US1990830A - Roller screen - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 12, 1935. A. LANG ROLLER scnnnn Filed Oct. 15, 1935 11 T ToR NEx Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES I The present invention relates to an'improved roller window screen and more particularly to a new and novel construction for: a retractable roller screen and a controlling means for extending and holding the screen in any desired position within the limits of its travel.

An'object of the invention is toprovidej a new and novel construction for a metallic windowscreen of the roll away type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form-of draw'bar construction-for a window screen of the above character.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of guide and holding means for a springretracted rolltype window screen.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a spring retracted window screen, a latching means therefor which may be released'by applying a downward or screen drawing pressure thereupon.

Another object or" the invention is to provide, with a roll screen of the type having guide means disposed along the path of its travel, a novel form of latching means which will cooperate with the guide means to center and hold the end of the screen in the guide means.

In the prior art,. to which the invention relat-es, it is the practice to provide a screen of the roll away type with independently operated latching means at each side thereof. Such a screen requires two hands to adjust it and cannot be conveniently operated when the upper limit of its travel is above the normal reach of the operator or over approximately five feet from the floor. cannot be raised to the full extent of the window frame, .to which it is applied, unless the operator stands upon. a stepladder, chair or the like. Therefore, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel form of screen holding and drawing means that can be operated by a pull cord and which will facilitate a rolling up or extension of the screen, throughout the full length of a window frame, without resort to the use-ofa stepladder or chair, as suggested above.

In carrying out this invention the screen is rnadeentirelyv of metallic parts of novel" construction which may be secured together in a simple manner without the use'of rivets,- solder or welding. The screen isalso provided. with an improved guide means and. a detent. cooperating therewith which can .beoperated by a simple downward. pressure, as by means of a pull chain or cord, to release the same and thus and'mounted in-a'window framej This means that such a screen.

in ,a roller concealing housing 11'. Extending downwardly fromjthe'housing l1 and along each opened from either the top .or the bottom, or :-from-both1 its.top and bottom. v

permit'a retraction or an extension 'of the screen without the application of any other manual force. a Fora better understanding of the present invention-reference should-be hadto the a'ccompanying drawing which; I:

[Figure 1 is aperspective View showing a screen constructed in accordance with the invention 7 --Figure 2 is a fragmentary] perspective View showing the draw bar construction contemplated by the invention,

-Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective back view with parts broken awayto show the draw bar assembly and a detentrod carried thereby, V

1 Figures -7,-8-and 9 show modifiedforms of a 5 draw bar assembly and screen latching means constructed in accordance "with the invention.

-'A roll away screen of the type contemplated by this invention may be mounted either upon the insideor the outsideof the window frame. 2 0 In Figure l of the drawing the screen, designated hy the numeral 10, isshownas-mounted inside of the-window. This isthe preferred arrangement as the screen'will then be protected from I inclement weather when the window is closed. T

The screen "10 is shown as suspended within cheek of the window. frame there isajchannel .orguide, 12 into which projects the 'edge s. of the .rangement the screen 10, may be extended .to .1 the fulllength of. the window framexand. thus provide fulliprotection when the window is 50 .Thefeatures of: the present-invention, .which are considered to be particularly novel, appertain to thescreengui'de means, its .draw bar construction, and a latching means which .will

..cooperate.- .with .aa spring retracted roller. screen 5 front to hold the screen in any desired position with the screen under tension.

For. a more detail description of the various parts thereof, reference is made to the remain-. ing figures of the drawing. From an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawing it will be seen that the draw bar 13, secured to therlower end of h the screen 10, carries a Centrally located detent operating means 14 to which there is attached a 'pull cord or chain 15. Asillustrated in Figures 3 andofthe vdrawing, the draw bar -13 isconstructed of two'transversely extending members whichwill'be designated as a front memberl6;

" and a back member 17. These members 16 and V V vgthe end of the screenagainst rattling.

' .of; the draw bar 13,,isprovided', as shown in, Figure 3 of the drawing, with a simpleflange along its upperfedgeand a similar but larger flange at its lower edge. These flanges stiffen 17 are formed of sheet metal bent'so as'to interlock with each other and are securedinlcoop crating relation by means of end clips 18 which are 'pressedthereupon so as to 'clamp the two members into close'engagement with each other.

