US1371626A - Vehicle-top - Google Patents

Description

l. E. KARL.

VEHICLE TOP.

KPPLICATIQN FILED IULY 6,- 19H. 1,371,626. Pjenwd Man-15,1921.

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VEHICLE TGP.

f l APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 19t?. y V 1,371,626. Patented Mar. 15,1921.

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` JULIUS E. KARL, 0F PEOR-IA, ILLINOIS. i

VEHICLE-TOP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application led July 6, 1917. Serial No. 179,080.

in the county lof Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Vehicle-Tops; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full,

cleaigand exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the' same.

rThis invention relates to vehicle tops. It relates more particularly to a form of folding top for vehicles which will be semiautomatic in its action in that in being lifted to its extended position over the vehicle the slight manual effort required will be assisted by certain parts to carry said top to its said extended position.

Besides having for one of its objectsto furnish a top of the one man type, the primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a top for vehicles with certain elements of such a nature that they will practically carry said top to its extended position for use after being slightly raised from its folded position.

Another object is to provide certain'elements in combination with the parts of a folding top to automatically carry the several parts of the top to their normal positions when the top is being extended for use.

Certain advantages, also, will appear from the following specification, aided by the accompanying drawing, which shows one embodiment of myinvention, it being understood that changes may be made such as will lie within the meaning and intent of the invention and within the scope of the 'appended claims. 1

Figure 1 is an elevation of a vehicle top, the fabric being in section, showing my improved top supporting `Vportion applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the top in the act of folding, the covering fabric not beind shown. A

Fig. 3 is a plan of certain parts illustrated in Fig. 1. 1

Fig. isa longitudinal section of one of the parts of the folding top, and a companion part'pivoted thereto.

` Fig. 5 is a plan of portions of the same, part bein' shown in-horizontal section; and, i Fig. 6 siows, en1arged,and in perspective,

certain and 5.

1 indicates a horizontally disposed rail secured in any suitable manner to each side of the body of the vehicle, but one' of which is shown, each having a slidable sleeve :2. Pivoted to the sleeve is a socket 3 carrying a bow 1, the socket and bow standing in a nearly upright position and placed far enough to the rearthat it will not obstruct the view of persons in the rear seat.

5 is a link pivoted at one end to a part of said socket and at its other end to a fixed sleeve 5 or other suitable portion secured on the rail, but said link may be pivoted to the rail itself, if desired, 52 being a contractile spring on the rail and attached at its ends to the two sleeves 2 and 5 for example.

7 is a rail secured to and spaced from the side of the socket 3, whose purpose will be made known as the description proceeds.

The top structure comprises a series of members of lazy-tongs construction, 8 indicating a tubular member or socket, one end being pivotally attached to a sliding sleeve 9 on the rail 7, its other end being pivoted to one end of a rod-member 10, the other end of the latter pivoted in turn to a tubular member or socket 11 provided with a bow 12 at its forward end. 13 is a member pivoted at its forward end to a tubular member or socket 1.4-, Said members 1? and 8 cross one another at vsubstantially the middle of their lengths and are pivotally related. The rear end of the member 13 is provided with a bend forming an angular short arm 16. Substantially at its said bend jointed parts illustrated in Figs. 4:

the arm is pivoted to a bracket 17 extending from the forward face of the socket 3 and to the free end of the said arm 16 is pivoted a link 18 which in turn is pivoted to a short bow 19 at the rear of and pivoted at its lower end to the socket 3.

The socket 14 and the member 10 are piv- 4oted at substantially the middle of their lengths and cross Vone another, and 20 is a link pivoted at its ends to the said socket 14 and the socket 11 substantially as shown in Fig. 1.,

21 is a bow pivotally carried at the 'uncture of the socket 8 and member 10. referably this bow extends below the pivot, as shown in Fig. 1, and has a stud 22 extending therefrom to engage beneath the member 10 in the folding operation, as shown in Fig. 2.

The entire top fabric carrying structure and the socket 3 are rigid with re spect to one another, thewhole being supported in rigid position through the rail 1 and the link 5 described. The spring 52 in the position shown in Fig. 1, when closedY .between the ixed sleeve 5 and the slidable vfor assisting in moving the top to its extended position shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4: one of these tubular sockets, or that corresponding to 8, for example, is shown in longitudinal section but is that socket at the opposite side of the top as it would appear to an occupant of the vehicle.

23is a casting secured in one end of the bow 'tor attachment to the sleeve 9, its inner end having an eye or other suitable portion 24 `to which is connected one end of a contractile spring 25. In the opposite end of the tube is inserted a casting 26 having a bend and provided with a shoulder 2 7. The companion member 10 in which the tube is associated may be merely a flat bar and has a corresponding oppositely formed bend which is pivoted to the said casting 26 at v28. The bent portion of the member 10 includes a finger 29 extended beyond its pivot as best shown in Fig. 6, and also has a shoulder 30 to abut upon the shoulder 27'as shown inl that figure. v

31 is a member connected to the finger 29 with the described spring 25. Those ends oi the members 13 and 14: that are pivotally connected and those ends of the member 10 and socket. 11 that are also pivotally convnected are constructed in the same manner.

The described casting 26, as shown in Fig. 5, has a longitudinal opening 32 through which the said member 31 extends.

