U.S. patent number 3,802,480 [Application Number 05/243,273] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-09 for system for movable panels.
This patent grant is currently assigned to American Standard Inc.. Invention is credited to Earl N. Daggy.
United States Patent |
3,802,480 |
Daggy |
April 9, 1974 |
SYSTEM FOR MOVABLE PANELS
Abstract
An automatic peripheral edge sealing arrangement for a foldable
or movable system of rigid panels includes operable ceiling and
floor seals which are brought into operation by the manipulation of
a single lever on an expandable panel. An improved expandable panel
employs linear motion mechanisms which both move and support one
telescopic panel section with respect to the other section. The
panels have improved floor seals which use constant tension springs
so that the floor seal engaging effort does not change with
variations in panel-to-floor clearance. In one embodiment, a panel
floor seal mechanism is movable overcenter so that the panel is
seal-holding in position when the floor seal is engaged.
Inventors: |
Daggy; Earl N. (Richmond,
IN) |
Assignee: |
American Standard Inc. (New
York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
22918063 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/243,273 |
Filed: |
April 12, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/40 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B
7/18 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E06B
7/18 (20060101); E06b 007/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;160/40,199,201,206
;49/127,316-321 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Caun; Peter M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Biebel, French & Bugg
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a room space divider having a plurality of individual
essentially rigid panels movable on a track system extending
between room walls from a stacked position to an extended generally
coplanar position between said walls, the improvement in automatic
sealing arrangement comprising means on each of said panels
defining vertical edge seals which are mutually engageable with an
adjacent said edge seal of an adjacent panel in said coplanar
position, means in one of said panels defining a
vertically-extending portion, means mounting said portion on said
one panel for transverse telescopic movement with respect to the
remainder of said one panel to exert a transverse force to said
panels in said coplaner position thereof to assure edge-to-edge
sealing engagement accompanied by limited transverse movement of
said panels, each of the other of said panels having an operable
floor seal mechanism, each said mechanism including a
vertically-movable floor seal movable between a normally raised
position clear of the room floor and a lowered floor-engaging
position, each said mechanism further including a
transversely-movable floor seal operator having opposite ends
engageable with an adjacent said opposite end of a corresponding
said operator in an adjacent said panel, means connecting each said
operator to its associated said floor seal to effect lowering
movement of said floor seal with transverse movement of said
operator, stop means on one of said walls engageable with the
operator in the adjacent said panel when said panels are in said
coplanar position, said operators being movable in unison with
respect to said panels upon said force-applying movement of said
one panel portion to effect engagement of said floor seals with the
floor concurrently with said edge-to-edge sealing.
2. The divider of claim 1 further comprising an operable top seal
mechanism in each of said other panels, each said mechanism
including a top seal movable between a normally lowered position
providing for ease of movement of said panels and a raised sealing
position, said top seal mechanism further including a transversely
movable top seal operator having opposite ends engageable with an
adjacent opposite end of a corresponding top seal operator in an
adjacent panel, said top seal operators being connected to the
associated said top seals to effect raising and lowering movements
thereof with transverse movements of said top seal operators, top
seal abutment means engageable with the top seal operator of one of
said panels in said panel coplanar position, said top seal
operators being movable in unison relative to said panels and
substantially simultaneously with said bottom seal operators upon
said extension movement of said one panel portion to effect
automatic top seal engagement concurrently with floor seal
engagement.
3. The divider of claim 1 in which said floor seal comprises an
inner relatively hard elastomeric portion for gripping said floor
with a minimum of deflection and an outer relatively softer
elastomeric portion for deflecting when engaging said floor.
