US3858920A

US3858920A - Vehicle door positioning and locking assembly

Info

Publication number: US3858920A
Application number: US365414A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald Douglas Erickson
Original assignee: MONOCAB Inc
Current assignee: Rohr Inc; MONOCAB Inc
Priority date: 1973-05-31
Filing date: 1973-05-31
Publication date: 1975-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1992-01-07

Abstract

A vehicle door latching arrangement includes a first latch assembly which is adapted to be carried on a door panel to move therewith. A second latch assembly is adapted to be carried on a door frame structure to cooperate with the first latch assembly in securing the door panel in a closed condition. One of the latch assemblies includes a locking member which can be moved between a latched and an unlatched position, the locking member having a cam follower surface and, spaced therefrom, a latching surface. The other of the two latch assemblies includes a carrier member. A cam member is mounted on this carrier member and has leading and trailing cam surfaces which are aligned to engage the cam follower surface upon respective converging and diverging movements between the two latch assemblies. The second-mentioned latch assembly further includes a latch bolt mounted on the carrier member but spaced from the cam member to align with the locking member latch surface. The latch bolt has a bolt surface that mateably engages the latching surface of the locking member in the latched position.

Description

Unitedv States Patent 1191 Erickson I [75] Inventor: Donald Douglas Erickson, Farmers 1 Branch, Tex. [73] Assignee: Monocab, Inc., Garland, Tex. 22 Filed:' May 31,1973

21 1 Appl. No.: 365,414

I [52] 0.8. CI 292/302, 292/254, 292/DIG, 46 [51] Int. Cl. E05c 19/00 [58] Field of Search 292/254, 144, 302, 341,15, 292/34l'.l6, 170, DIG. 46; 49/449; 70/434 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,133,254 3/1915 Backus 292/254 1,144,537 6/1915 Gabriel 292/254 2,614,768 10/1952 Shakespeare, 11.... 292/302x 2,863,690 12/1958 Lewin 292/302 3,002,365 10/1961 Liljequi'sL. 292/302x 3,599,454 8/1971 Hill.....5 70/434 FOREIGN PATENTS oR APPLICATIONS 72,087 9/1929 Sweden 292/302 1,181,879

2/1970 Great Britain 292/302 111' 3,858,920 Jan. 7, 1975 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner Peter A.- Aschenbrenner Attorney, Agent, or FirmOlson, Trexler, Wolters, Bushnell & Fosse, Ltd.

57 ABSTRACT A vehicle door latching arrangement includes a first of the two latch assemblies includes a carrier member.

A cam member is mounted on this carrier member and has leading and trailing cam surfaces which are aligned to engage the cam follower surface upon respective converging and diverging movements between the two latch assemblies. The secondmentioned latch assembly further: includes a latch bolt.

mounted on the carrier member but spaced from the cam member to align with the locking member latch surface. The latch bolt has a bolt surface that mateably engages the latching surface of the locking mem-' her in the latched position.

15 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN W5 -3'.858.920

SHEET HP 3 FIG.2

PATENTEDJAN mrs 3,858,920

sum 30F 5 POSITIONING AND LOCKING ASSEMBLY- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to transportation. ve-

VEI-IICLE DOOR hides and more particularly to latching assemblies for' 'guideways. Moreover, door latching assemblies for overhead vehicles require means for operation by maintenance or other personnel to permit discharge of passengers upon system malfunction. Accordingly, an important object of the present in vention is to provide a safe, secure, dependable latching assembly for use with overhead vehicle door panels. A more general object of the invention is to provide a new and improved door latching assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle door latching assembly which can be mounted inside a vehicular cab yet which can be readily operated by hand from either the cab interior or the exterior in emergency situations. These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION'OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the principles of the invention maybe readily understood, a single embodiment thereof, applied to a dual rail overhead vehicle, but to which the application is not to be restricted, is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a railed vehicle incorporating a door latching assembly constructed in compliance withthe present invention;

provided with a fixed panel side 24 over which a door 26 is arranged to .slide to afford ingress and egress to the passengers. The rails 22 may be fastened to groundaffixed crossties or they maybe mounted overhead as is desired. It will be further understood that the door 26 and its associated latching assembly may be incorporated in other types of vehicles such as, for example, suspended monorail cabs.

