US1889430A - Top for rumble seats of automobiles - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 29, 1932. E. 'H. BENN TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS OF AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 1, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l ln-vehTor. 'Edwurd H. Ben n yMMkM ATTys.

Nov. 29, 1932.

E. H. BENN 7 TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS OF AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 1. 1929 Fig. 2.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 v lnvenTor. Edward H. Ben n Nov. 29, 1932. E. Q. BENN 1,889,430

TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS OF AUTOMOBILES Filed NOV. 1, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 k lnv enTor.

Edward H. Ben n byM A'tTys.

Nov. 29., 1932. E. H. BENN 1,889,430

TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS OF AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 1, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 14. Fig.15.

lnvenTor.

Edwurpl H. Benn v ATTys.

Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATE s PATENT omen EDWARD H. BENN,. OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR- TO RUMBLETOP CORPORA- TION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF IMASSACHUSETTS TOP non RUMBLE sears or AUTOMOBILES Application filed November rumble seat located within the rear deck pit compartment of a roadster, coupe or like body type of automobile; my improvements more particularly have to do with a novel disposition and effective control applied to a comparatively light-weight foldable P Comprising a pair of fixed-length stanchions which when locked into their-raised position, serve to rigidly support a covered bipartite outrigger structure that extends rearwardly away from said main supports over the rum ble seat and which structure is adapted to be readily collapsed forwardly against the erected stanchions to facilitate the passengers entrancetoor egress from the seat. In addition, the said collapsed bow together with its released stanchions is herein arranged to be bodily lowered into the rumble seat compartment and shifted forwardly for storage in the front part thereof, when not needed for sheltering purposes. K

The present disclosure is not only applicable as new equipment but is also readily attachable to most used automobiles of the stipulated type .without necessitating changes in the prevailing structure thereof. Such cars are coventionally equipt with a passenger or drivers compartment having a main top extending wholly forwardly from the back region of the front seat while its rear deck commonly provides for a twopassenger pit having a forwardly faced, transversely disposed rumble seat that is kept in a fixed rearwardly spaced relation to said front seat and access to which passenger pit is usually afforded through an upturned mouth of rectangular contour. vThe rumble seat may be disposed below the deck level and its folding back arranged to close the pit mouth when the rumble seat is not to be used.

Betweenthefront drivers seat and the rumble seat, there is ordinarily found sufficient deck room under which my col-lapsed top may be stored without undue interfer ence with the rumble seat occupants, The means whereby it is preferred to shiftably 1, 1929. Serial No. 404,121.

guide my auxiliary top out of or drop same into said stowage, may comprise a pair of runways mounted interiorly of the rumble seat compartment in adjacency to the respective seat ends and these extend rearwardly upwardfrom the lower front part of my stowage space for attachment to the deck.

The base end region of each erected top stanchion may be pivotally associated with a suitable carrier, respectively adapted to cooperate slidably with said runways. Simple manipulative locking means are provided for retaining the top supports in raised position about the respective carrier pivots. It is preferred to bring the topmost ends of the raised stanchions into a substantially rectangular relation to the upper path of said runways and to releasably hold these stanchions in th s forwardly inclined relationship. Such rigid mast-like disposition allows my outrigger bow structure to be conveniently extended rearwardly from said stanchions or to be broken down and folded thereagainst by one of the occupants while seated in the rumble compartment, all without first requiring the unfastening of any supplemental brace means other than my stay-straps.

The present invention is more largely concerned with certain structural features such as improved runway details and carriers therefor as disposed Within the rumble sea-t compartment; also with means for rigidly holding and locking my shiftable top stan- Cl'fOllS in their elevated operatlve position, and the like. The broader aspects of top manipulation having to do with the collapsing of the foldable outrigger bow against said erected stanchioiis or with bodily carrying such folded top into or out of stowage, is more explicitly defined and claimed in my co-pending companion application Serial No. 404,120 as-filed Nov; 1, 1929. The disclosure herein shows a fold-able outrigger top structure of a different type from that described in the cited companion application, although both types are intended to function in a similar manner.

obj ectof my invention is to devise improvedguide means for an auxiliary top assembly of the character indicated and which top shall be bodily shiftable and constructed, mounted and otherwise adapted to be readily raised into shelter position over the rumble seat and capable upon reversed movement, of being stored away underneath the deck in front of the passengers, all such operations being performed while the top user remains comfortably seated in the rumble seat.

