U.S. patent number 4,283,882 [Application Number 06/085,606] was granted by the patent office on 1981-08-18 for safety flush bolt entrance door system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kawneer Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to S. Eugene Hubbard, Richard A. Meisterheim, Ernest B. Symon.
United States Patent |
4,283,882 |
Hubbard , et al. |
August 18, 1981 |
Safety flush bolt entrance door system
Abstract
A safety flush bolt entrance door system includes a pair of
doors mounted in an entrance frame for outward opening with each
door pivotally supported for individual opening and closing
movement. A normally active door is provided with a locking
mechanism adapted to engage an opposite, normally inactive, door
for securing the doors together. One or more flush bolt
mechanism(s) is mounted on the normally inactive door for locking
the door with the door frame whenever the locking mechanism on the
active door is engaged with the inactive door. A control mechanism
is mounted on the inactive door and interconnected with the flush
bolt mechanism(s) so that whenever the active door is unlocked, the
flush bolt mechanism(s) is releasable in response to an opening
force applied against the inactive door.
Inventors: |
Hubbard; S. Eugene (Niles,
MI), Meisterheim; Richard A. (Dowagiac, MI), Symon;
Ernest B. (South Bend, IN) |
Assignee: |
Kawneer Company, Inc. (Niles,
MI)
|
Family
ID: |
22192740 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/085,606 |
Filed: |
October 17, 1979 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
49/141; 292/18;
292/21; 49/366; 49/395 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
63/20 (20130101); E05B 65/1013 (20130101); E05C
7/04 (20130101); Y10T 292/0818 (20150401); Y10T
292/0822 (20150401); E05B 65/102 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E05B
63/00 (20060101); E05C 7/04 (20060101); E05B
65/10 (20060101); E05B 63/20 (20060101); E05C
7/00 (20060101); E05C 015/02 (); E05B 065/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;49/141,395,366
;292/18,21,92,DIG.21 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Kannan; Philip C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Mason, Kolehmainen, Rathburn &
Wyss
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent
of the United States is:
1. A door mounted for movement between open and closed positions
with respect to a door frame, comprising:
latch means on said door movable between a latched position
engaging said frame for securing said door in said closed position
and an unlatched position disengaged from said frame permitting
movement of said door toward said open position; and
control means remote from said latch means for controlling the same
to prevent disengagement from said frame in response to opening
force applied to said door when said control means is in a first
condition and to permit said latch means to move to said unlatched
position, disengaged from said frame in response to opening force
applied to said door when said control means is in a second
condition, said control means including means normally biasing said
latch means toward said unlatched position.
2. The door of claim 1 including means responsive to the position
of said door with respect to said frame for maintaining said latch
means in said unlatched position when said door is in an open
position.
3. The door of claim 2 wherein said door position responsive means
for maintaining said latch means in said latched position when said
door is in an open position is movable to a first position
permitting said latch means to move into said latched position when
said door is in a closed position.
4. The door of claim 3 wherein said door position responsive means
is normally biased toward a second position for preventing said
latch means from moving into said latched position.
5. The door of claim 1 including a plurality of said latch means
spaced apart for engagement with different portions of said door
frame when in said latched position.
6. The door of claim 5 wherein said control means is interconnected
with said plurality of latch means for moving one of said latch
means from the latched to the unlatched position as a result of
movement of the other of said latch means to the unlatched position
in response to opening force applied to said door.
7. The door of claim 5 including a door stile supporting said
control means and said latch means at one end thereof, and a second
latch means at an opposite end of said stile.
8. The door of claim 7 wherein said stile is hollow and said
control means and said latch means are mounted internally thereof
with said control means spaced between the ends of said stile.
9. The door of claim 8 including elongated link members extended
longitudinally and mounted internally of said hollow stile for
interconnecting said control means and said latch means at opposite
end of said stile.
10. The door of claim 9 wherein said link members are movable
toward said control means when said latch means at opposite ends of
said stile are unlatched from said door frame.
11. The door of claim 10 wherein said control means includes a
slider mounted to slide in said hollow stile and interconnected
with said link members to be movable in one direction when said
pair of latch means move from an unlatched position toward said
latched position and movable in an opposite direction when said
pair of latch means move from said latched position toward said
unlatched position.
12. The door of claim 1 wherein said door includes a hollow lock
stile and said control means includes a control element mounted
inside said hollow stile movable between said first and second
conditions.
13. The door of claim 12 wherein said stile includes an access
opening adjacent said control element for permitting means
insertable through said access opening to move said element toward
said second condition for engaging said latch means with said door
frame when said door is in a closed position.
14. The door of claim 12 wherein said hollow lock stile includes
means on internal surfaces thereof forming a guideway for sliding
movement of said control element.
15. The door of claim 14 wherein said latch means includes a
movable bolt having a portion disposed for guidance in said
guideway during movement of said bolt between said latched and said
unlatched positions.
16. The door of claim 1 wherein said control means is operable to
move from said second condition to said first condition when said
door is in a closed position in said door frame.
17. The door of claim 16 wherein said door includes a hollow door
stile forming a housing for said control means and including an
access opening for permitting movement of said control means into
said first condition by means applied externally of said door.
