US1792666A - Windshield-operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1931. H. G. THUNDER 1,792,566

' WINDSHIELD OPERATING MECHANISM Filed May 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 17, 1931 PATENT oFFmE HAROLD Gr. THUNDER, OF DETROZT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOTOR FROIDUGTS CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK WINDSI-IIELD-OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed. May 27, 1929. Serial No. 366,395.

This invention relates to windshield operating mechanism and more especially to improvements therein which tend to simplify the construction, render the same durable and provide a structure which may be quickly and economically manufactured in large quantities and assembled with facility. a

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a mechanism of this character having a housing constituting an integral structure stamped from a single sheet of metal. As a consequence of the integral housing structure this invention contemplates a construction of the remaining parts in such a manner that they may be readily assembled within the integral housing.

The herein described construction and organization of parts includes a rotatable screw shaft, a travelling nut mounted there on and a rocker arm or link pivotally supported by the housing and connecting said travelling nut to the windshield, and the invention has therefore as a further object to provide an improved construction of rocker arm which may be formed as a stamping from sheet metal.

The invention also has as one of its important objects to provide an improved con struction of actuating shaft and an improved means for assembling and mounting this shaft with respect to the housing.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a windshield operating mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the device;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken substantially 011 the plane indicated by line 4E4L- in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary separated perspective view of a portion of a windshield showing the manner in which the operating mechanism is associated therewith;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 66 in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a detail perspective View of the rocker arm; and

Figure 8 is a detail perspective View of the travelling nut.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, it will be noted that there is illustrated in Figure 1 a header 10 to which the housing or casing 11 of the operating mechanism is attached. Attachment is made by means of laterally extending ears or flanges 12, perforated as at 13 to permit the passage therethrough and into the header of securing elements 1 1.

The housing or casing 11 is of an integral one piece construction stamped from a single sheet of metal and shaped to provide the flanges or cars 12 as well as a pair of opposed aligned apertures 15 and a pair of opposed aligned apertures 16 constituting trunnion bearings or supports Rotatably or rockably journalled in the apertures 16 is a bearing member or trunnion block 17 provided with a transversely extending bore or aperture 18 and with opposed recesses, providing fiat bearing faces or surfaces 19. Rotatably and rockably j ournalled in the bearing member 17 is a screw or operat ing shaft 20. This shaft extends through the aperture 18 and is provided with an annular collar or abutment 21 which engages one of the faces 19. Surrounding a reduced portion 22 of the shaft 20 is a sleeve 23, which, with one of its ends engages the other face 19 of the bearing block 17. The end ofthe shaft 20 is threaded as indicated at 24 to receive a nut 25 which holds the sleeve 23 in the position indicated in Figure 3. This construc tion permits of the ready assembling of the shaft 20 with its bearing block 17 and acts to permit rotation of the shaft but resists end thrusts imparted thereto.

In assembling this part of the device the trunnion block or bearing member 17 is inserted from the side of the housing through the aligned apertures 16. The shaft is then inserted through the bore 18 of the bean ing member until the collar 21 formed thereon engages the adjacent face 19. The sleeve 23 is then slipped on to the projecting end of the shaft and extends through an oval shaped aperture 26 formed in the housing. The width of this aperture is substantially equal to the diameter of the sleeve 23, so that no lateralrnovement of the shaft ispossible. Also the shaft may rock vertically or in the plane of the central longitudinal plane of the housing. Thus when the parts are assembled as just described, no other means for holding the trunnion block in place is necessary, and it will be obvious that this construction eliminates the necessity for threaded or other securing elements.

The end 27 of the shaft is squared or otherwise adapted to engage the correspondingly shaped aperture in the handle 28. This handle is secured in place by means of ascrew 30 threaded into theen'd of the shaft 20. The housing or shell 31 of the handle engages the nut 25 on opposite sides thereof and acts to lock the nut to the shaft.

Mounted on the shaft 20 is an actuating element in the form of a travelling nut 32. As shown more particularly in Figure 8, this nut is provided with opposed flat surfaces 33 from which trunnions 34 project. It will be obvious that rotation of the shaft 20 causes a movement of the nut 32 longitudinally of the shaft.-

The actuating member 32 is connected to the windshield by means of a rocker arm indicated generally by the reference character 35 and illustrated in perspective in Figure 7. The construction of this rocker arm is such that it may be stamped from a single sheet of metal and bent to provide a bifurcated portion consisting of a pair of similarly shaped arms36. The ends of these arms are apertured as indicated at 37 for engagement with V the trunnions 34 of the travelling nut 32.

