US2768571A - Air diffusing base register - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1956 c. J. PEARSON 2,768,57

AIR DIFFUSING BASE REGISTER Filed March 16, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. 6". clfearsan nite States Patent AIR DIFFUSING BASE REGISTER Charles J. Pearson, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to United States Register Company, Battle Creek, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,445

Claims. (Cl. 98-406) This invention relates broadly to a new and improved register, and more specifically to a register designed primarily for use in the so-called perimeter systems for directing hot or cold air from a duct into a room from a point at the juncture of the floor and wall.

Ordinarily hot air registers merely direct air flowing through same in a straight outward stream, and moreover where same are in the form of a register opening outward from a wall at floor level they require cutting into the wall. It was a recognition of the shortcomings of such constructions and the need of an improved assembly avoiding these difficulties which led to the conception and development of the present invention.

Accordingly one of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a simple, compact and efficient register for installation in the angle between a floor and wall, without the necessity of cutting into the wall, cutting any studs, or cutting the stud-supporting plate.

Another object is to provide an improved register which will not project objectionably into the room from the base board and will not project objectionably above said base board.

A further object is to provide a register having such an arrangement of grille bars as to permit widely diffusing the hot air delivered from a furnace, in manner effectively blanketing the walls and windows and insuring efiicient heating.

Another object is to provide the register with a novel pivoted, friction-held damper behind the grille bars and readily adjustable by means of a conveniently accessible handle, for controlling the hot air output through the register.

Yet another object is to provide for spacing the register casing sufiiciently above the floor to allow the edge of a rug to be inserted under the front portion of said casing; and if wall-to-wall carpeting is to be used, necessitating notching of the carpeting to receive the register, the notched portion may extend under the front and side edges of the casing so that the more or less ragged edges of the notch will be hidden and protected against fraying.

A still further object is to provide a novel register comprising a head for attachment to the wall, said head having a lower portion to extend through a floor opening directly below same for communication with an air duct, and a grille-and-damper carrying casing attachable to said head after all wall, ceiling, floor and trim decoration has been completed. Thus, danger of spattering or daubing the casing with paint, varnish or the like is overcome.

Yet another object is to provide a register which will substantially prevent leakage of air between the wall and the register casing and will so discharge the air as to normally clear curtains and draperies hung at windows above same. The register will therefore be free from the objection of smudging curtains, draperies, and wall with dust which has heretofore been almost inevitable.

A further object is to provide a novel construction which may be easily, rapidly and relatively inexpensively 'ice manufactured, may be profitably marketed at a reasonable price, and will be highly efficient, desirable, and durable.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the air diffusing base register hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the register, showing the register in installed position.

Figure 2 is a right end elevation of the assembly shown in Figure 1 when mounted in position of use, the casing being partly broken away and in section, to disclose the encased head.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the head.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the casing and the damper mounted therein.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 66 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on line 7-7 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing one of the friction brakes for holding the damper in adjusted position.

Figure 8 is an end elevation showing a register of more slender and more shallow form than that shown in the preceding views.

In the drawings above briefly described, a register construction has been shown which has: proven to be of advantage from the several standpoints of manufacture, sale, installation, and use, and while that construction will be rather specifically described for ease of understanding the invention, it is to be understood that variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

A hot or cold air receiving and discharging head 10 is provided, said head being formed from sheet metal. This head 10 comprises a rectangular, vertical back wall 11, vertically elongated end walls 12 projecting forwardly from the vertical edges of said back wall 11, a front Wall 13 extending between the lower portions of the front edges 14 of said end walls 12, and a top wall 15 extendlag between the upper ends of said end walls 12 and projecting forwardly from the upper edge of said back wall 11. The front wall 13 is relatively narrow vertically, the top wall 15 is narrow from front to rear, and the front edges 14 of the end walls 12 incline rearwardly from the upper end of said front wall 13 to the front edge of said top wall 15. The edges 14 are somewhat in advance of the front wall 13 at their lower ends, and

said front wall has a flange 16 on its upper end which projects forwardly to the inclined plane in which said edges 14- and the front edge of the top wall 15 are located. The front of the head 10 is entirely open from the flange 16 to the top wall 15 for air discharge, and the lower end of said head is entirely open for air reception.

In the present disclosure, the back wall 11 and the end walls 12 of the head 10 are integral with each other. The top wall 15 is also integral with the back wall 11. The ends of this top Wall 15 have downwardly bent flanges 17 stapled or otherwise fastened at 18 to the end walls 12. The front wall 13 is preferably separate from Patented Oct. 30, 1956 the end walls 12 and is provided with end flanges 19 stapled or otherwise fastened at 20 to said end walls.

