US1481964A

US1481964A - Automobile buffer device

Info

Publication number: US1481964A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1924-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 1941-01-29

Description

G. A. LYON AUTOMOBILE BUFFER DEVI CE Jan. 29, 1924. 1,481,964

Original Filed June 14 1921 Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"EOE-GE ALBERT LYON, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE BUFFER DEVIQE.

Application filed June 14. 1921 Serial No. 477,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, (isontu-z Alumni Lyon, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia. county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania. have made a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Automobile Bufl'er Devices. of which the following is a specification. taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. which forms part of the same.

This invention which is a continuation in part of that disclosed in my copertling application Serial No. 424.685 filed Neucmber 17, 1920, relates especially to resilient buffer or bumper devices for automobiles or other vehicles in which the spring steel or other resilient strips or members have clamped thereto, a resilient sheet metal or other contact clamping or connecting device having a vertically'wide contact face throughout the central part of the buffer. and preferably having integral clamping members to ad justably or otherwise clamp thereto the one or more bufier front strips. Such vertically extending clamping devices may be advantageously formed of spring steel strip or sheet metal three sixteenths to three eighths of an inch thick more or. less, and having if desired vertically separated contact portions, one of which may in some cases be substantially in line with the buffer front strips one or more of which may extend across the bufi'er front behind or adjacent the cooperating contact clamping member. These dif ferent front contact portions may be separated from each other vertically to the desired extent, so as to secure a front collision face which may be substantially flat if desired. and which may have a vertical width of six or eight inches more or less in some cases. With the present type automobiles in which the front frame members are arranged quite close to the ground, it is often desirable to have this collision contact face extend upward more than downward with respect to the buffer front strip or member, and any of these types of clampin contact devices may if desired have each en formed with one or more integrally stamped or otherwise formed clamping members thereon, some of which may more or less fit around or enclose the inwardly extending 7 ends or other parts of the cooperating buffer front strip so as to have considerable aligning action with respect thereto. In many cases it is desirable to form this spring steel Renewed September 1, 1922. Serial No. 585,831.

or other contact clamping member with a polished nickel plate finish, so as to have a desirable appearance when secured upon the black finished or other spring steel stri buffer members with which it may be use In the accompanying drawing showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way various illustrative embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of buffer.

Figs. 2 to 4 are transverse vertical sections taken substantiallv along the corresponding section lines of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another construction.

Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof; and

Figs. 7 to 11 are perspective views of other illustrative constructions.

The automobile .bult'er may have any desired or suitable construction and preferably comprises one or more pieces of spring steel strip which at the butter front. ma in some cases be advantageously arrange in overlapping or reenforcing position, or may if desired have these front strips extend toward and in line with each other without substantial overla ing. As is indicated in Fig. 1, a modifietl fiyon type spring buffer is shown comprising the attaching arm or member such as 1 connected with the end loop 4 through the outwardly extending bend or curved portion 3. This spring steel strip may be extended inward from the end loop 4. so that this front strip 9 may extend to about the point 8 and have this end slotted if desired like the corresponding front strip 7 of the other spring steel strip buffer memher, which may have an end loop 6 curved portion 5 and attaching member 2. t

Instead of or in addition to the usua. clamping or connecting devices these bufi'er front strips or impact receiving members 7 9, may be adjustably or otherwise connected by contact and clamping devices in the form of an integral sheet metal or spring steel member which may have a wide vertical contact face adjacent the center of the buffer. As is shown in Fig. 1 this contact clamping device may have several vertically separated contact portions such as 11, 12 which may be stiffened and strengthened by forming reenforcing ribs such as 13, 19 some or all of the substantially h edges of this membefijt least the upper edges are prefe y formed with such integral stiffening ibs which besides strengthv ening the member, gives it a more pleasing appearance. Iii-some cases the central slot or opening 17 may have a considerable horizontal extent and if desired the ends of this opening or slot may be gradually reduced so as to extend nearly in line with the attach ing members in some cases. Any suitable form of connecting or clamping means may be used to adjustably or otherwise connect the ends of this contact clamping device to the buffer

