US1418627A - Door curtain for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

I. L. COWLES.

Doos CURTAIN FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2l 1918.

M. v ventanaa I TA L. cowLEs.'

DOOR CURTAIN FOR VEHICLES.

APPL'ICATION FILED MAH. 12| 191B.

patenamm 6,1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\ alsA T, L. COWLES.

,DOOR CURTAIN FOR VEHICLES. APPLlcAioN mmm/1.12, 1918.

Paented June 6, 19522.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Inveniovw Thom@ L. Cowles,

eater carica.

THOMAS L. COWLES, OF BRIDGEPORT, CCNNECTICT, SSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN MENTS,` T0 THE LDCMOBILE COMPANl PORATION 0F DELAWARE Y, 0F IBRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, COR- DOR CURTAIN FOR` VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 6, 1922.

Application filed March 12, 1918. Serial No. 221,909`

To all wwmt't may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS L. CowLns,

a citizen of the United States, and a resi` dent of Bridgeport, county of Faireld, and

State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Door Curtains for Vehicles, of which the following description, vin con nection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawin s representing like parts.

his invention relates to door curtains for vehicles, and `is more especially concerned witlia door curtain of the class in which the Acurtain constitutes an upward prolongation of the door', and is arranged to open and close therewith.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment 'thereof, while its scope will be more particularly point-edout in the appended claims.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of aportion of a vehicle body, having a folding cape top, and equipped with a door curtain embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken on line 2*2 of Fig. 1; and shown at an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of the door curtain supporting `and re-inforc-ing means ;F

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the curtain reinforcing means; and' Fig. 5 is an elevation, scale, of the curtain view from the inner face,

Referringto the drawings, and to the embodiment of my invention which is iliustrat-ed therein, I have there shown a vehicle body 6, having a windshield 7, which supports a usual folding top 8. The body is provided with a usual door 9, which may be, and is herein, hinged at its rear edge.

A door curtain 10 closes a portion of the space between the upper edge of the body 6 and the lower edge of the top 8. This curtain may be, and is herein, prolonged rearwardly beyond 'the door 9,' and may be secured to the body and to the top by appropriate means', such for example as a fastener 11, carried by the door, two fasteners 12 and 13 on the side of the body at the rear of the door, and two fasteners 14 and on a much enlarged' 15 on the top 8. These fasteners may be of any suitable character, but, as herein shown, rare of the well-known turn-button type. v

That portion of the curtain 10 which is above the door 9 constitutes an upward prolongation of the latter, and swings therewith during the opening and closin of the door. To this end, there is provided reinforcing and supporting4 means, including a generally horizontal reinforcing and supportin member 16, and a generally vertical rein orcing and supporting member 17. The member 16 is herein provided with two arms 18 and 19, one of which extends lengthwise of the upper edge 'of the door, and the other transversely thereof, said armsv being connected by a curved portion 20. The upper edge of the curtain is inforcing-mernber receiving-pocket 2l, best shown inF ig. 5, c9`mprising a strip ofvsuitable flexible material such as leather or fabric, sewn onto the curtain. Preferably,

the rear end o45 the pocket is closedyas at 22,

It should here be noted that the member '16 vis suitably shaped as to the length of its` arms 18 and 19 and the curve of the, connecting portion 20, to correspond with the adjacent edge of the top 8, which overhangs the door 9 to a considerable extent at this point. If desired, the top may be provided with a depending flap 25, arranged ,tov overlie a portion of the upper edge ofthe, curtain as shown in Figzl, to prevent=`;the entrance of rain, snow or wind, at this point.