The clips 18 may be secured upon theends of the memberslfi and] 1 7 by. any suitable means.

; The preferred arrangement is to depress a portion ofone' of the sides of these clips, as shown at 19,. into holes properly located inthe ends of-rthe members lfi and/or l'l, :Thisprovides a simple and easily assembled draw-bar whichcan be made rupfwithout theuse of rivets, welding or the like. 7 When the clips18 are thus secured upon the ends of the draw bar vl3 they will act as a shoe or runner. that will slide freely be-. tween 'coacting flanges carried by thescreen guides 12 and, in conjunction with the detent means, to be hereinafter described, ,flrmly hold In its preferred; form 4 the front member 16,

thefront memberlfi and impart rigidityto the draw bar 13. The flange at the lower edge of thegfront member 16 is formedvby bending the -sheet metal outwardly and then back, and up in spaced relation with the rear side thereof and finally downwardly to form a, transversely vextending recess into which a strip of felt 20,

that will engage the window sill, may be .dis-

posed. The back member 1'7, of the draw bar 13, is attached to the screen 10, by folding the lower edge. of the'jscreen'material about a flange provided along the upper edgeof theback member. and then pressingthe screen and flange together into clamping engagementwith each other.

The back member 1'? also has a groove or recess extending. lengthwise thereof just bei low; the flange ,by. which it is secured :to the screen.' This groove, in conjunction with the 'front'member 16,'for'ms a seat or" bearing for V .adet ent operating rod121 that j extends com- 'pletely across the' draw bar'13. when the back lr'ne'mber 1'7 hasflbeen'attached to the screen 10 Land-the detent operating rod 21 is placed into fthe' groove in the member: 17,"the lower edge center the detent operatingrod. 21. has two.ofl:-

.-.set portions 23' to which theoperatingmeans. 14

is attached. When the front member 16'and the back member 17 of the draw bar 13 are assembled together, as suggested above,- with the detent operating. rod 21 therebetween, the offset portions 23. of the detent rod 21 will extendthrough a hole in themember l6 and project f out at the front of the drawbar 13. The de- This arrangement presents a'neat appearance tent operating'means 14 can then be secured to the detent. rod 21 at the front of the'screen.

asit places the. detents 22yand the operating rod V 21 in back of the draw bar 13 and leaves only the detent operating means 14 in view at the front of'the draw "bar, where it can be .con-' venie'nt'ly operated by a simple downward screen drawing pressure of, the hand or by a pull cord.

The detent operating means 14 may be formedv toi-any suitable shape whichwill facilitate. its

attachment to the rod 21, or it may be omitted entirely. In, this latter .event the detent rod- 21 .needhave only one offset portion 23 which-will extendout sufliciently far in front of' the draw bar, 13 to be engaged by the 'operators thumb and/or'carry the pull cord or chain 15.

as illustrated inFigures 4 and of the drawthe detentoperating means 14 is formed of a single'piece of stamped sheet metal having a recess 24 into which the'ofiset portions 23'rmay I project, It also, has a thumb or finger rest 25 upon which pressure may be exerted in operating the .detents 22. The recess'24 has a width just sufficient, to receive the offset portions 23 upon the detent operating rod21 recess 2 4,as at 26, so as to interlock portions thereof with the offset portions 23. At the lower side of the recess .24 'the means .14 has a pair of opposed ears 2'7 between which a springbarrel 28 and 'a coiled spring 29 are disposed. One end or the spring 29 engages the detent operating means 14 and at its other end it is adapted i to engage the front surface of the draw bar 13 so as to provide an upward v bias upon the detent operating means 14 and consequentlyia.

downward bias upon the detents 22.