Turning to a consideration of FIG. 2, the slidable door 26 is' suspended from a track rod 28 by means of fore and

aft hangers

30 and 32 respectively. The track I rod 28 is mounted in position on the vehicle by means of a forward plate 34 and a suitable number of brackets -36. The plate 34 and the brackets 36 are conveniently fastened to vehicle

structural longeron portions

38, 40 and 42. Lateral, vertical and torsional deflections of cab and door will not cause the door to bind if the door bushings associated with each track rod 28 are carried in spherical mountings 43. In the illustrated embodiment, opening and closing motion of the door 26 in the direction indicated by the doubleheaded arrow 44 is directed by a long-stroke air cylinder or jack 46 which is fastened to the longeron portions 40 and 42 bymeans of brackets 48. This cylinder 46 and other components may, if desired, be conveniently mounted in a service bay in the vehicle top. The operating air for the cylin- FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the door latching assembly of FIG. 1, parts of the vehicular cab being broken away to show details of the construction of the latching assembly;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged view in side .elevation showing the latch parts in the unlatched condition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to the showing of FIG. 3 but illustrating the cooperation of the forward cam surface and the cam follower immediately prior to achievement of the latched condition;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to the showing of FIGS. 3 and 4 but illustrating the latched condition;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view in cross-section and taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to the showing of FIGS. 3-5

but illustrating the action of the trailing cam surface DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings, specifically to FIG. 1, a multi-passenger vehicle 20 is mounted for transit on a pair of spaced rails 22. The vehicle 20 is der 46 is provided by suitable pneumatic circuitry, not shown, through the

airconnections

50 and 52.

If visibility through the

doors

24 and 26 is required, each panel is provided with a glazed opening 54; and in order torestrain the lower edge of the operating 'door 26, a grooved guide 56 is mounted at the edge of the floor of the vehicle to embrace the opposite sides of the lower door edge.

In accordance with the invention, the door latch comprises a first latch assembly 60 which is fastened to the door panel 26 for motion therewith and a second latch assembly 62 fastened to a convenient portion of the door frame structure such as the forward plate 34 to coact with the first latch assembly 60 in securing the door panel 26 in a closed position. It will be understood that, by suitable alteration, the second latch assembly 62 could be mounted uponthe movable door panel 26 and the first latchmeans 60 could be mounted, conversely, upon the fixed door frame.

form of a plate. Actuation of the latch member 64 is' caused by a cam'follower surface 68, embodied as an apertureformed through the plate. A latching surface constitutes a second aperture spaced apart from the cam follower surface 68.

The other latch assembly 60 includes a carrier member 74 here indirectly affixed to the door 26 for motion therewith. Connected for fore and aft motion with a piston rod 76 associated with the actuating air cylinder 46 is a spearlike cam member 78 which is provided with conically shaped leading and trailing

cam surfaces

80 and 82, respectively. As may be envisioned from FIGS. 3-5 and 7, these

cam surfaces

80 and 82 are aligned to engage the cam follower surface 68 formed upon the locking member 64 upon respective relative converging and diverging movements of the first latch assembly 60 and the second latch assembly 62. More specifically, movement of the cam member 78 toward the locking member 64 by the piston rod 76 will cause the leading conical cam surface 80 to engage the locking member cam follower surface 68 and force the locking member 64 upward in the illustrated device, from a lower latching position to an upper unlatching position. As the cam member 78 is pulled away from the second latch assembly 62 by the action of the piston rod 76, the trailing cam surface 82 cooperatively engages the locking-member cam follower surface 68 and forcesthe locking member upwardly from the locking position illustrated in FIG. to the unlocked position illustrated in FIG. 7. It will be noted that the locking member 64 is normally biased into its latched position by a springs 84, as shown in FIG. 6. The latch assembly 60 also includes a latch bolt 86 mounted for motion with the carrier member 74but spaced apart therefrom. A bolt channel surface 88 mateably engages the yoke aperture latching surface 70. When this engagement occurs, the locking member 64 holds the bolt 86 in its latched position and latches the door 26 in its closed position.

In further accordance with the invention, the latch bolt 86 is rigidly mounted upon the carrier. However,

. limited movement between the latch bolt 86 and the cam member 78 is permitted. Here, thislimited relative motion is achieved by joumalling a short pin 90 upon the latch boltand door mounting bracket 92 between the cam member 78 and the piston rod 76. A conical spring 94 or other biasing means is interposed between the mounting bracket 92 and a collar 96 to normallyposition the cam member 78 relatively in advance of the locking bolt 86. Thus, when the door 26 is being moved toward the first latch assembly 60 into a closed position, the cam member 78 first engages the locking member 64 and forces the locking member from its normally locked position into a temporarily unlocked position, thereby permitting the locking bolt 86 to be easily inserted into its locked position in the latch.

