Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Panel hangers – travelers and/or tracks – Guide rollers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-08
2001-02-13
Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Panel hangers, travelers and/or tracks
Guide rollers
C016S107000, C160S201000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185783
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to roll-up or upwardly-acting overhead doors. More particularly, the present invention relates to a roller assembly intended for use on a garage overhead door.
Upwardly-acting overhead doors are commonly utilized as garage doors and conventionally employ a plurality of door sections which are hinged together. Such overhead doors are generally supported on a pair of L-shaped tracks for permitting the door to move upwardly from a substantially vertical closed position to a substantially horizontal opened position. To permit this opening and closing movement, the garage door is provided with a plurality of roller support units disposed adjacent the side edges of the door. A roller of each roller support unit is rollingly engaged with and supported by the stationary L-shaped track. Commonly, the roller support unit also includes a pair of hinge halves which are fixed to the adjacent door sections and disposed in opposed relationship. The hinge halves support a metal hinge tube in which the shaft of the roller is received.
The roller of many conventional roller support units is composed of metal and the metal-to-metal contact between the roller and the L-shaped track produces a large amount of undesirable noise when the door moves one position to another. In addition, such roller support units are generally composed of ordinary steel to minimize the material cost. Although the roller support units are generally installed on the interior side of the overhead door, they receive significant exposure to the elements and are subject to rust and other corrosion problems. Such corrosion increases the amount of noise produced by the door and can lead to failure of the roller support unit.
In an attempt to improve upon the above-described roller support unit, some conventional roller support units are provided with plastic rollers which are rotatably mounted on a metal roller shaft. The amount of noise produced by such roller support units is lower than that produced by roller support units having metal rollers. In addition, the plastic rollers are not subject to corrosion. However, these roller support units are generally more expensive to manufacture than the all-steel roller units and therefore are not cost competitive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the invention in a preferred form is a garage door roller assembly which includes a one-piece, unitary shaft and a one-piece, unitary roller, each composed of a polymeric material, and a washer and a pin, each composed of case-hardened steel. The roller includes a sleeve portion having an axial bore, a wheel portion, and a web extending radially from the wheel portion to the sleeve portion. The shaft includes an axial bore, a mounting portion, and a race portion. The race portion is rotatably mounted within the bore of the sleeve portion of the roller. The pin includes a head and a stem which extends axially from the head through the opening of the washer into the bore of the shaft. A knurled segment of the stem frictionally engages the bore of the shaft.
The shaft also has a radially extending shoulder portion positioned between the mounting portion and the race portion. The outside diameter of the race portion is smaller than the outside diameter of the shoulder portion, forming a distal shoulder adjacent the race portion of the shaft. The sleeve portion of the roller extends axially beyond the proximal edge of the wheel portion to a lip which slidably engages the distal shoulder of the shaft. A circular rim extends outwardly from the distal surface from the web of the roller to form a receptacle for receiving and positioning the washer.
The knurled segment of the stem has a plurality of ridges which extend radially outward from the surface of the stem and which extend an axial distance on the outside surface of the stem. The outside diameter defined by the ridges is greater than the inside diameter of the bore of the shaft.
It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved roller assembly for an overhead door which has improved wear characteristics.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved roller assembly which is not subject to corrosion and which produces less noise during operation.
It is further an object of the invention to provide a new and improved roller assembly which may be manufactured inexpensively.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and specification.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4205713 (1980-06-01), Galbreath
patent: 4379479 (1983-04-01), Whiting
patent: 4494271 (1985-01-01), Perlin et al.
patent: 5566740 (1996-10-01), Mullet et al.
patent: 6081966 (2000-07-01), Antekeier et al.
Alix Yale & Ristas, LLP
Carpin Manufacturing, Inc.
Mah Chuck Y.
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