MXPA99006467A - Vehicle bed - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle bed assembly, and process of manufacture, which involves formation of a one-piece floor pan (31) by roll forming. The floor pan has a central pan portion (47) and secondary portions (48, 49) positioned forwardly and rearwardly of wheelwell openings (41) formed in the pan adjacent opposite side edges thereof. Strengthening ribs extend longitudinally throughout the entire length of the pan and terminate at the front and rear edges (36, 37). The strengthening ribs also extend longitudinally of the secondary portions and terminate at the front and rear edges (43, 44) of the wheelwell openings (41). The one-piece floor pan has the wheelwell openings formed therein, as by a controlled notching operation, after the pan has been roll formed from flat sheet material, and the notching operation provides a series of flanges around the periphery of the wheelwell opening, both along the longitudinal inner edge (42) and on the front and rear edges (43, 44). Some of the flanges are coplanar with top walls of the stiffening ribs, and others are coplanar with the base wall of the pan between the stiffening ribs. The roll-formed pan is subjected to a subsequent forming operation which causes the flanges to be wiped downwardly generally into a perpendicular relationship so that the flanges are positionable in overlapping relationship to the vehicle inner side wall or wheelwell housing for securement thereto, such as by welding.

Description

BASE OF VEHICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved one-piece lined groove crankcase, such as a truck base, and to the related process for its manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The booth of a vehicle, such as the booth of a pick-up truck, is illustrated in Figure 1. This booth, conventionally includes a horizontally raised floor or base assembly 12, which extends laterally between and is attached to the booths. walls or side panels 13 generally parallel and extending upwards. The side panels 13 conventionally have housings for the rims formed therein, the latter typically projecting at least a small extension into the interior of the house at least inwardly. The front end of the floor assembly 12 is also rigidly joined to a front wall or panel 15 projecting upwards, the latter extending between and rigidly fixed to the side panels 13. The back of the house is usually closed by a rear panel 16, the latter conventionally being an opening orifice that can be opened 16, which is conventionally hinged to the house and can be folded into a generally horizontal position where it is substantially flush with the floor assembly for provide access to the interior of the house. This stand, and specifically the floor or base assembly 12, conventionally includes a horizontally-grown main base member 17, commonly referred to as a floor casing, which defines the current floor of the house and extends longitudinally between the front and rear ends. of the booth, and has a width, which normally and substantially extends across the width of the opening between the housings for the tires. This main floor casing 17 is supported on a front cross rail 18, several intermediate cross rails 19, and a rear cross rail or floor member 21, the latter extending completely transversely under the casing and fixedly attached thereto, as with spot welding. Some of these cross members, such as the front rail 18, the most front intermediate rail 19 and the rear floor 21, are typical and fixedly attached to the vehicle chassis (not shown) in a conventional manner. The base assembly 12 also typically includes secondary base means or floor casing 22, the latter being placed adjacent and fixedly attached to the edges of the main floor casing 17 so as to occupy the regions of the base disposed forward and rearwardly. of the accommodations for the tires 14. In the case of a pick-up truck as conventionally constructed, the main floor case 17 is provided with reinforcing ribs 23, which project upwards from the crankcase, with a plurality of said ribs being general, uniform and laterally spaced across the width of the crankcase and extending longitudinally of the crankcase over most of its length. These ribs, which deform upwardly of the crankcase to define a channel-like cross-section with opening downwards, generally extend rearward of the adjacent part of the front free edge of the main crankcase 17 but the ribs usually end at ends of taper ribs 24, which meet downward in the flat profile of the crankcase 17 in a position disposed near but spaced forward a small distance from the rear free edge 25 of the crankcase.The portion of the main crankcase 17, i.e. flat portion thereof, which is free of the ribs, then normally sits within a shallow depression formed in the upper wall of the rear hearth member 21 so as to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the hearth member, with the crankcase rear and the hearth member then being properly and firmly attached, as by spot welding. This arrangement allows groove-like regions between the adjacent ribs 23 to freely open outwardly through the rear end of the base assembly, and thereby prevent the creation of cavities or depressions which could accumulate dirt and moisture. The secondary crankcase members 22 also conventionally have reinforcing ribs 23 formed therein and extending longitudinally of the base, with the reinforcement ribs 23 on the secondary crankcase members 22 again typically terminating near the front and rear edges of the member. of respective crankcase. Figure 2 illustrates within it another conventional vehicle hut of the prior art, such as a pick-up truck, where the parts of this corresponding to Figure 1 have been identified by the same reference numbers but with the addition of a bonus (') to these. The base assembly 12 'of Figure 2 again includes an enlarged main base member or portion 17', which extends longitudinally through the length of the base and defines the region extending generally and transversely between the housings for the tires of the vehicle. The base assembly 12 'also again includes secondary base members or portions 22', which occupy the base regions disposed forward and rearwardly of the housings for the tires 14. In this prior art construction, without However, the main base portion 17 'and the secondary portions 22' are all integrally formed in one piece and, as is conventional, are provided with flanges projecting generally and longitudinally along the side edges and also as along the edge of the openings of the wheel housings to allow securing to adjacent side panels or wheel housings. The reinforcement ribs associated with both the main and secondary portions 17 'and 22', respectively, are again formed in such a way that the ends thereof terminate in a longitudinally spaced relation to the longitudinal end edges, particularly the trailing edge of the end portion. base. A base assembly having the structure described above has, for a long time, been constructed using individual members, which have been stamped using bulk forming presses. That is, the floor casing 17 (Figure 1) or 17 ', 22' (Figure 2) ai as the cross rails 18, 19 and 21 have been conventionally formed from flat steel sheets by placing a precut steel sheet in a forming press which deforms the sheet to define the desired cross section of the finished member. This technique of stamping or pressure forming, however, although it has been used extensively for many years, has recognized disadvantages which have been, in spite of everything, tolerated in view of the belief that it was the best way to build the base assembly. More specifically, the most current and almost universally used technique for stamping the crankcase has resulted in limitations that have restricted the optimum crankcase construction. For example, to stamp the floor casing 17 of Figure 1, a large rectangular sheet must be pre-cut according to the desired size of casing to be stamped. The sheet initially has an excessive width to provide portions along the opposite edges of the sheet which can be used to hold the sheet and hold it in position when the sheet is placed inside the press and subjected to the stamping operation. Furthermore, during the actual stamping operation, the material of the sheet is physically deformed by stamping the die to allow the creation of the longitudinal ribs. This necessarily results in significant changes in the thickness of the sheet material due to deformation, which is caused during the rib formation process. The sheet not only undergoes significant changes in thickness, but this change in thickness also varies in quantity at different places through the rib, or through the cross section of the sheet containing the ribs, so that the floor casing The resulting pattern has a sheet thickness which has significant variations within it. This variation in thickness can, in some cases, be up to 40% to 50%. This stamping process has also been observed to result in bends or corners, which are inconsistent in terms of material thickness and included angles, and have provided an exterior finish appearance which allows such irregularities to be observed visually. This stamping operation also requires, after the crankcase has been stamped, that the crankcase be subjected to another stamping or cutting operation which is effective to remove the fastening strip portions on the opposite sides of the sheet, the portions of which of strip are disposed as waste. In view of the inherent but inconsistent thickness reductions that occur during the formation of the crankcase by means of the stamping or pressing process, the crankcase must also be initially formed of a sheet material of greater thickness than desired to compensate for the reductions in expected thickness, which occur during the stamping operation. This increases the total weight of the crankcase. Furthermore, in view of the significant size of the main floor casing and the fact that it is deformed or stamped in basically a single operation, this also necessitates the use of an extremely large and high capacity press to accommodate both the size of the sheet, and the significant force of the press suffered during the simultaneous deformation of the several ribs that extend longitudinally of this. In addition, these stamping operations can necessarily be normal and successfully carried out only if less force and softer steel blades are used, since harder steels would typically appear or break if subjected to severe deformation of the type found in the conventional crank stamping operation. The crankcase 17 ', 22' of Figure 2 is basically formed in the same manner as described above in relation to the floor crankcase 17 of Figure 1 in which it is typically formed by stamping it on a large press from a large press. pre-cut rectangular sheet, the pre-cut sheet of which also has the openings of the housings for the pre-cut rims on the sides thereof before the foil stamping in the forming press. However, this crankcase 17 ', 22' obviously experiences the same problems and deficiencies which result from this type of forming operation as described above. Further, when the casing of Figure 2 is formed in a press, the locking tabs along the side edges and around the wheel housings are also formed by pressure, either simultaneously with the total pressing of the striped casing. or in a subsequent pressing operation. In this pressing operation, the flanges are folded down, and this has been observed to create manufacturing disadvantages in both the final product and in the assembly thereof in the vehicle. For example, during this downward bending, the flange generally bends like a bracket around the connection with its hinge to the main crankcase member, and this results in an undesirable weakening due to thinning of the sheet material directly in the housing. point of the hinge, and possibly until the break. In addition, since the flange typically extends substantially and continuously along and around the opening of the tire housings, the flange also tends to deform at various points., and this causes undesirable distortions in the tab. Even more significant, this bending of the flange makes it difficult to place the flange accurately in a downward relationship perpendicular to the leaf, and in fact, there is a well-observed and known tendency for the flange to spring back when the bending force is removed, whereby it is difficult to achieve the desired accuracy of perpendicularity of the flange with respect to the sheet. This lack of accuracy of perpendicularity consequently and very often imposes difficulty so that the tabs can be adjusted properly against and be welded to the housing for the rims. In order to improve the aforementioned vehicle base structure and method of forming thereof, the applicant of this application developed the improved truck base forming structures and structures described in the U.S.A. Nos. 5188418, 5 544 932 and 5 575 525, and the copending application of E.U.A. with serial No. 08/661 062, which are assigned to Pullman Industries, Inc., all incorporated herein by reference. In the aforementioned patents, a truck base including a floor crankcase having reinforced ribs constructed by a rolling forming process is described. A rear hearth member copes with the trailing edge of the crankcase and has protrusions which interfit within and generally close the rear ends of the ribs formed in the crankcase, wherein the ribs are capable of extending to the free rear edge of the crankcase and opening longitudinally outward thereof to allow laminating by rolling the crankcase while facilitating proper water drainage from the base when the crankcase is assembled in the vehicle, with the trailing edge of the crankcase and specifically the ribs thus supported and reinforced on the back hearth and the protuberances on these. In a continuing effort to improve the truck base described in the aforementioned patents, the aforementioned copending application additionally discloses that the rear free edge of the floor casing formed by scratched lamination can be formed with a downwardly reinforcing flange extending longitudinally. along the rear free edge, whose flange projects downward to effectively overlap the defined back surfaces on the protuberances and the sole * back to thereby provide additional reinforcement directly on the rear free edge of the crankcase or base. The base arrangement formed by improved lamination as briefly summarized above, and specifically as described in the aforementioned patents, was developed primarily to allow the formation of a base assembly in a manner similar to that illustrated in Figure 1. That is, the base member formed by lamination described in the aforementioned patents was primarily intended to be the main center casing member equivalent to the main crankcase member 17 of Figure 1, wherein the separate secondary crankcase members equivalent to the secondary crankcase members 22 of Figure 1 would then be used in conjunction with the main crankcase member, which secondary members can be formed by either rolling or stamping. The manufacture of the main crankcase member 17 by roll forming, as described in the aforementioned patents, is believed to be the most satisfactory approach to using roll forming in conjunction with a vehicle base to minimize and avoid roll forming operations. Subsequent unnecessary formations, such as stamping operations, which were considered to be of questionable possibility, were those operations had to be carried out subsequent to the rolling formation of the striped crankcase member. While the aforementioned patents widely suggest rolling formation of the primary and secondary housings as a one-piece integral member and the subsequent processing thereof to create the openings of the housings for the tires, despite this, the patents before mentioned do not teach, how such a thing can be achieved and, in view * of the additional difficulties presented by these proposals, additional significant development and design are required and required to surpass the broad suggestion of these patents. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle base assembly, specifically a truck base assembly, and a method for manufacturing and assembling the primary components of the base of the truck associated with stamped base assemblies. commonly used and conventional as previously described, and also provide improvements on the base assemblies formed by lamination described in the aforementioned applicant patents. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved vehicle base assembly, and a process for its manufacture, which involves the formation of a one-piece floor crankcase by roll forming, whose floor crankcase has a main central casing portion as well as end or secondary portions which can be placed forward and backward of the openings for the wheel housings formed in the casing adjacent to the opposite side edges thereof. The crankcase has reinforcement ribs which extend longitudinally through the entire length of the latter to end at the front and rear edges. The reinforcement ribs extend in a parallel relationship longitudinally through not only the main crankcase portion but also longitudinally of the secondary portions where these ribs terminate directly at the front and rear edges of the tire housing openings. . The one-piece crankcase has the openings of the wheel housings formed therein, by a controlled operation to form notches or strikeouts, after the crankcase has been formed by rolling the flat sheet of material, and the notching operation provides a series of flanges around the periphery of the rim housing opening, both along the longitudinal inner edge and also at the front and rear edges of the latter. The tabs are arranged in a separate relationship, with some of the flanges being coplanar with upper walls to reinforce the ribs, and others being coplanar with the bottom or base wall of the crankcase between the reinforcement ribs. The crankcase formed by rolling is subjected to a subsequent forming operation which causes the flanges to bend downward generally in a perpendicular or transverse relationship with respect to the plane of the base wall of the crankcase so that the flanges can be placed in a adjacent and overlapping relationship with the inner sidewall of the truck or the wheelhouse to secure them here, by welding. The ribs formed by rolling extend longitudinally of the crankcase and thus end not only at the rear free edge thereof, but also at the front and rear edges of the openings of the wheel housings. In a preferred construction of the invention, as briefly summarized above, the rear part of the one-piece crankcase is placed in a rear support floor or in a channel member which extends transversely of the vehicle adjacent to the rear part. from the base. This sill preferably incorporates the upper protuberances in a spaced apart relationship, the protrusions of which project upwardly into the free rear ends of the reinforcement ribs to support and reinforce the reinforcing ribs directly adjacent to the rear free ends thereof. The improved crankcase or base member, as mentioned above, preferably provides the reinforcing ribs in a uniformly laterally spaced relation transversely through the main crankcase portion, with the ribs preferably having upper walls of substantially transverse width to define the surface which supports the direct loading of the base assembly. The lateral spacing between the adjacent ribs is typically selected so that spacing, as defined by the base wall of the crankcase, is generally not greater than and preferably less than the transverse width of the top wall of the reinforcement ribs to maximize the upper surface area defined by the upper walls of the ribs. The configuration of the crankcase member and specifically the pattern of the ribs formed by rolling within it, however, is preferably selected so that the longitudinally extending inner edge of the rim housing is formed in a base wall as defined between two laterally adjacent ribs. In addition, the base wall containing the longitudinally extending inner edge of the rim housing, in a preferred embodiment, is provided with a transverse width greater than the base walls between the other ribs to facilitate the creation of the flanges to along the longitudinally inner edge of the rim housing, whose flanges can initially be formed from and be coplanar with the base wall, and subsequently subsequently deformed downward in a generally perpendicular relationship therewith to facilitate full crankcase formation. In the improved crankcase assembly of this invention, as stated above, the one-piece base member is also preferably provided with at least two cantilever projection flanges projecting downward integrally associated with each of the rear edges. and fronts of each rim housing opening. These two cantilever tabs are arranged in a separate lateral relationship and are of different lengths, with one of the longer tabs being integrated with the upper wall of a reinforcing rib which intersects the rim housing opening, and the other flange being shorter and integrated with the base wall which intersects the opening of the rim housing. These tabs when deformed downwards both end at approximately the same elevation and allow the assurance to the vehicle, as a direct assurance to the housing of the rim. The present invention is also related to an improved process for forming the vehicle base, as mentioned above, specifically a ribbed base member formed by a one piece lamination having openings for the wheel housings formed on opposite sides of this, as well as the process to secure the base member to the support rails and the rear hearth as well as other vehicle components to effectively define an assembled base assembly. The present invention, in addition to the improvements and advantages briefly summarized above, is also believed to provide manufacturing economy with respect to the total manufacturing process, and allows the creation of cross sections or shapes in the base and specifically in the crankcase member. which are not possible with stamping or forming operations by rolling, including the creation of sharper corners having a higher consistency with respect to both the curvature and the thickness. Other objects and purposes of the invention will be more obvious to those who are familiar with the structures and processes of this type in general when reading the following specification and inspecting the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top plan view of a conventional pickup truck house illustrating a well-known first construction of a base assembly. Figure 2 is a top plan view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating a second well-known construction of the base assembly. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the basic components which cooperate with the improved crankcase member of this invention to define the improved base assembly of this invention. Figure 4 is a perspective view which illustrates the improved one-piece crankcase in accordance with the present invention. Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of Figure 4 and specifically illustrating that part of the one-piece crankcase member having openings for the housing for the rims formed therein. , Figure 6 is a fragmentary top view of a side portion of a one-piece crankcase member subsequent to roll forming thereof, but before forming the notches in the openings for the wheel housings therein. Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 7-7 in Figure 6. Figure 7A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 7 but illustrating the preferred corrugated cross-sectional configuration of the crankcase achieved by the rolling formation of the crankcase according to the present invention. Figure 8 is a fragmentary top view corresponding to Figure 6 but showing the crankcase member after the notching operation which simultaneously effects the formation of the tire housing openings as well as the formation of the belay of the tabs at positions along the periphery of the openings of the wheel housings. Figure 9 is a fragmentary top view corresponding to Figure 8 but showing the one-piece crankcase member after the sliding operation which causes the locking of the tabs both along the side edge of the crankcase and the edge side of the openings of the tire housings are deformed downwardly for their deposition substantially as illustrated in Figure 5. Figure 10 is a schematic fragmentary perspective view showing the rear part of the crankcase member and its relation to the sole plate back Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the upper and lower punch members used to effect the formation of notches for the openings of the tire housings in the crankcase member formed by rolling as illustrated in Figure 8, the cross-section of the lower support member is generally taken along line 11-11 in Figure 12. Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating the lower support member used to form the notches in the openings of the housings for the tires. Figures 13A, 13B and 13C are fragmentary sectional views which illustrate the process for forming the joint or securing of the flanges associated with the edges of the casing formed by lamination of this invention, with Figure 13A showing the flange following the formation by lamination of this and before the formation of the flange, Figure 13B shows the flange in a partially formed position, and Figure 13C shows the flange in its fully formed position. Figure 14 is an elevation view, partly in cross section, which diagrammatically illustrates the eyelash forming arrangement for effecting the drawing of an edge flange on the base member consisting of the forming sequence illustrated by Figures 13A at 13C. Figures 15A and 15B are enlarged fragmentary sectional views showing the tabs as they form at the respective front and rear edges of the base member. Figure 16 is a top plan view showing the half of a base member after the treatment thereof in the notch formation and in the perforation station, it is recognized that the base member is generally symmetrical about the longitudinal central axis of this one Figure 17 is a diagram that diagrammatically illustrates the training equipment and process used to form the base member and the subsequent securing thereof to the cross rails.

