US1278271A - Guard for lever-openings. - Google Patents

Description

V. P. WILKINS.

GUARD FOR LEVER OPENINGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30,1917.

1 ,278, 271 PatentedSept. 10,1918.

VANCE P. WILKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GUARD FOR LEVER-OPENIIQ GS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

Application filed April 30, 1917. Serial No. 165,389.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VANCE P. \VILKINS, a

' citizen of the l'nited States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards for Lever" Openings, of which the following is a specl fication. Y

My invention relates to motor vehicles, and has for its principal objects to produce a device that will protect the interior of an automobile from cold weather in winter, and from dust and dirt in summer;'to produce a device of that character that can be applied to an opening into the closed interior of any kind of car; to produce a device that can be put in position without the aid of screws, nails or any other attaching devices; to produce a device that Wlll occupy the minimum of space; to produce a device of the class described that completely closes the slot around the control levers or the opening around the foot pedals; to produce such a device of only two principal arts; to produce such a device that will not e 1mpaired by the feet of the driver; to produce a device that will completely protect the driver while operating the automobile; to produce a very serviceable and simple device of the character described; to produce a device that can be cheaply made; and in gen era]. to produce a novel and superior deviceof the. class referred to.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the interior portion of the drivers compartment of an auto showing my device in place on the foot pedals and the control lever;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the devices as attached to a plurality of foot pedals;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a single device on the same scale as Fig. 2; and

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the base with the top removed.

In the accompanying drawings to show my invention as applied I have shown the interior of the forward part of a Ford car having inclosing curtains for protecting the interior. This makes the car entirely inclosed except for the openings in the floor through which the control lever, and foot pedals project. In said drawings 11 is the horizontal floor board portion while 12 is the inclined toe board part. Over this entire flooring there is customarily placed a mat 13 of rubber or some similar material. This mat is provided with holes or openings to coincide with the openings for the lever and foot pedals. The control. lever 14 projects through one of these openings which must be of sufficient length to permit the lever to move in both directions its full stroke.

The devices consist of a base 15 shown separately in Fig. 1. This base comprises a horizontal part 16, and a vertical part 17. These parts 16 and 17 are integral and bent to the shape shown. The part or base 15 is designed to surround the floor opening through which the'control lever projects. The flange 16 lies on the floor 11, and under the mat 13. The arrangement being such that the opening in the base 15 is the same size as the floor opening, and the flange 16 extends along the floor and under the mat 13 for a distance equal to its width. This is a very desirable method of holding the device in place without the use of screws, etc.

Secured,to the vertical flange part 17 of the base 15 is a hood 18 of closely woven fabric or some composition material that is flexible yet impervious to moisture, drafts and dust. This hood 18 is secured to the part 17 by means of rivets 19 passing through the holes 19' in flange 17. The riveted end being in the inside of the flange 17 and the outer end of said rivets being smooth. On the upper part of the flange 17 are a plurality of outwardly projecting points 21 which, in conjunction with the rivets 19, hold the hood 18 in place on the base 15. The hood 18 is smaller at the top than at the bottom, and may be the shape shown in Fig. 3 or it may have both sides equally angled. At the upper and small end of the hood is provided a pocket 22 by folding the cloth back upon itself and stitching or otherwise securing same. In this pocket is a cord 23 for the purpose of puckering the open small end around the control lever. This effectually seals the aperture against incoming dust and dirt. It is obvious that this cloth permits perfect freedom of movement of the lever in both directions while at all times the upper end of the hood remains closed around the lever.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a plurality of foot pedals 25 with the device in place. These devices are individually like the one on the control lever. the difference lies in the way they are arranged. In this in middle of the three devices in place first and then putting down the devices that go on either side and lastly pulling up that portion of the mat surrounding the opening sufliciently to permit it to pass the flange on the outside of the device. The mat is then permitted to fall back in place. In this position it rests on one side and two ends of each of the outside devices. The inside flanges of these two outside devices rest upon the side flanges of the center device thereby firmly holding it in position.

The vertical flange 17 prevents undue wear upon the device which is apparent where devices made entirely of cloth are used. To take off any of the foot pedal devices all that must be done is to lift up the mat 13 until it clears the tops of pedals 25, then either of the end devices may be raised after the string 23 has been loosened. To remove the center device it is not necessary to take ofi the end ones but they are each merely slid sidewise off the side flanges of the center device, sufiiciently to clear the flanges 16 of the center device which can then be lifted up.

Changes may be made in the details, but the scope of this invention is to be gaged by the claims.

I claim 1. In a device of the class described, a member adapted to lie on the floor of an automobile, and under the floor mat, a hood secured to the upper end thereof, and means at the upper end of the hood for closing same.

2. As an article of manufacture, a base member adapted to be held in place by the floor mat of an auto, and a flexible member secured thereto, and means for closing the end of said flexible member.

3. In a device for closing the opening in the floor of an auto through which a controlling lever projects, a base member adapted to surround said opening, a cloth hood secured to the base member provided with an open end, and a cord for said open end for c osing the opening in thefloor of the auto.

4. In a device of the character referred to, a base member comprising horizontal and vertical flanges adapted to be placed over the opening in the floor of an auto through which the controlling lever projects, the horizontal flange of said base member lying between the floor, and the mat therefor, a hood member adapted to be secured to the vertical flange, said hood member having an opening at its upper end,

- and means for closing said open end around the control lever.

5. The combination with an automobile, and the control lever therefor, of a device comprising, a base member oval in plan having a horizontal and a vertical flange, said horizontal flange adapted to lie on the floor, and below the floor mat for holding said device in place, a hood member hav ing an open base and top, said vertical flange furnishing means for securing the hood thereto, projections on said vertical flange for holding said hood in place, said hood having a circular passageway in the upper open end, and a cord for said passageway for closing the open top.

VANCE P. WILKINS.

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