US723749A - Vehicle-top. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD MAR. 24,1903.

J. H. SPRAGUB.

VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 5, 1902.

No lMODEL.

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UNITED STATES- PATENT *i OFFICE.

JAMES H. SPRAGUE, OF NORWALK, OHIO.

VEHICLE-TO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 723,749, dated March 24, 1903.

- Application sie@ March 5,1902

To all whom it'. may concern: Y

Be it known thatIfJAMEs HISPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Top, of which the following is a specication.

Thisinventionrelates to a novel vehicle canopy or top designed for attachment to a vehicle-seat to protect the occu pants thereof.

The object of the invention is to 4produce a simple and inexpensive three-bow top arranged to be quickly attached to and detached from the seat-irons and including a two-bow canopy-frame tiltably supported by a single upright bow and capable of being set at diffe rent angles to properly position the canopy for the protection of the occupants of ,the seat.

To the accomplishment of this object and others subordinate thereto the preferred embodiment of the invention comprehends that construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctly defined in the appended claims. f

In said drawings, Figure l is al perspective view of the vehicle-top, illustrating the manner of its application to the vehicle-seat. Fig. 2 isa detail sectional view of one of the pivotal connections between the cover-frame and the supporting-bow. Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, of one of said pivotal connections and showingthe cover-frame tilted in dotted lines. Fig. 4 isa sectional view through one of the seat-irons and the lower end of one side of the supporting-bow, the purpose being to illustrate the mode of connecting these parts; and Fig. 5 isa perspective vie'w of a seat-iron, its supporting-brackets, and a portion of the supporting-bow.

Like numerals are employed to designate v corresponding parts throng-hout the views.

. To the opposite sides ofthe seat 1 of the vehicle are attached, in a manner to be -described, a pair of seat-irons 2, which detachablyV receive the lower ends of the supporting-bow 3 flinverted- U shape. The supporting-bow is of sufficient height for the support of an overhead canopy or cover 4, distended by a substantially rectangular coverframe 5, tiltably connected to the opposite sides of the bow 3. The cover-frame 5 is com- Serial No. 96,833. (No model.)

posed of a'pair of bows t' and '7, disposed with their ends opposed to each other, but separated by suiiicient intervals to accommodate the vertical sides of the bow3, which are interposed between the ends .of the bowsvG and 7. (See Fig. 2.) The ends of the cover-frame bows 6 and '7 are connected by straps or plates 8, through which pass headed bolts 9; bolts, which are disposed horizontallyin axial alinement, constitute swivel-supports for the cover-frame land are passed through the opposite'sides of the bow 3, their inner ends being threaded, as shown, for the reception of These the hand-wheels 10, which constitute burs v any desired angle by the occupant of the seat.`

As this retention of the cover-frame or top proper is merely fric'tional, however, I prefer to insure the proper retention of the frame by the provision of a rack 13, pivoted at one end to the frame-as, for instance, to the bow 7 and designed to engage a stud or pin 14, projecting from one side of the bow 3 at a point below the frame 5. tilted one or the other of the notches of the rack 13 will engage the stud 14, and the cover will be held rigidly, even though the handwheels 10 have not been screwed tight. lt should Ibe noted at this point that the connecting straps or plates 8 serve the dual function of connections for the inner ends of the bows and 7 and bearing members for the bolts 9, upon which the top frame is swiveled; also, that the inner ends of the bows 6 and 7 are sufliciently spaced from the adjacent edges of the bow 3 to permit the tilting of the cover-frame, but are sufficiently near saidV edges to constitute shoulders which by contacting with the bow 3 will serve to limit the tilting of the cover-frame in either a forward or backward direction. It will therefore be understood that in one aspect of my invention the cover-frame might be made in a single continuous piece, having suitable swivel As the cover-frame is IOO connection with the supporting-bow 3 and arranged to be limited in its tilting movement bysuitable retaining means--as, for instance, opposed stop-shoulders. The construction shown is considered preferable, however, because it is inexpensive, durable, and eiiicient.

Ve now come to consider the construction ot' the seat-irons 2 and the means whereby the detachable connection of the lower ends of the supporting-bow with said seat-irons is elected. 'lhe irons 2, which have the general form of flat plates, are provided at their lower ends with trunnions l5, which engage bearing-sockets 16, formed at the upper ends of straps 17, bolted or otherwise secured to the opposite sides or ends ot' the seat l. The bearing-sockets 16 are somewhat olset from the straps, as shown, in order that when the vehicle-top is detached the seat-irons 2 may be swung down out of the way, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1L. Normally, however, the irons 2 are disposed in an upright position and are provided upon their inner faces with sockets 1S, defined by a bottom ledge 1S), upon which the lower end of the bow rests, and side anges 20 and 2l, received within channels 22 and 23, formed in the opposite edges of the bow 3 for the reception ot' said flanges. This construction lends great rigidity to the connection of the bow with the seat-irons and prevents splitting of the ends of the bow in an obvious manner. For greater securit-y headed bolts 24 are passed through the lower ends of the bow 3 and through open-ended slots 25 in the seatirons 2. The outer ends of the bolts are threaded, as indicated in Fig. 4, for the reception of' handwheels o1' burs 26, which when screwed up serve to clamp the ends of the bow 3 to the seat-irons for the purpose of preventing accidental disconnection ofthe parts. As the upper ends of the slots 25 are open, however, it will be seen that in order to remove the top or canopy from the vehicleseat it is simply necessary to loosen the handwheels 26 and lift the vehicle-top away from the seat-irons, after which said irons will swing down to unobtrusive positions until it is desired to again attach the top or canopy to the seat. In this latter event it is simply necessary to swing the seat-irons to their upright positions, pass the lower ends of the bow 3 into the sockets 18, and screw up the wheels 26. When this is done, the top frame is tilted to the desired angle and is retained by the rack 13, and all rattling and vibration ofthe parts is prevented by screwing up the hand-wheels 10 sufticiently to prevent lost motion in the connection between the top frame and the supporting-bow.