Figure 18 is a process flow diagram describing the primary process sequence associated with the formation of the base member and the subsequent attachment of the rails thereto. Figures 19 and 20 are diagrams that expand the process steps of Figure 18. Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience only in reference, and will not be limiting. For example, the words "upwards", "downwards", "to the right" and "to the left" will refer to the directions in the drawings in which the reference is made. The word "up" will also be used in reference to an exposed upper surface of the floor casing of the base assembly. The words "inward" and "outward" shall refer to the directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometrical center of the house or base assembly, or the designated portions thereof. This terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derived from these and words of similar importance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The vehicle base assembly of. the present invention will now be described, particularly with reference to Figures 3-9. The base or floor assembly 30 of the invention, as specifically illustrated by Figures 3 and 4, employs a main floor crankcase or base member 31 which copes with and has the trailing edge thereof supported on a cross rail rear or floor member 32, the latter extends transversely through the vehicle base adjacent the rear end thereof. The base member or crankcase 31 is also supported adjacent the front edge thereof on a front cross member or rail 33, and several (three in the illustrated embodiment) intermediate cross rails 34 are also securely fastened below the base member 31 in a parallel but separate relationship between the front and rear cross rails. This general arrangement is conventional. The floor casing or base member 31 is formed, preferably by rolling as will be described hereinafter, from a thin sheet of metal, preferably high power steel having a thickness of approximately 0.8 mm, so that the Base member 31 is of a one-piece, monolithic and integral construction with the base member having a substantially uniform thickness throughout the entire transverse extension and longitudinal cross section thereof. The one-piece monolithic casing member 31, after being longitudinally formed by rolling and cutting to size, has a generally enlarged and horizontally enlarged rectangular configuration and has front and rear free edges 36 and 37, respectively, extending transversely of the direction which extends longitudinally (i.e., from front to back) of the crankcase member. The crankcase member additionally has generally parallel lateral edges 38 extending longitudinally and substantially and perpendicularly intersect the respective front and rear free edges. "The crankcase member formed by rectangular lamination 31, as generally described above, has a pair of openings for the rim housings 41 formed therein after rolling forming of the crankcase member, and opening inwardly of the crankcase members. respective lateral edges 38 so that the stop of openings for the housings for the rims aligns transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the base member, each opening for the housing for the rims 41 has a configuration for receiving within them the housing for the rims 14 associated with the respective side wall 13 of the vehicle The opening for the housing for the rims 41, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 9, has an inner edge 42 which is elongated generally and longitudinally of the base member and which is attached to the respective front and rear edges 43 and 44, which project transversely outwardly. and intersect the side edge 38 of the base member. The front and rear edges 43 and 44 are joined to the inner edge 42 through rounded or arched edges or corners 45. The exact shape of the opening for the housing for the rims 42, by its position, will vary depending on the overall construction of the vehicle, but will generally have a configuration similar to that described above. The base member of a monolithic piece 31, when the openings for the housings for the rims 41 are formed therein, thus includes a main central base section 47 which extends longitudinally between the front and rear edges. respective 36 and 37, and also extends transversely between the inner edges 42 of the pair of laterally spaced openings 41 for the tire housings. The monolithic one-piece base member 31 also includes side and rear secondary or side base sections 48 and 49, respectively, which are respectively placed forward and backward of the openings for the wheel housings 41. The sections Secondary front base 38 are integrally joined to and project transversely from the main base section 47 and extend longitudinally between the front edge 36 of the base member and the front edge 43 of the respective rim housing aperture 41. The rear secondary base sections 49 are also integrally and monolithically joined to and project transversely from the main base section 47 and extend longitudinally of the base member of the rear edge 44 of the opening for receiving the respective rim 41 towards the back edge of the base member. These secondary base sections 48 and 49 define on these longitudinally extending side edges 38 of the base member 31. Due to the deformation of the base member 31 by rolling formation, it has a plurality of longitudinally elongated reinforcing ribs. 51 projecting upwards from the plane of the thin sheet 35. A plurality of substantially identical ribs such as the ribs 51 are generally substantially and laterally spaced from each other in a transverse or longitudinal direction of the main or center housing section 47, with the ribs 51 extending longitudinally of the crankcase 31 in a generally parallel relationship. The ribs 51 have a generally U-shaped or channel-like cross section, wherein each adjacent pair of ribs 51 defines an elongated valley 50 therebetween, the base or bottom of the valley being defined by the original flat sheet 35. The ribs 51 they project longitudinally through the entire length of the crankcase member 31 to terminate at the respective front and rear edges 36 and 37 thereof. These ribs provide the central floor casing section 47 with a substantially transverse uniform corrugated cross section through the entire longitudinal extension thereof. As illustrated in Figure 7, each rib 51 has a generally longitudinally extending flat top wall 52, which extends transversely between and is joined to a pair of downwardly projecting side walls 53, this last pair of walls The sides preferably diverge with respect to each other as they project downward in an inclined or angled relationship relative to the respective side wall 52. These side walls 53 define the sides of the respective valleys 50, which extend longitudinally of crankcase member between the adjacent ribs 51, and the bottom of the valley is defined by a base wall 54, which extends longitudinally between the front and rear edges of the crankcase member and which also extends transversely between and integrally and monolithically joins the lower edges of the walls. side walls 53 associated with the two adjacent ribs 51. Since Figure 7 generally illustrates the corrugated cross-sectional configuration formed by lamination of the floor casing 31, reference is made to Figure 7A, which more accurately illustrates the corrugated transverse cut. preferred of the floor casing 31, which can be desirably achieved when the casing is formed by rolling according to the present invention. By laminating the floor crankcase 31, it has been discovered that the side walls 53 connecting the top walls 52 and the base walls 54 need not be flat as when conventionally required by when the ribs are formed in a press, instead, the lamination formation allows the side walls 53 to have a generally S-shaped vertical configuration and smoothly curved to provide a much more desirable transition between the upper and lower walls 52 and 54. The side wall 53 specifically includes a portion upper 85, which has a generally circular arched convex configuration and a lower portion 86, which also has a generally circular arched convex configuration, with these portions 85 and 86 being inverted oriented relative to their radio centers, and effectively defining a smooth transition between the upper and lower walls. The arched upper portion 85 is specifically formed to tangentially join the upper wall at one end, and at its other end substantially and tangentially join the upper end of the arcuate lower wall portion 86. This lower wall portion arched at its most extreme end. The lower wall then in turn joins tangentially with the lower wall 54. In this way, the side wall 53 does not include any straight or flat portion in the vertical extension thereof, and the creation of the wall portions 85 and 86 by The lamination forming technique completely eliminates corners or bends and maintains a uniform thickness of material through the cross section of the base member. The radii defining the arcuate wall portions 81 and 82 are preferably and substantially equal, and this radius will preferably have a magnitude which is about half the height of the rib 51, whose magnitude is also many times ( example, at least an order of magnitude) greater than the thickness of the material thickness of the sheet. In a preferred construction of the invention, the upper walls 52 of the ribs 51 preferably have a transverse width W1 which is at least equal to and more preferably greater than the transverse width W2 of the valleys of the base walls 54. This, in this way it allows the total flat support area defined by the sum of the upper walls 52 to be of a significant magnitude to thereby facilitate the use of the vehicle base since the upper surface of these upper walls 52 of this mode effectively defines the plane of the charge coupling of the base member. The secondary or side casing portions 48, 49 are also formed by rolling to have upwardly projecting reinforcing ribs associated therewith and projecting longitudinally from the casing member in a generally parallel relationship with the reinforcement ribs 51 associated with the section. of central casing 47. In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary or lateral sections 48, 49 are provided with two laterally spaced reinforcing ribs, i.e.; an intermediate reinforcing rib 55 and an edge reinforcing rib 56. These ribs 55 and 56 are formed by rolling inside the crankcase member 31 simultaneously with the formation of the ribs 51, and the ribs 55 and 56 extend longitudinally and continuously between the front and rear edges of the crankcase member 31 before forming the openings of the tire housings 41 therein, substantially as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. These ribs 55 and 56, however, after forming the openings of the wheel housings 41 in the crankcase member, terminate at the front and rear edges of the tire housing openings substantially as illustrated in the Figures. 8 and 9. The intermediate rib 55 may be similar in shape and size to the ribs 51 and is disposed adjacent and laterally spaced from the edge rib 56 through an intermediate base wall 57 connected therebetween, which base wall 57 is coplanar with and generally and similarly corresponds to the base walls 54 described above. The edge ribs 56, in the illustrated embodiment, have a side wall 53 associated with only one side thereof, and the top wall 52 of the edge rib 56 defines the longitudinally extending side edge 38 of the finished crankcase member 31. This upper wall 56, however, before forming the openings of the housings for the rims, has a flange 58, which is an integral and monolithic coplanar extension of the upper wall 52, whose flange 58 subsequently deforms generally and perpendicularly down as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 7 to define and secure the flange 58 to fix it to the side wall 13 of the vehicle. The intermediate rib 55 is joined transversely to the transversely adjacent rib 51 of the central casing section 47 by a base wall 59, which extends longitudinally between the front and rear edges of the crankcase member and is generally coplanar with the other walls. base 54 and 57. This base wall 59, however, preferably has a transverse width W3, which is significantly greater than the transverse width W2 of the base walls 54. In fact, the preferred width W3 and will typically be at least about 1.5 times the width of W2 and in fact can be as much as about 2.0 times the width of W2. As illustrated in Figures 5-6 and 8-9, the longitudinally extending base wall 59 has the longitudinally extending inner edge 42 of the wheelhouse openings formed therein, and the increased width. transverse W3 of this base wall 59 facilitates the formation of the inner edge 42 within it, together with the locking tabs, which subsequently deform downwardly from the base wall 59 to secure them to the wheel housings 41.

