US1974622A

US1974622A - Hood catch

Info

Publication number: US1974622A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond G Moore
Original assignee: Bassick Co
Current assignee: Bassick Co
Priority date: 1933-03-20
Filing date: 1933-03-20
Publication date: 1934-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 1951-09-25

Description

R. G.4 MOORE Sept. 25, 1934.

HOOD CATCH Filed March 2 0, 1953 .--pn--l .1,...

' maentqr' RnYMnNn E MEURE.

Gttorneg Patented Sept. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE n i .n n n `1,a'z4,622

, -noon CATCH Raymond G. Moore, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to The' Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a`

corporation of vConnecticut Application March 2o, 193s, serial No. 661,652 7 oiaims. (o1. 292-228) The present invention relates to'hoodcatches for securing the hoods of automobiles, and has for an fobject to provide a hood catch of simple construction and attractive appearance, which maybe operated Withfacility, and will `effectu'ally hold thel hood downwardly and inwardly against `looseness and rattling. Another object is to p rovide a hood catch in which the handle and hooking means will Abe exteriorly disposed while the tensioning mechanism is interiorly disposed, thus providing a catch which may be easily and positively operated, and which at the same time will present a neat and inconspicuous appearance free from unsightly mechanism, and which'lends itself to streamline design harmonizing with other parts of the automobile structure; y e, j

A further` object is ,to provide acatch which may be horizontally disposed, out of relation with ythe sill, so that it may be conveniently reached and will in no way interfere with other parts of the automobile.

A still Vfurther object is to provide a hood catch which will utilize the, springiness of the metal of the hood side to exert inward holding pressure.V

With theabove and other objects in view embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will be hereinafter morefully described with referenoe theretd and the invention be `finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing: i y

Fig. 1 is afront elevation of one corner 'of an automobile hood and theV adjacent cowl ,andv sill structure, and showing the hood catch,.accordi'ng "to `the, illustrated `exemplary` embodiment of the invention, attachedlthereto Fig. `2 isa vertical sectional view,Y taken along `menne 2-"-`2 ofrig. 1; and showing the catch in end elevation. Y e e l Figa 3 is,` a vhorizontal sectional view, taken along the line` 3-,3` of Fig. Land showing the catch in .top'plan d y. i f ;Fig. 4 is a horizontalsectional view, taken along theline 4,-401 Fig. 1.

` Fig. 5fis a rear elevation of the catch, and show- `the inoperative Iposition in dot-andhdash lines;-3 i f Fig. 6is adiagrammatic horizontal'sectional `View of the hood and the adjacent structure of the radiator `and cowl and showing in exaggeration the `iiexing of the hood in the*` operative position ofthebatch. d 'y I i f Fig. 'lisa fragmentary rear'eleyationshowinga 1modiiiediorm of spring means.

Fig. 8 is afragmentary vertical sectional view showing a modified form of keeper.

Similaireference characters indicate corresponding parts-throughout the several figures of the drawing. e

Referring to the drawing the hood 10 is adapted to closegin the usual manner against the lacing 11-11, provided along the inset marginalA edge portions l212 of the radiator frame and cowl structures 13-13, and at each end of the hood, 65 and adapted to cooperate with keepers provided on the radiator frame and cowl structures,hood catches according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention are mounted.V e

The hood catch comprises a rectangular mounting plate 14 adapted to be riveted, spot- Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the inner side of the hood, preferably adjacent one of the lower corners, although 'if desired it may be at a substantially higher point than that illustrated. `AV bearing opening 15 is provided in the plate and has an outwardly turned v bearing flange which engages within an opening 16 in the hood, the edge of the ange projecting slightly beyond the outer surface of the hood. pon the plate 14 so a cup shaped bearing extension member 17 is secured as by staking lugs 18, engaged and expanded in slots 19 in the plate, and a central opening 20 having an inwardly turned bearing ange is provided therein in axial alignment with the bearing opening l5. y

A shaft 21 is secured to the handle 22, as by having a head 23 formed at one end cast into the handle, and is rotatably mounted in the bearings 15 and20.` Atits inner end the shaftproj'eots 90 beyond thebearing 20 andis providedV with `flat surfaces 24-24 at each sidefor the non-rotatable mounting thereon of a lever bar 25, having a `correspondingly shaped opening 26 therein, the

lever bar being secured against the end shoulders of the flat surfaces by a nut 27 screwed upon ,the

' "threaded end of theA shaft.

closed.

The ends of the bar are bent downwardly'into contact with the'plate 14 providing offset end extensions 28 and 29.` The` extension 28 has a flange `30 bent upwardly at one edge, 'and which `is adapted to engage the end of a coiled spring 31 secured to the plate 14 rby a clip 32. The end 29 4is adapted in the inoperative position of the catch tofslide `up`on`an arcuate rib 33 embossed from no exerted solidly upon the hood to press it to its` l closed position.

The handle projects horizontally beyond the end of the hood and is provided with an apertured finger grip portion 36 extending outwardly from the hood surface. Upon the inner` side there is formed a keeper engaging hook 37.

The keeper comprises a base plate 38 and a yoke shaped horizontally arranged keeper bracket 39, the plate being preferably secured at the` -inner side of the cowl or radiatior frame 13, and

the keeper bracket projecting through an aperture 40 in the cowl or frame..

