Actuating mechanism for a door of a vehicle, in particular a taxi

Claim 2

A passenger vehicle, in particular a taxi, comprising a vehicle body having side walls, a drivers seat mounted in the body adjacent a first side wall, a door opening in an opposite second side wall, a door for closing said door opening, means mounting said door to move laterally outwardly from a closed position in said opening and then longitudinally of said body along said second side wall, said mounting means comprising means on a first edge portion of said door and cooperating means on the body to support said first edge portion of the door and guide it into said door opening at a first side thereof, a carriage track extending horizontally away from the opposite second side of said door opening, a carriage running on said track and a rocker lever pivotally mounted on said carriage to swing about a vertical axis and pivotally connected to said door adjacent the opposite second edge thereof, actuating mechanism for opening and closing said door, comprising actuating means mounted on the body near said second side of said door opening and means for releasable connecting said actuating means with said rocker lever when said carriage is in an end position of its travel nearest said door opening to swing said rocker lever about said vertical axis in a direction to close the door and means to hold said door in the closed position and control means convenient to a driver in said drivers seat for controlling said door actuating mechanism.

Claim 3

A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said door mounting means comprises door tracks mounted on the vehicle body at the top and bottom of said door opening and extending substantially across said door opening, said tracks curving inwardly at a first side of said door opening, runners at the top and bottom of said door adjacent a first edge of said door running respectively on said tracks, said door tracks being positioned to guide said first edge of the door into the first side of said door opening when the second edge of said door is swung into the second side of the door opening by said rocker lever.

Claim 4

A vehicle according tO claim 2, in which said rocker lever is spring biased in a direction to swing said second edge of said door outwardly from the door opening.

Claim 5

A vehicle according to claim 3, in which the pivotal mounting of said rocker lever comprises a bearing on said carriage, a shaft rotatable in said bearing, said rocker lever being fixed on one end of said shaft, and an arm fixed of the opposite end of said shaft, the spring biasing of said rocker lever being effected by a spring acting on said arm.

Claim 6

A vehicle according to claim 2, in which said actuating mechanism comprises an actuating lever pivotally mounted on the body to swing about a vertical axis which is aligned with the axis of said rocker lever when the carriage is at a first end of its travel nearest the door opening and means for turning said actuating lever about its pivot, and in which said releasable connecting means comprises means for releasably connecting said rocker lever with said actuation lever.

Claim 7

A vehicle according to claim 5, in which said means for turning said actuating lever comprises spring means biasing said actuating means in a direction to open said door.

Claim 8

A vehicle according to claim 6, in which said control means comprises manually operable means near the drivers seat, and in which said means for turning said actuating lever comprises flexible cable means connecting said actuating lever with said manually operable means to move said actuating lever in a direction opposite to the bias provided by said spring biasing means.

Claim 9

A vehicle according to claim 6, in which said releasable connecting means comprises a spring biased bolt carried by said actuating lever and engageable with said rocker lever.

Claim 10

A vehicle according to claim 8, in which said bolt has an inclined face to ride over said rocker lever upon movement of said rocker lever relative to said actuating lever in a direction to close the door.

Claim 11

A vehicle according to claim 8, in which said control means comprises manually operable means near the drivers seat, and in which flexible cable means connects said bolt with said manually operable means to retract said bolt and thereby release said rocker lever from said actuating lever by operation of said manually operable means.

Claim 12

A vehicle according to claim 10, in which said manually operable means comprises an operating member with which said flexible cable means is connected, and in which latch means releasably engages said operating member to lock it in a position in which said door is held closed by said actuating lever.

Claim 13

A vehicle according to claim 11, in which said manually operable means comprises means for releasing said latch means.

Claim 14

A vehicle according to claim 2, comprising reversible motor means for moving said carriage forwardly and rearwardly on said carriage track.

Claim 15

A vehicle according to claim 13, in which said control means comprises means for controlling said motor means including means for reversing said motor means.

Claim 16

A vehicle according to claim 1, comprising interengaging means on said first edge portion of said door and said first side of said door opening to secure said first edge of the door when the door is in said door opening.

Claim 17

A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said control means comprises a single control lever adjacent the drivers seat, means connecting said control lever with said door actuating means, and means connecting said control lever with said releasable connecting means.

Claim 18

A vehicle according to claim 16, in which said control lever is movable in a first direction from a rest position to release said releasable connecting means for movement of the door in an opening direction and is movable in a second direction from said rest position to operate said door actuating means to move the door in a closing direction.

Claim 19

A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said control means adjacent the drivers seat includes means connected with said connecting means to release said rockeR arm from said actuating means.

Claim 20

A passenger vehicle, in particular a taxi, comprising a vehicle body having side walls, a drivers seat mounted in the body adjacent a first side wall, a door opening in an opposite second side wall, a door for closing said door opening, means mounting said door to move laterally outwardly from a closed position in said opening and then longitudinally of said body along said second side wall, a carriage track extending horizontally away from one side of said door opening, a carriage running on said carriage track, and a rocker lever pivotally connected to said door adjacent the said edge thereof and pivotally mounted on said carriage to swing about a vertical axis, actuating mechanism for opening and closing said door comprising an actuating lever pivotally mounted on the body to swing about a vertical axis which is aligned with the axis of said rocker lever when the carriage is at a first end of its travel nearest the door opening, catch means for bringing and holding said door in closed position comprising means for releasably connecting said rocker lever with said actuating lever and control means convenient to a driver in said drivers seat for controlling said door actuating mechanism and said catch means comprising means for turning said actuating lever about its pivot.