More specifically, and as illustrated in Figure 8, the crankcase member formed by a one-piece longitudinally scratched lamination as illustrated in Figure 6 is then subjected to the notching operation, which is for the purpose of forming the openings of the housings for the rims 41 within this. This notching or punching operation initially results in the formation of a modified rim housing opening 41 ', the edges of which are interrupted by the cantilever tabs or tabs, which project generally and horizontally from the member of the rim member. crankcase inside the housing opening for the rim. These flanges and tabs then subsequently deform downwardly in a relationship generally perpendicular to the plane of the respective base and top walls of the crankcase member to provide the housing opening of the rim 41 substantially terminated as illustrated in Figures 5 and 9. Referring again to Figure 8, the formation of the modified aperture 41 'in the side portion of the crankcase member results in the formation of the cantilever flange 61, which is coplanar with the upper wall 52 of the rib. edge 56. The tongue 61 projects longitudinally from the respective rib away from the edges of the openings for the front and rear wheel housings 43 and 44 to project into a region, which ultimately defines the opening of the housings for the rims 41. Similar and substantially identical tabs 61 are also coplanar with and are integrally joined to the upper wall of the intermediate ribs 55 and project longitudinally thereof beyond the edges of the openings of the rim housings 43 and 44 within the region of the opening of the rim housings 41. The wall of intermediate base 57 also has a flange 62 integrally affixed thereto and arranged in a coplanar relationship with it, with the flange 62 also being longitudinally flown outwardly beyond the edges of the housings for the respective rims 43 and 44 to project within the openings of the housings for the rims 41. However, the flanges 62 have a shorter extension or cantilever length than that of the flanges 61, as illustrated in Figure 8. In fact, the flanges 62 typically have a length which is less than the length of the flanges 61 by an amount which roughly corresponds to the height of the reinforcement ribs so that when the flanges 61 and 62 are deformed downwardly as illustrated in Figure 5, the lower free edges of the flanges 61 and 62 are approximately at the same elevation. The base wall 59 is also provided with a flange 63, which after the formation of the intermediate opening 41 'as illustrated in Figure 8, is substantially coplanar with the base wall 59 and in fact originally comprises a part of the base wall 59. This flange 63 longitudinally extends a significant extension along the inner edge of the intermediate opening 41 ', with this flange 63 being transversely (i.e., laterally) flown only a relatively small distance. This lateral flow distance approximately corresponds to the cantilever length of the flanges 62, by means of which the displacement of the flange 63 to the position illustrated in FIG. 5 in this way results in the formation of the longitudinally extending inner edge 42 of the opening of the housings for the rims 41. The base wall 59, in the illustrated embodiment, adjacent to each of the rounded corners of the openings of the housings for the rims 45, is also provided with another cantilever and coplanar flange 64. , which is intermediate and is separated from the adjacent cantilever tabs 61 and 63. The tab 64, because it is coplanar with the base wall, it also has a shorter length, which generally corresponds to the cantilever length of the flanges 62 and 63. These flanges 64 are also deformed downwardly within the position illustrated in the Figure 5 to define the opening of the housing for the rims 41 as illustrated in Figure 9, whereby the flanges 61, 62, 63 and 64 are thus all arranged to be substantially in contact with and secured to the housing for the tires 14, as by means of welding. The formation of the one-piece monolithic crankcase member 31, as illustrated in Figure 4, will now be briefly summarized. The floor covering member is preferably formed of a thin metal sheet, which during the roll forming process is a substantially continuous sheet supplied with a large roll. The thickness of the steel sheet is selected based on the desired finished transverse dimension of the crankcase member 31 to allow the creation of the transversely corrugated crankcase including the formation of the side edge flanges 58. The initial thickness of the steel sheet flat, as provided in the roll, in this manner substantially corresponds to the width of the finished floor crankcase member 31 if it is flattened to a flat condition. The flattened steel sheet is supplied from the roll into the sheet forming mill, which, in a conventional and known manner, reforms the flat steel sheet as it passes through the mill so that, when leaving the mill, the sheet steel is longitudinally corrugated to have a cross section substantially as illustrated by Figure 7. The continuous corrugated sheet is then fed to the cutting press, which cuts the continuous corrugated sheet at desired separate distances corresponding to the lengths of the crankcase member finished flooring 31. The separate flooring member 31 has side portions, which are free of the openings of the tire housings, and thus, substantially correspond to Figure 6. The crankcase member formed by rolling separated then moves within a forming station which effects the notching of the modified openings of the alloys rims for the rims 41 '(Figure 8) within the opposite side portions of the crankcase member, whose notching operation effectively removes a central lateral portion of the corrugated crankcase member to thereby result in the formation of the opening 41 ' After the operation of forming notches in the crankcase member, having the modified openings for the openings of the housings for the rims 41 'formed on opposite sides of this, then it is subjected to a pressing operation which carries out the work in cold and hence the downward deformation of the tabs and tabs 58, 61, 63, and 64 to thereby provide a corrugated floor casing formed by a single piece lamination 31, substantially as illustrated in Figure 4. This floor case 31, is thus generally in a condition to be secured to the cross rails 32, 33 and 34 in a conventional manner, typically by means of spot welding, which is provided in the places where the cross rails make contact with the base walls 54, 57 and 59. The rear cross rail or sill 32 is preferably provided with a plurality of laterally spaced protuberances 66 projecting h upstream of this, whose protuberances are formed and positioned to project upwards into the rear ends of the ribs 51, 55 and 56, preferably directly adjacent to the free rear edge of the crankcase member, to close the rear ends of the ribs and providing a rib support reinforcement directly adjacent to the trailing edge of the base. The protrusions 66 and their cooperation with the rear ends of the ribs can generally be in accordance with the descriptions contained in the U.S. Patents. previous of the applicant Nos. 5 188 418, 5 544 932 and 5 575 525 as described above. Alternatively and preferably, the rear free edge of the crankcase member 31 is provided with a downwardly deformed flange 67 (Figures 10 and 15A) associated therewith and extending along the trailing edge thereof. This rear flange 67 extends longitudinally along the entire length of the rear edge of the crankcase member and has a corrugated configuration, which corresponds to the corrugated cross-section of the crankcase member. This flange is positioned to project downward in an overlap relationship directly adjacent to the rear surfaces on the protrusions 66 and on the rear hearth 31. This rear flange 67 preferably includes a rounded or arched portion, which is attached to the trailing edge of the rear flange. crankcase member and which then curves uniformly downwardly to join the projected and vertically projected flange portion 67A which overlaps the rear part of the rear hearth 32, with this latter flange part 67A terminating at a free edge. This back tab 67 is disclosed and described in the application of E.U.A. copending applicant with Serial No. 08/661 062. The base member 31 of the invention, in a preferred embodiment, is also provided with a downwardly deformed flange 87 (Figure 15B) extending longitudinally therethrough. This front flange 87 is constructed similar to the rear flange 67 in that it is integrally formed with and deformed down the plane of the base member to provide additional reinforcement for the base member due to the extension of this flange 87 through the front edge of this. This front flange 87 has a rounded forward and backward configuration to define a generally rounded front corner, with this rounded corner terminating in a vertically flat but generally lower flange portion 88, which in turn defines a free edge 89. This The generally vertical flat flange portion 88 is adapted to generally be spliced against the front side wall 15 (Figure 3) of the base of the truck and can be fixed thereto, by means of spot welding. Furthermore, the shape of this front flange 87 and its cooperation with the adjacent vertical front wall 15 of the truck base results in the creation of a generally upwardly oriented V-shaped groove, which extends longitudinally along the length of the vehicle. all the front edge of the crankcase member. This latter groove is used as a caulk receiving slot to allow sealing of the crankcase member to the front wall. The one-piece monolithic base member 31 of the present invention, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, also preferably has a small indentation 68 formed inwardly from one of the longitudinally extending side edges of This is in a longitudinally spaced relation to the respective rim housing aperture 41. This opening 68, which extends vertically through the side flange 58 and at least part of the edge rib 56, is sized to accommodate Inside this is the externally accessible fuel filler pipe which is connected to the vehicle's gas tank. This notch 68 is preferably formed of the crankcase member formed by rolling simultaneously with the formation of the adjacent notched rim housing opening 41 '. To effect the notching of the intermediate rim housing opening 41 'as illustrated in Figure 8, there is provided a notch-forming arrangement 71 (Figures 11 and 12) which is designed to specifically cooperate with the formed corrugation configuration. by rolling the crankcase member. This notching arrangement 71 includes upper and lower notch members 72 and 73 which cooperate to effectively sandwich the crankcase side portion therebetween as illustrated in Figure 11., before the current formation of the opening 41 '. The lower member 73 is preferably and stationary supported on a suitable support frame (not shown), and is provided with an opening 74 vertically therein, the configuration of the opening 74 generally corresponds to the configuration of the housing opening of the rim 41 '. The upper surface 75 of the lower member 73 has a corrugated configuration, which generally corresponds to the cross-hatched or corrugated shape defined by the lower surface of the crankcase member adjacent a longitudinally extending side edge thereof so that the lower member 73 at least adjacent to the front and rear edges of the rim housing opening and also along the longitudinally extending inner edge thereof, in a supported manner engages the bottom sides of the ribs 55 and 56 equally that the base walls 57 and 59. This lower member 73 also has appropriate cantilevered support tabs 81, 82, 83, 84, which are positioned and formed corresponding to the flanges 61, 62, 63 and 64, respectively. The upper notch member 72 has such a size and is positioned in such a way that it can be provided directly over the opening 74 in the lower member 73, and the upper notch member 72 is connected to the vertical handling device 77 which makes movement downwardly of the upper member 72 within the opening 74 to effect the creation of the opening 41 '. The upper member has an eternal edge generally U-shaped, which generally corresponds to the shape of the opening 41 'for thereby effecting the cutting or striking of the edge portion formed by rolling the crankcase member to effect the formation of the opening 41 '. The lower surface 78 of the upper member 72 is also provided with a corrugated or scored configuration, which generally corresponds to the corrugated upper surface of the coupled area of the crankcase member 31, substantially as illustrated in Figure 11, so that movement toward Down the upper member 72 effect the substantially simultaneous punching of the crankcase member around the entire opening 41 '. The base and top walls, as well as the interconnected side walls, are thus all substantially and simultaneously punched to create the opening 41 '. This simultaneous notching of the entire