US3038569A - Check device for fire door - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1962- E. l.. KNOX 3,038,569

CHECK DEVICE FOR FIRE DOOR Filed Feb. 16, 1960 nited States This invention relates to a check device for self-closing re doors, and namely a device which will hold a tire door in an open position under normal conditions, and which is caused to be released, permitting the door to close automatically, under the circumstance of a rise in temperature caused by a lire condition.

For its principal object the invention aims to provide a check device of this character which permits the door to be set so as to normally stay in a partially open condition, which can be thereafter -freely swung to a -fully open condition in order to permit day-to-day ingress or egress, and which will return to the partially open position for which it was set when the concerned individual or individuals have passed through.

I-t is a further ancillary object to provide a check device of the of the described character in which the degree of opening for which the door is set may be easily and quickly changed so that more or less ventilation can be obtained at will.

As a still further object, the invention purposes to provide a device of the described character in which a fusible part thereof may be easily and quickly replaced at nominal cost.

With the above objects and advantages in view and further aiming to provide a reliable check device of simple and inexpensive construction and which can be easily and quickly installed, the invention consists in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary perspective view of a tire-door having a check device constructed in accordance with the preferred teachings of the present invention applied thereto and shown in the performance of its doorchecking oce.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of such door-checking device shown detached from the door; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged-scale sectional view detailing the portion of the device shown circled in FIG. 2.

Referring to said drawing the numeral designates a tire door of the swinging type to which the present invention is applied. While not shown it will be understood that such door is yieldingly urged by any suitable means toward its closed position. The head jamb of the frame in which said door is hung is denoted by 11.

The present invention provides two brackets 12 and 13 each of which has a -mounting base by which it is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured, the one to that face of the door which can be termed the inside in that it faces toward the door opening and the other to the sotlit of said head jamb 11. Bracket 12 is made furcate with a pin 14 traversing the fork arms and is so mounted, adjacent the upper edge of the door and removed a substantial distance from the hinge, that the pin is vertically dis-posed. The bracket 13 occupies a position removed :from said hinge by substantially a like distance and presents a vertically disposed bore 1S serving as a swivel mounting `for the stern 16 of a guide 17. The stem is circumferentially grooved, as `at 18, and a screw 20 threads through the Wall of the bracket to engage in said groove and hold the stern against endwise displacement from the bracket.

The guide has an exposed head in Which there is a atet F 3,033,569 Patented June 12, 1962 through-bore 21 disposed normal to the swivel axis. A threaded socket 22 is provided by said head in its exposed end, being placed co-axial with the stem.

The through-bore of said guide is adapted to receive, for slide motion, a rod 23 having one end pivotally attached to the bracket 12 by means of the pin 14. The free extremity of said rod has an outwardly facing hook 24 fixed thereto.

A selected one of the links of a multiple-link chain 2S is vadapted to be caught over such hook. This chain is removably attached by an S-coupling 26 to one of the two eyed terminals, as 27 and 28, of a fusible link 30. The other eyed terminal 28 is clamped to the guide 17 by means of a headed screw 3l threaded into the socket 22. The eyed terminals of said fusible link have a thickness substantially greater than the connecting web section 29 so that the exertion of clamping pressure upon either of said ends by the head of the screw 31 will not affect the thermal point of fusing.

It is believed to be clear that the owner of a building in which re doors are installed is enabled to set such doors, for ventilation purposes, at any selected degree of opening without nullifying governing lire codes. The door will open freely at all times `for means of ingress or egress without in any Way affecting the setting, the rod in such case sliding within the through-bore of the guide 17. When the person or persons have passed through, the door closes only to the pre-set position dictated by the length of fetter which obtains between the hook 2li and the guide. A tire condition causes the fusible link to part and the door then swings into its fully closed position.

It is self-evident that the present door check device lends itself to use with sliding as well as swinging lire doors.

It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of my now-preferred illustrated embodiment. Minor changes in the details of construction will suggest themselves and can Ibe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, wherefore it is my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

What I claim is:

l. In combination with a hinged door which is yieldingly urged toward a closed position, a check device for holding the door in an open condition and caused to release the door in response to a rise of temperature above a predetermined level, said device comprising a pai-r 0f brackets one attached to the inner face of the door adjacent its upper edge in a position spaced a substantial distance from the `door hinge, the other of said brackets being attached to the soilit of the head jamb of the door opening in a position spaced `from the hinge approximately the same distance as the door-mounted bracket, a rod having a length at least as long as the spacing between -the door-mounted bracket and the jamb-mounted bracket when the door is fully open and pivoted by one end to the door-mounted bracket with its other end `freely slidable through a bore provided by a guide which is supported by the jamb-mounted bracket for swivel motion about -a vertical axis, and a multi-link connection including a fusible element as one of its links extending as a flexible tie from the guide to the free end of the rod Vfor holding the door in an open condition, the rod remaining free at all times to slide within the guide in a direction causing the two brackets to move directively from one another so that the door can be freely opened to a greater extent than that prescribed by the length of said flexible tie when such prescribed opening is less than a full opening, said rod having a hook upon its free end and wherein others of said links compose a chain of substantial length of which the links admit of being selectively caught on said hook.

2. Structure according to claim l in which the fusible element is removably attached to the chain.

3. A door-check assembly for the described purpose comprising two mounting brackets, a rod pivoted by one of its ends to one of said'brackets and having the other end journaled for free sliding movement in a throughbore provided by a guide which is supported by the other bracket for swivel motion about an axis normal to said slide axis, and an adjustable stop means limiting the travel to which the rod can partake as the same slides in a direction causing the brackets to be brought toward one another and comprised of a chain-fetter including a fusi- -ble element within its length anchored by one of its ends to the second-named bracket and by the other of its ends to the free extremity of the rod.

4. The door-check assembly recited in claim 3 characterized in that the anchor connection provided by the rod comprises a hook to which a selected one of the chain links may be removably attached and serving the added end of a stop preventing 'the rod and guide from becoming disengaged as the rod slides in a direction causing the brackets to move from one another.

5. A door-check assembly for the described purpose comprising two mounting brackets, a rod pivoted by one of its ends to one of said brackets and having the other end journaled for free sliding movement in a throughbore provided by a guidewhich is supported by the other bracket for swivel movement :about an axis normal to said slide axis, and an elongated member limiting the travel to which the rod can partake as the same slides in a direction causing the brackets to be brought toward one another, said elongated member comprising a plurality of articulated elements including a `fusible element within its length anchored by one of its ends to the secondnamed bracket and by the other of its ends to the free extremity of the rod, the rod remaining free at all times to slide within the guide in a direction causing the two brackets to move directively from one another so that the door can be yfreely opened to a greater extent than that described 4by the length of said elongated member when such prescribed opening is less than a full opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 600,186 Voigtmann Mar. 8, 1898 2,171,065 Johnson Aug. 29, 1939 2,270,073 Merry Jan. y13, 1942 r l 'Amman

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