US2115816A - Butt-hinged structure - Google Patents

Description

y 1938- H. J. KOERNER 2,115,816

BUTT HINGED STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tic E.

Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to butt-hinged structures, useful typically for the hinging of a rear gate or tailboard to the body member or floor of a wagon or truck; and the invention includes the herein described method of manufacture of the described butt-hinged structure. In addition to use on vehicles the invention may have a wider use, wherever a gate or flap is to be hinged to the edge of any relatively large body or support, Whether a floor, table, shelf or other support.

The conventional butt hinge comprises complementary members, namely, the two metal leaves, plates or straps, connected by knuckle joints, that is, by hinge projections on both of the leaf members entering the notches or spaces between the projections or knuckles of the other member, with a pivot pin or so-called pintle extended through all the knuckles, placed in alinement, thus completing the hinge. A typical prior art example of a butt hinge is that shown in expired patent of R. P. Dunham No. 836,102 of November 20, 1906, wherein a support or wagon floor has attached to it one hinge member lfl, while the swingable gate or fiap 9 has a similar hinge member i0, both hinge members being of U-shape, overlapping as to their knuckles and notches, and interconnected by a rod or pintle threaded through the knuckles. While this butt hinged structure permits the swinging movements of the gate or flap it is not entirely satisfactory, in that there is no complete circular bearing surface between the pintle and the leaves, the latter being U-shaped and contacting only about half of the circumference of the pintle, causing looseness, weakness and wear.

The'gencral object of the present invention is to afford an improved butt-hinged structure 7 adaptable to the uses outlined and of superior operation, ruggedness and wearing qualities. Other and further objects and advantages will be explained in the hereinafter following description of one or more embodiments of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of part of a supporting body or vehicle bottom, with a flap or gate hinged thereto in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the structure of Fig. l, on a larger scale, taken on the broken section line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and broken away for condensation.

Fig. 3, on the same scale with Fig. 1, shows a detached portion of the structure, suitably broken away to disclose the structure more fully.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; this figure, like Figs. 1, 2 and 3, showing the flap or tailboard held horizontal, in alinement with the Vehicle floor, and

Fig. 4 shows also in dotted. lines the upswing and downswung positions of the flap.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 in top view and on a scale between those of Figs. 1 and 2 show separately the hinge leaf on the truck floor, the hinge pintle,

and'the hinge leaf or straps on the fiap or tailboard.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are longitudinal sectional views of the parts shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 respectively.

Fig. 11, in perspective, shows a modified form of leaf or strap piece on the swinging flap or tailboard.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view, and Fig. 13 a vertical sectional view on the line l3- l3 of Fig. 12, showing an apparatus for and illustrating the method of manufacture of the butt hinge construction of the other figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 the support or wagon fioor or bottom 20 may be composed of wood or other suitable material. Upstanding adjacent the side edges of the bottom are the wagon or truck sides 2|. A swinging gate, fiap or tailboard 23 may also be composed mainly of wood and is hinged tothe truck floor 20 to swing from a raised, upright or closed position as seen in Fig. 4 in dotted lines, to a horizontal loading or operating position as shown in full lines, and preferably therebeyond to a depending or downswung position, also shown in dotted lines.

For heavy trucking purposes it is desirable to reenforce the flap or tailboard 23, and it is shown as covered or armored at its under side by a sheet metal sheathing 24 indicated as bent up around the wood interior at all four edges. The upper rear corner of the tailboard receives great wear in use and is shown reenforced by an angle iron 25 covering the back edge of the tailboard flap and the margin of its, top face. The angle iron may be permanently secured by rivets or screws, aided by the bolts 44 hereinafter to be described.

Coming now to the butt hinge construction, and referring additionally to Figs. 5 to 10, the pintle or pivot pin 28 is shown as a hollow rod or shaft, and is preferably composed of a preformed pipe, as a length of, wrought iron pipe, sufficient to engage all of the hinge knuckles to be described.- It may be roughly machined to suitable roundness and smoothness, as also may be the contacting surfaces of the surrounding knuckles, for a fair fit, no great accuracy being desirable.

The requirement is, for a large gate or swinging tailboard or the like, to afford a hinge structure of great ruggedness to stand the battering it receives, which is smooth-operating, substantially free from looseness and wear, relatively inexpensive to build as compared with a fully machined job, and having the smooth top surface of the butt type of hinge.

On the vehicle fioor, the first butt hinge member includes the steel or sheet metal leaf or plate 35 fastened down by bolts 3| having fiush heads above, with securing nuts 32 below. The hinge leaf or plate 30 is not bent U-shape as in the prior patent referred to, but is a fiat plate, and it has its rear edge integrally united with a knuckle 34, or a plurality of such knuckles, each providing a complete annular wall, and therefore an interior bearing surface which is complete and receives the pintle 28, with suitable lubrication, for easy and accurate hinge movements, substantially free of loose play and without wear. Thus the figures show three such knuckles 34, each constituting a preformed length of wrought steel or iron tubing or pipe, cut to length and integrally united to the plate 20, preferably by welding as will be further described, the weld line 35 being indicated in Fig. 8 and elsewhere. Between the hinge knuckles 34 of the leaf 30 are spaces or notches 31, and beyond the final knuckles, at each end, are open notches 38; all of such notches adapted to receive the knuckles of the other hinge member.

