US3230585A

US3230585A - Doors

Info

Publication number: US3230585A
Application number: US196171A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marsh Harry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-05-26
Filing date: 1962-05-21
Publication date: 1966-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-25
Also published as: DE1430184A1; GB1078822A; GB1017394A

Description

H. MARSH Jan. 25, 1966 DOORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1962 A r TORNE y H. MARSH Jan. 25, 1966 DOORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1962 M/vE/vmg w W zzZ'Y ATro/amsn H. MARSH Jan. 25, 1966 DOORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 21, 1962 lNVE/VTOR fiat-A A TTORNE yj Jan. 25, 1966 H. MARSH 3,230,585

noons Filed May 21, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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l/V l/ENTOR A TTORNE y;-

H. MARSH Jan; 25, 1966 DOORS Filed May 21', 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 way yW m Z. V

United States Patent 3,230,585 DOORS Harry Marsh, 13 Bideford Road, South Ruislip, England Filed May 21, 1962, Set. No.-196,171 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 26, 1961, 19,149/ 61 14 Claims. (Cl. -19) The present invention relates to doors. It is particular- 1y, but not exclusively, suitable for application to the doors of vehicles, and more especially motor vehicles.

In a variety of circumstances it is desirable to provide a vehicle with a sliding door rather than a conventionally hinged door, for example for reasons of safety or space saving, but the fitting of sliding doors is attended by special diificulties relating to neatness of appearance and convenience of fitting to conventional wall or bodywork constructions for the vehicle in question. Thus in the case of motor cars, and especially private cars, the substitution of a sliding door for a hinged door raises problems which have hitherto been solved only by substantial modification of the portions of the bodywork surrounding the door opening. The necessity for such modifications is a serious drawback, since at the present time it is customary for the bodywork to be constituted by metal pressings and alteration of the profile of these is a very costly matter.

The present invention provides a sliding door construction which is not dependent for satisfactory operation on a particular conformation of the portions of the structure surrounding the door opening. The construction also facilitates the provision of a sliding door which is flushfitting in the closed position.

According to the present invention a sliding door construction comprises a door supported for sideways movement between the closed and open positions by means including a load-bearing member which is movable along or parallel and adjacent to the line of the door opening and supports one side edge of the door in a manner permitting movement of the said edge in a direction normal to the line of the opening.

In the preferred door constructions, the said side edge of the door is supported in such a manner that an initial pivotal movement from the completely closed position is permitted, and this may be ensured by including a hinge element in the means supporting the said side edge. Guide means are preferably provided which when the door is moved sideways away from the closed position cause the said side edge to be displaced from alignment with the portions of the structure adjacent to the door opening.

In one form of construction the load-bearing member is a pillar movable along or parallel to the line of the door opening, and the said side edge of the door is connected to the pillar by a hinged extendable load-bearing linkage. In an alternative construction the load-bearing member is a platform movable along or parallel to the bottom of the door opening and the said side edge of the door is supported by a rigid arm pivotally mounted on the door and supported by a wheel or the like movable across the platform to permit the movement of the edge of the door normal to the line of the opening, the guide means being arranged to swing the arm in a horizontal plane from a lesser to a greater inclination with the line of the Patented Jan. 25, 1966 door opening when the door is opened. In this construction the arm is preferably also pivotally connected to the platform itself at the side thereof remote from the door. If means are provided to lock the rigid arm to the adjacent structure when the (10201 is shut, the door can then be opened as a conventional hinged door pivoting about the pivotal connection between the arm and the door.

The displacement of the door from alignment as aforesaid is conveniently achieved by providing a rigid connecting member connected to the door and provided with a follower movable along a track which governs the path traced by the door, the conformation of which is such that the door is displaced in the manner aforesaid when it is moved from the closed position. The connecting member may be rigidly fixed to the door. Alternatively, the member may be in the form of a lever pivotally connected by one end to the door and bearing the follower at its opposite end. In the alternative construction referred to in the preceding paragraph such a lever may be constituted by the rigid arm, the pivotal connection to the platform being the fulcrum, and the arm being extended beyond the connection to the platform to carry the follower at its further end.

