WO1988002716A1

WO1988002716A1 - Adjustable angular assembly

Info

Publication number: WO1988002716A1
Application number: PCT/EP1987/000552
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edgar Strack
Original assignee: Strack Carrosserie- Und Fahrzeugbau
Priority date: 1986-10-10
Filing date: 1987-09-29
Publication date: 1988-04-21
Also published as: CH674401A5; EP0286655A1; AU8022287A

Abstract

An angular assembly is used for the interlocking, releasable or non releasable fixing of support posts (18) at one end, and transverse supports (22) at the other end or transverse supports at both ends, which form part of a supporting frame, in particular a cover framework for utility vehicles. The angular assembly consists of two interlocking rods (26) set at an adjustable angle by means of their formed articulated heads (28), said rods having contours corresponding to the inside cross-section of the pillars (18) or are transverse supports (22). The angular assembly also has means enabling the assembly of the articulated heads (28) and for preventing the rotation of the angle which has been set.

Description

Adjustable corner connection

Description

The invention relates to a corner connection for positive, releasable or non-releasable reception of support posts on one end and cross beams on the other or cross beams on both ends for the production of transverse arches a support frame, in particular for a convertible top frame of utility vehicles.

Convertible top frames for commercial vehicles are mostly welded or put together from steel tubes. In the first case, a large assortment of bulky roof racks has to be kept in stock for the numerous dimensions of dock levellers. Furthermore, the welding points must be galvanized, which can still result in high transport costs and delayed delivery times if the welding and galvanizing are not carried out in the same company.

As a rule, plug connections must be secured by hooks, folding pins, etc. This results in cumbersome handling and requires a large number of components which can easily be lost during use.

The protruding securing parts not only abrade the tarpaulins, but also represent a constant risk of injury, especially if they protrude into the loading space.

The connections of the day frames, of whatever type, must be reliable and withstand the shocks which are subject to shear forces during travel. -__ -

DE-PS 808 026 describes a frame for car tarpaulins, which can be assembled or disassembled in a few simple steps and carried in a collapsed state with a small space requirement. A front and a rear end frame, preferably in the form of a pipe bend, are connected to one another by articulated, collapsible longitudinal struts (FIGS. 7-10). The longitudinal struts engage at the ends in welded-on pipe supports of the end frames (FIGS. 4-6) and are secured with plug bolts. Thus, during assembly or disassembly of the frame, the longitudinal struts can be plugged into or pulled out of the pipe sockets 5, 6 at the joints 7 when the height-adjustable, arch-shaped end frames are inserted. 4 shows the position of the longitudinal struts 3 on the rigid end frame 1.

The inventor has set himself the task of creating a corner connection of the type mentioned at the outset, which lowers the costs for the manufacture and storage of convertible top frames, replaces series production for standard superstructures, and reduces labor costs by means of shorter assembly time and the Use of auxiliary personnel is reduced without the required stability of the convertible top frame being impaired.

- 5 -

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the corner connection consists of two insert shafts mounted at an adjustable angle via their molded-on rod ends with contours corresponding to the inner cross section of the support posts or cross members and has means for connecting the rod ends and for securing the set angle .

Thanks to the adjustable angle of the corner connections, which can be used for the ridge of the convertible top frame or its transition from the support posts to the cross members, the convertible top inclination - in contrast to DE-PS 808 026 with rigid front and rear end frames - can be safely set in any position.

The rod ends of the insertion shafts expediently have a flat inner surface running halfway up the shaft and a central bore running vertically thereto for receiving a screw. With planar inner surfaces lying against one another, the two shaped parts of the corner connection can be pushed into an angled jig or the angle can be adjusted with a feed dog. The determination can be made with any suitable screw.