r In order to render the above described construction most effective it is desirable that the channels or guides12'be so shaped. thatthey will cooperate to a maximum degree with the draw bar 13 and the detents, 22.1 A preferred form of guideyforja screen equipped as above, is illustrated in Figures2, 3 and-6 of the drawing. the guides 12 is formed by bending a piece of rectangular cross section. As here shown, the

guides 12 have narrow openings extending lengthwise thereof andv inturned i or reentrant flanges 30 formed along one side of the narrow openings; The inturned or 'reentrant flanges 30 are adapted to providesurfaces over whichthe In these figures of the drawing each of When the .means14 is in position upon the detent operating rod 21, as shown, it may be secured thereto v by prick punching or upsetting the sides of the g Qsheet metal into a semitubular shape and of clips 18 may freely slidewhen the detents 22 are :released and. against which they. will be f firmly held when the detents 22 are biased into their screen holding position.f;Upon*the back of each of the flanges 30 there is aplurality of yertically spaced protuberances 31 -that are adapted. to be engaged bythe hooked ends of the dete'nts 22 and hold the screen in its ex tended position against the action of the screen 'recoiling spring carried by the roller, withinjthe housing 11, from which the screen 10 is suspended v. e v f r yAs shown, the-detents 22 areformed by bending back the-endsof the detent. operating bar -21-so-as toeprovide oppositelyprojecting hooks upon each-end thereof. When therdetents 22 5-areformed-in this manner, and used inguides 12 f the character described above, they will, in addition to acting as a latching means for thescreen 10, also interlock with the flanges 30 of the guides 12 to thus centerthe draw bar 13 .10 ,and the screen'10 between the guides and prevent the draw bar from being accidentally or deliberately removed from the'guides 12 when the screen 10 is being extended or retracted.

- While I have described the invention in its #15 preferred form, it is to be understood that the essential. features and advantages thereofmay ..be attained in other ways as, for instance, by -constructing the guides, draw bar and detents .in accordancewiththe showings made in Fig- 120 ures 1,8 and-9 of the drawing which will now the described. V

In.Figure 7 there is shown-a channel guide 32 .ofrectangularcross section having a simple inturned flange 33 in which there. is formed a plurality of vertically spaced depressions 34. The ,draw bar, designated by thenumeral 35, is constructed .of two transversely extending pieces. of sheet metal secured together by clips ..36;.whichare pressed :over the. ends thereof, as is 430 the case in-the draw bar 13. In this construc- -.tion'there isa detent bar 37 which, instead of having hook shaped detents, has its ends sim- .ply turned up to form detents 38 that will en- -gage the depressions34 in the flange 33 of the 35.0118111181 guide..32. The detents 38 are here shown as biased into the depressions 34 by a -.-small.spring39 that engages a loop 40, formed .,,centrally. upon the detent bar 37, which extends out through the draw bar 35, where it can be operated bya downward pressure or by a pull cord. 1 i

,,In -Figure 8 of the drawing there is illustrateda draw bar 41 and a channel guide 42 formed substantially similar to the draw bar andguide channel shown in Figure '7. In this embodiment a detent operating rod 43 is formed in a manner similar to the detent operating rod ;21 described above and illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing. The detent operating rod 43,

. instead O having detentsthat will engage protuberancesupon the back of theguide channel flange,- has inturned or hooked ends 44 that op- ;erate upon a resilient detentmember 45 which engages recesses formed in a flange 46 on the channel guide 42. In this construction, like those previously described, the detents can be operated-by a simple downwardpressureapplied atthe center of the draw bar 41.

'InFigure 9 of the drawing there is shown a 460 iurthenmodification of the present invention, --wherein the screen can also be operatedbya simple downward pressure applied centrally upon the screen draw bar or by a pull cord. As here illustrated the screen guide, designated by the numeral 47, is of a difierent shape, in that -ithas;a trackway 48 formed upon one. flange v and with -protuberances 49 formed upon an op- ;positegflange. In thisarrangement a draw bar 5O is,formejd1from onepiece vof metal and has 7.0 projecting feet orrunners 51 at the ends thereof which engage, the trackway .48. The. upper edge ofgthev draw bar; 50 is secured to the screen by. pressing oppositely disposed parts thereof over;a rod 52 about which the screen material is1 -w rapped. JqAnothendifierence. is thata detent operating rod 54 having detents 53 is, mounted upon the front side ofthe draw bar 50 instead of at-theback,- as is the case in-the other-structures. The detents '53 .are biased into engagement with the-protuberances 49 by asmall leaf 5 spring'5'5'at each detent. These springs'55c an be-overcome by a downward pressure exerted upon a centrally located forwardly projecting portion 56 of the detent rod 54 and as aresult ascreen constructed in this manner can also be FIO operated; by a downward screen drawing move- .ment applied-by the hand or through a pull .cord.