It is preferable that means should be provided to guide and, if desired, support to some extent the other side edge of the door during the movement of the door between the closed and open positions. Such means may comprise a wheel or roller or rollers mounted in a swivel frame on the door and running on a track provided on that portion of the structure adjacent to the door opening past Which-the said other side edge of the dooFpasses when the door is opened. Alternatively, a roller or rollers may be mounted adjacent to the other side edge of the door and the face of the door be provided with a track in which the rollers run as the door is moved sideways.

An outstanding advantage of door constructions according to the invention is that the fabric of the door itself is not aifected by the provisions of the invention, and doors of conventional pattern in their respective spheres can be utilized, the hanging of the door being in effect transferred from hinges on the door jamb to the supporting means associated with the load-bearing member. In the case of a motor vehicle, this means that a door construction according to the invention can be virtually identical in appearance to a conventional hinged door, at least from the outside of the vehicle. Moreover, since it can be arranged that the initial movement from, and the final movement to, the closed position is a pivotal one, a conventional slam lock and conventional sealing strips and related fittings can be utilized.

Since at least a considerable part of (and, if desired, substantially all) the weight of the door is carried by the load-bearingmember, which can be supported, and in the case of a pillar maintained in an upright disposition, solely from below, and the guide means can likewise be provided at the bottom of the door, the invention can be employed to provide a vehicle door suspended and guided solely by means provided at the bottom and side of the door opening, and moreover one which on being opened is moved outboard to a sufficient extent to clear the adjacent bodywork of the vehicle. It follows that the door can be used under conditions where top supports or guides 3 a are impossible, for example in open or drop-head cars. It also follows that the door can be of the same thickness and external contour as the side Walls of the vehicle, and fit flush therewith in the closed position, as do the conventional hinged doors of private cars at the present time.

On the other hand, when a door according to the invention is used in a motor vehicle with a permanent, rigid top or roof structure, for example a saloon car or closed van, the load-bearing member can be extended upwards to the whole height of the door opening and an additional guide provided for it above the opening.

In designing new vehicles to use the present door construction, advantage may be taken of the fact that a longer door opening is feasible when the present sliding door is used, as compared with a conventional hinged door. The opening can extend almost to the wheel arch, and is of value in facilitating entry into the rear seats of 2-door cars, where the use of the door construction according to the invention may remove the necessity for seat-tipping.

The door can readily be adapted for powered operation, by either hydraulical or electrical power. For example, it can be arranged that the powered operation is initiated as soon as the door is moved from its fully closed or fully open position.

. When a door construction according to the invention is used other than in a motor vehicle, for example when it is used in a building or vessel, it may be found more convenient to provide the guide means wholly above the door opening where they will not interfere with passage through the door, and it may also be convenient for the load-bearing member to be carried wholly or partly by an overhead suspension, for example a rail likewise mounted above the door opening.

Three examples of door construction embodying the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a first embodiment as applied to a rearwardly opening offside door of a motor vehicle,

FIG. 2 is a partial section of the offside of the vehicle showing the door construction in rear elevation,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views, corresponding respectively to FIGS. 1 and 2, of a second embodimerit similarly applied to a motor vehicle, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are corresponding views of a third embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a motor vehicle having a bottom 10 and a side wall 11 has a door opening provided with a sill topped by a plate 12. A vertical pillar 13 in the form of an inverted T is movable along the line of the door opening, on a roller 14 mounted on a ball or roller hearing at the lower end of the upright portion 15 of the pillar, the roller running on the surface of the plate 12. The upright portion 15 of thepillar is integral with a horizontal member 16 forming the cross-piece of the T, and the member 16 is horizontally reciprocable in the channel guide 17. The channel guide 17 should offer as little frictional resistance as possible to the movement of the pillar 13 along the door opening and one may employ, for example, a channelsection ball race 18 of known type extending the length of the door opening and a complementary race on the horizontal member 16, the races cooperating through upper and lower rows of balls 19 imprisoned in a floating cage.

An additional safeguard against inward tilting of the pillar 13 is provided by an inwardly directed flange 20 which extends beneath the edge of the plate 12. There is only a small clearance between the flange and the plate, but since the pillar carries the weight of the door 21, the flange is normally out of contact with the plate and no frictional resistance then arises. Tapered

dowels

22 and 23 provided on opposite sides of the upright portion 15 engage tapered holes 24 in the jambs of the door opening to locate positively the pillar 13 in its extreme closed and open positions respectively. The upper end of the pillar is thus unsupported by the bodywork of the vehicle only at intermediate positions along the door opening. Alternatively, tapered dowels may be provided at either door jamb, corresponding apertures being formed in the pillar 13.

