The Budd Company

Gerald Robert Binder

Bruce D Kocer

Walter A Snyder

A process for forming angled trim lines on vehicle frame cross members to mate and secure the ends of the cross members with frame side rail members with a high degree of accuracy and in a cost efficient manner. The process includes the steps of removing portions of the end of a rectangular tube to form angled trim lines and connecting the angled trim lines with the frame side rail member. A cam trimming die is used to form the angled trim lines. The die includes substantially symmetrical drivers, slide cams, and filler cams. The drivers move the slide cams and filler cams in opposing directions. The slide cams carry cutting steels that form the angled trim lines as the slide cam moves. The filler cams support the rectangular tube and produce a sheering effect with the cutting steels as they move past one another. The present invention simplifies and expedites the formation of trim lines on the ends of the rectangular cross members as well as obviates the need for expensive laser trimming and plasma arcing tools to form the trim lines on the cross member ends.

Rectangular tube trimming process and apparatus

A body bracket is provided for attachment to a vehicle frame. The body bracket includes a top wall having an attachment hole therein. A pair of sidewalls extend from the top wall. The sidewalls include an upper end and a lower end. The sidewalls are flared such that a distance between the lower ends of the pair of sidewalls is larger than a distance between the upper ends thereof. The sidewalls have an end portion for attachment to the vehicle frame. The end portions are provided with an outward taper.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Gerald Robert Binder