front strips

7, 9 which may in some cases have slotted ends 8. 10 formed with the slots or apertures 39 for clamping connecting purposes. In some cases one or more round end clamping bolts such as ma extend through each of the clampin ends of the contact device and through su 1 slots or apertures in the buffer front strip, so as to make strong or rigid contact therewith. It is however. desirable to form each of these clamping ends of the contact device with one or more integral enclosing clamping members such as 18, which as indicated in Fig. 4 may be formed by bending around integral tongues or projections on this spring steel plate so that a. clamping bolt 20 may tighten these strips securely around the bufl'er front member within. The adjacent reenforcing ribs may as indicated extend out adjacent these front strips so as to have an important vertical aligning action in connection therewith. and promote the strength and rigidity of this clamping connection of the buffer elements.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the contact and clamping device may have if desired a substantially fiat or straight central contact face comprising the more or less separated contact members 21, 22 of generally arched or curved form, so as to have a somewhat lenticular opening 23 between them. The edges of these vertically separated contactportions may advantageously be formed with rearwardly rejecting stifl'ening ribs such as 13,which 0 course, considerably add to the strength and stillness of this. central contact member under collision conditions especially if it is made of tempered spring steel. In some cases i is desirable to have the contact member formed with end connector portions such as 24, 25 which extend out a considerable distance toward or to the end loops 4, 6 of the front strips and these connector portions may as indicated in Fig. 6 be rearwardly bent or inclined and he preferably formed substantially straight where they are to be adjustably connected with the cooperatin front stri Suitable ribs may be forme on the as es of these connector portions strengthening the construction at this point, and also promoting the vertical alignment of the cooperating connected parts which 'may be clamped or connected together in any desired way. Integral enclosing clamping members may be used for this purpose and several such integral clamping members 18 are shown on each connector end of this wide front contact and clamping device, so as to be tightened around the ad'ustable

front strips

7, 9 when the clamping olts 26 are tightened. In some cases it is preferable to raisethis wide central contact portion of the bufler front somewhat above the center line of its end connector portions and by raising this central part three fourths of an inch or an inch more or less in any of these front designs. the stock for the integral clampin strips or projections can be out or formed rom a strip 0i sheet metal with a minimum of waste where this particular form of enclosing clamp shown in Fig. 4 is used.

F i g. 7 shows another construction in which the wide contact face of the contact and clampin device is given a somewhat diffcrent orm, so as to comprise the vertically separated contact portlons 27, 29 separated by the taper end slot or aperture 28. If desired this contact portion may be somewhat raised beyond the and connector portions 33 for similar reasons especially since this gives the added hei ht of the front contact face, which is usua ly desirable with the present low hung automobile frame ends. Similar stiflening and strengthening ribs such as 13 may be formed on this front contact portion and the connector ends may be formed with the aligning or stifi'enin flanges 32 shown in Fig. 8, so as to facilitate the alignment of the buffer front stri which may be bolted to these ends of t a contact device as by one or more bolts 30 and nuts 31. In the form shown in Fig.1) the contact and clamping device has two vertically separated strips or

contact portions

34, 36. whose outline is determined b the intermediate aperture or slot 35. n this case one of these contact strips or portions may be substantially in line with the connector end portions 33 of this contact device, which may be similarly ribbed and reenforced and bolted or otherwise connected to the buffer

front strips

7, 9 in an adjustable or rigid manner.

Fig. 10 shows still ainother illustrative construction in which the contact clamping device may have a somewhat greater vertical width and strength in its central portion. since only two lenticular apertures or slots 39 are stamped or formed in this contact face. This stamped out material may be more or less formed into the integral stiffening ribs 13 extending around from one or all of the edges of the plate which may have connector end portions 33 bolted or clamped in any suitable way to the buffer front strips. Fig. 11 shows still another construction in which the contact Ill) clam ing device 40 has a sin le wide contact ace which may be unper orated if desired and formed with heavy stiffening ribs or flanges 13 at its top and bottom edges. Any suitable lateral extensions or end connector portions 33 ma be formed on this contact plate and per orated if desired for one or more connector bolts 30 at each end of the contact plate which may. thus be bolted or secured to the one or more buffer front strips such as 7, 9. Where lateral adjustment of these parts is desired, the front strips may be conveniently formed with adjusting slots 39 through which these clampmg bolts may pass so as to secure several inches or so ad uStment at each end of the buffer.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments, forms, proportions, parts, arrangements, materials, methods of connection and use, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. The automobile bufl'er formed ofspring steel strip and comprising attaching arms, end loops and connected front strips having inwardly extending substantially straight connector portions, and a resilient sheet metalcontact and clam ing device formed with ribbed vertical y separated" central contact portions and with channeled end connector portions extending adjacent said end loops and enclosing clamping members to ad'ustably and securely clamp each of sai front strips at separated points and securely connect the buffer elements.

