US2023076A

US2023076A - Automobile bumper

Info

Publication number: US2023076A
Application number: US643335A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert S Jandus
Original assignee: CG Spring and Bumper Co
Current assignee: CG Spring and Bumper Co
Priority date: 1932-11-19
Filing date: 1932-11-19
Publication date: 1935-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1952-12-03

Description

es. 3, 193 5. s JANDUS 2,023,076

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed NOV. 19, 1932 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Application November 19, 1932, Serial No. 643,335

12 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile bumpers.

It is an object of this invention to provide from a bar of substantially uniform width throughout its length, an impact bar of varying height.

It is another object of the invention to provide an impact bar having a shape in elevation of substantially a flat oval.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bumper construction embodying an impact section and a back bar section including means whereby the ends of each section are connected to the corresponding ends of the other section in such a manner that such means is substantially invisible from above and the front.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an impact bar having its foremost portion substantially centrally thereof and of greater height than the ends thereof and including means for reinforcing the ends thereof to compensate for the reduced height thereof.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bumper bar which is concavo-convex both transversely and longitudinally thereof.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an impact bar having pocket or spoon shaped rearwardly extending terminals for receiving the ends of the back bar structure.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of an impact bar having a portion throughout its length which is generally vertical and of uniform transverse curvature, and generally horizontally extending flanges at the ends of the bar, the junctures of the flanges with the remainder of the bar having the same transverse radius of curvature throughout, whereby to facilitate the operations of grinding and polishing the bar.

In carrying out the invention into practice, 40 there is provided a bar of preferably uniform width substantially throughout its length but rounded at its ends, and this bar is formed into the shape of a bow, and provided with flanges of gradually increasing width from points adjacent the center thereof to the ends thereof. The extremities of the bow are bent rearwardly and then inwardly to form substantially spoonor pocket-shaped terminals for receiving the ends of the back bar and for concealing the means by which the ends of the respective bars are secured together. The impact face of the impact bar is formed of uniform transverse curvature throughout its length to facilitate grinding, and this is true also of the fillets connecting the impact face of the bar with the rearwardly extending flange portions of the bar.

This construction afiords a bumper having desirable ornamental characteristics both when viewed from the front end from above and which is at the same time capable of being manufactured with a minimum of operations and parts.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illus- 1O trated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

. Figure 1 is an elevation of a bumper constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 15

Figure 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively in the planes designated by the lines IIIIII, IVIV, V-V and VI-VI in Figure 1, the back bar being omitted from Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein the same parts are designated throughout by the same reference characters, an impact bar illustrative of one form which may exemplify the principles of the present invention is designated at I. The bar I is initially formed from a flat bar of spring steel of uniform width throughout its length except for its ends which are preferably rounded. The bar preferably is of shallow concavo-convex shape in cross-section, and has imparted to it by any suitable apparatus such as a cambering machine the shape of a bow. The longitudinal edges from points adjacent the center 2 of the bar I and of gradually increasing width toward the ends 3 of the bar are bent away from the convex face of the bar I to form terminals resembling the ends of a canoe, that is, rearwardly opening spoon-shaped pockets having their maximum depth at the extremities of the bar and diminishing to points of disappearance adjacent the center 2 of the bar. As a consequence of the bending of the longitudinal edge portions 4, the front face of the bar I is correspondingly reduced in height from the center 2 to the ends 3, so that, viewed from the front, the bar I has the shape substantially of a flat oval.

The flanges 4 are joined to the intermediate generally vertical portions 5 of the impact bar I by fillets 6 which are of uniform curvature throughout. The flanges 4 may be fiat as shown or shaped otherwise if desired. By virtue of the constant radius of curvature of the fillets 6, it 55 art.

will be apparent that grinding or polishing of each fillet 6 and associated flange 4 may be effected with a single operation, the grinding wheel being formed with a fillet of the same radius of curvature as the fillets 6.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the proper shaping of the finished impact bar from the initial blank involves essentially three simple operations, to-wit: first, imparting to the bar a bow shape; secondly, imparting a spoonlike shape to one end of the bar; and thirdly, imparting a spoon-like shape to the other end of the bar. By virtue of the transverse radius of curvature of the generally vertical portion ofthe bar, and the constant transverse radius of curvature of the junctures between the generally vertical portion of the bar and the flange portions 4 of the bar, the entire outer face of the bar may be ground or polished with a minimum of operations.

The impact bar I may be attached by any suitable means to the horns of the vehicle chassis (not shown), such asby the back bar I, which may be of substantially the same thickness as the impact bar, as shown, or may be of greater or less thickness, as desired. The back bar I may be shaped in any suitable way to accomplish the desired result, and it is shown for illustrative purposes only as provided with forwardly extending end and central portions 8 and 9,'respectively, and rearwardly extending portions 10 for attaching the same to the vehicle. The end portions 8 of the back bar 1 are formed longitudinally to conform to the curved end portions 3 of the impact bar I, and the two sets of end portions are secured together by. any suitable means such as the nut and bolt instrumentalities II. The end portions 8 and the associated instrumentalities' ll except the heads l2, which may be ornamental if desired, are hidden by the spoon shaped ends 3 of I the impact bar I. Like instrumentalities ll serve to connect the central portion 2 to the central part 9 of the back bar I. The back bar I is preferably made of spring steel and its central arch-like portion l3 serves to cushion the central part of the impact bar I.