To avoid unnecessary abrasion on the tarpaulins and, if necessary, on lashing ropes and for optical reasons, the joint heads of the insertion shafts preferably have a flat outer surface which is arranged flush with an all-round stop for the support posts or crossbeams and which in turn is parallel to the inner surface mentioned runs. The region of the joint head which is not connected to the insertion shaft can be designed in the form of a cylinder jacket, as a result of which the joint head is given the appearance of an essentially cylindrical or disc-shaped projection. The inner surface of the one joint head of the corner connection can have a ring-like elevation coaxial with the hole in the center for the screw, which fits positively into a correspondingly recessed ring groove of the inner surface of the other joint head. The two interlocking molded parts of the corner connection can thus perform a guided pivoting movement. Preferably, however, an annular groove is left out of the inner surfaces of both rod ends and a perforated rondelle is inserted, which corresponds in terms of the thickness to the total depth of both annular grooves. The rondelle used not only acts as a guide axis, but in particular absorbs the shear forces acting on the corner connection.

Although it performs the same function, the Ronelle offers the significant advantage in terms of economy compared to the other variant that no different insertion shafts with rod ends have to be manufactured and kept in stock.

Although the two molded parts of the corner connection consisting of the insert shaft and the molded joint head can be held together without further measures using an ordinary machine screw, this solution is neither optimal in terms of the abrasion mentioned nor on the aesthetic requirements.

According to a first variant, a thread can be cut into the bore of one joint head, which makes it unnecessary to attach a screw nut. However, this in turn necessitates the production and storage of two different molded parts of the corner connection.

According to a preferred variant, an annular groove which is coaxial with the central bore is cut out of the outer surface of both rod ends and which is in relation to the depth - _ ^• -

corresponds to the height of the screw head or the screw nut. The flushness of the screw components with the outer surface of the rod ends prevents unnecessary chafing and reduces the risk of injury.

After setting the angle required for a convertible top frame between a support post and a crossbeam or between two crossbeams in a jig or with a feed dog, the two rod ends, which are superimposed on one another with their inner surfaces, are drilled at least at one point and a clamping sleeve or a pin is inserted in each case by clamping . So the corner connection can be adjusted continuously.

The above angles of the corner connection can also be secured against rotation by the fact that the inner surfaces of the rod ends are at least partially in the form of interlocking, fine serrated washers. When the screw is tightened, an angle is established, corner connections with fine serrated washers being almost continuously adjustable.

Insert shafts designed as full profiles are heavy and cause higher manufacturing costs due to the material consumption. Cutouts which reduce the cross section are therefore preferably provided, which, however, do not impair the strength, or only to an insignificant extent, but nevertheless bring about a significant saving in weight.

The two insertion shafts with the articulated head of the corner connection preferably consist of steel, a suitable aluminum alloy or a hard plastic. Aluminum has the advantage over steel that welded parts no longer have to be galvanized. Forged corner connections made of aluminum have a much higher strength than cast ones; in both cases, the protective can be natural Oxide skin can be reinforced by anodization. Corner connections made of a plastic, in particular polyethylene, are produced by injection molding and are particularly light.

The different forces acting on the support posts and the cross supports result in the fact that in practice also corner connections with insertion shafts of different cross-sections are used. The disadvantage of not being able to use two identical parts for the same corner connection is then accepted. Compared to all previously known systems, the manufacture and warehousing of corner connections made from only two types of molded parts represents a significant improvement; various inclinations of the top no longer play a role in this regard.

When assembling the corner connection according to the invention, there is a working time saving of 50-80%, in addition, the assembly work can largely be carried out by auxiliary personnel.

Since series production for standard bodies is no longer necessary, there is no need to keep labor-intensive semi-finished goods in stock. Customer wishes no longer have to be channeled in the direction of these standard structures, it can be built individually according to each wish.

Finally, only a short, unproductive downtime of the vehicles is necessary for repairs.

