US1591034A - Armoring means - Google Patents

Description

July 6, 1926.

H. F. GEORGE ARMORING MEANS Filed Feb. 6, 922 a Sheets-Sheet 1 flarzy ,IM f

7 H. F. GEORGE. I

RMoRInG MEANS July . Filed Feb. 6, 1,922 3 sheets-Sheet 3 v 7 f Q 9 1 A H E! Hmnunuuv Q I 1 E19 29- j0 7 35 I H I A I I l 37 July 6,1926. 1,591,034 I E: GEORGE ARMORING MEANS I Filed Feb e, 1922 3 SheetsQSheet 5 V fikrgf 56 159 2 WJW I I BW VW W v I Patented July 6, 1926.

' a D S 'BATEs HARRY}. nome, F carcass;

j Remains 1 n A pncm ni fiieas muar (x -1922. Seria1l.Il[o. 534,369.

The present invention relates; to: armorih g;

More particularly th plgesent inwntibn relates toanmoning means for! the locking} devices of motor; cars andwill be. descnihed in. connection with" motor: cans? o fr the- Fond; type, being very usef-nlin thatconnection. Various ,means havebeeni devised and are beinq'usedi for locking motor cars by control-- ling; t-hez operatineness ofi. the. steering conmotion between the steering; Wheel. and" the V steering; post. Many 0t these devices failito,

bailile; thieves ion the reason that their lock ingr devices,- are not armored and thievesyby completely nullify effect of. the. means Referring particularly tOlll'lOtOIi cars. of" the Fond type; the efliectof the locking;

attacking the cupsh-aped member which lies, at the: top' oi the steering column, which; cupshaped member! contains: planetary geaming,

for transmitting steering motionlinomgthel steering; Wheeh to; the steering post;

' Anohject of the: present invention is; to/ providearmoring means ion the locking, mechanism of motor cars which Will efi'ectii' el'y haflie thienesin their: atten1pts;tonul'- lify the; effect: of 1 the locking mechanism without manipulating the'lock,

Aijflliiallel object. is to: pnovide aaunoring; means applicable to cars'ozt the Eordltype which may be; readily. assembled. or di'sas- I Y sembled Without: the use on special tools, and 341 without requiring, any but a minimum of-.' mechanicaldiscnetiona v. a

in anther object is to; pnoxzilde armoring nieans-which will! sovbaifllei athief. that unless, he is skillful enough topic]; the lock. or.

I am otherwise open same by dinect manipulation he will actually, have to wreckethe; car before lie-"can nullify the effect of the locking mech- 2111 18111. 7 a V Funther objects-Will; appear as; the de'-' 45 scription' proceeds; Referring to dnawings.: u

Figune L represents-inisection. one embodiment at the present inyentinn the-vsection-he- L0? steering column; 1 V Figune 2 is a sectional. View takenalong;-

the line- 2-2 of Figure 1; v

Fignne 3; is; a sectional View taken along the line 3-? 0t Figure. 11 I I Figure: 43 is. a. side elevation! taken at right present in ention;

. more; on" less simple expedients. are able to: I

Inecha-nisms has frequently been nnlli-fiedhy" bore in the steeringpost 1. The steering-col the internal gear 8' and tocommunicatesteera ingtaken along the. longitudinal axes. of the;

angles to the inaneillustrated in Figure. I;

pants heingbroken: away the mechanism; .a I a V 1 -l Fignne V 5 is a iew to: Figure 11 illustratinga modified embodiment; I g V I -F1g11re 6} is a sectional View taken along theline. 6. 6Y0f-Figure-.5;. 4. 7 f

,c Eigure 7: a. VlEW similar to Figurefi} flliistnatingz another embodiment "of the;

to hetter. illustrate;

