US2301330A - Chassis or car body underframe - Google Patents

Description

NW. 10, 1942. sc A CHASSIS OR CAR BODY UNDERFRAME Filed Dec. 16, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor: Kurf Schfifer Alfie/may NOV. 10, 1942. SCHAFER CHASSIS OR CAR BODY UNDERFRAME Filed Dec. 16, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 r e f a In C s T r U K onluoc lineal Nov. 10, 1942. K. SCHAFER 2,301,330

CHASSIS 0R GAR BODY UNDERFRAME Filed Dec. 16, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 10, 1942 Kurt Schafer, Berlin-Eic signer to Edward G. Bu

pany, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application December 16, 1939, Serial No. 309,529 In Germany December 12, 1938 18 Claims.

may be designed to extend from the front to the rear beyond the round principal member.

The continuous portions of the projections are preferably given an X-shape inside the round principal member, or else other diagonal braces are provided inside the principal member.

The projections are only required to extend into part of the round member and may be connected with transverse girders provided inside the round member.

The round principal member may be preferably either box-shaped or tubular cross section.

According to the invention, the projections may be led into the interior of the round member above the round member and bent off here down wardly.

According to the further invention, a tube or duct for the Cardan shaft may be provided in the longitudinal axis of the round principal member. Inside the round principal member, substantially on its underside, a preferably trough-shaped floor member may be provided.

According to the further invention, also the projections may be of either box-shaped or tubular design, preferably in such a manner as to be formed by two bent side members of U-shaped section and by an intermediate member of U- shaped horizontal projection and also U-shaped cross section.

According to the further invention, the round central principal member may be widened downwardly at the front culminating point and upwardly at the rear culminating point.

Further the invention provides that one or several joints of the members from which the round central principal member is formed may be arranged in, or close to, the lateral culminating point.

Preferably at the front and/or rear culminating points, the two U-shaped members forming the round principal member of box-shaped cross section are widened either upwards and hkamp, Germany, asdd Manufacturing Comother downwards to allow the Cardan shaft to pass through.

When the car body panel is made from plastics, the panel is preferably provided with a projection leaning against the outer edge of the round central member, another flange resting on this member.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown by a number of examples, of which Fig. l is a plan view of a chassis made in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 2 to 5 are sectional views of lateral frame members in connection with side panels and flooring;

Figs. 6 and 60: show two different methods of securing front and/or rear cantilevers to the central frame member.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the front portion of Fig. 1;

' Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views of two other forms of the central frame and car body underframes respectively;

Figs. 10 and 11 show plan views of two different slight modifications of the chassis shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line i2i2 of Fig 11;

Figs. 13 to 15 show other forms of the device shown in Fig. 12.

Figs. 16 and 16a show. two different forms of a bottom member for the central frame and its connection with a reinforcing member.

Fig. 17 shows another modification of shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 18 is a sectional View on the line 18-48 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a sectional view on the line iii-l9 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 is a sectional view of another form of the car body frame, similar to that shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 21 is a longitudinal section through a device resembling the design shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of another form the type of frame made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 23 is an enlarged section of the device shown in Fig. 22.

In Figs. 1 and 7, l designates an elliptic central member of a frame to which are connected two front cantilevers 2 and two rear cantilevers 3 and in which are provided two stiifeners 4 which form together two diagonal stays to which the inner ends of cantilevers 2 and 3 are secured. To allow the Cardan shaft to pass through, the

downwards or one of them upwards and-the frame member I is here cranked downwards at the front and upwards at the rear. The cantilevers 2 and 3 extend beyond the frame member I and are cranked downwards within this portion of the frame, The members I to d are either U-shaped or box-shaped.

In Fig. 2 the elliptic member 5 is box-shaped and provided with an outwardly extending double flange E. The outer panel 1 of the car body is secured to the flange 6, while the bottom 8 is placed on the major part of the box-shaped girder 5 or secured to it by welding, riveting, b ing, or the like.

