door lock

[pwalker]

Hi
For some reason I have a mental block on how to lock the door from the outside that swings out on both sides by the steps. Some guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks

[HolyBus]

Are you saying that you have two doors that open in the middle (and both swing outward) rather than two doors that are attached and fold to the front when open?
I suppose you could have two actuators that run on one controller so a push of the button (key fob) would move the actuator posts up and out of the way. With a hole in the top of each door for the actuator post to go into when locked. It is a variation of the one actuator that I used to lock my door.

[family wagon]

I think you're describing a double door, with each leaf half the width of the doorway and set up to swing outward, as opposed to the bi-fold door that pulls inward on many school buses. My bus had a double door like this. It has a rear door too, and that one was equipped with locks that could be operated from the outside, so I had only to find a way to block the front door from the inside to prevent it opening and then enter/exit through the rear.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures and the door is removed now.. Hopefully a written description will do. I looked at the linkage that operated the front door and pondered it. Each door had a fixed arm, and to each arm a tie rod attached with a rod end. I noted that the front-most leaf had to open first because of the way the seals overlapped when closed, and I realized that I could attach something where the bolt through the rod end held to the door arm. I assembled a coupler nut and short piece of threaded rod to replace that bolt; this gave me a threaded socket to work with below the rod arm. Then I made a small sheet metal plate. It attached to an interior panel over the door and extended out so that a hole through this plate aligned directly below the threaded socket of that coupler nut when the door was closed. I could then insert a bolt through the hole in the sheet metal plate and thread it into the coupler nut; this assembly of coupler nut, bolt and plate held the door arm and therefore the one door leaf and prevented it opening. The other door leaf was also held via the tie rod and linkage mechanism.

It sounds like your case is different to mine because you want to operate the lock from the outside. If so then this description isn't directly applicable, but I hope it might help get some ideas going. Maybe the locking plate idea could be adapted, and use an electric solenoid, cable, or linkage-operated locking pin instead of the hand-inserted bolt I used.

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

From outside... Padlock and a hasp. From inside - a block of wood wedged by the steps!

[pwalker]

Thanks for the ideas. I will have to work up some drawings

[onenationundergoat]

We have a 1993 International DT360 so yours might be the same as ours. Our door is controlled by a key on the outside that activates a switch and the doors are on a chain mechanism inside. So to lock it you just remove the key. I felt dumb when the guy I bought the bus from told me that after I asked.

[mikeacg]

My 89 Bluebird has the folding door so I put a slide-bolt on the door that slides down past the edge of the step and has a hole in the top so it can be locked. I can shoot a pic of it tomorrow if that would help?

Mike

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

Sounds interesting. I have a folding door and I'm looking at options too. My door has an opening control operated from the drivers seat that locks the door. It's a spring flap.

[onenationundergoat]

On a related note, how does everyone lock their back door? Mine's just the turn handle on the outside and the arm handle on the inside. It would be nice to have something more nuanced than a padlock, and operational from inside as well.

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

Simple. My back door lock is a straightforward house door lock.

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

This is the side door lock but its the same kind of lock, keyed the same.

[HolyBus]

I use a velcro strip wrapped around the inside handle and that safety brace that it is next to. The outside handle won't move with the inside strap in place. If someone wants in, they will find another way.

[family wagon]

+1 for the HolyBus solution. In the case of my former bus, there was a long lever with a fixed guard around it; I just wrapped a piece of wire around the two to prevent the lever being moved. On the rare occasion when that door needed to open I could go in the front door and un-bar the back door from the inside.

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

My doors lock and unlock from outside and inside for safety. I've yet to install anything on the front door. I can latch it by slamming the door but unlatching it is a problem!

[Bussin']

I have the traditional lever that locks the front door from the inside and a padlock on the outside, the side door with the wheelchair lift has a lock and the back door I put a slider bolt on the inside. ..

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

this is what keeps the door shut on the inside. By slamming the door from the outside, I can lock it. I might even put a pull on the outside to make locking easier. What I'm trying to devise is a way of opening that with a key from the outside. I'm thinking of some form of solenoid.

[family wagon]

I haven't personally touched that style of linkage/latch. But here's a solenoid to help get the creative juices started: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10391
The commentary on the product web page indicates it doesn't necessarily have to run at 36V; 12V still gives some action (see the demo video).

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

One of my ideas is two electro magnets in opposition, attached to the lever via some aluminum for extra lifting power. Probably run it off a pack of D cells.

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by Zephod_beeblebrox2

From outside... Padlock and a hasp.

Please don't do this.

Unless you want to get locked in your own bus when you least expect it.

That handy hasp hanging there is just too tempting to some.

Nat

[Zephod_beeblebrox2]

It could always be padlocked open with a second loop!