To this end and the accomplishment of other new and useful results, said invention further consists in novel disposition of top structure and all of which will hereinafter be set forth in detail.

Reference is had to the accompanying four sheets of drawings, which are illustrative of a specific embodiment of my disappearing auxiliary top, particularly as applied to sheltering vehicle rumble seats and capable of being lowered into the deck pit, and in which drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of an automobile having a rumble seat and equipped with my improved top;

Fig. 2 is a section on substantially the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View showing the means for supporting the top;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with parts broken out showing the top unlocked from the supporting runners and in position to be folded and stored into the compartment;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a View of the lower end of the front bow;

F ig. 8 is a view of a series of bearing members, anyone of which may be used in the lower end of the front bow and by which an adjustment of the bow may be effected;

Fig. 9 is a view of the clamp for clamping the rear of the top to the upper edge of the back of the rumble seat;

Fig. 10 is a side view of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 illustrates an inside view of the upper end of the guide with the runner in its uppermost position;

Fig. 12 shows the runner unlocked from the upper end of the guide and moved part way down the guide;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but illustrating the clamp released;

Fig. 14 is a perspective View of the reinforcing member at the bottom of the bow;

Fig. 15 is a detail View of the lower end of one of the arms of the bow 8.

Turning now to Fig. 1, this is intended to indicate certain conventional motor car elements that may be directly associated with my auxiliary deck-pit top. The numeral 1 indicates in its entirety, an automobile preferably of the conventional roadster or coup body type having a main or front passenger compartment designated as 1A and in which is mounted a transversely disposed drivers seat 1B having a fixed forwardly-faced back 1C. The tail end of said front compartment usually terminates in the vicinity of the back 1C as shown, while the main top 1D reaches forwardly over the seat 113 in the conventional manner. The platform-like deck 19 extends horizontally rearward from said back; underneath this deck, there is located a rear compartment or supplementary passenger receiving pit 3, which may be kept separated from the main compartment by the inclined forward partition wall 47 represented in dotted outline. Said deck is provided with the usual opening or upturned pit mouth 19A of rectangular contour, having a forwardly disposed transverse mouth edge 19B that is preferably kept rearwardly spaced some distance from the tail end of the main top 1D. Said edge may be trimmed with a cross-sectionally U shaped drip trough as indicated, and this trough may also extend around the longitudinal ed es of the pit mouth sides as at 23. (See igs. 2 and 3.)

Disposed directly below the pit mouth level, is a rumble seat 2 which is generally arranged cross-wise of the automobile and in a rearwardly spaced relation to the drivers seat 1B. Interposed between these seats and located immediately behind the partition wall 47, is a top stowage 3A which also serves as a foot space for the seat occupants. In the more modern makes of cars, the forward transverse edge 2A of said rumble seat is likely to be disposed in substantial vertical alignment beneath the pit edge 1913 as shown, which in turn forms a neck-like or contracted entranceway 813 leading from the seat space 30 into said stowage.

The rumble seat 2 is ordinarily provided with a back 4 of the folding type which as pivotally mounted at 5, may also serve as a lid to close the pit mouth. The upturned swinging edge 15 of said back is commonly provided with an overhanging brim flange 50 adapted to be received within said U shaped pit trough to form a weatherproof seal therewith when the back serves as a closure to shelter the unused rumble seat.

All of the hereinbefore described roadster or coup body structure conforms to conventional practice, and the present invention is more largely concerned with providing a supplementary top of the disappearing type, adapted to shelter the rumble seat 2.

While any suitable type of foldable top designated generally as 6, may be used for present purposes, it is preferred to resort to one comprising a pair of fixed-length main front bow side-arms or interconnected support stanchions such as 8. In the illustra tive embodiment of my invention, a rear or non-partite outrigger bow 9 is pivotally supported at 11 by the rearwardly disposed bow extensions 12 as carried by the respective base end'regions of my raised stanchions; when in operative position, a cover or fabric canopy '7 is intended to be. snugly stretched thereover. The center region of my top cover is preferablyarched upwardly by the use of the intermediate bow 10 which is shown pivoted to the outrigger bow 9 at 13 between the ends of the latter. The intermediate bow 10 and the rearmost bow 9 are adapted to be extended rearwardly from or to be collapsed forwardly against the raised stanchions 8 into alternative positions respectively indicated by Fig. l in full and in dotted outline. In a simple, light weight top of this kind, it is not necessary to link up these radially disposed bows for coordinated movement.