18. A pair of first and second doors mounted for movement between
open and closed positions with respect to a door frame, said doors
having lock stiles in closely adjacent positions when said doors
are in a closed position, comprising:
latch means on said first door movable between a latched position
engaging said frame for securing said first door in said closed
position and an unlatched position disengaged from said frame
permitting movement of said first door toward said open
position;
control means remote from said latch means for controlling the same
to prevent disengagement from said frame in response to opening
force applied to said first door when said control means is in a
first condition and to permit said latch means to move to said
unlatched position, disengaged from said frame in response to
opening force applied to said first door when said control means is
in a second condition, and
said control means including a manually operated element on said
second door movable toward and away from said first door between a
locking position for preventing said latch means from moving to
said unlatched position when said doors are closed and an unlocked
position permitting said latch means to move toward said unlatched
position for opening at least one of said doors.
19. The door combination of claim 18 wherein said control means
includes means normally biasing said latch means toward said
unlatched position.
20. The door combination of claim 18 wherein said control means
includes a control element on said first door operatively
interconnected with said latch means and movable between said first
and second conditions, said manually operated element engaging said
control element when the former is in said locking position and the
latter is in said first condition when said doors are closed.
21. The door combination of claim 20 wherein said control element
is mounted on said first door in position for external access and
manual operation independent of said manually operated element of
said second door.
22. The door combination of claim 21 wherein said stile of said
first door is formed with an access opening facing said second door
when said doors are closed for receiving said manually operated
element of said second door when moved to said locking position
engaging said manually operated element of said first door.
23. The door combination of claim 22 wherein said recess opening is
dimensioned to permit operation of said element by manual means
inserted through said opening when said second door stile is
positioned away from said facing adjacent closed position with
respect to said stile of said first door.
24. The door combination of claim 22 wherein said control element
includes operating means thereon accessible externally of said
stile through said access opening for permitting movement of said
control element into said locking position.
25. The door combination of claim 24 wherein said operating means
includes an opening in said control element for receiving means for
implementing said movement.
26. The door combination of claim 18 including means responsive to
the position of said first door with respect to said frame for
maintaining said latch means in said unlatched position when said
first door is in an open position.
27. The door combination of claim 26 wherein said door position
responsive means for maintaining said latch means in said latched
position when said first door is in an open position is movable to
a first position permitting said latch means to move into said
latched position when said first door is in a closed position.
28. The door combination of claim 27 wherein said door position
responsive means is normally biased toward a second position for
preventing said latch means from moving into said latched
position.
29. The door combination of claim 18 including a plurality of said
latch means spaced apart for engagement with different portions of
said door frame when in said latched position.
30. The door combination of claim 29 wherein said control means is
interconnected with said plurality of latch means for moving one of
said latch means from the latched to the unlatched position as a
result of movement of the other of said latch means to the
unlatched position in response to opening force applied to said
first door.
31. The door combination of claim 29 including a door stile
supporting said control means and said latch means at one end
thereof, and a second latch means at an opposite end of said
stile.
32. The door combination of claim 31 wherein said stile is hollow
and said control means and said latch means are mounted internally
thereof with said control means spaced between the ends of said
stile.
33. The door combination of claim 32 including elongated link
members extended longitudinally and mounted internally of said
hollow stile for interconnecting said control means and said latch
means at opposite ends of said stile.
34. The door combination of claim 33 wherein said link members are
movable toward said control means when said latch means at opposite
ends of said stile are unlatched from said door frame.
35. The door combination of claim 34 wherein said control means
includes a slider mounted to slide in said hollow stile and
interconnected with said link members to be movable in one
direction when said pair of latch means move from an unlatched
position toward said latched position and movable in an opposite
direction when said pair of latch means move from said latched
position toward said unlatched position.
36. The door combination of claim 18 wherein said first door
includes a hollow lock stile and said control means includes a
control element mounted inside said hollow stile movable between
said first and second conditions.
37. The door combination of claim 36 wherein said stile includes an
access opening adjacent said control element for permitting means
insertable through said access opening to move said element toward
said second condition for engaging said latch means with said door
frame when said first door is in a closed position.
38. The door combination of claim 36 wherein said hollow lock stile
includes means on internal surfaces thereof forming a guideway for
sliding movement of said control element.
39. The door combination of claim 38 wherein said latch means
includes a movable bolt having a portion disposed for guidance in
said guideway during movement of said bolt between said latched and
said unlatched positions.
40. The door combination of claim 18 wherein said control means is
operable to move from said second condition to said first condition
when said first door is in a closed position in said door
frame.
41. The door combination of claim 40 wherein said first door
includes a hollow door stile forming a housing for said control
means and including an access opening for permitting movement of
said control means into said first condition by means applied
externally of said first door.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety flush bolt entrance door
systems and more particularly to an entrance door system including
a pair of outwardly opening hinged doors mounted in a door frame
and provided with a single locking mechanism on a normally active
door engageable with a normally inactive door and operably
connected through a control mechanism for controlling one or more
flush bolt mechanisms on the inactive door for locking the inactive
door to the door frame whenever the locking mechanism on the active
door is lockingly engaged with the inactive door.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A traditional system for locking up pairs of hinged doors in an
entrance door frame is first to secure one of the doors, a normally
inactive door, to the frame using a manually operated bolt.
Subsequently, the other or normally active door is then lockingly
engaged with the inactive door usually with a key operated lock.
