US3815284A

US3815284A - Releasable hinge mount for window

Info

Publication number: US3815284A
Application number: US00308521A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Schubach
Original assignee: Rohr Industries Inc
Current assignee: Rohr Inc
Priority date: 1972-11-21
Filing date: 1972-11-21
Publication date: 1974-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-11

Abstract

An inverted, metal channel member is fitted and bonded onto the upper edge of a glass panel window for a transportation type vehicle. An upward extension on the channel has a laterally bent upper end for engagement with one side of a continuous, resilient hinge member extending along the upper edge of a window opening. A metal locking strip has one edge thereof shaped for releasable engagement with the channel member, and its opposite edge bent to engage the opposite side of the hinge member. An insert strip, fitted between the locking strip and the channel member, retains the locking strip in position, and causes the latter, and the bent upper end of the channel extrusion, to grip the hinge member therebetween to suspend the window therefrom. Removal of the insert strip frees the locking strip and thereby releases the window from the hinge.

Description

United States Patent [191 Schubach June 11, 1974 RELEASABLE HINGE MOUNT FOR WINDOW [75] Inventor! Theodor Schubach, Bonita, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Rohr Industries, Inc., Chula Vista,-

Calif.

[22] Filed: Nov. 21, 1972 [21] Appl. No; 308,521

52 us. Cl. 49/4 [51] Int. Cl E061) 7/18 [58] Field of'search 49/466, 141, 397, 50];

[56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 358,002 12/196l Switzerland 49/141 Primary Examiner-Mervin Stein Assistant Examiner-Philip C. Kannan 57 7 ABSTRACT An inverted, metal channel member is fitted and bonded onto the upper edge of a glass panel window for a transportation type vehicle. An upward extension on the channel has a laterally bent upper end for engagement with one side of a continuous, resilient hinge member extending along the upper edge of a window opening, A metal locking strip has one edge thereof shaped for releasable engagement with the channel member, and its opposite edge bent to engage the opposite side of the hinge member. An insert strip, fitted between the locking strip and the channel member, retains the locking strip in position, and causes the latter, and the bent upper end of the channel extrusion, to grip the hinge member therebetween to suspend the window therefrom. Removal of the insert strip frees the locking strip and thereby releases the window from the hinge.

7 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure RELEASABLE HINGE MOUNT FOR WINDOW BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S.Pat. application Ser. No. 267,427, filed June 29, 1972, by Keith W. Tantlinger, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a continuous hinge seal strip which is mounted along the aligned upper edges of a row of windows provided along each side of a transportation type vehicle. The structure defining the upperedge of each of the window openings has a channel therein, with undercut side walls, which receives and retains a thickened upper edge portion of the hinge strip. While the arrangement of the above identified invention works in a most satisfactory manner, it is sometimes difficult to replace a window in the event it is broken or damaged.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing objectives and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein the single FIGURE is a fragmentary, vertical, transverse, sectional view through the side wall of a transportation type vehicle in the zone of the upper portion of a window opening, with a window hingedly suspended therefrom by structure embodying the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawing in detail, an extrusion A, which may be of aluminum, is part of a sidewall member of a transportation-type vehicle, such as a bus or rail car, and extends substantially the entire length of a side wall in which it is embodied. An inverted channel portion 10, integral with the extrusion A, has undercut side walls to receive and retain the thickened upper edge portion 11 of a hinge member B of of resilient material, such as rubber or a suitable plastic, many of which materials are well known and readily obtainable.

The hinge member B preferably extends substantially throughout the length of the extrusion A, and is generally similar to the resilient hinge member disclosed in Patent Application, Ser. No. 267,427, referred to previously herein. An outer access panel C is'hingedly mounted along its upper edge, not shown, to the vehicle side wall structure so that in its downswung position, illustrated, it engages the hinge member B as I shown and seals against the entrance of outside air and dust therebetween. This access panel C may be swung up out of the way for access to the inter-wall space, or when installing or performing maintenance work on the windows.

