US1976002A - Window awning construction - Google Patents

Description

@cit 9, 1934. E. F. BELL wINDow AwNING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Dec. 24, 1931 Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNTED STATES WINDOW' AWNING CONSTRUCTION Appiication December 24, 1931, Serial No. 582,903 Renewed March 14, 1934 13 Claims.

This invention relates to Window awning constructions and has for one of its objects to producebrace means for pivoted awning arms, which will prevent vibration of the awning through the action of the wind lifting the front pole, and

which will automatically collapse when the awning bracket has been moved to a predetermined point to permit the arms to pivot or fold when it is desired to collapse the awning.

A further object of the invention is to produce a construction of the character set forth which may be used with automatic window awnings of the visor type, in which means is provided to prevent downward falling of the awning structure upon the folding movement of the visor portion thereof, and in which the visor may be adjustably positioned at any point throughout the height oi the window opening.

Another object is to provide a construction 20 which is positively locked in open position and which no amount of Wind or vibration of any kind imparted to the awning can accidentally trip the awning and cause its resultant collapse, this result being accomplished by the provision of a positive lock making it impossible to manually or accidentally trip the awning, until it has been moved along its guides to a predetermined tripping point.

With the general objects named in View, and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinaiter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had tc the accompanying` drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective View of an automatic window awning of the invention with the fabric partially broken away to illustrate parts otherwise hidden.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the awning as shown in Figure 1, illustrating in full lines the position of the awning when in preferred position with a tension on the awning fabric to remove all looseness out of the connections, and in dotted lines the maximum possible open-movement in the proportions of the parts illustrated, when the awning fabric is entirely slacked away and is not imposing any tension on the awning structure.

Figure 3 is a view in full lines of the awning in collapsed position, and in dotted lines of the position of the visor at the top of the window opening just prior to closing or just after opening movement.

Figure 4 is an enlarged disassembled View of the parts of the awning operating mechanism.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of an operating spring assembly forming part of the structure.

Figures 6 and '7 are views of modifications of detail parts of the awning mechanism.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the gures, l indicates the frame of a window opening, and secured at convenient points on opposite sides of the opening are a pair of upright guides 2, the lower ends of said guides providing stop portions 3, and their upper ends having trip portions 4, or any desired irregularity whereby certain brace locking members hereinafter identified may move out cf the plane of the guides, for example, the guide tripping portions may be as shown at 5 in Figure 6, it being understood that the essence of this invention lies in the provision of a positive locking member normally in contact with a predetermined suriace, and when moved out of contact with such surface or out of a predetermined plane, releasing the lawning arm for pivotal movement, and that many variations from the structure illustrated may be readily produced embodying the locking principle here involved, as distinguished from devices of the prior art usually tripped by contact with a projection as the awning is moved upwardly on its guides, it being apparent that such a trip Amay sometimes be operated by hand without moving the awning structure up to proper tripping position, or that on windy, gusty days, there is a possibility that such trips oi the prior art may be released by vibration.

Mounted for sliding movement along said guides are a pair of brackets 6 having upper and lower bosses 7 slidingly receiving the guides 2, and, where the structure is of the automatic adjustable visor type, the upper bosses '7 are connected by a visor bar 8 spanning the window opening, while a pair of awning arms 9 are pivotally secured to the lower bosses '7. The outer ends of the arms 9 are connected by an awning pole l), it being thus noted that the brackets 6 and their cross bar 8 respectively form an inverted U-frame sliding on the guide 2, while the awning arms 9 and their front or awning pole l0 form a second awning frame of generally U-shape mounted for pivotal movement, so that its upper end when in collapsed or folded position will preferably lie just below the plane of the visor bar 8, the parts being so proportioned that the awning frame will preferably, when folded, slightly incline outwardly from the vertical so that its gravitative tendency is always to swing down to open position. i

Mounted above the window opening and journaled in bearings 11 carried by the building front, is an awning fabric roller 12 on which a fabric 13 is rolled, the free end of the fabric extending down under the visor bar 8 and being connected at its end to the awning pole 10.

With the structure as thus far described, it will be apparent that when it is in open position there is nothing to prevent unlimited vibration of the awning pole by the wind, and that it will be impossible to position the awning at any desired point in the height of the window opening as the awning frame would immediately commence to collapse upon a rolling up of the fabric. To brace and positively lock the awning frame against collapse by vibration or even manual manipulation, short of rolling up the awning structure to a predetermined point, the following apparatus embodying the principle of operation heretofore mentioned, is employed:

The apparatus to be described, is preferably employed in duplicate at opposite sides of the window, but for convenience will be described in the singular as the structure may work efficiently with locking means at one side only.

