Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SLIDING PLUG DOOR FOR RAILWAY PASSI~NGl~R VEIIICLE
~ ~ kground of the Invention
; l. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to railway vehicles in
particular to railway passenger vehicles and doorways associated
therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
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Prior art devices such as plug-type doors are adapted
to open outwardly of a vehicle. Consequently, their supporting
hardware is attached to the outside of the vehicle. Such an
arrangement is undesirable for a passenger car because it
reduces the interior width of the car that may be utilized and
, also provides supporting hardware that is unsightly and hence un- ~-
desirable on the exterior of contemporary, attractice railway
passenger vehicles. Hinged doors which swing into a car are
also undesirable because of the excessive space needed to allow
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the door to open and close, thus eliminating space that could
~otherwise be utilized. Sliding doors are undesirable because
they do not fit flush with the car side wall.
Summary of the Invention
This disclosure pertains to a plug door used in a
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railway passenger vehicle that may be adapted to provide entrance
to a baggage compartment or the like. The door supporting hard-
ware is mounted on the interior of the vehicle thus permitting
the door to move easily from an open and closed position into
the vehicle without the need for supporting hardware located on
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i the outside of the passenger car.
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In operation, a pair of door suppor-t rails are mounted `
adjacent the top portion of a door opening and are attached to
~,~i! 30 door hanger roller assemblies to permit the door to be pushed
. inwardly and thus roll in a somewhat automatic fashion to the
side of the door opening alongside the car side wall. The
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bottom portion of the door is yu:ided by a rolle~ and ~uide
track that is mounted to the car floor.
It is an object oE the present invention to provide a
plug-type door for railway passenger cars and also to provide the
supporting hardware that will allow the door to be opened easily
and move into a non-obstructing position to the side of a door
opening.
It is another object of the present invention to provide door
supporting rails mounted adjacent a door opening and having a cur-
-~ 10 ved configuration to allow the door to move into the vehicle away
from the door opening and then move sideways to an out-of-the-way
position in such a fashion that the door and supporting rails
occupy a minimum of space within the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a door
~; 15 suppor-ting arrangement wherein a guide roller is used in conjunct-
!:., ion with a car-mounted guide track to guide the bottom portion of
the door. The guide roller includes an adjustable resilient spring
which insures contact between the roller and the guide track during
door movement.
In one broad aspect the invention com~rehends a plug-t~pe
door arrangement for a railway vehicle, which comprises a framed
door opening, a door movable from a first, closed position in the
door opening to a second, open position away from the door open-
ing, door support means including upper rail means and lower -track
means attached to the vehicle for guiding the door between closed
and open positions, and means for urging the door upwardly in
guided engagement with the upper rail means including wheel
means in guided engagement with the lower track means. The
upwardly urging means also biasing reactively between the door
~- 30 and wheel means urge the wheel means into engagement with the
track means, and adjustment means adjust the limit of movement
of the wheel means whereby the door is held in engagement
-` between the rail and track means so as to E~cilit~te movc-
ment of the door therebetween. The door support means also
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includes rail bracket means, ancl roller meang capklvely encJacJe
; the rail means and pivotally connect with the rail bracket means.
Hanger rod means depend from the rail bracket means and are
pivotally attached to and supportive of the door.
These and other features and a.dvantages of the invention will
become apparant to those skilled in the art from the following
description, attached drawings and appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FI~. 1 is a side elevation view of the railway passenger
10 car having the disclosure of this invention; .:
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view from the inside of the passenger
vehicle showing the plug-type door and supporting hardwarei
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FIG. 3 is a view taken along lines 3-3 of '
; , FIG. 2, appearing with,Fig. l;
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FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generall~
along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2,
~,' 5 FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally
along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2;
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, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally
along-lines 6-6 of FIG. 2;
FIG'.~ is ;a;view;taken~generally along lines .,
' 10 7-7 of FIG. 5; ,
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, FIG. 8 is a view taken generally along lines
, 8-8 of FIG. 6
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FIG. 9 is an enlarged and removed view of the
door supporting-roller-arrangementi appearing with'Figs. 4 and 10;~
:1 15 and
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,',; `~ , FIG.,10 is an enlarged view of the ,door track ,.
~,;' arrangement located at the bottom of the plug-type door,
appearing with Figs. 4 and 9.
' Descri~tion of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring now to the drawings, and in ~ '
particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a railway passenger vehicle
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~, 10 having the usual pairs of supporting trucks shown schematically
`, at 12. In this particular vehicle it is contemplated that
there will be provided an upper, passenger level 14 with
25 associated end doorways 16 to permit passenger movement between
adjacent cars. The lower level may be utilized for baggage
and equipment such as heating and cooling components.
