Diamond Roller

Abstract

An improved roller for supporting an overhead sliding door to a track, the roller comprising a diamond configurated roller element movable along a transversely configurated diamond track, the roller being mounted on a roller bearing at one end of a shaft fitted into a bracket plate and urged into longitudinal or axial adjustment by means of a back up compression spring.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In summary, the present invention comprises a means for supporting a slideable door for a semitrailer in such a manner so that movement of the door will not bind or possibly fall from a supporting track while the loaded truck is swinging and swaying, this being accomplished by a pair of cross-sectionally diamond-shaped tracks secured to the vehicle body, a plurality of rollers travelling within the diamond shaped tracks, the rollers being mounted upon shafts supported rotatably free within bracket plates mounted upon the semitrailer door, and the roller shaft being axially slideable so as to compensate for the swing and sway.

This invention relates generally to overhead sliding doors. More specifically it relates to roller means for overhead sliding doors.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a diamond configurated roller which will allow an overhead sliding door to roll up and down with less effort than is possible with a conventional roller structure such as is presently used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a diamond configurated roller which is designed particularly for semitrailer doors and which will compensate for the swing and sway of a loaded truck without falling apart such as occurs with conventional-type equipment.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a diamond roller wherein a floating spring loaded wheel cannot stick or bind.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a diamond roller which cannot jump out of its track and leave the door fall upon the floor.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a diamond roller which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the present invention and showing the diamond roller in cross section;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation view of a semitrailer showing the present invention supporting a sliding door within a doorway; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents a diamond roller assembly according to the present invention wherein there is a diamond configurated roller member 11 which is mounted rotatably free upon a roller bearing 12, the roller bearing 12 being mounted frictionally free at one end of a shaft 13.

The shaft 13 is fitted into a slot 14 formed upon a bracket plate 15 having a plurality of openings 16 therethrough for receiving mounting bolts, not shown. The mounting bolts are secured to a sliding overhead door of a semitrailer or other equivalent equipment.

A compression coil spring 17 is fitted into the slot 14 adjacent the end of the shaft 13, a compression coil spring 17 being backed by a spring retaining screw cap 18 that is threadingly engaged in the end of the slot 14. The spring-retaining screwcap has a transverse opening 19 therethrough which is aligned with an opening 20 through opposite sides of the cylindrical wall 21 enclosing the slot 14 so as to receive a cotter pin 22 therethrough which thus positively secures the screwcap from falling out.

A track 23 is mounted along each side of the door opening of the semitrailer, the track 23 being of diamond cross-sectional configuration, as is evident in the drawing. The track 23 has a longitudinally extending slot 24 along the length thereof through which the shaft 13 extends. The diamond configurated groove 25 extending along the length of the track 23 so as to receive therein the diamond shaped roller 11.

In operative use, the structure as shown in FIG. 1 is mounted upon opposite sides 26 of the sliding overhead door 27 while the track 23 is mounted along the doorway 28 of the semitrailer. Thus the door 27 may be made to slide up and down while the diamond shaped roller travels within the track 23. It will be evident that any lateral deviation in the mounting of the structure will be accommodated by the axial movement of the shaft 13 against the spring 17. The particular configurated roller respective to the track configuration will prevent the roller from falling outward therefrom.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a sliding overhead door for a semitrailer or the like, the combination of a door slideable upwardly and downwardly within a doorway of said semitrailer, said door having opposite side edges, each of said edges having a plurality of bracket plates mounted rigidly thereto, said doorway having side edges along which a track is mounted, said track extending upwardly adjacent the underside of a ceiling, and roller means mounted in said track and said bracket plate, said roller means comprising a diamond configurated roller mounted upon a roller bearing, said roller bearing being carried relatively friction free on one end of a shaft, said shaft being supported by said bracket plate, said bracket plate comprising a generally flat plate having a plurality of openings therethrough for receiving mounting bolts, said bracket plate including a cylindrically configurated wall enclosing a cylindrical slot open at opposite ends, one said end receiving said shaft, a compression coil spring within said slot positioned adjacent said end of said shaft, the opposite end of said compression coil spring bearing against a spring retaining screwcap fitted in an opposite end of said slot, said cap being threadingly engaged to said cylinder and secured thereto by cotter pin means.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said track comprises a member of cross-sectional diamond configuration to conform to the diamond configurated rollers, said track having a slot along one side thereof through which said shaft extends as said roller moves along a groove within said track.