US1088426A - Vehicle-fender. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. JENKINS. VEHICLE FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1913.

1,088,426, Patented Feb 24,1914.

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v z wt 13 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON D c JOHN H. JENKINS, OF JACKSON, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914:.

Application filed July 11, 1913. Serial No. 778,481.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JoI-IN H. JENKINS, a citizen of the United States, residin in Jackson, in the county of Cape Girar can and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Fem ders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fenders, and more particularly to those of the drop scoop type.

It has for its principal objects to produce a safety device which is applicable to street and other railway cars and also to automobiles; to provide for automatically dropping the scoop or pick-up member; to simplify the construction; and to attain certain advantages which will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification, and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,Figure 1 is a top plan View of av fender illustrating an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a section through the fender substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, a portion of a car platform being also shown in section in conjunction therewith; and Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawing, the fender is mounted under the platform of an ordinary street car. A transverse supporting bar or plate 1 is provided at its ends with bracket extensions 2 which are bolted to the under side of the car adjacent to the front truck 8. Swiveled on the portions 4 of said bracket extensions 2 are apair of forwardly extending bars or side rails 5. These members 5 are respectively hinged, as at 6. at their outer ends to a pair of outwardly bowed connecting toggle members 7 which are hinged at their meeting ends, as by a rule joint 8. The side rails 5 are provided intermediate their ends with upstanding lugs 9 which are perforated so that the ends of a spring 10 may be secured thereto.

The function of the spring 10 is to pull the two side rails 5 toward each other and to yieldingly hold them in normal position; and the toggle members 7 are arranged so that, normally, said side rails are substantially parallel. The toggle members being bowed substantially as shown, the side rails are spread as the toggle members are swung inwardly.

Extending forwardly from the transverse supporting bar 1 are two lugs 1.1 to which a rod 12 is attached. Hinged on this rod, as by perforated lugs 13, is a rectangular scoop frame 14. This frame has mounted thereon a net or other suitable fabric bottom 15; and at its outer end it is provided with corner extensions 16 on which roller 17 is journaled. The roller is provided so as to support the end of the scoop when it is dropped, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

The scoop is held in normal raised position by lugs 18 which project inward from the side rails 5. Preferably, these lugs 18 are hinged, at 19, on brackets 20 which may be riveted, welded, or otherwise secured on the side rails 5; the hinge arrangement being such that the lugs 18 may swing up to vertical position, but not down lower than to a horizontal plane. By this arrangement, when the scoop is dropped and it is desired to reset it to normal raised position, the toggle members 7 are pulled to normal outwardly bowed position, thereby bringing the side rails 5 into normal parallel position, and the scoop is then raised until it is past the lugs 18 which swing up out of the way. The lugs are then dropped back to horizontal position and the scoop is brought to rest thereon.

In practice, the scoop may be mounted under the body of the ear or other vehicle, as the case may be, with only the bowed toggle members projecting in front; or, if desired, the entire device may project in front of the car or vehicle on which it is mounted. So, too, it is obvious that there are many other ways of mounting the device than by the cross bar 1 and the bracket extensions 2. Also, instead of depending upon the weight of the scoop a spring 21 may be coiled around the rod 12 and arranged so as to bear on the cross bar 1 and the inner end of the scoop 14c to insure its dropping quickly.

A device constructed and arranged as herein set forth, is simple and automatic in its action. The outwardly bowed toggle members 7 being brought forcibly against the body of a person, the rule joint will break inwardly and as the members straighten the side rails will spread so that the lugs 18 are released from under the scoop. The scoop, assisted by the spring 21,

is dropped so as to catch the person if he falls or is knocked down by the impact.

To steady the side rails 5 in normal position, upstanding lugs 22 are preferably provided on the transverse supporting bar 1 so that said side rails may be held thereagainst, as shown. These lugs 22 also keep the side rails from being pulled by the spring 10 closer together than their normal parallel position should the toggle members be swung inwardly past dead center.

Obviously, the device admits of considerable modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement shown.

I claim:

1. In a fender, a vertically-movable scoop hingedly supported at its inner end, oppositely-disposed laterally-movable supporting members mounted independently of said scoop and having means for releasably holding the latter normally in raised position, yielding means for holding said supporting members in normal cooperative relation to said scoop, and a yielding buffer located in front of said scoop and mounted independently thereof, said buffer cooperating with said supporting members so as to effect their release from the scoop when said buffer is caused to yield.

2. In a fender, a scoop hinged at its inner end so as to swing vertically, a pair of laterally-movable supporting members lo cated, respectively, on opposite sides of said scoop, said supporting members having means releasably engaging said scoop so as to hold it in raised position, and means for holding said supporting members in normal cooperative relation to said scoop, said means including a yielding buffer in front of said scoop having an operable connection with said supporting members so as to effect the release of said scoop when the buffer is caused to yield.

3. In a fender, a scoop hinged at its inner end so as to swing vertically, a pair of supporting members located, respectively, on opposite sides of said scoop, said supporting members being pivoted to swing in a horizontal plane and having inwardly-pro jecting lateral members releasably engaging said scoop, and a yielding buffer in front of said scoop having an operable connection with said pair of supporting members so as to move the latter away from said scoop and thereby effect the release of said lateral members from said scoop when said buffer is made to yield.

t. In a fender, a scoop hinged at its inner end-so as to swing vertically, a spring acting to move said scoop downward, a pair of horizontally-movable supporting members located, respectively, on opposite sides of said scoop, a spring connecting said supporting members and acting to move them toward each other, means on said supporting members releasably engaging said scoop, and a yielding butter in front of said scoop having an operable connection with said supportin members so as to spread them when the buffer is made to yield and thereby etl'ect the release of said scoop from its support on said supporting members.

5. In a fender, a scoop hinged at its inner end so as to swing vertically, a spring acting to move said scoop downward, a pair of horizontal supporting members located, respectively, on opposite sides of said scoop, said supporting members being pivoted at their inner ends so as to swing horizontally and extending beyond the outer end of said scoop, said supporting members having inwardly-projecting lateral members thereon releasably engaging said scoop, the outer ends of said supporting members being pivoted to the outer ends of a pair of transversely disposed, outwardly bowed toggle members, said toggle members being connected at their meeting ends by a rule oint adapted to break inwardly and whereby, when said toggle members are moved inward, said supporting members are swung away from each other so as to release the lateral members thereon from engagement with said scoop.

(3. In a fender, a scoop hinged at its inner end so as to swing vertically, a pair of supporting membes located, respectively, on opposite sides of said scoop so that the latter may swing between them, said supporting members having inwardly disposed extensions arranged and adapted to releasably engage and support the scoop in normal position, said extensions being capable of movement upward and permitting said scoop to move above them, said supporting members being hinged so as to swing horizontally and extending beyond the outer end of said scoop, and a yielding buffer having an operable engagement with the outer end portions of said supporting members whereby the latter are held in normal position but are moved outwardly so as to release said scoop when the buffer is caused to yield.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J O N H. JENKINS.

lVitn esses Louis F. WAGNER, JAMES It. JENKINS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). G.

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