This system provides basic security, however, it does not provide
the needed safety should a mishap such as fire or other panic
situation occur within the building. Many building owners are
likely to leave the inactive door in a locked or bolted condition
during normal business hours, mainly for the purpose of traffic
control or for reducing heating and cooling losses. In the event of
a panic situation, people within the building cannot usually tell
which door of the pair is locked or bolted and which is unlocked.
Injuries may result from people trying to get out through a door
that is bolted shut. Because of this problem, many codes have
specifically proscribed the use of flush bolt locks on an inactive
door in a pair of side-by-side entrance doors.
One attempted solution to this problem is provided by multiple
point locks in which a single key is utilized to operate a locking
system for securing a pair of doors to one another and at least one
of the doors to the surrounding door frame when the lock is
activated. Another expedient is to provide a bolt mechanism for the
inactive door having a visual indicator to show whether it is
locked or unlocked. The indicating bolt, however, does not assure
that the door is unlocked, and often, such a bolt cannot be
unlocked under a load as might be present in a panic situation.
Both of these prior art systems are unsatisfactory for a number of
reasons. One reason is that after some usage, a pair of doors in a
door frame are seldom perfectly aligned either with the surrounding
entrance door frame or with one another and accordingly, a single
key operated lock mechanism does not provide enough power or force
to move the doors into proper alignment with one another and with
the door frame so that the multiple bolts and strike plates may be
properly lined up for locking.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved
safety flush bolt entrance system which substantially eliminates
the problems of prior art systems and which complies with most of
the present day codes in force.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and
improved safety type flush bolt entrance system wherein an inactive
door may be lockingly secured to the entrance door frame and also
lockingly secured to an adjacent active door of the entrance
system.
It is another object of the invention to provide a safety flush
bolt entrance system of the character described operable so that
whenever an active door is unlocked one or more flush bolt
mechanisms on an inactive door may be automatically disengaged from
the door frame in response to force or thrust exerted to open the
inactive door.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and
improved safety flush bolt entrance door system of the character
described wherein an inactive door is readily opened any time an
active door adjacent thereto is in an unlocked condition.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved safety flush bolt entrance door system wherein both
doors of a pair of doors mounted in a door frame are normally
utilized for traffic and swing freely between open and closed
positions and yet a lock up of both doors may be accomplished by
the operation of single lock mechanism to lock the doors together
and at least one door to the door frame.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved safety flush bolt entrance door system wherein one of
the doors of a pair in an entrance frame is provided with a pair of
safety flush bolts engageable to lock the door in a door frame and
which are connected for activation by a common control unit.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved safety flush bolt entrance system of the character
described in the preceding paragraph wherein the other of the doors
of the pair is provided with a lock mechanism adapted to interfere
with the control unit so that in a locked condition the doors are
secured to one another and at least one of the doors is also
lockingly secured to the door frame.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved safety flush bolt entrance system wherein a pair of
operable doors are mounted in an entrance frame and at least one of
the doors is securable to the frame when locked at a plurality of
positions adjacent an outer or lock stile on at least one of the
doors.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved safety type flush bolt entrance system wherein a
locking mechanism is provided on one of the doors for locking
together the adjacent stiles of the doors and at the same time
operable to prevent unlocking of one of the doors from interlocking
engagement with the door frame.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved safety flush bolt entrance system having a pair of
hinged doors mounted in a frame and which provides excellent
security, which is neat in appearance and which is safe in
operation even in a panic situation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present
invention are accomplished in a new and improved safety flush bolt
entrance door system wherein a pair of doors are hingedly mounted
for outward opening movement in a single door frame. A normally
active door of the pair is provided with a lock mechanism adapted
to lockingly engage an adjacent stile of the adjacent, normally
inactive door for securing the two doors together in a locked
condition. One or more flush bolt mechanisms is mounted on one
normally inactive door for locking the door with the door frame
whenever the locking mechanism of the active door is engaged to
lock the doors together. A control unit is mounted on the normally
inactive door and is interconnected with the flush bolt
mechanism(s) so that whenever the pair of doors are unlocked from
one another, the flush bolt mechanism(s) is releasable to unlock
the inactive door with respect to the frame in response to an
opening force or pressure applied on the door.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference
should be had to the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an outside or a front elevational view of a new and
improved safety flush bolt entrance door system constructed in
accordance with the features of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along
lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view taken
substantially along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view taken
substantially along lines 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along
lines 5--5 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along
lines 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5, but
illustrating a control unit and flush bolt mechanisms of the
present invention in a different operative position;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view taken
substantially along lines 8--8 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view taken
substantially along lines 9--9 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view similar to
FIG. 9 but showing a flush bolt mechanism in an unlatched
position;
FIG. 11 is an exploded, perspective view of the control unit and a
lower flush bolt mechanism in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of an upper flush bolt
mechanism in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but
illustrating another embodiment of safety flush bolt entrance
system constructed in accordance with the features of the present
invention;
FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially
along lines 14--14 of FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 13 but
showing flush bolt mechanisms and a control unit interconnected
therewith in a different operative position;
FIG. 16 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view taken
substantially along lines 16--16 of FIG. 14;
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view taken
substantially along lines 17--17 of FIG. 14;
FIG. 18 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view taken
substantially along lines 18--18 of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view similar to
FIG. 18, but illustrating an upper flush bolt mechanism in an
unlocked condition when the door is opened; and
FIG. 20 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view of a control
unit for the safety flush bolt entrance system of the embodiment of
FIGS. 13 through 19.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIGS. 1-11
illustrate one embodiment of a new and improved safety flush bolt
entrance door system constructed in accordance with the features of
the present invention and referred to generally by the reference
numeral 30. The system includes a pair of swinging doors 32 and 34
mounted for outwardly opening movement in a door frame comprising a
pair of vertical door jambs 36 interconnected by a horizontal
header 38 above the doors and at the bottom by a threshold 40.