Attached to the upright portion 15 of the pillar are upper and lower three-leaf Z hinges 25. The intermediate leaves of the hinges are interconnected by a stout plate 26 and the remote leaves 27 are fixed to the leading edge of the door 21. The plate 26 gives the rigidity of a Wide hinge without the expense of providing such a hinge, and the edge of the door is thus maintained in a vertical disposition. The Z hinges 25 should not be capable of opening to a completely linear disposition as this renders the door difficult to move from the fully open position.

A rigid bracket 30 projects from the underside of the door near its leading edge and is fixed to the structure of the leading-edge and covered by the facing panel to preserve the external appearance of the door. The bracket 30 curves in under the side 11 of the vehicle and carries on a ball bearing at its end a follower wheel 31 movable in a channel section guide track 32 fixed to the bottom 10 of the vehicle. The leading end of the guide track 32 is relatively inboard, the rear end being beneath the side 11.

The rear edge of the door is guided by a pair of grooved nylon Wheels 33 running on opposite sides of a T-section rail 34 attached to the vehicle. The wheels 33 are carried on a swivel frame 35'which is mounted for rotation in a bracket 36 fixed to the door 21, the pivotal axis of the frame intersecting the axes of the wheels 33. The T-rail can be constituted by a decorative moulding provided along the side of a vehicle, as is common on vehicles at the present time, and should be continued round the reveal 37 at the rear side of the door opening. The weight of the door is taken almost wholly by the pillar 13 together with the bracket 30, and the wheels 33 and rail 34 need serve only as guides.

The external appearance of the door may be enhanced by providing overlapping portions 38 of the facing panel at the side and lower edges. A conventional slam lock is fitted at the rear end of the door, but is for clarity omitted from the drawing.

In operation the door 21 in the closed (forward) position is in line with the door opening, and the Z hinge 25 is retracted, the door being drawn inwards by the bracket 30 in cooperation with the inboard forward end of the guide track 32. The pillar is locked to the jarnb by the dowel 22, and the rear edge of the door is retained by the slam lock. The door, hinge and bracket in the closed position are shown in FIG. 1 in chain-dotted lines.

The door is opened by releasing the lock and swinging the rear edge of the door open in the normal way, the front edge of the door pivoting about the outer of the hinge pins. When the wheels 33 reach the outer corner of the door opening, the swinging movement is checked, and the door is then slid to the rear, the follower 31 being forced outboard by the guide track 32 to extend the Z hinge25 until the door 21 is suspended wholly outboard of the vehicle, being said against the side 11 of the vehicle by the wheel 33 on the rail 34. Continued rearward movement fully opens the door, and in this position the pillar '13 is looked to the rear jamb of the door opening by the dowel 23. On shutting the door, the front edge is brought in by the bracket 30 as the pillar 13 nears the end of its travel, and the final movement, with the Z hinge fully retracted, is a pivotal closing movement of the rear edge of the door, during which the slam lock is engaged.

It will be seen that to install in an existing vehicle a door as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 no substantial modification of the bodywork or of the fabric of the door is required, and in particular no alteration in the profile of any pressing. The only preparation necessary is the provision of the channel guide 18 on the inner face of the sill, two holes in the jambs for the entry of the dowels 22 and 23 (or, alternatively, two dowels themselves), the curving guide 32 beneath the vehicle, a top plate 12 for the weight-carrying roller to run on (if such a plate is not already present), and a rail 34 to serve as a guide for the rear edge of the door. For the provision of the last named feature, it may be sufficient merely to ensure that any decorative moulding present is of adequate strength and appropriate shape for the purpose.

The slight flexibility of the door mounting makes it possible for the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to be satisfactorily used with preexisting vehicles in which the moulding line falls slightly towards the rear of the vehicle.

When used in a vehicle having a rigid roof structure, the door construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be modified by extending the pillar 13 to the top of the door opening and providing there a sliding member and guide corresponding to the member 16 and guide 17 shown in the figures at the foot of the opening.

