US2166481A - Window control device - Google Patents

Description

July18,1939. f RABMRD 2,166,481

WINDOW CONTROL DEVICE Filed sept. 4, 193e 2 sheets-sheet 1 -ffqymdalw f July 18, 1939.I R. A. BAIRD 2,165,431

vWINDOW CONTROL DEVICE Flyed Sept. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR mental .my 1s, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW CONTROL DEVICE Raymond A. Baird, Elisabeth, Ind.

Application September 4, 1936, Serial No. 99,499

1 Claim.

The object of the invention is to provide an appliance for use in connection with the windows of a building, whereby when the windows are open, they are retained in this position to be released automatically for closure in the event of a rain or wind storm; to provide an appliance of the kind indicated which will be maintained continuously in operative condition when the windows are open; to provide an appliance particularly adapted for control of the window whether partially or fully open; and generally to provide a window control device which is of simple form, susceptible of cheap manufacture and of a character that will permit its installation without modification of the window structure.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated u inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a window structure showing the invention applied in operative position.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a top plan Yview of the sensitive circuit `closer constituting an element of the appliance.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the structure of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 5 5 of Figure 3..

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the invention.

35 The invention is constructed to respond either to the action of the Wind or the falling of rain and to this end comprises ,the circuit closers I0 and II, both of which are designed for mounting exteriorly of the building structure I2 just outside of the window. v p

The circuit closer I0 is in the form of a grid composed of the intercurrent fingers I3 and Il, all of the fingers I4 being united with a bar I5 and the fingers I3 united with a bar I6. 'I'he fingers I3 and Il, while in closely related parallel relation, are nevertheless separated and the two sets are mounted respectively on an insulating panel Il positioned on the'face'of the building directly below the window sill I8. The

fingers are bent intermediate their ends, so that the whole assemblage of fingers will present a V shaped formation in elevation.

The ngers are closely enoughA related to be bridged by the rain water as it drops on the grid, so that the latter may act as the circuit (ci. zoo-5a) closing medium oi an initial sensitive control circuit in which there is included a circuit closer comprising a permanent magnet I9 between the poles of which there is rotatably mounted a spindle 2li, the latter carrying a finger 2| which, 5 when the circuit closer is operated, engages a fixed contact 2'2. A spiral spring 23 functions to yieldingiy impel the finger 2l away from the contact 22 but it is brought into engagement with said contact by the energization of a coil 10 24 which is carried by the spindle and which is included in circuit with the grid. Energizing the coil tends to dispose its axis across the poles of the magnet when engagement of the finger 2| .and contact 22 is effected. 15

The sash 25 which is controlled by the appliance is under counter-weighted, so that the sash normally tends to move to closed position. This may be accomplished by reducing the size of the counter-weights or by applying an extra weight 20 to the sash in the form of a metal strip which may be mounted at any convenient point on the sash, as for example, on top of the meeting rail. Despite this under balance, however, the sash when raised is retained in any position to which it may be raised by means of a detent 26, the latter being swingingly mounted at 2l and being provided with terminal friction fingers 28 which bear on the sash, on the face, as indicated in Figure 1. The detent is normally impelled 3 0 toward the sash by means of a spring 29 of leaf form. Both the leaf spring 29 and pivotal mounting of the detent are carried by the frame 30 which supports an electro-magnet 3|, which when energized, imposes a pull on the detent in 35 opposition to the spring, so as to release the fingers from engagement with the sash, when the latter will descend by gravity and, at a rate of movement depending on the degreeto which it is under balanced. 40

In the closed position the .sash engages and operates a normally closed circuit closer or switch composed of the leaves 32 and 33 which carry cooperating contacts, the latter being extended beyond the former to provide a terminal portion 45 engageable with a pin 34 mounted on the sash, the extended portion of the spring being disposed in the` path of movement of the pin in the descent of the sash, so that when the sash is in closed position, the spring 33 will be flexed away 50 from the spring 32 to separate the contacts carried by the two.