. flange portion 12 of the hinge member B is provided below the channel '10, and has a plurality of narrow sealing lips 13 formed integrally on its inward side for sealing engagement with the extrusion A. An outwardly and downwardly extending flange 14 is also formed on the outward side of the hinge member B opposite the flange l2 and terminates in'a thin lower edge which has sealing engagement with'the transparent plate portion 15 of a window D which the present invention hingedly supports.

An upwardly extending lip 17 is formed integrally on the inward side of the curved outer flange I4, and engages an outwardly and downwardly extending flange 18 formed on the inverted channel portion 19 of a channel member 20 into which the upper portion of the window plate portion 15 is fitted and retained by suitable bOnding material, which may be of a well-known type. The top surface of the channel portion 19 preferably is corrugated to have retaining engagement with a similarly corrugated side of an insert strip 21, to be referred to later herein.

An upward extension 22 of the inner side wallof the channel portion 19 bends outwardly at its upper edge to provide the inner half of a channel 23 with undercut side walls in whichis seated, in retained position, the thickened lower edge portion 24 of the resilient hinge member B.

An upwardly and inwardly inclined groove 25 is provided in the outer face of the channel extension 22, and into this groove is inserted for slight wobble movement the upwardly inclined inner edge of a metal locking strip 27. The latter strip is of a length equal substantially to the width of the window l), and has a rounded rib 28 extending lengthwise along an upwardly facing portion thereof. The rib 28 is shaped and located for fitted insertion'into a channel 29 provided along the outer edge of an outwardly extending flange 30 forming the upper wall'of the groove 25 when the parts are fitted together as shown in the drawing. The under side of the locking strip 27 is corrugated similarly to the upper surface of the channel portion 19 and for a similar reason. 1 i I Outwardly of its corrugated portion the locking strip 27 inclines upwardly at 31, extends vertically upwardly at 32, and finally inwardly along its upper edge to form the other undercut side wall of the channel 23.

The insert strip 21 preferably :is of slightly resilient material, is substantially the same length as the locking strip 27, and is of uniform cross sectional size and shape throughout its length.

OPERATION OF THE ILLUSTRATED FORM OF THE INVENTION In installing .a window D in a vehicle for which it is intended the thickened upper edge of hinge strip B is inserted in channel 10, preferably by drawing it in lengthwise as explained in US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 267,427, referred to previously herein. With'the channel portion 19 bonded to the transparent plate portion 15, and the access panel C swung up out of the way, the flange 14 is flexed upwardly to expose the thickened lower edge portion 24 of the hinge member B. The outwardly bent upper edge of the channel ex tension 22 is then hooked into engagement with the inner side of the thickened lower edge portion 24 of the hinge member B as shown.

With the inwardly bent upper edge portion of the locking strip 27 hooked over the outer side of the thickened lower edge portion 24 of the hinge member B, the upwardly inclined inner edge of the locking strip is forced fully into its groove 25, the resilience of the hinge member B permitting the locking strip 27 to be tilted downwardly sufficiently to allow the rounded rib 28 to enter the channel 29. The insert strip 21 is then inserted between the corrugated upper surface of the channel portion 19 and the lower corrugated surface of the locking strip 27 to secure the parts in window supporting position as shown in the drawing. Since such insert strips and the manner of their insertion are well known for use in structures of various types, and since special tools are readily available for their insertion, the details thereof are omitted.

The hinge member flange 14 is then released and allowed to flex down to its normal position and its lip 17 is engaged by the flange 18 as illustrated. The access panel C is then swung down into sealing engagement with the hinge flange 14, also as illustrated, to complete the installation.

To remove the window D for repair or replacement, the foregoing procedure is reversed.

