US2779051A

US2779051A - Hinge holdopen

Info

Publication number: US2779051A
Application number: US350704A
Authority: US
Inventors: La Verne B Ragsdale
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1953-04-23
Filing date: 1953-04-23
Publication date: 1957-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 1974-01-29

Description

Jan. 29, 1957 LA VERNE B, RAGSDALE 2,779,051

HINGE HOLDOPEN Filed April 23, 1953 INVENTOR W E TORNEY IA- i United States Patent-O HINGE HOLDOPEN La Verne B. Ragsdale, Dearborn, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1953, Serial No. 350,704

4 Claims. (Cl. 16-140) This invention relates to a hinge holdopen, and more particularly to an improved holdopen device for automobile door hinges.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved hinge holdopen; another feature of the invention is that it provides a pair of holdopen levers rockably supported intermediate their ends opposite each other on the hinge box walls, with a portion of each lever lying in the path of swinging movement of the hinge strap; a further feature of the invention is that the portion of each lever in the path of swinging movement of the strap is on one side of the rockable support and the levers are interconnected on the other side of the rockable support by a spring, said levers being forced apart against the compression force of the spring upon swinging movement of the hinge strap; still another feature of the invention is that it provides a hinge holdopen which may be easily manufactured and assembled, the parts being separate metal stampings with no permanent connections between them; and yet another feature of the invention is that the holdopen levers, which are of rigid material, are provided with an oset portion in the path of swinging movement of the hinge strap providing a cam surface for engagement by said strap to obtain a holdopen action.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of an automobile door and body hinge pilla-r showing the hinge holdopen apparatus, the arrangement of the parts when the door is closed being shown in solid lines and the arrangement of the parts when the door is open being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a lsection taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. l, showing a portion of the hinge box and one of the holdopen levers; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the holdopen levers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 10 is an outer side panel of an automobile body, and 11 is a door hinge pillar mounted on said body, said pillar having a hinge face 12 which is spaced from the cooperating hinge face 13 of an automobile door 14. The door preferably is secured to the body by two hinges which are spaced vertically. Only one of these hinges is illustrated in the drawing.

A hinge box is mounted within the body hinge pillar 11 by mea-ns of screws 16. The box is generally U- shaped, having a base wall 18 and opposite side walls 19 and 20, each having a ange 19a and 20a respectively by means of which the hinge box is secured to the hinge face 12 of the pillar 11.

A hinge pin 21 is mounted between the walls 19 and 20 and forms a pivotal support for a gooseneck hinge ice strap 22 which is mounted for swinging movement between the walls 19 and 20 and which has a free end portion 23 extending through an opening 24 in the hinge face 12 of the body hinge pillar. The free end portion 23 is secured to the hinge face 13 of the door 14 by means of screws 25 and a reinforcing plate 26 on the inner surface of the hinge face of the door.

`In order to provide a holdopen action in the operation of the door,

holdopen levers

28 and 29 are supported intermediate their ends opposite each other on the hinge box walls 19 and 20 for rocking movement toward and away from each other. A portion of each lever lies in the path of swinging movement of the strap 22 and a spring 48 interconnects the levers, the strap engaging the levers and forcing them apart against the force of the spring upon swinging movement of the strap when the Idoor is opened.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, the holdopen lever is formed with detents 30 intermediate its ends which 'detents support the lever for rocking movement on the adjacent hinge box wall. The lever has a portion 32 on one side of the detent 30 (see Fig. 3) which lies in the path of movement of the strap 22, and the lever is formed with an offset shoulder portion 34 in the path of swinging movement of the strap 22 providing a cam surface for engagement by the strap. At one end the lever is formed with a lug 36 and intermediate its ends it is formed with lianges or lugs 37 and 38. The hinge box walls 19 and 20 are interconnected by a strap 40 having slots 42 adjacent each end thereof. When the holdopen levers are mounted in the hinge box, the end lug 36 of each lever is received in one of these slots, the slot being wider than the lug as shown in Fig. 3 to permit rocking movement of the lever. The hinge Vbox walls 19 and 20 are also formed with

slots

43 and 44 for receiving the lugs 37 and 38 (see Fig. 4). The lug and `slot interconnection above described between each holdopen lever and the adjacent hinge box Wall provides guide means whereby movement of each lever is guided in two planes transversely disposed with respect to each other (i. e., in directions transversely and longitudinally of the levers) so that the levers are properly held in place but still may rock about an axis formed by the detents 30.