The invention is explained in more detail using the exemplary embodiments set out in the drawing. The following schematically show:

1 shows an overview of a convertible top frame mounted on a vehicle platform with adjustable corner connections, 2 shows the view of a first variant of a plug-in shaft and molded-on joint head, the molded part of a corner connection,

3 shows the partially cut-away top view of FIG. 2,

4 shows a side view of FIG. 2 from the left,

5 shows the view of a second variant of the molded part from FIG. 1,

- Fig. 6 is a partially cutaway plan view of

Fig. 5,

7 shows a side view of FIG. 5 cut open at VII-VII from the left,

8 shows the view of a third variant of the molded part from FIG. 1 with a wide egg,

- Fig. 9 is a partially cutaway plan view of

Fig. 8,

10 is a left side view of FIG. 8,

11 shows the view of a fourth variant of FIG. 1 with a wide insertion shaft,

- Fig. 12 is a partially cutaway plan view of

Fig. 11

13 shows a side view of FIG. 11 cut along the line XIII-XIII from the left, and

14 shows the exploded view of a corner connection with connection of a side member. The vehicle platform shown in FIG. 1 with a roof frame shows an outer frame 10 with a loading bridge 12. A stanchion 14 is fastened to each of the four corners of the outer frame 10, with which the loading tailgates 16 pivotally fastened to the outer frame 10 are locked are. A support post 18 is inserted into a stanchion 14 from above. One at an angle o. The set corner connection 20 is connected at the other end to a cross member 22, which in turn is connected to a corner connection set at an angle / 2 and thus forms the ridge. In practice, the angle © is preferably in the range of 105-110 °, the angle / ^ accordingly in the range of 140-170 °.

The corner connections are connected in a customary manner to the support posts 18 and cross members: plugged in, releasably by means of screws, socket pins or hooks, inseparably by means of rivets, welding, soldering or gluing.

Two support posts 18 and two cross members 22 form a transverse arch together with three corner connections 20. The two transverse arches are connected to one another via longitudinal beams 24.

The molded part shown in FIGS. 2-4 has a rectangular plug-in shaft 26, the dimensions of which are matched to the inside width of the support posts 18 or cross members 22. The joint head 28, which is essentially disc-shaped, is formed in one piece with the insertion shaft 26. The central axis M of the joint head 28 lies in the plane of the boundary surface 30 of the insertion shaft 26.

The joint head 28 is penetrated by a bore 32. An annular groove is formed from the inner surface 34 of the joint head 28

36 recessed the depth t, which is about 3 mm. The Bore 32 and the annular groove 36 have a common longitudinal axis M with the joint head 28.

The insertion shaft 26 has a recess 38 which narrows conically from the end face and extends into the transition area 42 to the joint head 28. This transition area has a circumferential stop surface 40 for the end face of a support post 18 or a cross member 22.

The transition region 42 is extended in a form-fitting manner corresponding to the lateral surface of the joint head of the second molded part and partly serves to form a flush surface on all sides and secondly serves as a stop for limiting the pivoting region.

From Fig. 3 it can be seen that the inner surface 34 at half the height h. the insertion shaft 26 is located.

A screw thread 44 is cut into the bore 32 of the diameter A. 2-4, two different molded parts are necessary in order to be able to form the corner connection according to the invention, joined together on the inner surfaces 34 of the joint head.

The molded part shown in FIGS. 5-7 differs from the previous figures with regard to the following features:

- The recesses 46 are trough-shaped from two opposite longitudinal sides, the remaining cross section essentially has the shape of an H.

- For the screw head or the nut, an annular groove 50 is recessed from the outer surface 48 of the joint head 28, which is coaxial with the bore 32 for the screw. The transition area 42 from the insertion shaft 26 to the joint head 28 is designed to be narrow and has no limitation of the swivel area.

The molded part shown in FIGS. 8-10 has a wide insert 26. This is twice as wide as in the previous examples. It is therefore better suited to absorb greater forces, for example if the cross members 22 have a larger clear width.

The FIGS. 11-13 corresponding to the dimensions of the insertion shaft 26 in the previous FIGS. 8-10 show a further embodiment of the trough-shaped recess 46. This is only made on one side surface, but extends almost to the opposite wall. In cross-section (FIG. 13), the insertion shaft essentially assumes the shape of a U.