On the swingable flap or tailboard the hinge leaf, carrying knuckles, may consist of a continuous plate, like the leaf 30 already described, but for convenience is shown as aseries of straps or metal strips 40, four of them being shown properly spaced corresponding with the notches 31 and 38 of the floor hinge member. Each of the hinge straps 40 may be of U-shape, having an upper leg or strip 41 on topof the flap 23, a lower leg or strip 42 under the flap, and a U-bend 43 connecting them, this U-bend constituting the knuckle, engaging one of the notches 3'I'or 38 of the complementary hinge part. The hinge straps 49 are strongly attached to the flap or tailboard by bolts 44, flush above and with attaching nuts 45 below. Preferably, as shown, the wood body of the flap contains shallow recesses or depressions within which the straps 40 are accommodated, so that the entire top surface of the flap is flush and even.

The diameters of the pintle 28 and of the pipe or tube sections or knuckles 34 and 43 may be so selected, as shown, that the metal hinge parts have a thickness about the same as that of the truck fiap, simplifying the structure, but the invention is not confined to this relation of dimensions. As an example, the pintle may be about 1%; inches in outside diameter and somewhat smaller inside, which the knuckles are slightly over 1 inches in inside diameter and about 1% inches outside. The plate or leaf 30 may be of an inch thick and the truck floor 1% inches thick. The tailboard may be 1%; inches thick, with the inch strap part 4| countersunk therein above and part 42 outstanding below.

The hinge parts are assembled by alining the knuckles and threading the pintle through them. The pintle may be confined endwise by closures 46 at the ends, see Figs. 1 and 7, for example a welded disk closing the right end, Fig. 1, and a similar disk or detachable closure at the other end, preventing outsliding.

In lieu of the U-shape straps 40 described, a different structure may be used as shown in Fig. 11, wherein each strap 48 is integral with or welded to a short preformed pipe length or knuckle 49, thus obviating the need of an underneath strap leg 42 as in the first described structure. Or, the welded strap may be used inverted, with lower leg only. In either case a complete circular bearing surface is afforded, preventing looseness and rattling of the flap on the hinge pintle.

A suitable means, as a chain 5 I, may be used to hold the flap or tailboard in its horizontal or full line position of Fig. 4, and conventional means also will be understood for the purpose of holding and locking the tailboard in its raised or closed position.

A fixture, jig or apparatus for manufacturing the hinge members is shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Upon base plates 55 are attached other parts, including a converging or V-channeled rest or holder 56, welded to the base, for supporting the preformed knuckles or pipe sections 34. Frame parts 5'! are upright plates, welded to the base. Top cross pieces 58 and 59 are welded to the uprights and constitute a table to support the metal leaf or plate 39 to be welded to the pipe sections. The cross piece 59 is a heavy bar with threaded vertical bores at its ends. A swinging holddown piece 50 can partly overlie the plate to be welded, and is apertured. Above the holddown is a washer Bl. Extending down through the washer and holddown and the bore of the bar 59 is a clamping bolt 92 threaded into the bar. A hand piece or crank 63 is at the top of the bolt.

In operation, the preformed tube sections or knuckles 34 are laid in the V-channel 56 and the plate 34 is laid on the table 58, 59 and drawn forward into relation to the knuckles. The contacting edge of the plate may be beveled for optimum contact with the cylindrical exterior of the knuckles as shown. The knuckles must be longitudinally adjusted and. spaced according to their desired position, for which spacers may be inserted between them. The straps 40 or 48 may be used as spacers thus ensuring proper final fit.

When correct relation of plate and knuckles is attained the handle 63 is turned to clamp forcibly the plate upon the knuckles. The surfaces having been cleaned are ready for welding. Any welding method may be used, as electric line welding. Preferably torch welding is used, an intense flame softening the contiguous parts, and surplus ferrous metal being presented, melted and applied to reinforce the joint and produce strengthening fillets as shown. Straps as in Fig. 11 may be similarly welded.

I claim:

1. In a butt-hinged structure in combination with a support or fioor, and a swingable tailboard, a butt-hinge connecting the support and tailboard, and comprising hinge members attached to the support and tailboard respectively, said members having attaching leaves and interengaging knuckles and notches, with a pintle engaged in the alined knuckles; and characterized in that the knuckles of at least one of the hinge members consist of preformed sections of cylindrical metal tubing of closed annular cross section, the same integrallywelded to the hinge leaves.

2. In a structure as in claim 1, a single leaf in the form of a plate attached to the support or floor, to which plate are welded, in spaced arrangement to afford notches, and in accurate alinement, the several preformed tubular knuckle sections, forming complete alined bearings for the interior pintle.

3. In a structure as in claim 1, with preformed leaf and knuckles welded tangentially together, a reinforcement consisting of surplus metal united to the leaf and each knuckle in the interior corner between them.

1 HERMAN J. KOERN'ER.

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