The lower end portion of the head is adapted to extend through an opening 21, Figure 2, in a floor 22 for communication with a hot or cold air duct 23; and to limit the extent of insertion of said head into said opening, the front wall 13 of said head is provided with a forwardly projecting stop flange 24 adapted to rest on the upper face of floor 22. This flange in preferably carried by a strip of metal 25, Figure 6, stapled or otherwise fastened at 26 to the front face of the front wall 13. The lower edge of said strip 25 is formed with a backwardly extending hook flange 27 receiving the lower end. of the front wall 13. The stop flange 24 is thus accurately located and stably mounted to withstand rough handling during installation of the head.

The back wall 11 of the head 10 is adapted to rest solidly against a room wall 28, Figure 2, and said head is provided with angular attaching brackets 29 to be fastened by screws 30 to said Wall. These brackets 29 are riveted or otherwise conventionally fastened to the end walls 12 of the head 10. Also riveted or otherwise suitably fastened to those end walls 12, near their front edges 14, are two angle brackets 31 for use in connecting an enclosing casing 32 to the head 10, said casing being provided with an air-diffusing grille 33, Figure l, 3, and 6, and with a damper 34 as will be more fully described below.

This casing 32 comprises a front wall 35, two end walls 36, and a top wall 37. The front wall 35 is of a length to project sidewise beyond the side walls 12 of the head It), and is of a height to extend a short distance below the flange 16 of the head 10 and a somewhat similar distance above the top wall of said head. The front wall 35 is secured by screws 38 to the brackets 31 of the head 10 and occupies an inclined position in which it lies against the front edges 14 of the end walls 12 of said head 10. The top wall 37 then overlies the top wall 15 of the head 10, and the end walls 36 are outwardly spaced from the end walls 12 of said head sufficiently to clear the brackets 29 and 31. The rear edges of the end and top walls 36 and 37, respectively, are preferably in the same vertical plane with the rear side of the back wall 11 of the head 10 to tightly abut the wall 28. The lower edges of the front wall 35 and end walls 36 are in a substantially horizontal plane sufficiently above the stop flange 24 of the head 10 to permit insertion of a mg 39, Figure 2, under the front and side portions of the casing 32, If wall-to-wall carpeting is to be used, such carpeting may be notched to receive the head 10 and may extend under the end walls 36 as well as under the front wall 35. Thus, any more or less ragged edges of the notch in the carpet will be hidden and guarded against fraying.

The air-diffusing grille 33, Figures 1, 3, and 6, covers an opening 40 in the casing front wall 35 and preferably consists of vertical grille bars 41 stamped from a sheet metal plate 42. This plate is welded or otherwise fastened to the rear side of the casing front wall 35, and this front wall, in turn, is Welded to flanges 43 and 44, Figure 6, on the casing end walls 36, and top wall 37. The top wall 37 is also welded or otherwise fastened to flange-s 45 on the upper ends of the end walls 36. All walls of the casing 32 and the grille 33 are thus rigidly united into a single unit.

The grille bars 41 are set at such angles as to widely diffuse the air discharged between them. Preferably there is a central group 46, of these bars, Figure 3, having no pitch to the right or left, two end groups 47 pitched sidewise at 45, and two intermediate groups 48 pitched sidewise at about 22. The grille bars, thus fanned out, give wide diffusion to the hot or cold air, not only insuring better and more uniform room heating or cooling, but getting away from the conventional and more localized air blasts with their tendency to cause smudging of walls, draperies and curtains with dust. The amount of hot or cold air discharged through the grille may be readily controlled by the damper 34, Figure 6, which is forwardly or rearwardly swingable to any desired position by means of a handle 49 which extends outwardly between two of the grille bars 41 of the central group 46, and said damper is held in any position to which it may be adjusted, by means of a novel friction brake, as described below.

A hinge leaf 50, Figures 6 and 7, is flanged and fastened, as by welding to the upper portion of the plate 42 which is, in turn, welded or otherwise suitably fastened to the casing front wall 35, said plate 42 being the plate from which the grille bars 41 are stamped. The leaf 5t) projects rearwardly above the opening 40 of the casing front plate 35 and at its rear edge is provided with knuckles 51, Figure 5. These knuckles mesh with other knuckles 52 on a second hinge leaf 53 which is welded or otherwise conventionally fastened to the rear side of the damper 34, and a hinge pin 54 extends through all of said knuckles. In the present showing, the leaf 53 and damper 34 are slotted at 55 and the inner end of the handle 49 extends through the slots, said inner end having a flange 56 welded or otherwise conventionally fastened to said leaf 53.

The central one of the hinge knuckles 52 is preferably longer than the rest, and under the two knuckles 51 abutting said central one, the hinge leaf 53 is provided with two rearwardly stamped fulcrum flanges 57. Vertical plates 58 behind the damper 34, Figures 5 and 7, contact with the rear edges of these fulcrum flanges, and the upper ends of these plates 53 have forwardly and upwardly bent brake portions 59 contacting with the lower and front sides of the adjacent knuckles 51. These brake portions extend through slots 60 and 61 in the leaf 53 and damper 34, respectively. The slots 60 are formed by the rearward stamping of the fulcrum flanges 57, while the slots 61 are simply formed to accommodate said brake portions 59. The lower ends of the plates 58 are connected with the damper 34 by screws 62 which are swiveled in openings 63 in the leaf 53 and have their heads 64 received in openings 65 in the damper 34. The rear ends of the screws 62 are threaded at 66 through the plates 58 at points below the fulcrum flanges 57.

