US1996454A - Hood latch - Google Patents

Description

D. E. BROWN April 2, 1935.

HOOD LATCH Filed Feb. 26, 1932 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 2, 1935 1 UNITED STAT noon LA'rcH David E. lirown, Detroit, Mich., assignor of onehalf to Harry GlBradow, Detroit, Mich.-

Application February 25, 1932, Serial No. 595,25 4' '2 Claims.

This invention relates to latching means, and more specifically to an improved and simplified arrangement of parts particularly adapted to beinstalled upon a motor vehicle to enable locking and release of the hood panels covering the engine from within the passenger compartment.-

While various constructions have in the past been utilized for this purpose, they have in the main been objectionable on the score of the complexity and consequent undue expensiveness of manufacture and installation believed-unavoidable in this type of latch. My invention has. for.

latches which are operable only from outside the vehicle. A further object of my invention is the provi' sion of a construction of the type mentioned which is so rugged and positive in operation'as to provide secure and safe latching means effectively preventing persons from a lifting the hood of the vehicle, unless they first have access to the interior of the vehicle to release the-latching mechanism.

Still another object of my invention lies in the provision of such an interiorly operable hood latching construction adapted to function with equal eficiency even though the hood panels are not tightly closed, or are in partial disalignment with respect to their properly closed position, in which event, upon closing actuation of my device, the improperly or not fully closed hood panel or panels will be drawn into fully aligned and tightly closed position, and there firmly held, until released by reverse actuation of the latching mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention, and

(Cl. 29249) I through one of the siderails of the vehicle frame substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, show-; ing one of the latch units in side elevation; a fragment of thehood panel and. the latch bracket carried thereby being also shown; 1 V

Figure 3 is a rear, elevational view of one of my improved latch units similarly installed, taken from the. inside of the vehicle and looking toward the hood wall substantially as indicated by the arrow 3 of Figure v2, surrounding parts being fragmentarily shown; Figure 4 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of -Fig ure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Figure 5 is a, side elevational view of a'vehicle hood with which has been; incorporated a some-v I what modifiednform .of .my invention, the hood panel beingqpartially broken away tov afford a r side :elevationalview of the latches, and

Figure-6 is anenlarged detail side elevational 2 view of the same modified latching construction, fragmentarily showing thexsupporting parts, and bringing ioutthe' variant. method of mounting.

Referring nowto the drawing, reference character G indicates 'a'side rail of a vehicle frame, shown as achannel iron of the usual form. This is of course immaterial, however, and it will be seen that my invention-fie:equally-applicable to varying vehicle constructions and toother latching purposes thanrthat herein' specifically de scribed as anillu'strative embodiment. The side hood panel H is usually substantially flat, hinged to an upper more nearly cylindrical section K, as at L, and arranged to occupy a substantially vertical position when closed; its lower edge, as 35 best shown in Figure 2, lying along the upper portion of the frame.

To the inner face of the hood panel H are secured double bent brackets E, preferably of the shape best shown in Figure 4.

Secured to the top of the channel iron, with upstanding portions in spaced parallel relation, are angle plates or brackets F, apertured as at N and 0. As shown in Figure 1, two pairs of cooperating hood brackets and latching member may be employed, one adjacent each end ofthe hood panel, although if desired a single latch centrally located might be used. Pivotally secured to the upstanding portion of each angle plate F, I arrange the latch hook D, pivotally carried by the pin J, here shown as a shouldered rivet extending through the aperture 0 in the supporting angle plate. In the downwardly extending portion D of the latch hook D may be punched an aperture P, here shown as substantially rectangular in contour, within which fits a cam C fast upon rod A journaled in and extending through the apertures N in the angle plates. The upper forward hoodengaging portion of the swingable latch member carries the short transverse rod S, which when the latch member is swung by the cam is adapted to be thrown into and out of the cut out portions Y of the hooked extremities of the bracket E.

Turning the cam by-means of the rod swings the latch book about its fulcrum pin and *lorces the rod S into the bracket E, or withdraws it therefrom, as the case may be, provided of course that the hood is so positioned that the hook and bracket may cooperatively interengage. the width of the brackets -E zandsrods S they will engage even though the hood lbe slightly outl'of position, and because of thestraightening tendency of the rod S as it engages the opposed arms of the brackets E, the hood will be drawn :into

alignment.

The control red A preferably extends -:completely through the rearmost latch unit, generally designated Q in Figure'l, and run's to the fron't latch unit R, the-cam of each latch unit being f course secured-thereto. The rod may extend rearw'ardly through-an aperture the new W and so into the interior of the vehicle, where it may carry-an operating leverlhere shown as simply a laterally bent end portion B of the rod.-

' The brackets ZElandF-areshown secured to the hood and frame side rail respectively by r ivets T, 'U, although welding or any other suitable meansof secural might of course be used. It'W-ill be seen that with the exception-of the fulcrum pins and operating rod, each entire hood latching assembly may :beconstructed of sheet metal throughout, in-a veryesimp'le. and inexpensive manner, whilethe excepted elementsmay be, formed of equally inexpensive wire and rivets.

The cams may,ifdesired', b'eiormed of theiblaiiks punched out. of the latch hooks eforming'the apertures Pth'erein; The assembly for each hood panel may be the Jsame'foreach side 10f the ear,

In Figures 5 and 6 .I have shown a-isomewhat modified method of mounting may be :em-'

ployed if "desired. In plane -of supporting-the brackets (here designated F'--F*t=) tuponithe :frame side rail, they are here secured toth'e cowl W and radiator X respectively, for which purpose I find it best to form the zcowl bracket 'F' with are ofiset, as F (Figure 6) to provideasufiicient-clearance between the latch member D and the .rod

Due to S carried thereby and the cowl. The supporting flange of the bracket F is also of sufficient length to provide similar clearance at the other end, as shown. The remaining portions of the device may of course be analogous in construction to the first described embodiment, and they are so shown. The forward extremity of the rod A in this embodiment, is free to slide out of the aperture 0' in the bracket-F in which "it is journal'ed, thus permitting removal of the radiator without disturbing the rod or cams, the bracket and latch hook merely separating therefrom and remaining with the radiator.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are well calculatedto adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily set forth, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation; modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

-1. l n combination with a relatively fixed membee-having an aperture therein, and "a closure member movable relatively thereto to closed and opened positions, means 'for latching the mov able 'member in closed position, including a plurality of substantially parallel supports "carried by the fixed member adjacent the aperture, an

apertured latch hook movably carried by each support for movement relatively to the closure memben acam member for actuating each latch r'ied .by the fixed member adjacent'the aperture,-

a plurality-of latch hooks of angular bell-crank form, one pivotally carried by each support and each latch- 1100]! having an aperture nearon'e extremitywhileanother extremity is movable rela-- tively to. the closure member, a cam member for actuating each latch hook housed within said aperture, :a shaft extending between the several supports and connected to the cams for concur rentlytactuating the latch hooks by simultaneouslymovingthe cams.

, DAVID BROWN.

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