US1930254A

US1930254A - Light regulating device

Info

Publication number: US1930254A
Application number: US557855A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lester S Simon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-08-18
Filing date: 1931-08-18
Publication date: 1933-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1950-10-10

Description

Oct. 10, 1933. L. s. SIMON 1,930,254

LIGHT REGULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 yay-f 7. Z j

INVENToR.

5. imm

ATTORNEY C. 10, 1933. S|MON LIGHT REGULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 f 7'y 7J 76V INVENTOR. @5M

By WMM TTORN Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 1s, 1931.' serial No. 557,855

'c1aims. (ci. 18s-s2) This invention relates to a novel and improved means for regulating the passage of light and incidentally of air, and the novel features will be best understood from the following descrip- 5 tion and the annexed drawings, in which I have shown selected embodiments of the invention, and in Which: Y

Fig. 1 is a more orless diagrammatic view in section through a skylight having my invention applied thereto. Y

Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, and taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 3-3 of Figs. 2 and 4.

Fig. 4 is a view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but on a larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through a building having a slightly different embodiment of the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the numeral 1 designates the Walls of an opening, here shown as being in the roof of a building. For the sake of convenience, I may hereafter use the terms horizontal and vertical, but this is only for the sake of convenience, as it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the invention may be employed either in the roof of a building or in a vertical Wall thereof or in any other location where found applicable. The terms horizontal and vertical are therefore not to be construed in any manner as limiting, but merely as relative.

rl'he roof shown in the drawings is provided with a skylight 2 indicated as formed of a plurality of panels 3 separated by ribs or beams 4, and it is understood that light will normally pass through the panels 3 and through the opening bounded by the Walls 1. This opening may be separated by a plurality of transversely extending beams 5, although, of course, if the opening is a small one, such beams may be omitted.

The beams 5 may conveniently be used as supports for Vmy light controlling devices, which are indicated in Fig. 1 at 6. Each device consists of .a plurality of vanes 7, and these vanes are disposed across the opening. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, one device is shown as extending between the two supports 5, and one between each of said supports and the adjacent Wall 1, upon which is formed a shoulder 8 for a purpose which will presently appear. In the form shown, each support 5 is likewise provided with a shoulder 9.

On the Walls 1 and on the supports 5 are mount- '55 ed members 10 in which are disposed bearings 11, and in these bearings are disposed shafts l2 extending across the opening. For the sake of convenience, the word opening will be used hereafter to refer to any space. across which the vanes extend, in this instance the space between a wall 1 and one of the supports 5 being spe.- ciilcally referred to. y

The vanes 7 are spaced apart as indicated in Fig. 4, and when light is passing thrllghthe opening, the vanes may occupy the vertical posi- 66 tion shown in Fig. 4, which maybe conveniently defined as a position parallel to the walls of the opening. The vanes are shown as rectangular in form and having a top edge 1-3 and a bottom edge 14 and ends 15 and 16 formed .of rigid-members. 79 The ends are connected together atboth top and bottom by means of

plates

17 and 18, .these plates being shown in the form of ,angle plates.. having theirvertically extending legs pivoted to the ends .of the vanes, these ends here being 75.. shown as angle plates. With this arrangement, it will be seen that all of the vanes are held in relation parallel to each other, regardless of how they are disposed withrrelation to the horizontal or vertical. It is unnecessary to have Aeach vane provided with a shaft 12, and therefore, in the drawings, I have shown only certain of the vanes thus equipped. Enough shafts 12 are provided to support the .entire device, and the

plates

17 and 18 .support the vanes intermediate the shafts. 85

Preferably, the top side 13 .of v.each Vvaine is formed as a flange extending in one direction from the vane, and the bottom side 14 is formed as a flange extending in the` ,opposite direction, whereby, when the vanes are folded toa position such as shown in .dotted lines in Fig. 4, these flanges may .overlap to form lalight seal. The position vshown inr dotted lines in Fig. 4may conveniently .be defined as a position `substantially normal to the walls of the opening. 'The 95 flange sides 13 and 14 add rigidity to the varies, which may be made of sheet material, ,and in order to further strengthen the vanes, these anges are folded back at their .edges as indicated at 19. When the vanes' arevformed of flexible ma- 1&0 terial, such as canvas, they may be maintained taut by lmeans of a spring V 20 acting 'between'a collar .21 on the shaft 12 and one .of the ends of the Vane.