In raised position the stanchions are fixedly upheld by locking devices that will presently be described. The rearwardly extended outrigger bow 9 may be equipt with one or more stay straps or struts such as 14, which are preferably made up as relatively rigid metal links that are pivoted to said rear bow and depend therefrom for attachment to the brim flange 50 as carried by the raised rumble seat back 4. Any suitable clasp may be used to detachably tie down the lower free end of each such metal strap to said back but the preferred type of snap lever type of clasp disclosed in Fig. 9,'may be conveniently manipulated while the passenger occupies the rumble seat. The link 14 serves as a depending fixed length strut that is pivotally attached to the overhanging outrigger bow and positively guides the suspended clasp into cooperating relationship with said brim flange. l/Vhen said straps are tied in place, the top cover material 7 becomes stretched taut between the top bows and is held firmly against inadvertent lift, strong windage effeet, or the like. My top is further equipt with a rear curtain 16, thus providing for a rumble seat top that affords ample protection to the seat occupants.

Assuming the stanchions 8 to remain raised in their forwardly inclined mast-like prop position, then the extended outrigger bow 9 together with its cover, may readily be folded out of the way to give access to the rumble seat; first by releasing said clasps, and thereupon collapsing said structure forwardly against the erected stanchions into the dotted position designated a in Fig. 1. vIt is pointed out that my raised top is of the sel sustaining type and kept rearwardly spaced from the main top without direct attachment or need of support therefrom, which disposition in turn facilitates access to the rumble seat and allows the operation of either eX-.

the confines of the pit size so as to'freelydrop between the complementary side drip troughs 23 of Fig. 2.

My invention also comprehends a construction which permits said folded top to be bodily shifted into the stowage space 3A. For this purpose, I provide for a suitable carrier means or runners designated as 17 which are pivotally associated with the re spective lower orbase ends of my stanchions. Each such carrier slidably embraces one of the complementary guides or runways 18 which are located within the rear compartment 3 and extend downwardly from the pit .mouth 19A and forwardly of the rumble seat into the stowage 3A in the fashion indicated in Fig. 1.

Each such runway preferably comprises companion bars having interconnected ends and which bars are parallelly spaced to provide for an interposed longitudinal slot 39. Said complementary guideways are respectively mounted contiguous to opposite ends of the rumble seat. The respective lowermost guide ends may be bracketed at 20 for securement to the compartment floor 21, while the uppermost guide ends are preferably extended up through said entranceway 3B and rearwardly over the transverse seat edge 2A for attachment underneath the respective side drip troughs 23 of the pit mouth. To this end, the bottom of each trough may be drilled to receive a fastening screw 23 and thus secure the terminal flange 22 in place. These simple concealed drillings for fastening the guides thereto represent the more essential machine work that is required to equip a used-car rumble-seat with my attachable auxiliary top. In raised-position, said stanchions virtually become clamped to the respective longitudinal side edges 23 of the pit month, which in turn allows of using a relatively short fixed-length prop for a given canopy head room and renders my topsufficiently rigid against side-sway to withstand heavy windage efiects.

Each guide 18 is also shown as having a supplementary two-part support comprising an arm or extension 25 near its upper end to which is pivoted and adjustably secured a connecting member 26 having a flange 27 that is secured to the under side of the frame member 23 by means of a suitable screw 28. The upper end of each guide 8 thus has two points of attachment with the frame member 23 thereby making an extremely rigid structure.

The purpose of making the connecting member 26 separate from the arm 25 and adjustable thereon is to provide a connection which will enable one and the same guide 18 to be firmly installed in various automobiles even though the rumble pit may vary some-' what in shape and size.

' The connecting member 26 is secured to the arm 25 through the medium of a clamping screw 29 which screw threads into said arm and shiftably operates in a slot 30 formed in the member 26 (see Figs. 3 and 6).

The carrier or runner 17 comprises a body portion 31 that is slotted at 40 in registry with the slot 39 and overlies the guideway 18. Said body is also provided with a plurality of prong-like claws or projections 33 and 34 disposed to slidably embrace said guideway, the claw 34 being kept longer than the others and adapted to enter a socket 35 formed in the supplemental arm 25 and serving as stop means when the runner has been elevated into its topmost or operative position. My carrier is further equipt with an upstanding brace arm 32 which cooperates with the stanchion 8 to rigidly lock the latter in its raised position. The free extremity of said brace is provided with a keyway 45 adapted to receive a cooperating locking pin 46 as carried laterally by the stanchion 8.

