US2257666A

US2257666A - X-member

Info

Publication number: US2257666A
Application number: US331779A
Authority: US
Inventors: Almdale Einar
Original assignee: Midland Steel Products Co
Current assignee: Midland Steel Products Co
Priority date: 1940-04-26
Filing date: 1940-04-26
Publication date: 1941-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1958-09-30

Description

Sept. 30, 1941. E. ALMDALE 2,257,666 X-MEMBER I Filed April 26, 1940 I NV ENT OR. [74 05 44/717,445

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 X-IHEMBERI Einar Almdale, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Midland Steel Products Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 26, 1940, Serial No. 331,779

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in structural members of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. 325,212, filed March 21, 1940.

An important object of the invention is to further simplify the construction of the X-shaped or cruciform member shown in this application by forming the intersection piece of the member with stampings separate from the arms .of the X-member, which arms may face either inwardly or outwardly of the vehicle frame with which it is associated.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an open top cradle-shaped piece for an X-member which may be formed from two simple the sub-rails extending throughthe center piece instead of being butt welded to the ends thereof, Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the intersection piece for sub-rails having inwardly facing chan nels, I I

Fig. 5 is a top plan thereof,

Fig. 6 is a modified form of intersection mem her with inwardly facing sub-rails cooperating in forming the enclosed box section center piece.

As explained in my copending application,

these X-members for vehicle frames must be provided with openings through their intersection piecesfor appropriate clearance and movement of the usual inclined propeller shaft of a motor vehicle which extends from the rear end of the transmission to th differential of the rear Wheels. Generally in this type of X-member, the intersection piece is provided with an opening bounded upon all sides, including its top and bottom with metal which in certain makes of automobiles, requires a tunnel or raised portion in the floor of the passenger compartment. The present invention obviates the necessity of providing this tunnel or raised portion by a uniqu construction of the intersection piece of the X- member.

The two forwardly diverging arms of the X- member are designated by the numeral III, while the rearwardly diverging arms of such members are designated by the numeral II. These arms are usually constructed of outwardly facing channel beams, in order to cooperate with the side rails of the vehicle frame in forming such rails intoacompletely closed box section, but these arms may also be reversed so that their channels face in the opposite direction, namely toward the longitudinal center line of the frame, or may be hollow and of any desired section best suited to the requirements of the particular frame.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the intersection piece is composed solely of two simple stampings to form a hollow, substantially rectangular casing having a socket at each of its four corners for connection with the armsiof the X member, and a relatively wide deep groove in its top extending lengthwise of the frame and casing to provide propeller shaft clearance, and in effect an open top cradle shaped intersection piece.

The lower; half of this intersection piece is a substantially rectangular stamping I2 having its four corners extended as at I3 and provided with upstanding side flanges I4 which are continued from corner to corner to formboundary flanges and attaching means. This construction leaves the extended radial corner portions of U or channel shape in cross section.

The upper part of the intersection piece is composed of a single inverted U-shaped stamping I5 having the same outline as th lower stamping but with depending side walls I6 of much greater height than the flanges I4 to be vertically aligned therewith and butt Welded thereto as at IT,

although the attachment of these walls may be made in any desired manner. This construction provides each end of the intersection piece with a pair of outwardly divergingrectangular socket members I8 to which channel section or box section arms I 0 and I I of the X-member may be butt welded as at I9. The top of this rectangular intersection casing is provided with a relatively wide and deep depression or groov 20 extending lengthwise thereof from one end thereof to the other to provide the requisite propeller shaft clearance.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modification of the X- In Figs; 4 and Sthe same intersection piece is" employed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but with the arms 22 of the X-member formed of two channel members having their channels facing inwardly toward the longitudinal center line of the intersection piece and automobile frame, and with thelower portions of these armswhich extendllongitudinally through the hollow intersection piece,

extended laterally along the bottom of stamping [2 as at 23 and then projected 'atan obtuse angle to provide inclined struts 24 to terminate in tabsor tongues 25 which extend through slots in the bottom of the groove 20 to be welded thereto by heywelds. The top flanges of the x-member arms 22 are secured in any suitable manner to the top of the hollow intersection member and are completely housed therein.

In Fig, 6, the sides of the hollow intersection piece are formed by the intermediate portions of two inwardly facing channels which constitute the four arms of the X-member. The top of the intersection piece in this instance is provided by a U-shaped' stamping 26 having its side edges terminating in outwardly extending horizontal flanges' zl which are welded as at 28' to the edges of the upper flanges 29 of the 'X-memher arms 38. A flat plate 3| forms the bottom of the hollow intersection piece and its side edges are welded as at 32 to the edges of the lower flanges 33 of the X -member arms. The two ends of the hollow intersection piece may be closed with imperforate' plates 34 which may have integral projections on all four of' its edges to extend through slots in the adjacent parts of the intersection piece and the x-member arms to be subsequentiy key welded thereto and to form the inner section piece into a cornpletely enclosed substantially rectangular housing of the shape shown in Fig. I

' It will of course be understood that various changes in the size, shape and relation of parts may be resorted to withoutide'p'arting from the spirit of the invention'or the scope of the appended claims. J

I claimf 1. An intersection member for an X-member for automobiles comprising upper and lower stampings fastened together to constitute by themselves a box section, and the upper stamping having a depressed wide groove extending longitudinally thereof and down between the sides of said member for propeller shaft clear ance. r

2. 'An intersection member for a plurality of radiating armscomprising a stamping of inverted U-shape cross section having depending flanges and having its bridge piece provided with a longitudinally extending depressed portion, and a second stamping secured to the depending flanges of the inverted U-shaped stamping.

3. An intersection piece for X-members comprising a substantially rectangular stamping having an extension at each corner and an upstanding flange alongthe sides of the stamping and the sides of the corner extensions, and a correspondingly shaped stamping having much deeper corresponding flanges secured to those of the first stamping and having a relatvely deep wide groove extending the full length thereof, said stampi-ngs forming a hollow substantially rectangular casing completely enclosed with the exception of" the ends" of said corner, extensions.

'4. An X-member comprising a hollow member having a depressed concaved top portion extending longitudinally thereof, and X-member arms extending into said hollow member and having portions conformingto thesha'pe of the depression and having lateral extensions spaced apart and secured tothe side walls 'ofthe concaved top.

5; An X-member comprising a hollow section intersection member having a top piece formed with a depression extending longitudinally thereof for propeller shaft clearance thereabove, and a pair of channel members, each forming a pair of arms of the X-member .at'one side thereof and extending longitudinally through the hollow intersection member.

6. A structural member for automobile frames comprising a pair of channel sections having portions of their webs substantially parallel to each other and horizontally ofiset toward one flanges; and a second horizontal member having a portion spaced from'the fi'rst'member and conmeeting the lower flanges of said sections.

8 A structural member comprising a pair of oppositely and outwardly facing channel sections with the upper and lower flanges facing outwardly, the webs of said sections having inwardly extending horizontal offset portions spaced apart, a member connecting said spaced offset portions and having a portion spaced below the top flanges, a second horizontal member having a portion spac'zed from the first and connecting the lower flanges of said sections, and said members having portions secured to the upper and lower flanges of said sections for closing the channels thereof; 7

EINAR ALMDALE.