Automotive body framing system
First Claim
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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Accused Products
Abstract
An automotive body framing system includes a clamping frame assembly for accurately positioning and clamping loosely assembled main body panels and header members in accurate alignment with each other to be welded into a rigid permanently assembled relationship. The loosely assembly panels and members are mounted upon a conveying sled upon which the floor panel of the assembly is accurately located. A clamping frame assembly including front and rear frame sections pivotally connected in end-to-end relationship with each other is movable into a clamping position overlying the body from front to rear and supported in an inverted V configuration by support posts which support the front and rear ends of the frame assembly. Clamps mounted on the front and rear frame sections are actuable to clamp the various components in accurately assembled relationship to each other while leaving the entire opposite sides of the body accessible to welding devices. In one form of the invention, the clamping frame and support parts are mounted upon the move with the conveying sled. In another form of the invention, the clamping frame and support posts are located at a welding station and the body is conveyed by the sled to and from the operative relationship with the clamping frame.
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Citations
10 Claims
- 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.
Specification