US1397213A - Clamp for attaching buffers to vehicles - Google Patents

Description

T. A. HOOVER.

CLAMP FOR ATTACHING BUFFERS T0 VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1921.

1 ,397,21 3, Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

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T. A. HOOVER.

CLAMP FOR ATTACHING BUFFERS T0 VEHICLES. APPLICATION FllzED SEPT, 22, I921- 1,3912 13. I Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

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wunumm' lrlllmlll L-l flll VY Q QT UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIca THOMAS A. HOOVER, OF FRESNO, CAIIZIIFORIN'IA,v ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CLAMP FOR ATTACHING BUFFERS T'O VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Application filed. September 22, 1921. Serial No. 502,409.

V useful Improvements in Clamps for Attaching Buffers to Vehicles, of which the following, taken in connection with the acompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to clamps or attach ing devices for attaching buffers to the frames of automobiles.

One object of the invention is to provide an automobile buffer attaching clamp of such character a to dispense with thenccessity of punching or giving special form to the supporting arms of the buffer which is to be attached to the automobile by means of the clamp. I

Another object is to provide a clamp of the above described character that will permit the supporting arms, and consequently the buffer bar, to be raised and lowered to variou horizontal positions.

Another object is to provide a bumper of the same character as the first above described adapted to permit the supporting arms to be moved forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the car when the clamping means are loosened and firmly retained in any desired position within their range of movement when the clamping means are tightened.

Another object i to provide a clamp of the character above described adapted for attachment to a channel bar by engagement with one flange only.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the front portion of an automobile of conventional type showing a bumper attached thereto by the clamp which is the subject matter of this 1nvention.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the inner side of an automobile frame showing the clamp engaged therewith and also retalning a supporting arm of a buffer.

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of the forwardly projecting end of the longitudinal bars of an automobile frame show ing the clamp in engagement therewith and also retaining a buffer arm, the partsgbeing broken away to more clearly show the details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a. view in elevation of the inner side of the bearing member.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the grooved or innenside of the clamping plate.

Fig. 7 1s a view in elevation of the grooved ing plate.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the clamping plate shown in Fig. 7

In the drawings I have shown my clamp in use in connection with an automobile frame of a conventlonal type, having asa part of its structure two longitudinally disposed channel bars made up of the upper flanges 1, the lower flanges 2, the webs 3.

The supporting arms 4 sustain the bumper. bar 5 which is likewise shown as of conven- The nature of the device requires that a pair of the clamps be used on each vehicle,

or inner side of a modified form of clam'pjbut as they are preferably duplicates of one another a description of one only is given.

Any suitable mean may be used for en gag'ement with the channel bar. erence I make use of a form of construction which can be attached to frames of those types of cars which are provided with mud guards and splash pans connected to the channel bars in uch manner as to make diificult the utilization of the upper flange. A suitable construction for this purpose may consist of a hook comprising the shank 6 and the tip 6 the mouth of the hook being properly proportioned to firmly embrace the lower flange 2 of the channel bar. To make possible a rigid engagement of the hook and of the entire clamp with the. channel bar, I also provide a bearing plate compris- By prefing the vertical portion 7 and the horizontal the bearing plate is positioned in close contact with the channel bar, the shank of the hook passes through the aperture and projects for a substantial distance beyond the outer side of the vertical portion 7. As the webs of the forward ends of the channel bars of most motor cars have rivet heads which would prevent close contact. of a perfectly flat plate with the webs, I find it advisable to provide the inner face of the vertical portion 7 of the bearing plate (see Fig. 5) with depressions or cavities 10 adapted to fit over rivet heads as they are ordinarily disposed.

For securing the arm of a butler firmly against the bearing plate, I provide a clamping plate 11 having the groove 12 shown in this instance as of rectangular cross-section and adapted to slidingly fit the buffer arm 13. This plate also is provided with an aperture 14 adapted to register with the aperture 9 so that the shank of the bolt may project not only through the bearing plate but also through the clamping plate when the latter is brought up against the bearing plate.

It is thus obvious that the clamping plate is adapted to pivot on the shank of the bolt while the bearing plate remains fixed and that a considerable range of adjustment may be effected by swinging it one way or the other on its pivotal connection with the bolt shank.

In order to retain the clamping plate in any desired position within the range of movement which would ordinarily be re quired under service conditions, I provide the vertical portion of the bearing plate with a slot 15 preferably struck on an are having the aperture 9 as a center. The clamping plate is also provided with a slot 16 in a similar manner preferably struck on an arc having the aperture 1st as a center and adapted to register with the slot 15. Through the registering slots 15 and 16 the clamping bolt 17 provided with the clamping nut 18 may be passed. Under many conditions the head 19 of the clamping plate might interfere with mud guards and splash pans or other attachments, and therefore it is advisable to countersink the vertical portion of the bearing plate as shown at 20 so that the head 19of the clamping bolt will at all times be flush with the inner face of the vertical por tion of the bearing plate. The shank 6 of the supporting bolt is provided with a nut 21 which, as will be obvious, serves to clamp all of the parts firmly together and to retain the clamp in firm engagement with the channel bar.

It is preferable that the bearing plate and the clamping plate both be of substantial length for ther'eason that friction is the only means for preventing the supporting arm 13 from being driven through the groove 12 under the action of a force such as the shock of a collision.

It will be obvious that by merely loosening the nut 18 and also by preference the nut 21, the supporting arm of the buffer may be raised or lowered to any desired position within the range of movement permitted by the slots 15 and 16.