In order to provide further against leakage of M6 light, the vane adjacent the end wall of the opening has its flange received behind an overlapping projection 22 upon the wall. The

plates

17 and 18 are also of such form and arrangement that when the vanes are brought to the position shown 3.30

in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and in fu11 unes in Fig. 5, the

adjacent edges

17 and 18 of these plates will substantially contact as plainly shown in Fig. 5. These edges may be provided with notches 23 to receive shafts 12. The plate 17 adjacent a wall 1 is provided with an outwardly extending leg as plainly shown in Fig. 3, this leg cooperating with the member 10 as shown in dotted lines at the left of Fig. 3, to form a light seal, and, similarly, the plate 18 adjacent the support 5 in Fig. 3 will, when brought to the dotted line position shown in that figure, cooperate with the member 10 on the support 5, to form another light seal at that point. At the supports 5,.a still further sealing means may be provided in the form'of a plate 24 connecting adjacent plates 17.

In operation, when the maximum amount of light is required, the vanes may be brought to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 and in Adotted lines in Fig. 5, or to any other position best adapted to pass light, and then the amount of light may be regulated by rotating the vanes together with respect to the vertical position shown in Fig. 4, either clockwise or counterclockwise. The minimum amount of light is obtained when the vanes are brought to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 5. The vanes may be operated together by any suitable means, here shown as a pulley 25, se-

" cured to one of the shafts 12 and operated by a belt 26 from a second pulley 27 on a shaft 28, which may be operated by any'suitable means, not shown.

Y In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a slightly different embodiment, in which a device 6 is mounted parallel to and immediately beneath a pitched skylight 2', at the lower end of which is a depending structural member 29 having a flange 30 adapted to cooperate with a anged side of one of l the vanes 7. Y At the peak ofthe roof is another structural member 31 having a flange 32 to cooperate with a flanged side of the adjacent vane 7. In this instance, I have indicated a device 6 on either side of the peak of the roof, and each may be operated by means of a pulley 33 on one of the shafts 12, this pulley being operated by a cable 34 from a hand crank 35, it being understood that the arrangement shown may be duplicated on the other side of the building. In

^ this embodiment, 'an intermediate support 5 is shown in Fig. 7, and a projection 37 is shown adjacent the wall in position to cooperate with the outwardly extending leg on the plate 17. In other respects, this embodiment operates in the same manner as that first described, and further detailed description will therefore be omitted.

While I have shown the invention as embodied in a specific form, it is to be understood that various changes in details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself except by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a plurality of parallel vanes extending across an opening, means for moving said vanes in unison from positions substantially parallel to the walls of the opening to positions substantially normal to said walls, in the second of which positions said vanes closely overlap to prevent passage of light therebetween, plates pivoted to the ends of said vanes adjacent opposite sides thereof and arranged to substantially contact with each other when the vanes are in said second position, and overlapping elements carried by the vanes and wall and adapted to prevent passage of light between the ends of said vanes and the adjacent walls of said opening when the vanes are in said second position.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of parallel vanes extending across an opening, means for moving said vanes in unison from positions substantially parallel to the walls of the'opening to positions substantially normal toY said walls, in the second of which positions said vanes closely overlap to prevent passage of light therebetween, plates pivoted to the ends of said vanes adjacent opposite sides thereof and arranged to substantially' contact withV each other when the vanes are in said second position, the adjacent walls of said opening having projections adjacent the ends of the vanes, and at least one of said plates having an outwardly extending flange overlapping one of said projections to prevent the passage of light.

3. In a device of the class described, a plurality of parallel vanes extending across an opening, means for moving said vanes in unison from f positions substantially parallel to the walls of the opening Ato positions substantially normal to said walls, in the second of which positions said vanes closely overlap to prevent passage of light therebetween, plates pivoted to the ends of said vanes adjacent opposite sides thereof and arranged to substantially contact with each other whenfthe vanes are in said second position, shafts supporting certain of said vanes, and said plates having notches adapted to receive said shafts when the vanes are in said second position.

4. In a device of the class described, a plurality of parallel vanes extending across an opening, means for moving said vanes in unison from positions substantially parallel to the walls of the opening to positions substantially normal to said walls, in the second of which positions said vanes overlap, plates pivoted to the ends of said vanes adjacent opposite sides thereof and arranged to substantially contact with each other when the vanes are in said second position, shafts supporting certain of said vanes, and the other vanes being supported entirely from the plates secured to the vanes which have shafts.

5. In a device for controlling passage of light, a vane formed of exible material and rigid end members to which said material is connected, a shaft rotatably supporting said end members to cause them to move in unison, a collar on said shaft, and a spring acting between said collar and one of said end members to stretch said material taut, said end member being slidable on the shaft and the opposite end member secured thereto.

LESTER S. SIMON.