non-uniform edge with the opening 41 ', together with the accompanying support coupling provided by the lower member 73 around the entire edge of the opening 41', together with the press coupling provided by the upper member 72 around the entire inner perimeter of the opening 41 ', allows the opening 41' to be accurately formed without creating any significant dimensional change or deformation of the crankcase member near the opening 41 ', particularly when where the ribs 55 and 56 end at the front and rear edges of the rim housing opening. In addition, the ratio of an increase in width W3 in the base wall 59 and the placement of the longitudinally elongated inner edge 42 of the rim housing aperture therefrom, the thicker base wall 59 contains sufficient material to also allowing the formation of the flanges 63 and 64 therefrom, and in fact, all the flanges 61-64 are formed of horizontally flat walls of the crankcase member, although the inclined side walls 53 of the ribs are laterally interposed between some of the flanges. the flanges, as a rib side wall, which is disposed between the flange 62 and the flanges 61 as it is disposed on opposite sides thereof. Referring now to Figures 13A-13C, the process for forming the rim flanges, which are associated with the longitudinal side edges and the openings of the rim housings, is illustrated diagrammatically., like the flanges 58, 61, 62, 63 7 64. Figures 13A-13C illustrate the formation of the flange 63, which extends along the longitudinally extending inner edge of the housing opening for tires, but it will be appreciated that the arrangement and process illustrated by these figures may also be applicable to the other tabs. Referring specifically to Figure 13A, the base member formed by lamination 31 is placed in a flange-forming apparatus 90, which includes upper and lower supports 91 and 92, which fit snugly between that portion of the crankcase member 31. adjacent to the flange, such as flange 63, with the flange being positioned to project in a cantilevered outward manner beyond supports 91 and 92. A pair of movable formed or sliding members 93 and 94 are provided adjacent to the supports for a support coupling with the respective upper and lower surfaces of the projected flange 63. The flange 63 is narrow but transverse and slidably confined between the opposite faces of the movable sliding members 93 and 94, and the upper sliding member 93 has a face or internal surface 96, which is separated from an opposite lateral face of the adjacent upper support to define a small space vertically extending 96 between them, whose space has a dimension, which closely approximates the thickness of the flange 63. To effect the downward deformation of the flange to a position where it projects downward in a perpendicular relationship to the plane of the crankcase member, the forming or sliding members 93, 94 move in a synchronized manner downwardly by means of an activating device (not shown), which keeps the opposite faces of this closely spaced to confine the flange 63 between these. Since these formed members 93, 94 move downwards, however, this downward movement and the presence of the space 96 are such that the flange 63 starting at its junction with the main crankcase member progressively deforms downwardly as length of the flange towards the free end of this, this is actually a cold working of the metal similar to the lamination forming technique. The sliding members 93 and 94 thus move downwardly through sufficient movement until the flange 63 deforms or bends downward to its free end or tip and thereby effectively and fully withdraws from the space between the members. 93, 94 and assumes a completely perpendicular relationship as illustrated in Figure 13C. With the formation of the flange by the progressively current deformation or cold working the flange from the junction point with the crankcase, to the tip end of the flange, this allows the thickness of the flange including the corner connection to the flange member. The casing is kept uniform, and also effectively and sufficiently works the metal of the flange again so that when the crankcase member 31 is removed from the forming apparatus 90, the flange 63 will accurately retain its perpendicular relation projected downwards and will not experience No spring or deformation due to the stress created in the flange. By forming all the tabs (i.e., tabs 58, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 87) by forming a cold working process similar to that illustrated in Figures 13A-13C, the tabs by this, all possess properties, which are generally equivalent to the properties of the crankcase rolling, and result in the flanges having a significantly higher degree of dimensional accuracy to widely facilitate the positioning of the crankcase in the vehicle and the welded of the crankcase to the side walls of the vehicle and the housings for the tires due to the manufacturing accuracy achieved by this invention. The flange forming apparatus in general 90 is shown diagrammatically in more detail in Figure 14 wherein the support 92 is stationary provided in a support base or frame., with the sliding member 94 movably supported on the base 97 and elastically forced upwards by a suitable spring 98. The sliding member 93 is coupled to the lower end of the activating device 99, as a variable speed fluid pressure cylinder, the housing of which is mounted on an upper ramp 101, the latter being horizontally and slidably supported on the base 97. The upper ramp 101 can be movable inwardly toward the base member 31 to be arranged in a position to cooperate with this substantially as it is illustrated by Figure 14, and when not in use, the ramp 101 can be retracted outward (to the right in Figure 14) so that it is not provided on the base member so that the latter can be properly raised and vertically by an appropriate lift-transport system. A suitable activating device 102 such as a pressure cylinder cooperates between the base 97 and the ramp 101 to control the horizontal movement of the latter. The springs 103 are also preferably provided between the upper support 91 and the upper sliding member 93 to maintain the support 91 tightly engaged with the upper surface of the base member 31, while at the same time allowing the upper ramp 93 to move downwardly. for effecting the extraction or forming of the flange substantially in the manner illustrated in Figures 13A-13C. While Figures 13A-13C illustrate the formation of a flange with a fairly sharp corner, it will be appreciated that this same process and apparatus can be used to form a flange having a more rounded corner, such as the rear flange 67 or the front flange 87, whose more rounded corner accommodates providing a more rounded shaped corner on the lower support 92. The process and apparatus for enabling the general forming of the crankcase member 31, and the attachment thereof to the crossed rails 32-34 for effectively creating a base assembly will now be described with reference to the diagrammatic plan view of Figure 17 and the process diagram of Figure 18. The main floor casing 31 is formed of a thin steel sheet, which during the The forming process is a substantially continuous sheet supplied with a large roll. The thickness of the steel sheet is selected based on the desired determined dimension of the formed floor casing 31 to allow the creation of the corrugated floor casing including the formation of the side base flanges 58 on it, where the cutting of the sheet or crankcase finished is unnecessary. The initial width of the flat steel sheet, as provided by the roll, thus substantially corresponds to the width of the finished crankcase if it is flattened to a smooth condition. The steel sheet is normally supplied in the form of a large roll 121 as provided in a roll advance ramp 122 which can be placed adjacent to the cradle 123 on which the roll 121 can be transferred for support during the operation of manufacture. The cradle 123 has a conventional structure associated therewith for performing reinforcement of the sheet material as it is discharged from it in the form of substantially continuous sheet 124. The sheet material is fed through a cutter-welder end 125, which cuts the inlet and outlet ends of each roll and welds the cut end of a roll to the cut inlet end of the next roll to allow a substantially continuous sheet 124 to be fed into and through subsequent manufacturing stations. After passing through the cutter / welder 125, the continuous steel sheet 124 progressively moves through a laminator 126, which progressively reforms the steel sheet so that, while the steel sheet is substantially flat when entering through the entrance end of the mill 126, the steel sheet is suitably formed to have the finished cross section of the floor casing 31 as it leaves the exit end of the laminator 126. This progressive reforming of the steel sheet as it passes through the laminator 126 is illustrated diagrammatically by the progressive decreasing width of the steel sheet as it moves longitudinally through the laminator 126. Upon leaving the laminator 126, the continuous steel sheet 124 is now formed to have the corrugated cross-section of the crankcase 31 substantially illustrated in FIG. Figure 7, the corrugated cross section of which includes portions of flanges 58 extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the floor casing, the portions 58 of which are substantially horizontally coplanar with any of the upper or lower walls of the corrugated casing. These portions 58 are subsequently deformed to allow the formation of the projecting side flanges 58 as will be described below. The corrugated sheet continuous as it leaves the laminator 126 is fed in and through a conventional cutting press 127, which cuts the corrugated steel hole at desired separate distances substantially corresponding to the desired length of the finished floor casing 31. The now-separated floor pan 31 is then transferred to the conveyors 128 and 129, which conveyors speed up the separate crankcase 31 downstream of the cutting press 127 to effectively separate it from the leading edge of the web formed by lamination 124. The conveyor 128-129 moves the separate floor crankcase 31 to a transfer device 131, which moves the crankcase member 31 to a transfer station 132, the latter copes with one end of the transfer conveyor 133. , like a conventional elevated elevating-transportation conveyor. This conveyor 133 can couple and raise the base member 31 located in the transfer station 131 and move the member laterally, that is, in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinally extending direction of the base member. This conveyor 133 changes the base member 31 to the press station (ie, notch former and puncher) 134 where secondary stamping operations are carried out on the crankcase member, whose secondary stamping operations mainly include the perforation and the notch formation of the crankcase member. After completing the desired stamping operations in station 134, the crankcase member is then transferred by a transfer device 133 to the next station 135, this being a tab forming station to allow the creation of downwardly flipped flanges associated with the lateral, front and rear edges of the base member. Upon completion of this eyelash forming operation, the crankcase member formed by lamination 31 is now subsequently complete, and is moved by transfer mechanisms 133 to a direction change station 136. In this station 136 the crankcase member is placed in a conveyor 137, which advances the crankcase member to an inspection station 138 where the dimensions of the finished crankcase member are inspected, such as by the use of laser inspection devices. After this, the conveyor advances the crankcase member to a holding station 139, from which the crankcase member is coupled and advanced forward by another conveyor 141, as is a conventional elevated lift-conveyor conveyor. This last conveyor advances the crankcase to a loading station 142 for the position assembly of the base member a) the cross rails 33-34. For this purpose, the cross rails 33-34 can be stored in racks as illustrated diagrammatically at 143 with the rails removed from the racks 143 and placed in a positioning device 144., which is provided on one side of the charging station 142. A suitable transfer mechanism then automatically transfers the rails of the station 144 to the charging station 142, with the base member moving inside and properly positioned in the charging station. loaded 142 to define an appropriate positional relationship between the rails and the base member. The base and rail assembly positionally assembled in the charging station 142 is then transferred by the conveyor to a first welding station 146, which performs spot welding of the rails to the base member. The first soldering station 146 normally performs spot welding between the rails and the base member only along the longitudinally extending central portion of the base member.

