Sliding roof for vehicle bodies
July 9, 1935. J_ K|NG 2,007,865 SLIDING ROOF FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed Nov. '7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 9, 1935. J_ KlNG 2,007,865 SLIDING ROOF FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed Nov. 7, 1934 I I _ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ulm / "ml" -..||| . l 15 \ 57 36 19 @315 w I 6'11 g3 6.6 ' Hiram???’ O “f‘ ‘ I Patented July 9, 1935 2,007,865 UNITED STATES PATENT 2,007,865 ‘ I OFFICE - ‘ SLIDING ROOF FOR VEHICLE BODIES John King, Golders Green, London, England Application November 7, 1934, Serial No. 751,921 In Great Britain September 28, 1933 5 Claims. (Cl. 296-137) This invention comprises improvements in or their lower underside edges horizontally-extend relating to sliding roofs for vehicle bodies. It ing ?at members I5, l6, thus making the com is an object of the invention. to provide a sliding posite longitudinals into members of angle sec roof for a vehicle body which is capable of being tion. Flat steel cross-members I1, l8 unite the slid back as to part of its area so as to provide longitudinals II, I2, being‘secured to the upper an opening in the roof and which will present a edges thereof, and over these and the rear cross 5 ?ush appearance over substantially the whole of member Hi there is stretched roo?ng fabric i9 the roof covered area, both when open and when which covers substantially half the area of the closed. roof, constituting the ?xed roof portion under The present invention relates to sliding roofs of which the sliding panel hereinafter described is the type wherein the sliding panel of the roof is adapted to slide. mounted upon longitudinal runways which lie Moreover, there are other cross-members 20, 2 I, beneath a ?xed portion of the roof so that when 22,‘ which extend between the parts l5, I6 of the the roof is open the sliding panel enters beneath longitudinal members of the framework atla lower 15 the ?xed portion. ' level than the cross-members I'I, I8, and over According to the present invention a sliding these is stretched fabric 23. Between the two 16 roof of the type described is characterized by the fabric covers l9 and 23 is the space into which fact that the runways for the sliding panel of the the sliding panel enters. roof are curved upwardly at, the point where Upon the horizontal battens l5, IS in the part _ they engage the rear part of the sliding panel on beneath the fabric Hi there is secured along each 20 its emerging from beneath the ?xed portion of the side of the roof a brass channel member 24 the roof ‘so that the sliding portion is fat the moment lower ?ange of which is screwed to the longi when the roof is closed lifted flush with the ?xed tudinal batten below it and the upper inwardly- portion of the roof. 25 . ‘ Preferably the sliding panel engages the run directed‘ ?ange 25 of which constitutes a run way for the sliding panel of the roof. As best 25 ways by means of runners which restrain it from seen in Figure 3 this runway extends beneath the both upward and downward movements and are fabric I9 and parallel therewith for the greater pivotally mounted upon the panel so that they part of its length, but at the front end beneath may rotate relatively thereto to follow the upward the cross-member I8 it is upswept or upturned as 30 curvature of the runways. shown at 26. At the upturned portion this, which The runways may comprise inwardly-directed may be termed the rear runway, ends. 7 ?anges and the runners pivotally mounted upon Further forward a steel channel section 21 con the roof comprise outwardly-directed felt-lined stitutes a forward runway, the bottom ?ange channel members sliding on the said ?anges. being screwed to the battens I5 or IE, as the case .35 The following is ‘a description by way of ex may be, and the. outer side-?ange 58 carrying an ample of one form of roof in accordance with the inwardly-directed upper ?ange 28. (See Figure present invention. The roof isv shown in the ac 5.) . . companying drawings in which:—¥ _ Upon the two sets of‘ runways there is mount Figure 1 is a plan of the roof showing some of ed to slide a sliding panel 30. This is constituted 40 the parts broken away ; by longitudinal members 3| parallel with the ion Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-4 of gitudinals II, ‘I! and by cross-members 32, 33 Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; which unite the longitudinals into a framework Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of and over which is stretched a fabric covering 34. the parts shown in Figure 2. As best seen in Figures 4 and 5 the longitudinal Figure 4 is a detail section taken along the line members 3| of the sliding panel are set