GB709914A - A new or improved sliding door for vehicle bodies - Google Patents

Abstract

709,914. Doors for vehicles. WEATHERSHIELDS, Ltd., and SMITH, H. A. G. March. 24, 1952 [Dec. 23, 1950; March 29, 1951], Nos. 31328/50 and 7359/51. Class 103(2) A sliding door for a public service or other vehicle, which when closed is flush with the surface of the body, is pivotally mounted adjacent one vertical edge on runners or sliders mounted at the top and bottom of the door and in sliding engagement with guides inclined at a small angle to the plane of the door opening, and the door at or adjacent its other edge carries a vertical shaft or two aligned lengths of shaft rotatably mounted in brackets on the door and adapted be partly rotated by means of a handle on the door. Arms fixed to and extending radially from the shaft have on their free ends pegs or rollers working in bottom channel guides or tracks substantially parallel to the plane of the door opening. In the construction shown, a door 10, Fig. 7, has at one edge an upper 'support comprising a cranked lug 15 welded to a sleeve 16 which is rotatably mounted on a spindle 17 secured to a hanger 19. The hanger is suspended by a stud 20 from a slider 21 which slides on balls 22 on a cage 23 located in a track 24. The track is mounted above the door opening and is inclined with respect to the plane of the door opening. A similarlyinclined track 29, Fig. 4, below the door opening receives a roller 28 mounted on a spring-loaded fork 27 carried by a spindle 25 which is slidably mounted in lugs on a bracket 26 fixed to the door. The door, adjacent to its near edge is provided at the bottom with a short vertical shaft 31, Fig. 3, mounted for angular movement in a bracket 32. The shaft carries an arm 33 provided with a peg 34 on which is a roller 35 within a track 36, and also carries an arm 37 coupled to mechanism operated on opening or closing the door. The track 36 is parallel to the plane of the door opening. A similar mounting is provided near the top of the near edge of the door. The arm 37, Fig. 1, and a similar arm 92 at the top are connected by links 57, 51, respectively, to bell crank bars connected to a vertical slide bar 47 which is operatively connected to the internal and external door handles. When either handle is moved to open the door the bar 47 is raised, the shaft 31 and a similar shaft 38 are moved angularly causing the rear edge of the door to move backwardly, the door then being free to slide clear of the door opening, with the rear edge of the door moving in a plane parallel to the plane of the door opening while the front edge moves in a slightly inclined plane. The door is held in its open or closed position by means of a spring anchorage 63, 64 connected to a bell crank lever 54 connecting the bar 47 to the link 57. The door may be supported at the middle as well as at the top and bottom, a cranked plate 75 fixed fo the door pillar 12 being pivotally connected by a vertical pin to a strap 77 which ispivotally connected to slider 79 working in a longitudinal track 80 fixed to the side of the vehicle.