US2538429A

US2538429A - Horizontally divided door

Info

Publication number: US2538429A
Application number: US585172A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gordon M Schantz
Original assignee: Mack Manufacturing Corp
Current assignee: Mack Manufacturing Corp
Priority date: 1945-03-27
Filing date: 1945-03-27
Publication date: 1951-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1968-01-16

Description

Jan. 16, 1951 G. M. SCHANTZ HORIZONTALLY DIVIDED DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1945 Jan. 16, 1951 G. M. SCHANTZ HORIZONTALLY DIVIDED DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1945 3 0/ J 7 wo w M M S 0 M ,w J 0 Wm G Jan. 16, 1951 sc -rz 2,538,429

HORIZONTALLY DIVIDED DOOR Filed March 27, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet s v I N V EN TOR.

60P0m/M SCH/4W 7 2 1 14 TTO/P/VZYS' position.

Patented Jan. 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .HORIZONTALLY DIVIDED DOOR Gordon M. ,Schantz, Allentown, Pa., assignor to Mack Manufacturing Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 27, 1945, Serial No. 585,172

1 7 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to doors for motor vehicles and embodies, more specifically,

an improved form of folding door providing a minimum of obstruction when moved to its open More particularly, the invention relates to folding doors for use on motor vehicles wherein a plurality of door sections are provided which,

in a closed position, conform generally to the vide a vehicle door having a plurality of vertically spaced sections as well as a plurality of horizontally arranged sections, the vertically spaced sections'lying in intersecting planes.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a door of the above character, connecting means to pivot the several section thereof together to provide a complete closure.

, Further objects of the invention will appear as it is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a view in front elevation showing a door constructed in accordance with the'present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial view in'section showing the structure by means of which the edge of the door remote from-the hinge is guided from open to closed positions;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation showing the profile of the door and its relation to the vehicle step well;

Figure 4 is a view in section, taken on the line 4-4, of Figure 1, and looking; in the direction of the arrows, showing the yielding non-metallic hinge structure between the upper and lower door panels; Figure 5 is a top View of the door structure,

Referring to the above drawings, the side of a motor vehicle is illustrated at It, being the profile of the side curved outwardly in accordance with the side surface conformation of a vehicle body when streamlined on its sides. In order that the door may occupy a minimum of space exteriorly or interiorly of the vehicle and conform closely to the shape of the side wall of the vehicle, the door is formed with portions that lie in intersecting planes. For example, Figure 3 illustrates the profile of the door in which the lower upper sections generally at I2.

sections are illustrated generally at H, and the These sections are connected together at the intersections of the planes thereof by means of a yielding hinge connection l3. Within the vehicle body steps M are provided in a suitable step well, in accordance with standard vehicle practice.

In order that the door sections may occupy as little space as possible and project as little as possible from the side of the vehicle when open, the door structure is preferably formed of two doors i5 and I6, as illustrated in Figure 1. Inasmuch as the structure of the doors [5 and it are identical, only one of them need be described.

With reference to door I5, it willbe seen that it is formed of two upper sections i1 and I8, respectively, hinged together by a hinge I9, and

two lower sections 20 and 2| hinged together by means of a hinge 22.

Section I! is provided with hinged brackets 23, which are secured to an operating shaft 24, while section 20 is provided with similar hinge brackets 25, which are secured to an operating shaft 26.

Shafts

24 and 26 lie in the planes of 1311811 351060- tive upper and lower door sections and are connected together by means of a universal joint v 2 1, shown in detail in Figure 6. Rotation of either

shaft

24 or 26 about its axis thus rotates the other shaft about its axis, and the door sections I1 and 251 are thus swun upon the ax s of the

respective shafts

24 and 26. Any suitable means (not shown) for opening and closing the doors may be connected to either of the shafts and preferably to the shaft 24.

A continuous flexible closure strip 28 is secured to the outer edge of the sections it and 2 l, the strip preferably being of flexible material to permit the relative motion between sections 15 and during rotationof the

operating shafts

24 and 26. to secure the sections l5 and 2! together, and also serves as a gasket for sealing the door opening when the doors are in closed position.

