Patent Abstract:
A reinforcement system for a sectional overhead door includes a post having a lower end, and an anchor for removably connecting the lower end of the post to a floor. The anchor includes an L-bracket configured to be removably attached to the lower end of the post, and a horizontal leg. An eyebolt removably attaches the horizontal leg of the L-bracket to the floor, and is movably attached to the post. A plurality of door brackets configured for attachment to the door panels each include a selectively positionable clevis pin removably extending through portions of the bracket. A plurality of cables having first and second ends are configured to be removably engaged around the clevis pin of one of the door brackets when the cable is wrapped around the vertical post. The reinforcement system is configured to permit the system to be installed and removed without tools.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to reinforcement systems and methods for articulated overhead doors for reinforcing such doors against high wind and pressure loads, and more particularly relates to a vertical post reinforcement system that can be readily and easily adapted to overhead doors and installed in and removed from a doorway without tools.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Sectional overhead garage doors commonly are used to cover large entryways of residential garages and other structures. Such doors typically are constructed of a plurality of pivotally interconnected door panels with rollers that travel in guide tracks mounted on the sides and above the inside frame of an entryway. In order to facilitate ease of operation, such doors commonly include articulated door panels that are constructed of lightweight materials such as thin-gauge steel or other metal, plastic, fiberglass, and the like. Such panels typically include an integral frame structure that provides the panels with acceptable strength and rigidity under normal conditions.  
         [0003]     During extreme weather conditions, however, high wind and pressure loads can cause substantial distortion, buckling, and damage to such lightweight door panels and doors. For example, such lightweight overhead sectional doors can become distorted and forced from their guide tracks in gusting hurricane-force winds and under sudden air pressure differentials created by strong storms. Accordingly, at least in areas that are subject to hurricanes or other periodic violent storms, there is a need for an apparatus and method that temporarily reinforces an overhead door of typical lightweight construction to increase the door&#39;s strength and rigidity such that the doors are capable of withstanding high wind and pressure loads with minimal damage and without dislodgement.  
         [0004]     Various methods and devices are known for reinforcing sectional overhead doors of conventional lightweight construction. For example, horizontal reinforcement struts can be affixed to the inside surfaces of one or more door panels to increase the overall strength and stiffness of the door panel(s) and doors. Such struts typically have deep cross-sections that make the struts strong and stiff. Because these struts necessarily include relatively deep cross-sections, the struts can substantially increase the overall depth of the door panels to which they are connected. In addition, because the depth of horizontal reinforcement struts can vary, the overall depths of doors having reinforcement struts can vary significantly.  
         [0005]     Others have developed vertical post reinforcement systems that include vertical posts or beams installed in an entryway behind a closed sectional door. Such systems typically include at least one rigid vertical post that has a lower end removably anchored to a floor, and an upper end that is removably attached to a header above an entryway. One or more of the door panels are connected to the installed vertical post by links, wire cables, or the like. These removable vertical posts are installed in an entryway when high wind and pressure loads are expected, thereby adding substantial strength and rigidity to the door system. Such vertical post reinforcement systems may be used alone, or in combination with horizontal reinforcement struts as described above.  
