US2180311A - Tilting mechanism for venetian blinds - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1939. J. NISENSON 2,180,

TILTING MECHANISM FOR vnun'mu BLINDS Filed May 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 INVENTOR JULY/U5 N/S'E/VEUN ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, 1939 I vlil'rlzo sTA'rEs v 2,180,311 'rmrmc MECHANISM FOR VENETIAN ,BLINDS Julius Nisenson, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Mas-' Y ter Venetian Blind Hardware Corp., New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 17, 1937, Serial No. 143,060

19 Claims. (01. 156-17) I This invention relates generally to Venetian blind head-rail, head-bar, or casing construction,

and more particularly to tilting mechanism for tilting the slats of the blind.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a unitary tilting mechanism which is interchangeable in use so that the same may be utilized with either an exposed head-bar and tilt-bar or with a casing having concealed tilt plates.

The present invention is especially suited' for use in combination with a channel casing asfor example that described in Patent Number 2,036,231, granted to me on April 7, 1936. Such use will be more fully set forth below.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a tilting mechanism which is readily actuated either by cord or head chain, and where the mechanism is included in an enclosed casing the cord or chain may be simply adjusted from outside of the casing.

A further object herein is the provision of structure which is simple, light in weight, strong, eflicient, and foolproof in operation.

A still further object is the provision of a tilting mechanism requiring a minimum of parts, which are either stampings or automatic screw machine products, and which require a minimum of labor and expense to assemble.

These objects, further features, and incidental" Figure 3 is an end-elevational view of Figure 2" as seen from the left end thereof.

Figure 4*is a rear elevational view of the tilting mechanism removed from the Venetian blind casing and viewed from the left of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectionalview partly in elevation as seen from the plane 55 on Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the form of the tilting mechanism shown in Figure 4 as seen from the plane 6-6 on Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a. developed view of the frame plate.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view partly in elevation of an alternate means for mounting the gear.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view as.

seen from the right of Figure 8 with the gear casing plate removed showing the tilting shaft, gear hub, and gear.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view of the tilting mechanism as adapted for use on anexposed head-bar and attached to an exposed tilt-bar, as seen in front elevation. I

Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the bracket which connects the tilt bar with the gear hub.

The tilting mechanism, generally represented by numeral II), is cased in a housngll composed of gear casing plates I2 and I3 and a frame plate 55.

A gear I5 is provided with a central orifice l6 which is shaped to conform to the hub I! having a flattened portion I8. Gear II is mounted upon hub I'l.

The hub I! is trunnioned in circular orifices I9 and in the gear casing plates l2 and I3 respectively, and is retained in position by the shoulder or integral collar thereon 2| and a snap-on split washer 22 which engages an annular groove 23. Hub I1 is provided with a central orifice 24 in which is located a shaft 25 "maintained in position by a set screw 28. The

shaft 25 is shown as broken oil. but it is to be understood that shaft 25 continues to connect with and to actuate any suitable means (not shown) for tilting the slats of a Venetian blind, such as the tilt-plates described a milled or roughened portion 3|. Shaft 21 carries mounted thereon a worm 32 and is journailed in a front bearing 33 and a rear bearing 34 having external annular flanges 35 and 36 respectively. Flanges 35- and ,36 are preferably rectangular in cross section.

The pin has mounted thereon a. pair of opposed concave discs 31 and 38 which have corrugations or flutes 39 and 40. The discs 31 and 38 have the central portions thereof forced into close contact by swaging 'over the terminal 4| of pin 30 thereby forming the cord or chain pulley 42. In order to fix the position of pulley 42 with relation to pin 30 and hence the shaft 21, the pin 30 may have a flattened portion corresponding with the flattened portion l8 on hub I1 and the discs 31 and 38 may be orificed similarly to the gear l5.

The gear casing plates l2 and i3 are identical and symmetrical so that they are completely interchangeable. These casing plates l2 and I3 include circular gear recesses 43 and 44, front bearing pockets 45 and 46, worm pockets 41 and disposed at right angles to the vertical portions thereof. ternally threaded holes 53 and 54 respectively.