The member 17 is herein very irregular in shape, as best shown in F igs. 3 and 4, and comprises short and long generally upright portions 26 and 27, erally horizontal portion 28. The short upright portion 26 is ysupportedv in a suitable socket 29 in the upper edge of the door 9, and may be held against turning movement in said socket in any suitable manner, as by providing said upright portion with aiiat connected by-a genl f face 80, engaging a correspondingly-shaped 4 end best .shown in Fig. 2.

provided with a reduced end 31, having a shoulder 32, while the arm 19 of the membe 16 is provided with'a correspondingly-I shaped opening The current is preferably provided with av pocket 34C, adjacent its iront edge, to receive" the longer upright portion 27 of the member 17, said pocket-being preferably closed at its upper end as at 35, and having at its lower an entrance 36 -into which said member may be-introduced. It should here be noted,

by reference to ig. 5, that the'upper edge ofthe curtainis longer than its lower ed e,

` right portion 27 oi this being because the top 8 overhangs e door 9to suchen Aextent that the curtain must bend in an outward direction from the bottom w the to lines in Fig. 4. f desired, the longer upthe member 17 may be curved outward andofdset as at 37 to `clear the. side of the windshield 7, which usually has an outward curve and oii'set from its point of attachment to the cowl ot the body 6.

It should n'ow'be evident that the described reinforcing and supporting members give to the curtain the necessary form and rigidity to make it lit the top and windshield of the vehicle, and to exclude the elements. When I it is desired to remove the curtain and store a the same away in easily be done by untastening the curtam at its various points of attachment to the body and top, and by lifting the member 17 from its socket inthe door, after which the members may be withdrawn from their pockets by first removing the member 17, and then removing the member 16. The two members may., then be laid together in a very small space, and the curtain rolled into small comin the vehicle.

'y While I have herein shown and described one specific form or embodiment of my inl i, pass, thus'requiring very little storage space vention for illustrative purposes, and have vHaving thu '."Qdisclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental'to one *specific application'thereof,it is to be uni ,derstfood that the invention ,is (limited neither to the'mere'; details or'relative ari'angementof'fparts, norvto its specific eml *deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment herein shown, but that extensive bodiiiientv of the invention may be'l made, ,without departing from the principles described my mvention, what erally vertical, reinforcin as indicated in dottedI a small space, this can.

raises? l claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is z.

1. In a vehicle', the combination of a door,

ing member having its upper end detachably secured to the transverse arm of said horizontal member.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of a door, a door-curtain constituting an upward prolongation 'of said door, said curtain being' rovided with a generally horizontal, reinlorcing-member receiving-pocket and a gen- -member receiv- `ing-pocket the adjacent en s of said' pockets communicating with :each other, and, one having an entrance, and one of said poc'kets having another entrance, and curtain-reinforcing means including a generally horizontal, hbriaontally odset reinforcing member and a generally vertical reinforcing member having cooperating means detachably securin said members together, said members being insertableinto and withdrawable from said respective entrances.

3. ln a vehicle, the combination of a door, a door curtain constituting an upward prolongation of said door, said curtain being provided with a generally horizontal, rein- Jrorcing-member receiving-pocket and a generally vertical, reiniorcmw-member receiving-pocket the adjacent ends of said pockets reinforcing means includu'igv a generally horizontal, horizontally curved reinforcingmember and a generally vertical reinforcing member one having an opening and the other having means located in said opening-de. tachably to secure said members together, said members bein drawable from said respective entrances.

4. In a vehicle, the combination o il. windshield, a roof having a side laterally Jevond said Windshield,a body Vhaving a do'or, a door-curtain resenting an upward prolongation of sai said side and bending inward toward sai windshield, and door-curtain reinforcing means carried by said door, said means including a gene-rally horizontal member ,followingsaid side and extending inward toward said windshield, an a generally vertical member, said members being detachable f/rom each other and fromA said curtain.

5. in a vehicle, the combination of a windshield, a roof having a side laterally beyond said windshield, a body having a door, a

insertable into and with-- door, said curtain following nation of said door, 'said curtain extending orward from said door toward said windshield following said side and bending nward toward said windshield, and door-Cur- 'tain reinforcing means carried by said door, said means including a generally horizontal member following said side and extending inward toward 'said windshield, and a generally vertical member having an offset forward of said door, said members being detahable from each other and from said v curtain,

gation of said door, saideurtain followin said side and bending inward toward sai windshield, and door-curtain reinforcing means carried by said door, said means including a generally horizontal member following said side and extending inward toward said windshield, and a generally vertical member extending forward from said door toward said windshield and sidewise to meet said horizontal member, said members` being detachable fromeaoh other and from said curtain. o v

AIn testimony whereof,- I have signed my name to this specification.

THGMASL. CO'WLESa

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