Pivotally secured adjacent the inner end of the awning arm 9 at any desired distance from its pivotal mounting on the boss'7 of the visor frame, is a link brace or member 14, said brace extending upwardly and inwardly and being pivotally secured to the lower end of a second brace member 15, which in normal position, with the awning open, is in sliding contact at its rear side with the bracket 6. With this construction, it will be evident that strain on the fabric tending to pivot or collapse the awning frame will be transmitted to the brace members 14 and 15, the latter tending to slide upwardly within the bracket 6.

To prevent collapse of the brace a dog or locking member 16 in the shape of a bell-crank lever is pivotally mounted on the ends of the visor bar 8, said dog having at its opposite ends a pair of abutments 17 and 18 and being so proportioned that when the awning is open the abutment 17 is firmly held within a locking recess 19 in the upper end of member 15, due to the fact that the recess 19 is preferably beveled and pressure against abutment 17 is resisted by direct contact of abutment 18 against the predetermined plane or surface, in this case, against the guide 2. With the construction described, it will be evident that there is absolutely no chance of the awning collapsing, either through manual tripping or through vibration, as the abutment 17 cannot move out of the path of travel of the brace member 15 as long as its companion abutment 18 is in contact with the predetermined surface or plane, in this case, the guide 2.

When it is desired to collapse or fold the awning, the fabric is wound onto the roller 12 and the entire awning structure in open position is thus caused to slide upwardly on the guides 2, it being evident that as long as tension is thus applied to the fabric, pressure is transmitted against the abutment 18 tending to move it inwardly of the plane of the guide 2, and consequently immediately the abutment attains the tripping portion 4 of the guide, it permits rocking of the bellcrank dog 16 to remove the abutment 17 out of the locking recess 19 in the member 15, the brace is thus permitted to break, and the awning frame is free to swing upwardly to collapsed position upon the continued further rolling of the fabric on the roller.

It will be noted that as the locking member 16 passes inwardly of the plane of the guide 2, it operates as a retainer to prevent downward movement of the brackets 6 on the guides 2, and the weight of the entire awning structure is thus transferred from the fabric to the dog or lock 16 to hold the awning as the brace is broken and slack is provided in the visor portion. With the trip portion 4 of the guide 2 inclined downwardly and outwardly, it will be apparent that when the awning roller is permitted to revolve to unwind the fabric, the first movement is for the visor to be formed by downward gravitative movement of the awning frame and that when the visor is fully formed, the abutment 17 will snap into the notch 19, the companion abutment 18 coming into the planey of the guide 2, the weight of the structure being thus transmitted to the fabric. The operator may now unwind the desired amount of fabric to place the visor at any desired position of adjustment throughout the height of the window opening.

If the awning is permitted to gravitate downwardly until the bottom boss 7 contacts with the portion 3 of the guide, presuming that there is suflicient fabric available for such extended movement, it will be apparent that the weight of the awning structure will be assumed by the portions 3 of the bracket 2, and that under continued release of more fabric from the roller, the awning frame would swing beyond the horizontal until the brace 14 was stopped by contact with the pivot of the arm 9 on the lower boss 7 and might ultimately displace member 15. To avoid such operation of the parts it has been found desirable to out away the rear side of the brace member 15 as shown, to form a stop shoulder 20, which through contact with the upper surface of a pair of spaced ears 21 carried by bracket 6, prevents downward movement of the member 15 beyond such fixed range.

In Figure 7 a modified slide bracket 21a is illustrated, corresponding to the bracket 6, which is provided at its lower end with a horizontal eX- tension 2lb constituting a pocket to hold the awning arm 9 from moving below the horizontal. I'his construction obviously also prevents brace member 14 from assuming a pendant position and also obviates the use of a stop shoulder 20 on the brace member 16. Of course the maximum opening movement of the awning frame may be limited by providing fabric of such length that there shall be insuficient fabric to let the awning frame move downwardly beyond locking position, as will be readily understood.

To assist in the quick opening of the visor upon the release of the fabric from the roller, particularly if the awning frame in foldedl position is very close to the vertical, it has been found desirable to provide spring opening or resilient means to assist the gravtative tendency of the awning arm 9. As shown in this application, said spring means comprises a spring guide rod 22 secured to the rear side of the member 15 and encircled by an expansion spring 23, the upper end of said spring pressing against the underside of the ears 21, and its lower end against a shoulder 24 formed adjacent the lower end of the brace member 15.

From the above description it will be evident that I have described a construction embodying all of the features set forth as desirable. It is to be understood that I reserve the right to make all vchanges within the spirit of the invention and without the ambit of the prior art.

