Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates generally to improvements in the structure
of stop assembly mechanisms for use with bidirectional swinging doors such
as those used in hospitals, and more particularly to a stop assembly mech-
anism and its combination with a striker plate for a door lock that provides
substantial useful improvements over existing stop assemblies which are now
commonly used. While the stop assembly of the invention disclosed herein is
intended for use primarily in hospitals and other areas where it is desirous
to obtain access to rooms, such as wash rooms and the like, during an emer-
gency condition, it will be understood that the stop assembly may be used
for other purposes. This application is a division of Canadian Patent appli-
cation No. 220,837 filed February 26, 1975.
Heretofore, stop assembly devices for bidirectional swinging doors
have been provided so that doctors and nurses can gain access to wash rooms
wherein patients may have collapsed, as shown in United States Patents Nos.
3,172,168 and 2,889,571. Such bidirectional swinging doors have been de-
vised so that actuation of the stop mechanism releases the door so that it
can be opened in the opposite direction from its norm~l use during this
emergency condition. The need for such bidirectional operation of doors is
readily apparent when considering, for example, elderly patients who may
have an attack while in the wash room and collapse against the inside of the
door. Therefore, even if the lock mechanism was released, pushing the door
open in its normal direction might be precluded and could cause further
in~ury to the patient as the door would push against the patient. Therefore,
it is advantageous to pull the door open in the opposite direction.
Door stop assemblies for bidirectional swinging doors as disclosed
above generally include a pivotal element which protrudes from the door
frame opposite that receiving the door hinges so that the edge of the door
engages the stop element. Should access to the wash room or other room be
desirous from the outside, a stop element is pivoted into the door frame and
the door is then readily opened in the opposite direction. One problem of
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stop elements which are pivotally mounted to their support units is that
actual use of the bidirectional feature of the door is relatively infre-
quent, and these ~ay freeze or bind before they are ever used. In fact,
some bidirectional swinging doors utilizing the stop elements may never be
operated during their entire life. Because of the high degree of clean-
liness required in hospitals, soap and water washing of the walls, ceilings
and doorways is a relatively frequent occurrence. While the components
incorporated in the door stop assembly may be of stainless steel or some
other non-rusting metal, they still may corrode or otherwise oxidize.
Should the pivot pin rust in position, it would be extremely difficult to
depress the stop mechanism into the door frame so that the door can be
opened in the opposite direction. As mentioned above, even if the compo-
nents of the stop mechanism are made of substantially rustproof materials,
the pivot pin to which the door stop is secured may stick due to dirt or
other gummy substances which may accumulate therein as the result of deter-
gent or soap and water cleaning.
Another ob~ect of this invention is to provide a new and improved
stop assembly for bidirectional swinging doors which has a resilient, ad-
~ustable bumper element having an abutment surface for engagement with the
door.
According to one aspect, the apparatus of the invention consists
of an emergency release type of door stop assembly for a bidirectional
swinging door of the type including a latch receivable in a strike aperture,
said stop assembly upon operation thereof permitting selective opening of
the door in a direction opposite to that normally employed, comprising in
combination: a face plate adapted for attachment to a doorway frame, said
face plate having an aperture therein, a door stop element depressibly
mounted relative to said aperture for movement between a first position
wherein said stop element extends from said face plate for movement-limiting
engagement with said door, and a second position wherein said stop element
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is disposed inwardly of said face plate to permit movement of said door in
said opposite direction, said stop element including a main body portion and
a resilient bumper element having an abutment surface for engagement with
said door, means adjustably mounting said bumper element for movement rela-
tive to said main body portion and said latch receiving strike aperture,
such that the position of said bumper may be adjusted to maintain the door
in firm, rattle-free engagement with said stop member and the strike aper-
ture.