Operation of the novel latching assembly is relatively simple, and involves a minimum number of moving parts. Upon actuation of appropriate pneumatic circuitry (not shown), the air cylinder rod 76 is thrust relatively outwardly from the cylinder 46, thereby forcing the first latching assembly 60 toward the second latching assembly 62. As the extended cam member 78 enters the cam follower aperture in the locking member 64, the cam follower surface 68 is forced from its normally latched position to a temporarily unlatched position as previously described. Further closing motion of the second latching means to the left, as seen in FIGS. 3-6 thrusts the latch bolt 68 into the latch aperture 70. Still further motion of the first latch assembly 60 toward the second latch assembly 62 permits the cam member 78 to further move through the locking member 64 thereby permitting the locking member to return to its normally latched position, and causing the locking member latching surface 70 to engage the channel surface formed upon the locking bolt 86.

Latch unlocking is accomplished by. similar easy and economical part motion. Upon actuation of appropriate pneumatic circuitry, the cylinder rod 76 is withdrawn partially into the pneumatic cylinder 46 or moved to the right, as shown in FIG. 7. Such withdrawal motion causes the cam member 78 to be pulled partly through the cam follower surface 68 against the resilient influence of the spring 94. As the trailing cam surface 82 engages the locking member can following surface 68, the locking member 64 is' forced upwardly into its temporarily unlocked position, thereby withdrawing the locking member latching aperture 70 from contact with the bolt latching surface 88. Further withdrawing motion of the piston rod 76 pulls the first latch assembly 60 to the right in FIG. 7 away from the second latch assembly 62 and causes the first latch assembly'60 to move further divergently relative to the second latch assembly 62 and complete withdrawal of the latch bolt 86 and cam member 78 from engagement with the latch member 64.

It is a feature of the invention that this latching mechanism can be easily altered to either cause the door to be locked or, alternatively, to prevent the door from being lockedwhen it is manually pushed into a closed position. If it is desired that the door be locked when it is manually pushed closed, a relatively stiff spring 94 is provided. This stiff spring 94 forces the cam member 78 to complete its travel through the locking plate cam aperture as the door is closed, thereby causing locking action to occur. Conversely, a relatively soft spring 94 will permit the cam member 78 to be forced against the piston rod 76 when .the door is manually closed, thereby preventing the cam member 78 from fully penetrating the locking member 64, and prohibiting latch locking action.

Sensors, in the form of position-responsive electrical switches for example, can be included in the latch device to indicate the condition and operation of the latch and associated vehicle door and, if desired to limit motion of the latch and other parts. As shown in FIG. 2, a first sensor 100 can be mounted to engage the mounting bracket or-any other conveniently located part of the first latch assembly 60 when the first latch assembly is drawn away from the second latch assembly 62. Actuation of this first sensor 100 can be used, if desired, to terminate operation of the door-opening pneumatic circuitry, and to provide an indication upon a control or monitor'panel (not shown) or other means that complete door opening has occurred. A second sensor 102 (See FIG. 3) is provided with a finger. 104 for engaging the cam member 78 and associated collar 96. Actuation of the sensor 102 can be used to energize appropriate electrical or other circuitry (not shown) and indi cate a door closed but unlatched condition upon the control or monitor panel. Further, the signal can be used, if desired, to reduce pneumatic input to the cylinder 46 from a fast opening or closing action to a slower moving action. Such reduction of pneumatic input permits the door to be moved relatively slowly-as it approaches its completely closed and latched position or as it initially moves away from its closed and latched position. This slow motion while the door is near its closed and latched position minimizes wear and'tear on latch, door, and vehicle parts. Part wear can be further inhibited by forming the collar 96 of nylon and by including a Neoprene washer 98 at the opposite end of the pin 90.