The bearing pockets 45, 46, 49, and 58 are shaped on the inner surfaces thereof to conform to the outer surfaces of the bearings 33 and 34 and the flanges 35 and 36 so that a close fit is obtained and when the casing plates l2 and I3 are assembled the said bearings are maintained in proper operating position with the axes thereof aligned and with the bearings prevented from turning. The flanges 35 and 36" are seated in corresponding depressions in the bearing pockets and the bearings are thereby prevented from' shifting toward or away from each other longi-. tudinally with relation to shaft 21.

The worm pockets 41 and 48 are sufficiently large to completely clear the worm 32. All of the pockets both worm and bearing are so located on the gear casing plates with relation to orifices l8 and 28, that the worm 32 makes a satisfactory mesh with the gear 5. A

A frame plate is comprised of a vertical front portion 56 with an integral lug 51, a horizontal base 58 having a rectangular orifice 59, and a connecting plate portion 68 having 2. rectangular orifice 6| and circular orifices 62 and 63. The horizontal base 58 is out along the solid lines 64 to form two cord or chain guide tabs 65 and 66 which cooperate with the pulley 42 as will be more fully described below. The tabs 65 are integral with the base 58 and are bent upwardly therefrom to take a form best seen in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings. The

' connecting plate portion 68 is upwardly offset by bending the frame plate 55 at 61, indicated on Figure 7 by dot-dash lines. The amount of offset of plate portion 68 is equal to thethickness of the feet 5| and 52. The orifices 6| and 62 are preferably wide enough to permit the screws 68 and 68 to penetrate freely therethrough. The

as viewed in Figure '7. The relative dimensions shown in Figure 6 have been found satisfactory since the large opening facilitates the assembly of the parts.

The assembly of the various components into a complete mechanism is a simple and rapid procedure. The following method has been found satisfactory. The worm shaft 21 with the pulley 42 affixed as described above is grasped and the bearing 33 is slid into place against thev wide shoulder 28; followed by the worm 32 which is forced into place on the roughened portion 3| until it abuts the narrow shoulder 28 and the inner portion 18 of bearing 33; then follows the bearing 34 which is slid on the shaft."

The gear casing plate I3 is grasped and the hub I1 is inserted into the orifice 28. The gear Feet 5| and 52 are provided with in- I5 is then placed upon the hub with the orifice 6 properly engaging the flattened portion IS. The foot 52- is then inserted through the orifice 6| of frame-plate .55. Next the shaft 21 as previously assembled is placed upon the gear casing plate l3 and the bearings 3,3,and 34 properly .meshed with the gear l5, and the pulley 42 is placed partially in orifice 58. The gear casing plate I2 is placed into position by inserting the foot 5| through the orifice 6| in the frame plate 55 and moving the upper portion of saidplate toward the corresponding upper portion of plate I3, at the same time inserting the hub |1 through the orifice IS in plate l2. Snapping the split washer 22 onto the groove 23 and riveting the plates I2 and I3 together at the upper corners thereof by rivets 1| in the holes 12, completes the assembly.

In the drawings the groove 23 is placed with relation to the collar 2| so as to allow considerable clearance. The position of this groove may be changed as desired, and if the groove is moved considerably toward the said collar and a heavy split washer is used, sufficient compression may be obtained between plates l2 and I3 so that the rivets 1| may be dispensed with.

The complete assembly or mechanism I8 is preferably installed within a casing 13 by means of the screws 68 and 68 which penetrate suitable orifices in the 'bottom wall 14. The mechanism I8 is positioned within casing 13 so that the front portion 56 and the front wall 15 of the casing 13 are spaced and parallel, the spacing being sufficient to allow a movable latching plate 16 to slide horizontally therebetween. This latch plate 16 is provided with a manual gripping tab 11, and an inwardly upset lug 18 riding just above the upper edge of portion 56. The lug 51 is thus adapted to act as a stop to prevent the latching plate 16 from being pulled too far out of the casing 13. The structure and functions of latching plate 16 are more particularly described in my patent identified above. The bottom wall 14 is provided with a suitable orifice (not shown) through which a cord or the chain 19 passes as it approaches or leaves the pulley 42.

Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 illustrate an alternative embodiment of a portion of the invention. In this form, the hub 88 is made from a piece of' square rod stock which has been turned down, preferably in an automatic screw machine to leave the square corners 8| and the rounded corners 82. The corners 8| are preferably as wide as the gear 83 which is provided with a central square orifice so that said gear 83 is positively keyed to the hub 88 merely by being placed thereon. The distance from one rounded corner -82 to another diametrically opposite thereto is preferably equal to the diameter of the orifices l8 and 28 in the plates l2 and I3. It may thus bev seen that thesquare corners 8| serve to connect with the gear 83 and prevent the hub 88 from. coming out of the chamber formed by the circular gear recesses 43 and 44.