According to another aspect, the apparatus of the invention con-
sists of a door stop assembly for a bidirectional swinging door to permit
opening of a door in a first direction during normal use and to permit se-
lective opening of the door in a second direction during an emergency, com-
prising in combination: a face plate adapted to be fastened to a doorway
frame and having a first aperture formed therein to receive the spring latch
element of the door to provide a striker plate therefor, a second aperture
formed in said plate and offset laterally of said first latch receiving
aperture, housing means secured to said face plate in registry with said
second aperture for insertion into a mortise formed in the doorway frame,
a depressible stop member movably positioned within said housing means, said
stop member including a main body element having a portion thereof pro-
jecting from said plate through said second aperture, and a bumper element
carried by said portion of the main body element and having an abutment
surface facing said first aperture for engagement by a door to provide the
stop for said door,and means mounting said bumper element to said main body
portion for movement relative thereto and toward or away from said first
aperture, whereby the position of said stop relative to said striker plate
can be adjusted to maintain said door firmly against said stop when in the
closed condition with the door latch engaged in said first aperture.
In a preferred embodiment, the stop element is a floating body
member which is spring-biased and mounted in such a manner so as to allow
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only linearly inwardly depression or movement initially, until the body
member bottoms against an opposite wall of a housing. Once the body member
is in this position it is rocked forward so that an inclined surface then
engages the wall of the housing completely removing the stop element from
position for engagement by the door. The door can then be opened in the
opposite direction.
Many other features and advantages will be more fully realized
and understood from the following detailed description when taken in con-
~unction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals
throughout the various views of the drawings are intended to designate simi-
lar elements or components.
Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a door, door frame
and stop assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of this
invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the stop assembly constructed in
accordance with the principles of this invention;
Figure 3 is a top sectional view of the stop assembly as taken
along line 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a top sectional view similar to that of Figure 3 and
shows the initial linear inward movement of the floating body member forming
the stop element; and
Figure 5 is a top sectional view similar to that of Figure 4
illustrating the floating body member rocked about an inclined surface
formed thereon.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is seen a door stop assembly con-
structed in accordance with the principles of this invention and designated
generally by reference numeral 10. The door stop assembly 10 is adapted to
be fastened to a door frame designated generally by reference numeral 11 by
a plurality of screws 12 located near the four corners of a face plate ele-
ment 13.
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Most advantageously, the face plate element 13 has an opening 14formed therein to receive a latch mechanism 16 when the door is closed, as
seen in phantom lines. Thus, in one installation there is provided an
emergency release stop and the strike plate.
The stop assembly 10 further includes a floating body or stop
member 17 which has a portion thereof 17a extending through an aperture 18
formed in the face plate 13 and a second portion 17b positioned within a
housing 19, as seen in Figure 2. The floating body member 17 moves freely
inwardly within the housing 19 without any type of pivotal mounting.
The housing 19 is secured to the back side of the face plate 13
by one or more screws 20 and 21 passing through openings 22 and 23, respec-
tively, to engage threaded portions of the housing 19. In the illustrated
embodiment the opening 22 is formed in a struck-out bend-over portion 27
formed of the same material as the face plate 13.
The floating body member 17 has diametrically opposed flange por-
tions 29 and 30 formed as part of the second portion 17b to extend beyond
the edges of the aperture 18 and engage the rear surface of the face plate
13. These flange members maintain the floating body member within the
housing 19. To provide outward bias of the floating body member 19 a pair
of coil springs 31 and 32 are positioned within the housing and engage re-
cesses within the movable body member 17 and protuberances within the hous-
ing 19. The recesses and protuberances maintain the spring members 31 and
32 in their desired position while allowing free movement of the floating
body member inwardly within the housing.
Most advantageously, an ad~ustable resilient stop element 34 is
threadedly ad~ustably secured to the portion 17b and angled outwardly there-
from to provide a flat parallel stop surface against which the door engages.
This is best seen in Figure 3. The stop element 34 has a front face 35
formed on a bias, so as to engage the door in flush, face-to-face engaee-
ment. The purpose for this will become apparent from the following descrip-
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tion.