It will be observed from the foregoing that I have produced a simple, inexpensive, durable, and highly-elcent vehicle top or canopy; but while the present embodiment of the invention is thought at this time to be preferable I do not wish to limit myself to the structural details defined, as it is evident that many changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure may be el.- fected without departing from the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is- 1. A vehicle-top comprising a single supporting-bow, a rigid cover-frame tiltably supported intermediate of its ends by the opposite sides of the bow, below the cross-bar at the top of said bow, whereby said bar serves as a stretcher for the cover when applied, andv means for securing the cover-frame in its adjusted positions.

2. A vehicle-top comprising a supportingbow, a rigid cover-frame tiltably supported intermediate of its ends by the opposite sides of the bow, means for securing the coverframe iu its adjusted positions, and a cover secured to the cover-frame and arranged to be stretched taut bythe top of thesupportingbow.

3. A vehicle-top comprising a supportingbow, a rigid cover-frame tiltably supported by the supporting-bow and having shoulders arranged to abut against the bow to limit the tilting of the frame, and means for rctaining the cover-frame in intermediate positions.

4. A vehicle-top comprising a supportingbow, a rigid cover-frame tiltably mounted t thereon, one of said elements being provided with a projection, and a rack carried by the other ot' said elements and arranged to engage the projection to retain the cover-frame in its adjusted positions.

5. A vehicle-top comprising a single supporting-bow, a rigid cover-frame tiltablysupported inter-mediate of its ends by the opposite sides of the bow, a cover secured to the cover-frame and arranged to be stretched taut by the top of the supporting-bow, bolts passed through the opposite sides of the coverframe and bow, and handwheels screwed upon the bolts and arranged to clamp the cover-frame rigidly to the sides of the bow to retain said frame in its adjusted positions.

6. A three-bow vehicle-top comprising a supporting-bow, a cover-frame composed of a pair of bows disposed at opposite sides of the supporting-bow, plates connecting the opposed ends of the bows of the cover-frame, and a pivotal connection between the connecting-plates and the opposite sides of the supporting-bow.

7. A three-bow vehicle-top comprising a supporting-bow, a cover-frame composed of a pair of bows having their opposed ends connected and spaced from the opposite edges of the supporting-bow to constitute shoulders arranged to abut against the supporting-bow after predetermined tilting movement of the cover-frame, and means for eecting a pivotal connection between the cover-frame and supporting-bow.

8. A three-bow vehicle-top comprising a cover-frame composed of a pair of bows and IUD plates connecting the opposed ends of, the bows, a supporting-bow having its opposite sides interposed between the ends of the coverbows, bolts passed through the opposite sides of the supporting-bow and through the connecting-plates of the cover-frame, and handwheels screwed up'on the inner ends of said bolts and arranged to retain the cover-frame and supporting-bow in frictional engagement to prevent accidental tilting of the frame, the ends'of the cover-bows being spaced from the adjacent edges of the supporting-bow to permit limited tilting of the frame.

9. A three-bow vehicle-top comprising a cover-frame composed of a pair of cover-bows, having their opposed ends spaced apart, and connecting-plates rigidly connecting the opposed ends of said bows, a supporting-bow extended above the cover-frame and having its opposite sides interposed between the ends of the cover-bows, bolts passed through the conmeeting-plates of the cover-frame and the sides of the supporting bow, hand-wheels screwed upon the inner ends of said bolts, a projection on the supporting-bow, a swinging rack carried by the cover-frame and engaging said projection to sustain the frame in its adj usted positions, and a iiexible cover secured at its edges to the cover-frame and distended by the upper portion of the supporting-bow.

l0. The combination with a vehicle-top cornprising a supporting-bow and a rigid coverframe tiltably mounted intermediate of its ends thereon, of pivotally-lnounted seat-irons A provided with sockets for the reception of the lower ends of the supporting-bow, and means for effecting a detachable connection between the su pportin g-bow and seatirons,said means being disposed t'o draw the lower ends of the supporting-bow into the sockets of the irons.'

1l. A vehicle-top comprising a single supporting-bow, a rigid cover-frametiltably supported intermediate of its ends by the opposite sides of the bow, below the cross-bar at the top of said bow, whereby said bow serves as a stretcher for the cover when applied, means for securing the cove'r in its adj usted positions, anda stop device for limiting the tilting movement of the cover-frame.

12. The combination with asupporting-bow and a seat-iron, one of said elements being provided with an open-ended slot, of a bolt passing through said elements and received within said slot, a clamping member screwed upon the bolt to draw the bow and seat-iron into close relation, the detachment of the bow and iron being effected by the withdrawal of the bolt through the open-ended slot, and a cover-frame mounted on the supportingbow. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses:

J. S. WHITE, JOHN A. STRUTTON.

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