This assembly is then transferred to the next soldering station 147, which performs other spot welds between the rails and the base member outward from the spot welds created in station 146. The assembly is then transferred to yet another soldering station 148, which creates other spot welds between the rails and the base member, these latter point welds provide adjacent to the longitudinally extending outer portions of the base member. The base assembly is then transferred from the soldering station 148 by the conveyor 145 to an inspection station 149, which carries out the final dimensional inspection of the assembly, again, typically by means of laser censor devices. The assembly is then discharged by the conveyor to an unloading station 150, from which it can be transferred to suitable transport devices for supply to a vehicle assembly line, or alternatively it can be transferred to suitable storage racks or the like. The forming operation associated with the crankcase member in the press station 134 will now be described in more detail, specifically with reference to Figure 19. When the base member formed by lamination 31 is transferred to the press station 134, initial and tightly engaged by the upper and lower fasteners as indicated at 221, which fasteners extend transversely through the upper and lower surfaces of the base member adjacent to at least the opposite ends thereof, with the fasteners having a configuration corrugated compatible with that of the base member to allow secure fastening engagement with the base member. After the base member has been properly clamped in the press station 134, then drilling operations in the base member begin at 222, which drilling operations involve the formation of several holes or openings vertically through the base member . For example, a pair of holes cooperating in alignment 161 and 162 (Figure 16) are formed through the base member adjacent to one side thereof, with another of said pairs of holes being formed adjacent to the other side of the member. base in the preferred modality. The one provided hole 161 adjacent to the rear corner is a round alignment hole, while the other hole 162 provided adjacent the front corner is an elongated slot, which is generally aligned with the hole 161. Additional holes can also be formed through the base member, as drainage holes if desired, the latter are indicated at 163, or in some cases there is a desire to also provide screw holes (not shown). All these holes can be substantially and simultaneously pierced through the base member by conventional tools. After drilling, the front and top end edges are preferably cut (ie, sheared) at 223 to ensure accuracy thereof. The base member is also afterwards subjected to notching operations (step 224) along the peripheral edges thereof while being located in the press station 134. For example, and with reference to Figure 16 , the openings of the rim housings 41 are formed on the opposite longitudinally extending side edges of the base member, these are created substantially as generally enlarged notches in accordance with an arrangement similar to that illustrated by Figures 11-12 as It was described above. Each rear corner of the base also has a notch 165 formed therein to accommodate the reinforcement post structure associated with the rear end of the side wall of the base of the truck. When the base of the truck is provided with a front flange as is tab 87 of Figure 15B, then each front corner of the base of the truck is also provided with a small notch 166 therein to avoid interference between the front flange 87 and the side flanges 58 during the subsequent formation of these. The opening of the fuel filler tube 68 is also made by forming a notch in one of the side walls of the base. All of these notches are substantially and simultaneously formed using notcher forming tools of the cutter type configured to provide the desired notch profile.