The base end of each stanchion is pivoted to its carrier through the medium of a combined locking and pivot bolt 36, of which the shank is provided with a shouldered square portion 37 and an adjacent round portion 38. Said squared shank extends through the guide slot 39 and also through the relative shorter carrier slot 40, while the round shank portion extends through the lower or base end of a stanchion in the assembled manner of Fig. 5.

Each clamping bolt 36 is screw threaded and carries a clamping nut 41 as well as a stop nut 42 which is rigidly secured to the bolt and which serves to limit the backingoif movement of the clamping nut 41. Each guide 18 is formed at the upper end of the slot 39 with an offset locking notch 43 and the carrier slot 40 is likewise provided with a similar notch 44, said notches being disposed to align when the carrier is at the upper end of its movement as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

l/Vhen the top is put up ready for use the elevated carriers 17 will be at the upper end of the guides 18 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and the square portion 37 of the locking bolts 36 will occupy the notches 43 and 44 while the pins 46 in the bows will rest in the notches 45 of the brace members 32. The tightening of the clamping nut 41 will serve to lock the parts in these positions and the front stanchion 8 will, therefore, be rigidly held in a forwardly inclined position having a rectangular relation to the guideway path because of the engagement of the clamping bolt 36 in the notches 43, 44 and the engagement of the pins 46 in the notches 45. lVhen the top is spread as indicated in Fig. 1 and the struts 14 are clamped to the upper edge 15 of the rumble seat back 4 the entire top structure will be rigidly held in position. It is preferred to keep the topmost end of each guideway well rearward of the transverse pit edge 1913 in order to obviate interference therewith while the folded top is being bodily shifted into stowage.

The relatively short slot 40 in the carrier body 31, allows the clamping bolt 36 to shift lengthwise thereof and to bring the lower end of the released stanchion 8 into the shortened teleseoped relation along the carrier that is indicated in dotted outline by Fig. 12. Such extensible bow supporting means provides for ample head room under the raised canopy and still makes possible to store correspondingly longer stanchions underneath a relatively low deck into position Z2 of Fig. 1. Where the deck room is not similarly crowded, the runnor slot 40 might be dispensed with.

When it is desired to store the top in the compartment 3 said top will first be folded as shown by the dotted line positiona, in Fig. 1 and the clamping nuts 41 will then be loosened. When this is done the bows 8 can be raised slightly relative to the runners 17 into the position shown in Fig. 4, this raising movement carrying the square portions 37 of the clamping bolts 36 out of the notches 43, 44 into alignment with the slots 39, 40 and also lifting the pins 46 out of engagement with the notches 45. As intimated, all of such operations are intended to be performed by the seated occupant of said rumble compartment. If now the released stanchions together with the folded outrigger how, are swung rearwardly about the carrier pivots 38 and toward the body of the seated occupant, the carriers 17 may readily be slid down the respective guideways 18 toward the lowermost ends thereof; in the meantime the folded bow-crown portion of my top is shifted over the knees of the seat occupants and manipulated so as to slip underneath the overhanging deck edge 1913 when it may be pushed forwardly toward the partition wall 47 into the stored position 1) represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The transverse crown members of the folded bows are preferably made to lie adjacent to the underside of the deck and are retained in place by suitable straps or other fastening devices. The complementary stanchions are directed downward and are sufiiciently spaced apart to provide unobstructed foot room for the seat occupants.

then it is desired to raise the auxiliary top from stowage into shelter position, all of the described operations are reversed. Since my light weight top lies wholly ahead of the rumble seat, it may be bodily elevated without undue muscular effort. In raised position, the props 8 stand well ahead of the seat occupant and out of direct line of vision when looking sidewards. By virtue of the improvements herein embodied a rumble seat top structure may be adjusted into di'fierent positions to suit individual preferences on the part of the seat occupants and when not needed, said top may be easily guided into storage space where it is placed wholly out of the way but kept ready for instant use.