4. The divider of claim 1 in which said means mounting said panel
portion on said one panel for transverse movement comprises a
transverse shaft in said one panel, handle means for rotating said
shaft, lever means on said shaft, means in said one panel defining
a pair of vertically-oriented track means, a corresponding pair of
slides one each received in one of said track means, means
connecting said shaft lever means to said slides to effect opposite
vertical movement of said slides in said track means with rotation
of said handle means, a pair of linear motion Scott-Russell
linkages each having its longer lever pivoted between one of said
slides and said panel portion and each having its shorter lever
pivoted between the center of the associated said longer lever and
a fixed point on said one panel providing for said telescopic
movement of said panel portion with respect to said one panel with
said vertical slide movement.
5. The space divider of claim 1 further comprising constant tension
spring means normally urging said floor seal operators into said
raised positions.
6. In a room space divider in which a plurality of individual
essentially rigid panels are movable on a track system into a
generally coplanar position between room walls, the improvement in
automatic floor and ceiling seal arrangements comprising an
operable floor seal mechanism in each said panel, each said
mechanism including a vertically-movable floor seal movable between
a normally raised position clear of the room floor and a lowered
floor-engaging position, each said floor seal mechanism further
including a transversely-movable floor seal operator having
opposite ends engageable with an adjacent said opposite end of a
corresponding said floor seal operator in an adjacent said panel,
means connecting each said floor seal operator to its associated
said floor seal to effect lowering movement of said floor seal with
transverse movement of said operator, means on one of the room
walls engageable with the floor seal operator in the adjacent said
panel when said panels are in said coplanar position, said floor
seal operators being movable in unison with respect to said panels
upon transverse movement of said panels to effect engagement of
said floor seals with the floor, an operable top seal mechanism in
each of said panels including a top seal movable between a normally
lowered position providing for ease of movement of said panels and
a raised sealing position, said top seal mechanism further
including a transversely movable top seal support having opposite
ends engageable with an adjacent opposite end of a corresponding
top seal support in an adjacent panel, said top seal supports being
connected to the associated said top seals to effect raising and
lowering movements thereof with transverse movements of said top
seal supports, said top seal supports being movable in unison
relative to said panels and substantially simultaneously with the
movement of said bottom seal operators to effect top seal
engagement concurrently with floor seal engagement.
7. In a room space divider having a series of individual rigid
panels, the improvement in operable floor seal mechanisms for said
panels comprising a floor seal support associated with each said
panel extending substantially the width of the associated said
panel, seal means on each said support adapted to engage the floor
and form a seal therewith, pivot means mounting each said support
for movement between a retracted position in which the seal is
clear of the floor and a lowered position in which the seal is
engagement with the floor, and a tape-type constant tension spring
connected between each said panel and its associated said support,
said springs resisting movement of said supports into said lowered
positions providing a substantial uniformity of floor seal
operating effort over variations in the clearance space of said
supports from the floor.
8. The improvement of claim 7 in which each of said floor seals
comprises an inner relatively hard elastomeric portion for gripping
the floor with a minimum of deflection and an outer relatively
softer elastomeric portion for deflecting when engaging the floor.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to folding partitions in which two or more
essentially rigid panels are supported either from a floor track or
from a ceiling, and are arranged to move from a stacked position to
a generally coplanar position across an opening for the purpose of
forming a temporary closure wall for each opening. The invention
relates to the general type of partitions shown in the U.S. patents
of Good et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,506 of 1968, and White, U.S.
Pat. No. 3,374,821 of 1968.
The accoustical and mechanical efficiency of movable panel systems
depend in part on how readily an effective peripheral seal can be
made between the panels, a celing, the floor and the opposite jamb
posts or walls, after the panels are extended into their coplanar
position across a room opening. Thus, one factor in determining the
performance of a panel system relates to the accoustical
effectiveness of the seal while another relates to the ease of
operating the panel system.
Concerning the problem of forming a compression seal between the
adjacent panels, and between the panels and the walls, movable jamb
members have been used with considerable success. One form of a
movable or expandable jamb is shown in Good et al, U.S. Pat. No.
