Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7878230 | Door release mechanism A door hoist includes a bracket, drive sprocket, ring gear, hub assembly, set of planetary gears, and governor shaft. The drive sprocket has a drive sprocket axis. The ring gear is fastened to the drive sprocket. The ring gear has a ring gear axis that is in alignme... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7537038 | Release control mechanism for emergency exit A release control mechanism installed in a rolling door-controlled emergency exit, which includes a driving mechanism, a release control lever provided outside the driving mechanism for releasing a brake of the driving mechanism from a torsion spring member, and a r... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7299847 | Fire door control system and method A fire door control system permits user input during regular use and during alarm conditions. The system utilizes primary and secondary power sources and incorporates a variety of preventive safeguards assuring that functionality of the fire door control system will... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7299848 | Closure member control systems, including door control systems for barrier housings, and associated methods Closure member control systems, including door control systems for barrier housings, and associated methods are disclosed. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a closure member control system that includes a closure member positioned to cover a portion of ... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7293805 | Safety door central release device This invention relates to a type of safety door central release device which can be used to close the safety door automatically when electric power is disrupted. It comprises a cord that is tied to a mechanism having potential energy on one end, and extended to a fa... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7275631 | Engaging/disengaging fail-safe door closing device for rolling fire door and door machine having same There is disclosed an engaging/disengaging fail-safe door closing device for a rolling fire door, provided between a power device and a speed reducing device of a door machine, including an electromagnet fixed inside a housing of the door machine and disposed around... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7254868 | winding and anti-drop assembly for door counterbalance system A counterbalance system (25) for a door (D) movable between a closed position and an open position having an axle (20), a cable drum (15) attached to the axle, a winding shaft (35) interconnected with the axle by a counterbalance spring (... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7144051 | Method and apparatus for providing for fail safe condition for an automatic security gate A method and apparatus for locking a security gate operating shaft contained in a security gate operating mechanism having a housing from which extends the operating shaft, which may comprise: a locking collar, having at least one engageable protrusion extending rad... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7138912 | Movable barrier operations method and apparatus Movement of a movable barrier (10) such as, for example, a vertically-dropping fire door, can be controlled in an informed manner and with greater flexibility regarding the manner of movement via, in one embodiment, use of a motor (20) as a generator t... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7089989 | Lifting folding door A folding door apparatus for homes and other building structures that is formed of a plurality of panels hinged together in accordion fashion. The door panels are raised and lowered along parallel vertical rails by a pair of winding reels and cable. A stability pin ... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7028742 | System and method for sealing openings in response to smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air using a roll-down barrier A system and method for rapidly and reliably sealing off a selected opening from the passage of smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air includes a powered clutch and viscous governor that provides a fail-safe mode of operation. A curtain is positioned in a housing... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7000668 | System and method for sealing openings in response to smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air using a roll-down barrier A system and method for rapidly and reliably sealing off a selected opening from the passage of smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air includes a powered clutch and viscous governor that provides a fail-safe mode of operation. A curtain is positioned in a housing... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6981538 | Positional control device for sectional doors A positional control device is provided to prevent accidental drifting of an overhead sectional door upward or downward from a fully opened, partly opened or fully closed position. The device allows the door to be manually moved to a different elevation without requ... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6848556 | Movable barrier operator disconnect apparatus A movable barrier operator (10) has a first disconnect mechanism (20) and a second disconnect mechanism (35) wherein either mechanism can be used to cause the output drive of the operator to be disengaged from the movable barrier to allow the mo... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6484784 | Door controlling device A door, such as a fire door or a security gate, for blocking a throughway or opening in an exterior or interior wall of a building, such as a doorway or countertop window, has an open position and a closed position. A force, such as gravity, a counter wei... | 11/26/2002 |
| 6283189 | Swinging folding door and a swinging folding gate; and a swinging folding door with an emergency opening device and a swinging folding gate with an emergency opening device An emergency opening device for a swinging folding door or a swinging folding gate, using an electric motor drive with a switchable electromagnetic coupling for closing and opening the door panels. The door has an emergency opening device, whereby the eme... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6155324 | Apparatus and method for operating a door A method and apparatus according to various aspects of the present invention is configured to automatically reset a rollable fire door curtain in the raised position. In one embodiment, a brake is coupled to a rolling fire door axle by an electromechanica... | 12/05/2000 |
