The Chamberlain Group, Inc.

Fellowes, Inc.

James S Chang

Mark D Siegler

Russell L Powers

Douglas R Turner

David J Miller

Colin Barns Willmott

Doug R Turner

Scott M Clark

A jack shaft garage door operator for opening and closing a movable garage door has a drive containing an electric motor. A rotatable jack shaft is connected to the drive unit to be driven thereby. A pull-up cable drum is connected to and driven by the jack shaft. A pull-up cable extends from the drum about which it is wound and connects to a bottom part of the garage door to raise the door. A pivoting arm is mounted near the jack shaft and provides tension to the cable. A shaft lock hub mounted on the jack shaft is engaged and locked by the arm if the tension in the cable drops. A stop is mounted on the garage door for engagement by the movable arm in the event that the door is opened without the cable being drawn in the cable drum.

Jack shaft garage door operator

The present application discloses a multi-functional shredder that is capable of effectively destroying both paper documents and rigid/semi-rigid objects, such as CDs or DVDs. This multifunctional shredder comprises a housing; a drive system including at least one motor; and at least two shafts rotatably mounted within the housing and coupled to the drive system to enable the drive system to counter-drive the shafts in respective opposing rotational cutting directions. Each of the shafts includes positive cutter elements and negative cutter elements, configured to cooperate to shred articles as the shafts are rotationally counter-driven by the drive system in the respective rotational cutting directions thereof. The positive cutting elements on each shaft have positive cutting parts angled in the respective rotational cutting directions of the shafts, and the negative cutting elements on each shaft have negative cutting parts angled opposite the respective rotational cutting directions of the shafts.

Multi-functional shredder

Jack shaft door garage operator

An infrared signal interface enables an infrared detector module to communicate with the door edge signal input of a garage door operator. The infrared signal interface has a power supply for driving the pulsed infrared detector. Pulsed signals are received by a missing pulse detector that controls a relay. The relay may be coupled to the door edge signal of the garage door operator.

Infrared signal interface for use with barrier door operator

A range extender module for extending the range capability of a barrier control system comprising a low voltage AC control unit which receives low voltage AC control signals conveyed by wires to input terminals thereof from a plurality of remotely located switches and responds to such AC control signals by controlling the barrier. The controlled barrier may be, for example, a garage door or a driveway gate. The range extender module is inserted into the wires between the low voltage AC control unit and the remote switches and includes a source of DC voltage, which is used to energize the formerly AC energized switches and responds to DC input signals created by operator interaction with the switches by selectively gating low voltage AC control signals to appropriate input terminals of the low voltage AC control unit for controlling the barrier. The use of DC voltage to energize the remote switches avoids problems caused by the use of low voltage AC signals over wires which exhibit a significant reactive component of impedance.

Extended range wired remote control circuit

An adjustable limit switch mechanism for controlling the operation of an electric motor of a garage door opener over a selected range of movement including a motor driven threaded shaft supporting at least one switch actuator which is adjustably positionable and restrained from rotary movement while being axially translated by rotation of the shaft. A limit switch is mounted adjacent the threaded shaft so as to be actuated as the switch actuator is translated axially on the shaft.

Limit switch mechanism for garage door opener

Electrical apparatus including a housing enclosing a printed circuit board mounting a plurality of electrical components. The printed circuit board is detachably mounted on a pivotal support which permits rotation of the circuit board between various positions in the access opening to the housing. The support is a one piece plastic member which frictionally receives the printed circuit board in an elongated slot.

Electrical controller having pivotally mounted circuit board support

A chain guide is provided for the otherwise unsupported upper run of the endless roller chain of a motor-driven garage door operator. With the chain loop in a vertical plane, the chain guide takes the form of a trough having at its bottom an upstanding central ridge which supports the chain by its rollers and with the links clear of contact with the floor and sides of the trough. The chain guide is supported indirectly by the trackage of the door operator, being mounted upon the fixed rail spacer of one form and carried upon the movable trolley of the other.

Chain guide for overhead door opener

A garage door operator includes a head unit held by a supporting structure remote from the garage door. A rail has a first end held by a supporting structure adjacent the door and a second end fixed adjacent to and in alignment with a toothed drive wheel carried by the head unit. The garage door operator further includes an endless drive belt assembly trained about the drive wheel and a pulley held by the rail adjacent the garage door. The belt assembly includes a length of a plastic belt having teeth on one surface thereof matching the teeth on the drive wheel. The belt assembly further includes a trolley for connection to the garage door and a connector for joining one end of the plastic belt to one end of the trolley. The plastic belt has a lower surface to which the belt teeth extend, and the drive wheel has an upper surface to which the wheel teeth extend. Thus, the belt assembly can be installed by moving the plastic belt lower surface over the drive wheel upper surface until the respective sets of teeth are aligned, and moving the belt downwardly to train it about the drive wheel.

Garage door operator with plastic drive belt

An adjustable speed garage door operator which has a longitudinal rail with a trolley mounted on the rail and connected to a door to open and close it. A chain is connected to the trolley and is mounted on a front idler sprocket and can be selectively mounted on different drive sprockets which have different numbers of teeth so as to vary the speed of the door.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington Heights, IL, United States of America

James S Chang