Patent GB-232083-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automobile bodies
IPC: B62D25/00
Filed: 1924-07-17
Abstract: 232,083. Dehn, F. B., (Budd Manufacturing Co., E. G.). July 17, 1924. Bodies.-A motor-car body comprises a wooden underframe of longitudinal and transverse members and a number of self-sustaining all-metal body units comprising cowl, front seat, and tonneau units, rigidly secured to the underframe. The wooden underframe consists of longitudinal sills 19 connected by transverse braces 20, 21, 22 and is formed with ledges 41 to support the ends of removable floor boards. The cowl unit, shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 2, comprises an arched outer panel 10 having inwardly directed flanges 38 at its lower edges which are secured beneath the sills 19. The front edges of the panel 10 are flanged at 23 and secured by welding or otherwise to a flange 23<1> on a transverse panel 24 having a flanged central opening for the steering column &c. The rear edges of the panel 10 are inwardly flanged and secured to channel-section door posts 27 which merge at their upper ends into a transverse angle member 28 secured to the top of the panel 10 and to an instrument panel 30 which is also secured to a transverse reinforcing panel 32. Angle members 42 for supporting the foot boards are secured within the cowl which is further secured to the sills 19 by brackets 26, 37. Reinforcing brackets 31 are provided to support the wind-screen stanchions. The front seat unit, shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 2, comprises side panels 12, an upper transverse panel 17, a seat-back panel 61 and seat supporting member. Each side panel has inwardly flanged edges, the upper edge being secured to a rail 54, the lower edge 53 being secured beneath the sill 19 while the front and rear edges are secured respectively to a channel-section post 43 for the front door and a Z-section post 59 for the rear door. The seatback panel comprises a substantially vertical portion 63 secured by its flanged upper edge 62 to the transverse panel 17, and a forwardly curved portion 61 bent at its lower end at 64, 65 to form the rear portion of the seat support, the lower edge of the portion 65 being flanged at 66 to support a transverse floor panel 67. The space at the rear of the curved portion 61 serves for the storage of folding seats and is provided with vertical partitions 69. The posts 59 are supported on the sills by brackets 60 and flanged plates 70 are provided to reinforce the parts 64, 65. The front portion of the seat support consists of a forwardly curved transverse panel 46 secured at 47 to the boards 20 and at its rear edges to the door posts 43, the upper edge of the panel 46 being flanged at 48 to carry a seat-cushion retainer 49. Side and transverse seat supporting members 50, 52 are secured to the panel 46 and part 65 respectively. In order to provide the usual upwardly offset rear part of the underframe, the wooden sills 19 thereof extend only to the front portion of the tonneau units as shown in Fig. 3, this unit being provided with a separate metal under frame 76, 77 of angle iron curved downwardly at its front end and secured underneath the rear ends of the sills 19. The curved outer panel 11 is formed with flanged edges and inwardly pressed wheel housings 18 having plane portions 18<1>. The upper edges 74 carry a rack 75, the lower edges 79 are secured beneath the frame. 76, 77 and the front edges are secured to door posts 83 which are shaped to correspond with the wheel housing. The front portion of the unit is strengthened by angle brackets 85 secured to the frame member 21 and to the housing 18, the upper portions 86 being twisted and secured to the posts 83. Strengthening members 96, 97, which may serve as supports for the hood irons, are also provided. The seat pan 89 rests at its rear end 90 on the horizontal flange of the frame member 76, and is supported at its sides on triangular members 87 secured on the members 77 and against the plane portions 18'. The front of the pan 89 rests on a transverse panel 91, 92 secured to the side panels and having a floor portion 95 secured to the members 77 and to the frame member 21. The sills 19 between the door posts are covered by channel members 39, 40 and 72, 73.