US2494115A

US2494115A - Metallic frame

Info

Publication number: US2494115A
Application number: US661724A
Authority: US
Inventors: August F Bock; August M Bock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-04-12
Filing date: 1946-04-12
Publication date: 1950-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 1967-01-10

Description

Jan. M, l%@ A. F. BOCK ET AL METALLIC FRAME Filed April 12, 1946 INVENTUR AUGUST F BOCK AUGUST M- BOCK 7 BY I n AT OE EV Patented Jan, 10, 1950 UNITED TA-res rAreurforrics;

August F. Bock and August M. Bock, Elkhart, In.

Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,724

, 2,Claims. (Cl. 280-106) This invention relates to structural members and more particularly to structural members that may be used in a motor vehicle chassis, but not necessarily limited to such use.

An object of this invention is to utilizea rolled tube in the manufacture of frames-such as a frame member for a chassis used in various types of trailers and motor vehicles, wherein the strength of the frame is considerably increased over the strength of conventional chassis frames used in the past while the net weight of the vehicle is considerably reduced.

Another object of this invention is to utilize a rolled full box form frame member in the construction of a chassis for a motor vehicle.

Another object of this invention is-to provide a rolled full box form frame member that is rolled from sheet metal having the edges abuttin each other along a side wherein the stresses are the least. l

Another object of this invention is to utilize a rolled full box form frame member wherein the material has been used to the greatest advantage to resist the various stresses that may be set up in the frame member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rolled full box form frame member having the seam along the bottom of the frame member, so as to provide drainage for moisture, condensation et cetera.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the chassis frame member incorporating the rolled full box form frame member.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional View of the rolled full box form frame member shown in perspective.

The reference character iii indicates the main frame members of a chassis. The front end of members lo may be deflected inwardly, so as to form a V-portion consisting of the portions I2. The frame members H3 are held in spaced relation by a plurality of truss members it and IS. The truss member Hi is somewhat larger than the truss member it. These truss members are held parallel by spacer bars 5%. Near the rear axle the frame members to are reenforced by a transverse bar 25, having a cross section identical to the frame member Ii! and a longitudinal center bar 22, also identical in cross section to member ID. a Each of the longitudinal frame members 1&3 is provided with a plurality of out: wardly directed supporting members 24, reen forced by braces 26. Each of the longitudinal frame members i B, the cross bars 20 and the cen ter bar 22 constitute rolled full box form, made from sheet metal, providing a horizontal portion 30, as best seen in Figure 3, a pair of veritical wall portions 82, extending at rightangles to the portion 3!], the Wall portions 32 terminating in reentrant flange portions 34 contacting each other along a center line 36, welded 'at spaced intervals, as shownat 33. The horizontal portion 39 has a width'less than the height of the wall portions 32.

It has been found that by using the rolled full box form members, much lighter weight material may be used for the frame structure than has been the customary practice in the past. This results in a light weight framemember. The side wall portions 32 are homogeneous throughout the height of the wall, so that the maximum strength is obtained from this metal. Furthermore, the top portion 30' is homogeneous throughout, in that it has no seams and therefore it withstands horizontal loads.

The truss members M and it, in addition to holding the frame members is in spaced relation, give strength to the inside walls 32, so as to prevent buckling. The supporting members 24 and the braces 26 strengthen the outside walls 32, so as to prevent buckling.

The seam 36, extending along the bottom, is in a portion of the frame member where the stresses are the least and therefore strength is not as essential in this portion of the bar as elsewhere. Furthermore, the seam extending along the bottom provides drainage for the rolled full box form frame member, so that in the event moisture accumulates within the frame member, it readily drains through the seam.

Throughout the specification and claims, the portion 30 has been referred to as a top portion, the walls 32 as downwardly directed vertically disposed walls and the flanges 34 as reentrant flanges along the bottom. Obviously, for numerous purposes the portions 30 need not be at the top and the side walls need not necessarily be downwardly directed, the choice of locations being dependent entirely upon the use to which the frame members are to be put. The designations used in the specification and claims as far as top, side and bottom are concerned, are

not to be construed as a limitation; but merely for convenience in expression.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A frame structure for a chassis of a vehicle, said chassis including a pair of rolled full box form frame members, each of said frame members including a horizontal homogeneous top portion merging into a pair of vertically disposed side walls homogeneous throughout the side walls, the depth of the side walls being greater than the width of the top portion, the side walls merging into a pair of reentrant flanges abutting each other to form a longitudinal seam in the bottom of the rolled frame members, said flanges being welded together at spaced intervals, a plurality of members spanning the distance between the frame members for holding the frame members in fixed spaced relation from each other, said spanning members reenforcing the adjacent side walls of the frame members so as to prevent buckling thereof, each of said spanning members including a top portion and a bottom portion held in fixed spaced relation by spacer members so as to form a trusslike structure, extensions projecting outwardly from the box frame members and aligned with the spanning members, each of said extensions including a horizontally disposed top member and an inclined bottom member merging with the outer end of the top member to form a substantially triangular shaped structure, a transverse bar member having a cross section substantially identical to the cross section of the box frame members, said transverse member extending between the frame members and between two of the spanning. members, and a longitudinally extending center bar connecting two of the spanning members and intersecting the transverse bar.

2. A frame structure for a chassis of a vehicle, said chassis including a pair of rolled full box form frame members, each of said frame members including a horizontal homogeneous top portion merging into a pair of vertically disposed side walls homogeneous throughout the side walls, the depth of the side walls being greater than the width of the top portion, the side walls merging into a pair of reentrant flanges abutting each other to form a longitudinal seam in the bottom of the rolled frame members, said flanges being welded together at spaced intervals, a plurality of members spanning the distance between the frame members for holding the frame members in fixed spaced relation from each other, said spanning members reenforcing the adjacent side walls of the frame members so as to prevent buckling thereof, each of said spanning members including a top portion and a bottom portion held in fixed spaced relation by spacer members so as to form a trusslike structure, a transverse bar member having a cross section substantially identical to the cross section of the box frame members, said transverse member extending between the frame members and between two of the spanning members, and a longitudinally extending center bar connecting two of the spanning members and intersecting the transverse bar.

AUGUST F. BOCK.

AUGUST M. BOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,081,942 Beach Dec. 23, 1913 1,723,518 Murray, Jr. Aug. 6, 1929 1,846,567 Murray, Jr. Feb. 23, 1932 2,077,454 Almdale Apr. 20, 193'? 2,105,713 Werdehofi Jan. 18, 1938 2,155,876 Stout Apr. 25, 1939 2,173,525 Wallace Sept. 19, 1939