US1774020A

US1774020A - Pressed-metal vehicle door

Info

Publication number: US1774020A
Application number: US159829A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ledwinka Joseph
Original assignee: Edward G Budd Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: ThyssenKrupp Budd Co
Priority date: 1927-01-08
Filing date: 1927-01-08
Publication date: 1930-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1947-08-26
Also published as: GB283198A; FR640968A; DE584928C; BE344962A

Description

Aug. 26, 1930.

vJ. LEDNINKA 'PRESSED METAL VEHICLE DOOR I Filed Jan. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- JOSEPH LEDWINKH FIG. '7

' v ATTORNEY.

J. LEDWINKA PRESSED METAL VEHICLE DOOR Aug. 26, 1930.

Filed Jan. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FIG. 4

JOSEPH LEDWINKA A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 26, 1930 vehicle bodies and more-particularly such a ,IVUN'ITIED STATES JOSEPH LEDW ATENT "o Fic BU'DD U ACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A, 00320 3420101: orPn NsYLvA IA v I nREssEn-Niirn.

Application filed January 8,

This invention relates to doors for closed door made out of pressed steelstampings.

It is an object of my invention to construct such a door along lines and contours espec ally adapted for construction in steel, as (115' tinguished'from a door primarily designed for construction in wood, to construct it with a minimum number of parts, and to provide a door having unitary sub-assembly parts which may be readily united in the final assembly with a minimum-of time and labor. It

'is a further object of my invention toproduce a door which is as light as may be consistent with adequate strength and that is particularly adapted to be reduced to its final form with greater accuracy of dim'ens sion than has heretofore been attained in the I quantity production of metal doors, and, fur- 'thermore, a door which is constructed to cooperate without a special formation on the lock rail of the door to center. itself in the door frame or the body to which it'is applied.

These objectsI attain by constructing a door insuch manner that the principal parts thereof are formed by a relatively few stamping operations; for example, I find it most convenient to form the outer and the inner portions of the doors-of two main stampings of relatively light gauge sheet metal. These main stampings constitute not only, respec tively, the outer and the inner panels ofthe doors, but what is more, they constitute also the major portions of the side, top and bot tom rails,,and in the case of both outer and ,inner panel stampings and particularly, the

inner stamping, I form thereon an integral garnish rail around the window openings 1 am, of course, aware that it has heretofore been proposed to form the outer and the drawing and stamping operations, without tearing the metal andtherefore, without any piecing or welding operations, to form the inner panel stamping so as to provide a large part ofthe door structure which ordinarily is constituted by a number of separate elements suitably joined together. In fact, the total number of parts entering into the door of my invention is reduced to about from onehalf to one-third of the parts heretofore required. In this way, I not only can save a substantial portion of the usual cost of production by decreasing the number of parts and operations, but I enhance the appearance of the door by thus eliminating substantially all welding'marks and by providing a continuous unitary beading or garnishmentaround the window opening'on both sides of the door. The outer panel need not depart widely :from-the accepted manner of formprises the'glass run channels and transverse connecting elements therefor above and below the window opening of the door. The manner in which this unit is constructed and KA, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNon 'ro EDWARD G.

used, in the final assembly of the door, to join together the outer and inner panel constructions particularly above the belt line, is another radical departure from the present accepted practice, and permits the final assembly to be effected with a negligible number of welding operations, yet the final resuit is an unusually strong, rugged door, one which is light in weight, accurate in dimension and'presents a most pleasing appearance. The door forming the subject of this invention is particularly adapted for use with the novel body shown and described and claimed in.my application filed of even date here-" with, Serial No. 159,827, and entitled Pressed metal vehicle body. With the hereinbefore mentioned and other objects in view, my invention resides in the constructions and arrangement of parts disclosed in the drawings forming a part of this specification, described in the following detailed description, and pointed out in the appended claims oftheZ provides the door overlap. At the Fig. 1 is an outside elevation on a very much reduced scale of the complete door of my invention. I r

Fig. 2 is an inside view of the outside panel stamping or unit.

- Fig. 3 is an outside View of, the inside panel stamping or unit.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the glass run channel unit.

- Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 are,'respectively, detail sectional views on an enlarged scale, the'sections being taken on the corre spondingly numbered section lines of the section lines.

described as they appear before final assembly, and as shown and 4.