In assembling the rocker arm with the travelling nut the arms 36 are sprung apart so that the apertures 37 thereof may be brought into engagement with the trunnion 34 and then the two arms are held together against accidental separation by means of a screw 38,- v extending transversely thereof. The rocker arm 35 is pivotally supported on the housing 11 by means of a trunnion member 39, extending through the aligned apertures l5 formed in the casing and through the aligned apertures 40 formed in the rocker arm.

The lower end of the rocker arm has a shape corresponding to the cross sectional configuration of the frame 41 of the windshield with which the operating mechanism is tobe connected. The frame is provided with an aperture 42 to permit the insertion therein of the lower end of the rocker arm.

This rocker arm is rigidly connected to the windshield frame by means of bolts or screws 43 and 44. The screw 43 passes through aligned apertures 45, 46 and 47, formed respectively in the windshield, rocker arm and trunnion member. Thus when the trunnion member has been properly positioned and the screw 43 secured in place, accidental displacement of the trunnion member is prevented and no other means for securing these parts in position is necessary. The end of the trunnion member may if desired be provided with a slot 48 by means of which the trunnion member may be rotated to align the aperture 47 thereof with the apertures and 46. The bolt 44 extends through aligned apertures in the windshield frame and through an aperture 49 in the lower end of the rocker arm.

l'Vith thisconstruction it is obvious that the operating mechanism may be assembled as a unit and then quickly and conveniently assembled with and connected to the windshield. Thisis of practical importance in the art because the windshield can be assembled with the remainder of the car by the car manufacturer and the operating mechanisms, which are frequently manufactured by someone other than a car manufacturer, may be shipped as complete units and installed after the car has been assembled.

It will be apparent that the herein described construction is such that the number of parts required in mechanisms of this character have been reduced to a minimum and that the design of the parts is such as to enable the same to be, to a large extent, formed by stamping from sheet metal. The organization of the parts is such that they may be rapidly and easily assembled and produce a strong, durable and commercially practical structure. lVlrile windshield operating mechanisms constructed concisely in accordance with the details of construction herein illustrated and described have been found in actual practice to give entirely satisfactory results, it will be readily understood that various changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, and to this end reservation is made to make such changes as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the character described, a housing provided with opposed aligned apertures, a trunnion member provided with a transverse bearing opening axially insertable through said aligned apertures, a shaft extending through said bearing opening and through an opening in said housing, said shaft having means engaging the sides of said housing opening preventing axial movement of said trunnion bearing member.

2. In a device of the class described, a windshield frame, a housing provided with aligned connecting said rock arm to a windshield and opposed apertures, a rock arm formed with for preventing axial displacement of said aligned apertures, a trunnion member intrunnion member.

serted axially through the apertures in said housing and rocker arm for rockably supporting said arm, and means extending through said frame and trunnion member for preventing axial displacement of the latter.

3. In a device of the class described, a windshield frame, a housing provided With aligned opposed apertures, a rocker arm formed with an aperture, a trunnion member inserted axially through the apertures in said housing and rocker arm for rockably supporting said arm, and common means for securing said rocker arm to said frame and for preventing axial displacement of said trunnion member.

4:. In a windshield operating mechanism, a casing, a bearing member rockably journaled in said casing, a shaft rotatably supported in said bearing member, a collar on said shaft engaging one face of said bearing member, a sleeve on said shaft having an end engaging the opposite face of said bearing member and a nut threaded on said shaft engaging the other end of said sleeve.

5. In a Windshield operating mechanism, a casing, a shaft rotatably mounted within said casing and projecting outwardly through an opening therein, an end thrust nut threaded on said shaft and a handle secured to said shaft and having a portion engaging said nut to prevent accidental rotation thereof.

6. In a Windshield operating mechanism a housing provided with aligned apertures in the side walls thereof, a bearing member insertable through said apertures for rockable support therein, a shaft extending through an aperture in said bearing member and through an opening in said housing whereby the engagement of said shaft and opening prevents axial movement of said bearing member.

7. A windshield operating mechanism including a housing, a trunnion block rotatably mounted in opposed apertures in said housing, a screw shaft rotatably ournaled in said trunnion block and projecting exteriorly of said housing through an opening formed therein, means on said shaft cooperating with said trunnion block for preventing axial movement of said shaft, a portion of said latter means engaging said housing opening to prevent axial displacement of said trunnion block, a traveling nut on said shaft, a rock arm having a bifurcated portion engaging opposite sides of said nut and pivotally connected thereto, means pivotally mounting said rock arm on said housing including a trunnion member axially insertable through opposed aligned openings in said housing and rock arm and common means for In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARQLD G. THUNDER.

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