V Figure 8; is a. View taken along,- the line, 1 8-8 of. Figure 7;. Y a liigure. 9 s. a View, in elevation, parts. be; ing brol zeni aw'ay, vshowing a. modified cone structiongwhereina the. entire steering cohimn '10-, is protectedQl-j a f ,Eigure 1'0' 'is'a View inside el'evationof the structure illustrated in Figure 9'; u Referringcfirst"toFigures I tof hjthe steer-j i'ng post of a. moton'car is indicated by the numeral 1', which steering post isencased" Within. theflstee'ring column-2l Thesteering pa e I has mounted at its upgerv end the spider 3,;"Whichwmay he provided 119-. standing studs whi'chfprovide hearings for planetany gears (not shown). Mfount ed} axially of the steeringpost lis theisun gear 5,vwhi'ch may have an axiallyexten'ding stud 6 adapted to ride inth-e corresponding 85, umn 2' is provided at its; upper end Withthe cupj 'shaped' member 7, which is provided" with, aninternal gear 8: The planetary gears (not shown arei adapted to mesh with 90, ing motion from the. sun gearetco'the spider 3' and the steering post 1".' The numeral? 5 indicates a steering Wheel. "Steeringinotion I may be communicated from the steering Wheel 9' toiithe" steering post 1" throughmechanism which will p-resentl i he descriheidl. The cup-shaped member 7 carries acap 1Q,- Which provides'fa housing forthe connecting means hetWeenthe: steering'wheel 9 and the sun gear-", together with. locking mechanism. forcontrolling the, effectivenessof said-- con-- vn-ecting means. As-will appeaif' hereinafter;

certain novel means are prowdedhetiveen '11, of angular cross section.

wheel 9 is keyed to a shaft 12, which has a a coupling member which is adaptedto be moved in response'to a lock for the pur- 'ose ofcoupling and uncoupling'the steerln'gwheel '9 from the sun gear 5. Said sun gear 5 is provided with an upstanding stud i The steering shoulder 13 adapted to abut against a cor l the steering wheel 9 will co-operate with vthe shoulder 13.to 'hold the steering wheela'gainst axial movement relative to the cap mg in'cross section to the stud 11.

,couphng member j 1s provlded', which responding shoulder 14 on the inner side of the cap 10. -A nut 15 threaded upon the upper end of the shaft 12 and overlapping 10, though permitting free rotative movement of said steering wheel. may be provided with a portion correspond- The should have a bore corresponding to the -cross sectional outlines of shaft 12 and stud V i 11,- It will be clear that when the coupling member 15 is in a position to *enc'ase both shaft 12 and stud 11, an operative connection will be had between the steering wheel 10 and sun gear 5. However, when the couplingmember 15 is moved so that it is free 7 of the shaft 12,,an operative driving conmotion between thesteering wheel and the :scribed. 7

sun gear 5 is broken. A spring 16 may be provided for urging the coupling member 15 to coupling position, one end of said spring abutting against said coupling mem 'ber 15 and the lower end thereof abutting against the washer 17, which in turn is mounted upon certain parts of the a'rmoring mechanism 5 which will presently be de- Mounted in the cap 10 which has a stud 20 lying within a groove 21in the coupling member 15. The stud 20 is capable of a vertical movement in re-- 7 sponse to movement of the. key 19. When it is desired to lock the car, the key 19 will be manipulated to cause the stud 20 to force the coupling member .15 downwardly to uncoupling position. The lock-18 will hold the coupling member 15 in this uncoupling,

position against the tension of the spring 16. When itis desired to unlock the car. the key 19 may be turned in the lock and the spring 16 will urge the coupling member 15 upwardly. A slight turn of the steering wheel 9 will insure proper coupling 7 of shaft 12 with the stud 11.

; Thel cup-shaped member 7 v is screwthreaded on itsoutside. Mounted on said cup-shaped member 7 is 'a' ring-shaped member 22 which may be described as an inverted cup and which'has internalscrewthreads adapted to engage with the external v screw-threads on the cup-shaped member 7.

Said inverted cup is provided with a central aperture for receiving the upstanding The shaft 12 is the 1001; is, which may be provided with a key 19 and studlloi the sun gear 5. The inverted cup 22 is externally screw-threaded to engage with corresponding internal screw-threads on the cap 10. It will be clear that the cap 10 is carried by the cup-shaped member 7 through the intermediate mounting comprising the half rings 22- 22, said cap- 10 being screw-threaded upon said half rings.

