US2434504A

US2434504A - Trim element for closure frames

Info

Publication number: US2434504A
Application number: US705393A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oliver B Merrill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-10-24
Filing date: 1946-10-24
Publication date: 1948-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 1965-01-13

Description

Jan. 13, 1948. o. B. MERRILL 2,434,504

TRIM ELEMENT FQR CLOSURE FRAMES Filed Oct. 24, 1946 Patented Jan. 13, 1948 omreo sures rem oFFi-ce This invention-mates totrim elements for 'closure frames, such as those of automobile doors, windows an the like, which elements cooperate with the cldsures for' the'fran'ies, and more particularlyit relates to the collect such an element which carries'or is covered by suitable soft material which makes direct contact with the closure and which also may support ornamental finish elements.

Such a core may be made of flexible but not limp sheet material, such as thin soft metal and it should be possible to bend it to suit curved portions of the openings to which it is applied without distortion of its general shape although a considerable area may be disposed in the plane of the bend. An example is a guide channel for receiving and guiding the edge of a window glass, such as is herein illustrated, and which, if applied to a window opening having a partially curved boundary, must be curved to that boundary in the planes of the channel flanges, Various constructions have been used more or less satisfactorily for meeting this requirement, a trim element which may be bent as described being broadly new. The purpose of my invention is to provide a construction not only highly efficient on this point, but also rugged and durable and cheaply and easily manufactured.

As a major field for the application of the invention would be in connection with channels for receiving the edge or a window glass, I have illustrated such a construction by Way of example in the accompanying drawings, which are described in the specification which follows. In these drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a fragment of a blank from which the core is formed;

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views illustrating successive steps in the manipulation of the blank in the course of manufacture of the core;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the channel core, partly broken away;

Fig, 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 on an enlarged scale; A Fig. 6 is a similar section showing a completed channel; H

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view showing an intermediate stage in the manufacture of a channel of modified construction corresponding to the stage of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is aside elevation, partly broken away, of the channel'fornied f-rom the blank of Fig. '7 and corresponds to Fig. 4.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I have there shown a strip of suitable nietal cut to form a blank which comprises an elongated central zone l0, correspending more or, less to the web. or bottom of thefinal channel: and which may be and prefer abl 'is continuous and. unbroken throughout its length as herein illustrated, and which blank further comprises a series of. independent, spaced, narrow tongues (made up of the portions numbered l2 and i4) projecting from both sidesof the zone- 10 and from which at least a. major portion of the channel fianges'areformed, as hereinafter to be described. These tongues herein comprise inner portions I2 projectingv substantially at right angles to the length of the central zone i9 and terminal portions [4 which extend at an angle from the outer end of the inner porti'ons l2 and which may be generally in the form of rhomboids or oblique parrallelograms, one of the smaller parallel sides of each of which corresponds to its line of junction with the inner portion H3 from which it extends.

Fig. 2 illustrates the outer half of the extension l4 folded over on its median which is parallel to its shorter edges, and since the parallelogram is oblique, this. fold is along a line oblique to its length and thefolded over portion of the' extension I4 will therefore be directed more or less longitudinally and extend into the space between the inner portion l2 to which it is attach'eddand the corresponding portion [2 of an adjacent tongue.

In Fig. 3 the extension portion l4 has been bent again, this -time along its line of junction with the inner portion -12. The extension now comprises an inwardly trending proximalportion and an outwardly trending distal portion which collectively bridge over the space between the inner portion i2 of the tongue to which the extension is attached and the corresponding portion I2. of an adjacent tongue and rests, without attachment, on the face-o1 the latter so as to be free to slide thereover, as will hereinafter appear. Preferably the length of the terminalportions M is so chosenft-hat the 'distal end will lie, as illustrated in Fig. 3,.su-bstantially at the proximal end of the corresponding extension of an adjacent tongue and herein the distal end is received Within the fold provided by the inwardly folded portion of that adjacent extension. It is not immovably clamped thereby, but rather telescoped therein, with freedom of motion over the faceof the adjacent portion 12,

The structure of Fig. 3 may now be bent into channel arm by folding the lateral lportion's over,

either direction but as herein illustrated away from the reader'viewlng Fig. 3, along longitudinal 3 lines at or adjacent the roots of the tongues to form a channel as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, at least the outer portions of the flanges of the channel being formed from the tongue portions of the original strip shown in Fig. 1.

The flanges of the channel, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, have sensibly continuous edges of multiple thickness provided by the interengaging tongues, which latter, nevertheless, are capable of relative movement to permit the flange to be bent in its plane without distortion of the channel form, the ends of the portions 14 sliding over the faces of the portions l2 of adjacent tongues to permit these portions [2 to assume positions substantially radial to the curve.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated an exemplary construction of a completed channel utilizing a core as shown in Fig. 5, which construction is a desirable one made possible by this form of core. A covering l6 extends over the exterior surfaces of the web and flanges of the channel and its margins are received beneath the folded over extensions M which extend in the manner of a bead along the exterior surface of the channel flanges at their edges. A covering I8 is applied over the inner surface of the channel and its margins are refolded over the edges of the channel and sealed to the body of the covering IE at 20 along the sides. The integumental covering thus provided is thus mechanically anchored by the engagement of the folds of the tongues with the margins of the strip 16.