The construction shown in 'FIGS. 3 and 4 is a modification of that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and for the sake of brevity only those parts in which it differs from the first embodiment will be described in detail. Parts common to the two constructions have the same reference numerals.

At the rear edge of the door opening a bracket 40 screwed to the inner face of the wall 11 of the car carries a pivoted plate 41 to which is hinged an outer plate 42 carrying a pair of horizontally spaced rollers 43. A horizontal slot in the inner face of the door 21 gives access to a rail 44 of channel form in which the rollers 43 run. A guide roller 45 is mounted on a vertical axis at the rear edge of the door. The hinge structure comprising the two hinged

plates

41 and 42 is movable between a collapsed position (shown in FIG. 3 in chaindotted lines) and an extended position (shown in full lines) in which the outer plate 42 is firmly located by a peg 46 which seats in a corresponding socket in the outer face of the side wall 11 of the vehicle. In the collapsed position the peg is received by a hole in the plate 41.

The operation of this door is similar to that of the door shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an initial pivotal movement of the door from the closed position being followed by extension of the Z hinges 25 under the control of the guide track 32 cooperating with the follower 31. At the same time the rear edge of the door, guided by the now extended

hinge structure

41, 42 passes alongside the wall 11. When the door is closed, and the rollers 43 reach the end of their travel on the rail 44, the peg 46 is withdrawn from the socket in the wall 11 and after the tapered dowel 22 has entered the recess 24, the door is finally shut by a pivotal movement, while the

hinge structure

41, 42 moves to its collapsed position.

The construction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is especially useful when a heavy door is to be fitted, since the rollers 43 and hinge

structure

41, 42 possess much greater loadbearing capabilities than the moulding rail 34 and swivel frame 35 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and can take some of the load off the pillar 13.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bottom of the door opening is traverse by a low platform 50 of quadrant plan, the main weight of which is borne by a roller 51 which runs below the level of the sill of the door opening. The inner edge of the platform has a vertical flange 52 which is reciprocable in the channel guide 17, as before. Pivoted about a vertical axis in the platform in the region of the flange 52 is a cranked lever 53, the upper arm of which is pivotally connected to the front edge of the door 21 by means of a shaft 54 fixed to the arm and passing through bushes 55 mounted in the door. The arm supports virtually the whole weight 6 of the door and this is borne by a roller 56 which runs on the upper surface of the platform 50.

The lower arm of the cranked lever 53 carries a roller follower 57 sliding along a channel-section cam track 58 fixed to the floor 10 of the vehicle. The cam rail does not extend so far in the direction of the front of the vehicle as the path of travel of the platform 50.

At the rear edge of the door a pair of grooved wheels 33 are mounted on a swivel frame carried by a swing arm 61, and a rail 34 is provided to guide the wheels along the outside of the wall 11 of the vehicle. The rail is continued round the rear edge of the door opening, but terminates at the inner edge 62 of the reveal. In the closed position of the door, (as shown by a chain-dotted line) the wheels 33 run clear of the rail 34, but the arm 61 is spring biassed into the position where, when the door is reopened, the wheels will run into engagement with the rail. The arm can, however, be swung back so that the rear edge of the door can be moved open without engagement of the wheels with the rail. As an alternative to spring bias, the arm 61 may be arranged for over-centre switching movement between the two extreme positions.

At the front edge of the door opening a socket 63 is provided to accommodate a tapered dowel 64 mounted at the front edge of the door, and a reciprocable locking pin 65, which can be inserted into the dowel to retain it in the socket, is controlled by a helical wedge and handwheel 66. The dowel 64 is arranged to allow pivotal movement of the door about the shaft 54 when the dowel is locked in the socket 63. For example, a swivelling mounting for the dowel may be provided on the door, or the dowel may be in a fixed relationship to the shaft 54 provided the conformation of the track 58 ensures that on engage-ment of the dowel with the socket the movement of the door is wholly in the axial direction of the socket. The portion of the outer side wall of the vehicle adjacent to the front edge of the door opening is rebated and radiused at 67 to permit the door to be swung about the shaft 54.