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To pr~vide entrance and exit to the vehicle,
a conventional slide door 18 of the type that slides into
the wall section or, alternatively, doors of a one piece hinged
,- construction may be utilized.'
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As shown in FIG. 1, the car may include the
,, usual air intake ~rills 20 for heating, ventilating and air
conditioning purposes and also includes equipment access doors
~ 22 for servicing or inspection of mechani'cal and electFical
equipment and the like. ~ ,
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' 10 ~ Thel~lower~compartment---of the car-is used,fb~
'~ storage of passenger baggage. Access to the'baggage
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, compartment is provided by the-sliding plug door 24.
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As shown in FIG. 2, a aoor opening is defined by
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,- 15 top frame members 26 and spaced sidé or plug frame members 27.
'~ Not shown-in 'the'illustrations are suitable ~gaskets-'to'be -
-fitted within-the door frame or carried by the door-24 to '
- ~ insure an air and water-tight seal between the door and
~,~ associated car framing members 26,27.
~,~ 20 As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of support
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' rails 28 and 30 are mounted to the top portion of the door
framing with the use of a flange 32 which may be welded or~
' otherwise securely attached to the door frame. The end ' '
r portion of each rail is supported away from the vehicle siae
~ 25 wall by a suitably located rail bracket 33 (FIG. 2). Support
,~' rails 28 and 30 have a curved portion adjacent the door open-
~; ing that allows the door to move,initially inwardly of thé
~, vehicle before moving laterally of the door opening. Support
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rails 28 and 30 al60 have straight portions extending from
the curved portions in order that the door may move along ana
generally parallel to the side wall a~er it has moved clear
of the door opening.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the door 24 is
attached to the associated support rails 28, 30 by hangers 34.
Each hanger 34 includes pairs of upper rollers 35 and lower
rollers 36 which are positioned about the associated support
rail in such a fashion as to efficiently guide the door along
10 .-.:. its~-s~p~rt.rai-l~ A hanger-rod--38 is attached-~o-and-exten~s,.,
aownward~ ro~ the hanger--34 and~als.o attached'to an upperiz.,:~ :
, door bracket 40 to complete a connection between the door
24 and the hanger 34
:~ Similarly the l.ower.portion of door~.24 is . '
~, 15 guided into and from the.closed position shown in FIGS. 1,2 ::
and--5. As..shown~ -n FIGS..:2, 6 a-nd,-8, one-l.ower-~corner of--the=.-
~ door is also adapted for guided movement away from the door ,. .
,~ opening and alongside the car wall. A guide track 42 is ;~
"` posltioned adjacent the door threshold 44 and has the same .' ,.
, 20 curvature as the support rail 3~ located vertically above it. ,~
.:' Track 44 may have an L-shaped configuration as shown in the ':
drawings or may have another convenient shape which provides '.' .
an upstanding or other section for guiding door 24. Guide
wheels 45 are located on each side of a track contact wheel ~.
. 25 46 ana positioned about the upstanding portion of the guide ''
track 42 to guide the lower portion of the door during opening ' '
; and closing movements. As shown in FIG. 10, guide wheel portions ' .~.
~, 45 prevent a track contact wheel portion 46 from disengaging
from the upstanaing portion of guide track 42.
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A clevis 47 is pinned to the wheel portions
45, 46 and also integrally connected with upwardly extending
guide pin 48 in order that guide wheel portions 45 remain in
guiaing position alongside guide track 42.
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As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, guide pin 48 has
a coil spring 50 positioned thereabout an~ held in place at
one end by stop washer 51.which is integrally attached
by welding or other suitable means to guide pin 48. The :
' upper end of spring 50 is held in position by a door bracket
lO-,,; 52 whi-ah holds.the_spri.ng-50:and has..an opening.through..-which... .guide.;pi~.4.8 eXtends..~ A pair of adjustment,nuts:53 are--~
positioned atop bracket 52 and may vary the tension in
. spring 50.
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~ Thus, in operati-on-it can be observed and noted
.,lS that as door 24 is urged inwardly-of the vehicle lO it will
., initially. move inwardly away,from the door opening and -then
~ laterally to clear the door framing. After the door
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framing has been cleared door 24 moves alongside the side wall
. unit and in proximity with side wall in such a fashion as to
take up as little space as possible within the baggage com-
~ partment.
,~. The foregoing description and drawings merely ;~
,, explain and illustrate the invention and the invention
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is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appenaed claims
,'~ 25 are so limited, as those who are skilled in the art and
'~ have the disclosure before them will be able to make
;', modifications and variations therein wit'nout departing from
the scope of the invention.
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