Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
7599
This invention relates generally to a bracket and
track assembly and particularly to an assembly which can be
installed without conventional fasteners and, in one aspect,
is used for sliding door assemblies.
Tracks which are used for sliding doors and the like
must be mounted or suspended above the doors. Because of this
there are considerable problems in aligning the tracks not
only laterally b~t also longitudinally. It will be readily
understood that there is a considerable disadvantage making
lengthwise adjustments which are dependent on the alignment
of bo~t openings. In addition, conventional fasteners are
easily mislaid and can be loosened by vibration under the
operational conditions of some sliding doors.
The present bracket and track assembly overcomes these
and other problems in a manner not disclosed by the known
prior art.
This bracket and track assembly provides a means for
aligning and attaching a track to a bracket without the use
of conventional fasteners. It is particularly useful for the
installation of tracks used ~or sliding door assemblies.
The bracket and track assembly includes at least one
track member having an upper portion providing a longitudinal
engagement means; a lower portion, and a web portion connect-
ing said upper and lower portions. The assembly also includes
a bracket member disposed in embracing relation about said
track member and including an upper portion extending beyond
said track upper portion engagement means; a lower portion
supporting said track member lower portion and at least one
29 web portion interconnecting said upper and lower portions.
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The bracket member is provided with locking means rotatably
mounted to said bracket upper portion and including an engage-
ment portion rotatable into engagement with said track upper
portion engagement means tending to urge said track member
into engagement with said bracket member.
In one aspect of the invention, the track member web
portion is spaced from the bracket member web portion and at
least o~e pad is disposed ~etween said web portions, inter-
mediate said upper and lower portions, tending to move said
track lower portion in one direction, into engagement with
said bracket lower portion, when said track upper portion is
moved in the other direction.
In another aspect of the invention, the bracket upper
portions includes a slot overlappingly related to the track
longitudinal engagement means and the locking means includes
a rotatable camming member having a radial arm portion and a
depending leg portion extending through said slot and provid-
ing said engagement portion.
According to an important aspect of the invention,
the track includes a pair of generally channel-shaped, in-
wardly facing track members the lower portions having longi-
tudinal engagement means disposed in spaced side-by-side re-
lation, and the bracket member is U-shaped having an upper
portion extending over the upper portions of both track mem-
bers, a pivot axis being disposed between said track upper
portion long~tudinal engagement means; said bracket member
also including a pair of inwardly turned lower portions each
having a.stop means disposed adjacent one of said track lower
29 engagement means, and sai~ bracket member also including a
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pair of web portions connecting said lower portions to said
uppex portions. Locking means is provided including a pair
of engagement portions disposed on opposite sides of said
pivot axis~ each engagement portion being rotatable into en-
gagement with one of said track upper portion engagement means.
According to another aspect of the invention, the
bracket member upper portion includes opposed arcuate slots
overlappingly related ~o said track upper longitudinal engage-
ment means, and said locking means includes a camming member
having depending legs received by said slots and providing
said engagement portions.
According to another aspect of the invention, the
camming member is generally U-shaped and includes a bight
portion connecting said depending legs, the bight portion in-
cluding means for turning said camming member.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, said
track member web portions are inwardly spaced from said brack-
et web portions, and at least one pad is disposed between
said spaced web portions tending to urge said track lower
portions in one direction when said track upper portions are
urged in the opposite direction.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the pads be-
tween the track member and bracket member are of resilient
material.
In still another aspect of the invention, each of
said bracket lower portions includes upturned portions pro-
viding said bracket stop means, and each of said track lower
portions includes an upturned portion providing said track
29 longitudinal engagement means.
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In another aspect of the invention, each of said track
web portions includes an inwardly inclined lower portion fa-
cilitating installation of said track.
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sliding door
system using the bracket and track assembly;
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken
through line 2-2 of FIG. l;
¦ FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the
bracket and track assembly;
FIG. 4 is a plan view thereof; and
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view thereof.
Referring now by reference numerals to the drawings
and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be understood that the
bracket and track assembly is generally indicated by numeral
10 and, in the preferred embodiment, is used in conjunction
with a sliding door system 12.
As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding door system 12 is
provided for an opening 14, which is framed by side and upper
casing members 16 and 18, the door consisting of a pair of
oppositely sliding door panels 20 suspended from a track 22.
As shown in FIG. 2, each sliding panel 20 is provided with a
roller assembly 24 carried by the track 22. The track 22 is
supported by a plurality of bracket members 26 suspended from
i overhead brackets 28, which are attached to a header 30,
carried by the wall 32. The bracket and track assembly 10
will now be described with greater particularity, with refe-
rence to FIGS. 3 through 5.
As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the track 22 consists es-
29 sentially of a pair of oppositely formed track members 34 and
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35. Each track meniber includes an inwardly turned transverse
upper portion 36 having a longitudinal margin portion 38, and
an inwardly turned transverse lower portion 40 having an up-
turned, inclined end 42 terminating in a longitudinal margin.
portion 44, said margin portions constituting engagement means.