In operation, the hood is drawn downwardly by downward pressure on the handles 22--22 at each end of the hood. The abutment of the lever bar end 29 with the stop lug 35 causes the downward pressure of the handles to be firmly'transmitted to the hood, so that it can be effectually pulled down to its full limit with facility. As shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1, the handle is swung below the horizontal operative position j l gagmg a keeper disposed beyond the end of the the hood being swung outwardly as it is pressed downto clear the keeper. When fully pulled down itis pressed inwardly against the lacings and upon release of the handle the spring 31 presses it upwardly, engaging the hook 37 with the keeper 39, thus retaining the hood closed and exerting a downward pressure thereon.

The fit of the shaft 21 in the bearings 15 and '20 is. relatively snug and the outward spacing of the hook from the plane of the hood is so designed that the handle must be forcibly pressed inwardly to engage the hook. The endsof the hood being supported against the lacings 11, the inward pressure of the handle causes the hood to be slightly sprung or warped, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, and being held in this position by engagement of the hook Vin the keeper the inherent springiness of the sheet metal of the hood exerts an inward pressure upon the hood thus pressing the hood ends inwardly firmly against the lacings.

To disengage the catch the handle is pressed downwardly, the hood swung outwardly, and the handle then swung to its raised position, indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 5, where it is frictionally retained through engagement of the end 29 with the embossed surface 33. The stop lug 34 limits the swinging of the handle to the vertical position as shown.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of the invention in which Vthe spring 31FIL is secured by a clip 32a upon the offset end 28a ofthe lever bar 25a, and is adapted to have its end engaged with a lug 30a struck up from the base plate 14a.

The operation is substantially the same as the first. embodiment the spring being tensioned in the operative position of the catch.

Vlikewise angularly disposed, so thatas theV handle is pressed upwardly the keeper cams it inwardly, with the result that the hood is pressed both downwardly and inwardly.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of my invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. Automobile hood fastening means for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a mounting fixture adapted to be secured to the hood, catch means carried by said mounting fixture comprising a finger gripping portion, a keeper engaging-portion at one end, and a mounting shaft at the other end having bearing in said mounting fixture, a lever bar carried by said shaft, and spring means and abutment means cooperating between said bar and said mounting fixture adapted upon swinging movement of said catch means to be tensioned and to exert pressure thereon in keeper engaging direction, the effective spring movement of said catch means being from a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said .point of engagement, whereby a continuous downward pressure is exerted on the hood in the engaged relation of the catch means with the keeper.

2. Automobile hood fastening means for enend, and a mounting shaft at the other end having bearing in said mounting fixture, a lever bar carried by said shaft, spring means carried by said mounting fixture, and abutment means carried by said bar adapted upon swinging movement of said catch means to tension said spring means to exert pressure on said catch means in keeper engaging direction, the effective spring movement of said catch means being from a point kbelow its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said point of engagement, whereby a continuous downward pressure is exerted on the hood in the engaged relation of the catch means with the keeper. l

3. Automobile hood fastening means for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a mounting fixture adapted to be secured to the hood, catch means carried by said mounting fixture comprising a finger gripping portion, a keeper engaging portion at one end, and a mounting shaft at the other end having bearing in said mounting fixture, a lever bar carried by said shaft, spring means carried by said bar, and abutment means carried by said mounting fixture adaptedupon swinging movement of said catch means to exert rpressure on said catch means in keeper engaging direction, the effective spring movement of said catch means being from a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above 'said .point of engagement, whereby a continuous downward pressure is exerted on thev hood in gaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a mounting xture adapted to be secured to the hood, catch means carried by said mounting fixture comprising a iinger gripping portion, a keeper engaging portion at one end, and a mounting shaft at the other end having bearing in said mounting fixture, a lever bar carried by said shaft, spring means and abutment means cooperating between said bar and` said mountn ing xture adapted upon swinging movement of said catch means to be tensioned and to exert pressure thereon in keeper engaging direction, the effective spring movement of said catch means being from a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said point of engagement, whereby a continuous downward pressure is exerted on the hood in the engaged relation of the catch means with the keeper and means cooperating between said bar and mounting fixture adapted to frictionaliy retain said catch means in inoperative position.

5. Automobile hood fastening means for en gaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising catch means adapted to be mounted upon the hood comprising an exterior finger gripping portion and a keeper engaging portion carried by said finger gripping portion, said catch means adapted to be depressed in closing the hood and to spring upwardly to engage said keeper, the eiective spring movement of said catch means being from a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said point of engagement, whereby a continuous downward pressure is exerted on the hood in the engaged relation of the catch means with the keeper and means adapted to frictionally retain said catch means in inoperative position.

6. Automobile hood fastening means for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a mounting fixture adapted to be secured to the hood, catch means carried by said mounting fixture comprising a finger gripping portion, a keeperv engaging portion at one end, and a mounting shaft at the other end having bearing in said mounting fixture, and spring means and abutment means cooperating between said shaft and said mounting fixture adapted upon swinging movement of said catch means in one direction to contact and tension said spring to exert pressure on said catch means in keeper engaging direction, and upon swinging movement in the other direction to be separated from each other whereby said spring is not under tension in the inoperative position of said catch means.

7. Automobile hood fastening means for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in re- Y lation to the end of the hood, comprising a mounting fixture adapted to be secured to the hood, catch means carried by said mounting fixture comprising a finger gripping portion, a keeper engaging portion at one end, and a mounting shaft at the other end having bearing in said mounting fixture, and spring means and abutment means cooperating between said shaft and said mounting xture adapted upon swinging movement of said catch means in one direction to Contact and tension said spring to exert pressure on said catch means in keeper engaging direction, and upon swinging movement in the other direction to be separated from each other whereby said spring is not under tension in the inoperative position of said catch means and means adapted to releasably retain said catch means in inoperative position.

RAYMOND G. MOORE.