Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
66;~
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present lnvehtion relatea to an npparatu~ -
used for a temporarily-covering pas~enger motor vehlcle to
protect the lat~er mainly against snow and ice, 80 aa to avoid
the necesslty of removlng the snow or scraplng the lce off the
car windows.
BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTICN`
Conventional covers for the above purpo~e are
difficult to install nd remove without ~oiling the user's
hands or clothes. They are al80 difilcult to fold and store
whenever lt is desired to use the vehlcle. Canadian Patent
894,683 clated March 7, 1972,in the name of Garnet, Oxler and
al and entltled: "V~HIC~E COVERING APPARATUS", is deslgned
for the load-carr~lng open top box of a truck; a flexlble
sheet i9 aetached to a roller at one end and to the cross-bar
of a U-~hape frame at the other end. The ~ide arms of the
U-shape frame are plvoted to the sldes of the vehlcle lo~d-
carrying box, and apring means extend along the sides of
the box to urge the Ushape frame to a box-covering positlon.
This sy0tem cannot be u~ed in as~ociation with a passenger car,
because it wlll not allow opening of the car slde doors when
the sheet i6 in wound positlon.
OB~ECTS OF THE INVENTION
It 19 therefore the general obJect of the present
inventlon to provide means for coverin~ a passenger car with
flexible wate~-proof shee~ in a way ~hat the ~hee~ m~y
readlly be applied to tbe vehicle and readlly removed therefrom
and 80 arranged as to have ~ccess ~o the side door~ of ~he pas~enger
car when the s~eet i~ in wound~up car-uncovering po~ltion.
Another object of the invention ia to provide
a covering apparatus of the character described, whlch for~a
a structure separate from the car, adapted to be atationarlly
~ounted.
- 2 _ -~-:
~gg~6Z
` Another obJect o~ the lnvention i~ to provide
a passenger car-covering apparatus in accordance with a second
embodiment, which is permanently ca~ried by the ca~ itself, so
as to be readily accessible for use irrespectlve of the c~r
location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The passenger car-covering apparstus of the invention
comprises an elongated flexible waterproof sheet, a roller to
which one end of said sheet ia attached for winding said sheet
in car-uncovering position, a U-shape frame including
side arms and a cross-b~r, the-other end ~f said sheet being
attached to said cross-bar, the side arms adapted to ex*end
at the sides of the car, mean~ to pivot the free ends o said
side arma and spring meana to urge said frame away from aald
roller to automatically unwind s~id sheet and cover aaid car, and,
when sa~d vehicle. i8 positioned to be covered by ssld sheet, said
pivot and spring means being located at a level below the bottom
of said vehicle and on or close to the vertical centerline of
; the side door of ~he vehicle gaining access to the driver'a
seat, so that, when the sheet is in car-uncovering position wound
on said roller, said side arms and spring means cléar said side
door to permit opening of the same.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure l is a perspec~ive view oi a first embodi-
ment ~f the invention as an apparatus separate from the passenger
car and showing the sheet in car-uncovering wind-up position;
Figure 2 i8 a part.ial elevati.on showlng the crank
mechanism used in Figure l;
Figure 3 is a 3ide view of the appar3tus oi Figure l
and showing the sheet in car-covering po~ition.
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the app~ratus
in the position shown in Figure 3,
~ ~9~
` Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second
embodiment permanently carried by the car nnd showlng the
sheet in car-covering positlon;
Flgure 6 is a perspective view of the embodlment
of Figure 5 shown ln an lntermedlate po~ltlon of the sheet;
Figure.i is a partial elevation showlng the
roller of the second embodiment and its support installed ~n
the rear bumper of the car;
Figure 3 i8 a side elevation of the second
embodiment with the sheet in car-covering position;
~ Figure 9 is a top plan view of the second
embodiment showi.ng the cover in rolled-up car-uncovering po~ition;
Figure 10 i9 a cross-ection along llne 10-10 o
Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a partial top plan view, partlally
in section, of the retractable crank handle for the roller of
the second embodiment; and
Figure 12 is a bottom plan view of the torsion
bar arrangement for the U-shape frame of the 0econd embodiment
and lGoking underneath the car, partially shown in dotted line.