In practice, the following combinations are preferably used:

a) Corner connection for a support post with a cross member:

FIGS. 2-4 with FIGS. 5-7,

5 to 7 among themselves, 2 to 4 with FIGS. 8 to 10,

- Fig. 5 - 7 with Fig. 8 - 13

b) Cross supports underneath (ridge):

8-10 with Figs. 11-13,

- Fig. 11 - 13 among themselves.

The construction of a corner connection can be seen clearly from FIG. 14 thanks to the exploded representation. A cross member 22 made of an aluminum profile with a rectangular cross-section is placed over the invisible insertion shaft of a drop-forged aluminum molded part according to FIGS. 11-13 and fastened thereon. Likewise, a support post 18 is drawn over the invisible insertion shaft of another drop-forged aluminum molded part according to FIGS. 5-7 and fastened to it. The extruded aluminum profiles each extend as far as the stop 40. A protruding rondelle 52 with a bore 32 as a centering disk is placed in the annular groove 36 and then the two inner surfaces 34 of the rod ends 28 are joined together.

In a jig angled at an angle o or (FIG. 1) or with a feed dog, the two joint heads 28 are provided with a bore 54 for the steel pin 56 after the self-locking screw 57 has been turned into the screw nut 58 and thus the rod ends 28 have been pressed together.

A bracket 60 for the side members 24 is expediently fastened simultaneously with the pressing of the joint heads 28, the base plate of which is likewise drilled through and secured against rotation with the steel pin 56.

Claims

1. corner connection for the positive, detachable or non-detachable reception of support posts (18) on one end and cross members (22) on the other end or cross members on both ends for the production of transverse arches of a support frame, in particular for a convertible top frame of commercial vehicles

characterized in that

the corner connection (20) consists of two insert shafts (26) mounted at an adjustable angle (o or / 3 *) via their molded-on joint heads (28) with the inner cross section of the support posts (18) or cross beams (22) corresponding contours exists and has means for connecting the rod ends (28) and for securing the set angle (o or?) against rotation.

Corner joint according to claim 1, characterized in that the joint heads (28) have a flat inner surface (34) running halfway up the height (h) of the insertion shaft (26) and a vertically running centered bore (32) for receiving a screw (57) , which flat inner surfaces (34) on each other! i egen.

Corner connection according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the joint heads (28) have a flat outer surface (48) which is arranged flush with an all-round stop surface (40) for the support posts (18) or crossbeams (22) and which in turn is parallel runs to the inner surface (34), and are formed in a cylindrical shape in the region not connected to the insertion shaft (26).

4. Corner connection according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that coaxial to the central bore (32) an annular groove (36) of depth (t) is recessed from the inner surface (34) of the rod ends (28), the mutually facing annular grooves (36) having a correspondingly dimensioned rondelle (52) of twice the thickness (2t) for absorption absorb the shear forces.

5. corner connection according to one of claims 1-4, characterized gekennmzeich that the bore (32) of a joint head (28) a screw thread (44) and the outer surface (48) of the other joint head (28) one with the Bore (32) coaxial ring groove (50) for flush mounting of the screw (57) or the outer surfaces (48) of both rod ends (28) with the central bore (28) coaxial ring groove (50) for flush mounting of the head of the screw ( 57) or the nut (58).

6. Corner connection according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the joint heads (28) are penetrated by at least one clamping sleeve or at least one pin (56) which / r the rotation of the insertion shafts (26) in one steplessly adjustable angle) serves / serve.

7. corner connection according to one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the insertion shafts (26) have the strength not or insignificantly reducing recesses (38,46).

8. Corner joint according to one of claims 1-7, characterized in that in the case of rod ends (28) with a cylindrical, in the form of a lateral surface, the corresponding part of the transition area (42) is formed as a limitation for the pivoting area, external sides being as flush as possible on all sides.

9. Corner connection according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that it consists of two identical molded parts from an insertion shaft (26) with a molded joint head (28).