Patent GB-511339-A (GB)
Title: A combined chassis frame and body underframe structure for road vehicles
IPC: B62D21/10
Filed: 1938-12-02
Abstract: 511,339. Vehicle bodies and underframes; mounting batteries. BUDD MANUFACTURING CO., E.G. Dec. 2, 1938; No. 35128. Convention date, Dec. 6, 1937. [Classes 108 (i) and 108 (ii)] [Also in Group XXXI] A combined chassis frame and body underframe for road vehicles includes upwardlyfacing, channel-section, longitudinal, side frame members or sills 10 shaped to correspond with the lower longitudinal margins of the body structure and adapted to be closed by a sheetmetal floor secured thereto. As shown, the floor 25 extends from the cowl 23 to the rear end of the vehicle, and forward ends of the sills 10 being closed by cover strips 21, Fig. 3, and the floor and strips secured to lateral flanges 15, 17 on the sills. The floor, which may overlap the rear ends of the strips 21, may consist of a onepiece stamping or be sub-divided in longitudinal and/or transverse directions and is provided centrally with a tunnel 28, Fig. 2, for the transmission shaft. Near the rear door posts 29, Fig. 2, the floor forms the rear seat support 30 and behind this support a depression 31 is provided for a spare wheel. In the region of the drivers seat, openings 32, Fig. 4, are formed in the floor 25 below which a transverse plate 33 extends having flanges 34 secured to the bottom walls 13 of the sills 10. The side walls 35 of the tunnel 28 extend below the floor 25 and are secured by flanges 36 to the plate 33. Transverse walls 37 are inserted between the inner walls 16 of the sills 10, the vertical tunnel-walls 35, the transverse margins of the openings 32 in the floor, and the transverse outer margins of the plate 33 and are fastened to these members. Above the floor the transverse walls 37 are continued by a transverse wall 38 extending across the tunnel and fastened at its lower margins to the floor 25, the flanges 15, 17 of the sills 10, and the upper part of the tunnel 28. The upper margins of the wall 38 are secured to a transverse plate 39 or the wall and plate may be integral. Thus, on each side of the tunnel a casing is formed constituted by a box-section cross-member which may be used for housing the battery, tools &c. and is accessible through an opening 40 in the plate 39. The body structure may comprise unitary side wall stampings each including door and window openings 12, 41, Fig. 1, one side wall of the cowl 23, and the rear wheel housing 42, and each provided along its forward, lower, and door-opening margins with inwardly-directed flanges 44, 45, 46, Figs. 2, 6, having in turn flanges 47, 48, 49 respectively seated against and for example welded to an inner sheet-metal panel 50 so that in the threshold and cowl regions box-section structures are formed. The inner panel is extended forwardly beyond the cowl 23 to form the vertical wall 51, Fig. 2, of the front wheel housing. The front and rear wheel housings .51, 42 and the inner panel 50 are provided at the lower edges with offset portions 52, 53, Figs. 4-6, adapted to seat on the angle formed by the floor 25 and its flange 26 or by the strip 21 and its flange 22, the portions 53 being for example welded to the flanges 26, 22. To strengthen the connection between the body structure and the floor and sills, angle-brackets 56, Fig. 5, are provided between the sills 10 and the inner panel 50, and the lateral margins of .the wall 38 and the plate 39, Fig. 4, are fastened by flanges 54 to the inner panel 50 and to the flanges 48, 49 of the outer panel 43. The central part of the floor may be at a lower level than the plane of the sill-flanges 15, 17. The sills and other members, for example, the inner panel 50 and front wheel housing 51, may be in one or several pieces.