US1289265A - Auto-top. - Google Patents

Description

F. RCHARD L T. B. RITCHIE. ,m0 oP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. R917.

Patented Dec. 3Ll98.

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` F. RICHARD &,T. B. RITCHJE.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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i Verrerie LLL killin Q AUTO-TOP.

lngs on Application filed cbruary 3. i917.

'1 o o23 @017mm may concer/n:

3e it known that we` Ennio/ors Ric/imno, a

citizen et the French Republic. and THOMAS his invention is associated with an auto-- inooiie to] end more particulariy with a top of the single supporting" how type-indeed it may he styled a single hoy top because road-- iiy manipulated hy one immature person.

@ur object has heen to contrive a structure of the character stated which Will he iight in Weight yet sniiioientiy strong enti rigid, which will permit oi being' adjusted to he' come neatly strot-cheri and which Wili afford a. minimum oi obstruction of the vision of persons seeteci thereheneath.

With the foregoing anc. other objects in View the vinvention consists of the novei construction, combination and arrangement or parts es hereinafter more specifically de scribed and iliustrateci in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention. hut it is to he understood.

l that changes, variations and modifications can he resorted to which come Within the scope ot the claims hereunto appended.

Averting to the drs'wingst Figure i is s sie elevation of the upper port of an eutomohile body equipped to support a top partly dotted embodying ourv invention.

Fig. H is e top plan of the top by itself certain underlying parts appearing in dotted lines.

Fig. Hi is a rear eieif'ation of Fig. Fig. 'iV is a lsection on line Pif-TV of Fiori.

portion is an enlarged detail o certain i Jated portions of Fig. if?.

.-f. Jil is an eniargeti detail showing the 'ront or Win61 shield attachment.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

fiorini No.

views o' on zicijustahie strap for securing the supporting hon' at the rear, seen roni rear and side. f

Fig. X illustrates one specific detail.

The Fig. it inthe drawings iliustrstes upper portion ot a touring hodyl which has surinounted over its cowl e conventional type of Wind shield 2 provided et either side witha socket 3 and a transversely inserted .knuried set screwe, the ietter arrangement beingy more ciearlyy shown in VH. Pivoted to the top oi' the traine on each side of the seat at 5 is s. supporting; how how is or" strong znetailic structure emi. es sumes the rearwardlj.' ohiiqne position seen in Fig. it when the top is in its raised. or functionating position. it Wiii he noticed that Aits angle ci' ohiiquity may he about forty-iive degrees in which posit-ion it oiers no obstruction to the forward nor even the latteriy directed vision ot the hinciinost occupants of the cer. Near its upper angles the how 6 is provided on each side of the vehicle with :in eyelet clamp i and intermediateiy oi the two eyelets 'i are iive equispaceci downward directeci eyelets 8 mor cleariy to he seen in Figs. iii anti Y The top proper is a composite structure which eccorfi'inca to our invention is 'iree from lone-itudinaily extending rigidity hec/anse reiying solely upon suspension cables. '.llhe structure inoiudes in iront a Wooden loiocir 9 carrying on opposite ends a stnci i0 adapts ed. to he inserted in the sockets 3 anti secure@ therein by tightening the screws 1i. The construction of the top furthermore comprises o series and in the enenpiificetion src shown four suspende cross hows i1. Connecting,

the supporting how 6 with the loiock 9 smi with each of the cross hows l1 are e series of cables some of which are affixed to the cross bows i1 and others of which are movehle thereacross. pair of Cabic lengths 12 conneet the eyelets 7 with corresponding ends oir the cross bows ll respectively to each of which iatter they are ined ov suitable clamps 13 as may he seen in Fig. if. A pair of conrplernentar?,7 cahie iengtiis M additionaiiy connect the angles or corners of the how 6 with each oit the cross hows ii necessarily somewhat higher no, n :tact a line which converges :i forward tion tenerci the line the to meet' around a sheave. The cables 14C-are also fixed to each of the cross bows 11 by means of a different type of clamp 15 as is alsovapparent from inspection of Fig. V. The forward pairs of ends of the cables12 and 14 are attached. to the turnbuckle 16 which is in turn secured in any approved manner to the rear side ot the block 9. By means of the turnbuckle 16 the cables 12 and 14 .may be tightened prior to tightening of the clamps 13 and l5 preparatory to a final proper spacing and set-up of the whole in -order to insure of a uniform distribution of the stresses to be later encountered. Connected with the substantially horizontal upper portion oi the supporting bow 6 near or at the three points where the eyelets 8 are aiixed are three longitudinal extending cables 1 7 each of which is movable in a metallic groove 18 formed in a plate to be secured to the bow ti as is 'clearly shown in Fig. Vl. The cables 17 extend in a nearly parallel direction acrossv each of the cross bows l1 and are loosely confined relatively thereto by clamps 1 9 as may be seen in Fig. V. The forward ends of the cables 1T are fixed in any approved manner to the block 9.

flverlying all the bows and cableslis a waterproof covering 20 having a rear downward extension 21 which may be attached to the body by clasp buttons or otherwise.

