US1015360A - Vehicle-top bow-clamp. - Google Patents

Description

E. THOMPSON. 'VEHICLE TOI BOW CLAMP. .APPLICATION FILED APILZB, 1911.

PatentedJm. 23, 1912.

entran srniras Pagani ornron.

RALPH. THOMPSON, t*OF*BROClKILIIlTIE, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIGNOR T A. E. THOMPSON,

TRUSTEE, OF BRQOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

vnmonn'ror Bow-"CLAr/LP.

specification of Letters raient.-

Paten'ted an. 23, 1912.

Application filed AprilI 28, 1911. Serial No. 623,868.

citizen ot' the United States, and a resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and .State olt Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicleffop Bow-Clamps, of which t-he `following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for confining in a folded conditionthe top of an automobile or other vehicle, said top being composed of bows hinged to the body, and a flexible cover supported by the bows. Then the top is folded the end portions of the bows extend approximately horizontally backward from the hinges that connect them with the body, and are disposed side by side in tiers. j

My invention is embodied in a clamp `of which two are used, one for each tier of bow-ends, each'clamp including a lower aw adapted to be rigidly and detachably secured to a iixed supporting member on the vehicle body and having a seat i'ormed to engage and support the lower bow, said jaw being provided at the outer portion of said seat with one part or member of a quickly detachable coupling, a movable upper jaw formed to engage and press downwardly on the upper bow, and havinga downwardly projecting shank and pressure-applying mechanism connecting said jaws and adapted to relatively adjust the jaws in such manner as to apply a forcible clamping pressure to the tier of bows, and to maintain said pressure, the said connecting mechanism including a tension member provided with a plurality of complemental coupling vparts or members adapted to interchangeably and detaehably engage the coupling member in the lower jaw, the construction being such that the pressure may be readily applied and removed, and that the upper.

jaw and the connecting mechanism may be quickly engaged with and separated from thelower jaw, so thatfwhen "the device is not in use they may be quickly yremoved and storedfth'e lower jaw being allowed to remainin' :place on ,the fixed supporting' member and being adapted to take the place ot an ordinary bow rest or support. applied as heretofore to the ixed'supporting member.

GI" the accompanying drawings which form a part of this speciiication,-l `igure 1 represents aside elevation of the preferred embodiment .of my invention applied to a tier of bovwsyFig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3' represents a view `similar to a portion o1 Fig. 2*; showing a modification; Fig. 4 represents a side View of a second modification; Fig. 5 represents an edge view of themodification shown by Fig. 4; Figs. G and 7 representv respectively side and edge views of a third modification; Fig. 8 represents a side view of a fourth modification; Fig. 9 represents a substitute for the chain shown by Figs. 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8.

Same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the i'igures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 12 represents a ixed jaw or rest having a grooved upper surface on which the lower bow 13 of the'top bears, `and a shank 14 which is apertured to receive a iixed supporting member such as a bracket 0r stud lattached to the vehicle body, the shank 14 having a set 4screw 1G whereby it may be rigidly and detachably attached to the stud. .ln practice, the jaw 12 is usually allowed to remain on the vehicle as a permanent fixture, the described attaching means enabling it to be vsubstituted for an ordinary bow rest.

17 represents the movable jaw which is Ihooked to engage the upper bow 13, and is 'strap 21, and at its opposite end with the fixed jaw 12, saidV tension member being preferably a short chain. The outer portion of the jaw 12 is extended to form a flange 12u overhanging the shank 14, said Harige having a slot 21 adapted to receive one of the chain links. `ln the under side of the flange are notches or recesses 25 opening into the slot 24. and adapted to receive the upper end of the 'chain link below the link received by the sai-l slot. The slotted and recessed flange constiti'ltes a coupling part on the fixed jaw, and the chain link engaged with the recesses 25 constitutes a complemental coupling part on the tension member, said coupling parts permitting a quick separation of the tension member from the lixedjaw when it is desired to remove the movable jaw and its attachments. Either of several .links of the chain may serve as a coupling part so that `various portions of the chain may be interchangeablyengaged with the fixed jaw. When the lever 18` is turned upwardly, as shown, its eccentric hub moves the strap 21 in the direction required to exert tension on the tension member 22, the eiect being to draw Athe upper jaw 17 toward the lower jaw and clamp the interposed bows. Means are provided for locking the lever to the shank 17n to main- .tain the tension on the member 22. As here shown, the lever 1S is provided'with a teat 28 adapted by the resilience of the lever to spring into an orifice 29 in the shank 17, the lever being thus locked:

vA modiiication is shown by Fig. 3, in which the coupling member on the fixed jaw 12 is a hook 31, the tension-member being composed of screw-threaded rods 32,' onel engagingthe hook 31, and the other the eccentric strap 21,. and a turn-buckle 33 connecting said rods the length of -the tension members being adjustable by a manipulation of the turn buckle. j

In the embodiment of the invention shown by Figs. 4 and 5, the pressure-applying mechanism is composed of -a lever 34 pivoted at 35 to the shank 17b of the upper jaw and a chain tension member 36 connected at 37 with the lever 34. A movement of the lever 34 to the position shown, exerts tension on the member 36, the latter beingI en'- gaged as described with a fixed'jaw. The lever 34 is provided with an ear 38 adapted to pass through a slot in the shank 17h and engage a spring-pressed locking bolt 39 mov- Y able in guides on said shank.