A third sensor 106 indicates the latched or alternatively unlatched condition of the associated locking member 64. Yet another sensor 108 engages the tip 110 of the altch bolt 86 and provides an indication that the latch bolt 86lllaaaahas been fully received within the second latch assembly 62. In carrying out the invention, the locking member sensor 106 and the latch bolt sensor 108 can be connected in a series to indicate that the latch bolt has been received in the second latch assembly 62 and that the locking member 64 has been returned to its latching position, thereby indicating a fully secured condition for the latch and associated door 26. Such circuitry can be connected to the vehicle throttle or drive train to prohibit vehicle motion unless the vehicle doors are closed and latched. The circuitry can be conveniently located in a service bay in the aft portion of the vehicle.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, provision is made for unlatching and opening the door 26 by manual action. To this end, an emergency lever l is provided for unlatching and opening the door 26 from inside the vehicle 20. The lever 110 is pivotally mounted to a convenient longeron portion 38, as by a pin 112. A finger 114 is located to engage the tip 118 of the cam-member 78, as may be seen particularly in FIG. 5. A downward pull upon a lever handle 119 (shown in FIG. 3) will correspondingly force the cam member 78 through the locking member cam follower surface 68 in its described unlocking motion, thereby causing unlatching and permitting the door 26 to be opened by appropriate manual. pressure thereupon. Both sides of the air cylinder 46 are vented to the atmo sphere to enable the door to move freely once the door is manually unlocked from either inside or outside the vehicle. It will be noted that no pneumatic or electric power is required to accomplish this manual door opening, thus insuring that the vehicle doors can be opened under emergency conditions. If desired, a sensor (not shown) can be located adjacent the emergency lever 110 to monitor its deactivated position. Should the emergency lever 110 be accidentally or otherwise pulled, thereby unlatching the associated door 26, an appropriate warning switch 120 or other safety device can be activated.

Normally, the handle 110 is held in the up or inactive position by a conveniently formed detent and probe arrangement carried by the handle and adjacent brackets. The handle 110 can be hidden above the vehicle passenger compartment ceiling behind a marked access panel.

It is a feature of the invention that the door also can be unlatched and opened from a position outside the car by service or other personnel. As is shown in FIG. 8, a vehicle side 121 is provided with an aperture 122, through which a tool 124 can be inserted for pivoting engagement with the longeron 38 or other convenient part. The tool 124 is provided with an arm 128 mounted for interposition in front of the tip 118 of the cam member 78. Attachment and rotation of a tool handle 130 will cause the arm 128 to force the cam member 78 through its unlatching motion, and render the door unlatched for appropriate manual opening motion.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A vehicle door latching assembly for securing a vehicle door in a closed position on a vehicle cab, comprising: first latch means and second latch means, the first latch means including a locking member movable between a latched and an unlatched position, and the locking member having a cam follower surface and a latching surface spaced from said cam follower surface, the second latch means including a carrier member, and a cam member mounted on said carrier member, the cam member having leading and trailing cam surfaces aligned to respectively engage said first means locking member cam follower surface upon relative converging and diverging movements between said first and second latch means for moving said locking member between the latched and unlatched positions, said second latch means further including a latch bolt mounted on said carrier member spaced from said cam member and having a bolt surface mateably engaging the latching surface of said locking member in the latched position. 7

2. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first latch means further includes guide means for directing the movement of said locking member and biasing means for urging said locking member into the latched position.

3. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 2 wherein said biasing means is a spring.

4. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 2 wherein said second latch means further includes means for movably mounting said cam member on said carrier member.

5. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 4 wherein said mounting means includes biasing means for urging the cam member into an extended position relative to said'latch bolt.

6.A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first latch means includes a yoke defining said latching surface and said second latch means includes a channel defining said bolt surface to cooperate with said yoke.

7. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 wherein said second latch means further includes means for rigidly mounting :said cam member on said carrier member.

8. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 7 wherein said second latch means further includes means for connecting said cam member to said carrier member to permit limited motion relative to said carrier.

9. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 wherein said latching assembly further comprises tool-engageable means on said carrier member for use in manually moving said cam member from the latched to the unlatched position.

10. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 wherein said locking member is a plate and wherein said plate is provided with a first and second aperture therethrough defining respectively said cam follower surface and said latching surface.

11. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 10 wherein said cam surfaces are conical to cooperate with the edges of said first aperture.

12. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 11 wherein said cam surfaces are oppositely tapered.

13. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim '1 including first sensor means adapted to sense the location of said locking member in its latched position, and second sensor means adapted to sense the location of said latch bolt in a latched position, and means interconnecting the first and second sensor means with the vehicle to prohibit motion of the vehicle unless the locking member and the latch bolt are both located in their respective latched positions.