@Theoperation of a screen constructed in accQrdanceWith thissinvention'should be obvious 515 from the above 7 description. However,- there .;are a number of..features, the functions and -op- V erations of which should be explained further. When the screen 10 is equipped with a draw bar 13, of the type illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of the drawing, the screen can be drawn by simply applying a downward pressure upon the thumb rest of the detent operating means 14. In this operation the pressure thus exerted upon the means 14 will rotate the detent operatingtgs .rod 21.and move the detents 22 out of engagement with the protuberances 31 upon the guides 12 and permit the shoes or runners, formed by and into engagement with the protuberances'31.

It should here be pointed outthat the disposi- Z tionrof the detents 22 upon the detent operating 'rod 21 is such that the coiled spring 29will be assisted in its action by the screenretracting spring to which the screen 10 is secured. Under these conditions the screen retracting spring will exert an upward pull upon the detents'22 and,as a result of the horizontal component of .Wind or vibration.

The above clamping action will also be found in the embodiments ofthe invention illustrated :5

in Figures '7 and .8 of the drawing. In these structures the clamping action will be accom- :plished vbythe screen retracting spring, but in a different manner. When the detents 38 and of Figures 7 and 8 are in engagement with their respective recesses, in the guides 32 and -42, thescreen tension exerted'by the screen -re- 7 tracting spring will cause the clips 18, at the ends of the draw bars 35and 41,.to move against the'front flanges of the guides 32 and 42 and thus, with the detents 38' and 45, wedge the draw bars 35 and 41 into non-rattling engage- .ment with their respective guides.

In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawing the draw-bars is provided with projecting feet 51 which are disposed in a reasonably snug groove 48 formed 'inresilient material that will provide a suf- -ficient tightness .to prevent a rattling of the screen, without interferingewith its free move- 'ment.

An important aspect of this invention is that it provides a screen which can be operated with .one hand and/or by apull cord. When a pull.

.cordis attachedlto the detent operating means 76 the screen can be easily operated to any. height I in a simple and convenient 'manner., 7 i

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order :to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated specific 1 devices and (arrangements,

I desire tohave itunderstoodthat thisinvention not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied inother ways that will suggestthemselves, inviewoi this broad disclosure, to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is broadly new and a it is desired to claim it as such so. that allsuch -changes as come within the scope of ;thejappended claims are tobe considered as part. of this invention.- a

Having thus described my invention,rwhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1 Inan imprcvedroll screen,.the combinationjof apair ,of spaced parallel guides, a spring retracta'ble roll screen disposed between. said guides,- a draw bar at the'end of said screen for drawing it along between saidguides, a rod extending along and rotatably mounted upon said draw bar havingits ends bent to form detents .which' will cooperate with said guides and hold said roll screen in an extended position, and

' means operable by a downward screen drawing movement forrotating-said rod and releasing fsaidzdetentmeans;

a 2. In a screen of the'character described, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel guides,

,a spring retractable roll screen disposed be- I tweensaid guides, a draw bar at the end of said .screen for drawing it along saidiguides, a rotat- 7 ably mounted rod extending throughout the length of said draw bar, means at each'end of said rod cooperable with said guides forming a detent for, holding said roll screen in' an extended position in said guides, and means at the center of said rod operable by a downward screen drawing movement for rotating said rod and releasing said detent means; 3, In an improved roll screen, thecombination of a spring retractable roll screen, guide channels into which the edgesof .the screen are disposed having a, reentrant flange upon one 'side thereof, a draw bar. secured .across'theend' of said screen and extending into said guide channels, a rotatable longitudinally extending rod carried bycsaid draw barhaving its Qends bent around-andcooperating with the adjacent reentranti flange upon said guide channels for centering the screen between said guideichan- ;nels, and means for biasing said rod in a position whereby its ends will engage said reentrant huge and hold the screen in an extended posi- ,1, 7' I 1. 4. In animproved roll screen, the combination-pf' aqspring retractable roll screenfguide channels disposed along the sides of said screen having a reentrant flange upon one side thereof,

a draw bar secured across the end of said screen extending into said'guide channels andengaging one side of the respective reentrant flange, a

rotatable ,rodcarried' by said drawi bar having endsbent around engaging the: other side of the respective reentrant flange-uponisaid guide channels for'centering the screen between's'a'id guide channels, zindmeans for biasing the ends of said rod'into clamping engagement with the respective reentrantfian'ge; 1-

