Spring biased prop for a pivoted member hinged to a support member

A spring biased prop for use with a pivot member, such as a window, hinged to a support member. The prop includes sliding tubular telescopic members each carrying a pivoted arm part for attachment to the pivot member or support member. A sleeve formed of generally friction free material, such as nylon or Teflon, is fitted between the tubular members to accommodate sliding movement of the members relative to each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a prop for providing opening movement of a pivot 
member, such as a window, hinged to a support member. 
The prop of this invention includes spring biased sliding tubular 
telescopic members which carry pivoted arm parts adapted for connection to 
a hinged pivot member and a support member. The pivot connection of each 
arm part to its respective tubular member allows the arm part to be 
rotated 360.degree. in a universal movement to accommodate a high degree 
of freedom in mounting the prop between the hinged pivot and support 
members. Further, the construction of the arm parts reduces the 
possibility of binding of the prop during opening and closing movement of 
the pivot member. 
A sleeve formed of generally friction free material, such as nylon or 
Teflon, is located between the tubular members of the prop for the purpose 
of reducing frictional contact between tubular members during expansion 
and retraction of the prop. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a prop having spring loaded 
telescopic members carrying pivotally mounted arm parts for versatile 
connection between a pivot member hinged to a support member. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a prop for opening a pivot 
member hinged to a support member and having inner and outer telescopic 
interfitting tubular members which are spring biased into a normally 
extended position and which include pivotally connected arm parts for 
attachment to the pivot and support members. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide a prop which is for 
opening a pivoted member, such as a window, hinged to a support member and 
which is of essentially friction free operation. 
Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the 
invention's description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The preferred embodiment illustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to 
limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It has been chosen and 
described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its 
application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art 
to best utilize the invention. 
In FIG. 1 a pair of props 10 is shown connected between a window 12 and a 
window frame 14. Window 12 is hinged to frame 14 and constitutes a part of 
the illustrated vehicle 16. Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, each prop 10 
includes an outer tubular member 18 and an inner tubular member 20. 
Tubular member 20 fits telescopically within tubular member 18 with the 
inner end portions 22 and 24 of the tubular members overlapping in a 
slidable relationship. The outer end portion 26 of tubular member 18 and 
the outer end portion 28 of tubular member 20 include arcuately inturned 
end edges 30 which define restricted openings 32 into the tubular members. 
An arm part 34 is secured to each tubular member 18 and 20 at its outer end 
portion 26 and 28. 
Each arm part 34 includes a shank 36 which terminates in a sperical 
enlarged end 38 and is connected to a tubular member 18,20 by having its 
shank 36 extended through opening 32 in the tubular member. The enlarged 
end 38 of each arm part 34 has a diameter exceeding the diameter of the 
tubular opening 32 through which its shank 36 extends. A helical spring 40 
is located within the interfitting tubular members 18 and 20 and includes 
at each end an arcuate bearing member 42. Spring 40 is placed in 
compression so as to urge its bearing members 42 against enlarged ends 38 
of the arm parts 34 to cause the arm part ends to be forced into abutment 
with end edges 30 of tubular members 18 and 20. 
Opening 32 in each tubular member 18 and 20 is sufficiently larger than the 
diameter of shank 36 of each arm part 34 next to its enlarged end 38 to 
permit unrestricted 360 degree pivotal movement of the arm part in one 
plane and limited pivotal movement of the arm part in other 
perpendicularly oriented planes. By providing arm parts 34 with spherical 
ends 38, each arm part is able to experience universal movement relative 
to its connected tubular member 18,20. 
Shank 36 of each arm part 34 is preferably provided with a right angular 
bend. A plurality of holes 44, preferably paired in transverse oriented 
relationships, are formed in each arm part shank 36 to enable the arm part 
in its bent form to be secured to window 12 or frame 14 by screws (not 
shown) or similar attachment means. A sleeve 46 formed of nylon, Teflon or 
similar generally friction-free material is inserted into inner end 
portion 22 of tubular member 18 and positioned between tubular member 20 
and tubular member 18. Sleeve 46 is secured by a bonding material to the 
inner surface of tubular member 18 and serves to provide a bearing surface 
for tubular member 20 as the tubular members are extended and retracted. 
An outturned flange 48 is formed at the end of inner end portion 24 of 
tubular member 20. Flange 48 preferably has a diameter which is slightly 
less than the inner diameter of tubular member 18 and serves to make 
abutting contact with the inner end edge 50 of sleeve 46 when the tubular 
members are fully extended, thus providing a stop which prevents 
separation of the tubular members. It is to be understood that in some 
embodiments of this invention it may not be necessary to incorporate 
flange 48 as a stop due to the type of installation of prop 10. This could 
occur when the pivot member, such as window 12, would have only limited 
opening movement in which case the prop would not become fully extended. 
In FIG. 1 a pair of props 10 is shown secured between window 12 and frame 
14 for the purpose of supporting the window in its open position as better 
shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3 window 12 is shown in its closed position with 
tubular members 18 and 20 in their retracted position, causing full 
compression of spring 40 within each of the props 10. Spherical ends 38 of 
arm parts 34 allow each of the arm parts to experience universal swiveling 
movement relative to its connected tubular member 18,20. This allows for 
ease of attachment of prop 10 as well as non-binding operation of the prop 
during opening and closing movement of its connected pivot member. 
Additionally, each end portion 26 and 28 of tubular members 18 and 20 may 
be provided with a slot 52 which interrupts end edge 30 of the tubular 
members. Each slot 52 preferably has a width which just slightly exceeds 
the diameter of arm part shank 36 and is formed for the purpose of 
accommodating extended pivotal movement of the arm part relative to its 
connected tubular member as illustrated by broken lines 54 in FIG. 5. 
It is to be understood that the invention above described is not to be 
limited by the details given but may be modified within the scope of the 
appended claims.