US1609219A - Device for opening and closing windows, shutters, and similar appliances - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30,1926. 1,609,219 J. L. sTowERs' DEVICE FOR OPENING AND cLosme wmnows, SHUTTERS, AND SIMILAR APPLIANCES drigiual Filed July 2 1924 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. STOWERS, OF HABANA, CUBA.

DEVICE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING WINDOWS, SHUT'IEES, AND SIMILAR APPLI- ANCES.

Original application filed July 26, 1924, Serial No. 728,514. Divided and this application filed. September My invention relates to a mechanism by which windows, shutters, doors, and other similar appliances are opened or closed by the application of the weight of a liquid utilized as the power or force for the opening or closing of such appliances, and upon the automatic removal of such weight said appliances are closed or opened, as the case may be, by force of gravity.

The objects of my device and mechanism are to provide means whereby windows, shutters, doors, and similar appliances, designated in the claim as pivoted closures, may be closed or opened upon the occurrence of any predetermined condition, or at any predetermined time, as for example, when rain begins to fall, or when rain ceases to fall, and these objects are attained by the automatic use of the weight of the rain either for the opening or the closing of the windows, shutters, doors, etc., when rain begins to fall, and means for automatically removing said weight when rain ceases to fall, thereby permitting said windows, doors,

shutters, etc., to be opened or closed, as the case may be, by the force of gravity.

I attain these objects by the mechanism'illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a section of roof and wall of a building provided with one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 1 on the lines 22; Fig. 3 is a detailed view, partly in section, of portions of the structure shown in Fig. 1 on the lines 33; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Similar letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the form of my invention shown in the several figures the roof, 1, is provided with the usual gutter, 2, for the discharge of rain water falling on the roof, which gutter may be located as desired.

The gutter, 2, is provided with an orifice, 3, to which is connected a root leader drain, 3, and thence to the connecting pipe, 31, which leads to the receptacle, 32. which is provided with a discharge outlet, 33, through which it passes and falls into the receptacle, 5. As soon as the receptacle, 32, is filled with water, receptacle, 32, takes the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby Serial No. 57,082.

When the window is closed, the water dripping from the receptacle, 32, through the drip out-let, 33, falls into the receptacle, 5, and keeps the receptacle, 5, filled by taking the place of the water dripping from the receptacle, 5, through the drip, 12.

lVhen the rain ceases the drip openings, 33 and 12, emptythe receptacles, 32 and 5, respectively, and when these receptacles are empty the window or shutter opens and takes the position shown in Fig. 1, and is secured in the open position vby the catch or hook, 37.

When the receptacle, 32, is filled the weight of the liquid it contains moves it to the position shown in the dotted lines of Fig. 1, which movement revolves the inner tube, 31, closes the orifice, 41, and stops the flow of water through the orifices, 10 and 41.

A horizontal bar or rod may be secured to a horizontal line of windows, one of which is operated by the structure shown in Fig. 1, whereby when one window is closed by the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 its movement closes the horizontal line of windows, shutters, etc., which are secured to such horizontal rod. By connecting the windows which form a horizontal row with the windows of one or more rows above or below, the windows on one side of the building may be operated by my mechanism applied to a single window.

If desired to facilitate the opening of the window an adjustable weight, 13, may be attached to the inside of the upper portion or sash of the window or shutter, either directly or by an adjusting arm, or the window or shutter may be pivoted slightly below its horizontal center, 8, in which construction the heavier weight of that portion of the window or shutter above the pivots will tend normally to open the Window or shutter and keep it open. The receptacle, 5, is secured to the outside bottom portion of the window or shutter as shown in Fig. 1.

The receptacle, 32, is attached to the arm, 35, which extends to the interior of the building and this arm is provided with an adjustable weight, 36, which may be moved along the arm to secure the proper adjustment and operation of the parts.

Surrounding the inner tube, 31, is a tube, 38, whose interior circumference is substantially the same size as the exterior circumference of the inner tube, 31,but of a suitable size to permit the inner tube, 31, to revolve within the tube, 33. The tube, 38, has an opening, 39, into which the pipe, 3, extends, as shown in Fig. 3. The inner tube, 31, has an opening, 10, which is opposite to the opening, 11, in the tube, 38, when the parts are in the position shown in the solid lines in Fig. 1, thereby forming a passage for the liquid. lVhen theparts are in the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the inner tube, 31, closes the opening, 11, in the tube, 38, thereby closing the passage, 4O l1. The tube, 31, is provided with a plug opening, 35, to facilitate the cleaning of the interior of the tube. The opening from the gutter, 2, to the leader drain pipe, 3, is protected by a screen, 43, to prevent the passage of dirt and refuse. The leader pipe, 3-, discharges into the opening, 30, in the inner tube, 31, which conducts the liquid to the receptacle, 32, and supplies the operating medium for the receptacles, 32 and 5.

In the foregoing description of the operation of my device, I have described rain water as a liquid operating medium, but it is obvious that any liquid may be used, and other water than rain water may be employed. For example, my device may be utilized for the opening or closing of windows, shutters, doors, etc., at night, or in the morning, or for the operation of fire shutters, and the liquid operating medium may be water from a tank on the roof or from a pump, or any other source of supply, and mydevice may be put into operation for the closing of such windows and shutters in the event of danger from fire, or other cause. It

is also obvious that my device may be made operative for either opening or closing windows, shutters, doors, etc., at any predetermined time or under any predetermined conditions of weather, temperature, etc., by applying a liquid or fluid operating medium from a tank, pump, or other source of supply, which may be put into operation by a clock mechanism, thermostat, electric current, electric fuse, or other similar device.

This application is a divisional application of my application filed July 26, 1924., Serial No. 728,514, which application was for devices for opening and closing windows, shutters, and similar appliances.

1 claim:

A device for opening and closing pivoted closures consisting of a vertically movable liquid-holding receptacle secured to the outside of the lower portion of the pivoted closure member, said receptacle being provided with a discharging outlet; a second receptacle and a tube connecting it with a roof drain, said receptacle being located on a pivoted arm and provided with a discharging outlet; said first receptacle being located in position to be filled by liquid discharging from said second receptacle; a pivoted arm secured to said second receptacle and extending into the building, having adjusta-bly mounted on its inner end a counterweight and a fastening which clamps the closure member when the closure member is in its open position; said connecting tube including cross tubes, one of which cross tubes encloses the other cross tube and is of substantially the same inside diameter the outside diameter of the other cross tube, said cross tubes being provided with outlets which conform with each other and are open permitting the discharge of liquid from said roof drain into said second receptacle when said second receptacle is empty, and which are closed when said second receptacle is filled with liquid.

JOHN L. STOWERS.

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