sumciently 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the near together to come within the ?anges 25 of arrows; and _ the rearmost longitudinal runways and lie be Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure l. tween them, and in order to extend the width of The roof as shown comprises a wooden frame the sliding panel so that it overlies the runways consisting of longitudinal members ll, I2 and and ?lls up the space as far as the side longitudi cross-members I3, I4 which are intended to be nals I I, I2,-metal pates 36 are screwed to the upper built into the roof of a motor vehicle. These sides of the longitudinal members 3| and the fab frame-members are ?at pieces of wood set with‘ ric 34 is carried around the edges of these plates 55 their longest dimensions upright and the longi , tudinal frame-members I I, I! have secured along as shown at 31 (Figure 4). , Metal brackets 38 (Figure 4) are secured to the 2 2,007,865 ‘ underside of the sliding panel at its rear corners other edge as the front edge of the panel, with and on these are pivoted short lengths of channel corresponding nomenclature of the other parts, section 39 which embrace the ?anges 25 of the it is to be understood that this does not neces runways 24, a piece of felt 40 being interposed sarily imply that these are the rear and front to prevent looseness and rattling. At the front portion of the sliding panel 30 there is secured to the underside of the cross member a metal plate 42 underlying the ?ange 28 of the adjoining runway 21. 10 ' edges respectively in relation to the movement of a vehicle upon which the parts are mounted, as the roof might be mounted. with the sliding panel opening either towards the front or towards the rear of the vehicle, or it might be adopted upon some roof which did not form part of a vehicle at 10 The sliding panel carries a locking device oper ated by a handle 60 below the front edge of the all. panel. The handle 60 operates sliding cross-bolts GI, 62, which lie transversely across the upper I claim: _ 1. In a vehicle the combination of a tray-like ?ange 28 of the runways 21 and are bent down depressed frame forming a part of the roof struc 15 outside them at 63 (Figure 5). The end 63 of each ture, the upper edges of the tray sides being flush bolt carries a conical locking-peg 64 capable of with the outer surface of the roof, said frame entering any one of a series of holes 65_in the havingan aperture occupying part of its area, a outer ?ange 58 of the runway 21. The ‘under cover above the part of the frame arranged ?ush sides of the bolts SI, 62 carry felt pads ‘I’! to rest with the surrounding roof surface, stationary run 20 on the ?anges 28 of the runways 21 and the front ways upon the frame beneath said cover which end of the roof is prevented from'lifting or mov have an upwardly extending ramp of limited ex ing out of its proper plane by being held against tent at their ends nearest said aperture, other downward movement by pad 1,‘! and against up runways upon the frame alongside said aperture, , ward movement by the plate 42 which carries a a sliding panel mounted at one edge to run along 25 ?bre pad 66. This prevents rattling and at the the ?rst said runways and at the other edge to 25 same time the panel may be readily removed for run along the second said runways and means repair or recovering upon merely unscrewing the mounted adjacent to that edge of the sliding panel which in operation overlies said aperture plates 42. The handle 60 is mounted to turn in a plate 10 to lock said panel to said second runways. 30 secured to the underside of the cross-member 32 2. A roof for vehicles or the like comprising, in‘ 30 at the front edge of the roof and to the underside combination, a ?xed roof structure provided with, of a second cross-member 12. The stem of the a covered portion and an open portion, a slidable 35. handle 60 carries above the plate 10 a cam ‘H of panel adapted to be moved from a position cov rectangular form which lies between two unsym metrical projections 13, 14 carried on the inner ends of the bolts GI, 62. These projections (en gage with the cam ‘H on opposite sides of its axis ering the opening to a retracted position beneath the covered portion, runners provided on said 35 panel adjacent the edges thereof, straight run so that rotation of the cam in a clockwise direc tion as viewed from above in Figure 1, will move 40 the bolts BI, 62 outwardly. Springs 15 link the ends of the cam with hooks 16 on the bolts and ways carried by the ?xed roof structure on either side of the opening for guiding the runners adja cent one edge of the panel, and separate sta tionary runways provided beneath said covered portion of the roof structure for guiding the run ners at the opposite edge of the panel, the ends of said last named runways adjacent the margin of the opening being curved upwardly so as to bring the panel to a position wherein it is substan tially ?ush with the covered portion of the ?xed tend to draw the parts back into the inmost po sition in which the projections 64 enter the look ing holes 65 in the runways 21. To unlock the 45 roof a slight clockwise rotation of the handle suf ?ces and it can then be slid in a fore and aft direction into any desired position of adjustment roof portion. . 