Abstract: A door closer comprises a piston cooperating with a rotating pinion. Upon rotation of the pinion in the door opening direction, the piston moves toward the second end of the housing forcing fluid from a second variable volume chamber through a passage to a first variable volume chamber and compressing a spring assembly for storing energy. The spring assembly urges the piston toward the first end of the housing for forcing fluid from the first variable volume chamber to the second variable volume chamber and rotating the pinion in the door closing direction. A controller controls the position of a valve in the passage based on the sensed angular position of a door and the position of the valve for determining the amount of hydraulic fluid flowing through the valve.

Abstract: A sidewall construction arrangement for a trailer includes a plurality of upstanding panels. Each panel includes two opposing flanges. The flanges are disposed on opposing lateral edges of the panel. Adjacent flanges of two adjacent panels partially overlap each other. Each of a plurality of vertically oriented logistics posts includes two lateral margins. A first of the margins is attached to a respective first of the flanges of the two partially overlapping panels. A second of the margins of the post is attached to each of the first and second flanges of the two partially overlapping panels.

Abstract: A folding step apparatus (38) is provided for vehicles having either a hinged door (26) or a sliding door (26'). The apparatus includes two parallel step supporting members (44) pivotally attached to the underside of the vehicle for adjustably supporting a step (42) or plurality of steps. A spring member (46) is used to bias the supporting members (44) and attached steps to a retracted position beneath the vehicle. A cable (64) has a first end attached to the locking end of the door and a second end attached to a front one of the supporting members (44). The cable is at least partially disposed within a hollow cord (70) which extends through portions of the vehicle frame. Opening the vehicle door causes the folding step assembly (38) to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal horizontal axis (36) of the vehicle, thereby extending the step assembly (38) for facilitating easy boarding of the vehicle.

Abstract: An access window for use in fast food establishments and other similar drive-thru business establishments is disclosed. The window broadly comprises an elastic operating mechanism, two planar window members and a segmented articulated push-bar operator which is pushed to open the access windows. The push-bar operator can be locked in the open position. Upon releasing and/or unlocking the operator push-bar assembly the access window returns to its closed position by means of a closer bias member. The access window also comprises a locked window bias member which absorbs the pushing action on the operator push-bar, in the event the access window is latched shut, without damaging the access window and further without damaging the operating mechanism.

Abstract: An access window for use in fast food establishments and other similar drive-thru business establishments is disclosed. The window broadly comprises a semi-manually operated closing mechanism along with two planar window members. The closing mechanism employs substantially flat circumferential grooves cut into rotors located in a bottom hinge assembly. These rotors, together with a flexible elastic linkage, enable the uniform and smooth rotation of the window members from a fixed closed to a fixed open position and enable the window members to be rotated from a fixed open to a fixed closed position when either of the window members are pulled or pushed a short distance in the direction of the closed position.

Abstract: Top closing doors are pivotally mounted on a trailer and are provided with a driving mechanism including a drive cylinder connected by a pin to an endless chain extended in figure-eight fashion around opposed sprockets at the ends of the trailer. The doors are driven by swinging arms connected to the sprockets so as to move in opposite directions during opening and closing and provide full 270.degree. opening movement. The chain includes a master drive link to provide driving stability and an adjustable link passing in guiding relationship to the master link and for providing the required driving tension. The master link is driven by a drive pin connected to a hydraulic cylinder.

Abstract: A Door Control designed especially for a service passage in a cubicle disposed, say, at or near the entrance of a quick food establishment or the like, i.e., for serving customers on one side of the passage by an employee on the other side. This application is in part a continuation of my copending applications Ser. Nos. 78,095 filed Sept. 24, 1979, now abandoned, and 179,961 filed Aug. 20, 1980, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,102, which disclose and claim mechanism for simultaneously opening a pair of doors mounted on vertical parallel axes. In both of said inventions the door opening mechanism is characterized by a horizontally translatable device, such as a pushrod, by an operator's muscular force applied below the service table, leaving the hands free. Upon release of such muscular force, the doors are automatically returned to their original closed positions by means of energy stored, as in a spring, in the opening action.

Abstract: A plug door for a vehicle, such as a railway carriage, is carried and driven by a swinging lever which has a sliding fulcrum mechanism the effect of which is to flatten the arc through which the door is carried. The edge of the door which trails in an opening movement is guided either by means of a relatively long pivot arm or by a curved or straight track. The alternative guide means give different trajectories to the leading edge of the door, the long pivot arm guide keeps the door closest to the side of the vehicle during opening. A duplicate swinging lever with sliding fulcrum mechanism as a guide for the trailing edge will move the door parallel to the side of the vehicle and the sliding fulcrums will substantially reduce the outward excursion. By mounting the driving swinging lever over-center, i.e. closer to the trailing edge of the door the plug action is provided for so that a closed door may be flush with the vehicle skin.

Abstract: Safety gate mechanism for use in protecting persons working around automobile service equipment installed in a floor pit comprising bi-parting gate sections mounted for movement between closed positions in front of the floor pit and open positions along side the floor pit, circuit means for automatically opening the gate sections once a signal is generated that a vehicle is to be placed in the floor pit area for service, and means in the circuit for locking and unlocking the gate sections and for reclosing the open gate sections in a desired time period should a vehicle fail to move into the floor pit area or after a vehicle has been removed from the floor pit area.