US2126782A - Roller screen - Google Patents

Description

6, 1938. Y L. F. JULIEN 2,126,782

ROLLER SCREEN Filed Feb. '17, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Lozzzs Ffzzzln,

ATToR NE Y' Aug. 16, 1938.

L. F. JULIEN ROLLER SCREEN Filed Feb. 17, 1938 FIG.

INVENT R Lozz 2s FiZzen ATTORN EY 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. F. JULIEN ROLLER SCREEN Aug. 16, 1938.

Filed Fab. 1?, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 4 ozzzsfi'izzz'en.

TORNEY.

Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES ROLLER SCREEN Louis F. Julien, Detroit,

Mich, assignor to Chamberlin Metal Weather Strip Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application February 17, 1938, Serial No. 191,023

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in roller screens, and refers particularly to roller screens having guides to be mounted upon the opposite vertical sides of a window frame, and a roller carrying a flexible screen the lateral margins of which extend into the guides wherein they are vertically slidable.

It is an object of the invention to provide a roller screen, which is simple and efficient in operation, consisting of two guides for attachment to opposite sides of a window frame and a housing mounted upon and extending between the guides; and wherein the housing carries a roller to which one extremity of a flexible screen is attached, and the vertical margins of the latter extend into and are slidable in the guides. Thus I aim, among other things, to provide an integrated structure consisting of the guides and the housing which may be so arranged relative to the window frame as to eliminate the passage of flies and other things between the frame and the structure, and wherein the guides only are secured to the frame and the housing is carried by the guides.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roller screen wherein means are included in the guides for limiting the upward movement of the screen when the latter is released, thereby arresting it at any desired height so that it may, in the case of high windows, remain at rest within easy reach.

A further object of the invention is to provide a roller'screen wherein means are provided for retaining the lower margin of the screen substantially horizontal at all times, and wherein means are provided for preventing the binding of the screen when pressure is exerted upon it adjacent either lateral margin for moving it vertically. Thus I aim to eliminate any tendency to tear the locking bar mounted across the lower extremity of the screen from the latter.

While in the foregoing some of the objects and advantages of the invention have been briefly and broadly stated, I will now describe a preferred embodiment of the invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a front elevation of the screen mounted in a window frame.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the housing.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the guides partly in section, showing a carriage therein and the locking bar across the lower extremity of the screen.

Figure i is an enlarged front view showing a portion of a guide member, a carriage slidable therein, and the lower extremity of the screen in the position in which it is held against accidental upward movement by the carriage.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5--5 of Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a somewhat smaller view partly in section on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a section on the line l--l of Figure 4:.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 2, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the carriages.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a conventional window frame having opposed vertical faces 2 to each of which a guide 3 is suitably secured, and opposed top and bottom horizontal faces 4 and 5 respectively. The guides 3, which are similar except that they are right and left hand, extend from the bottom of the window frame substantially to the top.

Each guide member 3 consists of two longitudinal elements 6 and l. The element 6, which is substantially angle-shaped in section, has one portion 8, to rest against one vertical face 2 of the window frame, and a second portion 9 angularly disposed thereto. Towards its outer extremity the latter portion 9 is folded at It to lie for a short distance parallel with and opposite the portion 8 and terminates in an inturned flange ll, thereby forming a substantially U-shaped guideway l2 opposite the portion 8. The second element 1, which is also substantially angle-shaped in section, has one portion l4 which rests upon the portion 8 of the element 6 for a short distance from the outer extremity of the latter, and a second portion i5 angularly disposed thereto and parallel with the portion 9 of the element 6. The second portion 15 is folded at it towards its outer extremity and terminates in an inturned flange ll parallel with the flange H and spaced therefrom, thereby forming a second substantially U-shaped guideway Hi. The portions 8 and M of the elements 5 and l, which are fastened to one another as by rivets H], are suitably secured to one vertical face 2 of the window frame by fastening means not shownwhich extend through the openings 2E3.

Vertically slidable in each guide 3 is a carriage 2|. The latter is substantially U-shaped in section and has its central portion 22 upturned at its extremities to form stops 23 the transverse edges of which are substantially in alignment with the margins of the opposed sides 24 and 25 of the said carriage. Projecting outwardly from one side 24 of the carriage interm'cdiately of its width is a flange 26 having flexed lugs 27, 28 and 29 thereon, which lie opposite and parallel to the sides 24- and 25. One of the lugs 21 is positioned adjacent each end of the center lug 28 and somewhat beneath the latter, and the lugs 29- are provided one at each extremity of the flange 26 and in alignment with the lug 23. A leaf spring 30 is supported centrally of its length beneath the center lug 28 and upon the lugs 21. Towards both its extremities this spring is outwardly flexed and terminates in parallel ends 3! adapted to bear against the undersides of the lugs 29 when the carriage is disassembled from its guides. The spring 38 intermediately of its length, both above and beneath the center lug 28, bears against the guideway I2 and tends to retain the side 25 of the carriage against the portion 3 of the guide 3, while the central portion 22 of the carriage is retained contiguous to the portion 9 of the guide in a manner hereinafter referred to.

