Partition for automobiles

Claim 2

A transverse safety partition apparatus adapted to be mounted rearwardly adjacent to the front seat of a vehicle, comprising: a roll bar assembly including substantially upright side portions and a substantially horizontal top portion; a transverse partition adapted to be selectively positioned in an upright attitude across the space immediately beneath the top portion of said roll bar assembly; rigid pivoted crank means at each side of said partition operatively connected to said partition and to said roll bar assembly about spaced parallel horizontal axes; means operatively connected between the lower end of said partition and said roll bar assembly for pivotally guiding the lower end of said partition along a straight upright path relative to said roll bar assembly; means operatively connected between the partition and said roll bar assembly for biasing the partition toward the position across the space immediately beneath the top portion of said roll bar assembly, said last-named means comprising a spiral spring centered about an axis of said crank means, having one end of the spring operatively connected to the roll bar assembly, and the remaining end operatively connected to said crank means.

Claim 3

A transverse safety partition apparatus adapted to be mounted rearwardly adjacent to the front seat of a vehicle, comprising: an upright frame adapted to be secured to the vehicle interior rearwardly adjacent to the front seat; a transverse partition adapted to be selectively located at a first upright position extending substantially across the vehicle interior immediately adjacent to the vehicle roof and movable to a second upright position elevationally lower than said first position; rigid crank means at each side of a said partition pivotally connected to said partition about a first horizontal transverse axis and to said frame about a second axis parallel to and spaced from saiD first axis; said first axis being elevated above said second axis when said partition is located at its first upright position relative to said frame; means operatively connected to said partition at locations elevationally below said first and second axes at each side of the partition and to said frame for guiding the lower end of said partition along a straight upright path relative to said frame; means operatively connected between the partition and said frame for biasing the partition toward the position adjacent to the vehicle roof, said last-named means comprising a spiral spring centered about an axis of said crank means, having one end of the spring operatively connected to the frame, and the remaining end thereof operatively connected to said crank means.

Claim 4

A transverse safety partition apparatus adapted to be mounted rearwardly adjacent to the front seat of a vehicle, comprising: an upright frame adapted to be secured to the vehicle interior rearwardly adjacent to the front seat; a transverse partition adapted to be selectively located at a first upright position extending substantially across the vehicle interior immediately adjacent to the vehicle roof and movable to a second upright position elevationally lower than said first position; rigid crank means at each side of a said partition pivotally connected to said partition about a first horizontal transverse axis and to said frame about a second axis parallel to and spaced from saiD first axis; said first axis being elevated above said second axis when said partition is located at its first upright position relative to said frame; means operatively connected to said partition at locations elevationally below said first and second axes at each side of the partition and to said frame for guiding the lower end of said partition along a straight upright path relative to said frame; means operatively connected between the partition and said frame for biasing the partition toward the position adjacent to the vehicle roof, said last-named means comprising a spiral spring centered about an axis of said crank means, having one end of the spring operatively connected to the frame, and the remaining end thereof operatively connected to said crank means.

Claim 5

A transverse safety partition apparatus adapted to be mounted rearwardly adjacent to the front of a vehicle, comprising: a roll bar having a substantially horizontal top portion adapted to abut the vehicle roof and integral side portions extending downwardly therefrom at its respective ends adapted to extend to the vehicle floor adjacent the respective sides of the vehicle interior rearwardly adjacent to the front seat; a rigid plate fixed to and extending across the side portions of the roll bar, the upper edge of said plate being spaced elevationally beneath the top portion of said roll bar; a partition having a width extending substantially across the roll bar between its respective side portions and having a height substantially corresponding to the separation between the top portion of the roll bar and the upper edge of said plate; and partition mounting means operatively connected between the roll bar and said partition for movably guiding the partition between a first upright position abutting the top portion of the roll bar and a second position spaced beneath the top portion of the roll bar; said partition mounting means comprising: rigid crank means at the respective sides of said partition, each pivotally connected to said partition about a first horizontal transverse axis and operatively pivoted to said roll bar about a second axis parallel to and spaced from said first axis, said first axis being elevated above said second axis when said partition is located at its first upright position relative to said roll bar, said rigid crank means comprising a pair or rigid arms located outwardly adjacent to the respective transverse sides of the partition, and biasing springs operatively connected between said roll bar and each of said arms urging said arms about their respective second axes in a direction such as to move the partition to its first upright position; and means operatively connected to the lower end of said partition elevationally below said first and second axes and to said roll bar for guiding the lower end of said partition along an upright path that is substantially parallel to the side portions of the roll bar.

Claim 6

A transverse safety partition apparatus adapted to be mounted rearwardly adjacent to the front of a vehicle, comprising: a roll bar having a substantially horizontal top portion adapted to abut the vehicle roof and integral side portions extending downwardly therefrom at its respective ends adapted to extend to the vehicle floor adjacent the respective sides of the vehicle interior rearwardly adjacent to the front seat; a rigid plate fixed to and extending across the side portions of the roll bar, the upper edge of said plate being spaced elevationally beneath the top portion of said roll bar; a partition having a width extending substantially across the roll bar between its respective side portions and having a height substantially corresponding to the separation between the top portion of the roll bar and the upper edge of said plate; and partition mounting means operatively connected between the roll bar and said partition for movably guiding the partition between a first upright position abutting the top portion of the roll bar and a second position spaced beneath the top portion of the roll bar; said partition mounting means comprising: rigid crank means at the respective sides of said partition, each pivotally connected to said partition about a first horizontal transverse axis and operatively pivoted to said roll bar about a second axis parallel to and spaced from said first axis, said first axis being elevated above said second axis when said partition is located at its first upright position relative to said roll bar, said rigid crank means comprising a pair or rigid arms located outwardly adjacent to the respective transverse sides of the partition, and biasing springs operatively connected between said roll bar and each of said arms urging said arms about their respective second axes in a direction such as to move the partition to its first upright position; and means operatively connected to the lower end of said partition elevationally below said first and second axes and to said roll bar for guiding the lower end of said partition along an upright path that is substantially parallel to the side portions of the roll bar.

Claim 7

An apparatus as set out in claim 3 wherein the biasing springs comprise spiral springs centered about said second axes, one end of each spring being in engagement with the arm associated therewith and the remaining end being operatively anchored to the roll bar.