3. A roof for vehicles or the like comprising, in in which it will be locked when the handle is re leased and the conical ends 64 of the bolts enter combination, a ?xed roof structure provided with a covered portion and an open portion, a slidable 50 a pair of locking holes in the runners. Although a particular locking device has been panel adapted to be moved from a position cover herein described for use in conjunction with the ing the opening to a retracted position beneath roof shown, it is to be understood that this locking the covered portion, runners provided on said device forms no part of the present invention but panel adjacent the edges thereof, straight run is the subject matter of a separate co-pending ways carried by the ?xed roof structure on either application in Great Britain No. 30,737 dated 26th side of the opening for guiding the runners ad- , October, 1934 in the names of Weir and King. jacent one ‘edge of the panel,‘ and separate run Any other device for locking the sliding panel ways provided beneath said covered portion of upon its runways could be provided according to the roof structure for guiding the runners at the 60 the present invention along the‘ front edge of th opposite edge of the panel, the ends of said last 60 panel. 7 - When the sliding panel 30 is run rearwardly it ‘enters beneaththe ?xed panel l9. When it'is drawn forwardly it‘ emerges from beneath the panel l9 and at the conclusion of this forward or ‘closing movement‘ the pivoted runners 39 on the rearward runways 24 engage the'upswept por tion 26 of the runways and lift the panel” so that the surface of its‘ upper covering 34' comes 70 ?ush with the surface of the covering l9, as shown in Figure 3. j '~ ‘ named runways adjacent the margin of the open- , , ing being curved upwardly so as to bring the panel to 'a position wherein it is substantially ‘?ush with the covered portion of the ?xed roof portion, and a downwardly and outwardly offset edge‘ on 65 the panel which abuts the underside of the cov ered portion at the margin of the opening when said'panel is in closed position. ' > 4. A roof for vehicles or the like comprising, in combination, a ?xed roof structure provided with 70 a covered'portion and an open portion, a slidable , Although the edge of the-sliding panel‘ which panel adapted to be moved from a position cov last emerges from beneath the ‘fixed panel l9 has, ering the opening to a retracted position beneath for convenience in the description, been herein the covered portion, forward‘ and'rear ‘flanged referred to as'the rear edge of the panel, and‘ the runways provided on either side of the roof struc 2,007,865 3 ture for guiding the panel, the forward runways provided with upwardly curved portions adjacent being disposed one on either side of the opening, the open portion of the roof structure, a sliding and the rear runways disposed beneath the cov ered portion of the roof structure and terminat panel arranged to slide beneath the said ?xed portion when open and to cover said open por ing at the forward end adjacent the margin of tion when closed, and grooved felt-lined runners pivoted upon said sliding panel and engaged with 5 tions, runners carried by said panel for sliding ' said runways so as to embrace in their grooves the engagement with said last named runways and ?anges on the runways and thereby to support ‘ comprising short channel members swivelled on the panel and restrain it from both upward and 10 the respective edges of said panel and each re downward movements except as permitted by the ceiving between its ?anges a projecting ?ange of runways, the pivotal connection of said runners 10 one of said runways. with the panel being such as to permit them to 5. A roof for vehicles or the like comprising, in swivel relatively to the panel to follow said up combination, a ?xed roof structure provided with ward bends of the runways when the sliding panel 15 a covered portion and an open portion, longi is closed and lifted ?ush with the ?xed roof 15 tudinal ?anged runways which lie beneath said portion‘. covered portion of the roof, said runways being JOHN KING. the opening in abruptly upwardly curved por
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