32 denotes a housing consisting of a multi-sided casing closed at its extremities by end plates 33 which are marginally flexed to enter the ends of the casing. The latter is slotted adjacent its extremities at 32a for the passage of lugs 34 integral with. the end plates 33. These lugs are folded exteriorly of the casing to retain their plates in position. Intermediately of their peripheries the plates 33 are inwardly dished, and formed centrally through them are circular openings 35 to receive the extremities of the spindle 36. Formed integral with one of the plates 33 is a clip or projection 5'! to support a locking member 58 which has a non-circular opening therethrough to receive a non-circular extremity 36a of the spindle and hold the latter against rotation. 69 is a cotter pin through the spindle extremity. Around the opposite extremities of the spindle 36 rotary hubs 31 are provided the peripheries of which are suitably secured, as by pins 38 to the bore of a transverse roller 39 across which one extremity of a flexible screen 40 is secured. A coil spring 4| around the spindle 36 is secured at one extremity to the latter and at its opposite extremity to one of the hubs 31.

Formed through the housing 32 is a transverse slot 42 through which the flexible screen 40 extends; and mounted across the outer margin of the latter is a cushion 43 and a locking bar 44. Both the latter are preferably held upon the screen by bolts 45 which also constitute stops and contact the underside of the housing when the screen is raised to its top position. Formed integral with and transversely of the housing 32 adjacent opposite sides of the slot 42 are socketlike portions 46 in each extremity of each of which. a rod 41 is held to project outwardly therefrom. The outwardly extending ends of these rods 41 are carried by supports 43. The latter consist of circular portions concentric with and terminating adjacent the extremities of the socket-line portions 46, and having flexed outer ends which are suitably secured to the guides 3. The supports are preferably so arranged that either the top horizontal face 321) or the vertical face 320 of the housing is positioned contiguous to a portion of the upper transverse face 4 of the window frame to prevent the passage of flies and other things between the said frame and the housing throughout the width of the latter.

The cushion 43 consists of a folded piece of resilient material 49 the lower folded margin of which contacts the lower horizontal face 5 of the window frame when the screen is in its lowered position. Flexed around both sides of the resilient material 49 and across the top of the latter is a holder 50 which extends around the lower edge of the screen 40, and upwardly a short distance against the inner face of the latter. A strengthening strip 5| rests against the outer face of the screen for a corresponding distance from the bottom. The locking bar 44 which is substantially tubular in section, has an integral upwardly directed flange 52. The bolts 45 extend through the latter, through the holder 50, the screen 40 and the strengthening strip 5|. Mounted vertically upon the holder 50 adjacent the bottom lateral margins of the screen 40 are shoes 65.

Mounted in the locking bar 44, and normally projecting from each side of the latter, is a latch 53. As both the latches and their correlating parts are the same I will describe the mounting of one of them. A tension plate 54 has one extremity 54a folded to engage one lateral margin of the locking bar 44, extends into the latter, and terminates in a transverse apertured plate 55. Secured to one face of the latch 53 is a pin 53 which is rearwardly stepped adjacent thereto and extends inwardly parallel with the latch. Adjacent its inner extremity this pin is supported for axial movement in the apertured portion 55 of the tension plate. Secured around the pin 56 adjacent its stepped extremity is a collar 51, and

around the pin between the said apertured portion 55 and the collar 57 a helical spring 58 is arranged. This spring both retains the folded extremity of the tension plate 54 in engagement with the lateral margin of the locking bar 44, and

also tends to retain the latch 53 in its outwardly projecting position.

Slidable in the bar 44 towards the center thereof is a slide 59 connected to the latch 53 by a spacing member 63. In order that spacing memhers of the same length may be employed when assembling locking bars for windows of different widths I prefer to provide a plurality of apertures 6| in the latch 53 any one of which may receive the outer extremity of the spacing member. Extending upwardly through a slot 62 formed in the locking bar 44 is an operating element the inner extremity of which is secured to the slide 59. Obviously by moving the operating element towards the center of the locking bar the latch 53 is moved inwardly against the tension of the spring 58, and as soon as the element is released the latch returns to its normal outwardly projecting position.

Secured upon each guide 3 adjacent its lower extremity is an angle-shaped keeper 64 having a forwardly extending flange 64a which is inwardly and downwardly inclined, The outer edge faces of the latches 53 are also downwardly and inwardly inclined so that when they contact the keeper flanges 64a, as the screen is being lowered, the latches are moved inwardly against the tension of the springs 58 until they have passed beneath the said flanges.

