US1925401A

US1925401A - Window regulator

Info

Publication number: US1925401A
Application number: US632714A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley W Nicholson
Original assignee: Briggs and Stratton Corp
Current assignee: Briggs and Stratton Corp
Priority date: 1932-09-12
Filing date: 1932-09-12
Publication date: 1933-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1950-09-05

Description

Sept. 5, 1933. 5 w NICHOLSQN 1,925,401

w'nwow REGULATOR Filed Sept. 12, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 1 1 (Sm/WM flanZ y WMz/w/am P 1933. s. w. NICHOLSON 1,925,401

WINDOW REGULATOR Filed Sept. 12. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LIZ 3.

, SSMUQMX ow flan/5y W [WU/7019i P 5, 1933- s.w. NICHOLSON 1,925,401

WINDOW REGULATOR Filed Sept. 12, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 5 9 iSMz/m 3 E an/5y MMz/w/san W w b Patented Sept. 5, 1933 ii ET is STATES WINDOW REGULATOR Stanley W. Nicholson, "Milwaukee, Wis.,'assigncr to Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Milwaukee,

Wis, a corporation of Delaware Application September 12, 1932 Serial No. 632,714

15 Claims. (Cl. 2 6S-132) This invention relates to improvements in window regulators and refers more particularly to regulators adapted for use with automotive vehicles.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, efficient regulator having great flexibility of application.

Another object of this invention is to provide a window regulator in which the means for actu- 10 ating the Window pane serves as a rigid support and guide for thepane to be particularly adaptable to windows of irregular shape.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel rigid connection between the window pane and its actuating means, which may be quickly detached or engaged, and which is ad- 'ustable to accommodate lateral misalignment of the window pane and the actuating means.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination-and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a conventional vehicle door illustrating the application of this invention thereto, parts being broken away to illustrate structural details; i

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the regulator mechanism per se, with partsbroken away and in section;

Figure 3 is a sideview, particularly of the connecting arms taken on the plane of ,the line 33 of Fig. 2; V

Figure 4 is a cross section view taken through Fig. 2, on the plane of the line 4-4;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the relationship of the driving pinionand rack;

Figure 6, is a detail perspective view of the eccentric driving means operated from the handle, and

Figure 7 is a detail section view illustrating the manner in which the window pane is attached to the rack. Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 indicates generally an automotive vehicle door having a window opening G'adapted to be closed by a pane 7. The window pane 7 is mounted in suitable guideways carried by the sides of the window opening and is adapted to be raised and lowered by means of a novel regulator indicated generally by the numeral 8.

This regulator, as is customary, is mounted beneath the sill of the window opening from a cross panel 9 which forms part of thedoor structure. A rack bar 10, attached to the window pane, as will be later described, is slidably mounted ina channelled guiding and supporting member 11 which in turn is supported from the panel 9 and a vertical brace 12 connecting the lower edge of the panel 9 with the bottom of the door. Any suitable manner of attaching the channel member 11 to the panel andilorace 12 may be employed, and in the present instance bosses or pads 13 are pressed from the web of the channel member to be riveted to the panel 9 and brace 12. I I

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, thechannel guiding and supporting member 11 has inturned flanges 14 to overlie the rack bar with their facing edges spaced apart to permit access to the adjacent side of the rack bar. Secured to this side of the rack bar and projecting from between the flanges l4 are two U-shaped longitudinal channels 15, the closed ends of which are rigidly secured to the rack as by welding, andthe flanges of which are equi-spaced to provide a series of spaced ribs or flanges." These ribs or flanges are interleaved with similar flanges 16 which form part of a substantially triangular attaching member 17.

The specific construction of the attaching member 17 is apparent from the drawings, and as shown comprises several individual sections bent to form the flanges 16 and the flat web of the attaching member generally; At the. lower end of the attaching membena cross piece 18 holds the units together and at the upperv end, the channel 19 in which the window pane '7 is mounted, being welded thereto, serves to connect the attaching member sections.

The attaching member 17 and its spaced flanges 16 being rigidly secured to the window pane provides one part or element of the removable connection between the window pane and the rack and by reason of the multiplicity of the interengaging flanges it is apparent-that where-necessary, a degree of lateral adjustment in the connection between the window and rack may be obtained merely by interengaging the flanges differently. This interengaging connection affords a strong rigid attachment between the window pane and rack, which may be quickly made by shifting the window longitudinally with respect to the rack.

Figure 7 indicates'the manner in which the window pane is held down onto the rack after the flanges and 16 are engaged. To this end; a spring finger 20 is fitted to the upper end of the rack bar to have its end overlying the upper edge of the adjacent flange of the channel 19. Obviously, when so engaged the window pane is rigidly held down onto the rack. Detachment of the window pane from the rack may be effected by forcing the finger 20 out of engagement with the channel flange.

From the description thus far, it is evident that a novel, quickly made, rigid connection is afforded between the actuating rack bar and the window pane, and inasmuch as the rack bar is positively guided, the window pane receives support therefrom.