From the preceding paragraph, it will be seen that the friction of the brake portions 59 against the two contacting knuckles 51 will hold the damper 34 frictionally, when screws 62 are appropriately tightened, in any position to which it may be swung by means of the handle 49. The screw heads 64 are accessible with a slender screw driver inserted between the grille bars 41, and the screws 62 may therefore be readily tightened to restore the proper braking friction should it become weakened by repeated damper adjustments. 7

From the above detailed description of the present register assembly it will be seen that a novel and advantageous provision has been disclosed for attaining the desired ends, in relatively simple, positive, and eflicient manner, nevertheless it is to be understood that minor changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention having due regard that such words as horizontal, vertical, ends, top, bottom, and back are purely relative and used as an aid to describing the invention as illustrated.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the article and combinations herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

1 therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A heating or air conditioning system base register having a head in the form of a tubular lower air inlet portion adapted for insertion down through a floor opening, a metal strip secured in fixed position on the outer face of one wall of said portion and having a hook flange engaging the lower end of said wall, the upper edge of said strip having an outwardly bent stop flange to abut the top of the room floor and limit insertion of said portion into the floor opening.

2. In a register, a casing having a grille, a damper behind said grille, one hinge leaf secured in fixed position to said casing and having hinge knuckles, a second hinge leaf secured to said damper in fixed position and having hinge knuckles meshing with those aforesaid, a hinge pin extending through said knuckles of said leaves to facilitate hinging movement of said damper on said casing, a plate, a fulcrum means on said damper, said plate being fulcrumed between its ends behind said second leaf carried by said damper, said plate having a brake portion at its upper end engaging the front side of a knuckle of said first mentioned hinge leaf, and an adjusting screw connecting the lower end of said plate with said second leaf for varying the pressure exerted by the brake portion of said plate on said knuckle of the first mentioned hinge leaf, said second hinge leaf having a rearwardly projecting flange constituting the fulcrum of said plate.

3. In a register, a casing having a grille, a damper behind said grille, one hinge leaf secured in fixed position to said casing at one edge of said grille and having hinge knuckles, a second hinge leaf secured to an edge portion of said damper in fixed position and having hinge knuckles meshing between those of said first mentioned hinge leaf, a hinge pin extending through said knuckles of said leaves to facilitate hinging movement of said damper on said casing, a separate friction brake means mounted on one of said leaves, said friction brake means having a portion frictionally engaging the outer face of a knuckle of the other of said leaves to frictionally hold said damper in various positions, and a threaded member operatively connected to said leaf carrying said friction brake means, said threaded means engaging said friction brake means and adapted to control the pressure exerted by same on said knuckle which it frictionally engages.

4. In a register, a casing having a grille, a damper behind said grille, one hinge leaf secured in fixed position to said casing at one edge of said grille and having hinge knuckles, a second hinge leaf secured to an edge portion of said damper in fixed position and having hinge knuckles meshing between those of said first mentioned hinge leaf, a hinge pin extending through said knuckles of said leaves to facilitate hinging movement of said damper on said casing, and a separate friction brake means mounted on one of said leaves, said friction brake means having a portion frictionally engaging the outer face of a knuckle of the other of said leaves to frictionally hold said damper in various positions, said friction brake means including a friction adjusting element accessible through said grille.

5. In a register, a casing having a grille, a damper behind said grille, one hinge leaf secured in fixed position to said casing and having hinge knuckles, a second hinge leaf secured to said damper in fixed position and having hinge knuckles meshing with those aforesaid, a hinge pin extending through said knuckes of said leaves to facilirate hinging movement of said damper on said casing, a plate, a fulcrum means on said damper, said plate being fulcrumed between its ends behind said second leaf car ried by said damper, said plate having a brake portion at its upper end engaging the front side of a knuckle of said first mentioned hinge leaf, and an adjusting screw connecting the lower end of said plate with said second leaf for varying the pressure exerted by the brake portion of said plate on said knuckle of the first mentioned hinge leaf.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,278 Scherer n Apr. 16, 1912 1,054,266 Bailey Feb. 25, 1913 1,162,398 Quick Nov. 30, 1915 1,166,412 Hart Dec. 28, 1915 1,359,360 De Graff Nov. 16, 1920 1,696,252 Petrelli Dec. 25, 1928 1,811,231 Gehri June 23, 1931 1,815,346 Covell July 21, 1931 1,844,520 Olinger Feb. 9, 1932 2,051,929 Young et al Aug. 25, 1936 2,037,104 Eisler July 13, 1937 2,395,233 Richardson Feb. 19, 1946 2,466,353 Babcock Apr. 5, 1949 2,639,655 Whitehead May 26, 1953

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