Improvements in Revolving Doors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Revolving Doors.
I, THEOPHILUS VAN KANNEL, of No. 253, Broadway, in the City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in revolving or storm doors of the
kind referred to in the Specification of my prior Patent No. 10,907 of the
year 1897, that is to say a door comprising a series of radial wings connected
together at their line of junction and suspended from above by a rotating
support or pivot carried by a carriage or traveller which when desired can be
caused to slide transversely. Such doors are also provided with devices for
enabling them to be folded, for a clear passage to be made past the doors or for
other purposes.
According to my present improvements the rotating support or upper pivot
by which the doors are suspended as aforesaid, is furnished with an adjustable
head which is internally coned to rest upon a conical babbitt-metal or other
appropriate ring contained in an oil-cup or well. This oil-cup or well is counter-
sunk in a semi-circular or other suitably formed recess or cavity in the afore-
said carriage or traveller. The said head is preferably screw-threaded to permit
of its being attached to a king-bolt forming part of the upper pivot to which
the series of doors are connected near their upper ends. The said head is
locked to the king-bolt by a set-screw entering a vertical groove in said king-
bolt. By varying the position of the head on the king-bolt, the vertical
position of the doors may be adjusted. The oil-cup or well is provided with a
dust-ring or annular cover for preventing the entrance of dust into the oil.
The oil contained in said cup or well will thus not require replenishing for
considerable periods of time, say once every year or thereabouts. The above
construction also permits the babbitt-metal ring to be readily removed and
replaced by another when desired.
Another of my improvements has reference to the devices employed for fold-
ing the doors when required and for retaining them in such position. Assuming
that there are four doors composing the series. I hinge two of the opposite doors
to the remaining doors and provide each of the hinged doors with a strong
chain passing through a contrivance, which I term an automatic lock, provided
on each of said hinged doors. This automatic lock comprises a spring pawl
which is capable of being brought into and out of engagement with a solid
link or projection on the chains. The ends of the chains are firmly connected
to the non-hinging doors and are provided near their middle with the aforesaid
solid link or projection. When the folding doors occupy their normal position
the aforesaid spring pawls engage with the said solid links or projections and
retain the hinged doors at right angles to the other doors, but when it is
desired to fold the hinged doors. the spring pawls are operated to release the
said solid links or projections and thereby permit the hinged doors to be turned
about their hinges and to be folded against the non-hinging doors, in which

page_text: position they are retained by any suitable bolt or catch device. In order to
keep the exposed portion of the chains taut while the doors are in this position,
the said chains may be furnished with a dog to come against the casing of the
automatic lock, the position of the dog being such that the act of folding the
doors brings the dog against the lock casing and causes the chain to be kept
in tension. If desired I may also provide a finger or projection at a suitable
position between the said chain and the non-hinging door to keep the chain
away from said doors, such finger or projection becoming exposed and operating
only when the hinged doors are folded.
I wish it to be understood that I may somewhat vary the construction of the
parts comprising my herein described improvements without departing from the
nature of my invention.
Data 1.: 9011 L...
1000
!
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Revolving Doors.
I, THEOPHILUS VAN KANNEL, of 42, West 67th Street, and late of 253, Broad-
way, in the City, County and State of New York, United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
---
This invention relates to improvements in revolving or storm doors of the
kind referred to in the Specification of my prior Patent No. 10,907 of the
year 1897, that is to say a door comprising a series of radial wings connected
together at their line of junction and suspended from above by a rotating
support or pivot carried by a carriage or traveller which when desired can be
caused to slide transversely. Such doors are also provided with devices for
enabling them to be folded, for a clear passage to be made past the doors or for
other purposes.
According to my present improvements the upper pivot from which the
wings of the door are suspended as aforesaid, comprises an adjustable internally
coned head which is secured to the king-bolt forming part of the upper pivot
to which the door wings are connected, and which rests upon a conical or
similar ring contained in an oil cup or well. This oil cup or well is countersunk
in a semicircular recess or cavity in the aforesaid carriage or traveller, and
is provided with suitable means for the exclusion of dust.
Another of my improvements has reference to the devices employed for retain-
ing the wings of the door in their radial position and for permitting them to
be folded when required. Assuming that there are four wings or doors compos-
ing the series, I hinge two of the opposite wings to the remaining wings and
provide each of the said hinged wings with a strong chain passing through a
spring pawl device, which I term as automatic lock, provided on each of said
hinged wings. These chains have their ends secured to the wings that are not
hinged. The spring pawls are adapted to engage with solid links or projections
on the chains to maintain the hinged wings in their extended position, and also
to be operated so as to release said projections when it is required to turn the
hinged wings about their hinges. Suitable devices may be provided to retain
the hinged wings when turned into their folded position.