3,381,738 of 1968, while another form of movable jamb member, in
which the jamb is formed as part of one of the panels, is shown in
Canadian patent of Elhen, No. 889,687 issued Jan. 4, 1972. In each
of these disclosures, the movable or expandable jamb or panel is
employed exclusively for the purpose of forming an edge-to-edge
seal between adjacent panels and between the panel system and the
adjacent walls, and the floor seals are either operated by another
mechanism or are of the fixed sweep type.
Concerning the problem of forming a seal between the panels and the
floor, sweep seals are frequently used as shown in the Good et al
patents. They are satisfactory where the floor is at a relatively
constant distance from the panel bottom. This condition can best be
met in new installations. The fixed or sweep type floor seal is
least effective where there are substantial variations in the
distance between the panel bottoms and the floor itself. A
disadvantage of all sweep seals resides in the fact that they
introduce friction to the movement of the panels, and when a large
number of panels are connected in series, the total friction can be
substantial.
Movable or operable floor seals have also been employed. One such
movable floor seal is shown in White and has been proved to be
highly satisfactory. This seal requires the employment of a
separate seal operator. Floor seals which operate by movement of
one panel against the next adjacent panel are shown in the U.S.
patents of Wetzel, U.S. Pat. No. 2,870,495 of 1959 and Simbulan,
U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,981 of 1963. In each of these, the effort
required to cause the seal to engage the floor is not uniform but
increases with increasing distances between the panel bottom and
the floor surface. Such arrangements can require substantial total
or cumulative forces to bring all of the associated floor seals
into firm engagement with the floor.
The seal between the top of the panel and the track structure or
the ceiling is commonly of the sweep variety, particularly with
overhead suspended panels, since the distance between the top of
the panel and the track structure or soffit panel should remain
constant. However, even these sweep seals add considerable friction
to the movement of a large number of serially connected panels and,
in the folded position, provide an undesired irregular appearance
due to the fact that some portion of the seal is contacting the
soffit panels on either side of the track while the remaining
portion of the seal is standing free or clear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved panel system
employing a plurality of individual, essentially rigid panels and
to improvements in the panel sealing arrangements.
The invention includes, in part, a system of panels in which an
expandable panel not only forms the seal between the panels and the
adjacent walls, but also operates automatically to form a seal
between the bottom of the panels and the floor and, preferably,
between the top of the panels and the ceiling. With the system of
this invention, it is only necessary to move one operating lever
after the panels are in coplanar position to complete a peripheral
seal.
The invention further includes an improved arrangement of an
expanding panel including the employment of a linkage mechanism
which eliminates the need for providing separate guided support for
the movable portion of the panel. In addition, an improved
automatic floor seal is disclosed in which the force required to
operate the seal remains constant regardless of variations in
distance between the seal and the floor. Also, the invention
includes an automatic ceiling or top seals which are operated by
relative movement of the panels, preferably by movement of the
expandable panel, to bring the top seals into engagement with the
ceiling or the track soffit. The automatic top seal substantially
reduces the friction and resistance to movement of a series of
panels.
It is accordingly an important object of this invention to provide
a fully operable room divider in which all of the movable seals and
vertical compressible seals between the panels are brought into
engagement by the use of a single operator.
Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved
expandable panel.
A further object of the invention is the provision of the improved
operable floor seals and ceiling seals.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from the following description, the
accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a room divider assembly according to the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary section through the top
or ceiling seal mechanism taken generally along the line 2--2 of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a transverse section through the upper portion of one of
the panels showing the details of the top seal taken generally
along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse section through the expandable
panel taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the panel
operating mechanism in a retracted position, taken generally along
the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a section similar to FIG. 5 but showing the parts in an
extended position;
FIG. 7 is a partially broken away transverse section through one
embodiment of an automatic floor seal of this invention taken along
the line 7--7 of FIG. 9, and showing the floor seal in the
retracted position;
FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the floor seal in
the lowered position;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged transverse section of one of the floor seal
operating mechanisms taken along the line 9--9 of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a section similar to FIG. 9, but showing the floor seal
in the lowered position, taken along the line 10--10 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a somewhat modified form of a space
divider assembly;
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary section of one of the panels showing a
modified form of floor seal used with the panels of FIG. 11, the
floor seal being shown in the raised position; and
FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12 showing the floor seal in the
operated position.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A room divider according to one embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in elevational view in FIG. 1 as comprising a plurality
of serially connected, essentially rigid individual panels 10,
joined by hinges 11. While the panels 10 are shown as being
serially hinged, they may also be hinged in pairs as shown, for
example, in FIG. 11. The room divider assembly of FIG. 1 further
includes one expandable panel 12 shown in further detail in FIGS.
