US2036390A - Lining holder for automobile bodies - Google Patents

Description

W 1935- o. o. BOWEIRS LINING HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE BODIES Filed April 24, 1954 Jfz;

0. 0.1?0w-er9 Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES attest PATENT LINING HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE BODIES 4 Claims.

This invention relates to means for holding the fabric lining of an automobile body in place including the head lining. Linings of this character are ordinarily held in place either by cementing or by tacking the lining in place, the head lining being usually held in place by strips or tacks engaging the bows.

The object of the present invention is toprovide a very simple means for holding the head lining in place and stretching this head lining and provide equally simple means for holding the lining of the sides in place, which means is such as to permit both the head lining and the side linings to be installed without the necessity of using tacks and which permits the head lining and the side linings to be quickly and easily taken out and replaced without injury to the fabric.

A further object is to provide a structure of this character in which the lining for the sides is carried upon panels, the construction being such as to permit the panels to be readily installed, and a further object is to provide a construction of this character in which the side panels act to tighten the head lining.

A further object is to provide longitudinally extending channel members riveted or otherwise attached to the metal sides of the body and extending longitudinally thereof, these channel members having means for engaging the lateral margins of the head lining and permitting the upper ends of the side panels to be received therein and tighten the head lining, the lower ends of the side linings being detachably engaged with the side Walls of the automobile.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse section through a metal auto body showing my invention in place therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed section of the upper end of one of the channels, the corresponding upper end of one of the panels and the fabriclining;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the channel members;

Figure 4 is a tranverse section on the line t4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the outer wall of a metal automobile body which extends over the top of the automobile, B designating the inner vertical wall of the body which is attached to the outer wall A at its top and bottom in any suitable manner. The top is braced by longitudinally extending and transversely extending bows. I have illustrated in Figure 1 wooden bows C extending longitudinally of the top, or roof.

For the purpose of supporting the head lining Ill in place, I provide two longitudinally extending channeled members ll, one wall it being longer than the other wall it. This wall l2, as illustrated in Figure 1, is riveted or otherwise attached at M to the wall B. The inner face of the wall l2 has outwardly and downwardly extending prongs l5 struck out from it, as shown particularly well in Figure 3. The head lining II] has its margin engaging with these prongs l5 shown in Figure 2.

The side lining I6 is mounted upon a panel ll which may be made of any suitable material, the material of the lining it being folded over the lower edge of this panel. This panel may have any desired length depending upon its position in the automobile. The upper end of the lining I6 extends over the top of the panel. This lining may be cemented or otherwise attached to the panel either throughout its entire extent or upon those portions of the fabric it which extend over upon the inner face of the panel.

The lower end of the panel is provided with a split stud I8, the extremity of which is enlarged or bulbous. There may be as many of these studs attached to the lower margin of the panel as desired. These studs are inserted through openings in the inner wall B as shown in Figure 1 and thus detachably support the lower edge of the panel.

In order to prevent the head lining in from sagging, I provide the transverse bows or channeled members l9 shown in detail in Figure 4. These are formed to provide a hollow element with a narrow slot 20. Attached to the head lining H1 is a fabric strip 21 whose margin is wrapped around a cord or like member 22 and is adapted to be inserted within the slot 20 so as to support this fabric strip 2i throughout its entire length, thus supporting the head lining. The member l9 at its ends is provided with a longitudinally extending lug 23 which extends over the topof the bows C and with two laterally extending lugs 29 which are attached to the inner faces of the bows C. Thus the transverse bow or channel member l9 may be supported upon the longitudinal bows and not only strengthen the top but also act as means for supporting the head lining Ill.

In putting this head lining in place, the head lining is first put in place and the ends engaged with the downwardly extending hooks or prongs I5. Then the panels I! are forced upward into the channels ll, thus tightening the head lining and rendering it taut throughout its entire extent. The studs I8 are then forced through the apertures in the wall B and the job is complete.

It will be understood that by the term panels I wish to include not only panels which extend down from the roof of the car nearly to the lower end of the side walls but also the strips over the doors and windows, which strips are extended up into the channeled members II in the same manner as the panels I! illustrate, these strips being held in place by studs such as the studs l8 or by any other suitable means.

It will be seen that this device will hold the head lining and side walls of upholstering more securely than they are held by the use of tacks or other means now in use.

Furthermore, it will be seen that the head lining and upholstering of an automobile can be readily taken out and replaced without damage to the upholstering and in about one-third of the time required in the system now in use. In case an automobile is damaged, it is frequently necessary to take the head lining down and the upholstering out to get the body back in place. Where this is done, the upholstering and head lining frequently get out of place and cannot be fitted back exactly in the same place they originally occupied and, therefore, when replaced, they do not have the same appearance and this disadjustment shows plainly that the lining or upholstering has been replaced and readjusted and damaged. By supporting the lining in the manner shown by me, the removal and replacement can be done with much less labor without damage and without damage to the side lining or the head lining and with a much better appearance. It is obvious that this invention may be readily installed in automobiles at a cost certainly not over the cost of installing lining as now practiced where the tacking of upholstering and headlining is relied upon.

While I have illustrated the application of my invention to an all metal body, it will be obvious that it may be applied to other forms of bodies without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will also be seen that many minor changes might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. In a vehicle having a body including side walls and a roof, downwardly opening channel elements attached to the inside face of the body at the upper ends of the side walls, the outside wall of each channel element having downwardly extending hook-like members, a head lining secured at its margins to said hook-like members, and a single means engageable with the side walls and extending up into the channel elements and engaging the head lining to tighten it across the channel elements and pull said lining onto the hooks.

2. In a vehicle having a body including side walls and a. roof, downwardly opening channel elements attached to the inside face of the body, the inside walls of the channel element having downwardly extending hook-like prongs, a head lining having its margins extending into the channel elements and engaged with the prongs, and side panels of stiff material having their upper edges extending upward into the channels and engaging the head lining to draw the same onto the prongs and tighten it, the panels being detachably secured to the side walls of the body.

3. In a vehicle having a body including side walls and a roof, the side walls extending downward from their junction with the roof, downwardly opening channel elements attached to the upper ends of the side walls at the junction of the side walls with the roof, each channel element having its outside wall attached to the corresponding side wall of the body and said outside wall of each channel element having prongs stamped out therefrom and disposed within the channel, the prongs extending downward approximately parallel to the outside wall of the channel, a head lining having its margins extending into the channel elements, the prongs projecting through the margins of the head lining, and side panels of stiff material having their upper edges extending up into the channels and engaging the head lining between the prongs and the inner flanges of the channels and when in place drawing the head lining onto the prongs and taut across the space between the channels, the panels at their lower ends being detachably secured to the side walls of the body.

4. In combination with the frame of an auto or similar body, a channel-shaped member secured to said frame within said body with its channel opening downwardly, prong members secured in the channel members to one side wall thereof and pointing downwardly, a roof lining extending across the edge of the other side wall of the channel and across the channel and having said prongs extending through the marginal portion thereof, and a side wall panel having an edge forced up into the channel against the lining extending thereacross and constantly exerting a strain on the lining tending to draw it onto the prongs.

OLIVER O. BOWERS.

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