An arrangement such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 may be used if desired. In Fig. 7 the slot for adjustment is indicated by the numeral 23, being at the lower edge of the clamping plate and the aperture whereby the clamping plate isv adapted for pivotal motion is found at the top and indicated by the numeral 22. In the case of this modification, the shank of the bolt 17 acts as a pivot while the adjustment is made by swinging the clamping plate on this pivot and clamping it by means of the nut 21. The last described arrangement is merelythe reverse of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

Having thus described my invention and with the knowledge that changes and modifications may be made that are within the ability of the ordinary skilled mechanic but which nevertheless do not depart from the spirit thereof, I claim:

1. In a clamp for attachin a buffer to the channel bars of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates pivotally connectedto each other to. adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes, the contacting surfaces of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced from the point of pivotal connection, said groove serving to receive a'butfer supporting arm, means for clampin said plates together in a plurality of angular'positions with respect to each other and with respect to said point of pivotal connection and means for attaching one of said plates to a channel bar.

2. In a clamp for attaching a buffer to the channel bars of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates of substantial length'pivotally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced'from the point of pivotal connection said groove serving to receive asupporting arm of the buffer, means for clamping said plates to-.

'gether in a plurality of angular positions with respect to one another and means for attaching one of said plates to a channel bar.

3. In a clamp for attaching a buffer to the channel bars of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates pivot-ally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes, the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced from the point -of pivotal connection, said groove serving to receive the supporting arm of a buffer, registering slots insaid plates and a clamping bolt connecting the said plates by means of'ssaid slots andmeans for attaching one of said plates to a channel bar;

4. In a clamp for attaching a butter to the channel bars of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates pivotally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes, the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided With a groove displaced from the point of pivotal connection, said groove serving to receive the supporting arm of a bufier, registering slots in said plates and a clamping bolt connecting the said plates by means of said slots said pivotal connection being established by the shank of a hook bolt said hook bolt being adapted to support the said clamp by engagement with a flange of the channel bar.

5. In a clamp for attaching a buffer to the channel bars of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates pivotally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes, the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced from the point of pivotal connection said groove being adapted to receive the supporting arm of a buffer, means for clamping said plates together in a plurality of angular positions with respect to each other, a hook bolt adapted to engage a flange of said channel bar said hook bolt having a shank extending through said plates and constituting the means of pivotal connection and means for drawing said plates and the shank of said hook bolt into close contact with the web of a channel bar.

6. In a clamp for attaching a buffer to the channel bars of an automobile, a pair of contacting lates pivotally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes, the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced from the point of pivotal connection to receive a supporting arm of the buffer, registering slots in said plates concentric with the said point of pivotal connection, a clamp bolt extending through said slots and adapted for drawing the plates together into clamping relation and a bolt passin through apertures in said plates and establishing said pivotal connection said bolt having a hooked end adapted to firml engage one of the flanges of said channel er and means for drawing the said bolt and the said plates together into clamping relation with the channel bar.

7. In a clamp for attaching a buffer to the channel bar of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates pivotally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes, the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced from the point of pivotal connection for receiving the supporting arm of a buffer and the other of said plates havin anextension adapted to extend along tie outer side of a flange of a channel bar, means for clamping said plates together in a plurality of angular positions with respect to each other and means for attaching one of said plates to the said chanplates, one of said apertures consisting of" a slot, a clamping bolt extending through said aperture and adapted to clamp the said plates together in a plurality of angular positions with respect to one another and means for attaching one of said plates to the said channel bar.

9. In a clamp for attaching a buifer to a channel bar of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates pivotally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced from the point of pivotal connection for receiving the supporting arm of a buffer, registering apertures in said plates, one of said apertures consisting of a slot, a clamping bolt extending through said aperture and adapted to clamp the said platestogether in a plurality of angular positions with respect to one another and means for attaching said plates to the said channel bar the said means consisting of a hook bolt having a shank passing through and constituting the said pivotal connection.

10. In a clamp for attaching a bulfer to a channel bar of an automobile, a pair of contacting plates pivotally connected to each other to adapt them for relative oscillation in adjacent planes the contacting surface of one of said plates being provided with a groove displaced from the point of pivotal connection for receiving the supporting arm of a buli'er, registering apertures in said plates, one of said apertures consisting of a slot, a clamping bolt extending through said aperture and adapted to clamp the said plates together in a plurality of angular positions with respect to one another and means for attaching said plates to the said channel bar the said means consisting of a hook bolt having a shank passing through and constituting the said pivotal connection and means for drawing the said hook bolt and plates into clamping relation with the channel bar.

11. In a clamp for attaching a bufi'er to the channel bars of an automobile, a bearing plate having a portion adapted to be positioned against the outer side of the Web of said channel bar, a clamping plate pivotally connected with relation to said portion and adapted to be oscillated in a plane adjacent the plane of said portion, said clamping plate being provided with a groove adapted to receive a supporting arm of a buffer and means for clamping said clamping plate against said portion.

12. In a clamp for attaching a buffer to the channel bars of an automobile, a hearing plate having a portion adapted to be positioned against the outer side of the web of said channel bar, a clamping plate pivotally mounted with relation to said portion and adapted to be oscillated in a plane adjacent the plane of said portion, said clamping plate being provided with a groove adapted to receive a supporting arm of a buffer, and means for clamping said clamping plate against said portion in a plurality V specification.

of angular positions with respect to the point of pivotal mounting.

13. In a clamp for attaching a buffer to the channel bars-of an automobile, a bearing plate having a portion adapted to be p0- sitioned against the outer side of the web of said channel bar and another portion adapted to lie against one of the fianges of said channel bar, a hook: bolt adapted to embrace the said flange and having a shank adapted to extend through an aperture in said bearing plate a clamping plate pivotally mounted on said shank and having a groove adapted to receive the supporting arm oi a bufier bar, said bearing plate and said clamping plate being provided with registering slots, and a bolt connecting said plates by means of said slots.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this THOMAS A. noovnn.

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