US2129893A

US2129893A - Top for trucks and the like

Info

Publication number: US2129893A
Application number: US116487A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley F Walden
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-12-18
Filing date: 1936-12-18
Publication date: 1938-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 1955-09-13

Description

Sept. S, 1938.

s. F. WALDEN 2,129,893

TOP FOR TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 29M W/fg/q Sept 13, 1933- s. F. WALDEN 2,129,893

TOP FOR TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 18, 1936 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to tops for trucks or like vehicles which comprise a canopy or tilt, and the object is to provide a simple, eiiicient and readily manipulable device capable of a wide range of adjustment to a multiplicity of positions to meet the varying demands of use, such capability adapting it more particularly to the requirements of military use although not limiting it in any way thereto.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where- 1n:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a truck having a l5 body construction illustrative of the invention showing the parts in one position of adjustment;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts in another position of adjustment;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken detail in side elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a partial transverse section on a smaller scale.

Referring to the drawings, I have-there shown a truck having a wagon-box 6 which in the eX- ample shown is of a box-like form in the popular sense of that word, having an open top adapted to be covered over by thecanopy or tilt. On the sides of the wagon-box at the front and rear ends thereof and remote from the rear wheel housing 8 I may secure sockets I0 preferably in the form of open-ended rectangular tubes in which telescope for vertical sliding movement therein posts i2 which likewise may be in the form of rectangular tubes and which, through suitable bracket fittings i4, support longitudinal rails i6 paralleling the sides of the wagon body. To provide for vertical adjustment of the rails the sockets lil may be provided with suitable holes i6 and the posts i2 each (see Fig. 4) with a series of holes 20 adapted to mate therewith in diierent positions of elevation of the post relative to its socket and a removable pin 22 passing through the holes I8 may engage one or another of the holes Z. I also prefer to provide a set screw 2i in the wall of socket lil to be set up against post I2 to secure it rmly in position and avoid any rattling. By virtue of the adjustment thus provided the rails I6 may be supported either in a lower position, shown in Fig. 1, closely adjacent and paralleling the sides of the wagon-box, or in one or more elevated positions, such as that illustrated in Fig. 2.

The rails I6 support the tilt-supporting bows 25 which (see Fig. 4) have substantially parallel leg portions adapted to straddle the rails I 6 and the box 6. These legs work in vertical sockets formed in fittings 28 adapted to slide along the rail as described in my Patent No. 1,679,642, dated August 7, 1928, to which reference may be made for a fuller description of these parts. As 5 described in this patent, the bows may be vertically adjusted by sliding the legs in the tting and they are retained in one or more of a series of adjusted positions by means of a retaining pin carried by the fitting and engaging one 1'0 or another of a series of vertically spaced holes Sil in the post (Fig. 4).

In the elevated position of the rails I 6, as shown in Fig. 2, the tilt has a number of positions of vertical adjustment corresponding to the number i1'5 of openings 30 provided and it may be either extended as shown in that ligure to cover the length of the wagon-box or collapsed by a relative sliding movement of the bows to uncover more or less of the wagon-box. By the movement of the (20 posts I2 in the sockets l an adjustment is also provided independent of the adjustment of the bows vertically on the rails I6. In particular there is thus provided the extreme low position shown in Fig. 1 wherein only substantially the 25 curved portions of the bows project above the sides of the wagon-box. In all positions ofthe bows they may be either collapsed together or extended so that the tilt covers the box. In Fig. 1 I have shown the bows collapsed together but 30 they might be drawn out to the same relative hori- Zontal spacing, as illustrated in Fig. 2. For military use it is desirable to have the silhouette of the truck as low as possible. When unloaded'it may be desirable to cover it with branches or 35 other camouflage, and such concealment is facilitated by the provision of bringing the parts to the position of Fig. 1.

While the construction shown provides a Wide range of vertical adjustment, the legs of the bows 40 are nevertheless relatively short. This not only makes them light and wieldy but permits their movement to and in the position of Fig. 2 without interference from ,any chassis elements located adjacent the rear axle. On the other hand, 45 the posts i2, as shown in Fig. 1, move into free spaces at the ends of the wagon-box but have a relatively limited range of movement as compared with the range of movement of the tilt as a whole so that they do not at any time project to 50 an objectionable degree below the licor of the box.

The canvas cover or tilt 32 is supported by the bows 26. In Fig. 2 I have shown one side of this cover as reefed or furled. It will be understood that the edges of the cover should be capable of 5 5 extending over the sides of the wagon-box 6 in the most elevated position of the former, the edges being secured by tie ropes 34 in the usual manner. To dispose of the marginal portions of the cover when in the lower positions o1" adjustment and also to permit reeng up one or both sides in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, I may dispose above the points of attachment of the tie ropes 34 grommets 36, the spacing of which conveniently corresponds to the intervals of .adjustment provided in the supporting mechanism. 'The tie ropes may be reeved through the grommets in the manner of earings to draw the margin up to the line of the grommets and to serve as gaskets for furling and securing the resulting bunt as illustrated in Fig. 2. In lowered positions of the top the ends of the tie ropes remain available to secure the thus furled margins to the sides of the wagon-box in the usual manner.

Referring to Fig, 3, the supporting pin 22 is here shown as forming the shank of a socket wrench 38 adapted to fit the head of set screw 24 and this wrench is connected by a flexible chain 40 to a collar 42 rotatably fixed to the set screw 24. In adjusting the post Ill the shank 22 of the wrench may be used as a lining uppin. Then normally the screw 24 would be set up finger-tight, after which the pin could be withdrawn and the wrench used to set up the screw, after which theshank'22 would be returned in position to support the post under strains of travel. While the scope of the chain 40 provides freedom for manipulation of the parts, loss is prevented even in the example shown wherein they are merely connected together since the pin and the set screw will never in normal use be removed at the same time.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

I claim: 1. A body construction for trucks and like vehicles comprising a box, tubular sockets at the sides of the box, posts vertically movable in the sockets, longitudinal rails carried by the posts, means for fixing the posts in a plurality of adjusted positions to support the rails at substantially diierent elevations from the oor of the body, tilt-supporting bows of a width to span the box having parallel leg portions and fittings supported by the rails in which said leg portions telescope and means for securing the bows in a plurality of substantially differing positions of vertical adjustment in said ttings.

2. A body construction for trucks and like vehicles comprising a box, tubular sockets at the sides of the box, posts vertically movable in the sockets, longitudinal rails carried by the posts, means for fixing the posts in a plurality of adjusted positions to support the rails at substantially different elevations from the oor of the body, tilt-supporting bows of a width to span the box having parallel leg portions and fittings supported by the rails for longitudinal sliding movement therealong, in which ttings said leg portions telescope and means for securing the bows in a plurality of substantially differing positions of vertical adjustment in said fittings.

3. A body construction for trucks and like vehicles comprising a box, tilt-supporting bows of a width to span the box having parallel legs, longitudinal rails extending along the sides of the box, means for supporting said rails adjustable to position them in a plurality of substantially diiering vertical positions, ttings slidable along said rails to provide for extension of the tilt over the box or collapse thereof, said ttings having means for supporting the legs of the bows with provision for vertical sliding movement thereof relative to the rail and permitting the disposition of the ends of the legs outward of the sides of the box and below said rails, and means for supporting the bows in a plurality of substantially different positions of vertical adjustment in the fittings whereby a total range of vertical adjustment of the tilt for any position of longitudinal extension or collapse thereof is provided substantially in excess of the length of the legs of the bows withf out interference with portions of the vehicle adjacent the lower portion of the box.

STANLEY F. WALDEN.