US2728101A - Suspended sliding door - Google Patents

Description

7, 1955 T. c. COWDROY SUSPENDED SLIDING DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1955 INVE/VTO/Q 7/7012, CL/VE Con 0&0)

x9 TfoE/VEY Dec. 27, 1955 c, CQWDROY 2,728,101

SUSPENDED SLIDING DOOR Filed Aug. 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 77! 0 22 Q /9 5-15 :12 2/ Q [a /4 16 i 20 22 g I/VI ENTO/Q 2,728,101 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 2,728,101 SUSPENDED SLIDING DOOR Thorp Clive Cowdroy, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Application August 14, 1953, Serial No. 374,326 1 Claim. (CI. 16-88) This invention relates to a suspended sliding door mounted upon an overhead rail by means of an improved hanger.

Suspended slidable doors are known and they are usually required to have heavy cumbersome roller equipment whereby they may be operated and furthermore they usually require considerable manual power to move them from one position of operation to another.

An object of the present invention is to provide a suspended sliding door w ch is free from the above disadvantages and which is relatively light and easily operated.

The present invention includes ball bearings disposed in a ball track portion of a hanger carried by the door which together with the door is suspended upon an elongated rail secured to the door frame adjacent to the door opening and which is received within the hanger.

According to the present invention the hanger is adapted to be secured to the upper portion of the sliding door adjacent to the top edge thereof the said hanger extends upwardly and terminates in what may be termed a hooklike ball track portion which is substantially cylindrical in elongation.

The hanger has a long limb and a short limb the said long limb is integral with the base or main portion of the hanger which is attached to the upper portion of the door.

The short limb of the hanger is such that in addition to playing its part in forming the ball track proper it is designed to enable it to be lifted over the said elongated rail which is provided to slidably support the door.

Within the ball track portion of the hanger a plurality of ball bearings are located the number of ball bearings being such that they together occupy a space equal to one-half of the total length of the said hanger in order to ensure free movement of the door upon the rail.

The elongated rail is required to be ofiset with respect to its support, the degree of oifset being such that the said elongated rail is received in a bifurcated portion of the hanger formed between the said long leg and short leg thereof when the door is in its suspended position and with the said ball bearings disposed in the ball track and resting upon an arcuate upper surface of the rail.

The lower portion of the door is provided with a guide member to maintain the door in alignment.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the improved sliding door in position adjacent to a door opening.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of the door showing the upper and lower metal fittings.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view corresponding to Figure 2, and also she ing a cover strip.

The door 10 which is adapted to slide across the door opening 11 for the purpose of closing the latter, has sescrews 13 passed through a base flange 14 of the said ball track fitting 12, a cover strip 9 is provided to screen the fitting 12 from view.

The said hanger 12 extends upwardly from the said base flange 14 and terminates in a substantially cylindrisaid hanger 12 to be lifted over an elongated supporting rail 18 provided to slidably support the door 10.

To ensure maximum freedom of movement of the door the said ball track portion 15 receives a plurality of half of the total length of the said ball track fitting 12.

The elongated supporting rail 18 is secured to the door head 20 adjacent to the opening 11 by means such as screws 21, and the said rail 18 is ofiset with respect to its support the degree of offset being such that the said rail 18 may be disposed between the said long limb 16 and short limb 17 of the hanger 12 when the door 10 is suspended for operation.

The said elongated rail 18 has an upper arcuate surface 22 upon which the said ball bearings 19 are adapted to roll.

To ensure correct alignment and guide the lower portion of the door 10 the latter has a channel 23 to receive a guide member 24 adapted to be secured to the floor 25 adjacent to the door 10 and the said guide member 24 may be recessed in a groove 26 in the floor 25 or it may be secured directly to the floor as seen in Figure 3.

In use the door slides freely and is such that it may be placed in position upon the rail 18 and may be just as easily removed therefrom Without the need for removing any of the fittings or attachments thereof.

I claim:

In an elongated door hanger and supporting rail and door of the character described, a hanger of unitary construction extending the full width of the said door, having a base flange by which the said hanger is attached to the door, a long limb extending vertically upward from the said base, said long limb terminating in a substantially cylindrical ball bearing track, a plurality of ball bear- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 223,941 Monteer Jan. 27, 1880 565,915 McIntyre Aug. 18, 1896 1,731,801 Tracy Oct. 15, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 527,926 Germany June 23, 1931

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