It is preferred that the aforementioned drilling operation first be started, with the drilling operations being completed at least partially before beginning the notching operation to minimize the amount of material distortion force which is applies simultaneously to the base wicker. In addition, starting with at least the partial completion of the drilling operations before beginning the notching operations, the drilling tools can be maintained in a secure clamping engagement with the base member and thus help maintain the stiffness of the base member as the notching operations are performed. After all the operations of drilling and notching have been done in the pressing station 134, the base member formed by lamination has an appearance similar to that illustrated in Figure 16, whose base wicker has not yet undergone any bending or sliding operation to form the projecting edge flanges. The base member in the condition illustrated in Figure 16 is transferred from the press station 134 to the tab forming station 135 to perform the downward folding or sliding of several of the edge tabs. As the member moves inside the eyelash training station 135, is initially positioned accurately by a pair of alignment pins projecting upwardly into station 135 that are inserted through one of the alignment holes 161 and its corresponding alignment slot 162 (step 226 of FIG. twenty). This, in this way, provides for the precise positioning of the base member in the eyelash forming station 135. The base member is then suitably clamped (step 227) by upper and lower clamping members to facilitate the stationary fastening of the footing member. base. After the devices (step 228) of eyelash formers 90A (Figure 18) are activated as provided adjacent to the opposite side edges of the base member to perform downward bending or sliding of not only the side flanges 58, but also the flanges 61-64 associated with the openings of the tire housings. These flanges slide or fold down in a cold working manner by arrangement 90, which is generally illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 as described above. After the side flanges have been folded down, then the side flange forming apparatuses 90A are held in the extended position so that the opposite side flanges are effectively held in the respective bender apparatus, substantially as illustrated in Figure 13C, and then the front and rear eyelash forming apparatuses 90B are activated (step 229) to realize the forming of the rear flange 67 and front flange 90. Since the rear flange extends along a corrugated configuration of the leg member. base formed by rolling and requires the imposition of a larger forming force to be able to fold down the flange, maintaining the base member laterally held between the eyelashes 90A provides additional general assurance and rigidity to the base member during The back tab forming operation. After the front and back tabs have been properly formed, then all the eyelash forming apparatuses 90A and 90B are retracted upwards, and then retracted horizontally and outwardly away from the base member, after which the base member it then rises and transfers to the next station 136. If the base is not provided with a front flange, then the front flange forming apparatus 90B is already omitted or not activated. Furthermore, while the invention as described above is related to the forming of the front flange by a bending or slipping process, and while such is preferred, however the structure of the front flange is less critical and said flange can be formed by a conventional bending operation if desired. During the subsequent transfer of the base to and between the welding stations, alignment orifices 161 and slots 162 are used to ensure proper positioning of the base member both during transfer between stations and for placement in the work station . For example, each of the welding stations is provided with a pair of upwardly projecting alignment pins which engage the hole 161 and the slot 162 associated with one side of the base member to ensure proper positioning of the leg member. base in the soldier station. On the other hand, during the transfer of the base member ao between the welding stations, the alignment hole and slot 161-162 provided adjacent to the other side of the base member cooperate with the alignment pins associated with a sleeve of movable beams which is part of the lift and transport transfer conveyor 45 to maintain the proper positioning of the base member during the transfer of this between the adjacent work stations. The soldier of the crossed rails or soleras to the base member, as represented by stations 146-148, is generally conventional. Since the invention as described above in relation to the one-piece monolithic casing 31 contemplates that the member formed by rolling will be formed of a steel sheet, it will be appreciated that the invention also allows the floor casing member to be formed to Starting from a laminated sheet material such as a steel sheet having a laminated plastic sheet layer on top of the latter since said construction can eliminate the need for a separate base coat.

