Abstract:
A safety braking device configured for use with the counterbalancing system of a garage door. The safety braking device includes a support bracket, a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm, and a biasing spring. The support bracket is rigidly connected to a fixed structure and has a guiding slot. The ratchet wheel is securely mounted about the overhead shaft of the counterbalancing system and has at least one notch. The pawl arm has first and second ends, the first end of the pawl arm being pivotally connected to the support bracket and the second end of the pawl arm cooperating with the guiding slot and being movable with respect to the support bracket along said guiding slot. The first and second ends of the pawl arm are further connected to flanges of a plug on either side of the overhead shaft. The biasing spring is operatively connected between the support bracket and the pawl arm so as to exert a biasing force for biasing the pawl arm towards the ratchet wheel. The pawl arm is devised so that, an element thereof is adjacent to the ratchet wheel, said element being shaped and sized to be removably insertable into at least one notch of the ratchet wheel so as to block rotation of the ratchet wheel, and thus block rotation of the overhead shaft, in the event of a failure of the counterbalancing system of the door.
Abstract:
A device (1) for bending an extremity (3) of a torsional spring (5). The device includes a base plate (7); at least one flange (9) projecting from the base plate; at least one bulge (11) projecting from the at least one flange; a lever arm (13) pivotally mounted onto the at least one flange about a first pivot axis; and at least one cam pivotally mounted onto the lever arm about a second pivot axis. The lever arm is operable between first and second positions and each cam (15) has a contact surface (21) being positioned for operatively cooperating with a corresponding bulge. Prior to the bending operation, the extremity of the torsional spring is inserted between a given bulge and the contact surface (21) of a corresponding cam when the lever arm is in the first position. In operation, the extremity of the spring is bent about the given bulge by the contact surface of the corresponding cam when the contact surface is urged towards the bulge and forced about the same over the extremity of the spring as the lever arm is operated into the second position. The device enables an easier, simpler and more cost effective way of bending an extremity of a torsional spring, without the use of heat for bending the spring tail, and may be easily transportable from one site to another. Moreover, the device can be used for bending the extremities of torsional springs having different wire sizes.
Abstract:
A braking device (1) configured for use with the counterbalancing system (3) of a garage door. The brake device (1) includes a support bracket (11), a ratchet wheel (13), a pawl arm (15), and a biasing spring (17). The support bracket (11) is rigidly connected to a fixed structure and has a guiding slot (45). The ratchet wheel (13) is securely mounted about the overhead shaft (5) of the counterbalancing system (3) and has at least one notch (23). The pawl arm (15) has first and second ends, the first end of the pawl arm (15) being pivotally connected to the support bracket (11) and the second end of the pawl arm (15) cooperating with the guiding slot (45) and being movable with respect to the support bracket (11) along said guiding slot (45). The first and second ends of the pawl arm (15) are further connected to flanges of a plug (7) on either side of the overhead shaft (5). The biasing spring (17) is operatively connected between the support bracket (11) and the pawl arm (15) so as to exert a biasing force for biasing the pawl arm (15) towards the ratchet wheel (13). The pawl arm (15) is devised so that, an element (31) thereof is adjacent to the ratchet wheel (13), said element (31) being shaped and sized to be removably insertable into at least one notch (23) of the ratchet wheel (13) so as to block rotation of the ratchet wheel (13), and thus block rotation of the overhead shaft (5), in the event of a failure of the counterbalancing system (3) of the door. The brake device (1) further includes a locking assembly configured to cooperate with the ratchet wheel (13) so as to securely mount the same onto the overhead shaft (5) and thus prevent the ratchet wheel (13) from being displaced along a longitudinal axis (5a) of the overhead shaft (5).
Abstract:
A chain guide for guiding a chain within a chain hoist. The chain guide includes a substantially elongated body having an inner side and an outer side, along with first and second extremities. The substantially elongated body is made of a substantially flexible material for curving the substantially elongated body into a substantially arched configuration about a given wheel of the chain hoist. The chain guide also includes first and second chain receiving portions provided adjacent to the first and second extremities respectively of the substantially elongated body, on the inner side thereof. Each chain receiving portion comprises a pair of shoulders protruding from the inner side of the body and defining an open channel shaped and sized for slidably receiving a portion of the chain. The chain guide also includes a deformable Connecting portion for interconnecting the first and second chain receiving portions of the chain guide. Also described is a chain hoist provided with the chain guide.
Abstract:
A frame assembly (1) and a method for installing a window pane (3) in an opening (5) of a panel (7). The assembly (1) includes an outer frame (9) having connecting devices (15) and an abutment member (17). The assembly (1) also includes an inner frame (19) provided with first connecting devices (25). The first connecting devices (25) cooperate with the connecting devices (15) of the outer frame (9) for disengageably connecting the outer and inner frames (9, 19). The assembly (1) also includes locking device (28) having at least one flexible element (31) cooperating with one of the frames (9, 19) for locking the locking device (28) in locking position, and at least one contacting element (33) for holding the window pane (3) in position with aid of the abutment member (17) when the locking device (28) is in the locking position.