| 5896907 | Rolling fire door including a door hold-open/release system A rolling fire door includes a door hold-open/release system that includes an electromagnet which is energized by a controller when the door is in the open position. The energized electromagnet magnetically attracts a bottom bar of the rolling door to sec... | 04/27/1999 |
| 5850865 | Rolling fire door with delayed closing mechanism A delayed closing mechanism for a rolling fire door is provided wherein an AC solenoid having its sliding rod pivoted to one end of a connecting rod which is also pivoted at a central portion while the other end of the connecting rod is pivoted to the low... | 12/22/1998 |
| 5773947 | Position detector and position control method for a moving body In a position detector, a ring gear rotates with a motor output shaft and a specified rotation position is detected by a move contact and fixed contacts. When the output shaft rotates thereafter, holding a carrier by a wave washer is released and the tran... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5577541 | Rolling door assembly having pass door arrangement A rolling door assembly for selectively covering an opening in a building includes a shutter roller rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis and a flexible panel windable on and off the roller for movement into retracted and extended conditions, re... | 11/26/1996 |
| 5482103 | Door apparatus with release assembly A closure apparatus for closing an opening in a partition with a frame disposed around the opening includes a drum member rotatably mounted to the partition at the top end of the opening. It also includes a curtain member secured to the drum member. The c... | 01/09/1996 |
| 5355927 | Self-closing fire door The present invention is provided with a mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of a door comprising a speed reduction means for reducing a rotational speed. A high speed shaft is connected to the speed reduction means and is connectable to a m... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5253693 | Hold and release mechanism for a fire door spring tension adjusting wheel A hold and release mechanism for a fire door spring tension adjusting wheel includes a finger which is retractable when the adjusting wheel is rotated in a direction to increase the tension of the door spring but remains in engagement with a notch on the ... | 10/19/1993 |
| 5245879 | Fail-safe fire door release mechanism having automatic reset A resettable fail-safe fire door release mechanism which allows normal powered operation of a fire door is disclosed. A solenoid having a first open state in the absence of an applied electric current and a second closed state in the presence of an applie... | 09/21/1993 |
| 4785293 | Alarm system prior to firedoor drop A signalling system utilized in a firedoor control system. For warning and alerting personnel of the immanate (seconds) closing of a firedoor, to avoid injury of such personnel in the vicinity of the closing firedoor. The system is actuated by being respo... | 11/15/1988 |
| 4727919 | Safety and emergency actuator device for a concertina type door A counterweight (12) provided at the end of a shaft (8) for winding up the door-raising belts (3) of a concertina type door. The counterweight (12) is designed to open the door to a fraction of its height. It co-operates with the motor (7) when the door i... | 03/01/1988 |
| 4664170 | Rolling firedoor A rolling firedoor having a closure drum on which a closure is wound, and a chaindrive for rotating the drum to raise or lower the closure. The chaindrive is disconnected from the drum during a fire. Means are provided for reconnecting the chaindrive to t... | 05/12/1987 |
| 4428278 | Emergency ventilation control apparatus for animal confinement house An apparatus responsive to electric power failure for opening curtains or doors normally covering ventilation openings in a confinement house of the type used for raising poultry and livestock is disclosed. An electromagnet (59) is provided which is energ... | 01/31/1984 |
| 4195384 | Self-resetting, cable operated translating drive link A novel telescoping heat responsive releasing device is described wherein a mounting member on which heat responsive and locking means are mounted slidingly enages a pawl member which is movable between a first position in which the pawl member is capable... | 04/01/1980 |
| 4130156 | Time delay fire closure releasing device A time delayed releasing device serves to hold fire closures from being actuated during periodic testing and momentary power failure while still permitting the closure to respond to power outage of more than a momentary nature or to the presence of heat.... | 12/19/1978 |
| 3986559 | Fire escape device A plurality of sections of fireproof material are movably mounted on the ceiling of a room in the area of a window in the room. The sections are shaped to enclose a predetermined area around the window. One of the sections is affixed to the ceiling and th... | 10/19/1976 |
| 3981343 | Counterbalancing mechanism for rolling doors A counterbalancing mechanism for an articulated rolling door mounted for movement horizontally away from the doorway when the door is opened, with the weight of the vertical portion of the door producing variable forces urging the door towards its closed ... | 09/21/1976 |
| 3977456 | Volume controlled damper A combination grill, air damper and fire damper is provided with a means for adjusting the volume of flow of air through the damper.... | 08/31/1976 |
| 3973173 | Curtain control system for poultry houses The side curtains of a poultry house are automatically opened upon a power failure in the electrical circuit of the ventilating system. An electrical monitoring circuit activated responsive to such power failure, releases a winch which normally maintains ... | 08/03/1976 |