In Fig. 3, the elliptic frame member 9 is of Z-shaped design and provided with a flange If) to which the outer panel II is secured.

In Fig. 4, two Z-shaped members i2, 13 are connected to form a box which shows an upper outside double flange l4 and a lower double flange I5. The outer skin It is, at the bottom, secured to the double flange M, the bottom if resting on the double flange Hi.

In Fig. 5, an angular girder member i8 is united with a bent angular member l9 to form a box-shaped elliptic girder. The outer panel 29 which is here intended to be made from plastics shows a lower shoulder 2! and a flange 22 by which the panel rests here on the extreme edge of the box-shaped girder.

Fig. 6 shows an elliptic box frame 23, a boxshaped transverse member 24, a cantilever 25 secured to the top of members 23 and M; Fig. 6a shows a cantilever 26 secured to the underside of members 23 and 2t.

In Fig. '7, an engine trough 2? rests on the front cantilever 2.

In Fig. 8, the bottom 28 is provided with an angular shoulder 29. Si] is an angular elliptic member to which the likewise elliptic member 28, 29 may be secured. The transverse girder 3| corresponds substantially to the transverse girder 24.

In Fig. 9, two elliptical anguiar members 32, 33 are joined with each other to form a box, in a similar manner as shown in Fig. At as a joint of the angular members 32 and 33 respectively is shown.

In Fig. 10, two joints are provided at 35, 36 which are located in the almost rectilinear portion of the ellipse, i. e., which is least affected. The front and rear cantilevers 36 and 3'! are fastened in this embodiment to the cross stays 38 within the elliptic portion, and they may be made continuous, as indicated at 35, e. g., by being passed through below the cross stays 38. If, in this case, a continuous bottom plate is provided, a duct 4!] may be provided in the bottom plate, which duct is eventually covered below, thus becoming resistant to torsion. A duct of this type may be also provided independently of the bottom.

In Fig. 11, the cantilevers 4|, 42 are extending continuously from front to rear; inside the elliptic member 43 they converge to form an X, and in the center they are connected with each other by top and bottom cover plates M, as shown in Fig. 12. The Cardan shaft 45 passes here between the girders. The longitudinally extending members El, 62 are in this case lowered inside the elliptic member 53 such an amount as to extend underneath the cross girders 46.

Figs. 13, 14.- and show various profiles of front and rear cantilevers, no matter if they extend from front to rear or terminate within the elliptic member.

Fig. 16 shows a trough-shaped member 41 ill which corresponds substantially to member 28 shown in Fig. 8. This member is here shown in full lines as resting on and being connected to a box-sectional marginal member 48. The Figure 16a shows an angular member 59 which corresponds substantially to member 30 shown in Fig. 8 as being fastened to the member 41. The transverse girder 56 shows here a U-shaped section open on top, as contrasted with the transverse girder 3| shown in Fig. 8 and having a cross section open at the bottom.

In Fig. 17, the front cantilevers 5i consist of a common member 52 of U-shaped cross section and also U-shaped in horizontal projection, and of single channel members encircling this member and the ends of which adapt themselves to the shape of the elliptic central member 54; if the member 54 is of equal U-shaped design, they may also be connected with it to form a box, as shown in Fig. 19. The rear cantilevers 55 shown in Fig. 1'7 are designed similarly to members 53 of the front cantilevers, while specially molded members 58 are provided between the cantilevers 55 with a view to further support the cantilevers in relation to the elliptic frame member. The front and rear cantilevers may be either of equal or different shapes.

Fig. 20 shows an elliptical girder 51 which in its center is bent downwards in the front at 58 and upwards in the rear at 59, so that the Cardan shaft 66 extends in front above the frame and in the rear underneath the frame. Accordingly the transverse girders iii are also bent downwards in their center. Both the front and rear cantilevers 62 and 63 are here shown as continuous girders; beside the deflection of the transverse girders fil the cantilevers 62, 63 extend below the latter. The cantilever 83 may be passed above the frame 51, and the cantilever $2 below this frame.

