Improvements relating to Sliding Doors and to Means for Closing the same.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Sliding Doors and to Means for Closing
the same.
We, DENIS DOYEN and JACQUES DIDION, both of 14 Rue des Quarter Bras,
Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
It
Our invention relates to sliding doors and to means for closing the same.
comprises devices for suspending the sliding doors so as to suppress all sliding
friction and enabling also the rollers, balls and other similar parts which have
heretofore been employed in the construction of doors of this kind to be dispensed
with.
This mode of suspension permits of the application to sliding doors of various
systems of automatic closing appliances.
We will proceed to describe our invention by way of example as applied to a
door of a tramway car, but it is also applicable to any sliding doors, windows,
blinds shutters and the like which are adapted to move in guides.
According to our said invention the door is suspended by two articulated levers
forming a cross and arranged so that the door moves constantly in the same straight
position and without support. As friction is suppressed the motion is very gentle.
These articulated levers can turn upon pivots, folding upon themselves and taking
up very little room. The automatic closing may be obtained by counterweights,
springs or pneumatic apparatus.
The door is adapted to move at the top in part of its frame. It is suspended by
two levers. One of these levers is articulated at its lower extremity to a piece
fixed to the door. The lower part of the second lever is articulated in the same
manner to a piece fixed to the frame. The two levers cross each other near their
middle part where they are connected by a pivot fixed to one of the levers and
upon which the other lever can turn freely, these two levers being constantly held
one against the other. The upper extremity of each of the two levers is bent to
the form of an arc of a circle, and this bent part is provided with a slot or groove
in which is fitted a roller secured to the door in the case of the first lever and to
the frame in the case of the second lever. The curvature of these levers is such
as to follow the roller in all the positions that may be occupied by the door, which
is thus always held in its vertical position. Under these circumstances the door is
always in equilibrium, that is to say it remains in the position in which it is put,
and has to be opened and closed.
For the slots in the levers we may substitute links articulated to the lever and to
the door, but the slots appear to give better results, the door being better
supported.
Instead of fixing the levers at their lower end as hereinbefore described the
system may be reversed and the levers fixed at their upper extremity, the slot being
in this case at the lower part.
The automatic closing may take place in various manners, either by weighting
the lever which bears upon the door, or by applying a spring to one or both of the
levers, or by any other equivalent or similar means.
For instance we use in some cases an automatic pneumatic closing device the
mechanism of which is well known.
The cylinder of the apparatus is articulated at its lower part, upon a pivot on
the frame, and the upper part of the piston rod is articulated to the lever. In
another arrangement the roller on the frame and the notch in the door are dispense:

page_text: with. A roller mounted upon a spring is fixed to the frame near the slot in the
lever, and the latter has a notch designed to receive this roller, so as to be held in
its open or closed position. In yet another arrangement for the automatically
closing the door the two levers are articulated at their upper end upon pivots on
the door and on the frame.
The lower extremity of the first lever is formed with a cylindrical part which
slides with little friction in a tube fixed to a piece on the door. This tube turns
upon a pivot and guides the first lever which moves upwards and downwards in the
tube proportionately to the movement of the door when it is opened or closed.
The extremity of the second lever is formed in the same manner, its cylindrical
part sliding in tube or cylinder fits to a piece attached to the frame, it turns upon
a pivot and moves like the first lever. In the interior of the cylinder is a spiral
spring bearing against the cylindrical extremity of the first lever thus compelling
the two levers to move apart, the suspended door being closed. The door will be
held in this closed position by the constant pressure of the spring without any
necessity for keeping it closed by a lock or other like device.
When the door is not provided with an automatic closing device, it is necessary
to employ an arrangement enabling it to be held in its open or closed position. We
obtain this result by the aid of a roller mounted upon a flat spring and fixed to the
lower part of the frame in which the door moves. A screw serves to regulate the
relative height of the roller. The upper part of the door is formed for a short
distance with an inclined plane, and at the extremity of this inclined plane is a
notch designed to receive the roller when the door is closed. When placed in the
notch the roller can leave the latter only if a certain pressure is exerted upon
the door. The roller and notch hold the door closed and a similar system may
be arranged at the other extremity of the door for keeping it open.
We may also use for example for heavy doors, instead of one system of levers
two or more such systems arranged as herein before described and provided or not
with one of the automatic closing devices.
The improved suspension and automatic closing devices above described may be
applied to all kinds of sliding doors, windows, blinds, shutters and the like.
Dated this 17th day of December 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Sliding Doors and to Means for Closing
the same.
We, DENIS DOYEN and JACQUES DIDION, both of 34 Rue Joncker, Brussels,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to sliding doors and to means for closing the same. It
comprises devices for suspending the sliding doors so as to suppress all sliding
friction and enabling also the rollers, balls and other similar parts which have
heretofore been employed in the construction of doors of this kind to be
dispensed with.
This mode of suspension permits of the application to sliding doors of various
systems of automatic closing appliances.
We will proceed to describe our invention by way of example as applied to
the door of a tramway car, but it is also applicable to any sliding doors, windows,
blinds, shutters and the like which are adapted to move in guides.
According to our said invention the door is suspended by two articulated levers
forming a cross and arranged so that the door moves constantly in the same