Each door includes a rectangular frame comprising an elongated,
hollow tubular hinge stile 42 and a parallel, hollow tubular lock
stile 44 of generally similar transverse cross-section. The
vertical stiles are interconnected at upper and lower ends by a
pair of upper and lower, horizontally extending rails 46 and 48
which form a large rectangular panel opening. A large rectangular
panel such as a glazing panel 50 is secured around its peripheral
edge within the opening of the door frame by a resilient, glazing
strip gasket 52.
The doors 32 and 34 are both mounted for outwardly opening,
swinging movement and are supported on a plurality of hinges 54
secured to the hinge stile 42 of each door and the adjacent
vertical door jamb 36. When both doors 32 and 34 are closed as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inside faces of the doors are in a
common plane closely adjacent a downwardly extending, integral stop
element 38a formed on the upper, header 38. An upwardly projecting
heel portion 40a is similarly provided on the threshold 40 to form
a stop.
In many instances, the owner of a building will want to direct
traffic through an entrance to move through only one of the pair of
doors and in many prior art arrangements, this type of action
usually resulted in one of the doors being inactivated by
positively bolting or locking the door to the frame. As previously
indicated, a safety hazard results, should a panic situation occur
as no provisions are made in prior art arrangements for permitting
a locked up or bolted, inactive door to be opened up in the event
of a panic situation.
In the entrance system 30 of the present invention, a left-hand
door 32 may be likened to an inactive door of the prior art in the
sense that the other door 34 is used more, however, in accordance
with the present invention, the door 32 may be readily opened by
the application of opening pressure or thrust even though it is
initially flush bolted to the door frame. In the event of a panic
situation, pressure against the door 32 from persons inside the
building will open the door automatically without unbolting and
thereafter the door 32 will swing open and closed as an active door
until it is again locked up.
The adjacent door 34 of the entrance may be considered a normally
active door and in accordance with the invention, this door is
equipped with a key operated lock mechanism 56 mounted on the lock
stile 44 at an appropriate level as shown in FIG. 1. The lock 56
includes a bolt 58 which is key operated to pivot between a
downward, vertically extended unlocked, position within the
interior of the stile 44 to a generally horizontal outwardly
extended, locked position (as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6) in locking
engagement with the stile 44 of the adjacent normally inactive door
32.
In order to accommodate the pivotable bolt 58, the adjacent and
facing lock stile surfaces 44a of the doors 32 and 34 are formed
with an elongated vertical slot 45 and these slots may be tapered
to an increased width at the lower end portion (as shown in FIG. 2)
so that when the lock bolt 58 is pivoted upwardly into the locking,
horizontal position, the sloped edge surfaces of the slot in the
inactive door stile helps to align the stiles 44 of the respective
doors. When the bolt 58 is pivoted to the locking position, it is
adapted to interact with a flush bolt control unit 60 (FIGS. 5, 6,
7 and 11) mounted in the interior of the lock stile 44 of the
normally inactive door 32. The control unit is interconnected to
operate a pair of upper and lower flush bolt mechanisms 62 and 64,
by means of a pair of elongated, actuating rods 66 and 68 mounted
within the hollow tubular door stile. The control unit 60, the
upper and lower flush bolt mechanisms 62 and 64 and the
interconnecting upper and lower activating rods 66 and 68 are
preassembled together and the assembly is inserted longitudinally
into the hollow interior of the lock stile from either end.
To aid during the insertion process and to provide operating
guideways for normal operation of the control unit and flush bolt
mechanisms, each stile 44 is provided with a pair of spaced apart,
internal ribs 44b on opposite, facing interior surfaces of the
inside and outside walls of the tubular stile. Each pair of spaced
apart internal ribs 44b provides an elongated track or guideway 47
for supporting the control unit 60 and an upper and lower flush
bolt mechanism 62 and 64 as will be described in more detail
hereinafter.
The control unit 60 includes an elongated, flat, metal slide plate
70 having a plurality of plastic guide blocks 72 secured in knocked
out recesses provided along opposited edges and these blocks
support the slide plate for smooth sliding vertical movement in the
guideways 47 on opposite inside faces of the stile. The slide plate
is movable between an upper or locking position (FIG. 5) and a
lower or unlocked position as shown in FIG. 7, and in order to
receive the pivotal bolt 58 of the lock 56 on the active door 34,
the slide plate is formed with a relatively large, rectangular
shaped opening 71 in the upper portion thereof. A right angle,
horizontal tab 70a is struck from the body of the slide at the
upper edge of the opening 71 and is formed with a threaded aperture
to receive the shank of a headed cap screw 74 which serves as an
adjustable stop to engage the upper edge of the pivotal lock bolt
58 when the bolt is in a locked position.