Claim 21

A passenger vehicle, in particular a taxi, comprising a vehicle body having side walls, a drivers seat mounted in the body adjacent a first side wall, a door opening in an opposite second side wall, a door for closing said door opening, means mounting said door to move laterally outwardly from a closed position in said opening and then longitudinally of said body along said second side wall, a carriage track extending horizontally away from one side of said door opening, a carriage running on said carriage track, and a rocker lever pivotally connected to said door adjacent the said edge thereof and pivotally mounted on said carriage to swing about a vertical axis, actuating mechanism for opening and closing said door comprising an actuating lever pivotally mounted on the body to swing about a vertical axis which is aligned with the axis of said rocker lever when the carriage is at a first end of its travel nearest the door opening, catch means for bringing and holding said door in closed position comprising means for releasably connecting said rocker lever with said actuating lever and control means convenient to a driver in said drivers seat for controlling said door actuating mechanism and said catch means comprising means for turning said actuating lever about its pivot.

Claim 22

A passenger vehicle, in particular a taxi, comprising a vehicle body having side walls, a driver''s seat mounted in the body adjacent a first side wall, a door opening in an opposite second side wall, a door for closing said door opening, means mounting said door to move laterally outwardly from a closed position in said opening and then longitudinally of said body along said second side wall, said mounting means comprising door track means for supporting and guiding said door, a carriage track extending horizontally away from a first side of said door opening, a carriage running on said carriage track, and a rocker lever pivotally connected to said door adjacent an edge thereof and pivotally mounted on said carriage to swing about a vertical axis, and actuating mechanism for opening and closing said door and for holding it in closed position comprising an actuating lever pivotally mounted adjacent said first side of said door opening, catch means for operatively connecting said actuating lever with said rocker lever when said carriage is in a position adjacent said first side of said door opening, manually operable means mounted in said vehicle in a convenient position to be operated by a driver seated in said driver''s seat, and means connecting said manually operable means with said catch means and with said actuating lever, said manually operable means being operable in one mode to operate said actuating lever and being operable in another mode to operate said catch means.

Claim 23

A passenger vehicle, in particular a taxi, comprising a vehicle body having side walls, a driver''s seat mounted in the body adjacent a first side wall, a door opening in an opposite second side wall, a door for closing said door opening, means mounting said door to move laterally outwardly from a closed position in said opening and then longitudinally of said body along said second side wall, said mounting means comprising door track means for supporting and guiding said door, a carriage track extending horizontally away from a first side of said door opening, a carriage running on said carriage track, and a rocker lever pivotally connected to said door adjacent an edge thereof and pivotally mounted on said carriage to swing about a vertical axis, and actuating mechanism for opening and closing said door and for holding it in closed position comprising an actuating lever pivotally mounted adjacent said first side of said door opening, catch means for operatively connecting said actuating lever with said rocker lever when said carriage is in a position adjacent said first side of said door opening, manually operable means mounted in said vehicle in a convenient position to be operated by a driver seated in said driver''s seat, and means connecting said manually operable means with said catch means and with said actuating lever, said manually operable means being operable in one mode to operate said actuating lever and being operable in another mode to operate said catch means.

Claim 24

A vehicle according to claim 20, in which said manually operable means comprises a pivoted operating lever movable by the driver in one direction from a rest position to operate said catch means and movable in another direction from said rest position to operate said actuating lever.

Claim 25

A vehicle according to claim 21, in which said manually operable means comprises a disc rotatably mounted coaxially with the pivot of said operating lever and having an arm, and a pawl carried by said operating lever and engageable with said disc to rotate said disc when said operating lever is swung in a first direction from said rest position, said connecting means comprising means connecting said arm with actuating lever.

Claim 26

A vehicle according to claim 22, in which said connecting means comprises second flexible cable means connecting said arm of said disc with said actuating lever.

Claim 27

A vehicle according to claim 22, further comprising a holding pawl engageable with said disc to hold it in a position to which it has been rotated by said operating lever, whereupon said operating lever is movable back to rest position while said disc is held by said holding pawl.

Claim 28

A vehicle According to claim 24, in which said manually operable means comprises a plate pivotally mounted to swing about a pivot offset from the pivot of said operating lever and engageable by said operating lever to swing said plate about its pivot, said connecting means comprising means connecting said pivoted plate with said catch means.

Claim 29

A vehicle according to claim 25 in which said plate has a cam surface acting on said holding pawl to disengage said holding pawl from said disc upon pivotal movement of said plate in a selected direction from a rest position.

Claim 30

A vehicle according to claim 26, further comprising spring means for biasing said plate to a rest position and means for limiting movement of said plate.

Claim 31

A vehicle according to claim 26, in which said connecting means comprises first flexible cable means connecting said plate with said catch means to release said catch means when said plate is swung from a rest position in a direction to release said holding pawl.

Claim 32

A vehicle according to claim 21, in which said manually operable means comprises a plate pivotally mounted to swing about a pivot offset from the pivot of said operating lever and operable by said operating lever, and said connecting means comprises first flexible cable means connecting said plate with said catch means to release said catch means when said plate is swung in a selected direction from said rest position.

Claim 33

A vehicle according to claim 29, further comprising a guide roller over which said first flexible cable means is trained, said guide roller being rotatably mounted near said plate and substantially reversing the direction of travel of said first flexible cable means.

Claim 34

A vehicle according to claim 21, in which means for pivotally mounting said operating lever comprises mounting brackets comprising impact damping means limiting the swinging movement of said operating lever.

Claim 35

A vehicle according to claim 20, in which said manually operable means comprises a foot pedal in position to be operated by a driver seated in said drivers seat.