GB340394A - Improvements in or relating to vehicle bodies and roofs therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

340,394. Road vehicle hoods. HARMER, F. E., Raydale, Chatburn, and BUTLER, H., 36, Charles Street, Colne, both in Lancashire. Dec. 5, 1929, Nos. 37272/29 and 6485/30. [Class 108 (i).] An opening roof for road vehicles is constructed as a unit adapted to be secured in existing closed vehicles when an appropriate aperture has been cut in the roof and comprises an outer covering and hoop-sticks arranged to run on guideways in the unit. The unit comprises a frame formed of angle iron 3 adapted to be secured in position on the vehicle top and is provided at the rear with a housing for the rollers 48, 49 for the outer flexible covering 46 and the inner lining 47. Guide rails 8 are secured to the longitudinal sides of the frame and are engaged by concave rollers 17, 19 arranged on the hoop-sticks, the rollers on one side of the rail being resiliently mounted to prevent rattle. The hoop-sticks 10 are provided at their ends with metallic housings 11 upon which the rollers are mounted and also form the means for interconnecting the hoop-sticks 10. These means comprise bell-crank levers 21, Fig. 6, the arms 22 of which from adjacent hoop-sticks are pivoted together and the arms 23 are linked to a spring-controlled plunger 27 in the housings 11 tending to draw the hoop-sticks together to open the hood. Alternative forms of spring-controlled levers 21 are described. Parallelism of the hoop-sticks is maintained by levers 32, Fig. 1, the ends of which are provided with rollers 33 running in grooves 34 in hoop-sticks 10. The cover 46 at its side edges passes below a cowling plate 40, Fig. 3, which in conjunction with a plate 43 and a gutter 44 serves to drain away the rain water. At the rear the fixed plate secured to the rear cantrail is provided with a squeegee or wiper 54, Fig. 4, to remove water from the cover when it is being retracted and the cover 46 is also provided with a flap 52 which bears against a plate 53 when the cover is extended to prevent access of water to the roller housing which is provided with drain holes 55. At the front the cover 46 is reinforced with a bar 70, Fig. 5, and secured to the front hoop-stick 20. A flexible tongue 38 is secured to the cover as shown while a pendant tongue 45 is provided on the cowling plate 40. In a modification the cowling plate may be dispensed with at the sides and the cover edges passed in a gutter member 58, 60, Fig. 7, having holes 61 leading to a gutter 44. Specifications 323,063, 323,064, and 323,065, [all in Class 108 (i), Road vehicles, Body details &c. of], are referred to.