4-6. The panels 10 and 12 are shown in FIG. 1 as being supported
from pendant bolts on individual trolleys 13 received within a
conventional overhead track 13A, the track and panel assembly
extending between vertical jamb members 14 on the opposite walls of
the room. The panels 10 are preferably constructed according to the
teachings of the U.S. patent application of Daggy filed
concurrently herewith, Ser. No. 243,272, filed Apr. 12, 1972. The
system or assembly of panels as shown in FIG. 1 is provided with an
automatic sealing arrangement, including a combination of vertical
edge seals between adjacent panels, between the end panels and the
jambs 14, and operable floor seals and top seals, all of which are
brought into operation by the manipulation of a single lever 15 on
the expanding panel 12. In other words, all that is necessary to
complete the closure of the panel system of FIG. 1 is the operation
of the lever 15, after the panels have been brought into the
coplanar position as shown, to effect engagement of the top and
floor seals as well as the vertical seals.
Referring to the operating details of the expandable panel shown in
FIGS. 4-6, the panel 12 includes an outer vertically-extending
panel portion 20 and an inner vertically-extending portion 22. The
inner portion 22 is mounted for transverse telescopic movement
within an open end of the outer portion 20.
The outer panel portion 20 is formed with a pair of sheet metal
face skins 24 and 25 which may have outer surfaces finished the
same as the outer surfaces of the remaining panels 10. A vertical
opening within which the inner portion 22 is received is formed by
the rolled edges 26 of the skins 24 and 25. The opposite vertical
edge of the outer portion 20 is closed by a vertical channel 28,
similar channels being employed at the top and at the bottom of the
panel portion 20 in the manner disclosed and claimed in the said
concurrently-filed Daggy application. Fixed floor and ceiling sweep
seals may be employed across the top and the bottom of the
expanding panel 12 and these may be constructed and supported in
the manner disclosed in the said Daggy application.
The skins 24 and 25 are rolled over the vertical frame edges as
illustrated at 29. These vertical edges support a generally
Z-shaped vertical metal edge seal 30. The edge seals 30 carry
tube-like compression seals 31, as more fully described and as
claimed in the said Daggy application.
The inner panel portion 22 is formed with a generally
channel-shaped vertically-extending frame 35 which has an outer
covering 36 of a suitable elastomeric and sound-deadening material.
An additional insert 37 of elastomeric material is formed at the
nose of the panel 22 to provide a compressive seal for direct
engagement with the adjacent wall or a jamb member on such
wall.
The inner portion 22 is exclusively supported on an operator
mechanism illustrated generally at 40 in FIGS. 5 and 6. The
operator mechanism 40 includes an internal vertical channel 42
formed in the outer panel section 20. The channel section 42
extends partially the height of the panel portion 20 and is
retained by screws 44 on internal stiffening angle frames 44, as
shown in FIG. 4. The handle 15 is mounted on a transverse shaft 45
which is supported for rotation on the side walls of the channel
section 42. Plate-like lever means comprises a pair of identical
lever plates 46 mounted for rotation on the shaft 45. The side
walls of the channel section 42 are slotted at 47 to receive a pair
of adjustable push rod slides 48 for limited vertical movement.