Abstract:
A kit (1) for assembling a variety of different door configurations adapted to be installed within a predetermined range of dimensions, onto a specific door opening (7) defined within a fixed structure (9) and contained within said predetermined range of dimensions. The kit (1) includes first components (11) for assembling a specific door leaf (13) shaped and sized for substantially covering the specific door opening (7). The kit (1) also includes second components (15) for mounting onto the fixed structure (9) of the specific door opening (7), the second components (15) including components (15) for assembling a track system (17) along which the specific door leaf (13) is configured to travel. The kit (1) also includes third components (19) for assembling a counterbalancing system (21) operatively connectable between the specific door leaf (13) and the fixed structure (9) for counterbalancing the specific door leaf (13) with respect to said fixed structure (9). The components (11 ,15,19) of the kit (1) are configured to be selectively adjustable along given increments for assembling a specific door assembly (23) representative of dimensions (25,27) of the specific door opening (7), and the components (11 , 15,19) of the kit (1 ) are further configured to be provided with adjustment means (29), and corresponding marking systems (31) representative of given increments, for selectively adjusting parameters of the components (11 ,15,19) of the kit (1) in response to the specific door leaf (13) being used for assembling the specific door assembly (23).
Abstract:
A device (1) for use with a cable-operated door (3), such as garage doors (3) and the like, and a door assembly including the same. The device (1) is intended to reduce the risk of the door (3) falling, or at the very least slow down its descent, in the event of a failure in the counterbalancing mechanism of the door (3), which is generally represented by a loss of tension in a given tensioned cable (5) operating the door (3). The brake device (1) includes a support bracket (9), and a guiding assembly (15) and a braking assembly (17) mounted onto the support bracket (9). The braking assembly includes a swivel component (18) having opposite braking arm (19) and lever portion (20), the lever portion cooperating with the tensioned cable (3) so that in the event of a loss of tension in the cable (5), the braking arm (19) is urged onto an adjacent rail (7) via biasing means (21) for anchoring a knife (45) of the braking arm (19) into the rail (7) and stopping, or at the very least, slowing down the descent of the door (3), with respect to the rail (7).
Abstract:
A drive mechanism for use with an overhead shaft of a sectional door for raising and lowering the door via a rotation of the overhead shaft. The drive mechanism has a support structure, a first gear, a drive shaft, a second gear, a pocket wheel and an actuator. The second gear is interconnected to the first gear so that a rotation of the second gear is transmitted to the first gear and vice versa. The pocket wheel is operable between first and second positions. The second gear is rotatable along a first direction corresponding to a raising of the sectional door and along an opposite second direction corresponding to a lowering of the sectional door. The actuator is used for rotating the pocket wheel about the drive shaft, operating the pocket wheel between the first and second positions, and driving the second gear along the first and second directions when the pocket wheel is in the second and first positions respectively. The drive mechanism includes a first ratched assembly for blocking rotation of the second gear along the second direction when the pocket wheel is in the second position. The drive mechanism may also include a second ratchet assembly for blocking rotation of the second gear along the first direction when the pocket wheel is in the first position.
Abstract:
A hydraulic governor device for use with a rotational shaft of a door assembly for controlling a rotation of said rotational shaft. The device includes a sleeve; first and second end coverings mounted respectively onto first and second ends of the sleeve so as to define an hydraulic flow path; a fluid substantially filling the hydraulic flow path; an input shaft extending through the ends coverings and the chamber, and being operatively connected to the rotational shaft of the door assembly; first and second pistons disks positioned inside the chamber and mounted about the input shaft, the pistons disks being connected to each other and being slidably movable along the input shaft; and a reciprocating assembly operatively connected between the input shaft and the piston disks and cooperating with the same for converting a rotation of the input shaft into a reciprocating movement of the pistons disks within a chamber, so that said reciprocating movement of the pistons disks inside the chamber causes in turn the fluid to travel along a reciprocating movement along the hydraulic flow path, said reciprocating movement of the fluid along the hydraulic flow path causing a damping effect of the rotation of the input shaft and thus controlling the rotation of the rotational shaft of the door assembly via a damping effect.
Abstract:
A chain keeper for retaining a chain operatively connected to a driving mechanism of a chain hoist system. The chain keeper has a support bracket and a pair of plates. The support bracket is mountable onto a fixed structure, and has a substantially vertical longitudinal axis, and opposite top and bottom sections. Each plate has top and bottom portions. The plates project from the support bracket and are slanted with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof. The plates converge towards one another towards the bottom section of the support bracket, a slot being defined between peripheral edges of the plates at the bottom section of the support bracket. The slot is shaped and sized to slidably and removably receive therein a segment of the chain for retaining the same from substantial vertical movement along the longitudinal axis of the support bracket.