Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1895
A communication by WALTER WILLIAM IFE, of St. Paul, in the County of
Ramsey and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Architect.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 storm door structures,
adapted to be applied to the entrances of public buildings, its object being to
provide a structure which will permit persons to pass freely both in and out of the
doorway simultaneously, the aperture being at all times closed to storms and
draughts of air, and which may also be quickly folded together, so as to leave two
clear passages, one on each side, for the purpose of ventilation, and for the carrying
of large articles therethrough, its further object being to so connect the door
structure to the building that in case of fire or panic, the pressure of a crowd
from within will carry the door wholly out of the doorway, and leave the opening
free.
To this end the invention consists substantially, first of a rotatable door, made
up of a central pivot post, with a series of preferably four radiating wings, two of
said wings oppositely positioned being hinged to the post, so as to be collapsible
against the adjacent wings, the door pivots being mounted in sockets from which a
lateral pressure will unship them, so that the door can be carried away; second, in
providing oppositely arranged partial enclosing casements for the door, of polygonal
form, having a fixed post or medial part and a hinged panel or section on each
side, which is held inturned toward the door by means of springs or other suitable
devices, and which will yield to a pressure sufficient to unship the door pivots, so
as to allow the door to be carried out therefrom.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a horizontal section; and
Figure 2 a sectional elevation of the same, looking in the direction indicated by
the arrow in Figure 1;
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are details of the door wing extension pieces or
strips;
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are details of the top door pivot ;
Figs. 13 and 14 are details of the bottom door pivot ;
Fig. 15 a detail of the socket for the bottom pivot traveller;
Figs. 10, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are details of the door locking mechanism ;
Fig. 21 is a horizontal section of a modified form of door, and
Figs. 22, 23 and 24 are other details.
In the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 20 inclusive, the door A is shown of
polygonal form, the middle sections 2 and 3 being parallel with each other, and
having fixed supports 4 and 5. The sections 6, 7, 8 and 9 are connected by spring
hinges 12 (Fig. 23) to the sections 2 and 3, the sections 6 and 7 being shown fitted
with glass panels fo. The sections 6 and 7 are held in normal inturned positions.

page_text: against the stops 13 and 14 by the tension of their spring hinges. The sections 8
and 9 are held in normal position by the stops 15 and 16 hinged to the building,
and engaging the notches 17 in the edges of the sections.
The door B consists of four radial wings mounted upon the truck pivot C by
means of the circular plate 18 having a concentric Hange 19 secured to the bottom
of the door, and carrying the pivot pin 20 projecting through the plate 21, which
is provided with a flange 22 turning freely within the flange 19. Interposed
between the plates 18 and 21 is a bearing block 23. The plate 21 is secured to the
frame 24 mounted upon the rollers 25 and 26, which rest in the socket 27 having
an inclined way along which they can be rolled. 28 are casters upon the door
wings adapted to bear upon the floor 29 when the door is displaced to assist in
carrying it out of the casement. D is the top door pivot having a thimble 30 fitted
in the door, which is provided with a spring 31 carrying a bearing block 32 upon
which rests the pivot pin 33. 34, is an anti-friction wheel upon said pivot pro-
jecting into the groove 35 in the top casement 36. 39 and 40 are elastic strips
fitted to the wings for closing the space between them and the floor and roof of
the structure. 41 represent glass panels in the door wings. E are flexible or
expansible extension strips for the door wings. The preferred form shown in
Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 16, is a compound strip 42, made up of two elastic layers 43
with included steel springs 44, one edge of the strip 42 being secured to the outer
edge of the wing, and the other held between the double metallic strip 45, the
outer edge of which has a concave face, along which is arranged the weather
strip 46, which closes the space between the strip 45 and the roller 47 covered with
suitable material 48, and having a suitable journal support upon the strip 45.
In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 is shown an expansible extension strip in which the roll 47 is
journaled at top and bottom in the plates 49, which have sliding connection with
the wing of the door, as by screws 50 working in slots 51, permitting the roller
and adjacent bar 52 to be pressed toward the wing, but normally thrust outward
by springs 54 leaving an intermediate space 53, which is closed by flexible
covering 55.
In the construction shown in Figs. 21 and 22, the opposite casement walls 56 are
plane surfaced with solid or glass panels, and are provided with a concave jamb 57,
slightly narrowing the intermediate aperture. To secure the glass panels in place,
the sash 58 is dove-tailed and the glass 59 beveled to fit closely thereto, and held
in place by means of strips 60. 61 is a locking bar pivoted to the casement
section 8 or 9, having a head 62 fitted to a socket 63 in the door wing. This socket
has an inclined groove 64, along which the head 62 can slide into the socket, where
it can be secured by the lock 65, and when not in use thrown upward and held in
place by the clip 66.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the door and case-
ments are in normal position and arrangement, the door will turn freely within the
casements, the flexible strips making constant contact therewith in passing, so that
persons can freely pass in and out at the same time, while certain of the door wings
are always in contact with the casements, so as to keep the doorway closed to
storm and draughts of air. It is also evident that in the case of panic, a crowd
pressing against the door would unship its pivots, and swing back its outer case-
ment panels, and the door will thus be carried bodily out of the doorway, leaving
an open passage for the crowd. It is further evident that when necessary for the
purposes of ventilation, or for the carrying in or out of large articles, the hinged
wings of the door may be folded upon the adjacent fixed wings, and the hinged
sections of the casements turned, thus leaving two clear passages between the
casements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :
'
1. In a revolving door structure of the class described, a casement for the

page_text: doorway consisting of the opposite parallel panels or sections, and the inturned
or converging panels or sections arranged on each side of said parallel sections.
2. In a storm door structure of the class described, a polygonal casement made
up of the fixed medial section, the sections hinged to each side of said fixed section,
having glass panels flush with the face thereof, and the springs normally holding
said binged sections inturned.
3. In a revolving storm door of the class described the combination with its
pivot, of the travelling connection therefor permitting the same to be unshipped
by excessive pressure of persons against the wings of said door, and carried out
of the casements.
4. The combination with the revolving door and its casement, of the bar
pivoted to said casement, and having a dovetail or enlarged end adapted to
enter a corresponding socket in the wing of said door and means for locking it
in said socket,
Dated this 17th dox of Santember 1905
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.