On the other side of the detents 30 from the strap engaging portion 32 is an embossment 45 formed by punching or extruding a hole 46 through the holdopen levers. The embossment 45 provides a hub for supporting a coil compression spring 4S.

'In the operation of the device, when the door is closed as shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 3, the hinge strap 22 is out of engagement with the holdopen levers. When the door is opened, the hinge strap pivots to the broken line position of Fig. 1 and engages the portion 32 of the levers which is in the path of swinging movement of the strap, the strap rocking the levers about the detents 30 against the force of the compression spring 48. As the door approaches fully open position it rides over the offset portion 34, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3, so that the

levers

28 and 29 provide a yieldable door holdopen. The spring 4S is strong enough that the door will not close under such ordinary forces as gravity or the force of the wind blowing against the open door, but when the door is manually pushed or pulled closed, the strap 22 rides up over the cam surfaces formed by the otset portions 34 and rocks the

levers

28 and 29 about the axis of the detents 30.

The construction is such that there are no permanent connections, such as screws or rivets, between the separate parts of the holdopen device, thus facilitating assembly of the device. Furthermore, the holdopen levers 2S and 29 are simple stampings of rigid metal, such as steel, and may be easily and cheaply formed by modern mass production methods. Since there is no spring action inherent in these levers, the manufacture of the levers is quite simple. Furthermore, since the levers are not of spring material, they may be made stronger and more rugged than similar levers formed of spring steel, while at the same time, the compression spring 48 provides a yieldable holdopen action.

While VI have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

l claim:

l. A hinge hold-open of the character described, including: a hinge box having opposite walls; a hinge arm pivotally mounted on said hinge box for swinging movement between said walls; a pair of rigid hold-open levers having means loosely supporting them intermediate their ends opposite each other, one on each wall, for rocking movement toward and away from each other about respective spaced axes, with a portion of each lever ad jacent one end thereof lying in the path of swinging movement of said hinge arm, the means loosely lsupporting said levers comprising complementary lug and slot connections between each lever and the adjacent hinge box wall, the lugs iitting loosely in the slots to allow limited shifting of the axis about which each lever rocks; and a spring which is under compression extendingT hetween said levers adjacent the other end thereof, said hinge arm engaging said lever portions and forcing said portions apart against the force of the spring upon swinging movement of the arm.

2. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim l, wherein the means for loosely supporting the levers on the hinge box walls comprises at least one turned lug projecting from each lever and extending through a slot in the hinge box wall, the slot being larger than the lug.

3. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim l, wherein each lever has at least one detent engaging the hinge box wall to provide for rocking movement of the lever.

4. A hinge holdopen of the character described including: a hinge box having opposite walls; a hinge arm pivotally mounted on said hinge box for swinging movement between said walls; a pair of rigid hold-open levers having means loosely supporting them intermediate their ends opposite each other, one on each wall, for rocking movement toward and away from each other about respective spaced axes, with a portion of each lever adjacent one end thereof lying in the path of swinging movement of said hinge arm, each lever having a detent engaging the adjacent hinge box Wall and providing for rocking movement of the lever about said axis, and the means loosely supporting said levers comprising a pair of turned lugs projecting from opposite sides of each lever and projecting through slots in the adjacent hinge `box Wall, the slots being larger than the lugs so that the lugs ,tit loosely in the slots to allow limited shifting of the axis about which each lever rocks; and a spring which is under compression extending between said levers adjacent the other end thereof, said hinge arm engaging said lever portions and forcing said portions apart against the force of the spring upon swinging movement of the arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,339 Valletta Sept. 27, 1938 2,342,531 Dean Feb. 22, 1944 2,594,582v Quinn Apr. 29, 1952