US2908415A - Lift gate support for station wagon - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 13, 1959 BOGATER ETAL 2,908,415

LIFT GATE SUPPORT FOR STATION WAGON Filed Sept. 23. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l inventors c .gromvcy Filed Sept. 23, 1954 Get. 13, 1959 BOGATER ETAL LIFT GATE SUPPORT FOR STATION WAGON 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NJ I Z? i0 I i a 9 Inventors 54 fij i TTORNEY Oct. 13, 1959 J BQGATER ETAL LIFT GATE SUPPORT FOR STATION WAGON Filed Sept. 23, 1954 4 Sfieets-Sheet 3 Inventors ATTORNEY Oct. 13, 1959 J. P. BOGATER EI'AL 2,908,415

LIFT GATE SUPPORT FOR STATION WAGON Filed Sept. 23, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @f InQntors 470/272 9960 fea Jamzzel'i dzza BY fie/3'0 6 United States Patent "Ce Patented oee s, 1959- 2,908,415 LIFT GATE SUPPORT FOR STATION WAGON John P. Bogater, Detroit, Samuel F. Loria, Dearborn, and Nelson E. Putnam, Livonia, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1954, Serial No. 457,872 7 Claims. (Cl. 217-60) This invention relates to a support for a hinged closure, and more particularly to a lift gate support for a station wagon.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved lift gate support for a station wagon; another feature of the invention is that it provides a pair of telescopic support channels with improved latch means on said channels for supporting the lift gate or other closure in a selected one of a plurality of different positions; a further feature of the invention is that it provides means for supporting a lift gate in a fully open position above the horizontal or in an intermediate position in which the lift gate is generally horizontal; still another feature of the invention is that it provides selectively operable means for presetting the latch means to pass by one of said positions; yet a further feature of the invention is that it provides means for overriding the selectively operable means to insure engagement of the latch to support the closure at another position; and yet another feature of the invention is that it provides a single latch with selectively operable means for presetting this latch to pass by the intermediate position.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a station wagon including the improved lift gate support;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear view of the station wagon taken along the line of 2-2 of Fig. l and showing part of the lift gate, the center portion thereof being broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing the various positions of the support when the lift gate is in closed position, in intermediate position and in fully open position;

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of the upper portion of one of the pairs of telescopic channels, a part being shown in section to show the latch keeper slot;

Fig. 4a is a fragmentary view of the lower portion of the telescopic channels, showing the latch means, a portion of the channels being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of the telescoping channels and latch means, the latch being shown in two different positions;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the channels, being taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the channels,

being taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the upper portion of the channels, being taken along the line 8-8 of Fig.4; and v Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the lower .por-.

tion of the channels, being taken along .the line 9'-9 of Fig. 4a. t

Referring now to the drawings, 20 is a station wagon body having in its rear side above the belt line 22 a lift gate 24. The lift gate comprises a peripheral frame 26 extending across the rear of the station wagon body and mounting a window 28, as shown in Figure 2, and the lift gate is pivotally mounted at its upper edge for swinging movement about a horizontal axis on hinges 30.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the lift gate 24 is movable between a closed position A, an intermediate generally horizontal position B, and a fully open position C wherein the lift gate extends above the horizontal. Since in a modern station wagon the hinge axis of the lift gate -is only about five feet from the ground, it is preferred to hold the lift gate in a position well above the horizontal, as shown at C in Figures 1 and 3, when the lift gate is fully open to facilitate the removal of articles from the rear end of the station wagon body. However, it is often" tend beyond the rear end of the station wagon. Whenthe lift gate is in the fully open position C it is not Well adapted for traveling, particularly at high speeds, and, therefore, it is advantageous to latch the lift gate at a substantially horizontal intermediate position B.

This invention provides novel and improved means for latching or holding the lift gate at a fully open position C or at a generally horizontal intermediate position B, with the added feature of means for presetting the latch means to pass by the intermediate position B when desired. This is advantageous particularly when the lift gate is opened while the operator is carrying packages or other articles in his arms, since the latch may be preset and the lift gate may be fully opened without again. operating the latch at the intermediate position B.

