US2193111A - Hood latch - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 1940.

A. E. PETERSON HOOD LATCH Filed July 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 12, 1940. PETERSON 2,193,111

noon LATCH Filed July 9, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A. E. PETERSON HOOD LATCH Filed July 9, 1.938

March 12, 1940.

March 12, 1940. PETERSON 2,193,111

HOOD LATCH Filed July 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 'lli March 12, 1940. PETERSON 2,193,111

HOOD LATCH Filed July 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 flfiarieqya Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOOD LATCH Arthur E. Peteraon, Chicago, 11L, aaaignor to Chlcago Forging & Manufacturing 00., Chicago, III., a corporation of Illinois Application July 9, 1938, Serial No. 218,374

2 Claims. (01.292-214) My invention relates to improvements in automobile hood latches and especially to that type of hood latch which is used in connection with automobile hoods wherein the upper portion of the hood only is raised and wherein the hood is pivoted at the front end of the vehicle.

One object of the invention is to provide a single hood latch which will tighten both sides of a hood.

Another object is to provide a hood latch which will when the latch is disengaged initially start the opening movement of the hood.

Another object is to provide a hood latch wherein the latch controlling lever forms a part of the decorative aspect of the car, for instance,

being substituted for the well-known type of radiator emblem.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the hood may be latched from inside the car so that when the vehicle is locked, no access to the engine is possible.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing the hood closed;

Figure 2 is a detail section showing the hood in the partially raised position;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 oi Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view with parts broken away;

Figure 5 is an enlarged. section taken at line 5-5 of Figure 1; c

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through a modified form of the device showing the hood closed;

Figure 7 is a detail section similar to Figure 6 showing the hood partially open;

Figure 8 is a section similar to Figure 6 showing the hood in the fully open position; and

Figure 9 is a plan view.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

l is the engine hood. 2, 2 are the side members and 3 is the front member of the engine housing. The hood is pivoted at its front end I ries a crank II', the crank being associated with a connecting rod l2, which rod is attached to a latch crank I! which is rotatably mounted on 10 a cross bar H by means of bearings IS. The latch crank terminates at each end in latch members l6, one at each side of the hood, the crank extending perpendicularly of the hood and across the axis of the body.

I1, I! are latch brackets. In this case, they are on the vehicle dash though they might, of course, be mounted on the side panels 2, if desired. The latch brackets I! are identical and one is associated with each of the latch members It. These latch brackets comprise preferably two parallel arms i8, i9, both forwardly and downwardly inclined, the upper arm It being shorter than the arm I9. The relationship 01' the parts is such that when the hand lever 9 is moved to the latch disengaging P sition, the latch members it are rotated down into a generally vertical position, their downward movement being limited by their engagement with the cross bar It, and more positively by the stops I40 and Ill which limit the motion of the crank II by engagement with the extension I42 on the crank i'l.- It will be understood here, as in connection with the other modified form, that in the locking position the crank is moved slightly beyond dead center so that the tension in the rod l2 holds the member I42 against the stop Ill to prevent unlockmg.

Under these circumstances, the latch members rest upon the lower latch arms l9 and hold the rear end of the hood slightly above its normal p0- sition. When the hand lever 9 is rotated toward the locking position, the latch members are rotated toward the rear and upwardly to bring them under the upper shorter latch brackets i8 whereby they lock the hood in closed position. Upon opening the hood opposite movement takes place and at first the movement of the hand lever releases the latch, then further movement raises the rear end of the hood so that the operator can go to the rear end, gethis fingers beneath it and lift it up.

In the modified form shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, 25 is the engine housing. In this case, it is shown as a one-piece structure comprising two diagonal side panels with a curved portion joining them, which may be a radiator grill.

' These side members immediately behind the curved portion are reinforced and joined by a cross member 26, upon which is a bracket 21, on which is pivoted a hinge member 38, on the front end of the hood 29, in order that when the hood is closed it may present an unobstructed smooth surface, and in order to permit pivoting of the upper part oi the hood on the lower. The bracket 21 carries a-flxed pin 3", which travels in a slot 29l in the hinge member 23. A spring 30, anchored at one end on the pin 390, and at the other end on a stirrup 3|, extending rearwardly from the hinge member 28, in part supports the weight of the forward end of the hood, and when the hood is lifted from its partially open position, as shown in Figure 7, as it rotates the forward end slides forwardly under the influence of the spring to raise the front endof the hood above and move it forwardly in front of the remainder of the body, whereby upward rotation of the hood may take place without interference.

32 is a toggle structure pivoted at one end on a cross bar 33, extending across the hood at its rear end. The other end of the toggle structure is pivoted to the dash 34. This toggle structure is free to be swung slightly off center to lock the hood in position. 35, 35 are latch brackets on the cross bar 33, one at each side.. These latch brackets are made up of two generally parallel elements 36, 31, the upper one 35 being longer than the lower one 31. 38 is a latch crank mounted in bearings 39 on the dash of the vehicle and having latch members 40 at each end adapted to engage the latch brackets 33, 31, in the same general manner as in the preferred form", except that the parts are reversed.