Means connecting the lever plates 46 to the push rod slides 48
includes a pair of identical connecting links 50 which have their
inner ends pivoted on pins 52 between the plates 46 and which have
their outer ends pivoted respectively on one of the slides 48, so
that rotation of the shaft 45 results in either outward or inward
movement of the slides.
The opposite end of the slide rods 48 are each connected to the
longer lever 55 of one of a pair of linear motion "Scott-Russell"
linkages. The Scott-Russell straight line linkage is described in
Volume 1 of Jones, "Engenious Mechanisms for Designers and
Inventors", The Industrial Press, New York, 1935. It has also been
described as an "Evans'" linkage by Rappaport, Product Engineering,
p. 86, Oct. 12, 1959. The linear motion linkage includes a long
lever 55 and a short lever 56. The short lever 56 is one-half the
effective length of the long lever 55 and is pivoted at 58 at the
mid point of the lever 55. The other end of the short lever 56 is
pivoted at 59 in direct line with the direction of movement of the
slides, as defined by the track slots 47.
The inner portion 22 of the expandable panel is mounted on the link
55 for linear transverse expanding and collapsing movement is
response to the rotation of the shaft 45. The inner panel mounting
means includes a pair of mounting plates 60 on which are mounted
threaded adjusting rods 62. The rods 62 carry nuts 63, which are
pivotally connected to the remote end of one of the links 55 by a
pin 64. The nose or face 37 of the panel portion 22 is formed with
apertures 65 through which access may be had to the head of the
associated rod 62, to effect adjustment of the position of the
inner panel portion 22 with respect to the outer portion 20, to
regulate the overall expansion of the panel 12 and to compensate
for any misalignment of the panel with the adjacent jamb or wall.
The operator mechanism is such that the inner panel portion 22 is
exclusively supported by means of the Scott-Russel linkages to the
outer portion, thus eliminating the need for the usual guides and
slides between the relative moving panel portions.
As outlined above, one of the features of the present invention is
the provision of an automatic top seal which is brought into
operation by the lever 15. The details of the top seal are shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3 as including an extruded top seal operator and
support 70 which extends substantially the width of each of the
panels 10. The support 70 is formed with recesses which support a
pair of extruded vinyl sweep seals 72. The seals have individual
fingers 73 adapted to engage the lower surface 74 of the ceiling or
track soffit board 75. The seal support 70 has a lower portion
received within a plastic channel-shaped extrusion member 76, and
is formed with inwardly-extended flanges 77 which carry tubular
seals 78 thereon. The seals 78 bear against the adjacent side walls
of the member 76 to form a soundproof seal therebetween. The ends
79 of the member 76 are enlarged to provide a trim-like closure
between the edges of the support 70 and the sides of the associated
panel.
As previously stated, the top seal is mounted for limited vertical
raising and lowering movement with respect to the surface 74. For
this purpose, the seal support 70 is pivotally mounted at a pair of
spaced-apart locations on the door frame. The upper frame member of
the door preferably consists of a framing channel 80 as fully
described in the said copending application of Daggy. The channel
80 provides means for supporting a pair of seal operator mechanisms
illustrated generally at 82 in FIG. 3. The mechanisms 82 include a
lower support channel 83 and a short link 84 pivoted on the channel
83. The support channels 83 are suitably received within cut-out
portions formed in the base of the extrusions 76 and are directly
mounted to the upper surface of the channel 80 as by attachment
screws 85 (FIG. 2).