page_text: As Iriction
straight position that is to say parallel to itself and without support.
is suppressed the motion is very gentle. These jointed levers can turn upon pivots,
folding upon themselves and taking up very little room. The automatic closing
may be obtained by counterweights, springs or pneumatic apparatus.
In order that our invention may be more easily understood we have in the
accompanying drawings shewn how it may be applied, to the sliding door of a
tramcar. From this example it will be readily understood how it may be applied
to other closing devices such as windows, shutters and the like.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the door with our improved suspension and arranged
to be automatically closed by a pneumatic apparatus.
Figure 2 is a detail view of the stop roller which keeps the door closed.
Figure 3 is a detail view of the door shewing the stop notch for the closing
roller.
Figure 4 is a detail view shewing another arrangement of closing device.
Figure 5 shews another automatic closing system, the door being closed. A
portion of the guide is removed to show the movement of the lever.
Figure 6 is a similar view, the door being open.
Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line x-x of Figure 5.
The
Referring now to Figure 1 A is the door which slides at the top in the
part B of the frame B this door is suspended by two levers C and D.
lever D is pivoted at its lower extremity on a pin X secured to a plate E¹ fixed
to the door A. The lower part of the lever C is pivoted in the same manner
on a pin X' fixed to the plate F. The levers C and D cross each other near
their middle part at H' where they are connected by the pivot J fixed to one
of the levers upon which pivot the other lever_can turn freely, the two levers
being constantly held one against the other. The upper extremity of each of
the levers is bent to the form of an arc of a circle, and this bent part is provided
with a slot or groove M or N in which is fitted a roller M' or N' secured to
the door in the case of the first lever D and to the frame in the case of the
second lever C. The curvature of these levers is such as to follow the roller
in all the positions that may be occupied by the door, which is thus always held
in its vertical position. Under these circumstances the door is always in equili-
brium, that is to say it remains in any position in which it is put and it is
necessary to apply force to open or close the same.
For the slots in the levers we may substitute links articulated to the lever and
to the door, but the slots appear to be preferable as the door is better supported.
Instead of pivoting the levers at their lower end as hereinbefore described the
system may be reversed and the levers pivoted at their upper extremity, the slots N
and M being in this case in the lower portions of the levers.
The automatic closing of the door may be effected in various ways, either by
weighting the lever which bears upon the door, or by applying a spring to one or
both of the levers, or by other equivalent or similar means. In the example
represented in Figure 1 of the drawings, a pneumatic closing device is used the
mechanism of which is well known, and does not require any particular description.
The lower part G cylinder of the apparatus is pivoted on the frame B and the
upper part G of the piston rod is pivoted to the lever D.
In another arrangement shewn in Figure 4 a roller I mounted upon a spring I¹
is fixed to the frame near the slot on the lever, and the latter has notches D D'
designed to receive the said roller so that the door can be held in its open or closed
position.
Another arrangement for automatically closing the door is represented in
Figures 56 and 7 of the drawings. In these figures the two levers C and D are
articulated at their upper end upon pivots H and H' on the door and on the frame.
To the lower extremities of the levers D and C are secured cylindrical pieces s
sliding in split tubes t fixed one to the door and the other to the door frame. The
slit in the tube serves for the passage of the lever. To obtain the automatic closing
of the door it is sufficient to provide a spring in the slit tube. This arrangement

page_text: may be used when the arms of the levers are equal. When these arms are unequal;
the employment of levers with curved slots is necessary.
When the door is not provided with an automatic closing device it is necessary
to employ an arrangement enabling it to be held in its open or closed position.
We obtain this result by the aid of the arrangement represented in Figures 1, 2
and 3 of the drawings. A roller P is mounted upon a flat spring P¹ and fixed to
the lower part of the frame in which the door moves, the relative height of the
roller being regulated by a screw. The upper part of the door is formed for a
short distance with an inclined part S and at the extremity of this inclined part is
a notch R designed to receive the roller P when the door is closed. When placed
in the notch the roller can leave the latter only if a certain pressure is exerted upon
the door. The roller and notch hold the door closed, and a similar system may be
arranged at the other extremity of the door for keeping it open.
We may also use for heavy doors, instead of one system of levers C D, two or
more such systems arranged as herein before described and provided or not with
one of the automatic closing devices.
The improved suspension and automatic closing devices above described may be
applied to all kinds of sliding doors, windows, blinds, shutters and the like which
may be used for any purpose whatever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :—
First. The mode of suspending sliding doors by the aid of two articulated levers,
one extremity of each of the said levers being provided with a slot in which a roller
slides, the other extremity of one lever being articulated to the door, and the other
extremity of the second lever being articulated to the frame, substantially as
described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
Second. In the mode of suspending sliding doors characterized in the first claim
the employment of articulated links in lieu of the slots and roller connections,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Third. The combination with a sliding door, of a pneumatic closing device similar
to that used for hinged doors, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1
of the drawings.
Fourth. The combination with a sliding door suspended by articulated levers, of
an automatic closing device comprising split cylinders in which the articulated
cylindrical extremities of the said levers are adapted to move, with or without spiral
springs placed in the said cylinders, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.
Fifth. The device for maintaining sliding doors in the open and closed positions,
consisting of a roller mounted on a spring secured to the frame said roller moving
on an inclined plane and adapted to engage in a notch, substantially as described
with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Sixth. The application to a single door of more than one suspension apparatus
having articulated levers, with or without an automatic closing device, substantially
as herein described.
Seventh. The arrangement represented in Figure 4 which consists in providing a
spring supported roller upon the frame, adapted to engage in a notch at the side of
the slot in one of the levers substantially as, and for, the purposes specified.
Dated this 18th day of September 1802
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.