,The outer panel 20 is substantially flat in contour throughout its main body and isprovided around itsperiphery with an inwardly-extending flange 21; In its upper portion it is formed with the window opening 22 and around this window opening it is formed with an inward-sweepin curve, as at 23, broken near its outer portlon by a shallow depression 24 which, while addingto the appearance of the door, formsalso a side and top of the, door, as will present y be described. The inner portion of the curve 23 extends almost at right angles to the plane of the door and terminates in a lateral flange 25 extending parallel to the plane of the door. y Y x The inner panel stamping .26 is a deep drawn stamping, the main body 27 of which is offset inwardly substantially the thickness of the door from its peripheral edge. At

the hinge side, this peripheral or side rail portion is formed. of substantial Z-section, the web 28 of the Z forming the jamb face of the door, the main bodyof the panel, the inner arm of theZ, and the 'outer arm rlock' side, the corresponding peripheral or side rail portion of the inner panel stamp ing is of double 2 shape, and the webs 29.

.and 30 of the Zs extend at, right angles to the plane'of the door and is constituted by the jamb'face thereof. The inner arm of the inner Z constitutes the main body 27 of the panel, and the outer arm 31 of the outer Z constitutes the door overlap; the inter- The various sub-assembly units which go. tomake up the completed door will first be detached 'in Figs. 2, 3

useful function especially along the bin e mediate arm 32, common to the two Zs, forms a door stop shoulder adapted to engage a corresponding shoulder on the adjacent door frame of the vehicle:

In its upper portion, the inner or frame 0 panel 26is, like the outer panel 20, formed with a window opening of correspondingdimensions, and it. is around this window opening that the inner panel is modified to garnish or trim it completely around the opening without the necessity of providing a separate garnish rail or rails for thepurpose. To this end the side rail portions, both onthe hinge and on thelocksides, are

formed at their inner portions with a smoothly-rounded inner bend 33, the inner side of which extends inwardly (with respect to the plane of the door) and terminates in a lateral flange 34 similar to flange 25 of the outer panel and, like it, extending 35 substantially parallel to \the 'plane of the door. The top rail portion 34 of the inner panel stamping is formed like the side rail portion thereof above the belt line, as will be evident from a comparison of Figs. 5 and 6, but the horizontal or web portion of the Z is formed at its middle portion with a slot 35 to permit the insertion and removal of the window glass. At the bottom of the window opening the upper edge of the main body 27 of the stamping 26 is likewise formed with the bend 33'andthe laterally-extending edge flange 34, it being thus apparent that this 'bend or bending or integral garnish rail" 33 and the edge flange 34 are continuous around the window opening.

To permit the deep stamping to be the more readily formed at the corners, the rails are, atthese points, joined-by curves of relatively large radius, the radius of curvature of which varies, being largest adjacent the inner face bf the doonan'd decreasing toward theouter face, thereby providing an inclined curved outer surface, as 35', at the upper corners of the'stamping. Similar inclined surfaces 35 are formed at the'lower {corners of the door stamping 26.

When the door is finally assembled and mounted in place on the body with which it is adapted to be used, the'inclined rounded corners 35"at the top and bot-tom of the door coact with means arranged in the similarly rounde corners of the .door frame of the body, which means are-more fully described and claimed in my application filed of even 12 0 date herewith and hereinbefore referred to, to center the-door in the frame and to prevent rattling. This obviates the necessity of providing a special dovetail, as usual, on the lock side of the'door.

At its lower edge, the stamping 26 is formed into a bottom rail of'Z-section, the web of the Z 36 inclining downwardly and outwardly to match up with a corresponding threshold frame on the body on which the door is adapt- "being joined above and below the window ed to be mounted, and the outer arm j37'of the

side portions

39 and 40 of this frame, the opposite-side walls of the

channels

39 and 40 opening by the pairs of spaced cross members numbered, respectively, 41 and 42. The'members of each pair are formed as separate stampings spaced apart a distance equal substantially t0 the width of the glass run chan-. nels so as to permit free movement of the window glass between them. The pair of cross members 41 above the window opening are carried around the corners of the frame and terminate, as shown in Fig. 112, insubstantially

fiat ends

43, 43, which lap over and are welded to the sides of ,the

channels

39 and 40. The corners of the frame are, of course,

I rounded on arcs of relatively large radius in a manner corresponding to the corners of the ends of the cross members by openings in the outer and

inner panel stampings

20 and 26. The pair of cross members '42 are also joined at their ends to the sides of the channels 39 and which are widened at 44 to provide the rounded corners of the WlIldow opening of the frame andjoined at the welding

alongthe lines

45, 45. v

Atitheir lower ends the

channels

39 and 40 are provided with the window stop stampings 46 secured thereto'by spot welding.