The upper end portion of the slide plate 70 is pivotally
interconnected to the lower end of the upper control rod 66 by a
cross-pin 76 which extends into an aperture 73 in the slide plate
and a C-ring type retainer 75 is used to retain the cross-pin in
place. Adjacent a lower portion, the slide plate 70 is formed with
an elongated vertical slot 77 and a short, horizontal slot 79
adjacent a mid level thereof. A horizontal bearing pin or axle 78
is extended through the vertical slot 77 (as best shown in FIG. 6)
and one end of the axle is supported in a circular recess formed in
the inner surface of the stile face 44a with an opposite end of the
axle supported in a drilled aperture in the opposite face of the
stile. The axle is retained in position by a retaining plate 80 and
cap screw 82 as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. The axle pin 78
provides support for a circular rotor 84 having an integral hollow
axial bearing sleeve 85 journaled on the axle and the rotor is free
to rotate around a horizontal axis extending transverse to the face
44a of the door stile.
The rotor is provided with a first eccentric pin 86 on one side of
the central sleeve and the pin is pivotally connected to the upper
end of the lower control rod 68 and is secured to prevent
disengagement from the rod by a C-ring type retainer 87. The rotor
includes a second eccentric pin 88 diametrically opposed on the
opposite side of the central sleeve 85 and this pin extends in a
opposite direction from the rotor and is adapted to project into
the short, horizontal slot 79 of the slide plate 70. A C-ring
retainer 89 is provided on the pin 88 to prevent disengagement of
the pin from the slide plate 70.
In accordance with the present invention, the lower end of a main
bias spring 90 is connected to the eccentric pin 86 and as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 7, the spring tends to bias the rotor 84 in a
counterclockwise direction about the axis of the eccentric pin 88
which is seated in the short, horizontal slot 89 of the slide
plate. The upper end of the elongated coil spring 90 is secured to
a tab 70b struck from the body of the slide plate and bent inwardly
thereof as shown in FIG. 6. Tension exerted by the bias spring 90
tends to retract the lower control rod 68 upwardly to a released or
unlocked position for unlocking the lower flush bolt mechanism 64
as will be described in more detail hereinafter.
In order to selectively overcome the bias of the main coil spring
90 so that both of the flush bolt mechanisms 62 and 64 may be
secured and retained in a locked position as shown in FIGS. 5 and
6, the control unit 60 further includes a cantilevered type leaf
spring 92 having an upper end secured to another tab 70c struck
from the body of the slide plate 70 and bent inwardly at right
angles thereto. At the upper end, the detent spring 92 is secured
to the tab by a rivet 93 and includes a depending body terminating
in a lower free end portion having a V-shaped detent or stop
portion 92a for engaging the central sleeve 85 of the rotor 84 and
thereby detaining the rotor sleeve in a position adjacent a lower
end portion of the slot 77 of the slide plate against the bias
force of spring 90. However, when sufficient relative upward force
is exerted by the lower control rod 68 tending to aid the bias
spring 90, the rotor 84 may be turned in a counterclockwise
direction (FIGS. 5 and 7) as increased force is exerted by
engagement of the eccentric pin 88 of the rotor against the lower
surface of the slot 89 in the slide plate 70. As this occurs, the
slide plate 70 moves downwardly relative to the axle pin 78 which
is at a fixed elevation on the door stile 44. The force is
sufficient to deflect the lower detent end portion 92a of the
spring 92 outwardly and the main bias spring 90 is then effective
to continue the relative rotation of the rotor 84 in a
counterclockwise direction until reaching the unlocked position of
FIG. 7. Thereafter, when the slide plate 70 is lifted from the
unlocked position of FIG. 7 toward the locked position of FIGS. 5
and 6 for locking up the upper and lower flush bolt mechanisms 62
and 64, the lower end portion or detent 92a of the leaf spring 92
may seat against the bearing sleeve 85 of the rotor 80 to retain
the mechanisms in the locked condition and retain the main bias
spring 90 in an elongated or stretched condition as shown. The
relative strengths of the main bias spring 90 and the detent spring
92 are chosen so that slide 70 is retained either in a locked
position (FIGS. 5 and 6) or an unlocked position (FIG. 7) with a
general or overall bias toward the locked position because of the
greater effective strength of the main bias spring 90.
In accordance with the present invention, the upper flush bolt
mechanism 62 includes a bolt element 94, preferably formed of hard,
tough, molded plastic material and mounted for pivotal movement in
the upper end of the hollow stile 44 on a pivot pin or axle 96
extending horizontally between a drilled recess on the inside face
of the stile face 44a and an aperture on the opposite stile face.
The pivot axle is secured in place by a plate 97 and cap screw 98
as shown in FIG. 6. The upper bolt includes a flat edge or locking
surface 94a extending radially outwardly of the pivot axle and an
arcuate edge surface 94b, which surfaces defines a locking bolt
portion adapted to project into an opening 39 formed in the header
38 of the door frame whenever the bolt is in a locked position as
shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. When outward opening pressure is exerted on
the door as indicated by the arrow "A" in FIG. 5, the flat edge 94a
of the bolt engages an adjacent edge of the slot 39 and this
engagement tends to pivot the bolt 94 in a clockwise direction
toward the unlocked position as shown in FIG. 7.