Fig. 21 shows a device which corresponds substantially to Fig. 8. Here, a number of transverse girders, 55, 66, 61, and 68, are provided, which may be adapted to secure the front and rear cantilevers 69, 10 and/or to carry the seats.

Figs. 22 and 23 are perspective views indicating that the elliptical central member H is embraced from outside by the front and rear cantilevers 12, 13, the elliptic member being devised as box-shaped and, as particularly shown in Fig. 23, consisting of two U-shaped members f4, 15 which are bent off upwards and downwards for allowing the Cardan shaft to pass through. However, for instance, only one member may be bent off, While the other may extend rectilinearly; in this case, the upward bend would be in front and the downward bend in the rear, while in front the lower member 15 would take a rectilinear course and in the rear the member '14.

It is understood that the elliptical member may also have another round shape. It is of importance that the frame, seen from the interior of the principal member, is substantially concave at all points.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle frame structure such as a combined body and chassis frame structure, comprising a substantially flat principal part being generally oval in plan view and substantially concave at all points when viewed from the center of the frame, the maximum diameter of said principal part being essentially smaller than the total length of the structure, said principal part defining the outer contour of the central section of the' frame structure, rigid cantilever members projecting at least beyond one end of said principal part in the general longitudinal direction of the frame structure and being connected to said principal part, two cantilever members which extend beyond the one end of the principal part being spaced from each other for less than the greatest transverse width of the principal part, said cantilever members being adapted for connection to road wheels of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat said cantilever members are connected to the principal part in front and in the rear for supporting the front and rear wheels and for accommodating the motor and other parts of the driving and running gear.

3. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that sill members extend continuously longitudinally across and at the front and rear beyond the principal part, those portions of the sills which extend beyond the principal part forming said cantilever members.

4. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that portions of the cantilever members extend only across a portion of the length of the principal part.

5. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that transverse girders are provided within and extend across the principal part.

6. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the principal part comprises a marginal hollow, such as closed boxsectional, sill structure.

7. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that transverse girder structures are provided Within and extending across the principal part, which girder structures support the inner portions of the cantilever members extending into the confines of the principal part.

8. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cantilever members are arranged above and extend into the confines of the principal part, and are here bent off downwardly.

9. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that in the longitudinal axis of the principal part a tube or duct is produced for the Cardan shaft.

10. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed inclaim 1, characterized in that also the cantilever members are of box-sectional or tubular design.

11. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cantilever 3 members are formed by two bent side members of U-shaped cross section and by an intermediate member of U-shaped horizontal projection and likewise U-shaped cross section.

12. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the central principal part is bent downwardly in the front culminating point and upwardly in the rear culminating point.

13. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a joint between members forming the central principal part is arranged in the region of a lateral culminating point.

14. A vehicle frame structure according to claim 1 in which said principal part has reinforced marginal portions substantially throughout of equal Width and height.

15. A vehicle frame structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized by diagonal members extending across the principal part and having the cantilever members fastened thereto.

16. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cantilever members have their inner portions joined to bracing means extending across the principal part in a generally longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and in that the said bracing means are of X-shaped design within the confines of the principal part.

17. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the central principal part is vertically bent in at least one of the end culminating points so as to allow the arrangement of driving means.

18. In a vehicle frame structure such as a combined body and chassis frame structure, comprising a substantially flat principal part being generally oval in plan view and substantially concave at all points when viewed from the center of the frame, the maximum diameter of said principal part being essentially smaller than the total length of the structure, said principal part defining the outer contour of the central section of the frame structure, rigid cantilever means projecting at least beyond one end of said principal part in the general longitudinal direction of the frame structure and being connected to said principal part, the transverse width of said cantilever means being substantially less than the greatest transverse width of the principal part, said cantilever means being adapted for connection to parts of the driving and running gear of the vehicle, such as to the motor or to the road Wheels.

KURT SCHAFE" R.

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