US1324363A - Atjtomobile-dook - Google Patents

Description

P. H. SODERLUND.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14.1919.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

INVEN TOR .P H. SODEPLUND.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

witness destrains and it To all 'whomz' may concern."

@mann sTATEs PATENT onirica.

PER HENNING SODERLUND, OFALAMED'A, CALIFORNIA.

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Be it knownl thaty I, PERI-IENN-ING SODERL LUND, a citizen of the United States,andfa resident of Alameda,

and useful Automobile-Door which the following is a specification. 1

This inventionrelates to improvements in automobile doors, and more particularly to closing means therefor.V

Automobile doors are often carelessly left open by persons getting into and out of automobiles and as the doors when open extend a considerable distance outwardly f from the sides of the automobiles, they are frequently broken ofi'` or damaged, incident to driving into and out of garages or through narrow driveways and sometimes in passing or being passed by other` vehicles. Besides the likelihood of being broken or damaged, the doors when open are a menace to peobject of my invention to overcome all liab'ility of breaking or damaging doorsV and i of injuring pedestrians by providing aj door closer which will automatically close the doors in a reliable manner and without slamming or banging. d l d "An object of the invention is to provide a door closer of the character described which Y following description, where I shall outline in full, that form of theinvention which Il have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the' In said drawings I present specification. have shown one form invention, but it is to do not limit myself `to such form, since the invention, as expressed in the claims may of the device ofjmy be embodied in a plurality of other forms.

'Referring to the drawings:

Figure lis a top plan view of an automobile having the door closer of my invention embodied therein, a portion ofthe door and body being'broken away to show the closer. e A

-Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my invention showing Vparts broken away.

A i Specircation of Letters Patent. yAppinaa'umined .'ru1y`14, 1919.

county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a new Closer, fof

is therefore the primary be understood that I d Y Patented Dea-9,1919. SerialV No. 310,860.`

closer of my invention.

' Fig. 4 -is a fragmentary horizontal seo-V tional view takenthrough the hinge lever showingthe construction thereof and the manner of attachment to the plunger.

My invention embodies an angular hinge member secured to the door and pivoted within a specially constructed hinge plate that'is secured to the door jamb. A plunger and a retractile spring are concealed within the side wall of the automobile `body and I may house these elements in a` cylinder, the latter to be secured to the hinge plate on the jamb. By means of a plate and links of novel construction I connect the plunger with the angular hinge member in such a way as to avoid a great deal of friction and secure substantially the same amount of leverage on the plunger in opening the door. I thus insure Van automatic closing action which is free from all liability of the jamming or stickingand failure of the door to close, and at the same time provide for an easy opening of the door.

Countersunk in the door 2 secured thereto by fastening elements 3 and `which carries an angular and preferably substantially L shaped hinge member or lever 4.

I n the outer face of the door jamb 5 which is secured in the sill of the side wall 6 of the auto body, a hinge plate 7 is secured. This plate is substantially U shaped and the body thereof extends through the jamb into the space 8 between the inner and outer faces of the wall 6. The ends of the plate are `bent right angularly to the body to provide ears or flanges 9, the latter being-co': 1ntersunk in the jamb and secured thereto by fastenings 10.

The hinge lever 4: extends into the U shaped plate7 and at its free end is pivoted on a vertical hinge pin 11, which pin is mounted in the plate 7. The plate 2, lever 4, plate 7, and pin 11, constitute the hinge elements of the invention.

"Pivotally secured to the rear end of the plate 7 by fastenings 12, is a spring case or cylinder 13 which is disposed within the space Sand is open at its front end and closed at its rear end. A plurality of perl is a hinge plate there is provided an air Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the aol Reciprocally mounted in the cylinder'13 is a plunger 16, provided on its inner fend with a piston 17, the latter snugly engaging in the cylinder. A retractile spring 18 is mounted upon the plunger and at one end abuts the piston 17 whereas its other' end abuts the rear end of the plate V7. The plunger is adapted to extend through -anelongated opening 19 formed through the plate 7 and is connected `with the lever 4 by a lever extension plate 2O and a pair of links 21. The plate 2O ismounted for pivotal movement in a slot 22 formed in the lever 4, a pivot pin 23 being inserted through the lever and plate and Aat a point intermediate of the ends of the lever. A stop shoulder 24 is defined at one end of the slot 22 and vthe plate 20 is provided with an enlargement orshoulder 25 which latter is normally spaced from the shoulder 24. Illhe links 21 are pivoted as at 26 to 'the plate 2O and as 27 to the end of the plunger 16.

