Navistar International Transportation Corporation

International Truck and Engine Corporation

Norbert E Romie

Richard B Hatch

Charles W Kipfer

David E Chen

Gordon J Wolverton

Walter E Eifrid

David H Thomas

Brian P Gibbs

Wendell P Adams

Gary E Monteith

Brant R Nieminski

A dash reinforcement for a mobile vehicle with a passenger cab such as a sport utility vehicle, or medium or heavy-duty truck. The dash reinforcement may be a stamped sheet metal panel that strengthens the dash structure of the cab and provides for mounting of vehicle components. The dash reinforcement may be symmetrical about the centerline of the vehicle and this symmetry allows the panel to accommodate both left-hand drive and right-hand drive vehicle configurations. The dash reinforcement also includes 'Y' shaped passages for a driver control module and for accessory equipment such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) modules. The unique shape of these passages or openings adds strength to the overall dash structure and hence the cab. The dash reinforcement may be engaged to a dash panel to form a dash assembly. The dash panels made be manufactured by the same metal stamping dies moved to account for left-hand versus right-hand drive and conventional versus cab-over-engine or low front engine configuration.

Symmetrical dash reinforcement

A mounting bracket for mounting an aerodynamic fairing to a truck roof includes a base plate appropriately configured to seat on the roof within the fairing and a fairing engaging face having mounting holes which is oriented when the bracket is mounted to the roof to engage the interior side of the fairing. Depending from the face is a tongue terminating in an outturned tab upon which a bottom edge of a fairing may be seated to establish the appropriate desired clearance between the fairing and the underlying cab roof surface. The tab also serves as a locating member over which a template may be appropriately positioned to indicate the position of the mounting holes in the face of the bracket so that properly aligned cooperating holes may be drilled through the fairing from the exterior surface thereof to permit mounting bolts to attach the fairing to the bracket and the roof.

Mounting bracket for aerodynamic fairing

The trim strip is used for trimming a periphery of a windshield. The trim strip has, in cross section, a T shape including a cross member and a base member, the base member comprising a locating member. The locating member depends from the cross member and is adapted to engage onto a locating fixture. The windshield glass and trim assembly comprises a windshield glass having a trim strip bonded along an edge thereof to form an assembly having predetermined dimensions. The method for forming the assembly includes the steps of:

Windshield glass and trim assembly and method for making same

Vehicle aerodynamic fairing

An apparatus for mounting an aerodynamic device, preferably the top center portion of a three-piece wind deflector, to the roof of a truck cab wherein the mounting apparatus includes a base member attached to the cab roof, a forward link pivotally connected to both the device and the forward portion of the base member and a rearward link, preferably of selectively variable length, pivotally connected to the rearward portion of the device and to the base member. The forward and rearward links form, with the base member and device, a four-bar linkage, disposed to shift the forward edge of the device still more forwardly relative to the cab roof as it moves from a raised position to a lower position and thus maintains the rearward edge of the device more nearly over the cab roof in the lowered position. A locking plate is preferably provided to secure the forward link to the base member in either the lowered or raised position and may be slotted to control the movement of the forward link.

Wind deflector mounting apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Fort Wayne, IN, United States of America

Norbert E Romie