For each of the mechanisms 80, there is an inverted bracket 88
mounted on the under surface of the support 70, and providing a
pivotal attachment for the link 84. A tension spring 89 extends
between the bracket 88 and the channel 83 and tends to draw the
seal support 70 into its lowered position shown in FIG. 2. The
length of the support 70 is proportioned so that it will come into
end-to-end abutment or engagement with the adjacent support on an
adjacent panel, and for this purpose, the support 70 is preferably
provided with angle brackets 90 at its opposite ends supporting
adjustable bolts 92 providing a means by which the effective
operating length of the support 70 may be regulated. Thus, the top
seal support 70 is in fact a seal operator and it abuts with its
associated top seals operators, and with the mechanisms 82 effects
raising and lowering movement of the seals with transverse
movements of the operators. It will be seen in relation to FIG. 2
that it is only necessary to provide the minimum of clearance for
the top seals 72 to provide ease of opening and closing movement of
the individual panels. Accordingly, only a small transverse
movement of the operator support 70 is required to bring the top
seals up to engagement with the surface 74, and this is
accomplished by the expanding movement of the panel 12 and the
corresponding lateral shifting of each of the associated panels 10
with respect to the seal operators 70.
The automatic floor seal mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 7-9. It
can be seen by reference to FIG. 9 that the panel is formed with a
bottom frame channel 100 as disclosed in the said copending Daggy
application, which supports the panel skin 102. Accordingly, the
bottom channel 100 provides an open recess in which the floor seal
mechanism is received.
The floor seal mechanism includes a transversely movable floor seal
operator 105. Operator 105 has opposite ends which are engageable
with an adjacent opposite end of a corresponding operator in an
adjacent panel. However, in the case of the panel 10 which is
adjacent the lamb 14, this operator comes into engagement with an
abutment plate 106 forming the lower part of the jamb 14. Means on
the operators 105 for mutual engagement comprise molded male and
female nose pieces which are illustrated best in the left-hand
portions of FIGS. 8 and 9. Thus, the operator 105 is shown as
having a molded plastic male noise piece 107 which cooperatively
mates with a female nose piece 108 on the adjacent operator 105A in
the adjacent panel. However, on the right-hand end of the operator
105 which engages the abutment plate 106, the operator 105 is
modified to the extent that it supports a roller or ball 108 so
that there is a minimum of friction as the seal operator 105 moves
between its normally raised position as shown in FIG. 9 and its
lowered floor-engaging position as shown in FIG. 10.
The floor seal mechanism of the present invention also includes an
improved floor seal as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. The floor
seal 110 is formed with an outer relatively soft elastomeric
portion 112 which deflects when engaging the floor 113
substantially as shown in FIG. 10. The floor seal further includes
an inner relatively hard elastomeric portion 114 for gripping the
floor with a minimum of deflection, again as shown in FIG. 10. The
outer seal portion 112 comprises a pair of oppositely-directed
wings which extend transversely outwardly and downwardly with
respect to the inner portion 114 and may be bonded integrally
thereto. For an example, the outer portion may have a durometer
rating of 60 on the Shore A scale, while the inner portion may have
a durometer rating of 90 on the A scale. The inner portion 114 is
formed with a pair of outwardly-directed generally wedge-shaped
points 115 assist in gripping the floor 113 and provides lateral
stability to the panel when the floor seal is in the lowered
position as shown in FIG. 10.
Constant tension floor seal operator mechanisms provide for the
movement of the floor seal from its normally raised position as
shown in FIG. 9 into the lowered floor-engaging position as shown
in FIG. 10, and includes a pivot link mechanisms illustrated
generally at 120 in FIGS. 7 and 8. Each of the mechanisms 120
includes a downwardly-opening support channel 122 received within a
cut-out opening formed in the top 123 of the frame channel 100, and
is retained on the channel 100 at outwardly-flared flanges 124 by
screws 125. The operator 105 itself is an upwardly-opening channel
member received within the frame channel 100. The spaces between
the side walls of the operator 105 and the frame channel 100 are
closed by horizontally-extending sweep seals 126 which are retained
on the inwardly-turned channel ends 127 by screws 128. The screws
also retain an intermediate stiffening member 130 which extends
between the inwardly-turned ends 127 and the inside upper surface
123 of the frame 100 where this member is also attached by the
screws 125.