         [0006]     When using a vertical post to reinforce a sectional overhead door against high wind and pressure loads, the system preferably secures the door in close proximity to the post to prevent the door from flexing and rattling under oscillating severe load conditions. Accordingly, where flexible cables are used to connect sectional door panels to a vertical post, the cables preferably tightly wrap around the post with little or no loose slack in the cables when the innermost edges of the door panels or struts attached thereto are snuggly against the post. One problem with known vertical post reinforcement systems is that such systems do not easily accommodate doors having varying overall depths. For example, when cables or links are used to connect the door panels to a vertical post, cables or links of different lengths may be required to tightly hold door panels of different overall depths against the vertical post.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, there is a need for a vertical post reinforcement system that simply and adjustably accommodates sectional overhead door panels having various overall depths. For example, an adjustable vertical post reinforcement system is needed that can accommodate both door panels having horizontal reinforcement struts, and those without struts. In addition, there is a need for a vertical post reinforcement system that is relatively easy to install in an entryway, and also is relatively easy to remove from an entryway. In addition, there is a need for a vertical post reinforcement system that includes at least some components that can be permanently installed in an entryway, and that will not interfere with the entryway or operation of the overhead door when the vertical post is not installed.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0008]     The invention includes an improved vertical post reinforcement system and method for reinforcing a conventional lightweight sectional overhead door against high wind and pressure loads. In one embodiment, the invention includes a reinforcement system for a sectional overhead door having a plurality of pivotally interconnected door panels. The system includes a post having an upper end with an aperture extending therethrough, and a lower end. The system further includes an anchor for removably connecting the lower end of the post to a floor, the anchor including a bracket having a vertical leg configured to be removably attached to the lower end of the post, and a horizontal leg. An eyebolt removably attaches the horizontal leg of the bracket to the floor, and includes an eye. An upper bracket removably connects the upper end of the post to a garage door header. A plurality of door brackets are configured for attachment to the door panels. Each door bracket includes a first wall having at least a pair of first openings therein, and an opposed second wall having at least a pair of second openings therein. A selectively positionable clevis pin removably extends through at least one set of opposed first and second openings. This embodiment of the invention further includes a plurality of cables, each cable having first and second ends configured to be removably engaged around the clevis pin of one of door brackets when the cable is wrapped around the vertical post.  
         [0009]     The invention also includes a reinforcement apparatus for a sectional overhead door including a plurality of pivotally interconnected door panels having inner faces. The apparatus includes a vertical post. At least one door panel bracket is configured for attachment to a door panel of the overhead door, and includes a first plate having a plurality of spaced first openings therein, and a second plate in opposed spaced relation to the first plate and having a plurality of spaced second openings therein. A pin removably extends between the first and second plates, and is capable of extending through different pairs of the first and second openings. The pin of each door bracket is capable of being selectively positioned between the first and second plates such that the cross pin is positioned at a selected distance from the inner face of the door panel.  
         [0010]     The invention further includes a method of adapting a vertical post reinforcement system to overhead sectional doors having door panels with inner faces and differing overall depths. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of elongated cables having opposed ends and fixed lengths. The method further includes providing adjustable cable connection means for connecting the cables to the door panels of the overhead sectional door. The adjustable cable connection means permits the ends of the cables to be connected to the door panels at a selected distance from the inner faces of the door panels.  
         [0011]     These and other aspects of the invention will be understood from a reading of the following detailed description together with the drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is an environmental perspective view showing one embodiment of a vertical post reinforcement system according to the invention installed in an entryway inside a closed sectional overhead door.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view showing the vertical post reinforcement system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a portion of the vertical post reinforcement system of  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing attachments between door panels and the vertical post.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top cross-sectional view of the vertical post reinforcement system of  FIGS. 1-3  taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1 , showing the system used with a door panel having a deep strut.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4 , showing the system used with a door panel having a more shallow strut.