In the following descrlption, like reference
characters indicate like element3 througho~t.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The flrst embodlment, i:llustrated ln Figures
1 to 4 inclusive, is de~i8ned to be stationarlly mounted, for
instance, on ~ driveway of a home to cover car A. ~ ~tationary
structure, includlng the two side members 1, interconnected
by a cross member 2, form a U-shape frame adapted to be positloned
. flat on the ground, wi~h thP parallel 3ide member~ 1 sufficiently
spaced apart to receive therebetween a passenger car A to be
covered and protected against snow or ice. An elongated, fle~ible
waterproof sheet 3 is attached at one end to a roller 4 rotatably
supported at each extremity by vertical posts 5, which are
-- 4 --
~ ~9~62
secured to the ends of the transYerse member 2 and are
reinforced by braces 5' secured to the cross member 2 and side
members 1. Secured .st each end of the roller 4 are dlscs 6,
the purpose of which is t:o guide the sheet 3 when it i8 rolled
on the roller 4 by means of a crank handle 7 fixed to one
end of roller 4. The other end of sheet 3 is attached to
the cross bar of an inverted U-shape frame 8, the free ends of
the side arms of whi.ch are pivo'tally connected at 9 co the
free ends of s~de members 1. The aide arms of the frame 8
are sufficiently spaced apart, 80 that the car A can be parked
between these side arms and their lèngth i8 slightly more than
half the length of car A. A reinfGrcing cross bar 10 located
rearwardly of cross member 2, secured to the side members 1, nGt
only maintain their parellelism but also serve as a stop for
~he front wheels of the car A, so that the latter will be
properly positioned with respect to the roller 4 and to the
pivots 9. The U-shape freme 8 can travel through an arc of
substantially 180 over the car from a car'~uncovering po~.ition
in whiph the cross member of the U-shape frame 8 rests on the
sbeet 3 completely wound on the roller 4 and a car-covering
position in which the sheet 3 comes to rest on the rear bumper
of the car, with the sheet ~ sufficien~ly taut and coverlng the
entire top of the csr together with the side windows of the
s2me.
Spring means are provided to bias the U-shape
frame 8 and the sheet' 3 in car-coverLng position, in which the
cross member of U-shape frame 8 wlll normally abut the rear
bumper of the car.
These spring means include compres~ion coil
springs'11 which i'reely surround a gulde rod 12. The lower end
of the guide rod 12 is pivoted at 12' to the related side
member 1 of the ground-supportlng frame at a point close to,
~a9662
but at a certsin distance from the pivotal connection ~ of the
lower end of the side arms of the U-shape frame 8 and between
pivotal connection 9 and crosa member 3. A collar ll' i8 slldable
on guide rod 12 and abuts the top of the coil spring ll. The
collar 11' is pivoted to a bracket ll " , which is fixed to the
side arm of the ~-shape frame 8. Because of the deforma~le
triangles defined by the guide rods 12, the side members 1 and
the side arms Gf the U-shape frame 8, it is clear that the com-
pre~sionspri~gs ll have a maximum compression when the L-shape frame
8 i~ in car-uncovering positlo~, restin8 on the rolled.up sheet
3 on roller 4, and these springs, each associated with one of the
two side arms of the U-shape frame 8, upon e~pansion, produce
pivot~l ~ovement of the II-shape frame 8 towards car-covering
position. The force exerted by the springs is sufficient to
automstically cause the frame o to unwind the sheet 3 fro~ the
roller~4 and draw said sheet over the car without the use of any
external force.
