US2580337A - Folding top structure - Google Patents

Description

DC 25, 1951 J. w. voTYPKA FOLDING TOP STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 10, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

JOHN W. VOTYPKA ATTORNEYS atenteci Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES FFCE .2,580,337 l v FoLDING Tor STRUCTURE John Wilfred Votypka, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Detroit Harvester Company, Detroit, Mich.,

a corporation/of lMichigan Application January 10, 1949, Serial-No. 705108 z'claims. (c1. 29e-#107?) The present rinvention relates to vfolding top structure and more particularly to a folding top structure for motor vehicles characterized by the use of relatively smaller sections of cover fabric or material than has heretofore been employed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide Va folding top structure for motor vehicles characterized by its attractive appearance, the economy with which it may be constructed ini tially, the economy with which damaged 'sections of the cover material may be replaced, and the ability yof the top material to resist both vertical and lateral ballooning.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a folding top vstructure for motor vehicles comprising a longitudinal -foldable frame provided with a frontrheader bar for attachment to a windshield header bar, a rear cross-bow, one or more auxiliary cross-bows intermediate the rear cross-bowand the front header bar, foldable linkage inter-connecting said front header bars and said cross-bows, and a flexible cover composed of a plurality of 4separate cover sections, the intermediate adjacent edges of which are sewed together and tacked to tacking material provided along the upper` surface of the cross-bows, the cover sections being reversely folded at the cross-bows so as to cause one rof the edges of the cover sections thereat to overlie and conceal the tacks. A

VQt'her objects Vand features of the invention willbecome apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsin which: H A

Affigure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a folding top structure shown in extended position.

Figure 2 is a planned view of the folding top construction. y A

Figure "3 is a fragmentary enlarged section of the line 3--3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is al fragmentary enlarged 'section onv the line 4 4, Figure 2. l In the past it has been the practice in providing exible cover material for foldable vehicle 2 construction, it was necessary to replace the entire top 'which involved 'a very considerable expense. Moreover, tops of this construction resulted in fabric edges at `the y,side of the top which were unsupported `and tended to balloon laterally. In 4some cases, this tendency was so great that it was necessary Ato provide snap fasteners to retain the edges fof the-top in desired position. Moreover, l-jaccording' tov this Vprior practice, the topinateria-l 'wassecured to the foldable frame construction onlyat its front edge, Where it wasfseciired to the front header bar, at its rear edge whereit was secured to the body of the vehicle, and 'a't 'one intermediate point where itwas secure'dt'o the rear cross-bow structure. It has bejeftheS-:practice to provide the folding top with yonezo'r more, -and usually two, auxiliary Vcross-bows intermediate the front header bar Aand the 'rear cross-bow; However, the flexible cover material was not secured directly to the auxiliary cross-bows. This produced `an additional tendency for the top construction to balloon upwardly when air was forced ii'to the vehiclerby motion thereof.

Referring now to the "figures there is illustrated a 'folding topvstructure for a motor vehicle indie cated generally at I0, the vehicle being vprovided The folding top structur ,ciripiisiesa from header barff, 'a rear' cross-bow. structure 11, and intermediate er s'sLbows f lfa'nd 20. The

cross-bows and the fronti header bars are inter' connected by' folding linkage indicated vgenerally at 22. The `link'age as a- 'wh'ole includes elements which are lpiv'otfed to 'the body or the vehicle ias indicated generally at 24.

The folding frame structure is provided with a flexible cover 2'5 which is composed ofa plurainy er @over sections 2e, 2t, 28, and 29. The cover sections 2 6, 21, 28, and 29 may be Vfor-med of any suitable flexible material such `for example as a water-proof'i'zvoven fabric. e

The front vcover section 26 yifsv secured at its forward transverse edge to the frontheader barA The rear cover section 29 is connected 'at d its iear transverse `edge to the body 'of the vehitions also extending for the complete lengtl'ifofI the top from front to rear and resulting in the use of longitudinal extending seams between the main top portion andthe side portions. Whenk .damagev occurred to the vtop vmaterial of thepriorcle l0, as indicated at 30. .The adjacent edgesv the vcross-bows. 1

The manner in which .the adjacent edges foldable frame, the adjacent edges of the sev- 1 eral cover sections are sewed together along two parallel lines of sewing on seams indicated at 46 and 4I. This provides a double thickness of material through which the tacks 38 are driven to secure the cover material to the folding frame in the manner illustrated. After the tacks 38 have been driven the appropriate one of the cover sections is reversely folded forwardly of the vehicle so as to overlie the heads of the tacks, thus concealing the tacks or other fastening elements and also providing an attractive appearing fold of material which extends generally transversely of' the vehicle body.