A lower body portion of the bolt 94 is pivotally interconnected to
the upper end of the upper control rod 66 by a cross-pin 100
eccentric and parallel of the pivot axle 96 and a C-ring 101 is
used to prevent disengagement of the cross-pin and the bolt.
Whenever the bolt 94 is pivoted to the unlocked position as shown
in FIG. 7 and the door is opened, the bolt is normally retained in
the unlocked position so that later upon closing of the door, the
bolt will not interfere or strike with the outer edge of the header
38 of the door frame to prevent full closing of the door. In order
to retain the bolt in the unlocked position whenever the door is
opened, the upper flush bolt mechanism 62 is provided with a
retaining element 102 preferably formed of molded plastic material
and mounted for horizontal sliding movement between inside and
outside faces of the door stile 44 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The
retainer 102 is supported for horizontal movement on the axle pin
96 and is formed with a horizontal slot 102a for receiving the axle
pin. An adjustable stop pin 104 is provided to support the retainer
102 and the stop pin is threaded into an aperture on an inside edge
of the retainer. The stop pin extends outwardly through an opening
105 formed in the inside wall of the stile 44 and normally engages
with the header stop 38a whenever the door is closed as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9. The outer end of the stop pin 104 is formed with a
slot for a screwdriver to permit relative adjustment of the stop
pin on the retainer 102 to provide the desired stop action. As
shown in FIG. 9, when the door 32 is in a closed position, an outer
end of the stop pin 104 engages the header stop 38a and biases the
retainer 102 toward right (FIG. 9) and in this position, the blind
end of the slot 102a of the retainer is seated against the axle pin
96. When the door is opened, the retainer 102 moves horizontally
towards the left or inside face of the door stile 44 (FIG. 10) and
this movement is attained by a generally V-shaped bias spring 106
having the upper end of one leg engaged against the inside surface
of the outer face of the door stile and an opposite leg having a
horizontal segment seated in a slot 102b formed on the underside of
the retainer. The horizontal segment of the bias spring 106 is
positively secured within the slot 102b so that the spring does not
drop out.
Whenever the upper bolt 94 is pivoted from the locked position of
FIGS. 5 and 6 to the unlocked position of FIG. 7, the cross-pin 100
which connects the upper control rod 66 to the bolt moves
downwardly and reaches a level below an underside 103 of the
retainer 102. This flat generally horizontal undersurface 103
provides a stop surface to prevent upward movement of the cross-pin
and control rod 66 from the unlocked position of FIG. 10 towards
the locked position of FIG 9. Accordingly, the bolt 94 is
positively retained in the unlocked position until such time as the
door is closed. When the door is closed, the preventer is moved to
the position of FIG. 9 by engagement of the stop pin 104 against
the header stop 38a and, when this occurs, the stop surface 103 of
the preventer moves out of the way of the cross-pin 100 at the
upper end of the control rod 66 and the rod is then free to move
upwardly to lock the bolt 94. Upward movement of the rod 66 in turn
elevates the slide plate 70 of the control unit 60 and this results
in movement of the rotor 84 in a counterclockwise direction from
the position of FIG. 7 toward the position of FIG. 5.
It will thus be seen that the upper flush bolt mechanism 62
includes a pivotal bolt 94 which is movable between a locked
position extending upwardly into the slot 39 of the header 38
(FIGS. 5 and 9) and an unlocked position (FIGS. 7 and 10) out of
engagement with the header. Whenever the bolt is in the unlocked
position and the door is opened, the bolt is positively retained in
an unlocked position by the underside or stop surface 103 of the
retainer which prevents upward travel of the pin 100 and upper
control rod 66. This restraint in turn, retains the slide plate 70
of the control unit 60 in the lower or unlocked position of FIG.
7.
The lower flush bolt mechanism 64 includes a pivotal bolt 108
substantially similar or identical in shape to the upper bolt 94
and preferably formed of hard, tough, molded plastic material. The
lower bolt is mounted for pivotal movement on an axle 110 extending
between a circular recess formed on the inside surface of the stile
face 44a and a circular aperture provided in the opposite face. The
axle pin is contained within the stile by a stop plate 112 and cap
screw 111 (FIG. 4). The bolt 108 is pivotally supported on the axle
110 for movement between a downwardly extending, locking position
as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and an upper, unlocked position as shown
in FIG. 7 wherein the entire bolt is contained within the hollow
interior at the lower end of the door stile 44. The threshold 40 of
the door frame is formed with a rectangular slot 41 to receive the
bolt in a locking position and a radial edge 108a of the bolt is
adapted to engage an edge of the slot for locking the door or
pivoting the bolt in a counterclockwise direction from the position
of FIG. 5 to the unlocked position of FIG. 7 when the door is
unlocked and opened. The lower end of the lower control rod 68 is
pivotally interconnected with the lower bolt 108 by means of a
crosspin 114 extending through an eccentric aperture in the bolt
and a C-ring 115 is utilized to maintain the connection between the
control rod and the bolt.