Protecting the under side of the cupshaped member 7 are a pair of half rings 2323, which have upstanding side walls and inwardly extending bottom portions whereby when'they are mounted together they form an assembly resembling a cup,:

the bottom portion or" which is provided" with a hole for receiving the steering column2. The, ends of the half rings 23-23 may be provided with semicircular recesses 24c, which, whenithe'half rings are assems bled, form circular apertures, which correspond to similar apertures 25 in the inverted cup 22. l V'hen'the'halt rings 23-23 are, in assembled position they will lie with V in'the inverted cup 22, with the semi-circular apertures 24t24tlying in coincidence with the apertures 25*25 of the inverted cup 22. When the parts are 1n th1s pos 1- tion, the cap 10 belng removed,pms 26 may 'be inserted. It will be clear that: as long" eoQ Surrounding said central hole r are a plurality of spaced holes 29. The construct-ion ofinverted cap 22 having the holes 2929 has a "function which will. now be referred to. Mount-ed in parallelism withthe axis of the steering post 1 is the vertically reciprocable abutment member 80, which is normallyurged downwardly byrmeans the spring 31. The abutment member 30 has the outstanding stud 32 adapted to en gage with the coupling member 15. When said coupling member 15 is in its uppermost, i. e., coupling position, .the abutment V member 30 will be held in its uppermost position. When the coupling member 15 is moved to.its lowermost, i. e., uncoupling position, the spring '31 willbe permitted to move the abutment member 33 downwardly to occupy a position within one of the holes 2929. 'VVhen the coupling member 15 is in its lowermost position, that is to saywhen the car is locked, the unscrewing of the cap will be effectually prevented, even though the abutment'member 30 did not re ress strike one of holes ee -e9 whenfath'efi car was, first locked. Any turning-flmogyement' oi the" cap li0 wi'li 'sause said abutmentmenu P bar" 60* snapinto one" of seich ho1'e's'29 '293' The abutment memben'30 may he e llo'wedi to occupy a pG'sition: betweensthe' planetary gears not show-11% when the=c'ariis;in lbched c'o'riditien; or" said} abutment member may. be stopped ina position: clear 01? smichgefars, whereby n0 interference rwiir be had;'witl'i movement of the front-wheel's of the; motor car, when; as torinstance; in eases'of 611169} gency, 11: is deslre'd toipush= the cer andijsteer' same" by" manip rletin'g the front wheels dineatly. For thi's'purp'o'se any preferred kii d of step forthe abutment member 30"mey be:

used. According to 'the drawings;- thejhol'es 2'9' -29 are of the countersunk:variety, le'aying portions 38,- wh ic'h prevent the passage? oi the abutment member 30 as position; in;

the path of theliplenetairy' gears. M The; cap- IO and the haxlf rihgs- 23 28 should beof hardened steel or" other tool re'- sisting" material; thereby completely azrmor ing the cup-shaped member 7 and the-1t ck-- ingi me'ans. fEt wil'l be impossible to get into the-cup-shaped member and the coupling mechanism" except by. wary'of the lock 18; The'inverted cup 22' may be readily. screwthreaded upon the cupsheped member "Z, andi the half ringsi 232-3 may: be readily mounted iri-p'laceg. after which the pins 26 26= wi -11 he insertedi The cap '1I0f may then be screwed down" upon the inverted cup 22 lie and. protect the pins 26. A complete enclosure: i's hadg. which is readily assembled, which may not be disassembled except when the car is unlocked: condition; At t-histim'e disassembly may be'as readily ac complishedrasassembly is accomplished- The modification illustrated in Figures '5" and differs fromr the: parts previously described in certain particulars whiehwill now be referred: to. According to the disclbsure in: Figure 5;. the cupJ-shapech member: 7 is. provided: with: a; pair of; half rings 23! +231 which are both: internally zmch externally,

sc1rew threadech The internal screw-threads oilisaidihali rings 28:2-23 engagewiththe' post 1 and aisoaproyide a portion imd'erly.

ingthe-cupshaped member Assembly-of the parts illustrated? in Figure 5 be I readily accomplished in w manner which will beobvious I Without detailsdiexplenation ;said.

parts being" held securely together when the cap 10 is screwed down upon the had-f rine's 923 23. mien; the car is-in-1ocked condi The external screW-thre'adsensoft, turning as the? caplO wi'hfbe-preyented in themzmner which will be elem-1mm: the

description of Figur-es l tori;

