US888948A - Storm-top for vehicles. - Google Patents

Description

l PATENTED MAY 26, 1908. T. A.WELSHANS.

STORM TOP PoR VEHIGLES.- r

y APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1907.

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ru: NoRms PETERS co., wAsmNamN o c v A13 ATLNTEDMAY 26, 190s. T. A. WELSHANS. STORM TOP POR. VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 30, 1907.

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THOMAS A. WELSHANS, OF MONTEZUMA, INDIANA.

STORM-TOP FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'May 26,- 1908.

Application filed March 30, 1907. Serial No. 365,571.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. WELSH- ANs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montezuma, in the county of Parke and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Storm-Top for Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this s ecification.

This invention. re ates to vehicle tops of the class that may be used during rain storms `and which may be removed from the vehicle bodies during fair weather, the invention having reference more particularly to storm tops having side doors and especially side doors that are adapted for such vehicles as have bodies arranged relatively low on the running gear with relatively high wheels.

The objects of the invention are to provide an improved storm top of the above-inentioned character in which the occupant of the vehicle may be completely housed and protected from the elements g to provide a storm top that will be adapted to be readily removed from the vehicle, a further object being to provide an improved storm door for storm tops adapted to open out over the wheels and fold against the side of the vehicle, there being minor objects which will become apparent from the following description.

With the above-mentioned and minor objects in view, ther invention consists in a storm top having various novel features of construction which will be hereinafter described in detail and provided with side doors of novel construction, each door having a folding portion provided with means whereby when the door is opened the folding portion will automatically rise clear of the adjacent wheel of the vehicle; and the invention consists further in thev novel parts and the combinations .and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and referred to in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved storm top mounted on abodyl of a road vehicle, thel wheels and running gear of which are indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the vehicle body and the storm top showing one of the side doors partially open; Fig. 3, a diiferent perspective view of the body and storm top showing the side door fully open and latched against the storm top with the folding portion drawn up sufficiently high that it may clear the rear wheel of the vehicle; Fig. 4, a transverse sectional view of the storm top and vehicle body in a vertical plane corresponding to the rear side of the dash-board; Fig. 5, a horizontal sectional view of the storm top approximately at the middle thereof with one door partially open; Fig. 6, a fragmentary elevation showing the interior of the body and the righthand side door without its covering; Fig. 7, an elevation of the forward edge of the door; Fig. 8, an elevation of the rearward edge of the door; Fig. 9, a view of the door with the folding portion thereof turned over against the main portion of the door; and Fig. 10, a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the storm top showing one of the latches for holding the side doors open against the side of the storm top.

In the various figures of the drawings similar reference characters designate corresponding parts or features.

In Fig. 4 the seat cushion is omitted.; in

Fig. 5, both seat and back cushions are omit- Y ted.

The storm to may be adapted for various shapes of vehic e bodies but 1s shown for the purpose of illustration on one style of body only, a designating the vehicle body 3 b the seat having inclined sides c and c/ on which is suitably mounted a shifting frame com rising two side rails d and d and a rear rai attached to the side rails, the shifting frame being suitably connected so as to be removable from the seat. Door posts e and c are attached to the shifting frame at the forward portions thereof, and corner posts f and f are attached to the rearward corners of the shifting frame, there being a roof g attached to the tops of the posts, the roof having side rails g. Suitable covering is connected to the posts, and the roof is composed of suitable framing and covering materials, the roof extending forward of the door posts so as to extend beyond the plane of the vehicle body, and a storm front h is mounted on the front of the body and extends up to the roof, being suitably connected thereto. On account of the flaring sides of the seat, the storm top is broader than the vehicle body, and the front h is of the same width as the main portion of the top from the roof down to the level of the top of the seat sides, the lower portion of the front h having inclined sides h so that the lower extremity of the front is of the same width as the relatively narrow body of the vehicle. The front h is provided with a swinging window h2.

The open spaces between the door posts of the top and the front h are normally closed by doors t and i', each door being connected to a door post by hinges j and j. Each door has an inwardly inclined portion 7c at the lower portion of the main part thereof, the lower end 7c of the main part being a joint edge which is inclined to the horizontal so that the forward edge of the main portion of the door is shorter than the rearward or hinged edge. The folding part of each door comprises a main part Z which has an inwardly inclined-portion mcorresponding to the inclination of the inclined sides h of the storm front and the inclination of the sides c and c of the seat. The main portion Z hasa joint edge m which is inclined to the horizontal so as to correspond to the joint edge c, the two joint edges being connected toether by hinges o and o arranged so that the olding part of the door may turn inwardly but not outwardly, and allowed to be carried or swung upwardly toward the inner surface of the door, as presently disclosed and therefore will be normally held in to close the doorway when the door is in closed position. Suitable straps or cords forming links p and p are attached to the rearward portions of the folding parts .of the doors, one to each door and each strap or cord has an end thereof attached to any suitable part of the seat or, as shown, to the inner side of the rail d or d so that when the door opens the links will limit the movement of the folding part of the door and cause it to be drawn upwardly and inwardly into elevated position toward the inner side of the main door section out of the way of the vehicle wheel while the main part of the door continues to swing open and back against the side of the storm top as indicated in the several figures of the drawings. The joint edges lc and m are not necessarily inclined as shown, but may be constructed so as to be approximately horizontal, and whereby the movementof the door will be facilitated by such elevation of said foldable door section when closing the door.

Suitable latches g and g are mounted in the rails g and g of the roof preferably on pivots r, each latch having a handle 1" for its actuation, there being an opening s through which the latch extends, the latch being pressed by a suitable spring t so that when a door is thrown open against the top -it will automatically latch.

In practical use the doors may be latched as usual when closed, and when open and released from the holding latches the doors will automatically close by gravity induced by the upheld folding parts of the doors and the connecting links p and p which tend to pull the doors toward their closed positions. The hinged window h2 and either door may be opened under favorable conditions for the purposes of ventilation.

Having thus described the invention, what is-claimed as new isl. ln a storm top for vehicles, the combination with door posts and side rails, of a door formed of upper and lower hinged together sections adapted to swing back into position against the side portion of said top, and a cord, strap or the like forming a flexible means of connection between the lower door section and a fixed point, the point of attachment for said connecting means to one of said door sections being effected upon its inner side, near the bottom rear edge thereof, said connecting means extending diagonally upwardly and transversely of the hinging joint between the two door sections.

2. ln a storni top for vehicles, the combination with door posts and side rails, of a door formed of upper and lower hinged together sections, arranged to swing back in position against the side portion of said top, and cords, straps or the like forming flexible link connections between the lower door section and a fixed point, the point of attachment of said link connections to said door being effected upon its'inner side, near the bottom rear edge thereof, said connecting Y means extending diagonally upwardly transversely of the hinging oint between the two door sections.

3. ln a storm top for vehicles, the combination with door posts and side rails, of a door formed of upper and lower hinged together sections adapted to swing back into position against the side portion of said top, flexible means of connection between the lower door section and a fixed point, and means releasable from the interior of the vehicle to hold said door folded back against the side portion of said top.

ln testimony whereof, l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses, on the 20th day of March, 1907.

THOMAS A. VELSHANS.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. HoUcHIN, JAMES M. BLUE,

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