In normal sliding operation, the grooved wheels 33 are positioned to engage the rail, and the locking pin 65 is withdrawn. When the door is moved from the closed position (shown in chain-dotted lines) on releasing for example a conventional slam lock (not shown) at the rear edge of the door, the door pivots about the shaft 54 until the wheels 33 running on the rail 34 reach the outer edge of the reveal. Thereafter the door is slid rearwards and the conformation of the cam track 58 causes the lever 53 to pivot about its axis in the flange 52 of the plat-form 50, and the front edge of the door is moved outboard, the roller 56 running across the platform as the platform itself moves along the door opening towards the rear of the vehicle.

If, when the door is shut, the locking pin 65 is inserted in the dowel 63 to retain the front edge of the door against the jamb of the opening, while the arm 61 is moved to its position where the wheels 33 are not disposed to engage the rail 34, the door can be opened from the rear edge of the door opening as a hinged door, the shaft 64 serving as a hinge pin.

This alternative mode of operation is especially valuable in emergencies when the normal sliding movement is prevented by damage to the vehicle, and where regulations prescribe that certain types of vehicle shall be provided with a door which opens outwards.

It will be under-stood that although these three embodiments have been described in terms of rearwardly opening side doors in motor vehicles, the same constructions could be used for forwardly sliding side doors or rear doors in motor vehicles or in other contexts such as rail or other vehicles, vessels or aircraft.

What is claimed is:

1. A sliding door assembly comprising: wall structure defining a door opening; a pillar comprising an elongated element substantially vertically disposed; reciprocable support means mounted on said wall structure adjacent the lower edge of said opening said support means providing the sole support for said pillar, maintaining said pillar in a generally vertical disposition and permitting horizontal movement of said pillar between the extremities of said opening; a door having leading and trailing edges; and hinge means hinging the trailing edge of said door to said pillar at vertically spaced points, for permitting at least an initial pivotal movement of said door from its closed position to move the leading edge of said door out of said door opening whereafter said door can by movement of said pillar be moved sideways in the direction of its leading edge towards its open position.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 including cooperating guide means respectively mounted on said wall structure adjacent the extremity of said opening past which said door moves and on said door, whereby said door is guided in its sideways movement.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 including a collapsible hinge structure mounted on said wall structure at the extremity of said opening past which said door moves; a track secured to the face of said door which is opposed to said structure in the open position; and wheel means on said hinge structure and running on said track, said hinge structure being collapsed when said door is shut and extending during said initial pivotal movement, whereafter said Wheel means and track guide said door in its sideways movement.

4. A sliding door assembly comprising: wall structure defining a door opening; a pillar comprising an elongated element substantially vertically disposed; means supporting said pillar for reciprocal movement between the extremities of said opening; a door having leading and trailing edge-s; hinge means hinging said trailing edge to said pillar at vertically spaced points; and means displacing said hinge means in a direction out of the plane of said door opening during movement of said door towards its open position.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 in which said displacing means comprises: a cam track secured on said Wall structure extending generally parallel to the movement of said pillar and of varying spacing from the plane of said opening; and a follower connected to said door and movable along said cam track as said door is moved between its open and closed positions, said hinge means including an extendable load-bearing linkage.

6. An assembly according to claim 4 including a platform movable between the extremities of said door opening, said displacing means comprising a cam track secured on said wall structure extending generally parallel to the movement of said pillar and of varying spacing from the plane of said opening, said pillar being cranked at its lower end and pivotally supported about a .vertical axis on said platform, the lower end of said pillar being provided with a follower movable along said track as said door is moved between its open and closed positions.

7. A sliding door assembly comprising: wall structure defining a door opening; a pillar comprising an elongated element substantially vertically disposed; means supporting said pillar for reciprocal movement between the extremities of said door opening, a door having trailing and leading edges; hinge means hinging the trailing edge of said door to said pillar at vertically spaced points; a track fixed to said wall structure adjacent the extremity of said opening past which said door moves and extending in a direction away from said opening; and wheel means on an axis pivotally connected to the leading edge of said door and running on said track; whereby an initial pivoting movement of said door from its closed position is permitted whereafter said door can be moved sideways in the direction of said leading edge towards the open position, said wheel means and said track guiding said door in its sideways movement.