It now remains to further describe my clasps for clamping the stay-straps or struts 14 to the raised back of the rumble seat. Each depending stay-strap has secured at its lower end a box-like body or shoe 49 (see Figs. 9 to 13) which is adapted to rest on the brim flange 50 of the back 4 of the rumble seat. Said shoe is provided with a lip or depending stop shoulder 51 to engage the edge of the flange 50, and overhanging this shoulder, 1s a kick-off horn 56. A fulcrum pin-52 extends between the spaced side-walls of the body 49 and this pin is pivotally carried by the staystrap or metal link 14; hence when my top is erected as shown in Fig. 1, said shoe face may readily be guided into cooperative relation with said brim flange.

Mounted upon the fulcrum pin 52 is a manipulative snap lever 53 and intermediate the ends thereof, the lever-throw is drilled at 54 to pivotally mount and for an inverted toggle joint with one end of the resilient C-shaped clamping jaw 55. The opposite clamp jaw is intended to reach underneath and grip the brim flange 50 in the manner shown in Fig. 9. The corresponding released clasp position is shown in Fig. 13 where the snap leverhas.

been partially thrown downwardly in a clockwise direction ahead of the body fulcrum 52; this in turn, prys the resilient aw againstthe horn 56 and causes the lower free end of the C-shaped member to retract. Continued lever movement entirely withdraws said lower jaw end free from the brim flange 50, whereupon the stay-strap together with its attached clasp can be bodily lifted without interference.

When embracing the brim flange in operative position (see Fig. 9), the clasp construction is such that'the pivoted throw end 54 ofthe clamping aw will be carried beyond the dead center position in which the contact points of both spring ends fall into a substantially aligned relationship with the fulcrum pin 52; hence the resiliency of the jaw spring automatically retains the lever 53 in its raised operative position ready to be snapped forwardly and downwardly into its released position (see Fig. 13).

Each shoe 49 will preferablybe provided with a suitable detachable fastener to which the lower edge of the curtain 16 may be detachably secured. The fastener herein shown is of the type which comprises a grommet 58 having an oblong opening secured to the lower edge of the curtain and a 'swivelled button 57 adapted to be passed through the grommet and then turned through 90 so as to extend across the opening of the grommet. The lower edge of the curtain and the grommet 58 overlap the upper end- 15 ofthe seat back 4 and thus prevent the shoe from moving toward the right (Fig. 9).

,The clamp for clamping the shoe to the seat back can be easily operated by persons sitting on the rumble seat and the clamping nuts 41 can also be operated by such persons so that the raising of the top or the storing of it into the compartment can be very easily ac'complishedby the occupants of the rumble seat.

Since the opening 61 of this bearing member is offset from the center the lowerend of the bow 8. will be carried slightly to the rear which will tip the top of the bow forwardly thereby taking up the slack. On the, other hand,zif it is found that when the top-is installed the front bow 8 occupies such a position that the shoes 49 cannot quite reach the top edge 15 of the back seat then a bearing member 60, such as shown at the right in Fig. 8, will be used which will result in throwing the lower end of the bows 8 forwardly about the pins46 as pivots which will cause the upper end of the bow to swing backwardly slightly. 7

62 indicates a reinforcing member which is used at each end of the'bow 8. This reinforcing member is provided with the oblong aperture to receive the bearing member and it is also provided with a slot to receive the rib 63 of the bow. This reinforcing member 62 furnishes anadded length of bearing for the bearing member 60 and gives added strength to the bow at the pivotal point.

In order that the top fabric 7 may be always taut when the top is raised, there is provided. a construction whereby the angular inclination of the erected stanchion 8 may be adjustably tilted with reference to its supporting brace member 32. Fig. 7 shows the lower end of each stanchion provided with an oblong slot 59 adapted to receive an eccentric bushing 60 having a bore 61, through which the clamping bolt 36 extends. Fig. 8 shows a plurality of such bushings, each with the bore in a relatively different position and by the use of one or another of these adjusting bushings, the uppermost end of the stanchion 8 may be thrown forwardly or rearwardly about its locking pin 46 and thus correspondingly slacken or tighten the fabric tension.

As a further refinement, the apertured reenforcing clip (see Fig. 14) may be'used to receive the bushing 60 and said clip may also be slotted to straddle the rib 63 of the stanchion 8 in the manner disclosed in Figs. 3 and 15. Said clip furnishes added bearing length for the bushing 60 and augmented strength to the bow .at this pivotal point. Y

My auxiliary top structure is made selfsustaining, and'the mounting of its erected props provides for ample lateral rigidity v plementary brace means such as conventionally require attachment to the main forward top or the like; any such extraneous supports not only tend to deface the neat trim of the car as a whole, but interfere with expeditious handling when it is desired to manipulate the rumble seat top.