Operator and seal support 105 is attached to the support channel
122 by means of a tubular link 132. The lower end of the link 132
attaches to a short channel section 134 mounted on the upper
surface of the member 105, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 by a cross-pin
135. The sides of the tubular link are formed with an elongated
slot 136, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 8. The upper end of
the link 132 is pivotally attached to the channel 122 by another
cross-pin 138 extending through the link 132 and received within
the slots 136. A compression spring 139 between the cross-pins 135
and 138.
Constant tension floor seal return spring means comprises a
tape-type constant tension return spring 140 coiled about a pin 142
on the channel 122 with its lower end connected at 145 to the lower
end of the link 132. The spring 140 provides a constant return
force irregardless of the extent to which the tape has been
extended from the coil. The upper or retracted position of the link
132 is defined by a tab 145 formed on the side of the channel 122
which engages the upper surface of the link 132, as shown in FIG.
7.
It is believed that the operation of the automatic floor seal
mechanism as shown in FIGS. 7-10 is largely self-evident from the
foregoing description. The panels are brought into the generally
coplanar position as shown in FIG. 7 and are moved toward the fixed
jamb 14 in the direction of the arrow 148 (FIG. 7). Thereafter the
handle 15 on the extendable panel is rotated to urge all of the
panels laterally in edge-to-edge compression resulting in the
engagement of the operator 105, specifically the ball 108 with the
abutment plate 106, causing a corresponding downward movement of
the floor seal into engagement with the floor 113 as shown in FIG.
8. This movement is transferred simultaneously by means of the male
and female members 107 and 108 to each of the subsequent floor seal
operator mechanisms in each panel 10. The slot 136 in cooperation
with the pin 138 and the spring 139 provide for compression of the
spring 139 with variations in the height or distance between the
floor 113 and the floor seals themselves. The downward movement of
each of the automatic floor seal mechanisms of each of the panels
is accompanied by a paying out of the spring 140 from the coil 142.
This is accomplished with uniform tension throughout so that
regardless whether a large or small amount of movement is required
until floor contact is achieved, substantially the same force is
required to bring all the floor seals into operative engagement
with the floor.
When the floor seals come into engagement with the floor, the
relatively soft floor seal members 112 engage the floor first and
flare out somewhat as shown in FIG. 10. Thereafter, the relatively
harder seal portions 110 engages the floor, specifically the
inclined wedge-shaped ramps 115, thereby forming a gripping action
with the floor.
FIG. 11 illustrates a somewhat modified form of the floor seal
which has been described in connection with FIGS. 8-10 for use with
a closure system comprising individual panels or pairs of connected
panels movable from a stored position, such as by hand, a coplanar
position. Thus, for example, panel pairs 10A may be hinged by
hinges 150, and panels 10B also form a pair joined by hinges 150.
Panel 10C is a passdoor which is hinged to the jamb 14A by means of
hinges 150. In the present embodiment, the floor seal mechanism 160
is movable over-center to provide a self-holding action for the
panels. A slightly elongated floor seal operator 105A is employed,
which is elongated at 155 at the forward end of the panels, in
order to provide the additional transverse movement required to
throw the link 132 over-center into the position shown in FIG. 13.
In this position, the link 132 has moved beyond the perpendicular
into a position in which it is canted rearwardly in the direction
of movement of the operator 105A. In this position, the panel 10A
or 10B is self-holding with respect to the floor and will stay in
position. The over-center movement results in compression of the
adjacent edge seal of the panel with the jamb. The first leading
panel of the next pairs of panels 10B are then brought into
position against the self-holding panels 10A and the extended nose
piece 155 again contacts the operator and causes these floor seals
to move over-center substantially as shown in FIG. 13. Thus both
floor and edge-to-edge sealing are achieved simultaneously. The
employment of the constant tension spring 140 again permits floor
seal engagement with minimum effort regardless of variations in
distances between the floor and the floor seal.
While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred
embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and
that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope
of the invention.
* * * * *