Panelfold, Inc.

Panelfold Doors, Inc.

Panelfold Doors, Inc. (Entire)

Guy E Dixon

Thomas M Dixon

Russell I Geyer, Jr

Florencio E Soto

Howard B Jacobus

William M Mack, Jr

A folding partition having two rows of spaced, pivotally associated rigid panels supported by a trackway or the like with a control mechanism providing movement of the panels from a flat aligned condition when the partition is in closed position to an open position in which the panels are oriented in opposed surface-to-surface stacked relation generally in perpendicular relation to the position of the panels when in closed position. More specifically, a control mechanism interconnects the panels and biases the panels toward both a closed and open position for assisting in the opening and closing movement of the flat folding partition and holds the panels in both a closed position and an open position. The control mechanism also limits the movement of the panels toward closed position and transmits an opening force from preceding panels to succeeding panels when being moved in opening direction of movement with the control mechanism including a unique combination of control base, control lever, control plate, control cam, control cam follower and control cam spring to obtain the desired multiple functions.

Flat folding partition

A portable and operable wall system utlizing panels extending between a floor and ceiling with a channel-shaped member having seal means thereon along the top and/or bottom edge of the panel with at least one of the channel-shaped members being spring biased into engagement with the ceiling and/or floor to provide an effective, sound, light and air seal between the panels and the ceiling and floor.

Portable and operable wall system

A multi-directional canted wheel carrier with shiftable control arm for supporting operable wall panels from upper and/or lower supporting tracks, with the control arm engaging a track slot or guideway and supported from the carrier for shifting when necessary between a leading and a trailing relationship to the panel supporting bolt to facilitate multi-directional movement of the carrier through track intersections. The carrier includes a single canted wheel or multiple canted wheels, and the bearings and tilt body structure of the canted wheel assembly provide efficient multi-directional movement of the carrier with minimum force requirements.

Multi-directional canted wheel carrier with shiftable control arm for

A portable or operable wall system utilizing wall panels defining a wall or partition extending between a floor surface and a ceiling surface with the portable wall system including wall panels which are completely separable from the ceiling surface and includes lower support means for movably supporting the panels on a floor surface to facilitate movement of the panels to a desired location. The operable wall system includes ceiling trackways which suspend the panels to enable movement to a desired location. Both wall systems include an adjustable, spring biased, inverted channel-shaped member engageable with the ceiling surface and a vertically extendible and retractable channel-shaped floor engaging member which enables the effective vertical height of the panels to be altered between an extended position in which the panels sealingly engage the floor surface and ceiling surface and a retracted position of lesser vertical dimension than the floor to ceiling height to enable the panels to be movably supported on the floor surface for movement while in generally vertical position to a desired location in the portable wall system and for suspended support from an overhead trackway for movement to a desired location in the operable wall system.

Portable and operable wall systems

A folding door or other closure comprising a plurality of panels of extruded material each having a male hinge element along one edge thereof and a female hinge element along the other edge thereof with each panel being of unitary, one-piece construction. The hinge elements are so constructed that interconnection and separation of the panels is attained by longitudinal sliding movement of the male and female hinge elements in relation to each other. A locking means is provided in the form of a projecting means associated with one of the hinge elements which engages with recess means associated with the other hinge element to preclude relative longitudinal movement between adjacent panels while permitting relative pivotal movement between adjacent panels. The locking means includes a structure connected with, mounted on or otherwise associated with the female hinge element so that it is stationary in relation thereto and includes a projection which extends into a recess, groove, slot, or similar structure in the male hinge element. The female hinge element may be of generally channel-shaped configuration and may be constructed of plastic material having sufficient resiliency and flexibility to enable deflection thereof sufficient to enable assembly and disassembly of adjacent panels after the locking means is assembled with the channel-shaped female hinge element.

Extruded material folding door with panel lock

A canted wheel carrier for supporting operable wall panels from upper and/or lower supporting surfaces to enable multi-directional movement of the panels and facilitate negotiation of angle turns and intersections without switches or curves in the supporting surfaces with a minimum of frictional resistance thereby reducing the force which must be applied to the panels to move them to a desired location and reducing frictional wear. The invention includes a top or bottom canted wheel carrier with or without a guide member or with a single or multiple canted wheels which engage a top or bottom supporting surface.

Multi-directional canted wheel carrier for operable walls

An electrically operated folding partition including a plurality of pivotally interconnected panels movable from a straight line, flat, closed and locked position to an accordion folded stacked open position in which the control system will automatically move the partition panels from their closed position to their open position or from their open position to their closed position upon actuation of a suitable control switch or the like. The panels are pivotally interconnected by hinge structures with the hinge axes being disposed at opposite surfaces of the partition to enable accordion folding movement of the panels with the capability of the partition to be extended to a length greater than the length thereof when in fully closed position being used to 'break' the panels from their flat, straight line position to a shallow accordion fold position with the hinge axes in a straight line at which point the movement of the endmost panel is reversed and inertia forces causing movement of the panels so the hinge axes cross over their straight line position. When moving the panels to closed position, the outermost panel is moved to a position with the hinge axes in alignment in which position the over-all length of the partition is greater than when the panels are in their flat straight line closed position with the outermost panel then being reversed so that inertia carries the hinge axes across their straight line position.

Electrically operated folding partition

A portable wall system utilizing portable wall panels defining a wall or partition extending between a floor surface or other lower surface and a ceiling surface or other overhead surface. The portable wall panels each include lower support means for movably supporting the panels on a floor surface to facilitate movement of the panels to a desired location. The upper edge of each panel is provided with a spring biased ceiling or overhead surface engaging member and the lower edge of each panel includes a vertically extendible and retractable floor surface engaging member so that the wall panels will form a complete partition between the floor surface and ceiling surface and be easily installed, removed or released and relocated. The side edges of the wall panels are constructed for inter-engagement with similar panel modules or wall mounted receptors.

Portable wall system

A hinge strip for a dual wall accordion folding door in the form of a continuous strip of resilient, flexible plastic material, or the like, defining a seal and hinge connecting the edge of four panels together thereby defining the interior hinge for the dual wall accordion folding door. The strip includes a central body adapted to be supported from an overhead track and four flanges projecting from the central body and connected with the panel edges. The central body and flanges may be of many shapes and configurations with a basic form of the strip including a solid central body and equally spaced identical flanges radiating therefrom. Another form of the strip includes a hollow central body and certain of the flanges being interconnected by a flexible web to define a pair of hollow interior areas to retain acoustical isolation of the panels from each other and one wall of the door from the other while at the same time stabilizing and controlling the hinge axes of the panels.

Hinge strip for dual wall accordion folding door

A door or other closure, partition or the like incorporating a plurality of substantially rigid panels having interengaging hinge structures formed unitarily along each side edge thereof with certain of the panels being supported by roller equipped carriage assemblies adapted to engage an overhead track. The hinge structures include means permitting relative vertical movement between adjacent panels to enable quick assembly and disassembly. An end clip for the hinge structures prevents relative vertical movement between adjacent panels after assembly with the clip being removable for disassembly. The overhead track is connected to a ceiling supported bracket or rail by an insert or latch which enables lateral engagement of the track with the bracket or rail to facilitate quick assembly and also to enable lateral disengagement of the track from the bracket or rail to enable quick removal or disassembly. The endmost panels are adapted for connection with specific jamb structures for facilitating opening and closing of the folding door.

Growing community of inventors

Miami, FL, United States of America

Guy E Dixon