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate successive steps in the manufacture of the channel core and for purposes of clearness are separated. Clearly it is possible to advance a strip longitudinally past several operating stations and to perform the difierent bending operations (and at suitable points the application of various covering strips similar to IE and I8) at successive stations so that these figures would illustrate successive portions of a single blank at an intermediate stage of its processing. I have considered that the description would be simplified by showing in separate views forms successively attained,

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modified form of core formed from a blank having a central zone I00 and tongues having inner portions I20 and outer portions I40. The outer portions I40 in this modification'are merely bent over on single lines of fold oblique to their length and are of such length that each bridges the space between the inner portion l20 from which it extends and the corresponding portion of an adjacent tongue and rests slidably upon the latter. In Fig. 8 the channel is shown formed by bending up the two edge portions of the blank of Fig. 7 in a direction toward the reader viewing that figure, the bent-over portions of the tongue being disposed at the inner sides of the flanges.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific 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, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim:

1. A core for a trim element which is mounted on a closure frame and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the closure for the frame, which core comprises an elongated strip of substantial width lying substantially in a plane but capable of being bent curvilinearly in that plane, the strip being formed of sheet material and comprising a continuous portion along one side from which projects a series of independent spaced tongues having terminal portions which are bent over along lines oblique to their length to extend in a direction generally longitudinal of the strip each across the space between the tongue to which it belongs and the adjacent tongue and with its distal end slidably overlapping the adjacent tongue.

2. A core for a trim element which is mounted on a closure frame and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the closure for the frame, which core comprises an elongated strip of substantial width lying substantially in a plane but capable of being bent curvilinearly in that plane, the strip being formed of sheet material and comprising a continuous portion along one side from which projects a series of independent spaced tongues having terminal portions which are bent over along lines oblique to their length to extend in a direction generally longitudinal of the strip each across the space between the tongue to which it belongs and the adjacent tongue and with its distal end slidably overlapping the adjacent tongue and received within the fold formed at the proximal end of the terminal portion of said adjacent tongue.

3. A core for a trim element which is mounted on a closure frame and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the closure for the frame, which core comprises an elongated strip of substantial width lying substantially in a plane but capable of being bent curvilinearly in that plane, the strip being formed of sheet material and comprising a continuous portion along one side from which projects a. series of independent spaced tongues having terminal portions of generally rhomboidal shape which are bent and rebent along their proximal ends and between their ends to provide bridges extending to and resting on adjacent tongues comprising an inwardly trending proximal portion and an outwardly trending distal portion, the distal end of each terminal portion lying adjacent the proximal end of the terminal portion of a companion tongue, the bridge being capable of motion relative to the companion tongue when the strip is bent to a curve.

4. A channel for receiving the edge of a window glass or the like comprising a core formed of sheet material having a web or bottom portion and sides of substantial depth corresponding to the flanges of the channel, the sides comprising each a series of independent spaced tongues proj ecting from a continuous portion extending along an angle of the channel, the tongues having terminal portions which are bent over along lines oblique to their length to extend in a direction generally longitudinal of the channel each across the space between the tongue to which it belongs and the adjacent tongue and with its distal end slidably overlapping the adjacent tongue, a covering for one surface of the web and flanges of the channel having its margins received between the folded-over portions and the other portions of the tongues and a covering for the other surface of the web and flanges having its margins sealed to the body of the first mentioned covering inwardly of the said margins of the former, whereby the complete integumental covering is mechanically anchored by the engagement of the folds of the tongues with said margins of the first mentioned strip.

5. A core for a trim element which is mounted on a closure frame and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the closure for the frame, which core comprises an elongated strip of substantial width lying substantially in a plane but capable of being bent curvilinearly in that plane, the strip being formed of sheet material and comprising a continuous portion along one side from which projects a series of independent spaced tongues having terminal portions which are bent to extend across the spaces between adjacent tongues and telescopically engaged one with another to provide an efiectively continuous but longitudinally compressible edge portion for the strip.

6. A core for a window channel formed of sheet material having a web or bottom portion and sides of substantial depth corresponding to the flanges of the channel, the sides comprising each a series of independent spaced tongues projecting from a continuous portion extending along an angle of the channel, the tongues having terminal portions which are bent over along lines oblique to their length to extend in a direction generally longitudinal of the channel each across the space between the tongue to which it belongs and the adjacent tongue and with its distal end slidably overlapping the adjacent tongue.

7. A core for a window channel formed of sheet material having a Web or bottom portion and sides of substantial depth corresponding to the flanges of the channel, the sides comprising each a series of independent spaced tongues projecting from a continuous portion extending along an angle of the channel, the tongues having terminal portions which are bent over along lines oblique to their length to extend in a direction generally longitudinal of the channel each across the space between the tongue to which it belongs and the adjacent tongue and with its distal end slidably overlapping the adjacent tongue and received within the fold formed at the proximal end of the terminal portion of said adjacent tongue.

8. A core for a window channel formed of sheet material having a web or bottom portion and sides of substantial depth corresponding to the flanges of the channel, the sides comprising each a series of independent spaced tongues projecting from a continuous portion extending along an angle of the channel, the tongues having terminal portions of generally rhomboidal shape which are bent and rebent along their proximal ends and between their ends to provide bridges extending to and resting on adjacent tongues comprising an inwardly trending proximal portion and an outwardly trending distal portion, the distal end of each terminal portion lying adjacent the proximal end of the terminal portion of a companion tongue, the bridge being capable of motion relative to the companion tongue when the channel is bent to a curve.

OLIVER B. MERRILL.