Referring in Figures t we! e, tram shaped member 7 is provided with pair Or: hair 'ri ngs eef' eeri hewihg internal I screW-thread's toeiigazge vwithi the ester-11951;

screwwthreads of the cup sh'aped nfiemberih and hayi ng extern'ah screw-threads to engage with the interna l '."screwwhreaidsi of the cap:

76; I 1 0. One of saidJnembersi-2B 2B!"=muy be provided withftongu'es 3434- wl iich fit: 1

within corresponding grooves iiithe other nected' together by means of tapenedx pi ns 3585 extendin'g through; the tongue: and

rooved; portions 'saidihmlf rings; Thea larger-ends ofi saidv pins 35 35 sheuhl. be:

uppermost} andi should underlie? thezeap: 159;. whereby seid iee may be remomedzon'iiy,

after said: cap 140; has been: remoyedz: The? possibility; of: removing the cap 10: governed by structure: similar tozthatrillumtretedkinathe preceding: fi'g iresa. V R fer-ring now toi Eighties 9 andi 1'0 ;.'sti-1ic,-

- time is providedi -fori protecting: the entire steerlng; column; from the; steeringrwdleelx to: i

the dash board otth'ez motor ear; .,Nume12aa'1" V 36 indicates the: bracket which is; ordinarily provided on the dash boardaot' a. meter car of the" Ford type;;! which. braeketi'is secured to the. steering column Anee'orol iirg: to the present invention, zenmoring means isizpro tide d; which: armering means-1 iss made up: of

twmhalhsleeves 37 371.. Y The upper portions 'o't'said hwl-i sleeves may take the form of? the haflzfi. rings illustrated in: Figure 1,. or .tho'sesindic'ated by thenumera 1s 23f-2-3 in Figure. 5; or those indicated by the: mumer- "m Y steel or-other tool resisting mate-riE-hcobpenate with the hardened? steel cajpl 1E0 to pr'ovide a: continuous wrmo rihg'meamsi from the steer-t ing? Wheel practically to the dash: boatrd whereby to: bafiie a thief in any attempt" to tamper with: the steeringcoh1mn=- or any-ct its associated parts; One of said hail fi sleeves 37 37 maybe pro ffclteel with lugs 38 -38:

The complementary heLfi sl'e'eve 'mzty be ptovided With ho oks 39-39 fitting over the lugs 38-383 The upper ends oi the s1eeves,37'37'mey he held together by" ofthe structures ilhistrated i11 the'first eight figures oi? thedrwwing or by any other pre to receive the control levers l alnd 4 25M the motorcerz "I h'e hel f sleeyes may'be reaxiiiy assembled on'the steeringicoi umm 2 when the car is unlocked and the cap 1 '0" removedfrom-the cup -shapedportien 7. Said hei f disassembl'y Whentheczrp' 1 0 is turned down to 1ts. normal posltl'cmfl -Dlsessemb1i1ig m1y sleeves needv ohl y'be hooked together ettheir lower ends; a'n'dwill besecurely held! against screwed from its mounting.

be accomplishedonly when the car isun locked and after. the cap has been un- At this time,

- however,v disassembling 'inay be readily accomplishedr The described embodiments of the present invention have been chosen merely for the purpose ofi illustration and should not be interpreted in a limiting sense. liIany mod fications of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended 1n thispatent to cover all such modifications that fall within .the scope of the invention as definedrby the appended claims. 7

V I claim 1. In ,combination, a steering wheel, a steering post, a steering column encasing said steering post and having a cup-shaped member at-its upper portion, planetary gearing within said cup-shaped portion and adapted to transmit steering motion from said steering wheel to'said steering post, a cap for said'cup-shaped portion, coupling mechanism for controlling the connection between said steering wheel and said planetary gearing, 'lookingmeans for said coupling mechanism, means responsive to the 'cou-,

.pling mechanisnrtor preventing the removal of said cap, armoring means mounted inv said cap and underlying said cup-shaped member, and means responsive to said' coupling means forgoverning the re'movability of said armoring means. i f