As is clearly shownin Figures 6, 8 and 12, the sides of the

channels

39 and 40 are provided, at somedistance removed from their. edges, with outwardly-bulging beads or. shoulders 46 which extend along the sides of the window opening. These beads or shoulders or their equivalents areconti fiuou's around plane of the glass are,

the window opening of the frame, being continued around the upper corners and across the top of the pair of cross members 41 which as is clearly shown in Fig. 5, of channel cross section. andarranged facing each other,

1 the lower side 47 of the channels' corresponding to the shoulders 46. The beads or shoulders 46 are carried around the lower corners ofthe frame and continued across the bottom of the frame by the shoulders 48 formed by ofl'sets in the angle cross members 42.

Prior to final assembly, the edges of the continuous frame members surrounding the

shoulders

46, 47 and48, and the laterally-extending

flanges

49, 50' and 51 are crimped over the edges of these continuous flanges, thebeads or shoulders co-acting with the crimped-over flanges to. form a very secure, 7o locked, crimped-joint for securing the edges of the

panels

20 and 26 to the glass run frame I; 38. The glass run channel frame is further secured in the final assemblyto the hinge and lock rail portions of the inner panel stamping bywelding the glass run channels to the said portions. Along the hinge rail I weld the bottom of the channel 39 directly to the vweb 28 of the rail. 'Along the lock rail, which is of' double Z-section, I form the channel 40 by so welding together a generally flat stamping 52 s forming one sideof the channel and a generally Z-shaped stamping 52' forming the other side and the bottom of-the channel, the C welded t ogether portion 53 of two thicknesses 5 of metal projecting outwardly of the channel proper and being secured asby welding to the common arm 32 of the double Z-section rail. Below the window opening the sides of the glass run'channels are formed with an out- .90 ward offset 54 which adds strength to thechannels in this region, just as the beads 46 reinforce the channelsin their upper positions. The sides of the channel are also formed in this region with lateral-reinforcing flanges 55 along their edges, which flanges are connected at thetop by the corresponding flanges 56 on the cross members 42 The upper cross members'41 aresecured to thetop'rail 34 respectively on opposite sides'of' the slot 35 by spot welding their upper sides. 57 thereof J to the top rail 34. Having thus described the manner of j oining' of the glass run channel frame 38 to the outer and inner panel, stampings 20 and 26,

it remains merely to state that the door is completely assembled by' joining the outer panelt'o the inner panel stamping by 'crimp-- ing'the lateral flange 21 on its outer periphery over the outer door overlap arms of the Z-section top, bottom and side rail portions of the inner panel stampings as shown clearly in 4 the various sectional views through the edges I of the door. L 7 n Thus the steps in the final assembly of the door are, first, the joinder of the glass run channel frame 38 to the inner panel stamping 26 by spot wblding theframe to the side and '-top rail portions of the stamping 26 (relawindow opening, over the continuous flange 25 around the window opening in the outer panel. The shallow depression 24, formed in the outer panel to enhance the appearance of the door, has also a' useful mechanical 'function in that it provides an interior shoulder which coacts along the hinge and top rails of the door with the crimped-over edge of the panel to provide a secure, locked, crimped joint similar to the joint-at the edge of the window opening.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the pressed metal door of my invention can be constructed of relatively fewJ- parts, thus saving in die cost and in the number of operations both in forming theparts and in final assembly; that the assembly of the parts is a-relatively simple operation in- Volving, as it does, for the main part, merely clinching operations as distinguished from welding; that, by. reason of thesmall amount of welding in the assembly, outside weld spots are very few or entirely absent and the cost of removing them, therefore negligible or non-existent; that the door presents a l most pleasing external appearance and that it can be made veryaccurately to dimension; that it is so formed at thecorners by deep drawing that no welding 1s, necessary and that it can be centered without special means being provided either on the hinge rail of the door or the adjacent door frame member. I claim as my invention the novel manner of forming and assembling the door and the 7 novel construction and arrangement of parts,

as well as the various unitary sub-assemblies entering into the construction of the door, as exemplified by the embodiment of my invention disclosed herein, and such further modification and alterations thereof as fall within the spiritand scope ottheappended claims.