It will also be appreciated that while the invention as described above relates to the upward formation of the reinforcing ribs of the flat sheet material, it will be appreciated that the relative deformation of the sheet material and the formed ribs is such that the Original flat sheet material can currently define the flat upper walls of the ribs, and that the actual deformation of the sheet material can be a downward deformation of the valleys between the ribs. Since the invention has been described for use in and is particularly adaptable for use in a pick-up truck, it will be appreciated that the invention can also be particularly adapted for use in other vehicles, which require a similar base construction, such as vehicles. type van and sport trucks. Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the described apparatus, including the rearrangement parts, are within the spirit and field of use of the present invention.

Claims (22)

1. A process for forming a unified base assembly for a vehicle such as a pick-up truck, which comprises the steps of: providing a broad and horizontally elongated flat sheet of thin structural material such as metal; laminate said flat sheet to define a plurality of generally parallel, laterally spaced reinforcing ribs in the form of a channel therein with said reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally through the entire length of the metal sheet formed to terminate at and defining the corrugated front and rear edges of a formed sheet, the formed sheet is approximately rectangular and has longitudinally extending side edges which extend between said front and rear edges, said plurality of reinforcing ribs causing said aforesaid sheet has a plurality of longitudinally extending and laterally separated upper wall portions positioned between a plurality of longitudinally extending and generally parallel base wall portions which are positioned vertically downwardly relative to the upper wall portions with the adjacent edges s extending longitudinally of said base and upper wall portions being joined by lateral extremities extending vertically therebetween; forming the openings of the rim housings in the opposite side portions of said formed sheet so that each opening of the rim housings has an internal edge that extends generally and longitudinally, which joins the front and rear edges that they extend transversely of the formed sheet and end at a respective lateral edge so that each rim housing opening opens laterally through said respective lateral edge of the formed sheet, said front and rear edges projecting transversely inwards from the side edge a length sufficient to intersect at least a portion of the top wall and at least a portion of the base wall of said formed sheet; forming, simultaneously with the forming of said tire receiving aperture, a plurality of cantilever securing tabs, which are integrally and monolithically joined to and substantially co-planar with at least one of said base wall and said top wall and which projects beyond the edge of the tire opening generally within the rim opening, said plurality of tabs includes a first tongue associated with each of said front and rear edges and projecting generally and longitudinally of the member of base away from the respective front and rear edges, and a second tab projecting transversely from said inner edge of said tire openings; and then, deforming said first and second securing tabs so that they project downwardly away from said upper and lower wall portions in a transverse relationship therewith to position the tabs for fastening to a rim opening housing.

A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the downward deformation of the tongues is initially achieved by supporting the cantilever tabs on opposite sides of these by upper and lower support dies and then simultaneously moving said upper and lower support dies down to cold-work the tongue progressively from one inner end to the free end thereof to cause the tongue to deform toward a transverse position projecting downward.

A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner edge of the opening of the rim housings is formed in and extends longitudinally along said a base wall portion, and wherein the formation by lamination of the sheet is such that said one base wall part has a transverse width, which is substantially greater than the width of the base wall portions defined between the reinforcement ribs located transversely between the openings of the housings for the tires

4. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the front and rear edges of the openings of the housings for the rims extend transversely through at least two of said base wall portions with said longitudinal edge extending longitudinally. of the opening of the housings for the rims being formed in one of said base wall portions and said second securing tongue being secured thereto, said an upper wall portion being laterally positioned between said two wall portions of base and having said first securing tongues subject to it, and forming a third securing tab coplanar with the other part of base wall and projecting longitudinally in a coplanar relation with this one of each of the front and rear edges of the openings of the housings for the rims simultaneously with the shape of the opening of the housings for the ace.

