Improvements in or connected with Flexible Doors or the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Flexible Doors or the like.
I, CHARLES MELBOURNE WHITE of 27 Southampton Buildings in the County
of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the natnre of this invention
a communication to me from The Flexible Door and Shutter Company a
corporation organised under the laws of the State of Maine, of 15 Union Street,
Worcester in the State of Massachusetts in the United States of America 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 that class of flexible doors which are so mounted that
they can be coiled or rolled up around a vertical shaft; and the objects of this
invention are to improve the construction of the parallel strips or leaves, to provide.
improved means for hinging the strips or leaves together, and to provide a strong,
simple and easy-running mechanism, controlled by the lateral movement of the
door, for turning the vertical shaft at varying speeds.
To these ends, this invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as
hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end
of this specification.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a flexible door and its operating mechanism
constructed according to this invention, taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, and
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views to be hereinafter referred to.
A flexible door constructed according to this invention comprises a number of
parallel strips or leaves, preferably made of wood, having convex beads and
corresponding sockets.
Referring to the drawings and in detail, B designates the flexible door, which is
made up of a series of parallel strips or leaves b. The leaves bare each provided
on one edge with a convex bead 10 and upon its opposite edge with a corresponding
socket 11.
It is preferable to mold the beads and sockets so that they will be provided with
engaging abutments, which will form a tight joint extending substantially through
the central part of the door when said door is straightened out or unrolled.
As shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 6, it will be seen that the convex beads 10
are each provided with an extending abutment 12, and the sockets 11 are shaped
to form corresponding abutments 13. In practice it has been found that this is a
desirable form of construction, as it will be seen that the convex beads and their
sockets form engaging surfaces at each side of the joint formed by the abutments 12
and 13, and these engaging surfaces will prevent any dust or dirt from accumulating
in position to interfere with the formation of a tight joint when the door is
extended.
The means which are preferably employed for connecting the parallel strips or
leaves consist of a series of hinge-bolts, which are formed with engaging ends and
are so constructed that they may be inserted from one side of each of the parallel
strips or leaves.
Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, 14 designates a hinge-bolt, which is milled or cut
away near one end to form a projecting pintle 16. At its opposite end the

page_text: invention, it is preferable to employ the same, as the parts may be so proportione.
that the driving-roller may be always located in a line which is substantially
tangential to the spiral groove or guideway, thus decreasing the friction between
these parts.
As shown in the drawings, the vertical shaft C is threaded near its lower end
and engages a nut 34, which fits into a socket in the movable block or bearing-
piece 33. The nut 34 is provided on one side with a projecting pin 35, which
engages with a cam-slot 36 in the block or bearing-piece 33. By means of this..
construction it will be seen that the rotation of the shaft C will cause a vertical
movement of the nut 34 and will shift the block or bearing-piece 33 to move the
driving-roller 32 to the desired angle or position. In some cases where this
construction is employed the spiral groove or guideway can be omitted, as the
driving-roller 32 will have a normal tendency to shift upon the shaft 30, but.
in practice the spiral groove or guide will ordinarily be retained in order to more
positively secure the accurate position of the driving-roller.
Many changes may be made in the construction of flexible doors by those who
are skilled in the art, and certain parts may be used in different combinations and
in different locations without departing from the scope of this invention as
expressed in the claims whilst it will be obvious that the invention is also applicable
to flexible shutters or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvements in flexible doors, substantially as herein described.
2. The means for hinging together a series of parallel strips or leaves to form a
flexible door, substantially as herein described.
3. The devices for winding and unwinding a flexible door, substantially as herein
described.
4. A flexible door comprising a series of parallel strips or leaves, having
convex beads and corresponding sockets, said beads and sockets being provided
with engaging abutments for forming tight joint near the centre of the door,.
substantially as described.
5. In a Hexible door, the combination of a series of strips or leaves having
convex beads and corresponding sockets, and a series of engaging hinge-bolts.
arranged in a straight line substantially in the centre of the door, each of said
hinge-bolts having a pintle near one end, and a socket near the opposite end, the
end of the bolt carrying the pintle being of substantially the same size as the shank
of the bolt, whereby it may be inserted from one side of a strip or leaf, and will
project from the opposite side thereof, in position to engage the succeeding hinge-
bolt, substantially as described.
6. The combination of a vertical shaft, a flexible door mounted to wind or coil.
around said shaft, a disk fastened to the shaft, a driving roller or wheel engaging
said disk, and gearing controlled by the lateral movement of the door, for turning
said driving roller or wheel, substantially as described.
7. The combination of a vertical shaft, a disk fastened to said shaft, a flexible
door mounted to coil around said shaft and to rest upon said disk, a driving roller
or wheel engaging said disk, gearing controlled by the lateral movement of the
door for turning said driving-roller, and a spiral guideway or groove for shifting
said driving-roller, whereby the vertical shaft may be turned at variable speeds,
substantially as described.
8. The combination of a vertical shaft, a disk mounted on ball-bearings, a disk
fast upon the vertical shaft, rollers interposed between said disks, a flexible door
meunted to coil around said vertical shaft, and gearing controlled by the lateral
movement of the door for turning said shaft, substantially as described.
9. The combination of a vertical shaft, a disk carried by said shaft, a flexible
door mounted to coil around said shaft, a driving-shaft, a driving roller or wheel