I I claim:

1. In a pressedmetal vehicle doo a unitary inner panel stamping form-ing e transverse j'amb face of the door extending entirely around said door and having a window opening in its upper portion and formed with a continuous beading or garnish, arched in cross-section, around said window opening providing a finish for'the door around said opening.- 7 2. In a pressed metal vehicle door having a window opening therein, a side rail structure at said window opening comprising a stamping having a transversely extending web portion forming thefjamb face of the door, a glass run channel secured directly to the inner face of said web portion, and a panel secured along one edgeto the outer edge of saidstamping and along its other edge to the adjacentside of the glass run a window opening therein, an inner panel member comprised of a unitary sheet metal edge of the panel around the window opening being secured to the adjacent side of said glass run channelby crimping the edge of one over the edge of the other.

a 4. Ina pressed metal vehicle door having a -window opening in its upper portion, a door rail structure at the side of said opening comprised of .an inner panel, an outer panel, and a glass run channel, the inner panel forming the jamb. face of theidoor and the glass run channel having its base secured directly to'the inside surface of said panel,

the inner portion of the inner panel being bent over and secured to the adjacent side of the glass-run channel, and the outer portion forming the door overlap, the outer panel being secured along one edge to said door overlap edge of the inner panel and alongits other edge to the adjacent side of the glass run channel, whereby the door rail structure is, in effect, of a double box section construction.

5. In a pressed metal vehicle door having a window opening therein, a' door rail structure at a side of said window opening comprising an inner panel member shaped to form the jamb face of the door and the door overlap arranged at substantially a right angle thereto, a frame member secured to the inner surface of the portion of said panel member forming the jamb face of the door and extending laterally therefrom, anouter panel member having one edge thereof crimped over the door overlap portion of the inner panel member and bent to form a contour depression therein which also serves as a clinch-locking shoulder by coacting with the adjacent portion of the jamb face portion of the inner panel and having its other edge secured to said frame member.

6. In a pressed metal vehicle door having a window opening thereima door rail structure at-a side of said opening comprising a stamping having a portion'forming the amb face of the door, a glass run channel secured to themner side of the amb face portion,

said stamping further having a portion shaped to. form a garnishment at the edge of the window opening and having its inner edge turned to extend substantially parallel to the plane of the door and to lieagainst the adjacent side of theglass run channel and secured thereto by cnimping the edge of the side of the glass runchannel over'said turned edge, and a shoulder formed in the side of the glass run channel co-acting with the crimped edge thereof to lock. said'turned' edge against. movement. v

7 Apressed metal door having a window opening therein comprising a ,unitary outer panel stamping, a unitary inner panel stamping and a glass. run'channel frame unit, each of sald elements surroundlng sald window opening and being joined together in final asclosed vehicle doors formed of a unitary sheet metal stamp- 1 ing to provide the laterally-extending peripheral portions formingthe jamb faces of the door and the outer peripheral flanges extending laterally from said jamb face portions, the corner portions joining adjacent jamb face ortions being formed on curves increasing in radius from the outer edgesof the jamb faces to the inner.

'9. An inner panel unit for closed vehicle doors formed of. a unitary sheet metal stamp ing and provided around the window openingwith a deep drawn portion arched in cross section providing, in the completed door, a continuous garnish rail forming a finish for the inner portion of the window opening.

10. An outer panel unit for closed vehicle doors. formed of a single sheet metal stamping and having anarched section around the window opening formed with a bars depression to provide garnishment for the outside of the completed door, said'depression I providing a shoulder onthe opposite side adapted, in the completed door, to abut a portion of an adjoining unit over'the edge of which the edge of said panel iscrimped in the final assembly.

11. A glass run channel frame 'unit subassembly for pressed metal doors comprising :opposed glass run channels, the sides of the channels being united by pairs of cross memdefining, respectively, the upper and the lower edges of the window opening, the

' sides of the glass run channels and the con-' necting members being formed with lateral dow opening flanges which are continuous around the winand serve as final assembly joint formations adapted to coact' with complemental formations on adjacent sub-assembly units in the final assembly of the door.

12. In a pressed metal door for closed vehicle bodies, a top rail having a webportion slotted to permit the insertion or' removal of the window glass at the top, and reinforcing frame members of channel form on opposite sides of the slot having a side of the channel secured to-the web portion of the rail and the Y opposite side of the channel flanged and ar ranged to form a clinched joinder with the adjacent edge, respectively, of an outer and inner panel portion. j I

- 13. glass run channel frame sub-assem- -bly for pressed metal vehicle doors comprising opposed glass run channels and cross of inner and outer panels, each a; unitary around the window opening stamping extending entirely aroundthe win- 'dow opening and formed aroundsaid opening with a garnish or beading to form a finish entirely around said opening on both sides of the door.

15. A door for vehicle bodies having a window opening in its upper portion, com-- prised of inner and outer panels, each a unitary stamping extending entirely around the window opening and curved inwardly around i the window opening toward the central plane. of the door and terminating in edge portions forming portions of the window glass guiding means on opposite sides of said glass.