As shown in the drawings, at each side of the station wagon body there is a pair of telescoping support chan-' nels. Since these channels and the latch means associated lower end at 35 to an outer channel support bracket 34 mounted by means of bolts 36 and nuts 37 (Figure 9) to the station Wagon body 20. An inner channel 38 is.

telescopically slidable within the outer channel 32, the top end of the inner channel being pivoted at 40 to a support bracket 42 secured by bolts 44 and nuts 45 (Figure 8) to the frame 26 of the lift gate. This arrangement of telescoping channels is old and well known in the art.

-In order to releasably lock the channels 32 and 38 together to support the lift gate in its various positions, latch means are mounted within the channels. Near its lower end the inner channel 38 has a recessed portion 46 (see Fig. 9) and a rivet 48 is secured in this recess and provides a pivotal mounting for a latch member designated generally as 50. An anti-rattle spring 52 is mounted on the rivet 48 and bears against the wall of the inner channel.

Adjacent its pivotal mounting the latch member 50 is provided with a foot 54 for cooperation with a stop lug 56 (which is bent from channel 32) to kick the latch to operated position, as will be hereinafter described, and adjacent its longitudinal center the latch 50 has an operating knob 58 which projects out through a slot 60 in the channel 38. This knob may be grasped by the operator to move the latch member pivotally from an operated position as shown in Figure 5 in the center portion thereof to an operative position shown in broken lines in the lower portion in Figure 5 or to an inoperative position as shown in Figure 4a. The latch 50 has a latch lug 62 adapted,

' inner channel is detented as shown at 66 to provide a 3 bearing for the latch member 50. At its lower free end the latch member 50 is connected to one end 69 of an over-center spiral spring 68, the other end 70 of the spring being anchored in an opening in the wall of channel 38.

The parts are so arranged that the end 69 of the spring (which is connected to the latch member) is on the same side of the anchored end 70 whether the latch be in its operated (latched) position or in its operative position shown in Figure 5. Consequently, the spring urges the latch from its operative position toward its operated position. However, if the latch 50 is pivoted to its inoperative position as shown in Figure 4a the end 69 of the spring passes to the other side of the anchored end 70, thus giving an overcenter action so that the latch is now urged away from its operated position.

In the outer channel member 32 there is a first keeper slot 72 so located that it is opposite the latch lug 62 when the lift gate is in its fully open position shovm at C in Figures 1 and 3. A second keeper slot 74 in the outer channel 32 is so located that it is opposite the latch lug 62 when the lift gate is in its generally horizontal intermediate position B shown in Figurues l and 3. If desired a third keeper slot may be provided for holding the lift in its closed position A, or a separate latch device (not shown) may be used for this purpose.

Assuming the lift gate is closed and it is desired to open it to its fully open. position C without stopping at its intermediate position B, the handle or operating knob 58 is grasped and moved to the right from the position shown in Figure 5 to the position shown in Figure 4a so that the latch is swung to its inoperative position and is yieldedly held in this position by the overcenter spring 68. Now when the lift gate is opened it will pass by the intermediate or second keeper slot 74. When the lift gate reaches its fully open position the foot 54 at the top of the latch member 50 will abut the stop lug 56, kicking the latching over to its operated position wherein the lug 62 enters the keeper slot 72 to hold the lift gate in fully open position. It will be understood that the parts are similar on both sides of the car and that there is a latch at each opposite side.

If it is desired to lower the lift gate to closed position without stopping at the intermediate position B the knob 58 again is moved to the right to swing the latch to its inoperative position and the lift gate may be closed, bypassing the intermediate position B. When the lift gate is closed it may be latched by a keeper slot similar to the slot 72, 74 or (as is generally the case) by a separate latch provided with a key.