The bumper construction made in accordance with the principles of this invention is thus highly ornamental as well as fully effective for resisting shocks resulting from front and rear collisions, and may be made by a few simple operations involving low cost. While there is illustrated herein but a single impact bar bumper, it will be understood that the principles of the invention are applicable to multi-bar bumpers as well.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior I claim as my invention: 7

1. As an article of manufacture, an impact bar comprising a single integral piece of resilient metal having substantially spoon-shaped end portions in the form substantially of pockets extending to points adjacent the center of the bar to reinforce said end portions so as to be substantially non-yielding at the terminals of the bar and a relatively shallow intermediate portion formed to be relatively yieldable in response means connected to said bar.

3. Bumper construction comprising, as an article of manufacture, an impact bar of resilient material and formed so as to offer maximum resistance to yielding at its ends and gradually di- 15 minished resistance to yielding from the ends toward the center thereof and bracket means for supporting said bar connected to the rear side thereof.

4; Bumper construction comprising an impact 20 bar of substantially greater height at its center than at its ends, and formed of resilient metal so as to be yieldable in response to impacts, said ends being formed as substantially spoon-shaped terminals for concealingly receiving a back bar 25 structure and for reinforcing the ends of the impact bar, the central portion of each terminal being a continuation of the central portion of the bar, and the sides of each terminal being connected to said central portion of the terminal by 30 fillets of uniform transverse curvature.

5. Bumper construction comprising an impact bar of substantially greater height at its center than at its ends, and formed of resilient metal so as to be yieldable in response to impacts, said 35 ends being formed as substantially spoon-shaped terminals for concealingly receiving a back bar structure and for reinforcing the ends of the impact bar, the central portion of each terminal being a continuation of the central portion of the 40 bar, the sides of each terminal being connected to said central portion of the terminal by fillets of uniform transverse curvature, and said bar, throughout the length thereof, having its central portion and the central portions of its terminals 45 of uniform transverse curvature.

6. The method of forming a bumper bar having a yieldable center part and relatively rigid impact ends, comprising the steps of forming a substantially fiat strip of spring steel of substantially uniform width and bending a marginal portion at a forwardly facing part of each end of the strip to form angular terminals without substantially disturbing the center part.

7. The method of forming a bumper bar having a yieldable center part and of increasing relative rigidity toward its ends, comprising the steps of forming a substantially fiat strip of spring steel and bending rearwardly a triangular marginal portion of increasing width endward from and at opposite sides of the center part of the strip.

8. The method of forming a bumper bar in the shape of substantially a narrow oval in front elevation, comprising the steps of forming a substantially flat strip of spring steel of substantially uniform width and bending the margins of the end portions of the strip along lines intersecting the edges so as to extend in the same general direction relative to the remainder of the strip, thereby forming spoon-like terminals of diminishing depth from the ends toward the center of the strip.

9. Bumper construction comprising a bowed impact bar having a relatively yieldable center part and at each of its ends an intermediate outwardly and rearwardly bent impact portion and upper and lower rearwardly extending reinforcing portions so as to render said intermediate portion unyielding relative to said center part, resilient cushion bar means comprising portions formed for attachment to a vehicle chassis or frame and having forward end attaching portions arranged to be attached to the ends of the impact bar, each of said end attaching portions being shaped to conform to the respective intermediate impact portions so as toengage the same longitudinally throughout a substantial part of its length, and means securing said attaching portions to the respective intermediate impact portions in such engagement so as to enable said cushion bar means to cushion said intermediate portions against forward and end impacts and substantially relieve the securing means of stresses incident to such impacts.

10. Bumper construction comprising an impact bar which is substantially channel-shaped and rearwardly bent at its ends, resilient cushion bar means having rearwardly bent ends fitting in the impact bar ends between the flanges of the respective channels, and means passing through the cushion bar ends and the webs of the respective channels for securing the respective ends together, said ends being in interengagement to a substantial extent longitudinally on opposite sides of the securing means along angularly related areas so as to relieve the securing means of stresses incident to impacts upon the impact bar.

11. A bumper construction comprising an impact bar formed of resilient metal so as to be yieldable in response to impacts, the ends of the bar being formed as substantially spoon-shaped terminals so as to be reinforced and for shieldingly receiving a back bar structure, the central portion ingly receiving a back bar structure, the central 20 portion of each terminal being a continuation of the central portion of the bar, the sides of each terminal being connected to said central portion of the terminal by fillets of uniform transverse curvature, and said bar, throughout the 25 length thereof, having its central portion and the central portions of its terminals of uniform transverse curvature.

HERBERT S. J ANDUS.