'Underneath the covering 20 is an oblique net work cross-bracing 22. To assist in effecting a neat, uniformly. taut relationship of the several parts means are provided for counter adjusting' the permanent position to be assumed by the supporting bow 6 when elevated, which means consists here of three straps 23 and three buckles 211- which adjustably connect the eyelets 8 with three snap hooks 25 adapted to engage with eyelets 26'fixed to the rearmost top of the vehicle body.

As is apparent the cooperation of the cables some of which coact to properly space and maintain the cross-bracing operates to insure a sufficiently stili yet somewhat yielding top so that while the whole is precluded from sagging due to what resembles the cantaliver principle of support it is never- 'theless capable of lyielding to a severe and continuous vibration to which it is likely to become subjected. ln some instances it may be desirable to lend additional support by means of a pair of rods 27 one of which is shown in dotted lines in its functionating position in Fig. l. vSuch rods may be pivoted near opposite ends of that-one of the bows 11 which is above the back of the front scat and thereby enable it to be swung down and secured in any suitable manner to -v the car body.

We elaim': 1. An automobile top comprising a single bow pivoted to the rear ot the body of the aaeaaea vehicle and adapted to adord support at the rear, a composite structure adapted to extend between the free end of said bow and the conventional wind shield, said structure including; a rigid front block, adapted for attachment to said shield cables extending between said block and bow and means for tightening said cables.

2. An automobile top comprising a bow pivoted to the body of the vehicle and adapted to afford support -at the rear, a composite structure including a series of cross .bows and a covering, the-whole adapted to extend between the free end of said bow and thc c nventional wind shield, said structure including lateral pairs of cables extending from end to end, and means for simultaneously tightening the cables ,of each pair.

3. 'An automobile top comprising a bow pivoted to the body of the vehlcle and adapted to afford support at the rear, a

composite structure adapted to extend between the free end of said bow and the conventional wind shield including a series of spaced cross bows, said structure including cables secured tocach cross bow and extending from end to end, oblique braces, a covering, and means for tightening said cables whereby to space and stiften the whole.

d. An automobile top adapted to be supported vat only one end on the cantaliver principle and eemprising a rear bow, a rigid front block., a series of longitudinally extending lcables between said bow and block,

cross bracing connecting said cables, a coverfor simultaneously tightening distinct pairs of said cables.

6. An automobile top adapted to be supported at each end and comprising a series of longitudinally extending cables, cross bows fixed to some of said cables, a covering for bows and cables, means for tightening all of saidcables, and distinct means for tightening such of vsaid cables as are fixed to said cross bows.

' An automobile top ada ted to be supported between a firm wint shield in front and a movable supporting bow in the rear and comprising a series of longitudinally extending cables, suspended cross bows connected with said cables, a covering for bows and cables, means for adjusting the position of said supporting bow whereby to tighten all of said cables and means for tightening liti@ immo@ oiiiin of Huid @nbias by hemselves am iriespfsctiw of iii@ position of smid supporting Dow. i

zu ziilomobile top :uinpod to bo slippoi'ofi botwoeii :i firm wind shield in 'front :ind u movable supporting bow iii thv vom' und coiiipisiug u soi'io of iongiudimiiiy @monding subies, suspended Cross bows ixod to said @bieba oovoring for bows :imi cambios, ixiezms fox' tigiiieimlg :iii of Suid cui) es yogetiioi, zuid distinct' menus for iighoniug oher sabios sepiimtoiy.

i?. fue :iuoiriobiie op coiiiprifeing tho comn iiinzii'ioii Wh :i Viriiciv body, of :L single Siippoiing bow pivovii noni 'he Your ond iioiooi :uid a foiwvziiwiiy piojociing strucuio ahlciioxli to iw fi'oni' :imi Pour of Said iiody and @Houding ovm' said bow, said 'nuouro iiicimiiiig; longitudimiiiy exteii i- 'ff {uibk-S, crow hows: holding Suid cables in si): d loiziiom :1mi m1011115 for @Floating u spznmwii iirie'ia'm of fix@ partis whfioby iio miiziivor principio of singin. point suppol', iiiieci,

-i An zuioiiiobiie iop oompiising a bow pivotod fo iii@ :iiiomobiio ood); ami adapten io afford adjnsiybe support mb the thereof; o oompos'i'e iii@ middle portion extend bevweou bow and the conventionai wind, from. of the automobile bod", inciudinff; a rigid Eifoiit Mock; Galileo holding oiiwoon said block :vinci pivoeci bow, ciosS bows susmmiod from sind ivugviod to space apart Said cabin-S, .mid bows; being fixed to some. of said cubios ami loosely Jonuected with others thereof, und moans for adjusting Said bows raiztivo to sind biooi: whereby to acjust said suspended bows Feloivo fo @zich oher :md thus span iw structurv :is a whole.

11. An nutmuobiie Eiop adapted to be Silo ported iii: @zich und and. c 'ompiioiug' :i :Kerima of iongiudinniiy amending sabios. oioso hows fixed to Said cabins. z covering for bows :ami c:1bieS meow foi' ,hii0iiiig :iii of mid cables l'ogehi, :mii lsinc unimos ifo? iigh'roiing other oabios sopauziieiy.

Signed by us:i iis 39th day January, 191'?.

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