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Automotive body framing system

  • US 5,011,068 A
  • Filed: 12/05/1989
  • Issued: 04/30/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Framing apparatus for clamping the loosely assembled floor panel, side panels and header members of a vehicle body subassembly having a front to rear axis in an accurately oriented relationship to said front to rear axis and to each other for welding into a permanently assembled substantially rigid subassembly, said apparatus comprising conveyer means including a carrier movable along a predetermined path to and from a welding station, floor panel support means on said carrier for supporting the floor panel of said body subassembly in a predetermined fixed relationship to said carrier with said front to rear axis of said body subassembly parallel to said path, means at said welding station for locating said carrier and the body subassembly thereon in a predetermined welding pattern, a clamping frame assembly including a front frame section having a front and a rear end and a rear frame section having a front and a rear end, pivot means pivotally connecting the rear end of said front frame section to the front end of said rear frame section for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis overlying and normal to said predetermined path, support post means engageable with the front end of said front frame section and the rear end of said rear frame section and operable when said carriage and the body subassembly by therein is at said welding position to support said clamping frame assembly in an operating position overlying said body subassembly from front to rear, releasable clamp means on said front and rear frame sections operable when said clamping frame assembly is in said operating position to clamp said side panels and said header members into said accurately oriented relationship to each other and to said floor panels, and clamping frame actuating means operable where said clamp means are released for pivoting said front and rear frame sections upwardly away from said body subassembly to locate said clamping assembly in a transfer position clear of said body subassembly.

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