5. 'I'hemcombination of a spring retractable screen, a guide at each sideof said screen, a

draw bar'secured across the 'endoiisaid screen detent operatin and extending into said guides, a rotatable de-, tent; operating rod ;carried bysaid draw bar, a I

detent at each end of said rod cooperating with the respective guide 'for holdingsaid screen in an extended position, means intermediatethe; 5

ends of said rod and located at the front of said. draw bar forming a lever upon said detent screen, a draw bar secured; across the end of' said screen and extending into said guide chan- 115 nels, a detent carrying bar securedfagainstand :extending along the back of ,said drawabar a detent upon each end of'said detent carrying bar cooperating with said guide channels for holding said screen in an extended position; and

7 means projecting through said draw bar-Etc the a front thereof having a pull cord attached thereto I for operating said detents and raising .and

lowering said screen, 7. A- guide for a' spring screen, said screen carrying a detent adjacent thee'nd thereof, said guide comprising a single sheet of metal bent to a substantially rectangular form and havingitsmeeting edges flanged inwardly and disposed inspaced relation with each other to'form' acguide'for the edgeof the screen, one of the flanges being disposed sub-. stantially centrally ofr the rectangular form, and

, detent retaining. means upon said 'latter flange which will cooperate with said detent to hold the screen in an extended position. a

,8. A guide for a spring retractediametallic screen, said screen carrying a detent adjacent the end thereof, said guide vcomprising'a single sheet of metal bentto d-substantially rectangu- 40 lar form and having its meeting e'dges'flanged V inwardly and disposed in spaced relation ,with each other to form'aguide for the edge of-a screen, one of the flanges being disposed substantially centrally of the rectangular form and S 5 having protuberances formed thereupon by' 'upsetting the flange which will cooperate with said detent to hold the "screen; in 'anextended position.

9. In a draw bar fora roll screen or the like, the combination of a transversely extending' channel like member having its'lower edge bent up in spaced relation with the back-surface thereof, a second member having its upper edge crimpted to the end of a screen material and its lower edge disposedin the space betweenthe back of saidchannel like member and the bent up edge thereof, and guide'ch'annel engaging clipssecured in clamping engagement over the ends of-saidfchannel like member and said seccnd "member for securing and holding said members together.

v In a screen devi 3' the combination era pair of spaced parallel guides betweenwhich the screen may move, a transversely extending channel likemember adapted to extend into said guides, a' second member having itsupper edge.

crimped to theend of a screen material disposed against the back of said channel like member,

and [a guide engaging clip'secur'ed in clamping 10' engagement overthe' ends of said members forming the sole meansfor holding them together."

' 11.. A draw bar and detent constructioncfor a. roll screen of the retractable roller type operating between spaced guides, comprisinga trans- 17 retracted metallic 25 I versely extending member having a length substantially equal to the width of the screen, a second transversely extending member disposed in back of said first member, a detent operating rod disposed between and projecting at the ends of said members having its ends turned up to form detents which are engageable and cooperable with the spaced guides at the edges of the screen, and a metallic clip pressed over the ends of said first and second members for securing them together over the detent operating rod and forming a runner at each end of the draw bar which will slide freely in the spaced guides when the detents are disengaged and cooperate with the detents to clamp the draw bar to the guides when the detents engage the guides.

12. In a roll screen of the spring retractable type, the combination of spaced screen guides between which the screen is adapted to slide, each of said guides having a flange extending parallel with the plane of the screen, a draw .bar at the end 01 the screen having a runner at each end thereof adapted to engage one side of the flange carried by the associated guide, detent means carried by said draw bar bent around the respective flanges and adapted to engage the other side of said respective flanges, and spring means acting upon said detent means to bias them into engagement with said flanges, whereby the runners at the ends of said draw bar will be clamped against the flanges upon which they slide. r

ALBERT LANG.

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