16. A door for vehicle bodies having a window opening in its upper portion comprising a unitary inner panel stamping, a

unitary outer panel stamping and a glass run channel: frame, each extending entirely around said window 0 ening and being joined in the margin of sai opening by a crimped joinderof each panel edge with a correspond- I v 105 ing edge of the glass run channel frame,the inner panel stamping being formed in its peripheral-portion with a transversely extending amb face portion provided in the outer plane of the door with a door overlap flange, the peripheral portion of the, outer panel stamping-making a crimped joinder with said flange.

17. 'In a pressed metal vehicle door haying a window'opening therein, a door rail structure at the side of said opening comprising a stamping having a portion form the ]amb face of the door, a glass run secured to the innenface of said ]amb face portion, said stamping further having a portion arched in section and forming garnishment at the edge of the window opening and'havin its inner edgeportion extending substantia 1y parallel to the plane/of the door and lying againstthe adjacent side of the glass run and secured' thereto by crimping the edge of one over the edge of the other, and a shoulderon one of said members cooperating with said crimped over edge to lock the crimped edges against relative shifting movement.

18' A. glass run channel frame sub-assemfull length thereof to allow 60 bly for pressed'metal vehicle doors comprising opposed. glass run channels united by cross members extending between at least one of the sides of said channels and forming with extending around a window open1ng,.said continuous flange being further adapted to serve as a final assembly joint formation arranged to'cooperate with complement'al edge formations on an adjacent sub-assembly panel unit in the final assembly-of the door.

' 19. A pressed metal door having a jamb rail provided .with an offset forming a shoulder. intermediate the outer and inner faces of the door, and a glass run channel comprising two angular strips secured together through adjacent arms of 'the respec-tive strips andto.

the rail through said shoulder. V

20. apressed metal door for Vehicle to permit the insertion or removal of. the win-' dow glass at the top, and a reinforcing frame member of angular form having one arm secured to the web portion of the rail along one panel having'a window opening therein, inso tegral side and end faces perpendicular to the main surface thereof, and integral flanges erpendicular to the outer surfaces of said aces, the metal of said frame panel at the sides of said wihdow opening being bent inwardly and then perpendicularly to saidxside faces 0 forni an abutment face, and a facing panel or said door having a window czipening therein in matching relation with sai opening in said frame panel provided with inturned marginal edges secured to the flanges on said frame panel, the metal of said facing eing bent inwardly and then parallel to the abutment face on said frame member to proreceiving a window.

22 A vehicle .door comprising an inner panel having a window opening therein, intependicular to the main body thereof, andPintegral flanges perpendicular to said side and end portions, an outer panel for said door ving its marginal edges secured to said flanges of 'the inner panel and inturned edges forming a finish around said window opening in spaced relation to said inner aving a slot formed therein substantial y the assembled to saiddoor in the spacegbetween said inner and out rpanels. r

23. A vehicle door comprising an innerpanel having a window opening therein, integral side and end portions substantially per- 35 pendicular to;the main body thereof, and

said channel sides a continuous edge flange bodies, a top rail having a web portion slotted vide with said abutment face achannel for end faces, the metal of said panel at the top being bent inwardly and then laterally parallel to the body of said panel to provide a window rail, andan outer panel having a window rail in matching relation to said opening in said'inner panel having its marginal edges clinched over the flanges of said inner panel, the metal of said outer panel at the top of said window opening being bent inwardlywandthe n laterally parallel to the main body of said panel to provide a Window rail parallel to and spaced from said window rail of said inner panel, whereby a window glass may be assembled to said door in the space between said rails.

24. An inner panel unit for closed vehicle doors formed of a'unitary sheet/metal stamping and providedwith a square cornered F edge flan ge portion for joinder to an outer panel, and transversely extending side and end jamb face corners. J 1

25. inner panel unit for closed vehicle doors having a window opening therein and formed of a unitary sheetmetalstamping and portions joined by rounded provided with a square-cornered edge flange portion fof joinder to an outer panel and a transversely extending round-cornered jamb face portion, the jamb face portion being reversely bent at dow opening.

26. A door for vehicle bodies having a win dow opening comprised of inner and outer panels, each a unitary stamping extending entirely around the window opening and the sides and top of the. winturned inwardly around the window opening toward the central plane of the door, at least one of said anels terminating in an edge portion providing portions of the window glass guiding means. anel at the sides of said window opening.

In testimony JOSEPH L'EDWINKA.

a windowto be v