Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to truck mirrors and ``~
particularly to adjustable truck mirrors.
Background o~ the Invenkion
In truck mirrors~ which are required by law ~n
- 5 many governmental jurisdictions, it i5 common and desir~
able to provide for initial ad~ustment of the mirror to ` ;~
accommodate the driver and at the same time to provide a
construction wherein the mirror can be readily retracted
or moved out Or its projected position for clearance and
thereafter readily moved back to its adJusted position
without the use of tools. Various designs have been here-
tofore proposed which required compllcated construotions.
Another problem with respect to the such constructions has `;
been that of corrosion after prolonged use.
In the United States Patent No. 3,784,149,
issued January 8, 1974, having a common assignee with the
present application, there is disclosed and claimed a truck -
mirror wherein the mirror is supported on a U-shaped sup-
port. The ends of the arms of the support are pivoted to
vertically spaced brackets that are adapted to be mounted
- 20 on the truck. Pivot means are provided between the ends
of the support arms and the brackets and comprise two mem~
bers of low friction material. One of the members has
axially extending circumferentially spaced grooves therein
and the other of the members has complementary projections.
The members are yieldingly urged toward one another such -
that the mirror is held in angularly adjusted position but
may be readily moved to a new angular position by manual ~ -
manipulation. Such a ccnstruction has been found to be
`~ very effective but may be obJectionable in that it has an
~ 30 exposed external spring.
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A~.ong the aspects o~ the present invention are
. to provide an ~mproved novel truck mirror ccnstructlon
wherein the angular position Or the rnirror can be readily
ad~usted~ chan~ed ror clearance and retulned to its ori-
ginal position ~/ithout the use of tools and i~hich obviates
the aforementioned ~roble~.s.
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S~ ary of the Invention
Accordingly, this invention provides
. the combination comprising pivot means com~
`. 1~ prising a first pivot member, a second pivot member, one of
j said pivot members having a plurality of circumferentially
c. spaced generally axially extending grooves therein, the other : ~
of said pivot members having a plurality of circumferentially :~:
spaced axially extending generally complementary projections
thereon, each of said grooves and said projections having an : .
axis inclined to the axis of the respective members, and means ~ ~:
yieldingly urging said movable members toward said first .
.. pivot member where~y pivot members are held in angularly
: related fashion with respect to said bracket but may be
yieldingly moved to a new angularly related position by
moving one angularly with respect to the other to cause said
projections to move circumferentially into engagement.with
. other~ of said grooves. . . -
`~ Descr~pt.on of the Drawin~s
--: F~go :L is a fragmentary-perspective view of a
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.- truc~ mirror construction embodying the invention.
- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary e;~ploded vie~J of a por- . :
tlon of the mirror. ~:
~: - Fig. 3 ~s a fragmentary transverse sectional view.
. 30 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig.3 ~ ~-
~` sho~sing the parts ~n a different operative position.
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Description
Referring to Fig. 1, the mirror construction em
bodying the invention is adapted to be mounted on a door or
. :
other portion of a truck or similar vehicle and comprises
;- ¢ a
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an elongated mirror housing 11 which is pivotally sup~
ported at its ends on a U-shaped support 12 compr-ising ~-
spaced arms 13 connected by vertical portion 14. Braclc-
ets 15 are rixed at vertically spaced points on the door
10. Each bracket comprises a base 16 and angularly rela-
ted legs 17 that have flattened erlds 18 t~at overlap one
another. ~e ends of the arms 13 are flattened as at 19
Pivot means 20 are provided between the braeket
arms 17, 18 and the support arms 13 at each bracket or at ~
only one bracket. -~ -
Each pivot means 20 comprises pivot members 21,
22 and a movable memher 230 Pivot member 21 ineludes a
generally cylindrical wall 24 and a base ~5. The inner
: surfaee 26 of cylindrieal wall 25 is frustoconieal and has
eireumferentially spaeed axially extending grooves 27 there- .`
in, the axes of whieh are inelined to the axis of the mem- ~:~
ber 21. Pivot member 22 is generally eylindrieal and in- :
eludes a generally eylindrieal wall 28 and a base 29. Mov- :~
able member 23 is generally eylindrical and telescopes with-
in wall 28. The wall 24 of pivot member 21 telescopes with-
in the wall 28 of pivot member 22 and abuts a shoulder 30.
The upper end of movable member 23 is generally eonical and ~
has an inelined outer peripheral surface 31 t~hich is frusto~ ; , . .
eonieal and generally eomplementary to surface 26 and is
formed with cireumferentially spaeed projeetions 32 that
are eomplementary to the grooves 27 and have axes inelined
: with respeet to the axis of the member 22. The configura-
tion of the grooves 27 and projeetions 32 is generally U-
shaped but is sueh that when the grooves and projeetions ~ ~ :
3 are in engagement as presently deseribed~ the apex of eaeh .
projeetion 32 is spaeed from the base of eaeh groove 27 ~
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The periphery Or the cylindrical portion of
movable member 23 is formed ~ith axial ribs 33 which en-
gage complementary grooves 34 in wall 28 to guide the
movable member for movement axially and restrain the mov-
able member agalnst movement angularly relative to the
pivot member 22.
Pivot member 21 is formed with a transverse
groove 35 into which the flattened portion 19 of arm 13
extends. Similarly, pivot member 22 is formed with trans~
verse groove 36 into which the flattened portion 18 of the
leg 17 extends. A bolt 37 having a head 38 extends through ~`~
openings 39, L~o, 41 in members 2~, 23, 22 and a nut 42 is
threaded on the end of the bolt 37 . Washers 43, 44 are
interposed bet~een head 38 and leg 13 and between the nut
;~ 15 37 and leg 15. A compression sprin~ 45 is interposed be~
tween wall 2 and movable member 23 thereby providing a
compressive force such that the movable member 23 and pivot
member 21, 22 are urged axially toward one another. ~;
llhen assembled~ the manual manipulation of the
support 12 causes the pivot member 21 to be rotated angu-
larly with respect to the support member 22. During this
movement, axial compression of the spring ~5 is achieved
so that grooves 27 move successively into engagement with ;-
projections 32. When it is desired to re-adjust the mirror
for clearance or ~or use by drivers of different physical ;~
proportions, the support 12 is again grasped to move the
mirror to the desired position. In any position, the mir- -
ror is firmly held in its adjusted position.
The pivot members 21, 22 are preferably made of
3 a lo~l friction material such as plastic~ A satisfactory
material comprises nylon.
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Since ~he entire cperating mechanism ls within ~`
a chamber defined by the pivot me~.bers 21J 22~ the mech-
anlsm is protccted rrom the elements and dam ge.
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