Cable failure device for garage doors and the like

A cable failure device for a cable operated door whose movement is guided along a fixed frame through guiding means, the fixed frame having an inside and an outside, said guiding means travelling along the inside of said fixed frame, said cable failure device cooperating with a tensioned cable operating the cable operated door, said cable failure device comprising:

• a support structure mounted onto said cable operated door, said support structure comprising a connection point onto which the tensioned cable is connected;
• and
• a braking assembly mounted onto the support structure, said braking assembly comprising:
• a casino mounted onto the support structure,
• brake means operable between a rest position and an operable position and movably mounted to the support structure, said brake means being located adjacent the outside of said fixed frame, and adapted to cooperate with one of said guiding means, so that a portion of said fixed frame lies between said one of said guiding means and said brake means,
• tension-detecting means cooperating with the tensioned cable for detecting a tension in said tensioned cable, and
• actuating means operatively connected to the tension-detecting means and to the brake means,
• wherein when the brake means is in the rest position, the guiding means guide the cable operated door along the fixed frame, and when the brake means is triggered into the operable position by a loss of tension in the tensioned cable detected by the tension-detecting means, said loss of tension causes the actuating means to actuate the brake means so that the brake means engages the outside of the fixed frame, thereby urging said brake means and said one of said guide means towards each other, thereby braking the movement of the cable operated door with respect to the fixed frame;
• the actuating means are operatively connected to an axle of the casing, and the brake means is pivotally mounted to the support structure about said axle and eccentrically mounted thereon, the brake means being adapted to engage the fixed frame, so that when the brake means is in the rest position, the guiding means guide the cable operated door along the fixed frame, and when the brake means is triggered into the operable position by a loss of tension in the tensioned cable detected by the tension-detecting means, said loss of tension causes the actuating means to actuate the axle thereby actuating the brake means so that the brake means engages the fixed frame, thereby urging said brake means and said one of said guide means towards each other, thereby braking the movement of the cable operated door with respect to the fixed frame;
• and
• the tension-detecting means comprises a lever pivotally connected to the casing, said lever having a first extremity held in position by the tensioned cable and a second extremity resting against a trigger plate rigidly mounted onto the axle, and the actuating means comprises an energy-storing spring having a first end fixedly mounted onto said axle and a second end securely mounted onto the support structure, so that when the brake means is in the rest position the trigger plate maintains the energy-storing spring in a compressed position thereby storing energy in said energy-storing spring, and wherein said loss of tension in the tensioned cable releases the lever which consequently releases the trigger plate in turn allowing the axle to rotate due to the energy released by the energy-storing spring, thereby triggering the brake means into the operable position so that the brake means frictionally engages the outside of the fixed frame, thereby braking the movement of the cable operated door with respect to the fixed frame.