To actuate the rack bar and raise and lower the window, a pinion 21 is supported from the member 11, to be in constant mesh with the teeth of the rack bar. The bearing 22 for the pinion may be of any suitable design and'in the present instance, consists of a V shaped flat member having a suitable aperture at its apex to receive the shaft 23 of the pinion. The ends of the V shaped bracket are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the flat web of the sup porting member 11. i

As illustrated, the pinion 21 is disposed at one side of the supporting bracket 22 with its shaft 23 passing therethrough, and a disc 24 is positioned at the opposite side of the bracket, the disc being rigidly connected with the pinion through the shaft 23.

Rotation is imparted to the pinion from a manually operable actuating unit indicated generally by the numeral 25, in a novel manner now about to be described.

The operating unit 25 comprises a handle 26 having its shank journalled in a conventional releasable clutch or brake mechanism 2'7, which, because of its conventional nature has not been shown in detail. This releasable clutch or brake mechanism is housed within a cup 28 which is supported from an attaching plate 29 riveted to the panel 9. Overlying the attaching plate 29 is a disc 30 which forms part of the driven member of the clutch mechanism 2'7 and which, upon actuation of the handle 26, is rotated about the axis of the handle shank.

The outer face of the disc 30 has a crank pin 31 projected therefrom and secured to the outer end of the crank pin at a distance from the face of the disc is a crank arm 33 which carries at itsouter end a second crank pin 34. The

crank pins

31 and 34 have the same crank radius and are spaced from each other approximately ninety degrees or at least less than one hundred and eighty degrees.

The pinion 21 and the disc 24 also have

crank pins

35 and 36, respectively. These crank pins are arranged in the same manner as the

crank pins

31 and 34, that is, they have the same crank radius and are spaced apart the same angular distance.

Connecting the

crank pins

31 and 34 of the operating unit 25 with the

crank pins

35 and 36 at the pinion are two pitmen or connecting

arms

37 and 38. These arms are of the same length and are of channelled cross section so that the arm 38 lies in flat juxtaposition to the arm 37 and is receivable between its side flanges. It is to be observed that the arms cross each other and as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shape of the arm 37 is such as to accommodate the arm 38 at all positions of their relative movements. For this purpose, the arm 37 is widened at each side of its medial portion.

A stud 39 carried by the arm 37 and received in an elongated slot 40 in the arm 38 serves to pivotally and slidably connect the two arms.

As observed from Fig. 3, one end of the arm 38 lies directly over the outer face of the disc 30 to be engaged with the crank pin 31 and the adjacent end of the arm 3'? is engaged withthe crank pin 34.

The opposite ends of the arms diverge slightly to overlie the disc 24 and the pinion 21 with the arm 38 connected to the crank pin 36 on the disc 24 and the arm 3'7 connected to the crank pin 35 carried by the pinion 21.

The arms being of equal length and the crank radii being equal, it follows that a smooth easily operated driving connection is afforded between the operating unit 25 and the pinion to transmit rotation from the operating unit to the pinion in a simple and efficient manner; and in view of the provision of dual arms connected as defined, locking of the unit on dead center is wholly precluded.

The weight of the window pane is counterbalanced by two tensile springs 41, each having one end connected to a lug 42 extended from the upper end of the rigid supporting member 11 and having their other ends engaged with an arm 43 carried by the lower end of the rack. As the rack is lowered to open the window. the springs are forcibly expanded and thus counterbalance the weight of the window.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appertains that this invention affords a simple and efiicient window regulator which is particularly flexible in its adaptation to different installations; and in which a novel rigid readily detachable con-- nection is afforded between the window pane and its actuating means.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a window regulator of the character described, a rack bar, means to support a window pane from "said rack bar, a pinion meshing with the rack bar to actuate the same, an operating handle remote from the pinion, means to drive said pinion from the operating handle comprising, a crank at the handle, a crank at the pinion, and a pitman connecting the cranks, and a second driving means to assist said first mentioned means at dead center.

2. In a window regulator of the character described, a rack, means to support a window pane from said rack, a pinion meshing with the rack to actuate the same, an operating handle remote from the pinion, and means to drivingly connect the operating handle and pinion comprising, a plurality of crank pins at the operating handle, a plurality of crank pins at the pinion, and a plurality of pitmen each connecting a crank pin'at the operating handle with a crank pin at the pinion.

3. In a window regulator of the character described, a rack, means to support a window pane from the rack, a pinion meshing with therac k to actuate the same, an operating handle remote from the pinion, and means to drivingly connect the operating handle' and pinion comprising, a pair of circumferentially spaced crank pinsdriven from the operating liaiid-le, a pairof-circumfer-entially spaced crank pins connected with't-he pinion, and a pair of p'itmen each connecting-one crank pin'at the operating handle with one crank pin at the pinion, said pitmen crossing each other at-their medial portions.

l. In a window regulator, arack. bar, means to support a window pane from the rack bar, apinion meshing'with the rack bar-to actuate the same, an operating handle remote from the pinion, and means to drivingly connect the operating handle with the pinion comprising, a first crank pin to be driven from the operating handle, a second crank pin carried by the first crank pin and spaced from the first crank pin a distance less than 180 degrees, spaced crank pins connected with the pinion, and a pair of pitmen one connecting the first crank pin at the operating handle with one of the crank pins at the pin on and the other connecting the second crank pin at the operating handle with the other crank pin at the pinion.

