Portec, Inc.

Jaroslaw J Rostafinski

Chandrakant D Ravani

James C Robertson

Ronald G Schluchter

Charles M Burt

An enclosure for a vehicle end opening disposed between two side walls includes a pair of bi-fold door assemblies, each comprising inner and outer panels hingedly connected to one another with the outer edges of the innermost panel in turn hingedly connected to a hinge rod normally disposed adjacent the outer limits of the end opening. Intermediate lock means are included with each pair of door panels for selectively precluding relative displacement therebetween and when actuated allows of folding of each pair of door panels to provide a collapsed juxtaposed relationship following which the folded door assembly may be pivoted about the hinge rod 90.degree. or until parallel to the vehicle side walls. The hinge rod supporting each door assembly is in turn supported and guided by hanger and track means extending longitudinally of the vehicle whereby the folded and pivoted door assembly may be displaced in a sliding manner to a retracted or stored position within the interior of the vehicle sides, at which point locking means are actuated to retain the door assembly secured.

Foldable slidable vehicle end enclosure

An enclosure for a vehicle end opening formed between two side walls includes two bi-fold door assemblies each comprising inner and outer panels pivotally connected to one another and with the free edge of the outer panels in turn connected to a fixed pivot point adjacent the side of the end opening wherein, each inner panel may be folded outwardly 180.degree. about its pivoted connecting means and the thus folded assembly subsequently pivoted about its fixed pivot point 270.degree. into parallel relationship with the vehicle side wall. The pivotal connecting means joining each pair of inner and outer panels includes catch means serving to secure the assembly in both the closed position enclosing the vehicle end opening as well as in the stored position parallel with the vehicle side wall.

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Ferndale, MI, United States of America

Jaroslaw J Rostafinski