GB511210A - Improvements in or relating to vehicle bodies - Google Patents

Abstract

511,210. Vehicle bodies. PRESSED STEEL CO., Ltd., and SPEED, E. March 25, 1938, No. 9135. [Class 108 (i)] The upper portion of a side panel or a fixed lateral portion of the roof of a vehicle body, or both, are formed with or cooperate to form a channel or like section depression or depressions constituting a drip channel the bottom of which does not lie outside the outer surface of the body, whilst a reinforcing strip or plate forms with the upper portion of the side panel and/or the adjacent lateral portion of the roof, a box-section, longitudinal, girder member. As shown in Fig. 2 the drip-channel is formed at the upper margin of the body side panel 11 by a channel-section portion 12 one wall 18 of which is welded to a down-turned flange 14 on the fixed roof panel 13 and to the upper portion 23 of a reinforcement 15. The channel-section lower edge 16 of the reinforcement 15 is welded to an inturned flange 19 on the body panel 11 forming an upper door or window rail, and the complete assembly forms a longitudinal box-section member. In modification (a) the flange 14, the cooperating part of the wall 18 of the portion 12, and upper portion 23 of the reinforcement are bent inwardly and spot-welded together and the portion 23 may terminate in a lip or bead for concealing the junction of the parts; (b) the upper portion of the reinforcement is bent inwardly and carries a channel guide cooperating with fingers carried by a sliding roof panel; (c) the roof panel is extended to form the part constituted by the panel 11, Fig. 2; and (d) the inner edge of the channel 12 is turned inwardly to serve as an anchorage for a folding hood. Fig. 4 shows an outer drip-channel formed by co-operating parts 27, 30 of the body and roof panels 11, 13 and an inner drip-channel formed by an inturned flange 31 on the roof panel and the wall 28 of the body panel. The main drip-channel 38 may be formed in the roof panel 37, Fig. 5, and the upper margin 40 of the body panel 41 secured thereto by crimping or by being bent inwardly beneath the channel, while the upper limb of the reinforcing strip 43 is secured to the bottom of the channel or upwardly-flanged for securement,to the roof panel. In a further construction, Fig. 7, the roof panel 37 is bent down vertically at 51 and secured to the rail 47 of the side panel 41 while the upper limb 42 of the reinforcement 43 is secured to the flange 51 and the lower limb 44 to the rail 47. In a modification the flange 52, Fig. 7, is secured to the rabbet 57 on the side panel. Fig. 9 shows a construction in which the roof panel 37 is formed with a channel 68 and the upper margin 70 of the side panel 41 is is arranged vertically for securement to the outer limb 69 of the channel 68 and is formed with a ridge 71 to hold in place a snap spring cover strip 72. The invention is applicable to automobile bodies composed of sheet-metal panels or stampings, or of a wood or metal framework to which outer panelling or sheathing is secured, or to bodies composed of panels or members produced from pressed or moulded synthetic materials.