2. In combination, a steeringwheel, a steering post, a steering column encasing said steering post, said steering column hav-' ing a cup-shaped portion at its upper end, a cap for said cup-shaped portion, said cupshaped portion containing planetary gearing ing a cup-shaped portion at its upper end,a

cap. for said cup-shaped portion, said cupshaped portion containing planetary gear- 7 ing for transmitting steering motion from said steering wheel to said steering post, coupling mechanism between said coupling post, and said planetary gearing, locking mechanism for controlling sa d coupling mechanism,

said cap having 7 a member mounted therein for underlying said oupshaped portion, and means responsive to said coupling member for controlling the removalrof said underlying member, said cap and resisting material.

underlying member being composed of tool I 45,111 combination,

said post, said steering column being proa steering wheel, a, steering post, a steering column enclosing vided with a cap, locking mechanismoperatively associated. with said cap for con tro-lling'the operativeness of the connection" between said steering wheel and said steering post, armoring means. for said steering column, and means responsive to. said lQCk". ing mechanism for controllingthe removability' of said armoring mean'sg r 5. In combination, a steering wheel, a; I:

steering post, a steering column enclosing said post, a housing enelosinglocking means for controlling the operativeness of the connection between said steering ,-wheel [and said steering post, a bracket for supporting said steering column in a motor car, and split sleeve means extending between said housing and said bracket for armoring said steering column, the 'removability of said-arinoringmeans being responsive tosaid look ing means.

In combination, a steering f ,wheel, ,a. steering post, transmitting mechanism therebetween, lock controlled means for Controlling the operativeness of said 'transn'litting mechanism, a housing enclosing part of said tra ismitting mechanism, armoring means mounted upon said housing for protecting said transmitting mechanism, said lock controlled means and all sides of said; housing, the disassembly of said armor-ing means being responsive to said look controlledmeans 7. Steering mechanism, including locking mechanism ther for, comprising a steering column having a cup shaped member, steering elements within said cup-shaped-memher, a cap for said cup-shaped member, said including a hardened steel portion'en veloping the side walllof said cup shaped nember and a'hardened steel structure underlying said cup-shaped member to protect deringjthe steering mechanism. inoperative.

9. Steering mechanismcomprising a steergoverning the connection between said post and wheel, a steering column encompassing said steering post, and a oapsecured to said .ing post, a steering wheel, and mechanism-tor steering 7 column and encompassing said mechanism, said cap havlng a hardened steel portion for resisting attack o-nsaid steering column from the side, said cap having armoring structure underlying .said cup for protecting the bottom of same.

10. Steering mechanism comprising a steering post, a steering wheel, and mechanism for governing the connection between said post and wheel, asteeringcolumn env compassing said steering post, and a cap se- 'nection governing mechanism.

cured to said steering column and encompasslng'said mechanlsm, saidcap having a hardened steel portion forresisting attack the removal of said cap and underlying armoring means being responsive to said con- '11. Theicombinatlon with a steering col- 'umn having a supporting bracket'and a lock housing each surrounding the'same but in spaced relation to eachother, of protecting means extending from-one to the other exteriorly of the column, said means having a connection with the lock housing, substantially as described.

12. The combination withv a steering column, a lock housing 'surroundingthe same, and a bracket also surrounding the column, of means connected with the look housing extending to the bracket along one side of the column, and other means interlocked therewith completing an enclosure for the column between the lock housing and the bracket, substantially'as described.

13. The combination'with a column, af

tatably withthe one, the two sleeve parts. having inter-engaging means for preventing their separation, substantially :as described;

14., In combination with a steering column, a sleeve surrounding the same, a dock housingsurrounding the sleeve. and locking V the same upon the column, the sleeve extending-along the column away from the lock housing, and a bracket surrounding the column adjacent the end of the sleeve remote I 7 from thelockhousing, substantially as de- 7 scribed.

. 15. In combination with a, steering column, a bracket surrounding the same, a twopart sleeve surrounding the column and extended away from the bracket-in vone direction, means connecting the two sleeve parts for preventing their separation except when the, one is moved endwise relative to the other, and a lock housing surrounding the sleeve and: connected removably with the column andadapted toprevent relative end wise movement between the two sleeve parts, substantially as described.

16. In-combination with a'steering column, a bracket, and independent thereof,'a lock housing each surrounding the column at separated points, and protecting means for the column extending from thebracket to the 1 housing and removably secured in place thereby, substantially as described. 7

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, thisQndday of February, 1922. I K 1 J .HARRY. F. GEORGE.

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