of a gear drive which includes a worm gear in meshing engagement with a driven sprocket connected to a drive sprocket to displace the endless chain. The housing is of reduced thickness and access to the interior of the housing is provided through a non-obstructed removable bottom wall plate and accordingly it is not necessary to disconnect the endless chain and drive sprocket to have access to the components of the system. The drive can also be operated from the cabin of a motorized vehicle incorporating a transport container or remotely from a hand-held transmitter unit or by a control secured to an outside wall of said box and energized from inside the cab by authorized operator.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An automatic overhead door opening system for a transport container having an open end selectively closed by a door constructed of folded panels and guided between opposed guide rails for displacement from a closed position to obstruct said open end, and an open position when said door is positioned adjacent a top wall of a container;

a motorized drive for driving an endless chain secured between a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket, an elongated central guide track associated with said chain, a trolley secured to said chain and guidingly and displaceably secured to said track, said track being securable adjacent a top wall of a container and substantially central therewith, a connecting arm interconnecting a top central connection of a door of a container with said trolley for displacing said door in a guided manner between said guide rails, said motorized drive being mounted in a restrained size housing with said housing dimensioned to occupy a restrained space adjacent a top wall of a container, a chain drive sprocket mounted adjacent a top wall of said housing, said endless chain being in engagement with said chain drive sprocket, a driven sprocket secured to a common driven shaft with said chain drive sprocket, and a pair of d.c. motors of reduced size mounted in said restrained size housing, said motors each having a drive gear drivingly coupled to a common driven gear of a gear drive including a worm gear in meshing engagement with said driven sprocket, said gear drive arresting a door of a container in a locked state when said motors are de-activated, and an unobstructed removable bottom wall plate secured to said housing for access to the interior of said housing from below said housing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.