The lateral margins of the screen 40 extend between the flanges H and I! of the guides 3, and the shoes 65, which are mounted for vertical movement in the carriages 2i, retain the central portions 22 of the latter contiguous to the guide portions 9.

The operation of my roller screen is briefly as follows: When the screen 48 is at its top position the locking bar 44 rests contiguous to the underside of the housing 32. The carriages 2! are then adjacent the top of the guides 3, and the shoes 55 rest against the upper carriage stops 23. As the locking bar and the bottom of the screen are moved downward the shoes 55 travel down in the carriages 2! until they contact the bottom stops .23. During this time the carriages have been held stationary by contact of the springs 39 with the guideways l2. However once the shoes contact the bottom stops continued downward movement of the screen also causes downward movement of the carriages.

The coil spring 4| around the roller spindle 35 is wound by downward movement of the screen 40 and consequently tends to rotate the roller 39 in the opposite direction to wind the screen upon it and thus raise the latter. If it is desired that the screen shall remain at rest with its looking bar 44 positioned intermediately of the height of the window the bar is released and the spring M raises the screen until the shoes 85 strike the top carriage stops 23. Then the frictional hold of the springs 30 in the guideways l2 overcomes the tension of the spring ll and prevents farther upward movement of the screen, though the latter may be easily moved by hand to its top position. It will also be readily seen that the length of the carriages 2i and their provision for vertical movement as well as their spring mounting prevents the shoes binding if pressure in a vertical direction is exerted upon the bar adjacent either of its lateral extremities.

The mounting of the housing 32 by means of the rods M which engage the supports 48 upon the guides 3 provides a simple method for assembling the structure. The housing 32 with its slots 32a, to receive the lugs 34 and 34a upon the end plates 33 and 33a, permits ready assembly of housings for different widths of windows. Similarly in the locking bar 44 all the parts therein employed except the tubular casing itself are the same for. various widths of windows, and consequently the use of the tension plate 54 and the latches 53 with their multiplicity of openings BI facilitates both manufacture and assembly.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that the invention is susceptible to such alterations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination of guides for attachment in parallel relation to opposite sides of a Irame, a spring wound roller mounted for rotation between the upper extremities of the guides, a length of flexible material partly wound around the roller having one extremity secured thereto, the lateral margins of the unwound portion of the flexible material extending into the guides for sliding movement therein, means slidably mounted in the guides in which the lower lateral extremities of the flexible material are supported for limited longitudinal movement, and means tending to hold the slidable means stationary in the guides.

2. In an arrangement of the character de scribed, the combination of guides for attachment in parallel relation to opposite sides of a frame, a spring wound roller mounted for rotation between the upper extremities of the guides, a length of flexible material partly wound around the roller having one extremity secured thereto, the lateral margins of the unwound portion of the flexible material extending into the guides for sliding movement therein, a carriage slidably mounted in each guide, springs tending to hold the carriages against movement, and means on the lower lateral extremities of the flexible material slidably mounted in the carriages.

3. A roller screen comprising guides for attachment in parallel relation to opposite sides of a window frame, a spring wound roller mounted for rotation between the upper extremities of the guides, a flexible screen partly wound around the roller and having one extremity secured thereto, the lateral margins of the unwound portion of the screen resting in the guides for sliding movement therein, a carriage slidably mounted in each guide, a spring on each carriage bearing against the guide tending to hold the carriage stationary therein, shoes on the lateral lower extremities of the screen slidable in the carriages, and stops at the extremities of the carriages to limit the movement of the shoes therein, said springs being adapted to hold the carriages still and with them the unwound portion of the screen.

4. A roller screen comprising two spaced guides having guideways formed therein, a spring wound roller extending between the upper extremities of the guides, a flexible screen partly wound on the roller and secured at one extremity thereto, spaced flanges extending vertically on each guide between which one lateral margin of the unwound portion of the screen is vertically movable, a carriage mounted for vertical movement in each guide, said carriages being substantially U-shaped in section, a shoe mounted upon each lower lateral extremity of the screen, said shoes being slidable in the U-shaped carriages, stops at the vertical extremities of the carriages to prevent disengagement of the shoes therefrom, and a spring mounted upon each carriage adjacent one side thereof exerting pressure against one of the guideways and tending to hold its carriage stationary whereby when the shoes contact the upper carriage stops the springs tend to hold the screen stationary against the tension of the spring wound roller.

5. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination of two guides adapted to be mounted in parallel spaced relation, a carriage mounted for sliding longitudinal movement in each guide, spring means tending to hold each carriage immovable in its guide, and a bar each extremity of which terminates in one of the carriages, said carriages being movable with the bar longitudinally of the guides against the tension of the spring means. 7

LOUIS F. JULIEN.

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