As previously indicated, when the door is unlocked and opening
pressure or thrust is applied on the door tending to swing it open
(as indicated by the arrow "A" in FIG. 5), the respective bolt
surfaces 94a and 108a engage the adjacent edges of the slots 39 and
41 in the respective header or transom 38 and threshold 40 of the
door frame and this tends to pivot the upper bolt in a clockwise
direction (FIG. 5) to move the bolts towards the unlocked position
of FIG. 7. The force exerted on the door is transmitted via the
bolts 94 and 108 through the control rods 66 and 68 to the slide
plate 70 and is sufficient to overcome the holding detent force of
the cantilever spring 92 on the rotor sleeve 85. When this occurs,
the main bias spring 90 helps to cause the rotor 84 to turn in a
counterclockwise direction as the slide plate descends from the
position of FIG. 5 to the position of FIG. 7.
As previously indicated, the retainer 102 maintains the upper bolt
94 in a locked condition until the door is fully closed and the
interconnecting linkage of the upper and lower bolts, the
respective control rods 66 and 64 and the control unit 60 retains
the lower bolt 108 in an upwardly pivoted unlocked position of FIG.
7 until such time as the door is again closed and the retainer 102
moved out of a stopping position so that the upper bolt 99 may
again be locked. If the door 32 is closed, the upper and lower
bolts 94 and 108 will remain in the unlocked condition as shown in
FIG. 7 until such time as the slide plate 70 of the control unit 60
is moved upwardly to again lock the bolts. During this locking
process, the main bias spring 90 is stretched under tension until
the slide plate 70 moves far enough upward so that the retaining
spring detent 92a engages and holds the bearing sleeve 85 of the
rotor 84. This engagement then retains the bolts in the locked
position with the slide plate 70 in the upper locked position along
with the horizontal lock bolt 58. When the lock bolt 58 of the lock
56 on the active door 32 is subsequently unlocked resulting in a
downward pivotal movement as indicated by the arrow "B" in FIG. 6,
the inactive door 32 will continue to remain in a locked condition
with the frame until such time as a sufficient opening force (Arrow
"A") is applied thereto to cause the respective upper and lower
flush bolt assemblies 62 and 64 to automatically unlock and permit
the door to swing freely outwardly into the open position.
Should a panic situation occur in a building, when the active door
34 has been unlocked, pressure tending to open the inactive door 32
will automatically unlock the upper and lower bolts 94 and 108 and
permit the door to swing freely open so that people may move out
rapidly through the entrance.
This process is automatic and no other unlatching or unbolting
function is required. Once the upper and lower bolts 94 and 108
have been unlocked as described, they are normally maintained in
the unlocked condition by the retainer 102 until the door 32 is
closed and after the door is closed, the detent spring 92 normally
maintains this condition so that the door 32 may then serve as an
active door to swing freely open and closed.
At the end of the day when it is desired to close and lock up both
of the doors 32 and 34, the normally inactive door 32 is first
closed and the upper and lower flush bolt mechanisms 62 and 64 are
normally locked up by insertion of the finger or other implement
into the interior of the door stile 44 through the openings 45 and
71 and pushing the slide plate 70 upwardly until the detent 92a of
the detent spring engages the rotor sleeve 85. The bolts 94 and 108
can only be locked up in this manner, however, if the door is in a
closed condition and the stop pin 104 has moved the stop surface
103 of the retainer 102 out of the way so that the upper bolt 94 is
lockable. Once the door is locked up in this manner, the lock 56 on
the active door 34 may be key operated to pivot the lock bolt 58
into the horizontal position.
The pair of doors 32 and 34 are thus locked to each other and one
of the doors (the normally inactive door 32) is also locked to the
header 38 and the threshold 40 of the door frame at the lock stile
44. The entrance system of the present invention thus provides a
safe and secure arrangement and also complies with most building
codes, yet permits some control of the traffic through the entrance
30 into and out of the building.
Referring now to FIGS. 13-20 of the drawings, therein is
illustrated another embodiment of a new and improved safety flush
bolt entrance door system referred to by the numeral 130 and
constructed in accordance with the features of the present
invention. Identical reference numerals will be utilized for
components in the latter embodiment which are similar to or
identical with components in the prior embodiment previously
described herein and only the differences in the two embodiments
will be described in detail.
The entrance door system 130 is adapted to be used with
conventional type of doors 32 and 34 having lock stiles 44 without
internal ribs 44b or the like defining guideways for the control
and flush bolt mechanisms in the prior embodiment. As illustrated
in FIGS. 16 and 17, the control unit 60, upper flush bolt assembly
62 and lower flush bolt assembly 64 are adapted to be mounted on
independent chassis members 116b and these members have a
cross-section as shown with a large, generally channel-shaped
recess defined by a pair of opposite sidewalls 116a (FIG. 16)
having recesses or grooves therein defining guideways 47 for the
operating parts. The chassis or bases for each control and flush
bolt mechanism are identical and are formed from an elongated
aluminum extrusion which includes a base wall 116b integrally
joined with the sidewalls 116a and a mounting rib 116c is
integrally formed on the base wall 116b to project outwardly away
towards the inside surface of the curved stile faces 44a for
securing the bases in place at the desired level on a stile with
threaded cap screws 118 as best shown in FIG. 14. The chassis or
base 116 for the control unit 60 and the upper and lower flush bolt
mechanism 62 and 64 are fixedly secured to the stile 44 of the door
32 with cap screws 118 threaded into the rib 116c. The flush bolt
mechanisms 62 and 64 and the control unit 60 are operably
interconnected by respective upper and lower control rods 66 and 68
having L-shaped brackets 120 pivotally interconnected to the
respective pivot bolts 94 and 108 and adjustably secured onto
threaded ends of the control rods and held in place with lock nuts
119.