When the car A iB in proper positiQn with respect
to the apparatus, the front bumper is close to the front roller 4
and the U-shape fra~.e i.s of such dimensions and its pivots 9
BO loCAted with respect to the car that the cross member of the
U-shape frame 8 wlll abut against the rear bumper of the car
in car-covering position, Also,and most lmportantly, the pivots
9 of the V-shape frame 8 are located below the underside of the
car and on, or in close proximity to the vertical centerline of
the side door of the car which give~ a.ccess to the driver's seat
It will be noted that the coil springs ll and their
guiding rod 12 are so located ahead of the pivots 9 and, con--
sequently, of the side arms of the U shape frame 8, so that, when
said l)-shape frame 8 is In car-uncovering position lying on top
of the rolled-up sheet on the roller 4, the side door B of the
car is completely clear of the side arms of the U-shape frame 8
-- 6 --
~966Z
and of the coil 3pring arrangement 11, 80 that this aide door
may be fully open to give accesa to the car, ln order to be able
to drive the car away from the apparatu3~
Crank handle 7 18 used to wind up the sheet and,
conssequently, pivot the U-shape frame to car-uncoverlng
position. In order-to prevent accidental unwinding of the sheet,
a ratchet wheel 13, 88 shown in Figure 2, is fixed to the
shaft of the roller 4 and a pawl lever 14 engages this ratchet
wheel 13. The pawl lever 14 ls plvoted at i5 lntermediaté
its ends on the post S. With the sheet 3 in rolled-up condition,
it is only necessary to pivot lever pawl 14 out of engagement
with the ratchet wheel 13 to lnitiate the car-covering operation.
This system iB advanta~eoua in that lt provldes
protection for a pas~enger car, wlthout the coYt of building a
garage.~
Figures S to 11 show another embodiment of the
apparatus of the invention, more specially designed to be fixed
to the passenger car itself, so a9 to be always available for
u~e. In this embodiment, the roller 4 serving to wind the sheet
3, which i9 attached to said roller at one end, i9 rotatably mounted
at its ends on support~ 2n which are upstanding from, and are
secured to, brackets 21 designed to be secured at the back ~f
the car ad3acent the rear bumper of the car.
Roller 4 i3 provided with a collapsible operating
crank handle instead of the rigid crank handle 7 oi the first
embodiment. The crank handle 7' comprises an arm 22 rigidly
secured to the roller shaft and ~he handle proper 23, pivoted at 24
to the outer end of arm 22 and provided with ~ flat spring 25
which serves to maintain the handle 22 in either an operating
posi~ion at right angle to the arm 22 or in collapsed
po3ition ilat against said arm. Otherwises the roller 4 is also
provided with the pawl-and-ratchet system 13 and 14, aa in the
fir3t embodiment, to prevent accidental unrolling of the she2t 3.
-- 7 --
6~
The other end of the sheet 3 i3 attached to the cross-bar of
a U-shape frame 8' of the same type AB the V-frame 8 of the
first embodiment, but the ~lde ~rms of the same are tubular and
receive in telescoplc engagement, and are aecured to, the.
outer end portions 26;of a pair of torsion bars 27, of similar
shape.
Each torsion bar 21 includes a central st~aight
port$on 28 and two straight end portion~ 29 and 30 bent at an
angle and directe`d in the sa~e direction with respect to the
central portion 28 and lying in a com~on plane with port$on 28.
The cen~al portion 28 of the two torsion bars 27 are crossed and
slidably inserted in a pair of angle brackets 31, which are secured
to the underside of the car in about the central portion of the
same. The inner and shorter end portions 29 of the two toraion
bars 27 are applied flat against the under side of the car and
retained therein by means of clamps 32 secured to the car. The
outer and longer ends 30 of the two torsion bars are inserted
within and are secured to the side arms of the U-shape frame 8~,
after they have been twisted through about l80 to the full line
position shown in Figure 12. In this figure, the ends 30t
shown in full line, arè directed to~ards the rear of the car.
Thus, it will.be understood that with the U-frame 8' in car-
uncovering position resting on the sheet 8 woound on roller 4, the
torsion bars 27 have a maximum ~tream and tend to draw the sheet
towards the front of the car by the bias applied to the U-shape
frame 8'. This car-covering operation is dcne automatically
upon release of the pawl lever 14.