I claim:-

1. The combination in an awning, of a guide having a trip portion, a bracket mounted for reciprocation on said guide, an awning arm pivoted to said bracket, a brace between the arm and the bracket to resist pivotal movement of the arm, and means reciprocated with the bracket abutting and movable along the guide for releasing the brace when said means reaches the trip portion of the guide to permit pivotal movement of the awning arm.

2. The combination in an awning, of a guide having a release portion, a bracket mounted for reciprocation on said guide, an awning arm pivoted to the bracket, a brace between the awning arm and the bracket to resist pivotal movement of the arm, and means carried by the bracket and abutting and movable along the guide and its release portion for releasing the brace when the bracket is moved along the guide a sufficient distance to engage said means with the release portion of the guide.

3. The combination in an awning, of a guide having a release portion, a bracket mounted for reciprocation on said guide, an awning arm pivoted to said bracket, resilient brace means between the bracket and arm, and means carried by the bracket and abutting and movable along the guide for releasing the resilient brace for yielding movement when the bracket is moved along the guide a sufcient distance to engage said means with the release portion of the guide to permit pivotal movement of the awning arm.

4. The combination in an awning, of a guide having a trip, a bracket mounted for reciprocation on said guide, an awning arm pivoted to said bracket, and locking means abutting and movable along the guide to prevent pivotal movement of the arm and effecting release of said arm for pivotal movement when it engages the trip portion.

5. The combination of a guide having an offset trip portion, a bracket mounted for reciprocation on said guide, an awning arm pivoted to` said bracket, a brace pivoted to the awning arm to resist pivotal movement thereof, and means abutting and movable along the guide for releasing the brace when the bracket has been moved a suicient distance to permit said means to engage the trip portion to permit pivotal movement of the brace on the arm and pivotal movement of the arm on the bracket.

6. An awning comprising a pair of guides having olset trip portions, a relatively inverted U-shaped visor frame mounted for reciprocation on said guide, awning arms pivoted to the ends of said visor frame, braces between the awning arms and their respective visor arms, and means abutting and movable along the guides for releasing the braces when the visor frame has been moved a suicient distance to permit said means to engage the trip portions to permit pivotal movement of the braces on the arms and pivotal movement of the arms on the visor frame.

7. An awning comprising a pair of guides having offset trip portions, a relatively inverted U- shaped visor frame mounted for reciprocation on said guides, a U-shaped awning frame pivotally secured at its ends to the visor frame, braces between the visor and awning frames and normally preventing pivotal movement of the latter on the former, and means abutting and movable along the guides for releasing the braces when the visor frame has been moved a suicient distance to permit said means to engage the trip portions to permit pivotal movement of the awning frame on the visor frame.

8. A window awning comprising a slide frame, an awning frame pivoted to said slide frame and adapted to move from open to closed position, a. brace member mounted to reciprocate on said slide frame, a second brace pivoted at its opposite ends to the rst-named brace and to the awning frame, and means carried by the frame in the path of travel of said reciprocatory brace to hold the same against movement but movable out of such path of travel to permit the brace to move and the awning frame to swing to closed position.

9. An awning comprising a vertically movable frame, an awning frame pivoted to said movable frame and adapted to move from open to closed position, an abutment member having a trip portion, and means in contact with the abutment member to hold the awning frame in open position and for releasing the frame for pivotal movement when it engages the trip portion.

10. An awning comprising a vertically movable frame, an awning frame pivoted to said iirstnamed frame, said awning frame when open being under constant tension impelling same to closed position, an abutment member having a trip portion, and a locking member carried by the frame and in sliding Contact with the abutment to hold the awning frame in open position and for releasing the frame for pivotal movement when the locking member engages the trip portion of the abutment.

ll. An awning comprising a vertically movable frame, an awning frame pivoted to said firstnamed frame, said awning frame when open being under constant tension impelling same to closed position, an abutment member having a trip portion, and a locking member held in contact with the abutment and operated by movement into the trip portion to permit pivotal movement of said frame to closed position; said locking member holding the movable frame against downward movement upon the collapse of the awning frame.

12. In an awning, a vertically movable frame, a visor frame pivoted to said first named frame and movable between open and closed positions, said frame, when open, being normally under pressure tending to move it to closed position, an abutment surface, and locking means movable with the vertically movable frame and contacting with and movable over the abutment surface forming a continuous plane for resisting closing movement of the visor frame and movable out of the plane of the abutment surface to permit closing movement of the visor frame.

13. In an awning, a vertically movable awning frame, a visor frame pivoted to the awning frame for movement between open and closed positions, said visor frame, when open, being normally under pressure tending to move it to closed position, a xed abutment surface having an offset trip portion, and locking means in sliding contact with the abutment surface and resisting the closing pressure of the visor frame by transmitting such pressure to said abutment surface, said locking means being movable into the offset trip portion to permit closing of the visor frame.

EDWIN F. BELL.

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