US2198796A - Door operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1940- w. E. WILLIAMS 2,198,796

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 6, 1938 Snuentor 5727502224: 17/12zm3 f attorney;

- 40 to enable entry to a closed body.

Patented Apr. 30, 1940 Application June 6, 1938. Serial No. 211,984; L

. l l 3 Claims.

;'I'his invention relates to door operating mech anisms of the type used in motor coaches for opening and closing the front entrance door at the curb side of th vehicle from the operators station on the far side of the vehicle. The operating linkage in a preferred embodiment involves a toggle joint arrangement wherein a short lever arm has a fixed pivot mounting near thedrivers "seat and is connected by along linkwith the door for opening and closing the dooras the lever arm is swung manually. i j An object of the invention is toprovide for the mounting of an operating handle on the linkage, if

whichin the door closingposition of the parts is handle to latchedposition. The arrangement is 9 such that both the door opening movement and the door closing movement are natural movements for the operator, the door-being opened by pushing the handle outwardly or away from the operator and the door being closed by pulling the 3 handle inwardly. Because the folded links are securely held the long red may serve safely as a grab rail at the loading platform without danger of throwing open the door; j A further object of the invention is to arrange the linkage so that an overcenter relation is established when the links are extended to hold the door open.

A still further object is to provide latch releasing mechanism operable from outside the vehicle Additional objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following specification having reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure l is a top plan view of the door controlling mechanism with'a forward portion of the body shown in horizontal section; Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the toggle linkage and associated parts; Figure 3 is a detail plan view of the latch striker plate mounting with partsin section as on line 33 of Figure 4 and Figures 4 and 5 are side and end elevations looking in the direction of the arrows online 4-4 and on line 5-5, respectively, of Figure 2. In the drawingthe reference numeral 1 indicates the panel just below the windshield in the locked securely against accidental release and whose release is effected in the hands of the opframing element and may consist, for example, of an aluminum casting and afiords a horizontal shelf located about waist high above the floor 3.

The floor 3 at the front of the vehicle and. toone UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" I front wall of a motor coach and 2 is astructural side of the longitudinal center line constitues a loading platform leading from the door opening in the side wall of the coach. This opening normally is closed by a door 4 shown as being of the Q I hinged type hinged at 5 at its forward edge. In spaced relation to the axis ofthehinge 5 and near its free edge the door 4 carries abracket 5 to which is pivoted an adjustable end connection of a drag link or tie rod 1 which extends in- 1 'wardly and constitutes a part of the toggle linkage connected at its inner end with the shelf 2 and located at a convenient height to alford a hand grip for any passenger standing on the loading platform 3 when the door is closed.

At its inner end the long rod 1 is threaded into a yoke 8 and held by a jam nut 9 and which yoke is secured by an elbow II] in the eye of a short swinging arm I l pivoted to the casting 2 near the vehicle center line. The pivotal mounting includes apin l2 fixed to the casting 2 and projected upwardly through an eye on the end of the arm ll, there being small rollers l3 between the pin and eye to afford an anti-friction bearing. Similar anti-friction elements I4 are interposed between the eye on the free end of the lever I I and the vertical pin l5 of the elbow l0, affording a pivoted connection between the links. The hori-' zontal leg l6 of the elbow I0 is shouldered and projects through the yoke member 8 secured thereon by a cap nut ll. Pivoted in the yoke and onthe leg l5 is-a lever l8 having its upwardly extending arm terminating in a hand grip or ball [9. while its downwardly extending arm 20 coop for engagement with the lever during the door closing operation, the camming action serving to rock the lever about its fulcrum pin I6 until the end of the ear 23 is reached when the lever snaps into latched position under influence of a spring pressed detent bearing on the lever above the fulcrum point and being in the nature of a headed pin ,25 slidably mounted in an opening of the yoke 8 and pushed outwardly by a coil spring 26.

The 4 taneously swings the arm in Figure 1, the jointbetween the-links is just beyond dead center relation so that the doo'r'is' held in open position and against. any closing efiort exertedon the door. To close the door the operator pulls on the knob is causing the links to fold until the arm" H engages with the} stop 21 carried by the casting'Zand the partsare' again latched by the cooperativeengagementof the leg Zllwith the striker plate 2|.

As an additional latch releasing agency there 1 isprovided the pivoted pawl 28 whose path of -movement intersects the locked positionof the legZfl and which has an elongated slot v2B to receivethe dependent pin 30 on the end of a swing- .251

ingarmjl pivoted in the mounting boss32 on the casting .2." Thisai'm 3| has pinned. thereto an, operating plunger 33 which extends through an opening inthewall panel I anditerminates in a roundedhead orbutton 34 which is of such size and finishfas'to be an inconspicuous part of the front wall This plunger also. has an abutm'ent collar 35 formed thereon to engage thein- ,terior of the panelv Land a coil spring36 serves to hold the collar 35 in its .p'rojectedl position.

Should, the button 3,4 bedepressed itwill swing the arm 3| inwardly; which in turnfrocks "the pawl 28 thereby moving the leg 20 clear of the striker plate 2| and with the release of the latch the door 4 may be swung open. With this arrangement the door can be held shut when the vehicle is not inuse and furthermore the door can be opened in the event the operator inside the vehicle accidentally becomes disabled.

I claim:

l'ZfIria'iclos'ed' vehicle having a door, folding li'nkslocated interiorly of the vehicle for opening the door by the extension of the links, a linkoperating lever privotally mounted on one of the links, a striker plate engageable by said lever for locking the links in folded door closing relation and means operable from outside the vehicle to swing "said'l'ever out of engagement with the striker plate. 4

.2..In a motor-.vehicle having a door, folding links for operating the door, an L-shaped pin having one leg secured to the end of one of the said pivotal'mounting, a hand lever pivotally carried by one of the legs of said L-shaped pin for latching engagement with the striker and spring means active on the lever to resist unlatching.

. 3-111 avehicle having an outwardly opening hinged closure member, a pair of folding links .operably connected therewith, a pivot joint between adjacent ends of said links arranged in over-center relation .for member open position with the linksunfolded; anda releasable latch carried by; saidjoint to retain the links in folde member closed position.

,WILLIA E. WILLIAMS.

, links and .the other leg pivotally connected to the. companion link, a fixed pivotal mounting for one of. the links, a latch. striker in fixed relation to

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