Rolling door operating mechanism

Claim 2

In a rolling door operating mechanism for raising and lowering through manual or motor driven means, a rolling door of the type which includes a rotatable axle, a barrel fixed to the axle and a curtain adapted to be rolled onto the barrel, the mechanism comprising an electric motor and having gearbox means operatively coupled to such rotatable axle serving to raise and lower the curtain, manual operator means and including electric clutch means arranged to couple said manual operator means to said motor gearbox means in the manual drive mode when said motor means is operative and to uncouple said manual operator means from said motor gearbox means in the motor drive mode, said manual operator means and electric clutch means including common shaft means, safety brake means arranged about said shaft and operative to halt door travel when said motor is switched to the ''''off'''' condition and serving to prevent rotational movement of said shaft means by said motor gearbox means should said electric clutch means fail to uncouple the manual operator means from the motor gearbox means in he motor drive mode.

Claim 3

The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said safety brake means includes cam means movable with said common shaft means in the manual drive mode, a stationary brake drum arranged concentrically of said shaft means, radially expandable brake band means mounted within said brake drum, cam follower means arranged on said cam means and engaging said brake band means, and brake drive means operative in the manual drive mode only for driving, rotating engagement of said brake band means and said cam means.

Claim 4

The subject matter of claim 2 wherein said common shaft means includes first and second shaft sections, said cam means being mounted on said first shaft section, said safety brake drive means being mounted on said second shaft section, driving connection means on said safety brake drive means engaging said cam means serving to drive said first shaft section from said second shaft section in the manual mode.

Claim 5

The subject matter of claim 3 wherein said first shaft section carrying said cam means in rotatable with respect to said second shaft section, driving rotation of said first shaft in the motor drive mode serving to disengage said driving connection means from said cam means, and to rotate said cam means and cam follower means with respect to said brake band means for expanding the same into locking frictional engagement with said brake drum.

Claim 6

The subject matter of claim 3 wherein said electric clutch means includes a first clutch section rotatable with said cam means, a second clutch section rotatable with said motor gearbox means, spring means urging said clutch sections into driving engagement for operation in the manual drive mode, magnetic coil means operable in the motor drive mode for disengaging said clutch sections permitting said second clutch section to rotate independently of said cam means.

Claim 7

In a rolling door operating mechanism for raising and lowering through manual or motor driven means, a rolling door of the type which includes a rotatable axle, a barrel fixed to the axle and a curtain adapted to be rolled onto the barrel, the mechanism comprising a motor driven gearbox having an output shaft operatively coupled to such rotatable axle serving to raise and lower the curtain, such gearbox also including an input shaft operatively coupled to said output drive shaft and rotatable therewith, manual operator means and including drive shaft means and safety brake means, clutch means serving to couple and uncouple said drive shaft means to the gearbox input shaft for operating, respectively, in the manual and motor driven modes, said clutch means including pressure plate means, drive plate means and friction means interposed between said plate means to effect a driving connection therebetween, means yeildably urging together said plate and friction means for driving said gearbox input shaft with said manual operator drive shaft, clutch plate retraction means responsive to motor operation of said gearbox serving to move apart said clutch plate means and friction means against the force of the yieldable means for operation of the gearbox in the motor driven mode without rotation of the manual operator drive shaft, said safety brake means being arranged for coaction with said drive shaft means and being responsive to rotation of the said drive shaft means by said gearbox input shaft upon disfunction of said clutch plate retraction means, and serving to lock the drive shaft means against rotation by said gearbox input shaft means.

Claim 8

In a rolling door operating mechanism for raising and lowering through manual or motor driven means, a rolling door of the type which includes a rotatable axle, a barrel fixed to the axle and a curtain adapted to be rolled onto the barrel, the mechanism comprising a motor driven gearbox having an output shaft operatively coupled to such rotatable axle serving to raise and lower the curtain, such gearbox also including an input shaft operatively coupled to said output drive shaft and rotatable therewith, manual operator means and including drive shaft means and safety brake means, clutch means serving to couple and uncouple said drive shaft means to the gearbox input shaft for operating, respectively, in the manual and motor driven modes, said clutch means including pressure plate means, drive plate means and friction means interposed between said plate means to effect a driving connection therebetween, means yeildably urging together said plate and friction means for driving said gearbox input shaft with said manual operator drive shaft, clutch plate retraction means responsive to motor operation of said gearbox serving to move apart said clutch plate means and friction means against the force of the yieldable means for operation of the gearbox in the motor driven mode without rotation of the manual operator drive shaft, said safety brake means being arranged for coaction with said drive shaft means and being responsive to rotation of the said drive shaft means by said gearbox input shaft upon disfunction of said clutch plate retraction means, and serving to lock the drive shaft means against rotation by said gearbox input shaft means.

Claim 9

The subject matter of claim 6 wherein said clutch plate retraction means includes means permitting generation of a magnetic force serving to retract one of said clutch plate means with respect to the other when said motor driven gearbox is operated in the motor drive mode.