The upper and lower portions are interconnected by a web por-
tion 46 having an inclined portion 5iS.
~e bracket men~3ers 26 are generally U-shaped and
each is embracingly disposed about said track members 34 and
35. Each bracket meniber 26 includes a transverse upper por-
tion 48, a pair of transverse, oppositely disposed, inwardly
turned lower portions 50, having upwardly turned end portions
52 disposed in side-by-side relation, sa id end portions con-
stituting stop means adjacent to and engageable with said
longitudinal margin portions 44 of the track lower portions
40. The upper and lower portions 46 and 52 are interconnected
by web portions 54, said lower portions supporting said track
menibers.
As shown in FIG. 4, the upper portion 46 of each
bracket me~er 24 includes a pair of arcuate slots 56 and 58.
In the preferred elbbodiment, slots 56 and 58 are disposed on
opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the track centered
between said track members 34 and 35, and have their longest
portion disposed on each side of the transverse axis inter-
secting the center of the circle defining said slots 56 and
58. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, each arcuate slot
extends from substantially the longitudinal axis to a point
about fifteen degrees (15t~ ) beyond the transverse axis. The
29 width of the slots, as clearly shown in FIG. 4, overlaps the
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longitudinal margin portions 38 of the track member upper
portions. Importantly, a locking means, provided by a cam-
ming member in the form of a generally U-shaped clip 60, is
rotatably mounted to the transverse upper portion 46 by means
of a rivet 62. As clearl~ shown in FIG. 3, the clip 60 in-
cludes a bight portion 64 having upturned ends 65, and a pair
of downwardly depending legs 66 which project through the
opposed arcuate slots 56 and 58. The legs 66 provide engage-
ment means and are engageable with the track margin portions
38 upon rotation of said clip 60 into a position generally
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the track 22 said
clip being turned by means of said upturned ends 6S.
The distance from the center of rotation of the clip
60, is the outer edges of the clip legs 66 providing the en-
gagement portions, is greater than the perpendicular distance
of the longitudinal margins 38 from the longitudinal axis of
the track 22 when the clip is in the position shown in phan-
tom outline by 60'. This structural arrangement of parts
provides that when the clip 60 is moved into a perpendicular
position the legs 66 tend to move each track upper portion
36 away from said longitudinal axis. This movement of the
upper portions 36 is resisted by a pair of resilient bumper
pads 68, which are disposed between the spaced web portions
46 and 54 of the track and bracket members respectively and
' attached to said bracket as by adhesive.
As will be understood from FIG. 3, the tendency of
the track upper portions 36 to move away from the longitudinal
axis of the track 22 results in a tendency for the track low-
29 er portions 40 to move toward said longitudinal axis because
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~f the tendency of the track members 34 and 35 to pivot aboutthe bumper pads 68. This pivotal action results in a pressure
engagement between the track lower longitudinal margin 44
agai~st the stop means provided by the upwardly turned por-
tions 52 of the bracket member 26.
The installation of the bracket and track assembly
10 is believed to be fully understood fr~m the foreg~ing de-
scription of parts but for completeness of disclosure will
be briefly described with respect to a sliding door assembly
12.
The installation consists essentially of mounting a
plurality of bracket members ~6 to associated wall brackets
28 by bolting said upstanding bracket mounting portions 70
to said wall bracket 28, said bracket members and wall brack-
ets constituting a support means. With the bracket members
26 in place, and the clips 60 of each bracket rotated in a
counterclockwise position, as shown in phantom outline by
60' in FIG. 4, it becomes a relatively simple matter to thread
each of the track members 34 and 36 into place, with the webs
46 substantially horizontal if desired, and then rotate said
members into the position shown in FIG. 3, such track me~bers
being configurated to facilitate camming into place. once
the track members 34 and 35 have been correctly aligned and
longitudinally located, it is merely a matter of rotating
the clips 60 in a clockwise direction so that the legs 66 en-
gage the longitudinal margins 38. Continued rotation of the
clip 60 urges the track upper portions 36 away from the long-
itudinal axis until the clip is substantially perpendicular
29 to the longitudinal axis of the track and exerts a force
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against the upper margin portions 38. This results in a
pivoting action of ~he track members 34 and 35 about the
bumper pads 68 and produces movement of the lower track
longitudinal margins 44 against the bracket member upturned
ends 52 thereby clamping the track members 34 and 35 in place
into a locked position. The relatively flat configuration
of the outer face of the clip 60 results in maximum movement
of the track upper portions 36 away from the longitudinal axis
when the clip corners 72 are perpendicular to the longitudi-
nal axis. Further movement of the clip 60, until the com-
patible flat faces of the clip 60 are parallel with the mar-
gins 38 results in a slight return of the track upper portions
36 and precludes any tendency for the clip to rotate out of
position. As will be readily understood the length of the
clip legs 66 provides said legs with some resilience which
also facilitates the frictional clamping and locking action.