Figs. 6 and 7 show as the ressure-applying mechanism a lever 40 ulcrumed on a boss 41 on the shank 17c of the upper jaw 17 ,artension member compos d of a slide'42 mov'ble on the shank 17c,/a chain 43 en-` gag l with the slide and links 44 pivoted -at 4t? to the slide andat '47 to the lever 40.

A movement of the levier from the'fullline tothe dotted line position Fig. 7 exerts '.tension on the tension member, the :tulcrum'41 being so arrangedrelatively to the pivots 46 and 47, that when the lever is elevated it will 'befretained by the tension on the 'tension member. j

Fig. 8 shows a simpler embodiment ofthe Y. invention in which the pressure-applying mechanism is contained in the tension member and comprises a turn buckle 49, threaded rods 50 engaged therewith, connections 51 between the lower rod and the lixed jaw, and connections 52 between the upper rod 50 and theshank 17d ot the u per jaw. -In this embodiment the turn bue' e 49 consti.-

' tutes p adj ustably connected with an equivalent of either ofthe ylevers previously described, asa means of, applying 'clamping pressure to the upper `a.w.

Each of the above-described. embo ii'nents.`

of the invention includes a lower jaw adapted to be xedly, andA detachably secured to a fixed supporting'member'l on a vehicle body asa substitute for an Ordinar bow rest such as hasheretoore been attac ed to said member, said jaw having aseat for the lower bow of a folded top', and a coupling member at the outer portion of said Seat, an upperjaw adapted to bear on the'upper bow, and having a downwardly projqctmg shank, ,and pressure applying.v mechanism lonnectingsaid jaws and including'a tension member adjustably connected with said lemental coupling members adapted to be interchangeably and detachably engaged shank and provided with a pluralityjof comwith the coupling member on the lower jaw,

and means for exerting tension on said tension member to press the up er jaw toward the lower jiw and hold t e jaws firmly against the upper and lower bows, said-cou- 'pling members beingadapted to be quickly connected and disconnected so that the minlmum expenditure of time is required in installing aiid removingthe upper jaw and the j avv-connecting mechanism. In'eacli of said embodiments the upper jaw and its connections, to wit, the pressure-appl ing mechanism, are removable as one part rom the lower jaw, so that when the clamp is not required, all its obtrusive parts may be quickly removed, only the unobtrusive lower jaw remaining in-place. The coupling parts withwhich the lower jaw and the pressureapplying mechanism are provide enable the clamp to be rendered operative 'bythe simple operation ot applying the upper jaw to the top bow, and coupling the tension member. o thapressure-applying mechanism to the lower jaw. l A bar 61 may be substituted for the chain 22 as shown by Fig. 9,*said bar bein piv-y oted at 63 to the eye 23 and provide withv 'laterallyprojecting pairs, the pins of eac pair being adapted to interchangeablyengage the recesses 25 iii the fixed jaw 12.

l claim,- 1. A bow clamp comprising a bow-supe porting lower jaw adapted tov e secure to a fixed supporting member and det'acliablyy ins .62 arranged in pling member at the outer portion ,of said seat, an upper jaw formed to beuV onthe upper bo/w and having a downwa vdly projecting shank, a depending tension member said shank and having a plurality of coupling members adapted to inteicliangeabl engage the coupling mem er on thejl'ower jaw, and means for exerting tension on' said and detachably member to low'er Jew. i Y

2. A bow clamp comprising a bow-sup porting lower jew, adapted to be/dctechably press the upper jaw toward the secured to a lixod supporting member andV ing adjustable to exert tension on the tension member and press the upper jaw to-- ward the lower jew, and means being provldetl for locking the lever to the shank in its tension-exerting adjustment.

3. A bow clump comprising a bow-supporting lower jew adapted to be detaclmbly secured to :i fixed supporting member und having a seat for the lower bow and a. coupling member et the outer portion of seid sent, an upper jaw formed to bear on the upper bow and having a. downwardly proj ecting shank, an outwardly projecting stud, und on orifice above seid stud, a lever having vmi eccentric hub adapted to turn on said stud and e tent adapted to spring into engegement with said orifice, a,v strap sur.

rounding said hub,v and a tension member depending from seid strep and provided with a plurality of coupling members edepted to detachably and interchanveably engage the coupling member on the lower jaw, the lever being adjustable to exert tension on the tension memberend-press the upper jaw toward the lower jew, and the lever teal: und the shank orifice being adapted to lock the lever in its tension-exerting adjustment. In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH THOMPSON. Witnesses C. F. BROWN, P. W. PEzzE'rTI.

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