As a further outstanding feature, the described rumble seat top can therefore be raised or lowered wholly independent of the main top 1D, and should the latter be of the collapsible type conventional to roadsters or the like, such tops can still be independently folded back upon the rear deck 19 without any interference whatsoever with my auxiliary top.

It is to be understood that various changes in the structural details and mode of application of my top may be resorted to in likewise carrying out my illustrative top embodiment as applied to rumble seats, all without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention heretofore described and more particularly pointed out in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an automobile having a rear deck compartment provided with an opening thereto and equipped with a forwardly faced rumble seat in said compartment, of guides obliquely disposed within said compartment of which the respective uppermost ends extend rearwardly over the forward seat edge and the lowermost ends extend downwardly and forwardly therefrom, runners slidably mounted on said guides, a folding rumble seat top pivotally connected to the runners and adapted to be opened to provide shelter for the occupants of the rumble seat when the runners are in their uppermost position, and means to lock the runners to their respective forwardly extended guide ends, said runners when unlocked being slidable to the lower ends of the guides when the top is folded, thereby to permit the folded top to be stored in the forward portion of said compartment.

2. The combination with an automobile having a rear compartment with an opening leading thereto and equipped with a rumble seat in said compartment, of guides within said compartment which extend downwardly and forwardly from the opening, runners slidable on said guides, a folding rumble seat top pivotally connected to the runners and adapted to be extended to shelter the occupants of the rumble seat when the runners are in their uppermost position, and retaining means serving to lock the runners in said position and also to releasably interlock the top to the respective runner pivots, said runners when unlocked being slidable to the lower ends of the guides to permit the released folded top to be stored in the forward end of the compartment.

3. The combination with an automobile having a rear compartment provided with an opening leading thereto and equipped with a rumble seat, of guides within the rear compartment which extend downwardly and forwardly from said opening, runners siidably mounted on the guides, a folding rumble seat top presenting a main front bow pivotally connected to the runners, an outrigger bow pivotally connected to the front bow and top material carried by said bows, means to lock the runners in their uppermost position and said front bow rigidly to the runners, said means including a reenforcing clip adapted to interlockingly cooperate with the pivot region of the last named bow.

4. The combination with an automobile having a rear compartment with an opening leading thereto and which compartment is equipped with a rumble seat having a seat back whose edge region is provided with a brim flange, of guides within said compartment which extend downwardly and forwardly from the opening, runners slidable on said guides, a folding rumble seat top pivotally connected to the runners and adapted to be opened to provide shelter for the occupants of the rumble seat when the runners are in their uppermost position, means to lock the runners in said position and the top to the runners, said runners when unlocked being slidable to the lower ends of the guides to permit the folded top to be stored in the forward end of the compartment, and stay strap means including a laterally rigid link of which one end is pivotally swung from the rear edge of the opened top while the depending link end carries a manipulative clasp that is guided into cooperative clamping relation with said brim flange.

5. The combination with an automobile having a rear compartment provided with an opening leading thereto and equipped with a rumble seat, of guides within the rear compartment which extend downwardly and forwardly from said opening, runners slidably mounted 011 said guides, each runner having an upstanding brace arm, a folding rumble seat top comprising a main front bow pivotally connected to said runners and an outrigger bow pivotally connected to the rear of the front bow and foldable forwardly toward said bow, means for locking the runners in their uppermost position on the guides, and for also locking the front bow to the arms of the runners, and means for detachably connecting the rear bow to the top of the rumble seat back.

6. The combination with an automobile equipped with a rumble seat, of a folding top for the rumble seat, said top comprising a cover material, a main front bow, and an outrigger bow pivoted to the rear of the front bow and foldable forwardly thereagainst, strut members connected to the rear of the extended outrigger bow, means for clamping said strutmembers to the top edge of the rumble seat back, and means for shiftably supporting the front bow, the last named means including an adjustable bushing for tensioning said cover material.

7 The combination with an automobile having a rear compartment and equipped with a rumble seat having an upright back, of a folding top for the rumble seat, said top having a main front how, a pivoted. rear outrigger bow foldable toward the front bow, a laterally rigid strut-like member of which one end is pivotally connected to the outrigger rear how, suspended clasp means carried by the free strut end into and out of clamping relation with the upper edge of the rumble seat back, guides in said compartment, runners slidable on said guides and to which the main front how is pivoted, and means to lock the front bow rigidly in position when the runners are in their uppermost position.

