US1470852A - Top for vehicles and the like - Google Patents

Description

00%. 16 1923'. F. K. LEWIS TOP FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE Filed May 7, 1919 v fA/V NTOE W l K improyements; su ch. -top beingjshown' as mot -team; an automohile body ioijtoimeaut of?conventional 01111 and F g; 2118 3 811111:

V Pateht'ed Gct.16, 1923.j

EB QKQLEWlSs, F esiissswts V i110; VEEWPESAQTP. he-L KE;

1 lpp licatio i fiied may 7, 1919, SrialfNmQQa'AMQ E To (Mk whom 'z'tmay. con emn- 1 Beit lgi ownthatI Fmgp K, LEWIS; a eiti "zen; of the United States; and a resident, of"

I principle, so

; sexy for the operatoi to leave theiton neau.

Ohio,-hav e invefitfedja new anduse-fuli Inik p rovenie it 'i11.{Tops "fo1"- Vehicles an'dQthe l-i'ke,*0f; which the-fitolloti ipg-is a speci} fi'egttion, the principle of the invention; being hereinexplainedfand the" best mode; in

which I have contemplated applying that s 'as toc'llisti' igtiish it: ffIfOHl other- 1 inventions. I

' 'The object of the present in-ve tion is to, provide-an; outrigger; StIIlGblilffifOI automo bileltopsoi th'efso-"ca lled one man type, which will becap able of considerably more;

loiigitudinal" extension than in; present" de- 7 s "signs; while sti1l retainingthe essential teeture ofifsupporti i-g the top structure Wholly from a sing l'e main-bow, 'Morepa 'ticulm ly' the object is to provide astpu'eture of the- V oharactei i i questio ng which may besupported'= from a single realiwzt 'dly i iclin'ing main how, so thatwheri ttheitop. is, extended the entire tonneztu spaceiforvwardly of such main b ow will be I clea z- "01f: any -obst1 uction,' even where $1 2311 ton-neauiv-is a I two-seated one. A fiui'the obj ect' isto provide-sa stmcture" that may, be readilymgmipelated to either fold 0n=un-fo1di is-desired; without itab'eing neces- To the;accomplishn eritofithei foregoing and relatedends, the intent on, then, consists of the meaiislhe reifieften fully described:

andipart-icularly pointed out in the claims,"

" thefanneid drawihg and theffpl'lowing descri'ptioii'" setting? forth}- in detail i certain mechanism embodying the-i invention, such disclosed ,me-anslconstituting howevei', but

oneo-f thei variouswmecha'n-icel forms in:

which, the. principlego'frthe invention may or folded condition-Cg ;-Eig. 1 is aside elek ational View offa top silppoixting structure embodying; myv present let elevation showing the top and such; supporting;structure-: 1 (partially collapsed-- ltisrof course 'apm atten 0t indifference Whetherflthei top: is 'used, on automobile, mOtb l bOiifi' Q1? otherwise, i and; depeg ding ubon'fits; longitudinal: extent; r a smelter of largervnumben ot 'cbows, in. addition to the,

outrigger stnucture ofp-rese t interest may be utilized. It will also; be-iinderstood that the tei in ho-W? isgused herein i-Iich sively te designate] not. merely the Wooden! bow propel but; also the metallic; sockets: carry;

iii-g the same, these parts whe ir'eg arded in;

side elevation;co ns'tit i tipgthe eq iivalento f the so-ca-lled sticks, as they are called iii the 01dwood structii ei "It is} ageopdingly az mattergofconvenience to; refer to; the parts;

in the; singigl'a i as though thestrigetureh yaH- in' a single vertical plane, since the pa ts o-ifi interest do; actuallyliein such 2 plane;

' As previously iridiceted, the top coyering 1 isdesigned to be' entirely; supp orted thrpugh 2111f appropriate outrigger St-PHCQll-Ile:

from at singlei'hai-n-how 2; Thela ttegfwhich I is' of substantial COIilStTllCtiOIidIl: View of the Weight itis {thus designed to Carr-Y3 is pivot-."