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a door panel cable bracket for use in the vertical post reinforcement system shown in  FIGS. 1-5 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the bracket shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a bottom anchor portion of the vertical post reinforcement system of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of the bottom anchor portion shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a top support portion of the vertical post reinforcement system of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]     One embodiment of a vertical post reinforcement apparatus  10  according to the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  10  is used to reinforce a sectional overhead door  100  of the type having a plurality of pivotally interconnected door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  that are movably mounted in an entryway bounded by a floor  200  and a header  220 . The door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  include a plurality of stiles  108  that are pivotally connected by a series of hinges  112 . The door  100  may include a plurality of horizontal reinforcement struts  120 ,  122  mounted on the inside faces of the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106 . Horizontal reinforcement struts  120 ,  122  like those shown in  FIG. 1  may be used to increase the strength and stiffness of the elongated lightweight door panels, and may be produced in various widths or depths, depending upon the degree of added strength and stiffness that is desired. For example, relatively deep struts  120  may be about three inches deep, and relatively shallow struts  122  may be about two inches deep. Generally, wide doors  100  having wide door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  require deeper struts  120  to sufficiently stiffen the panels, whereas narrower doors  100  are sufficiently stiffened by struts  122  that are relatively shallow. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the struts  120 ,  122  inwardly extend from the inner faces  116  of the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106 . Though the door  100  shown in the figures includes reinforcement struts  120 ,  122 , a vertical post reinforcement system  10  according to the invention also may be used with a door without struts  120 ,  122 .  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vertical post reinforcement system  10  includes an elongated vertical post  20  having a lower end and an upper end. The post  20  extends from the floor  200  to the header  220 , and is positioned proximate to the innermost edges of the horizontal struts  120 ,  122 . Alternatively, when used with an overhead door without struts  120 ,  122 , the post  20  can be positioned proximate to inner faces  116  of the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106 . When so positioned, the post  20  blocks the inward movement of the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  and the struts  120 ,  122  attached thereto, thereby preventing the door  100  from being forced into or through the entryway by outside wind and pressure loads. In addition, a plurality of spaced cables  60  are attached to the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  by a series of door panel cable brackets  30 , and extend around the post  20 , thereby binding the door  100  to the post  20 . The wrapped cables  60  prevent the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  from moving outwardly when the air pressure on the inside face of the door  100  exceeds the pressure on the outside of the door  100 . The post  20  preferably has a cross-section that provides the post with substantial rigidity. In the embodiment  20  shown, the post  20  is constructed of a suitably strong metal such as steel), and has a hollow rectangular cross-section. For example, the post  20  may be about 7 feet 6 inches tall, about 1½ inches wide, and about 3 inches deep, and may have a wall thickness of about 0.1 inch. The post  20  may be constructed of ASTM A-500 Grade B rectangular structural steel tubing.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  shows a preferred arrangement for binding the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  to the post  20  to limit the outward movement of the panels  102 ,  104  and  106 . In this arrangement, a series of door panel cable brackets  30  are affixed to the inside faces of the door panel stiles  108 . The brackets  30  may be removably attached to the stiles  108  by one or more threaded fasteners, or the like. In the arrangement shown, one bracket  30  is attached to a stile  108  on a first door panel  102  just above a first horizontal strut  120 ,  122 , and another bracket  30  is attached to a stile  108  on a second door panel  104  just below a second horizontal strut  120 ,  122 , such that the hinge  112  and joint between the door panels  102 ,  104  is positioned between the upper and lower brackets  30 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a single lowermost cable  60  may be connected to a lower portion of a lowermost door panel  106  by a cable bracket  30  positioned just above a lowermost strut  120 ,  122 .  
         [0025]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , each cable  60  extends around the post  20  such that the associated bracket  30  and stile  108  of the door panel are bound to the post  20 . Accordingly, the cables  60  limit the outward movement of the door  100  and door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106  away from the post  20 . The adjacent horizontal strut  120  shown in  FIG. 4  has a depth D 1 . For a deep strut  120  having this depth, a clevis pin  80  on the bracket  30  is positioned at an innermost position in the bracket  30  that is a distance d 1  from the inner face  116  of the door panel stile  108 , such that the cable is wrapped around the post  20  with little or no slack in the cable  60 , and such that the post  20  is closely proximate to the innermost edge of the strut  120 . The cable  60  preferably has looped ends  62  that receive the clevis pin  80  of the bracket  30 , thereby securing the cable  60  around the post  20  and to the bracket  30 . A middle portion of the cable  60  may be affixed to the post  20  by a retainer clip  68  as shown, thereby capturing the cable  60  on the post.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows a door  100  having a shallow strut  122  bound to the post  20  by a cable  60 . The shallow strut  122  has a depth D 2  that is smaller than the depth D 1  of the deep strut  120  shown in  FIG. 4 . For a door  100  with a shallow strut  122 , the clevis pin  80  of the associated bracket  30  is positioned to the inner face  116  of the associated door panel stile  108  at a distance d 2 . By providing for selective adjustable positioning of the clevis pin  80  in the bracket  30 , identical brackets  30  and cables  60  can be used for closely binding door panels having either deep horizontal struts  120 , or shallow horizontal struts  122 , to the post  20 .  