The circuit on the magnet 3I is controlled by a circuit closer consisting of the fixed contact 35 and a cooperating movable Contact carried by a i "swinging arm 36, both the arm and the contact being carried b'y a magnet frame 31 and the arm being under the pull of a spring 38 which serves normally to separate its contact from the contact 35. The frame 31 carries an electromagnet 39, which when energized, swings the arm 35 to engage its contact with the contact 35. The wind actuated circuit closer comprises a frame 40 which, at one end, is provided with an upstanding arm 4I on which is mountedbut insulated therefrom a contact 42. This contact 42 is positioned so as to be engaged by a contact 43 carried by an arm 44 mounted on a wind vane 45, the latter having pivotal mountings at its lower edge, as indicated at 45, on the frame 40. The wind van 45 is limited to a vertical position and is yieldingly held in such position by means of a tension spring 41 terminally connected with it and with the extremity of an arm 48 constituting an element of the frame 45. The contacts 42 and 43 are normally separated but any wind pressure from the outside, while it cannot eiiect any increase in the distance which the contacts are separated, can force the wind vane over to engage the contact 43 with the contact 42. In the operation of the invention, if there is no wind pressure to eiiect movement of the wind carried circuit closer, or rain fall to eil'ect operation of the moisture actuated circuit closer,

the spring 23 will impe] the detent toward the sash 25 and when the latter is raised the friction fingers will retain it in the position to which it has been raised. In the event of rain, the moisture will fall on the circuit closer Il and bridge.I

the ngers I3 and I4 when current may flow from the source over the conductor 49 to the conductor 59, to the bar I5, the fingers I4,. the fingers I3, the bar I5, the conductor 5I, the coil 24 of the sensitive circuit closer, the spindle 29 with which one end .,of. the coil is connected, the conductor 52, the switch composed of the spring leaves 32 and 33 and the conductor 53, back to the source. When the coil 24 is energized, the finger 2| will be brought'into engagement with the contact 22 which will place the magnet 33 in circuit, current ilowing'over the conductor 49, the conductor 54, the magnet 33, the conductor 55, the contact 22, the nger 2|, the spindle 25 and the conductor 52, back to the source. as that increment of current passing through the circuit closer III. When the coil 39 is energized, the arm 35 is swung to engage its contact with the contact 35 which places the magnet 3| in circuit. current flowing over the conductor 49 to the arm 38, the contact 35, the conductor 56, the magnet 3|, the conductor 51, the conductor 52 and thence back to the source through the leaf spring switch 33-32 and conductor 53. When the magnet 3| is energized, the detent 26 will be attracted and release its friction fingers 28 from the sash to permit the latter to descend and the detent will not be again released until the full descent of the window when the pin 34 engages the extension of the leaf 33 and operates the switch of which that leaf is an element. With the opening of the switch 33, the circuits on the coils 39 and 24 will be opened, so that the whole appliance will then be de-energized, irrespective of whether there is suilicient moisture content on the closure II? lto effect the circuit closing function.

The wind actuated circuit closer II is in parallel with the circuit closer II) but so arranged in the circuit that when it performs its circuit closing function, the sensitive circuit closer of which the coil 24 is a part is not energized. Upon wind pressure sufcient to move the wind vane 45 and engage the contacts 43 and-42, current will flow over the conductor 49, the conductor 54, the magnet 39, the conductor 55, the conductor 58, the contacts 42 Vand 43, the conductor 59, the conductor 52, the switch 33-32 and back to the source. This results in energizing the magnet 39 and the operation of the detent as before described to permit the descent of the window when, of course, it will operate the switch 33-32 to de-energize the magnet.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

A circuit closer for `windows electrically operated to be moved to closed position in the event of rain, the same comprising a grid composed of intercurrent fingers and spaced bars arbeing connected to the same bar and successive fingers to opposite bars, the fingers being in parallel relation and bent intermediately to give the grid a V-shaped form in elevation and being spaced only enough to normally insulate the two sets and admit them to be bridged by drops of water in the presence of rain.

RAYMOND A. BAIRD.

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