Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation

Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Erich P Stephen

Andre Stojc

A door operator having a door hanger comprising a pair of double trolley assemblies disposed for linear movement within a hanger rail, wherein each trolley assembly further comprises two rollers mounted substantially opposite one another and engaging roller cavities within said hanger rail. Said door hanger is integrated with the drive system or is mounted independently of the drive system for replacement of the door hanger of the prior art or in new application requiring such independency between the door hanger and drive system.

Double trolley overhead door operator

The present invention teaches a powered door operator for passenger transit vehicles having a drive nut assembly engaging a door hanger bracket substantially connected to a door disposed within an aperture of the vehicle structure. Such drive nut further engaging a drive screw to move a door for covering and uncovering an aperture for ingress and egress of passengers in a wall of a transit vehicle upon rotation of the drive screw enabled by a rotary prime mover. The drive assembly comprises a housing having an internal cavity, at least one drive nut insert having a helix portion substantially identical to the drive screw helix and disposed within said internal cavity, and a retaining clip engaging said at least one drive nut insert for substantial retainment thereof. Retaining clip further provides for simple replacement of such at least one drive nut insert during maintenance cycles thereby substantially eliminating periodic lubrication generally employed with powered door operators of the prior art.

Drive nut assembly for a door operator

A door support and drive mechanism for a door can be mounted either over or in a door opening in a transit vehicle or other structure. The mechanism includes a tube which has a longitudinal slot. The mechanism also has mounts attached to the tube for mounting the mechanism to the structure over the door opening, so that the tube is substantially horizontal and the slot is along a lower portion of the tube. The mechanism includes at least one door hanger which has an upper portion movably disposed within the tube and a depending portion passing through the slot, the depending portion being for attachment to the door. The mechanism has a drive nut attached to the door hanger. A drive screw is positioned in the tube, engaging a threaded inner portion of the drive nut. The drive screw is connectable to a rotary power device to be rotated thereby. Rotation of the drive screw causes longitudinal movement of the drive nut and the hanger to which the drive nut is attached, so that the door is moved longitudinally.

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Roxboro, Canada

Erich P Stephen