Figure 3 illustrates the door stop assembly of this invention in
its normal position having the stop bumper element 34 with the front face
35 thereof engaging the surface 15a of the door 15. As can also be seen in
Figure 3, the stop element 34 is received in a recess 36 in the floating
body member 17 and is attached thereto by a screw element 40 threadedly
engaged therewith. A retainer ring 41 is carried by the stop element 34 and
is engaged in a groove 42 formed adjacent the head of the screw 40, thus
fixing the relative position of screw 40 and stop element 34. Operation of
the screw 40 will thus produce movement of the stop 34 inwardly or outwardly
of the recess 36, permitting ad~ustment of the relative position of said
stop.
The above-mentioned adjustment is advantageous from a number of
standpoints. First, should the element 34 become worn, it can be moved
outwardly to maintain engagement with the door surface 15a. Where no adjust-
ment is provided, the stop may become worn in service and result in rattling
of the door. Secondly, this adjustable feature aids in the initial instal-
lation. In this regard, it is not necessary that precise positioning of
the stop device be effected initially, as the position of the bumper 34 can
be adjusted to accommodate variances.
It will be recalled that the stop element 34 is provided with a
flat surface 35 engaged against the door surface 15a in flush, face-to-face
engagement. As such, in the position illustrated in Figure 3, the floating
member 17 can only move linearly inward of the aperture 18 due to this flush
engagement of the stop element 34 with the door.
Also seen in Figure 3 is an alternate form of fastening the hous-
ing portion 19 to the face plate 13. In this instance a protuberance 44 is
provided on a side wall 46 of the housing 19, which protuberance engages an
aperture 47 formed in the struck-out bend-over portion 27.
The housing 19 has a back wall 50 thereof positioned a prede-
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termined distance behind the aperture 18 through which the floating body
member 17 extends. When it is desirous to open the door 15 in the opposite
direction from its normal use, the floating body member 17 is pressed in-
wardly into the housing 19 until the flat surface 51 thereof engages the
wall 50. This initial movement will produce the condition as illustrated
in Figure 4. As mentioned above, due to the flush engagement of stop sur-
face 35 with the door only linear movement is possible upon depression of
the floating body 17 to the position of Figure 4. When the surface 51
bottoms on wall 50, all or the ma~or portion of stop element 34 is dis-
engaged from the door surface 15a, as seen in Figure 4. Even if a slight
degree of engagement remains as seen in Figure 4, the portion of stop
element 34 still engaged with the door is quite flexible and will permit
operations as discussed hereinaMer.
Once the body member 17 is seated on the wall 50, the entire ele-
ment 17 is rocked forward, as shown in Figure 5. This movement will bring
the inclined surface 52 into engagement with wall 50 while depressing the
remainder of the body 17 interiorly of the aperture 18. When the above
occurs, the door 15 may be opened in the aforesaid opposite direction and
safely operated.
With further reference to Figure 5, when the stop element is
rocked forward to engage surface 52 with the wall 50, the tapered surface
54 on the stop is brought to a generally flush position relative to plate
13. Accordingly, during opening of door 15 in said opposite direction,
there is no danger that the operator's finger will become pinched between
the door edge and the edge of opening 18.
Further, once the emergency is over, resetting of the door 15 is
quite easy. As the door swings back to its original position it will engage
aforementioned tapered surface 54. This engagement will move the body 17
inwardly slightly and it will then rock to permit the door to pass the stop
and arrive at its original position.
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Thus, it is believed clear that there is provided an ad~ustable,
emergency release stop which is not sub~ect to becoming inoperative or stuck
during long periods of non-use, yet this device of the present invention
provides a safe, reliable stop that can be easily operated.
While a single specific embodiment of the invention has been dis-
closed herein, it will be understood that variations and modifications may
be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the present in-
vention.