8. The combination with an automobile havinga deck-overhung rear compartment equipt with a forwardly faced rumble seat,

'of guides within the rear compartment extending downwardly from beneath the deck and forwardly of the seat, each guide having a locking notch at its upper end, runners slidable on said guides, a folding rumble seat top, a clamping bolt carried by each runner and to which the top is pivoted, said bolts occupying the notches in the guides when the runners are. in their uppermost position thereby locking said runners in such position, means to lock the top to the runners, and means for securing therespective upper guide ends to the deck, said means comprising a bracket and also a support means supplemental thereto having parts that are relatively adjustable.

9. The combination with an automobile having a rear compartment and equipped with a rumble seat, of guidesin said compartment extending downwardly and forwardly, each guide having a locking notch near its upper end, runners slidable on said guides,each runner also having a locking notch, and an'upstanding notched brace arm, a folding rumble seat top, clamping bolts connecting the top to the runners, said bolts being engageable in said notches of the guides and runners, thereby to lock the runners in their elevated position, and said top having projections to be received in the notches of the brace arms when the bolts-are engages in said notches, whereby the top and the run ners are rigidly held in operative position.

10. The combination with an automobile equipped with a'rumble seat, of'a folding top therefor comprising a main front bow, a rearwardly extensible outrigger bow, pivoted to the front bow and foldable forwardly thereon, strut members connected to the outrigger bow, each strut member having a shoe at its lower end adapted to rest on the flange at the upper edge of the rumble seat back, a resilient clamping jaw carried by each shoe and adapted to embrace said flange, and means to clamp said jaw to the flange.

11. The combination with an automobile equipped with a rumble seat, of a folding top therefor comprising a main front bow, a rearwardly extensible outrigger bow pivoted to the front bow and foldable forwardly thereon, strut members connected to the rear bow, a shoecarried by each strut member and adapted to rest on the flange at the top edge of the rumble seat back, a lever pivoted to each shoe and a resilient clamping member pivoted to the lever and adapted to embrace said flange and to be clamped thereagainst by operation of the lever.

12. In a vehicle having a front passenger compartment equipt with a drivers seat and a main top thereover, the combination of a deck-pitlocated rearwardly of said compartment, a transversely disposed rumble-seat or the like passenger seat accessible through the mouth of the pit and which seat is mounted in spacedrelationship from said compartment arranged to provide for a stowage therebetween, an auxiliary top structure of the bodily shiftable type comprising a foldable canopy and complementary stanchions therefor, said canopy being extensible rearwardly into shelter position over said seat, carrier means pivotally associated with the base region of each such stanchion serving to guide said top structure as a whole through the pit mouth and over the seat into said stowage, and releasable locking means to restrain tilting of the stanchions about their respective carrier pivots, said means being radially offset relative to the carrier pivot and operable when the top structure has been shifted into raised position but allowing the stanchions to tilt freely about their respective carrier pivots while guiding said top into stowage.

13. In an appurtenance for seat sheltering purposes that is readily attachable to automobiles in use, the combination with a front passenger compartment and an automobile deck-pit located at the rear of said compartment, a transversely disposed rumble-seat mounted within thepit in spaced relationship from said compartment arranged to provide for a deck-overhung stowage therebetween, an attachable top structure of the shiftable disappearing type comprising an independently foldable canopy that when raised is extensible over said seat and further comprising complementary shiftable stanchions, carrier means cooperating with the base region of each such stanchion serving to guide said top structure bodily downwardly through the mouth of the pit and forwardly over the seat .into said stowage, a separate runway, for each of said carriers, the respective runways being disposed interiorly of the pit seating space in adjacency to opposite seat ends and extending from the bottom region of said stowage obliquely upward and rearwardly over the forward longitudinal edge of said seat to the deck, and attachment means securing the upper ends of the respective runways to the deck.

l l. In avehicle having a front passenger compartment and a deck-pit located rearwardly thereof, the combination of a rumbleseat or the like for said pit mounted in spaced relationship from said compartment ar nnged to provide for a deck-overhung stowage therebetween, a unitary top structure of the bodily shiftable type comprising a foldable canopy and complementary stanchions upholding said canopy when raised into shelter position over said seat, pivotal means associated with the base region of each such stanchion, and carrier means and a cooperating runway for each such pivot means respectively adapted to bodily guide the fold ed top structure downwardly and forwardly through the mouth of said pit and into said stowage, said carriers each including angular brace means adapted to shift lengthwise of their respective carriers for the purpose of reducing the head-room otherwise required beneath said deck-overhung stowage.