Referring to FIG. 20, the control unit 60 is somewhat different
than that of the prior embodiment in that an elongated slide plate
70 is mounted for sliding vertical movement in guideways 47 defined
in the chassis or base 116. The chassis is formed with a large
rectangular slot or opening 117 in the base wall portion 116b for
receiving the lock bolt 58 on the active door 34. The control unit
60 of FIG. 20 does not include a main bias spring 90 or a detent
spring 92 as in the prior embodiment and instead utilizes
frictional forces exerted between the eccentric pin 88 on the rotor
disc 84 and the adjacent horizontal wall surfaces of the short slot
77 in the slide plate for maintaining the control unit 60 in either
a locked position as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 or an unlocked lower
position as shown in FIG. 15. The control unit and flush bolt
mechanisms provide an automatic bistable system without requiring
bias springs as in the prior embodiment.
The upper flush bolt mechanism 62 and the interconnecting control
rod 66 and bracket 120 is slightly heavier than the lower flush
bolt mechanism 64 and the interconnecting control rod 68 and
bracket 120 so that a slight downward bias toward the unlocked
position is applied to the control unit 60 and this bias normally
tends to move the slide plate 70 downwardly from the locked
position of FIGS. 13 and 14 into the unlocked position of FIG. 15.
The downward bias force is overcome, however, when the system is
locked by the frictional or metal to metal force exerted between
the rotor pin 88 and the horizontal surfaces of the short
horizontal slot 79 in the slide plate 70. When the system is
locked, an angle ".alpha." between the horizontal slot 79 and a
line extending between the eccentric pin 88 and the central rotor
support pin 78 is great enough so that metal to metal forces
between the pin and slot surfaces is sufficient to retain the upper
and lower flush bolt mechanisms 62 and 64 in the locked condition
even though the door may be subjected to considerable amounts of
vibration. This holding force may be overcome however, by an
opening force applied against the door 32 as indicated by the arrow
"A" in FIG. 13, which force tends to rotate or cam the respective
upper and lower bolts 94 and 108 to an unlocked position because of
the forceful contact between the surfaces 94a and 108a and the
edges of the slots 34 and 41 in the header 38 and threshold 40.
This force is sufficient to overcome the metal to metal frictional
holding force between eccentric pin 88 and the surfaces of the
short horizontal slot 79 in the slide plate 70. When an opening
force is thus exerted against the door (arrow "A"), the rotor 84
begins to rotate in a counterclockwise direction and the angle
".alpha." (FIG. 13) begins to decrease. As the angle decreases, the
downward bias acts with a greater moment arm on the rotor 84 and
this increasing torque is enough to unlock the lower flush bolt
mechanism 64 and retract the lower control rod 68 upwardly until
the lower bolt 108 is pivoted completely into the unlocked
position.
As this retraction occurs, a cross-pin portion 86 at the upper end
of the lower control rod 68 which is connected to the rotor 84
moves upwardly from a lower stop position adjacent the lower end of
an edge slot 121 in the slide 70 to an upper stop position adjacent
an upper end of the slot as shown in FIG. 15. In the latter stop
position, the pivotable bolts 94 and 108 are both retracted into
the stile 44 and remain in the unlocked condition until the door is
again locked up. The control mechanism 60 and the associated,
interconnected upper and lower flush bolt mechanisms 62 and 64
forms a bistable system wherein the upper and lower flush bolts 94
and 108 are either in a locked condition with the slide plate 70 in
an upper position or in an unlocked condition with the slide plate
in a lower position as illustrated.
Referring to FIGS. 17-19, a modified upper flush bolt mechanism 62
uses a single, wire-formed retainer element 122 for maintaining the
upper bolt 94 in an unlocked position whenever the door 32 is open
and away from the header stop 38a as shown in FIG. 19. The element
122 is formed of spring wire and includes a horizontal upper, stop
finger 124 having an outer end adapted to contact the stop surface
38a of the header 38 when the door is closed as shown. At the lower
end, a coil of the retainer 122 is supported on a mounting pin 126
carried in the chassis 116 of the upper flush bolt mechanism 62.
The retainer includes an upstanding stop finger 128 having a short
horizontal stop 128a at the upper end for positively restraining
further upward travel of an upper end of the bracket 120 on the
upper control rod 66, thereby to prevent pivotal movement of the
bolt lock 94 from an unlocked position of FIG. 19 back into the
locked position of FIG. 18 unless and until the door is closed with
the top finger 124 again engaging the header stop 38a.
The single element retainer 122 functions similar to the retainer
102, stop pin 104 and bias spring 106 of the prior embodiment. As
in the prior embodiment, whenever the door is open, the retainer
element 122 functions to retain the upper and lower pivotable bolts
94 and 108 in the unlocked condition so that the bolts do not
interfere with subsequent swinging movement or closing of the door.
The modified form of safety flush bolt entrance door system 130
shown in FIGS. 13-20 of the drawings is somewhat simplified in
mechanical terms with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11 but,
essentially functions in a similar manner and provides the new and
unique results as described.
Although the present invention has been described with several
illustrated embodiments thereof, it should be understood that
numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by
those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope
of the principles of this invention.
* * * * *