When the door is opened a pull is communicated to the plunger 16 through the lever 4, plate 20 and links 21 and the plunger yields against the action of the spring 18. The piston 17 is permitted to move freely in the Acylinder 13, as the air in the cylinder will readily escape through the perforations 14., rlhe plate 20 moves on its pivot with the opening of the door a short distance, that is, follows the arcuate movement of the lever 4 and when the door has thus been opened a predetermined distance, the shoulder 25 on the plate abuts the stop shoulder 24 on the lever and the plate becomes rigid with the lever and moves as an integral part thereof. The links 21 then move on their pivots and cause a pull in a substantially straight line, which is in line with the plunger, to be communicated to the plunger. By thus obtaining a double link action through the initial relative move- Ament of the plate 20 and the ordinary link action of the links 21 the leverage on the plunger is constant, the plunger moves freely and with little friction, and a smooth non-jamming operation of the hinge is provided. Y Y

When the door is released after being opened the spring will retract and through the plunger, links, plate and lever, will close the door. .The air trapped in the closed end of the cylinder 13, and against which the piston 17 cushions, will escape slowly through the vent 15, check the closing ac tion of the spring and thus prevent slamming or banging of the door. By having the cylinder pivoted to the plate 7, allowance is made for the slight lateral movement given the cylinder during the contracting of the spring, and the cylinder' is cut away and rounded as at 28 at the end thereof which is secured to the plate 7 toA facilitate such lateral movement. When the door is in the closed position, lthe platey20 is out of contact with the Ashoulder 25, and' acts as a link, causing the pull of the spring to be exerte'ddirectly upon the pin 23, and causing the line of pull of the spring to pass through the pin 23thus holding the door tightly closed. As the door is opened, the plate contacts with theshoulder causing the plate to become rigid withrespect to the lever and to move therewith, transferring the line of pull ofthe springt() the-'pin 26, which moves Yin an arc, which does not depart to any great extent from the normal line of pull of the spring. .By virtue of this construction, a concealed hinge havingV its pivotpin 11 spaced from the edge of the door and substantially in line with the outer face of the door may be employed.

I claim: y

1. The combination with an automobile body anda door therefor, of a hinge lever of less width than the door fixed to the edge of the door and hinged within the body, between the sides thereof, a plunger, a plate pivoted on the lever and pivotally connected with the plunger, means to prevent movementof the plate relative to the lever after the door has beenlopened a predetermined distance, and a spring against the action of which the plunger operates when the door is opened. y

2. The combination with an automobile body wall and a door therefor, of a substantially VL-shaped hinge Vlever fixed at oneVV extremity to the door and hingedly connected at the other'extremity tothe wall, a plunger mounted in the wall, a plate pivoted to the lever at a point intermediate ofthe ends of the lever, a link pivotally connected with the plate and plunger, a stop shoulder on the lever to limit the movement of the plate relative to the lever Vafter the door has opened .a predetermineddistance, and a spring against the action of which the plunger moves .when the door is opened.

3. The lcombination with the wall of an automobile body and a door therefor, of an angular hinge lever of less width than the door fixed within the edgev of the door' at' one end extending into and being hingedly connectedV with the wall between the sides thereof at its other end, a spring actuated memberfor closing-.the door carried in the wall, a plate Vpivoted to the lever' intermediate the ends of the lever and vpivotally connected with the spring actuated member, and a stop shoulder on the `lever with which the plate engages when the door is opened a predetermined distance.

4. The combination with a wall of an automobile body and apdoor therefor, of an f angular hinge lever secured to the edge of the door, a'hinge plate secured to and concealed within the wall, a hinge pin connecting the lever and plate, a plate pivoted to the last-named plate,

the lever and extending outwardly' therefrom in line with that portion of the lever which extends outwardly from the door edge, a plunger pivotally connected with and a spring against the action of which the plunger moves when the door is opened.

5. The combination with a wall of an line with that portion of the lever which extends outwardly from thedoor, a plunger pivotally connected with -the lastnamed plate, a spring against the action of which the plunger moveswhen the door is opened,

a cylinder connected to the hinge plate and housing the. plunger and spring,.and a pis- Y the sides thereof, a pivot for the inner end of the lever within the wall, a plunger within the wall, a connection between the plunger and lever arranged to permit movement of the door relative thereto for a predetermined distance in opening the door and to move with the door `after such predetermined movement and a spring against the action of which the door is opened, connected with the plunger.

' ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 3rd day of July, 1919.

PER HENNING SODERLUND.

In presence of- I. G. PROST.

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