.It is observed that when the socket 8 and Y from the` casting 26to'ward the opposite side of the ypivot pointfthereby stretching the spring to a considerable extent and Y'in the Jfolded position, the member 31 being brought close to the pivot 28, prevents the spring from exerting a pull suficient lto move the parts from the folded-position.

YThat isto say, the pull of ltheicombined springs contained 1n the socketsvS, 14 and .11 at each .sideof the top are not sufficient position. I t p The abutting shoulders 27 and 30 are proto cause said top to lift when ,in the folded vbow e automatically. f 1

vided in order that the top will4 not be extended farther than that shown in Fig. 1, the

Vsprings being prevented from drawing the joints of the various parts closer together, the various sockets and the members crossing them always bearing the same relation to one another in the extended position. The springs in -the sockets 141 and 11 are attached to the ends of the bowsV 15 and 12 respectively by screw eyes or other devices attached to the latter (but not shown) making a form` of attachment substantially the same as the attachment of the spring in the socket S described when attachedV to the eye 24.

The pivots for the sockets 8, 14 and 11 and their members 13, l10, 2O where they cross are substantially as shown in Fig. 5 wherein 32 is a plate that may be secured to cachot the several sockets, there being a stud-33 extending therefrom to take the said members. By this arrangementor its equivalent the interior of the socket will not be obstructed by passing a rivet or other part through it. Y

lu toldingthe Vtop down to the position shown in Fig. 2, the sleeve 9 is moved down upon the rod 7 at the same time of course moving the top rearwardly. The point of connection of the link 5 with the socket 3 at this Atime causes the sleeve 2 to move forwardV bow 3 onthe sleeve 2 will be practically in line, the springs cannot exert a pull suiiicient to raise said top. Y

As the parts-assume the folded position theivarious sockets and the cross members pivoted to them will reverse their position, all o'l the springs 25 being placed under strain as alreadydescribed7 the top retaining its said position by its own weight. It is observed by a study of Fig. 2 thatthe arm 16 of the member 13 assumes a position perpendicular to thek socket 3y where in the raised position it is parallel to it,V and its movement to this position drawsethe short bow 19 close up beneath'vthe socket Y3 and The Vdescribed stud 22 on the bow '21vengages beneath the member 10 and thus Supports said bow parallel to the other members of the structure. p

y In restoring the top to its raised or extended position the bow 3 is raised assisted by the spring 52 and as the vsleeve 9 approaches the outer or upper end of the rod 7 andthe fingers 29 vare moved so that the VSprings lcan exert a P1111, theeeere top will be carried forward without ei'ort on the part of the attendant, the bow 2l rising to its upright position due to the pull of fabric thereon and automatically the bow I9 is moved rearwardly to its open position in Fig. l, the top being supported upon the wind-shield or any other desired member. In the absence of the spring 52, if not used, the top is raised by manual eiiort alone but since the springs 25 exert themselves the moment the line of their pull is moved away from the pivots 28, the top being at once extended acts as a lever whose weight being thrown forward of the supports for the socket 3 readily restores the whole structure to lposition for use. Suitable means may be provided on the rail for limiting the rearward movement of the sleeve 2.

By distributing the several springs throughout the structure each is separately in control of pairs of members. Thereby said springs are required to be only of such strength individually that when operating in conjunction the combined forces are suicient for proper work.

The springs are then not in danger of breaking as would likely result when but one is used and made strong enough to do the work of several. Furthermore, the manipulation oi' the top is more smooth and positive in any of its positions.

iis already intimated, slight changes may be made in the construction of my improved top, all of which will be suggested to the mind orn the practical person.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In combination with a vehicle body, a foldable top including in its construction a lever comprising connected members forming a truss, a standard carrying one of the members of the rear end of the truss including a guide upon which one of the other members of the truss is slidable, the standard and guide acting to suspend the truss in its extended position, a rod mounted horizontally upon the vehicle upon which the standard is supported and above which it is adapted to move, a spring engaging the standard constantly tending to carry the same te its upright position, a link connected to the standard adapted to limit the movement of the same upon the rod, and a series of springs connected between members of the pairs of members of the truss constantly tending to project the truss to its extended position over the vehicle body.

In combination with a vehicle body, a rail mounted in a horizontal position thereon, a fabric carrying structure, a support to carry the same slidably mounted on said rail, a link pivoted at one end relatively t0 the body and at its other end to the support at a point spaced from its slidably mounted end, and a spring operatively engaging the support acting to move the same in the direction of the link.

3. A foldable vehicle top including in its construction pairs of members pivotally connected forming a lazy-tongs, one of the members of each pair at its end having such connection including a part extending beyond its pivot substantially in line with the longitudinal line of the other member of the pair, a spring comiected at its endsto the said part and said other member, the line of pull oi the spring in the folded position of the top lying substantially across the pivot, a standard carrying the lazy-tongs, a member supported horizontally upon the vehicle, the standard having slidable engagement with it, a link pivotally connected at one end to the standard and pivoted at its other end with respect to the last named member, and a contractile spring fixed at one end relatively to the said member, its other end being operatively connected to the said standard.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS E. KARL.

Witnesses JUDsoN STARR, L. M. THURLow.

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