US1656720A - Poration - Google Patents

Description

"Jan. 17, 1928. 5 7

P. E. BRENEMAN TOP CONSTRUCTION Filed March 17, 1926 ATTORNEY and, novel design, which will be light in Patented Jan. 17, 1928,

UNITED STATES PATENT orF cE.

PAUL E. BRENEMAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STUDEBAKER COB- POBA'I'ION, 'OFSOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TO]? CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed March 17, 19262 Serial No. 95,314.

This invention relates to vehicle tops 0 the permanent type, and particularly to side,

rail constructions therefor, the main object being to provide such a constructlon of new weight, easy to assemble and economical to manufacture. r

Another object is to provide a permanent type vehicle top with a side rail constructed of a sheet metal base and a. sheet, metal contoured member, to both of which is secured a wooden tacking member.

Another object is to provide a vehicle top side rail comprising a suitably reinforced sheet metal base and a contoured member rolled to ether along their. outer edges and secured along their-inner edges to a common tacking strip.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with. reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which il-.

lustrates a suitable embodiment of the pres ent invention and in which like numerals refer to like views: 1 y

, Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of, a vehicle body having, a, top incorporating the features of thepresent invention, assem-1 parts throughout the several bled thereon. I

,Figure 2 is. an enlarged sectional view taken through one of the side rails and longitudinally through one of the cross struts. m

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view taken transversely through one of the side,

rails ata point adjacenta cross-strut;

Figure 4 is a perspective sectional view of a modification ofthe side rail shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken trans.

. shown in Figure 4:, and longitudinally through one of the crossstruts, showing the connection therebetween.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional v1ew of one of the cross struts illustrated in the several I preceding views. a

The top, in general, comprises those elements which are common to most of the conventional types, namely, side rails 10, a front .55 cross piece 11, a rear cross piece 12 and cross-struts 13 spanning the space between theside rails 10. These elements are first assembled to complete the top structure and then attached to the vehicle body by suitable extends upwardly a slight distance and fiangesoutwardly to provide the substanti ally horizontal portion 21 which terminates in an upwardly extending marginal flange or leg 22.

The cross-struts 13 previously mentioned extend at regularly spaced intervals from o one 'side'rail 10 to the other and'may be trough shaped in form, each being stamped in one operation from a. single sheet of metal, rendering a very light, efiicient and economical construction. The ends of each cross- 35 strut 13 are preferably welded to the top face of the flangeltl.

Although not essential, it is desirable to provide reinforcing means to provide additional strength to the base member sub stantially atthe point where the cross-struts 13 are secured thereto. This may be obtained by providing suitable. reinforcing members such as the Z-shaped reinforcing bars 23 made of strap iron, but may be of any other'practical shape or material. The Z-shaped bar 23 is more adapted to the pres ent construction as oneleg may be conveni ently secured to the horizontal. portion 21 and the other leg thereof' may be conveniits ently secured (preferably welded), to the horizontal flange l9 and to the bottom of the trough portion of the cross-strut 13.

abutting against the ends of the crossstruts 13 or in close proximity thereto is a longitudinal wooden tacking member 24, portions being cut away on the under surface thereof to allow the same to flt over and around the reinforcing bars 23 and to lie flatly on the flange 19. Nails or screws such as 25 passing through the flange 19 may be provided to securely hold thetacking member 24 in a rigidly fixed position.

In order to impart a finished appearance 7 to the rail as thus far described, and to give it added strength, a contoured member 26g:

also formed of sheet metal, is provided to concealcthese parts and to lend shape and strength to the side rail 10. For the most part, it-has a convex outer surface 27 formed with a trough-shaped outer edge comprising a flat portion 28 and an upwardly extending flange 29, the inner edge 30 beingsuitably secured by nails 31 orthelike to the upper surface of the tacking strip 24 and the flange 29 abutting against the marginal flange 22 of the horizontal portion 21. The upper edge of this marginal flange 22 is bent back on itself to clamp the flange 29 therebetween, thereby holding the base member and contoured member 26 firmly secured together along their respective outer edges and forming the trough 32.

Vehicle tops used previous to this time were usually provided with a drip trough in combination with a suitable molding to catch the water and rain which fell from the top and convey it to the rear end thereof to discharge it. The trough 32 eliminates the need of providing this additional trough and molding, thereby making it a very economical construction.

Any desirable top material such as 33 may be provided to cover the top and may be secured thereto by tacking it to the tacking strip 24, a molding 34 being nailed thereto to conceal the edge'of the top material and i 'to conceal the edge 30 of the contoured member 26.

In Figures 4* and 5 a slight modification of the side rail 10 just described is illustrated. This side rail comprises essentially the same elements, namely, a contoured member 40 of substantially the same shape and construction, a base, a tacking strip 42, reinforcing members 43 and cross-struts 44, all of which are assembled in a slightly different manner. 7

The base is shaped from sheet metal to provide a pair of downwardly converging surfaces 45 and 46 which meet in a longitudinal door stop projection 47,. similar to the v door stop projection 17 of Figure 3. The

inner edge of the surface 46is turned upwardly to form the face 48 and then turned neeexrao inwardly to form the inner marginal flange 49. The outer edge of the surface 45 is bent upwardly to provide the marginal flange 50 which is bent back on itself over the marginal flange 51 of the contoured member 40 thereby to secure it to the same and to provide the trough 52 which functions the same as the trough 32 of the previously described side rail 10.

The tacking'member is secured by bolts such as 53 to the face 48 substantially flush withthc flange 49 and the flanges 54 of the cross-strut 4 4 are preferably welded to the undersurface of the flange 49 as shown in Figure 5. The reinforcing members 43 are isuitably shaped to be secured to the sloping surface 45, to partially support the tacking member 42 and to be secured to the under surface of the bottom of the cross-struts 44. Although not'shown, suitable top ,covering and a molding are provided in a way similar to that illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Certain advantages of the present invention can be seen over the type of top "side railheretofore used. It can be seen that the side rails as illustrated and described herein may beeasily and economically produced, especially in large quantities,'that they are simple in construction and light in weight, and that they can be assembled very economically and easily.

Formal changes may be made in the "specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

. 1. In a vehicle top of the permanent type, side rails comprising contoured members and sheet metal base members, each base member having a vertical-portion and an inwardly extending flange formed'at the upper edge of said portion, Z-shaped reinforcing members extending transverselyof said base member and inwardly therefrom secured to the upper face thereof, channel-shaped cross-struts holdingsaid side rails in spaced relationship, the bottom face of the base sheet metal base members secured together at their outer edges, each base member having a horizontal portion, a vertical portion extending upwardly from said horizontal portion, and a second horizontal portion extending inwardly from the upper edge of said vertical portion, cross-struts each havingthe base thereof secured to said lastnamed horizontal portion of said base member, Z-shaped reinforcing members extending transversely of said base member secured to said horizontal portions thereof and to said cr0ss-struts, and a Wooden tacking strip secured adjacent the free edge of each of said base members and to the free edge of each of said contoured members, said tacking strip being of greater depth 10 than said cross-struts.

Signed by me at Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A., this 12th day of March, 1926.

a PAUL E. BRENEMAN.

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