a lly supported upon orjatt eched to the hod y atthe point?) in theu-si -al. manner; so the it may be laid; down and supported-in a ifsi hstagitigxlly' horizontaLplztne when the top is;

notin i seg Norm-ally; fth e ex-tendechor' open conditionof the top said mafi-n bow, inclines rearward ly at aniahgle of?a )};n1(g i -mateiy forty-five deg-r'ees to the, horizontal,

being he-ld from rising: highlj the top covering oprather-hy-spetrizyl stfaps (-notz showr ybr extensions o-fi the longitudinalr strainers-which, asiswdhknptvn, m e used 'tolcon iect the bows together and proyi'd e supporting meansfor, the; top covering ntermed ate1ybetween said how-s. For 'the purpose in ligand {such sti aps- 01 strainers ii ay' be regapded use part of the covering ana terial; I 1 V o v The outrigger sti ucture comprises main;

apti'cul'ated a uxiliarybow; 01 as it is sometimesca-lled; outrigger bow-6, the lattes term referring -m()fle pibl"ti'gjlllafiy130- 611}?0L1t6l1-130f- I tion' oi-v b'OW 7" propel; which isseeurectto themz in how 2 b-y Iheans -of an; a m;8(-0 ne; on each-side of con-r se)- pimtallX-attachedg to saidm-aiii bowan-d tqth'e rea i e i-do-fs-uch I o-utr-i ggerhow, and s0 constitutingthe; im ier portion ofi'said 'z 'rticuhyted auxiliary bow 6 The point of attachir-ient fthisg a rrh to th meinbowis preferably in line with, oej-ust' above, the sideedge of; the coves, so as 'to,

rule-joint disposed so top fevent fur-they; bending of the a m in question; Whenextend}; ed in horizon-tal' fashion, as injthe oger con;

ditionof the top illustrated in la,

' be hiddemby the lttte y and; the jpint i tween said arm and'the out r igge bow; isaa Pivotally attached to the arm 8 is a supplemental bow 10' that in such open condition of the top is designed to extend forwardly at an angle with respectto said arm so as to support the cover 1 at a point approximately midway between the main bow 2 and the outrigger bow 7. Operatively connecting said supplemental bow with the main bow 2 and outrigger bow 7 is a link comprising two parts pivotally connected together. As shown, the forward part 11 is pivotally connected to said outrigger bow at a point 12 just beyond the joint 9 in the latterrand to said supplementalbow at a point 13 suitably spaced from the point of,

attachment of said bow on arm 8; while the rear part 14 of said link or brace has its one end attached to said forward part 11 at a point 15 slightly in front of the point 13 of attachment of the latter to supplemental bowzlO, and its other end pivotally attached'to the mainbow, or preferably, as illustrated, to a bracket 16 on the front face of said main bow which at the. same time provides means for attachment to the latter of the arm 8.; The upper portion of this bracket isbent forwardly'at an angle apziproximati'ng a right angle, so that the point of pivotalattachment of said link-part 14; will lie substantially directly above the point of attachment of said arm -8 in the open position of the top, i. e. a line passing through the twopoints in question will lie at approximately right angles to the median line of main bow 2.

The forward link-part 11, which may also be regarded as a lever, extends beyond the point 12-of its pivotal attachment to outrigger bow 7, so that its corresponding end' projects a triflebelow the plane of said bow.

when the top is open, and'attached to such end is a second outrigger how 17 which supports the extreme forwardportion of the top observed that the position. of the joint is covering 1.. There are thus provided in efiect two articulated outrigger bows which support the forward portion of the top covering and permit of a corresponding in crease in the longitudinal extent of the latter without requiring a separate forward support resting on the vehicle body. This secondoutrigger how 17 is freely pivotaily connected with said link-part 11, it being determined by the angular position of the link, the latter being locked in properplace, whenv the top is open, by the action of a stop 18 on thearm 8 which engages with supplemental bow 10 and limits its position when the top is open. A separate link 19, however, is desirably utilized to connect outrigger bow 17with the "main outrigger bow 7, so that it may be supported there- 1; from without imposing too much strain on the cover materialbetween the twobows.

