# Roll Up Freight Doors



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Another question... does anyone know when roll up freight doors began replacing the old hinged or side-sliding types?


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## Wesley Furman (Jan 2, 2008)

Cornell Iron Works began making cast iron building fronts in New York City in the 1830s and 1840s, when merchants began asking for secure outdoor window and door coverings. In 1854, John Black Cornell took out the United States’ first “coil up” door patent. This slat door was counterweighted and connected by vertical rows of rivotted hinges. 
From Wiki, only reference I found. 
Wesley


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Wesley. Hmmmm... "coil up door" - gonna have to look that up.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks to you Wesley, I found this by searching for "coil up door"... never heard it called that before. Thank you!!!










*Lawrence Roll-Up Doors started business in 1925 as The Lawrence Glass Company, a Los Angeles manufacturer of steel sash products. In the next few years, as the window industry changed and the demand for steel sash diminished, the company diversified, became known as The Lawrence Steel Company, and transitioned into a manufacturer of roll-up doors.*
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*Even in its early years, large projects - with large doors - became a common occurrence. An example of early successes was the Matson Terminal project, which included 89 doors of various sizes up to 40 ft. wide.*
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*In 1948, Lawrence became one of the first manufacturers to have a roll-up fire door tested and approved by Underwriters Laboratories. Today, Lawrence provides state-of-the-art fire and smoke control door products - including some of the largest sizes available in the industry.*

*Lawrence Doors*


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's some links.

Engineering News Record c. 1897 - New Freight Station R.R. page-66[/b]

Factory & Industrial Management c. 1922 - Wilson Rolling Steel Doors page-85[/b]

Maintenance of Way Cyclopedia c. 1921 - Rolling Wood Doors For Roundhouses page 840[/b]

Sweet's Catalogue of Building Construction c. 1911 - Kinnear Manufacturing Co. Rolling Steel Door page 560[/b]


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Dwight

Here's a PDF that Mike Reilley saved.

Steve Seitel (MLS - dawgnabbit) - Freight Barn Building Log (PDF 2.39MB)[/b]

EDIT:[/b] File deleted, see posted reply below.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Steve. That's an interesting roof support arrangement too. Looks like Dawg never posted the finished result. I see the horizontal beam, but no support brackets in his last post.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Look at page 3 for the prototype.









And here's my unfinished PDF. (sorry 'bout that)

Steve Seitel (MLS - dawgnabbit) - Freight Barn Flat - Building Log (PDF 1.75MB)[/b] 

EDIT:[/b] OK, fixed the link and the PDF is now the re-worked & edited.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Your link gives "Page not found."


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

OK, link fixed.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Thank you Steve.








You're alright... I don't care WHAT Kevin says!!!


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

No problem. Well, then there're two of us then.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

pssst..... mebbe 3 

nice links... 

John


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Can't get to my EBT book due to the family room/powder room remodeling project. (It's somewhere else in the house while the paint on the bookshelves cures.) Perhaps Kevin will confirm this information. 

EBT had one of these doors over a tunnel portal where ice tended to form over the rails just inside the tunnel. Track was upgrade & ice really caused some bad slipping. There was a telegraph pole set at the proper distance away from the tunnel portal with a switch and a stout pull cord hanging where the hogger could reach it. The hogger yanked the switch as he approached the tunnel. Trains were going slow enough (probably due to the grade) that the door was open by the time the front of the locomotive got there. The conductor gave the cord a second pull as the caboose passed the door switch location. There was enough time for the caboose to get into the tunnel before the door started to close. I suppose there was another switch at the opposite portal, since they would still need to open the door on the return trip.

Now THAT would be a cool animation project for somebody's garden railroad! 

Best, 
David Meashey


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