Cover sections 28 and 29 are sewed together in a similar manner and the seam is secured to the rear cross-bow Il in a manner equivalent to that illustrated in Figure 3. The detailed construction of the rear cross-bow Il forms no part of the present invention, but it is provided with a tacking strip whose function is identical to tacking strips 36 provided in the cross-bows i9 and 20.

From an inspection of Figure 3 it will be observed that the cover sections are folded reversely and forwardly from each of the cross-bows so as to provide a construction best adapted to prevent the entry of water into the interior of the vehicle. Thus the overlap of the cover material at the cross-bows faces rearwardly of the vehicle so that wind due to motion of the vehicle does not tend to force rain into the space between adjacent sections of cover material.

From an inspection of Figure 2 it will be observed that the .sections 26, 21, 28, and 29 have curved transverse edges to conform to the shape of the cross-bows. Inasmuch as the adjoining edges of these cover sections are sewed together to provide multiple thickness overlapping joints, these joints provide stiffening ribs which are effective to prevent lateral ballooning of the side edges of the cover, even though the tacking of the cover to the cross bows is discontinued at a point spaced somewhat above the longitudinal edges of the cover material. Moreover, the longitudinal edges of the cover material are folded over and sewed together to provide a multiple thickness stiffening rib indicated at 45 in Figure 1.

The present construction is more economical to produce than the prior known construction, is more eiiicient in operation since it effectively prevents both vertical and lateral ballooning, and aiords important economies in the event that local injury is suffered by the cover, in which case only a single section of the cover has to be replaced.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved folding top structure-in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled inl the art to practice the invention, the scope of which lis indicated by the appendedclaims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A folding top for convertible motor vehicles, comprising a longitudinally foldable frame having a series of longitudinally spaced transversely extending members, one of said members being a front header bar and the other of said members being cross-bows, each of said cross-bows having a central generally horizontal portion and downwardly extending end portions, said central portions having tacking material carried thereby, a flexible cover for said frame extending from one end thereof to the other and comprising separate cover sections extending transversely of the frame, each of said cover sections being of a width to span the space between a pair of transversely extending members when the frame is extended, the end portions of adjacent cover sections being disposed in overlapping relation, said end portions being sewed together in surface to surface relation along two spaced transversely extending substantially parallel lines, and fastenlng elements located between said parallel lines, and extending through said overlapping end portions into said tacking material, the uppermost of said cover sections being return bent along a transversely extending line in rear of the rearmost of said parallel lines and extending forwardly of the vehicle to overlie and conceal the fastening elements for said end portions so that the joint between the return bend of the uppermost section and the upper surface of the adjacent section will face rearwardly of the vehicle, the longitudinal edge portions of said sections being free of the downwardly extending end portions of said bows for movement relative thereto during folding movement of said top.

2. A folding top for convertible motor vehicles, comprising a longiutdinally foldable frame having a series of longitudinally spaced transversely extending members, one of said members being a front header bar and the other of said members being cross-bows, each of said cross-bows having a central generally horizontal portion and downwardly extending end portions, said central portions having tacking material carried thereby, a flexible cover for said frame extending from one end thereof to the other and comprising separate cover sections extending transversely of the frame, each of said cover sections Abeing of a width to span the space between a pair of transversely extending members when the frame is extended, the end portions of adjacent cover sections being disposed in overlapping relation, said end portions being sewed together in surface to surface relation along two spaced transversely extending substantially parallel lines, and fastening elements located between said parallel lines and extending through said overlapping end portions into said tacking material, the uppermost of said cover sections being return bent along a transversely extending line in rear of the rearmost of said parallel lines and extending forwardly of the vehicle to overlie and conceal the fastening elements for said end portions so that the joint between the return bend of the uppermost section and the upper surface of the adjacent section will face rearwardly of the vehicle, the longitudinal edge portions of said sections being free of the downwardly extending end portions of said bows for movement relative thereto during folding movement of said top, the material of said longitudinal edge portionsof said sections jbeingfoldable and sewed 'together to provide multiple thickness-longitudinally extend 5 l ing stitening ribs for said top, the portions of UNITED STATES PATENTS said end portions between the parallel lines afore- Number Name Date said providing transversely extending stiienng 9,18 116 Pendery Feb 1 1910 ribs operable to prevent ballooning of the long- 988204 Mitcham "Marfzs 1911 tudinal side edges o1 said cover sections when said 5 1 2102139 Edwards Jan 2 1917 frame is. extended.

- 1,291,100 Overmyer Jan. 14, 1919 JOHN WILFRED VOTYPKA- 1,311,717 schwer July 29, 1919 REFERENCES ITED 1,952,252 Heuser M911'. 27, 1934 C 2,308,766 Martinus Jan. 19, 1943 The following references are of record in the 10 2,418,918 Yankus Arm 15l 1947 me 0f this Patent? 2,479,280 Tum; Aug. 16,1949

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