2. The automobile butler formed of spring steel strip and comprising end loops andconnected front strips having inwardly extending connector portions, and a. resilient sheet metal contact and clamping device formed with vertically separately cen tral contact portions and with channeled end connector portions extending adjacent said end loops and integral clamping members to adjustably and securely clamp each of said front strips at separated points and securely connect the buffer elements.

3. The automobile buffer formed of spring steel strip and comprising end'loo s and connected front strips having inward y extending connector portions, and an integral contact and clamping device formed with vertically separated central contact u portions and with end connector portions 4. The automobile bufl'er can of spring steel strip and comprisi arms, end loops and connected i ront strips extending inward toward each otherand a resilient sheet metal contact and clamping device formed with ribbed verticall separated central contact portions and wit integral enclosing clampin members for said front strips to adjustab y and securely clamp each of said front strips at se arated points and securely connect the bu er elements.

5. The automobile bufi'er formed spring steel strip and comprising attaching arms, end loops and connected front strips extending inward toward each other and a resilient sheet metal contact and clamping device formed with vertically separated central contact portions and wit clamping members for said front st'ri s to adjustablyand securely clamp each 0 said front strips at segarated points and securely connect the ufl'er elements.

6. The resilient strip automoible bufi'er comprising attaching arms, end loops and connected inwardly extending front strips, and a resilient sheet metal contact and clamping device formed with. vertically separated contact ortions extending substantially betweenysaid attaching arms and with inte a1 enclosing clampin members for'said ront st i s to adjustab y and securely clamp said rbnt strips at separated points adjacent said end loops and securely connectthe bufl'er elements.

7. The resilient strip automobile buffer comprising attaching arms, end loops and connected inwardly extending front strips, and a conta and clamping devi extending across t "e center of the bufi'ervfront and formed Wi vertically separated contact portions and with inte ral enclosing clampmg membeis for said ront strips to adjustably and securely clamp said front strips at separated points nd'acent said end loops and securely connect t e buffer elements.

8. The spring strip automobile butler comprising looped end front strips and a connected vertically extending sheet metal contact and clamping device extendin acrossthe center of the bufl'er front an formed adjacent its ends. with a plurality of integral clamping members to secure the same; substantially rigidly to the inner ends I of said front strips.

9. The spring strip automobile butler comprising front strips and a connected vertically extending inte a1 sheet metal contactand clamping evice exten across the center of the bullet front formed adjacent its ends with a plluralit'y of clamping members to secure t e same substantially, to the inner end-cf said front Strips.

'10. The automobile bull er comprising a" attaching dag 'bent connector ends front central collision face having "Vern-- spring strip bufl'er front and a connected vertically extending integralresilient contact nnd clamping device extending across theeenter of the butler. front and havin vertically separated central portions and formed adjacent its ends with a plurality of clamping members to secure the same substantially rigidly t0 the inner ends of said butler front. V

11. The automobile bufier comprising a bufi'er front and a connected vertically extending integral resilient cont-h and clamping device extending across the center of the buffer front and having vertically separated central' portions and a plurality of clamping members to secure the same to the inner ends of said bufi'er front.

12. The resilient sheet metal vertically extending contact and clampin device adapted for use with spring strip automobilebnfiers and comprising rearwardly and a relatively flat cllly separated ribbed reenforced rtions and having adjacent each end inte al enclosing clamp ng members adapte to errgage and; securely "hold butier'strips.

13. The resilient vertically extending'contact and clamping device adapted for use with spring strip automobile buffers and comprising connector ends' and a central collision face having vertically separated ribbed reenforced portions located above the center line of said connector ends and havad'acent each end clamping members in aifaptc to engage and securely hold buffer strips.

- 14. The one piece-spring steel vertically extending contact and clamping device adapted for use with spring strip automobile butters and comprising separated rearwardly bent clamping ends and a central collision face having vertically separated reenforced portions and having adjacent each end integral clamping members adapted to align and securely hold bufi'er strips.

15. The spring steel vertically extending contact and clamping device adapted for use with spring strip automobile butters anicomprising separated ends and a-central collision face having vertically separated portions and having adjacent each end clamping members adapted to be seeured to buffer strips.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.