14. A vehicle door latching arrangement for securing a vehicle door in a closed position on a vehicle cab, comprising first latch means and second latch means,

bi-actutable power means for moving said first and second latch means relatively convergently and divergently, thefirst latch means including a locking member movable between a locked and an unlocked position and having a latching surface and a cam follower surface, the second latching means having a locking member-engaging bolt member and a cam member movable through a limited range of motion relative to but spaced apart from the bolt member, the second latch further including means for moving the cam member to a position, relative to the bolt member, to engage the locking member cam follower surface and move the locking member into an unlocked position prior to location of the bolt member in its locking member-engaging position when the power means is actuated to move the first and second latch means convergently, and means for moving the cam member to a position, relative to the bolt member, to engage the locking member cam follower surface and move the locking member into an unlocked position prior to withdrawal of the bolt member from the locking member-engaging position when the power means is actuated to move the first and second latch means divergently.

15. A vehicle door latching arrangement for securing a sliding vehicle door in a closed position on a vehicle cab, comprising first latch means and second latch means, the first latch means including a locking member movable between a locked and unlocked position and having a latching surface and a cam follower surface, the second latch means having a bolt member oriented for movement into and out of a locking position for engagement by the locking member latching surface and a cam member movable through a limited range of motion relative to the bolt member, the latching arrangement further including means for moving the second latch means cam member to a position, relative to the second latch means bolt member, to engage the first latch means locking member cam follower surface and move the first latch means locking member into an unlocked position prior to withdrawal of the second latch means bolt member from the lockingmember engaging position

Claims

1. A vehicle door latching assembly for securing a vehicle door in a closed position on a vehicle cab, comprising: first latch means and second latch means, the first latch means including a locking member movable between a latched and an unlatched position, and the locking member having a cam follower surface and a latching surface spaced from said cam follower surface, the second latch means including a carrier member, and a cam member mounted on said carrier member, the cam member having leading and trailing cam surfaces aligned to respectively engage said first means locking member cam follower surface upon relative converging and diverging movements between said first and second latch means for moving said locking member between the latched and unlatched positions, said second latch means further including a latch bolt mounted on said carrier member spaced from said cam member and having a bolt surface mateably engaging the latching surface of said locking member in the latched position.

5. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 4 wherein said mounting means includes biasing means for urging the caM member into an extended position relative to said latch bolt.

6. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first latch means includes a yoke defining said latching surface and said second latch means includes a channel defining said bolt surface to cooperate with said yoke.

7. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 wherein said second latch means further includes means for rigidly mounting said cam member on said carrier member.

13. A vehicle door latching assembly according to claim 1 including first sensor means adapted to sense the location of said locking member in its latched position, and second sensor means adapted to sense the location of said latch bolt in a latched position, and means interconnecting the first and second sensor means with the vehicle to prohibit motion of the vehicle unless the locking member and the latch bolt are both located in their respective latched positions.

14. A vehicle door latching arrangement for securing a vehicle door in a closed position on a vehicle cab, comprising first latch means and second latch means, bi-actutable power means for moving said first and second latch means relatively convergently and divergently, the first latch means including a locking member movable between a locked and an unlocked position and having a latching surface and a cam follower surface, the second latching means having a locking member-engaging bolt member and a cam member movable through a limited range of motion relative to but spaced apart from the bolt member, the second latch further including means for moving the cam member to a position, relative to the bolt member, to engage the locking member cam follower surface and move the locking member into an unlocked position prior to location of the bolt member in its locking member-engaging position when the power means is actuated to move the first and second latch means convergently, and means for moving the cam member to a position, relative to the bolt member, to engage the locking member cam follower surface and move the locking member into an unlocked position prior to withdrawal of the bolt member from the locking member-engaging position when the power means is actuated to move the first and second latch means divergently.

15. A vehicle door latching arrangement for securing a sliding vehicle door in a closed position on a vehicle cab, comprising first latch means and second latch means, the first latch means including a locking member movable between a locked and unlocked position and having a latching surface and a cam follower surface, the second latch means having a bolt member oriented for movement into and out of a locking position for engagement by the locking member latching surface and a cam member movable through a limited range of motion relative to the bolt member, the latching arrangement further including means for moving the second latch means cam member to a position, relative to the second latch means bolt member, to engage the first latch means locking meMber cam follower surface and move the first latch means locking member into an unlocked position prior to withdrawal of the second latch means bolt member from the locking-member engaging position.