The Chamberlain Group, Inc.

Roger William Lhotak

Kenneth J Dombrowski

James Joseph Fitzgibbon

Robert John Olmsted

Brian Roy Skotty

A hydraulic brake apparatus, a movable barrier apparatus, a hydraulic brake kit, a method of stopping movement of a movable barrier, and a method installing a hydraulic brake assembly are described herein. A selectively operable piston mechanism converts rotation of a drive shaft of a movable barrier into hydraulic pressure used to operate a brake configured to stop movement of the drive shaft.

Movable barrier hydraulic braking

A shaft such as a worm drive shaft for a movable barrier operator is disclosed. The shaft includes at least two shaft segments having connection ends. The shaft segments include respective connection ends permitting a first connection end to be joined with a second connection end by inserting a portion of at least one of the connection ends within the other connection end along the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The shaft segments may be retained by a resiliently expandable connector such as a snap ring. The connector may expand to permit the joining and then contract to be received within a surface recess on a connection end. The connector may be part of or pre-assembled on a connection end, such as by being positioned within a surface recess thereof. The connector may provide a pre-determined position for joining the first and second connection ends.

Shaft joint

An operator for opening and closing movable barriers such as garage doors comprising a pass point limit system which is a component of an operating head. The operator is responsive to remote control from a wall panel or other location remote from the operating head to enable setting and adjustment of door travel limits from a remote location, without requiring installation of limit switches separate from the operating head.

Pass point system for controlling the operation of movable barriers

A tensioning device is connected to a flexible drive member by a right-hand threaded member on the drive member, which projects through an opening in the wall of a trolley. The threaded member is threaded onto a tensioning nut which is biased by a spring which mounts the nut in the base of the tensioning device. A retainer nut having left-hand threads is in frictional engagement with an enlarged portion of the tensioning nut, such that turning of the retention nut tightens the tensioning device onto the threaded member until the frictional force of the engagement between the enlarged portion of the tensioning nut and retainer nut is reduced to a predetermined amount.

Tensioning device for flexible drive member

A garage door operator having reduced noise output during operation includes a head unit having a housing. A motor mount is connected to the housing to support an electric motor. A vibration damper is interposed between the motor mount and the electric motor to reduce noise radiated from the housing when the electric motor is energized to drive a garage door up and down.

Garage door operator having vibration damper for noise reduction

A snubber for tension members such as drive chains and drive belts includes a spindle having an upstanding wall at one end and a recess at the opposite end. A compressed spring is carried on the spindle and is retained thereon in its compressed state by a split ring received in the recess. The snubber can be used with tension members associated with garage door openers, for example.

Modular snubber apparatus

A canopy garage door opener including a mechanism for interconnecting a horizontal, rectilinear reciprocating carriage drive means to a canopy door having a first axis fixed to the door and movable vertically in a guide means and a pair of crank arms pivoted at the top of a door opening and to a horizontal axis fixed with respect to the door. The mechanism includes a lever pivoted to the carriage forming part of a quadrangular link assembly pivoted to the door at one apex and connected by another link to the door from an adjacent apex. Guard means including fixed and movable plates are disposed on both sides of the mechanism to shield it, the movable plates being pivotally connected to the mechanism and being rotated by a cam and follower connection to the fixed plates.

Garage door opener

A sprocket conversion kit for a garage door opener which includes a drive plate detachably mountable on a high speed output drive sprocket to provide an alternative low speed sprocket drive for endless chain belt drive. The drive plate has a shallow recess to receive the high speed sprocket with openings formed to provide engagement between the high speed sprocket teeth and the drive plate.

Sprocket conversion kit for garage door opener

The present invention is directed to an electric terminal formed from a single metal strip for use in mounting a terminal bearing electrical device on a printed circuit board. The electric terminal is formed from a strip of resilient, electrically conductive metal bent at a first end and a second end to form an elongated generally C-shaped terminal member having a back wall and two front wall sections extending from the distal end of the first end and the second end back toward the center of the back wall. The first end is bent to provide a generally hemispherical distal radius so that the first wall section of the terminal member is aligned substantially parallel to the back wall of the terminal member. The terminal member has opposed, outwardly extending spherical domes formed in a central portion of the back wall and the first front wall at the first end. The second end is bent at less than a hemispherical distal radius so that the second front wall of the second end extends away from the back wall at the second end. The second end has three downwardly depending mounting tabs extending from the back wall, the second front wall and the second end distal radius, respectively. The mounting tabs are spaced to engage mounting slots on a printed circuit board. The second front wall of the second end is urged toward the back wall against the restorative force of the resilient metal strip. The terminal member snaps into position on the printed circuit board with a force moment created by the restorative force generated by the resilient metal strip and to the resistance of the back wall tab and the precluded restorative motion of the displaced second front wall tab. This force moment acts to align and hold the terminal member in a position ready for soldering without the use of special fixtures.

Growing community of inventors

Hanover Park, IL, United States of America

Roger William Lhotak