Aluminum Company of America

Chrysler Corporation

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Alcoa Inc.

Andrew B Trageser

James J Johnson

Matthew P Kiley

Richard A Sokol

Alan S Aloe

Keith Redden

Miloslav Novak

Gerald Budnick

Susan L Kane

Isabel M Summe

Hans H Diekhoff

Russell S Long

James J Shavrnoch

James M Story

George L Smith, Jr

Eric F M Winter

William H Hagedorn

Kenneth B Balazic

Jerri F McMichael

Gary L Myers

A two layer door is provided. The first layer is made of a plurality of metallic members with a portion of the metallic members having one or more channels adapted to receive one or more armor panels. The second layer is made of the channels of the metallic members and armor panels disposed within the channels. The door also has one or more pivotally attached panels to the door that are adapted to open at a preselected pressure differential across the door. The door is also available as a kit.

Impact resistant door containing resealable panels

Automotive front end structure adapted to be mounted on an automotive vehicle frame to absorb impact energy. The structure includes first and second crush hoops each having a central portion and side portions extending rearwardly from the central portion. The rear ends of the side portions of each hoop are connected to brackets and then to first and second crush boxes. Brackets connect the crush boxes to the vehicle frame. The crush hoops and the crush boxes are adapted to crush and collapse to absorb energy in a frontal impact. The central portion of the first crush hoop projects forwardly a greater distance than the central portion of the second crush hoop so that the first crush hoop is first to deform in a front impact. Thereafter, the other hoop begins to load and dissipate energy to provide a smooth, continuous and progressive reaction force to front end deformation.

Automotive energy absorbing structure

A multi-piece rear frame assembly for operably coupling components of a rear suspension to a frame rail of a vehicle frame assembly. The rear frame assembly including a rear shock tower casting welded to the frame rail and having a pair of attachment locations extending laterally outwardly for operably coupling a pair of lateral suspension links thereto, a shock tower extending upwardly for operably coupling a shock/spring assembly thereto. The frame assembly further includes an upper extrusion and a lower extrusion, each welded to the frame rail and having an attachment location for operably coupling a guide link and a forward portion of a lower control arm respectfully thereto. The frame assembly further includes a rear frame member extending downwardly from the frame rail and having an upper and lower attachment location for a rearward portion of the lower control arm and a transaxle cross member respectively thereto.

Rear shock tower casting

An aluminum extruded node for interconnecting a longitudinal frame rail and a lateral frame member of a vehicle frame. The extruded node having a pair of longitudinal side walls received within an interior volume defined by the longitudinal frame rail and a pair of transverse side walls received within an interior volume defined by the lateral frame member. Interior wall portions extend between each of the pairs of longitudinal and transverse side walls to define closed cells for increasing the stiffness and structural integrity of the node. The longitudinal frame rail is peripherally welded around an end thereof to the node. The lateral frame member is peripherally welded around an end thereof to the node.

Extruded node for vehicle frame

An automotive bench seat assembly which may be removable from a vehicle, has a seat, a seatback adjacent to the seat a pair of relatively spaced stanchions having an upper portion secured to the seat, and a lower floor engaging portion. The seat has a front rail, a rear rail, and a pair of side members connecting the front and rear rails. A pair of belt supporting towers are operatively associated with shoulder belts and serve to transmit impact loads to the floor through the stanchions. The stanchions have upper portions supportingly secured to towers or the rear rail intermediate the ends thereof and to the front rail intermediate the ends thereof. The stanchions have the floor engaging portion positioned inwardly of the side members. Lap belts also transmit impact loads through the stanchions to the floor. The stanchion may be generally V-shaped and have sidewalls composed of reinforced sheet members. Reinforced sheet members may be provided in the seatback and seat.

Load bearing automotive bench seat assembly

A multi-piece front casting assembly for operably coupling components of a front suspension to a frame rail of a vehicle frame assembly. The casting assembly including an upper casting welded to the frame rail and having a pair of attachment locations extending laterally outwardly for operably coupling an upper control arm thereto, a attachment location extending laterally inwardly for operably coupling a rocker arm for a shock/spring assembly thereto, a suspension cross member attachment location, an engine cooling module attachment, a bumper mounting attachment, and two body structure attachment locations for securing the body structure to the frame assembly. The casting assembly further includes a front lower casting and a rear lower casting, each welded to the frame rail and having an attachment location for operably coupling a lower control arm thereto.

Front suspension casting

An automotive bench seat assembly which may be removable from a vehicle, has a seat, a seatback adjacent to the seat, a pair of relatively spaced stanchions having an upper portion secured to the seat, and a lower floor engaging portion. The seat has a front rail, a rear rail, and a pair of side members connecting the front and rear rails. A pair of belt supporting towers are operatively associated with shoulder belts and serve to transmit impact loads to the floor through the stanchions. The stanchions have upper portions supportingly secured to towers or the rear rail intermediate the ends thereof and to the front rail intermediate the ends thereof. The stanchions have the floor engaging portion positioned inwardly of the side members. Lap belts also transmit impact loads through the stanchions to the floor. The stanchion may be generally V-shaped and have sidewalls composed of reinforced sheet members. Reinforced sheet members may be provided in the seatback and seat.

A drawn container is disclosed having a substantially cylindrical sidewall extending upwardly from an integral base portion to form an open neck which is double seamed with a top end closure. The base portion has a downwardly extending, generally U-shaped, circumferential nose portion, the outside surface of which defines the plane of the base of the container on which the container normally sets. The nose portion is defined by a radius between a substantially vertical inner wall and an outside wall. The outside wall extends from a lower portion of the sidewall through a convex lower body radius to a concave profile radius disposed above the nose portion. A frustoconical portion is provided between the convex lower body radius and the concave profile radius. The frustoconical portion forms a lower body angle of at least 30.degree. with respect to the plane of the base of the container. An inwardly directed bottom dome extends inwardly of the inner wall and has at least three progressively increasing radii of curvature in the direction of the center of the dome. A method is also disclosed for reforming the base portion of the above-described container. This method includes the steps of holding the substantially vertical disposition and the diameter of the inner wall defining the nose portion while simultaneously moving a reforming tool against the outside wall of the nose portion to tighten the nose radius therebetween and form the concave profile radius of the base portion while retaining a lower body angle greater than 30.degree., and retaining the progressively increasing radii of curvature in the bottom dome.

Base profile for a drawn container

A blankholder having a central opening for applying pressure against the flange of a blank being drawn through a die in a draw press. The blankholder is divided into individual segments defined by its inner and outer peripheries, at least one continuous divisional line intermediate the inner and outer peripheries, and radii extending outwardly from the central axis. Each individual segment is provided with a different power source so that each segment can provide a force to the blank flange independent of the force being applied by any other segment.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburg, PA, United States of America

Andrew B Trageser