page_text: In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through part of the upper structure of
5 the door showing the improved pivot.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the revolving door, showing the
devices for folding and locking the wings.
Referring to Figure 1, A is the roof of the door structure provided with a
radial slot a; B is the traveller or carriage for carrying the upper pivot to which
the wings of the door are connected near their upper ends; C is one of the rails
on which the carriage B runs; D is the king-bolt; and E is the rod for operating
the latch on the carriage B. The aforesaid parts are arranged substantially
in accordance with the specification of my aforesaid prior Patent.
Fis the adjustable head which is screwed onto the top of the king-bolt D and
locked in position by a set screw f which enters a vertical groove in the king-
bolt. This adjustable head F is internally coned to rest upon a conical babbit
metal or other appropriate ring G which is contained in the oil-cup or well h
formed in a self-adjusting hanger H. This hanger is countersunk and fits
loosely in a semicircular recess or cup b¹ formed in the frame of the carriage B.
h' is a dust ring or cover for the oil-cup or well.
The door is suspended from the king-bolt D, so that by removing the set
screw f and then turning the head F, the position of the latter can be varied
so as to adjust the vertical position of the door. The dust ring excludes dust
from the oil well h, so that the latter will only require replenishing at con-
siderable intervals of time. The above construction also permits the ring G to
be readily removed and replaced when desired, and also permits of a certain
limited amount of lateral movement of the door, owing to the hanger H being
capable of moving in the cup bl.
Referring to Figure 2, I, I are the two wings of the revolving door which are
respectively hinged to the remaining wings II. J, J are the chains which
have their ends fixed to the wings I, I' and which pass through locking devices
on the wings I, I. jj are solid links or projections situated at or near the
middle points of the chains J, J, respectively. Each of the aforesaid locking
devices on the wings I, I. comprises a spring pawl K enclosed in a suitable
case. Each of the pawls K, K is provided with a projection which latter
projects through a slot in a case and limits the movement of its pawl.
projections on the chains J, J for a purpose hereinafter referred to.
screws for adjusting the tension of the chains J, J, and are the springs
respectively controlling the pawls K, K.
are
are
The wings I, I are retained in their radial position by the projections j, j each
of which is situated in a space between a pawl K and one side of its case k.
To fold the wings I, I, the spring pawls are moved by means of the projec-
tions,, in the direction indicated by the arrows. This releases the pro-
jections so that the wires I, I, can then be turned on their hinges and folded
against the wings I, I. The projections 2, 2 come into contact with the lock
casings k, when the wings I, I are folded, and serve to keep the chains taut.
When the hinged wings are again moved into their radial positions the spring
pawls pass over and engage with the projections j, j.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim in a revolving door of the kind referred to is:—
1. A top pivot for suspending the door, comprising a vertically adjustable
head secured to the king-holt and rotatable on a bearing surface immersed in
an oil bath which latter is loosely countersunk in the traveller or carriage frame,
for the purposes specified.
2. A chain adapted to co-operate with an automatic locking device on a hinged

page_text: door wing and having its ends secured to adjacent door wings, for the purpose
specified.
3. Apparatus constructed arranged and operating substantially as described
with reference to Figure 1 or to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings for the
purpose specified.
Jave of
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.