5. In a vehicle base assembly having a horizontally expanded floor constructed of a thin structural sheet and having a plurality of generally parallel and laterally spaced reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally therefrom, said reinforcing ribs have a cross section in the form of channels generally opening downwards, said plurality of ribs are defined on the longitudinally extending and laterally extended top wall portions, which are interposed alternately and laterally between the longitudinally extending base wall portions, which define the bottoms of the longitudinally extending valleys, which are defined between said laterally adjacent ribs, said floor includes a horizontally enlarged central portion, which extends longitudinally between the front and rear edges of said floor, said floor also has later portions ales, which are arranged on opposite sides of said central portion and define the lateral lateral edges extending longitudinally of the floor, each said side portion has tire receiving openings formed therein in a spaced-apart relationship of at least one of the front and rear edges of the floor and laterally opening through the respective external lateral edge, said reinforcing ribs are associated both with said central portion and with said side portions of said floor, comprising the improvement within said floor, including both said central portion and said lateral portions, is defined by a one-piece monolithic crankcase member formed by lamination having said reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally therefrom and terminating directly at the front and rear edges thereof for said Front and rear edges have a corrugated configuration , said ribs being longitudinally formed by rolling both in said central portion and in said lateral portions, the reinforcing ribs formed by rolling in said lateral portions end directly on an edge defining the openings of the housings for the respective rims, said edge of said rim housing aperture includes at least one edge portion, which extends transversely of the ribs in an intersecting relationship with the outer lateral edge of the crankcase and also has a corrugated configuration where it intersects with the ribs associated with the rib. respective side portion, and a plurality of integral fastening tabs and monolithically attached to the lateral portion around the edge of the opening of the wheel housings and projecting perpendicularly downward to be fixed to the housing of the tire openings, said plurality of eyelash as including at least a first fastening flange attached to one of ias base portions and at least a second fastening flange is fixed to one side of top wall.

6. A base assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that said rim housing opening is positioned in a longitudinally spaced relation to the front and rear edges of the crankcase member so that the respective side portions include the side, front and rear portion segments, which define within these by at least one reinforcing rib, which extends substantially and continuously through the side, front and rear portion segments except for the interruption thereof created by said rim housing opening. .

7. A base assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the rim housing aperture has a longitudinally extending internal edge, which is defined by a predetermined base wall portion, which extends parallel to but is separated laterally a predetermined distance from the adjacent longitudinal lateral edge extending longitudinally of the crankcase member, said predetermined base wall portion having a transverse width which is significantly greater than the transverse width of the base wall portions formed in said central portion of said crankcase member.

A base assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that said first flange elongates longitudinally along said inner edge and deforms downwardly from said predetermined internal wall portion, said second flange being associated with the edges front and rear of said tire housing opening and projecting downwardly from the upper wall portion which is laterally disposed adjacent said predetermined base wall portion, and a third fastening flange associated with each of the front edges and rear of said rim housing opening and being integrally attached to and projected downwardly from another part of the base wall, which is laterally disposed outwardly of said aforementioned upper wall portion, said first and third flanges have a further extension. cut down that second tab.

9. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the tongues is attached to and is substantially coplanar with said one base wall and wherein another tongue is joined to and substantially coplanar with said top wall.

A process according to claim 9, characterized in that the deforming of the flanges of the tongues downwards is initially achieved by supporting the cantilever tongues on opposite sides of these by upper and lower support dies and then simultaneously moving said supporting dies upper and lower down to perform the cold work of the progression of the tabs from an inner end towards the free end thereof to cause the tongue to deform towards a transverse position projecting downwards.

11. A process for forming a base assembly for a vehicle such as a pick-up truck, comprising the steps of: providing a broad horizontally elongated flat sheet of thin metal; forming said flat metal sheet to define a plurality of reinforcing ribs in the form of laterally spaced channels generally parallel therewith with said reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally through the entire length of the metal sheet formed to terminate in and define the Corrugated front and rear free edges of the formed sheet to define a vehicle floor crankcase, said reinforcing ribs are arranged in a parallel and laterally spaced relation to extend generally across the entire length of the metal sheet between the side edges which extend longitudinally thereof; then, forming a pair of rim housing openings in said floor crankcase so that said openings project vertically through the floor crankcase and open inwardly in a generally opposite relationship to the opposite lateral edges thereof, said housing apertures for the tires project inwardly to transversely intersect at least one of the channel-shaped reinforcing ribs; and then, fixedly securing said floor casing to a plurality of support sills, which are provided below and coupled in support form with a lower side of said floor casing.

12. A process according to claim 11, including the step of forming, simultaneously with the formed of said tire housing openings, a plurality of flanges, which are generally coplanar with and are blown outwardly from the crankcase. floor and are projected within the region of the housing openings for the rims; and then, deforming said flanges downwardly in a relationship generally transverse to the floor casing to subsequently secure them to a tire housing opening cover.

A process according to claim 12, including the step of forming, during the formation of the channel ribs in said sheet member, a pair of longitudinally elong flange portions, which extend longitudinally along and define the opposite lal edges of said crankcase member with said flange portions being generally coplanar to each other and generally parallel to the plane of the sheet mial; and then, deforming said flange portions downwardly in a relationship generally perpendicular to the plane of the metal sheet to define the longitudinally extending side edge flanges to allow securing of the crankcase member to the vehicle, said side flange flanges being they deform downwards after the formation of the openings of the housings for the rims.

A process according to claim 13, characterized in that said lal edge flanges and the flanges of the openings of the wheel housings are substantially and simultaneously deformed downwards.

A process according to claim 14, including the step of forming a rear flange directed downwardly at and extending longitudinally along the rear free edge of said crankcase member, said rear flange deforming downwardly subsequent to that formed toward down said lal edge tabs.

16. A process according to claim 14, including the step of, after the forming step of said rib but prior to the step of forming said tire housing opening, piercing said crankcase member adjacent to the corners thereof for defining a plurality of position locator holes therethrough.

17. A process for forming a base assembly for a vehicle such as a pick-up truck, comprising the steps of: providing a broad continuous sheet of thin metal; rolling said flat metal sheet to define a plurality of reinforcing ribs in the form of lally spaced channels generally parallel therethrough across substantially the full width, with said reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally through the entire length of the sheet of metal formed as said formed sheet is unloaded from a laminator; then, cutting the continuous formed sheet to form base members of predetermined longitudinal sizes having said reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally through the entire length thereof for the base member to have corrug front and rear free edges on it; then, forming the notches of said base member to form at least one notch-shaped opening, which extends vertically through said base member and projects into at least one of the side edges that they extend longitudinally from it; then, coupling and deforming the longitudinally extending coplanar side edge portions, which are defined adjacent and define opposite lal edges of said base member and deforming them downward to define cantilever downward flange flanges, which project generally transverse with respect to said base member; and • then firmly securing said base member in a support coupling on a plurality of separbut generally parallel transverse cross braces.

18. A process according to claim 17, characterized in that the edge flanges are deformed by a progressive co-working and by the deformation of the edge tabs initially from the point of intersection between the flange and the base member and then effective and progressively deforming the flange down along the length thereof until reaching the free end thereof.

19. A process according to claim 18, characterized in that said notching step includes a pair of rim housing openings through said base member so that said rim housing apertures open inwardly in a generally opposite relationship to the longitudinally extending opposite side edges. of the base member, and simultaneously forming a plurality of tabs which are blown outwardly and substantially coplanar with the base member and project into the rim aperture.

A process according to claim 19, including the step of deforming said tabs from the openings of the tire housings downwardly relative to said substantial base member and simultaneously with the downward deformation of said edge tabs.

21. A process according to claim 19, including the step of piercing said base member to open a plurality of openings, which extend vertically therethrough, said perforation being carried out before the deformation of said eyelashes. edge.

22. A process according to claim 21, including the step of deforming the free rear edge of said base member to define a rear flange flown downward, which projects downwardly from the base member and extends substantially continuously along said rear edge so that the rear flange has a profile, which "generally corresponds to the corrugated cross-section of said base member, said rear flange deforms downward, after beginning with the downward formation of said edge tabs. SUMMARY A vehicle base assembly, and a process for its manufacture, which involves the formation of a one-piece crankcase (31) formed by rolling. The crankcase has a central crankcase portion (47) and secondary portions (48, 49) positioned forwardly and backwardly of the openings of the rim housings (41) formed in the crankcase adjacent to the opposite side edges of the crankcase. East. Reinforcement ribs extend longitudinally through the entire length of the crankcase and terminate at the front and rear edges (36, 37). The reinforcing ribs also extend longitudinally of the secondary portions and end at the front and rear edges (43, 44) of the openings of the wheel housings (41). The one-piece crankcase has the openings of the rim housings formed therein, by a controlled notching operation, after the crankcase has been formed by rolling from a flat sheet of material, and the notch forming operation provides a series of flanges around the periphery of the tire housing openings, both along the longitudinal inner edge (42) and at the front and rear edges (43, 44) . Some of the tabs are coplanar with the upper walls of the reinforcement ribs, and others are coplanar with the base wall of the crankcase between the reinforcement ribs. The crankcase formed by rolling is subjected to a subsequent forming operation which causes the flanges to slide downward, in a perpendicular relationship so that the flanges can be placed in an overlapping relationship with the inner side wall of the vehicle or the housings of the openings for the tires to be secured to it, by means of welding.