US227751A - Carriage-top - Google Patents

Description

C. POCKLER. L Carriage-Tgp.

No. 227,151; i l Patented May 1s, 1z3so.

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UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FOCKLER, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

CARRIAGE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,751, dated May 18,1880.`

' Application filed December 6,1879. I

To all whom #may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FOCKLER, of Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvemeut in Adjustable Vehicle-Tops; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class of contrivances for adjusting vehicle-tops wherein a rigid brace or rod is hinged to the shifting rail on each side ofthe top and passes through a clamping device on one of the bows; and its object is to so construct the partsthat the back bow will not carry the weight of the whole top when dropped down, and will be thereby saved from breaking, and also so that the clamp will fit the rod closely when loosened, preventing the top from rattling when down or being injured by the shaking of the vehicle.

My invention therein consists, iirst, in securing the clamp on each side to the next to the last bow of the top and enlarging the rod or brace near its lower end, or providing it with a stop, so that the rear bow, when the top is dropped down, will rest upon the prop-blocks, but the remainder of the top will be supported by the rigid rods or braces, and will not rest upon such rear bow 5 and, second, in the peculiar construction of the clamps, so that they will act as swivels and can be made to t the rods or braces snugly, so as not to have any playl thereon, and at the same time will not shake or rattle when the top is down. In the drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a four-bow top having my improvement attached; Fig. 2, a view of the same when dropped down; Fig. 3, a separate view of one of the rods or braces, and Fig.4 a sectional View of one of the clamps.

A B C D represent the four bows of the top, of ordinary construction.

The rst and third bows,'A C, are connected by a horizontal jointed rod, E, on each side, outside of the bows, while the third and fourth bows, C D, are connected by inside jointed rods or plates, F.

To the third bow, C, oneach side, near its top, is secured a plate, Gr, carrying the clamp, which plate may also carry the pivot-stud of the jointed rod E. This plate G extends to the rear of the bow, and is cast with a socket, I

a, provided with an internal screw-thread. Into the socket c is turned the screw-threaded inner end ofthe swivel or stud H. This stud Il has a transverse hole, b, in its end, through which the rod or brace passes 5 and it also has a screw-threaded opening, c, extending from the hole b centrally through the inner end of the stud.

The clamping thumb-screw I turns in the opening c from the inside of the carriage, and sets against the rod or brace in the hole b. By these means the hole b can be made to fit the rod or brace snugly, since the stud H turns as a swivel, and, being held by a screw-thread,

never works loose so as to allow the parts to rattle when the top is down.

The rigid rod or brace K on each side of the top is pivoted on the prop-block of the shiftingrail. It extends up through the hole b in the swivel-stud H, and has a knob on its upper end, to prevent it from being drawn out of the stud and to limit the forward movement of the top.v

The lower portion of the brace is enlarged, forming a shoulder at L, which, when the top is thrown down, supports the three front bows above the rear bow, thus preventing the rear bow from being broken by the weight of the top.

` It is apparent that'a stop can be secured to the brace to answer the purpose of the shoulder L, or a shoulder formed on the brace without enlarging such brace 5 but I prefer the form shown, for strength and stiffness.

I am aware that there is a device for adjusting carriage-tops consisting of a cylinder having a hole through its center with a bolt passing through the same, a section of one of its ends lling the hole in the cylinder and the smaller end having screw-threads to receive a thumb-screw, which operates to secure in place a straight brace passing through a hole in outer end of cylinder and bolt, and I do not claim in my invention anything therein shown.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. As a new article of manufacture, the clamping device described, wherein are com- IOO bined the plate G, cast with an internal screwa vehicle-top, the clamping 'device described 1o threaded socket, a, the swivel or stud H, hav and the rigid rod K, having the shoulder L, ing its inner end screw-threaded and fitting for the purpose setforth. socket a, its outer end pierced by the trans- This specification signed and witnessed this verse holeb and a centrally-longitudinal screw- 24th da;7 of September, 1879. threaded opening7 c, and the thumb-screw I, v CHARLES FOGKLER. all constructed and arranged substantially as Witnesses described. WILLIAM GRAHAM,

2. In combination with the third bow, (l, of MONROE M. GADY.

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