Said link 19 furthermore serves to correlate the movement of the two outrigger bows when-the top is being folded, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 2. T his figure clearlyillustrates the manner in which the other component parts of the top supporting structure fold up; thus it will be seen. that the'link-part 11 and said link '19 maintain the supplemental bow 10 and the two outrigger bows 7 and 17 in substantially parallel arrangement during the folding operation, and of course equally so during the unfolding of the top. The linkpart 14 not only serves to sustain the whole outrigger structure, When extended, in proper angular relation to themain bow-2,

but by virtue of its point of connection with the forward link-part-v 11 and with the bracket 16, it is enabledto fold up parallel with the, other parts just referred to. It should be noted in passing that the rear end of the forward link-part 11 curved downwardly or droppedatrifle, so that its point 13 of attachment to supplemental'bow l0 liesbelow a line passing through the linkparts in their extended condition. a

The structure is thus seen to be unusually ill) compact inits folded condition, and yet when extended an adequate support for a top of considerable longitudinal extent is pro.- vided Without any obstruction in'the way of a forwardly inclining main bow, or braces or links that lie below the side line of the top covering. The'various componentbows are joined-together by the employment of a minimum number ofqconnecting the singleflpivotal support 3 upon which the whole structure is sustained.

As in the foregoing description, the two bows 7 and 17 may beregarded as first and second outrigger bows the order named, the first of said bows being of two-part" articulated construction, and/the second likewise of articulated construction but of more than two parts; in other'wordsit is connected with the main bowthroughtthe mediumi of t-hetWo link-parts 11 and 14:; The latter may also beregarded as constituting a flexible connection betweenthe rear portion of the first-named outrigger bow,the main bowand the supplemental bow.

of my invention may be employed instead of theme explained, change being' made as Other modes of applying'the principle regards the mechanisin-herein disclosed,

provided themeans stated by; anyof the V such rear portion; a link pivotally attachedpart articulated outrigger bow having its:

rear portion pivotally attached to said standard; a supplemental bow pivotally attached to such rear portion; and a second articulated outrigger bow having its rear portion disposed to intersect the forward portion of said first outrigger bow and being pivotally attached thereto at such point ofintersection, such rear portion of said second outrigger bow comprising two pivotallyinterconnected parts, one such part being' pivotally attached to said. standard above the point of attachment of said first outrigger bow thereto, and the other such part being pivotally connected with said supplemental bow.

2. In a top for vehicles and the like, the 1 combination of a main bow; a two-part artic ulated outrigger bow having its rear portion pivotally attached to said main bow; a supplemental bow pivotally attached to such rear portion; a link pivotally attached to the forward portion of said. outrigger bow and intersecting the same in the open position of thetop; a second outrigger bow at-' tached to the forward end of said link; and a second link pivotally attached at one end to said main bow, one of said two links being also pivotally attached to said supplemental bow and the otherlink to such one.

3, In a top for vehicles and the like, the combination of a main bow; a two-part articulated outrigger bow having its rear portion pivotally attached to said main'bow; a supplemental bow pivotally attached to to the forward portion of said outrigger bow and intersecting the 'same in the open position of the top; a second outrigger bow attached to the forward end of said'link,

the rear end of the latter being attached'to;

a supplemental bow pivotally attached to said supplementalbow; and a second link pivotally attached at its respective ends to said first linkand to said main bow.

4. In a top for vehicles and the like, the combination of a main bow; a two-part articulated outrigger bow'having its rear portion pivotally attached to said main bow;

such rear portion; a link pivotally attached to the forward portion of said outrigger bow and intersecting the same in the open position of the, top; asecond outrigger bow attached to the'forward end of said link, the rear end of the latter bending downwardly and being attached to said supplemental bow; a vsecond link pivotally at tached at one end to said first link forwardly of its point of attachment to said supplemental bow and at its other en'd to said main bow; and a third link directly connecting said second outrigger bow'with the outer portion of said first outrigger how. I p

5. In atop for vehicles and the like, the combination of a rearwardly inclined main bow; a two-part articulated outrigger bow' having its rear portion pivotally attached to said main 'bow'and thence inclining 'forwardly and upwardly in the open position 75 ofithe top; a supplemental bow pivotally attached to such rear portion; a second articulated outrigger bow extending substantially horizontally in' such open position i and having its rear portion pivotally attached tothe forward portion of said first outrigger bow; and a bracket on said main bow projecting forwardly therefrom, the rearportion ofsaid second outrigger bow comprisingtwo pivotally interconnected parts, one such part being pivotally at-r tachedto saidbraoket at a point substan tially directly over the point of attachment of. said first outrigger bowto saidmainbow in such open position and the other such part being. pivotally connected with said supplemental bow.

FRED K. LEWIS.

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