4| is the actuating crank portion of the latch bar. It is operated by means of a connecting rod 42 from a hand lever 43, pivoted on a bracket 44, in the dash on the drivers compartment. When the hand lever 43 is in the rearmost position, it rotates the cranks downwardly to lock the hood in position. When it is pushed forwardly, it first releases the latch and then applies pressure to the upper longer latch engaging portion to raise the hood slightly so that the operator may first release the latch, then raise the hood, then get out of the car and raise the hood the rest of the way. By this arrangement, of course, the operator is assured that when the hood is locked and the car is locked, access to the engine is prevented.

It will be understood that the handle 43 can be positioned above its pivot and that in such event it is moved down instead of up towardthe locking position.

Two of the bearings 39 are contained within a housing 45, which is bolted to the dash 34. The housing has a curved forward extension 45, so that the crank 4i and the connecting rod 52 may operate within the housing, the latch crank 38 extending out through the bearings 39. These bearings are of course generally tight and so that the housing is effectively sealed to prevent the entrance to the drivers compartment of air or gas from the engine compartment, without in any way interfering with the operation of the hood latch from the engine compartment.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

Because of the fact that modern hoods enclosing automobile engines now in many instances are hinged above the engine and on axes perpendicular to the axis of the automobile and so are stiffer and more rigid than those of the past,-it has become of the utmost importance to so mount the hood that it will be held in the closed position in rigid locked relationship with the remainder of the housing. Therefore, the hood which I have designed is, so to speak, a three-point supported hood. It is pivoted at the front end and adapted to move up and down about that pivot. It is locked at the rear end at two widely spaced points on opposite sides of the vehicle body so that a three-point support or look is provided, which insures that the hood will be positively and firmly seated.

In the two forms I have here illustrated, the hood is locked by manually operated means, in one instance at the front of the hood adjacent the pivot, and in the other instance at the rear end of the hood but inside the vehicle body. In either case, the operator is located when he manipulates the look at a position where he can not efl'ectively open the hood by using the looking means as a hood opening handle. Therefore, I have associated with the locking means automatic wedging or camming means which initially open the hood and hold it open so that the operator, after he has unlatched the hood can go to a point where he can put his fingers under the edge of the hood, while it is held open, and so lift it finally to the open position.

The arrangement whereby a single control member operates the latch on both sides of the vehicle body is of the utmost importance because, by such an arrangement, only one manipulation is necessary and the operator does not have to go from. side to side of thevehicle to lock or unlock the hood.

The form which shows the latch lever on the dashboard of the vehicle and extending into the drivers compartment with the latch crank on the dashboard inside the engine compartment is especially important because I have provided it with a seal comprising the housing containing the crank and the bearings through which the crank ends extend so that the drivers compartment is cut offirom the engine compartment and escape of gas or air or dirt from the engine compartment into the drivers compartment is prevented.

In each form, the hood has downwardly extended portions which, when the hood is closed, are in parallelism with the housing upon which the hood rests. In one instance the hood is hinged to the housing by means of an off-set long hinge so that when the hood is opened, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the forward edge of the hood rotates forwardly and downwardly and clears the lower housing. In the form shown in Figures 8 and following, however, the arrangement is different. The initial opening of the hood responsive to the unlatching, as illustrated in Figure '7, causes the hood to rotate about the pivot 290, imparting a slight rohave the same for movement about a transverse horizontal axis and in which the hood is provided with latch abutment means at its rear end, a generally horizontal, transverse latch crank shaft rotatably V mounted on the automobile adjacent and forwardly of, and at the general level of the dash and instrument panel, an interior handle mounted on the rear of the dash and located generally on the center line of the vehicle and including a hand portion located adjacent the instrument panel and within the driver's compartment, an actuating connection between said handle and said shaft. extending through the dash, and means for preventing the escape of fumes from the space within the hood to the space to the rear of the instrument panel, including a housing in which the latch crank shaft is journalled.

2. In a latch for automobile hoods or the like wherein the hood is pivoted at theiront end for movement about a transverse horizontal axis and in which the hood is provided with latch abutment means atits rear end, a generally horizontal, transverse latch crank shaft rotatably mounted on the automobile adjacent and forwardly of, and at the general level of the dash and instrument panel, an interior handle mounted on the rear of the dash and located enerally on the center line of the vehicle and including a hand portion located adjacent the instrument panel and within the drivers compartment, and an actuating connection between said handle and said shaft, extending through the dash, means for preventing the escape of fumes from .the space within the hood to the space to,

ARTHUR E. PETERSON.

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