The invention provides a simple sturdy mounting for a window of the type described which, unless damaged or intentionally released, will remain operational indefinitely, but which can be easily released should the necessity arise.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful and desired to be secured by U.S. Letters Patent is:

l. A releasable hinge mount for releasably suspending a hingedly mounted window of a transportation type vehicle comprising, in combination with a hinge strip of resilient material mounted across the upper end of a window opening,

a window of a size to close such opening,

a flange connected to, and extending upwardly from, the upper end of the window, and formed for clamping engagement with one side of a lower edge portion of the hinge strip, said flange having a horizontal element extending across the width of the window at its top,

a strip of rigid material with one edge thereof mounted for interlocking engagement with an element of the flange member, and formed for clamping engagement with the other side of such lower edge portion of the hinge strip, and

an insert member inserted, under at least slight pressure, between said horizontal element of the flange and the strip of rigid material, and urging the upwardly extending flange, and the other edge of the strip of rigid material toward each other for clamping, window supporting engagement with the hinge strip, and for releasing the hinge strip for removal of the window upon withdrawal of the insert member.

2. A releasable hinge mount as claimedin claim'l wherein the lower edge portion of the hinge strip is thickened, and the upper edge portion of the upwardly extending flange, and the other edge of the strip of rigid material, are both bent inwardly toward each other to overlie upper edge portions of the thickened lower edge portion of the hinge strip.

3. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in claim 2 wherein said one edge of the strip of rigid material is seated for limited, tilting engagement in a recess provided along a side of the upwardly extending flange.

4. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the window comprises a panel of transparent sheet material, an inverted channel portion is fitted and bonded to the upper edge of the transparent panel, the upwardly extending flange extends upwardly along one side of the channel portion, a portion of the strip of rigid material is spaced from, and substantially parallel to, a top surface formed on the channel portion, and the insert member is inserted in the space between such top surface of the channel portion and'the portion of the strip member spaced therefrom.

5. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in'claim 4 wherein the top surface of the channel portion and the surface of the strip of rigid material opposite thereto are corrugated to retain the insert when fitted therebetween against accidental displacement.

6. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in claim 4 wherein a flange extends laterally from an intermediate portion of the upwardly extending flange directly above the recess into which said one edge of the strip of rigid material is seated, and interlocking means are provided between the laterally extending flange and the strip of rigid material to retain the strip of rigid material seated in its recess when the insert member is inserted in the space between the top surface of the channel portion and the portion of the strip of rigid material opposite thereto.

7. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in claim 6 wherein the interlocking means comprises a groove formed in one of the members to be interlocked, and a bead is provided on the other of said members, and the bead in one of the members is inserted in the groove in the other of said members and is retained therein by the presence of the insert when the parts are fitted together with the insert strip inserted as defined in claim 6.

Claims

1. A releasable hinge mount for releasably suspending a hingedly mounted window of a transportation type vehicle comprising, in combination with a hinge strip of resilient material mounted across the upper end of a window opening, a window of a size to close such opening, a flange connected to, and extending upwardly from, the upper end of the window, and formed for clamping engagement with one side of a lower edge portion of the hinge strip, said flange having a horizontal element extending across the width of the window at its top, a strip of rigid material with one edge thereof mounted for interlocking engagement with an element of the flange member, and formed for clamping engagement with the other side of such lower edge portion of the hinge strip, and an insert member inserted, under at least slight pressure, between said horizontal element of the flange and the strip of rigid material, and urging the upwardly extending flange, and the other edge of the strip of rigid material toward each other for clamping, window supporting engagement with the hinge strip, and for releasing the hinge strip for removal of the window upon withdrawal of the insert member.

2. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower edge portion of the hinge strip is thickened, and the upper edge portion of the upwardly extending flange, and the other edge of the strip of rigid material, are both bent inwardly toward each other to overlie upper edge portions of the thickened lower edge portion of the hinge strip.

4. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the window comprises a panel of transparent sheet material, an inverted channel portion is fitted and bonded to the upper edge of the transparent panel, the upwardly extending flange extends upwardly along one side of the channel portion, a portion of the strip of rigid material is spaced from, and substantially parallel to, a top surface formed on the channel portion, and the insert member is inserted in the space between such top surface of the channel portion and the portion of the strip member spaced therefrom.

5. A releasable hinge mount as claimed in claim 4 wherein the top surface of the channel portion and the surface of the strip of rigid material opposite thereto are corrugated to retain the insert when fitted therebetween against accidental displacement.