15. In an automobile having a front passenger compartment and a deck-pit located at the rear thereof, the combination of a transversely disposed rumble or like pit seat aounted in spaced relationship from said compartment, a back member adjoining the rearmost longitudinal edge of said seat and equipped with attachment receiving means, a top structure comprising complementary stanchions respectively disposed adjacent to the seat ends and forwardly of the back thereof and which top structure further comprises a rearwardly extensible canopy that is forwardly foldable against said stanchions to facilitate access to the seat, a stay-strap depending from the overhung end region of the extended canopy, and a clasp provided with a manipulative toggle lever serving to detachably secure the free end of the strap to said receiving means of the back member.

16. In an automobile having a front passenger compartment and a deck-pit located at the rear thereof, the combination of a transversely disposed rumble-seat or the like pit seat mounted in spaced relationship from said con'ipartment. a back member adjoining the rearmost longitudinal edge of said seat and having an edge region equipped with a brim flange means, a top structure comprising complementary stanchions and a canopy that is extensible over said seat, a stay-strap depending from the extended canopy, and a clasp serving to detachably tie down the free end of said strap, said clasp including a re silient member provided with spaced jaws adapted to receive the brim flange and further including manipulative lever means for clamping said jaws about the interposed flange.

17. In a vehicle having a front passenger compartment and a deck-pit located rearwardly thereof, the combination of a rumble seat or the like for said pit mounted in spaced relationship from said compartment to provide for a stowage therebet veen, a unitary top of the bodily shiftable type comprising complementary stanchions upholding a raised canopy, separate carrier means cooperating with the base region of the respective stanchions, said carriers each being equipt with a body having a plurality of prong-like project-ions, a separate runway for each carrier of which certain such projections slidably embrace the runway thereof, said runway extending parallelly from beneath the deck obliquely downwardly and forwardly into said stowage, and separate attachment means securing the respective upper ends of said runways to the deck, said means each being disposed to abut a body projection of the carrier cooperating therewith.

18. An automobile having a front passenger compartment and a deck-pit located at the rear thereof, a drip trough at the perimeter of the pit mouth, a transversely-disposed rumble seat mounted. within said pit, there being a storage space between the rumble seat and the passage compartment, a unitary top structure of the collapsible disappearing type comprising an independently foldable canopy that is extensible over said rumble seat and further comprising complementary stanchions disposed inwardly of the mouth perimeter of the pit, carrier means cooperating with the base region of each stanchion, separate guideway means for each of said carriers, the respective guideways being disposed interiorly of the pit seating space adjacent to opposite ends of the rumble seat and extending from the bottom region of said storage space obliquely upward and rearwardly over the forward longitudinal edge of said rumble seat into substantial abutment with the bottom of said drip trough, and means to secure the upper ends of said guideways to said drip trough.

19. A vehicle having a front passage compartment equipped with a drivers seat and also with a main top, said vehicle having a rear deck pit provided with an upturned mouth having laterally-spaced side edges, a forwardly-faced rumble seat located in spaced rearward relationship from said passage compartment, 21 rumble seat top structure independent from the main top and including a pair of complementary fixed-length stanchions and a foldable canopy that is wholly sustained by said stanchions, means within the pit and below the deck for tiltably supporting said stanchions, means for locking said stanchions from tilting movement in top-supporting position, in which position the upper ends of the stanchions are situated in front of the forward edge of the pit mouth, said foldable canopy when in position to shelter the rumble seat extending rearwardly from the raised stanchions and being foldable forwardly against the stanchions, said stanchions, when unlocked, and the folded top supported thereby, being tiltable rearwardly and movable while in a general upright position downwardly into the pit mouth, and means within the pit for guiding said stanehions in their movement into the plt.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD H. BENN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,889,430. November 29, 1932.

EDWARD H. BENN.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of'the above numbered patent requiring correction as foiiows: Page 6, line 41, claim 1, for "Mrwardiy" read "rearwardly'; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctien therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of January, A. D. 193.3.

M J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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