The flexible material 28 thus serves In order that the remote edges of the sections l and 2| may be guided from the closed to the open position, as shown in Figure 5, a bracket 29 is secured to the upper and outer portion of the section I5. Bracket 29 is formed with a pivot shaft 36 upon which a guide roller 3| i journaled. Guide roller Si is received within a U-shaped track 32, secured to the upper face 3;3o'f the'door opening. In this fashion, when shaft 24 is operated to swing the door section I! into the open position, illustrated in Figure 5, the hinge connection I9 between door sections l5 and l 1 causes the guide roller 3! to move in the track 32 to turn the door section i5 into the op'en positihn il lus a trated in Figure 5, in which it lies ifia'plahe parallel to the plane of the door section IT I In order that a Weather-tight "connection may be preserved between the upper and lower door sections, the hinge connection l3 may consist er a flexible strip 34. This strip is illustrated in detail in Figure 4, and preferably is: formed of a yielding non metallic material such as rubber. The upper and lower extremities of the strip are received within clamp members 35 secured at "35 to the respective door sections. Clamp members 35 receive securing pistes 31 and carrying pins 38 which are received in suitably positioned apertures 39fadjacent the edges of the fleiiible strip 54. In this fashion the flexible strip 34 is inain= tainedin position regardless of the position of the door sections and, being flexible, permits the adjacent corners of the door sections to separate the necessary distance in swinging from the closed to the open position without impairing the weather tight' connection between the upper and lower sections.

While the invention has been described with reference to the specific structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings,- it is not to be limited save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: r

1. A vehicle door comprising. a plurality of vertically spaced sections, means to mount the connection between the shafts, and means to guide the edges of the sections remote from the shafts at like sides of the sections to move the sections from a closed position to an open position' in which the lateral sections lie in planes parallel to each other.

4. An articulated door comprising a plurality of lower sections lying in a common plane when in the closed position, means to hinge the sections together at the adjacent edges thereof, a

"'p iurality of upper sections lying in a common plane when the closed position, the last named. plane intersecting the first named plane,

,yieldihg nan-metallic means to connect the upper and lower sections together hingedly at their adjacent edges, and means to move the sections from acl'os'ed to an open position in which the lateral sections lie in parallel planes.

'5. Ah articulated door comprising a plurality of lowerseotions lying in a common plane when in the closed position, means "to hinge the secn her at the adjacent edges thereof, a ity '0 upper sections lying in a conirnon plan-e when mine closed position, the last named plane intersecting the first named plane, yield" ing hon' etal-lic means to connect the upper and lower s tions ageing hingedly at their adjacent edges, operating shafts for the upper and lower sections, a universal connection between the shafts, and means to guide the edges of the sections remote from the shafts to move the see tions from a closed position to an open position in which the lateral sections lie in panes aralll to each other.

6. Ah articulated door comprising a plurality of lower sections lying in a common plane when in t'he'closed position, means to hinge the sections together at the adjacent. edges thereof, a plurality of upper sections lying in a common plane sections to lie in intersecting planes when in the 3 closed position, means to connect the sections hingedly at the adjacent edges thereof, operating shafts lying in the planes of the respective sections, and means to interconnectcertain of said shafts operatively at the line of the intersection of said "planes. I v

2. An articulated door comprising a "plurality of lower sections lying in a common plane when in the closed position, means to hinge the sections together at the adjacent edges thereof, a plurality of upper sections lying in acornrhon plane when in the closed position, thella'st named plane intersecting the first named plane, means to connect the upper and lower section's together hingedly attheir adjacent edges, and means to move the sections from a closed to an open "posi; tion in which the 1atera1 sections lie in parauel planes.

3. An articulated door comprising a plurality of lower sections lying in a "common plane when in the closed position, means to hinge the sec tions together at the adjacent edges thereof, a plurality of upper sections lying in a "common plane when in the closed position, the last named plane intersecting the first named plane, means to connect the upper and lower sections together hingedly at their adjacent edges, operating shafts for the upper and lower sections; a universal r lel planes.

when in the closed position, means to hinge the latter section's together at the adjacent "edges thereof; said last=named plane intersecting said first nam'ed plane, means to connect the corresponding upper and lower sections together hingedly at their adjacent edges, and means to move all of the sections from a closed to an open position in which the lateral sections lie in parallel planes.

7. An articulated door comprising a plurality of lower sections lying in a common plans when in a closed position, a plurality of upper sections lying in a common plane when in the closed posi tion, the last-named plane intersecting the firstnamed pl'a-na'means' to hinge the upper sections together at the adjacent edges thereof, means to connect the upper and lower sections together hingedly at their adjacent edges, and means to move all of the sections from a closed to an open position in which the lateral sections lie in paral GGRDON M. SC-HANTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent? sT'ATE'S' smears Number Name Date v 788,761 Erwood i May 2, 1905 1,282,685 Goldhan l Oct. 22, 1918 2,274,047 Derman Feb. 24, 1942