8. A sliding door assembly comprising: wall structure defining a door opening; a' pillar comprising an elongated 8 element substantially vertically disposed; means supporting said pillar for reciprocal movement between the extremities of said door opening; a door having trailing and leading edges; vertically spaced hinge means hinging the trailing edge of said door to said pillar; wheel means; a support element hinged at the extremity of said opening past which said door moves; means mounting said wheel means on an axis pivotally connected to said support element; and a track secured on that face of said door which opposes said structure in the open position, said wheel means running on said track; whereby an initial pivoting movement of said door from its closed position is permitted whereafter said door can be moved sideways in the direction of said leading edge towards the open position, said wheel means and said track guiding said door in its sideways movement.

9. A sliding door assembly comprising: wall structure defining a door opening; a platform reciprocably movable between the extremities of said opening; an elongated pillar cranked at its lower end and pivotally supported about a vertical axis on said platform; a door having leading and trailing edges and hinged at vertically spaced points by its trailing edge to said pillar; a cam track fixed to said structure extending generally parallel to the movement of said platform and of varying spacing from the plane of said opening; and a follower connected to the lower end of said pillar and movable along said track as said door is moved between its open and closed position; whereby an initial pivoting movement of said door from its closed position is permitted, whereafter said door can be moved sideways in the direction of its leading edge towards said open position, the configuration of said cam track displacing said pillar and the trailing edge of said door from the plane of said opening during said movement.

10. An assembly according to claim 9 including locking means to lock said pillar when said door is fully closed to the adjacent portion of said wall structure; whereby said door can be opened at will both by sideways movement and by hinging movement about said pillar.

11. A sliding door assembly comprising:

wall structure defining a door opening;

a platform reciprocably movable between the extremities of said opening;

an elongated pillar cranked at its lower end and pivotally supported about a vertical axis on said platform;

a door having leading and trailing edges and hinged at vertically spaced points by its trailing edge to said pillar;

and a cam track and follower mechanism connected between the lower end of said pillar and said wall structure, said follower being movable relative to said track during movement of said door between its open andclosed positions;

whereby an initial pivoting movement of said door from its closed position is permitted, whereafter said door can be moved sideways in the direction of its leading edge towards saidopen position, the configuration of said cam track displacing said pillar and the trailing edge of said door from the plane of said opening during said movement.

12. An assembly according to claim 11 including cooperating guide means respectively mounted on said wall structure adjacent the extremity of said opening past which said door moves and on said door, whereby said door is guided in its sideways movement.

13. A sliding door assembly comprising:

wall structure defining a door opening;

a pillar comprising an elongated element substantially vertically disposed;

means supporting said pillar for reciprocal movement between the extremities of said door opening;

a door having leading and trailing edges;

and vertically spaced hinge means hinging the trailing edge of said door to said pillar;

9 so permitting at least an initial pivotal movement of the door from the closed position to move the leading edge of said door out of said door opening Whereafter said door can by movement of said pillar be moved sideways in the direction of its leading edge towards the open position. 14. A sliding door assembly according to claim 13 including a support track secured along the lower edge of said Opening;

and wheeled support means running on said support 10 track; said pillar being mounted on said wheeled support means and maintained rigidly thereby in a generally vertical disposition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,712,562 5/1929 Jeifers 296-471 2,839,331 6/1958 Smith 20--19 X FOREIGN PATENTS 389,061 5/ 1931 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Wegmann, German Application No. 1,082,509, printed May 25, 1960. (K1. 63c44).

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. BEIN, NORTON ANSHER, Examiners.

Claims

1. A SLIDING DOOR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: WALL STRUCTURE DEFINING A DOOR OPENING; A PILLAR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ELEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED; RECIPROCABLE SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID WALL STRUCTURE ADJACENT THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID OPENING SAID SUPPORT MEANS PROVIDING THE SOLE SUPPORT FOR SAID PILLAR, MAINTAINING SAID PILLAR IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL DISPOSITION AND PERMITTING HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PILLAR BETWEEN THE EXTREMITIES OF SAID OPENING; A DOOR HAVING LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES; AND HINGE MEANS HINGING THE TRAILING EDGE OF SAID DOOR TO SAID PILLAR AT VERTICALLY SPACED POINTS, FOR PERMITTING AT LEAST AN INITIAL PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID DOOR FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION TO MOVE THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID DOOR OUT OF SAID DOOR OPENING WHEREAFTER SAID DOOR CAN BY MOVEMENT OF SAID PILLAR BE MOVED SIDEWAYS IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS LEADING EDGE TOWARDS ITS OPEN POSITON.