. In a window regulator, a rack bar, means to connect a window pane with the rack bar, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, an operating handle remote from the pinion, and means drivingly connecting the operating handle with the pinion comprising, a pair of arms pivotally connected at their medial portions, crank means for connecting one end of each arm with the operating handle, and crank means for connecting the other ends of the arms with the pinion.

6. In a window regulator, a rack bar, means to connect a window pane with the rack bar, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, an operating handle remote from the pinion, a pair of circumfercntially spaced crank pins driven from the operating handle, a pair of circumferentially spaced crank pins connected with the pinion, and a pair of arms having their opposite ends engaging the crank pins so that one'arm drivingly connects one crank pin at the operating handle with one crank pin at the pinion and the other arm drivingly connects the other crank pin at the operating handle with the other crank pin at the pinion,

reinforcing flanges projected laterally from the side marginal edges of the arms with the flanges of both arms extending in the same direction, and

means to pivotally and slidably connect'the medial portions of the webs of the arms whereby one arm is positioned within the reinforcing flanges of the other, said other arm being of a shape to accommodate the movement of the first arm.

'7. In a window regulator, a rack bar, means to connect a window pane with the rack bar, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, an operating handle remote from the pinion, a disc-like member adapted to be driven from the operating handle, a crank pin on said disc-like member, a crank arm extended from saidcrank pinand terminating in a second crank pin, said crank pins having a commoncrank axis, and being spaced less than one hundred and eighty degrees from each other, a pair of crank pins connected with the pinion and similarly spaced from each other with a similar crank radius, and a pair of connecting arms to drivingly connect the crank pins at the operating handle with the crank pins at the pinion, said connecting arms being arranged to cross each other at their medial portions.

8. In a window regulator, a rack bar, means to support a window pane from the rack bar, means to support and guide the rack bar, abearing member carried by said last mentioned means, a pinion at one side of the bearing member and journalled therefrom to mesh with the rack bar, a crank pin on the exposed face of the pinion, a second crank pin connected with the pinion and operable at the side of the bearing member opposite the pinion, said crank pins having a common crank radius and being circumferentially spaced less than one hundred and eighty de-- grees, a pair of pitmen, each havingone end connected with one of the crank pins, an operating handle adjacent the opposite ends of the pitmen, and crank means for connecting the operating handle with said opposite ends of the pitmen;

9. In a Window regulator of the character described, a rack bar, means to support a window a distance less than one hundred and eighty degrees, a pair of overlying arms each having one end connected with one of said crank pins, an operating handle adjacent the opposite ends of the arms, andcrank means to drivingly connect the operating handle with said arms.

10. In a window regulator, a rack bar, means to support a window pane from the rack bar, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, overlying arms eccentrically connected with the pinion, an operating handle, and means to simultaneously reciprocate the overlying arms to turn the pinion, the eccentric connections of the arms with the pinion being spaced apart less than one hundred and eighty degrees to preclude locking on dead center.

11. In combination with a window pane to be raised and lowered, a rack member, fixed means to guide and support the rack member for longitudinal movement in line with the opening and closing movement of the window pane, manually operable means to actuate the rack member, and a rigid sidewise adjustable connection between the rack member and window pane, said connection comprising a plurality of spaced flanges rigidly secured to the rack member, and a plurality of similarly spaced flanges rigidly connected with the window pane, the flanges carried by the window pane being selectively receivable in the spaces between the flanges secured to the rack member to enable lateral adjustment between the window pane and rack member.

12. In combination with a window pane to be raised and lowered, a rack, a rigid supporting and guiding member mounting the rack for movement in line with the opening and closing movement of the window pane, manually operable means to actuate the rack, and a connection between the rack and window pane comprising, a plurality of interengaging members carried by the window pane and rack, interengagement of said members being possible by longitudinal shifting of the window pane with respect to the rack and lateral adjustment of the relative po sition of the rack with respect to the window pane being possible by interengaging said .mem-

bers differently.

13. In a window regulator to move a window pane to and from closed position, arack bar, means mounting the rack bar for longitudinal. movement parallel to the motion of the window pane, means to connect the rack bar and window pane, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, an operating handle remote from the pinion, and a pitman eccentrically connected with the operat-- ing handle and the pinion to drivingly connect the same.

14. In combination with a window pane to be raised and lowered, a rack, a rigid supporting and guiding member mounting the rack for movement in line with the opening and closing movement of the window pane, means to actuate the rack, and a rigid sidewise adjustable connection between the rack and the window pane, whereby the window pane is rigidly supported against tilting and may be readily adjusted laterally with respect to the rack.

15. In combination with a window pane to be raised and lowered, a rack, means to rigidly support and guide the rack for longitudinal movement parallel to the movement of the window pane, means to actuate said rack, and a connection between the rack and window pane comprising, a plurality of interengaging members carried by the window pane and rack, said members being interengageable at difierent positions to afford lateral adjustment of the window pane with respect to the rack.

STANLEY W. NICHOLSON.