         [0027]     One embodiment of a door panel cable bracket  30  is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In this embodiment, the bracket  30  includes a base plate  32 , and two inwardly-extending opposed side plates  34 ,  36 . Holes  31  are provided in the base plate to receive threaded fasteners for attaching the bracket  30  to a stile. The side plates  34  and  36  include a first pair of aligned clevis pin holes  33 , and a second pair of aligned clevis pin holes  35 . The holes  33 ,  35  are sized to recieve the clevis pin  80 . The clevis pin  80  may include a head  84  on a first end, and a cross hole  81  in a second end. Once the clevis pin  80  is inserted in one of the pairs of holes  33  or  35 , a retainer  82  is inserted through the hole  81 . The retainer  82  and head  84  cooperate to capture the clevis pin  80  between the opposed side plates  34 ,  36 . The retainer  82  may be a split ring, a cotter pin, or any other suitable retaining device.  
         [0028]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show a preferred arrangement for anchoring the lower end of the post  20  to a floor or foundation  200  inside an entryway. In this arrangement, an L-shaped bracket  22  is attached to a lower face of the post  20  such that one leg of the bracket  22  inwardly extends from the post  20  proximate to the lower end of the post  20 . A hole  56  in the bracket  20  is sized to receive the shank  54  of an eyebolt  50 . The threaded shank  54  of the eyebolt  50  engages a hole  202  in the floor  200 , thereby securing the bracket  22  and post  20  to the floor  200 . The eyebolt  50  includes an eye  52  that permits the eyebolt  50  to be easily gripped in a person&#39;s hand, and inserted into the hole  202  without tools. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the eye  52  also permits the eyebolt  50  to be movably connected to the post  20  by a cable  60  and retainer clip  68  such that the eyebolt  50  will not be lost or misplaced. A finishing plate  40  may be provided on the floor  200  around the hole  202  to provide the floor  200  with a finished appearance.  
         [0029]      FIG. 10  shows one arrangement for attaching the upper end of the post to the header  220  above the door  100 . In this arrangement, a header bracket  24  is affixed to the header  220 , such as by a plurality of threaded fasteners  27 . The bracket includes a central open-ended slot  25  sized to receive the shank of a carriage bolt  26 , such that the head (not shown) of the carriage bolt  26  is captured by the header bracket  24 . The threaded shank of the carriage bolt  26  extends through aligned openings in opposed walls of the hollow post  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 9 , nuts  28  and washers  29  are engaged on the carriage bolt to secure the top end of the post  20  at a desired distance from the header  220 . The header bracket  24  and carriage bolt  26  combine to fix the upper end of the post  20  in the entryway.  
         [0030]     The vertical post reinforcement system  10  can easily be removed from an entryway when there is no imminent threat of high wind or pressure loads. First, the cables  60  are freed from the cable brackets  30  by removing the clevis pins  80  from the brackets. The lower end of the post  20  is released by manually removing the eyebolt  50  without tools. Once the lower end of the post  20  is freed, the carriage bolt  26  can be easily disengaged from the header bracket  24  by lifting the post  20 , and slidably disengaging the carriage bolt  26  from the open-ended slot  25  in the header bracket  24 . Accordingly, the system  10  can be removed from an entryway without the use of tools, and can be conveniently reinstalled in an entryway without tools.  
         [0031]     Because the cables  60  are captured on the post  20  by the cable clips  68 , and because the carriage bolt  26  and eyebolt  50  also are attached to the post  20 , the system  10  includes no small loose parts when disassembled from an entryway. In addition, the cable brackets  30  and clevis pins  80  are securely retained on the door panels  102 ,  104 ,  106 . Accordingly, there is substantially no risk of losing or misplacing essential small parts when the system  10  is not in use.  
         [0032]     The above description of various embodiments of the invention is provided to describe various details and aspects of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention thereto. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4