If it is desired to open the lift gate from closed position to the intermediate position B, then the handle is moved to the right only enough to retract the lug 62 from the keeper slot. The relation of the parts in this operative position is shown at the bottom of Figure 5 where it will be seen that the nose of the latch lug 62 rides on the inner surface of the outer channel member 32. With the parts in this position, the over-center spring constantly urges the latch toward its operated position so that when the intermediate keeper slot 74 moves opposite the latch lug, the latch lug 62 enters the keeper slot to hold the lift gate in its intermediate position. The lift gate may be moved to either fully open or closed position from its intermediate position by moving the knob 58 to retract the lug 62 from the keeper slot 74. In moving from intermediate position it makes no difference whether the latch is moved to its operative position or its inoperative position.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A support of the character described for a hinged closure, including: an outer channel; an inner channel slidably mounted in said outer channel in telescopic relation therewith; a latch pivotally mounted on one channel for movement between an operated position, an operative position and an inoperative position; a first keeper on the other channel engageable with said latch when the closure is in one position; a second keeper on said other channel engageable with said latch when the closure is in another position; and means for presetting said latch to pass by said second keeper, comprising spring means adapted to urge said latch from operative position toward operated position and also adapted to releasably hold said latch in inoperative position when said latch has been preset in inoperative position.

2. A support of the character described for a hinged closure, including: an outer channel; an inner channel slidably mounted in said outer channel in telescopic relation therewith; a latch pivotally mounted on one channel for movement between an operated position, an operative position and an inoperative position; a first keeper on the other channel engageable with said latch when the closure is in fully open position; a second keeper on said other channel engageable with said latch when the closure is in an intermediate position; and means for presetting said latch to pass by said second keeper, comprising an over-center spring connected between the latch and the channel on which the latch is mounted and adapted to urge said latch from operative position toward operated position and also adapted to releasably hold said latch in inoperative position when said latch has been preset in inoperative position.

3. A support of the character described for a hinged closure, including: an outer channel; an inner channel slidably mounted in said outer channel in telescopic relation therewith; a latch pivotally mounted on one channel for movement between an operated position, an operative position and an inoperative position; a first keeper on the other channel engageable with said latch when the closure is in fully open position; a second keeper on said other channel engageable with said latch when the closure is in an intermediate position; means for presetting said latch to pass by said second keeper, comprising an over-center spring connected between the latch and the channel on which the latch is mounted and adapted to urge said latch from operative position toward operated position and also adapted to releasably hold said latch in inoperative position when said latch has been preset in inoperative position; and means for moving said latch from inoperative position to operated position when the closure reaches fully open position.

4. A support of the character claims in claim 3, wherein the last mentioned means includes a projecting foot on said latch and a cooperating stop member on one of said channels.

5. A support of the character described for a hinged closure, including: an outer channel; an inner channel slidably mounted in said outer channel in telescopic relation therewith for movement between fully open and fully closed positions; latch means on said channels for positively locking the closure against movement in either direction of telescopic movement in a selected one of a plurality of different positions including fully open and intermediate open positions; means operable through movement of said latch means when the closure is in any of the aforesaid positions to preset said latch means to pass by said intermediate position; and means engaged by said latch means when the closure reaches fully open position for moving the latch means from its preset position into latching engagement.

6. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 5, wherein said latch is carried on one of said channels and always moves with the channel on which it is mounted between its latching positions in a straight line with reference to the sides of said other channel.

7. A support of the character described for a hinged closure, including: an outer channel; an inner channel slidably mounted in said outer channel in telescopic relation therewith for movement between fully open and fully closed positions; latch means on one channel for locking the closure in a selected one of a plurality of different positions including fully open and intermediate open positions; a first keeper on the other channel engageable with said latch means when the closure is in an intermediate open position to lock the closure against swinging movement in opening and in closing directions; a second keeper on said other channel engageable with said latch means when the closure is in fully open position to lock the closure against swinging movement in opening and in closing directions; means operable through movement of said latch means when the closure is in any References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 351,147 Adams Oct. 19, 1886 2,001,507 Stribling May 14, 1935 2,264,382 Keller Dec. 2, 1941 2,288,925 Simpson July 7, 1942 2,551,010 Kamrneraad May 1, 1951

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