Patent ID: 7392747
Filing Date: 2008-07-01
Classification: E05D,E05Y,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A rail guide apparatus for suspending and guiding a sliding component, the apparatus comprising: a rail guide comprising side-by-side first and second guiding rails, each said guiding rail comprising a vertical strut, an upper horizontal leg extending from the vertical strut toward the upper horizontal leg of the other guiding rail and ending at a downward extending flange, and a lower horizontal leg extending from the vertical strut toward the lower horizontal leg of the other guiding rail; and a leading carriage and a following carriage coupled to said sliding component, each carriage being coupled to said sliding component by a shaft extending vertically between said lower horizontal legs, each carriage having a pair of support rollers rotatable about a horizontal axis and supported on respective said lower horizontal legs, and a pair of side-by-side first and second guide rollers rotatable about respective vertical axes and running between said vertical struts, wherein the first guide roller of the leading carriage extends higher than the second guide roller of the leading carriage, the first guide roller of the leading carriage being guided by both the vertical strut of the first guide rail and the flange of the first guide rail, the second guide roller of the leading carriage being guided only by the vertical strut of the second guide rail, wherein the second guide roller of the following carriage extends higher than the first guide roller of the following carriage, the second guide roller of the following carriage being guided by both the vertical strut of the second guide rail and the flange of the second guide rail, the first guide roller of the following carriage being guided only by the vertical strut of the first guide rail, whereby, where the first and second guiding rails are disposed so that respective said flanges form a butt joint, the carriages will move in the same direction, and where the first and second guiding rails diverge, the leading carriage will follow the first guiding rail and the following carriage will follow the second guiding rail.