US926118A - Folding or collapsible top for automobiles. - Google Patents

Description

H; M. HOELSGHER. FOLDING OR GOLLAPSIBLE TOP FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1908.

UNITE;

HERMAN M. HOELSGHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING R coLLArsmLE TOP FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Ifo. scans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 29, 190% Application filed liTovember 5,1908. Serial No. 461,134.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN M. HennsoHnR, a citizen of the United States, resid ing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful-1m rovement in Folding or Collapsible Tops or Automobiles, of which the following is a specification. My 'lIlVGIltlOIl relates to folding or colla sible tops for automobiles.

Ieretofore in automobiles having bodies furnished with folding or collapsible tops, the openings above the side doors and between the upright collapsible frame members or rods have usually been closed by rethe to b buttons or other suitable fastene'rs'. uc curtains, when removed, do not interfere with the collapsing of. the top, but they are inconvenient and difiicult to remove and apply and require considerable time, and their removal or application can ordinarily onl be matle from the outside or by the chau eur, although it is frequently very necessary or desirable, especially in cases of emergency, that the occupants of the vehicle should be able themselves to quickly remove such curtains and get out.

The object of my invention is to provide a collapsible or foldingtop automobile body of an improved construction, wherein the side curtains over the doors will'not interfere with the collapsing or folding of the top, may always be in position ready for use, may be readily opened and closed either by the occupants of the vehicle from the inside or by the chauffeur from the outside, and this Very readily and quickly, and which will also be of a simple, efficient, neat and durable con- 40 struction.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this object or result. That is to say, it consists in connec tion with an automobile-body having folding or collapsible top and the customary side doors and openings above the doors between the upright frame members or rods ofthe top, of removable curtain rods detachably secured within the collapsible or folding top, and preferably to the upright frame members or rods thereof, so that whcn'the curtain rods are removed,'the top may properly fold or c'ollapse, and sliding curtains mounted on such rods so that they may be drawn together against the upright frame members movable curtains secured on. the outside of of the collapsible top and thus clear the spaces above the side doors.

It further consists, in connection with these parts, of cords and pulleys for operating the sliding curtains by the chauffeur 6' from the outside.

' It further consists in the novel construction of parts and ""devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described and more particularly specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding or collapsible top automobile embodying my invention, show- To ing one of the sliding curtains extended or closed, and the other contracted or opencdl Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail cross section on; 15 line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the removable curtain rod In the drawing, A represents an automobile of any suitable kind or construction having a body B with customary side doors 0 and folding or collapsible top D, having a cover (2 of leather or other flexible material and folding frame members or rods (1 d and with side openings D between the upright folding frame members or rods (2 (P.

The side 0 )enings D above the side doors C are closed. y sliding curtains E of leather or other flexible material, supported upon removable curtain rods F by suitable rin s or hangersf, passing through eyelets E in the curtains E. The removable curtain rods F may be detachably secured to the folding or collapsible top of the automobile body by any-suitable means I, however, prefer to employ for this purpose screw studs f and screw thimbles f the screw studs ,1 having base plates f secured to the upright .frame members or rods d of the folding or collapsible top by screws so that the curtain rods F may beeasily and uicklyremoved so as to enab e the collapsible top D to be contracted or folded when it is desired to use the vehicle as an open one. The removable curtain rods F extend between and are removably mounted upon the front and rear uprights d d of the collapsible top and are directly over the side doors 0 which are between the front and rear seats of the automobile body; and the sliding curtains E may be opened or collapsed either by the mobile body. When the curtains E are occupants of the rear seat or by the chauffeur or occupants of the front seat as occasionor emergency may require. The flexible sliding curtains E when extended or closed are securely held in this position by elastic holders G havinglhooks g engaging rings or eyelets E in t e curtain and fasteners g secured to the collapsible top D or body B of the automobile. The side members (1 of the collapsible top D have forwardly pro jecting extensions (1 over which the rear edges E of the curtains E overlap so as to produce a tight closure against wind-or rain.

To hold the lower edges of the curtains E in their extended or closed position, the same are furnished with large hooks G which engage the side portion 6 of the autocontracted or 0 en, they are held in this position by flexible straps GF. To enable the sliding. and contractible curtains E to be readily o ened or closed from the outside or by the chauffeur, I provide the same with cords H e ending over pulleys it, said cords extending infio easy reach from the chauffeurs seat over ul eys h 70 one near the front edge of the si e ddor' opening and the other near the rear edge thereof. The cords H H are both attached t the rear edge of. the curtain. The chau ur by pulling on the cord H collapses the curtain by pulling its rear eclllgle directly forward. v The occupant by p ing on the cord H which extends first around the front pulley h and then over the rear pulley 7L1 also collapses the curtain by pulling "ts rear edge forward. Further cords H tend to the occupants seat.

My invention may be applied to automol bile bodies with collapsible tops whether the whole top thereof be made colla sible on only a ortion thereof collapsible, and

Whether t e top is made collapsible by folding it or by otherwise collapsing or contracti mg 1t. For convenience, have illustrated 1 my invention as applied to an automobile body, the whole top of which is collapsible by a folding movement.

I claiinz- 1. In an automobile the combination of a body, a collapsible top extendin said body and having front a'n rear uprights connecting it with the body, the said uprights being colla sible with the top, the body being provide with a side door opening between the said uprights and extending to the bottom of the body, a hinged door fitting the said 0 ening, a detachable rod extending over t e said hinged door and carried by the said uprights, and a flexible curtain sliding on the said rod, closing the space between the said uprights and lapping past the top edge of the door, whereby by the sliding of the curtain and the swinging of the door a free exit space may be pro-. vided extending to the bottom of the body.

2. In an automobile, the combination of abody having front and rear seats, a collapsible top extending overthe said front and rear seats and having front and rear uprights connecting it with the body, the body being provided with a side door opening between the said seats, a hinged door fitting said opening, a detachable rod extending over the said hinged door and carried by the said uprights, a flexible curtain sliding on the said rod, closing the space between the front and rear seats and lapping past the top edge of the door and the pull cord extending from the sliding curtain to the said front seat, whereby by the sliding of the cur-. l tain and the swinging of the door a free exit and entrance space may be provided extending to the bottom of the body.

HERMA M. HOELSCHER.

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