This alternate structure of the hub is especially suited for use in connection with exposed headbar and tilt-bar Venetian blinds. Turning to Figure 10 there is seen an embodiment of the invention as adapted for such use in which the head bar 84 carries the alternate form of tilting mechanism 85 which supports the tilt-bar 86 by means of a novel bracket 81. This bracket is shown in Figure 11, and comprises a large horizontal portion 88, a short vertical portion 83, a

2,180,811 short horizontal portion 98, and a large vertical' portion 9| having a square hole 92. The portion 88 is adapted for suitable attachment to the tilt-bar 86 as for example by wood screws. The portion 89 serves as a stop to simply and accurately space the tilt-bar 88ywith relation to the mechanism 85. The square hole 92 is adapted to fit the square hub 88 and need only be slipped thereon to secure positive connection between the, bracket 81 and the hub. Because the squarehole 92 is slightly oversize a partial universal joint type of connection is secured and the assembly of the head-bar 84 is facilitated in that the mechanism 85 need not be accurately lined up.

Further a four sided hub 88 requires at the mostonly a 90 degree rotation thereof in order to take on a position coinciding with any rotated position of the tiltbar 88 and bracket 81.

When the alternate mechanism 85 is installed on an exposed head-bar 84, there is no need for the vertical front portion 58 and the lug 51 and these parts may be dispensed with. The mechanism 85 may then be conveniently attached to the head-bar 84 for example by inserting wood screws 93 through the internally threaded orifices 53 and 54 in feet and 52 and orifices '82 and 83. It is understood of course'that the mechanism 85 is thus in an inverted position with relation to the position of mechanism l8. Y

With regard to the hub 88, this may be provided with an orifice 94 (see Figure 8) which corresponds to the orifice 24, and a set screw 95. In

this manner a single assembly or tilting mechanism may be had which is equally suitable for use with a shaft such as shaft 25 or a bracket such as bracket 81.

v The pulley 42 is of novel construction in that the flutes 39 and 40 are directly opposite each other and are relatively sharp on the inside faces thereof. The flutes are thus adapted to prevent the slipping of the bead chain I9 since each of the beads falls between said flutes. Cord may also be used on the same pulley and the flutes serve to grip the cord so that slippage is considerably reduced.

The guide tabs 85 and 68 are so positioned with relation to the pulley 42 that by pushing upwardly on the portions of a cord or the chain I9 exposed outside of the casing 13, the cord or chain may be disengaged from the pulley to form a loop thereabove and the position of the cord or chain may be changed independently of the pulley.

After the position has been changed, pulling the two exposed portions of the cord or chain will seat the same in the pulley groove.

Since the length of the bearing 33 including the portion 10 thereof is equal to the normal spacing between the worm 32 and wide shoulder29 when the fiange 35 is properly seated in the bearing pockets 45 and 48, the worm shaft 2'! is pre-.

vented from longitudinal displacement and thethrust of the worm 32 is taken by the ends of bearing 33. This construction also maintains the pulley 42 in a properly centered position in the strictive or limitative of the invention, of which I claim as new and 'desire :to secure by Letters Patent, is: s

-1. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism includ-;

ing: a casing having aligned orifices therein; a hub journalled' in said orifices; a gear mounted on said hub and keyed thereto so that the gear rotates therewith, saidgear being free .to move longitudinally on said hub but restrained in such longitudinal movement by said casing.

2. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a casing having coaxially aligned orifices therein; a hub having aperiphery, non-circular in cross section and trunnioned in said orifices; a gear mounted on said hub and keyed thereto so that the gear rotates therewith, said gear. being free to move longitudinally on said hub but restrained in such longitudinal movement by said casing.

.obviously an embodiment may be constructed 3. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism includcircular cross section and trunnioned in the orifices in said casing; a gear having an orifice of substantially the same configuration as the cross section of the hub and being mounted on said hub so" that the gear is loosely keyed thereto; and a worm meshing with said gear and rotatabl mounted in said casing. 5. A Venetian blind mechanism for tilting the slats including: a housingcomposed of two casing plates; afoot on each casing plate; a connecting plate having an orifice within which the feet of the casing plates are engaged and whereby the portions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate are held in operative position.

6. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composed of two casing plates; a

foot on each casing plate; a connecting plate having an orifice within which the feet of the casing plates are engaged and whereby theportions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate are held in operative .position; and

means in edition to said connecting plate for maintaining the casing plates together to form a housing, said means being disposed on the free ends of said casing plates.-

7. A Venetian'blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composed of two casing plates;'a foot on each casing plate which is an integral bent tab; a connecting plate having a rectangular orifice within which the feet of the casing plates are engaed and whereby the portions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate are held in operative position; and rivets disposed adjacent the free ends of said casing plates for maintaining the casing plates together to form a housing.

8. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composed of two casing plates; a

worm mounted on a shaft; trunnioning means together; a foot on each casing plate disposed on one silk of said means; a connecting plate having an orifice within which the feet of the casing plates are engaged and whereby the portions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate are held in operative position.

9. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composed of two casingplates; a worm mounted on a shaft; trunnioning means on said casing plates forming bearing supports for said shaft when the casing plates are brought together; a foot on each casing plate disposed to one side of said trunnioning means; a connect'ing plate having an orifice within which the feet of the casing plate are engaged and whereby portions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate are held in operative position; and

second means for maintaining the casing plates Y in operative position, said second means being disposed on the other side of the trunnionmg nieans.

10. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including a housing composed of two casing plates which have bearing receiving pockets; a pair of bearings disposed within said pockets; a worm mounted on a shaft which is journalled in said bearings; said bearings being maintained in position when the casing plates are brought together; a foot on each casing plate disposed to one side of the bearing pockets; a connecting plate having an orifice within which the feet of the casing plates are engaged and whereby portions of said casing plates adjacent the connect- 1 ing plate are held in operative position.

.11.- A Venetian blind tilting mechanism in- V eluding a housing composed of two casing plates held in operative position; and second means for maintaining the casing plates in operative position, said second means being disposed on the other side of the bearing pockets and serving in addition to securely clamp the bearings between the bearing plates.

12. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composed of two casing plates, each of said casing plates being constructed of sheet material and having a gear recess stamped therein and an orifice in the gear recess; a gear trunnioned in said orifices; a worm engaging said gear and mounted on a shaft; trunnioning means on said casing plates forming bearing supports for said shaft when the casing plates are brought together; a foot on each casing plate to one side of said means; and a connecting plate having an orifice within which the feet of the casing plates are engaged and whereby portions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate are held in operative position.

13. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composed of two casing plates, each of said casing plates being formed from sheet material and having a gear'recess pressed therein and an orifice in the gear recess; a gear trunnioned in said orifices; a worm engaging the on said casing plates forming bearing supports- 7 gear and mounted on a shaft; trunnioning for said shaft when the casing plates are brought on said casing plates forming bearing supports for said shaft when the casing plates are brought together; a foot on each casing plate to one side of said means; a connecting plate having an 5 orifice within which the feet of the casing'plates are engaged whereby portions of said casing plateaadjacent the connecting plateareheld in operative position; and second means for maintaming the casing plates in operative position, 10 said second means being remotely positionedwith relation to said connecting plate.

14. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composed of two casing plates,

each of said casing plates being formed from sheet material and having a gear recess therein, and an orifice in the gear recess; a gear trimnioned in said orifices; a worm engaging said gear and mounted on a shaft; trunnioning means on said casing plates forming bearing supports 20 for said shaft when the casing plates, are brought together; a foot on each casing plate to one side of said trunnioning means and having an orifice;

a connecting plate having an orificewithin which the feet of the casing plates are engaged and whereby portions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate are held in operative position, and whereby the orifices in the feet are adapted for use in connecting the mechanism to a Venetian blind headbar. Y

15. A Venetian blindtilting mechanism for use with a cord or chain including: a housing. composed of two casing plates, each of'said casing plates being formed from sheet material and having a gear recess pressed thereon and an orifice in the gear recess; a gear trunnioned in the said orifices; a worm engaging said gear and mounted upon a shaft; a pulley afiixed -to said shaft; trunnioning means on said casing plates forming bearing supports for said shaft with the 40 pulley disposed outside of the housing when the casing plates are brought together; a foot on each casing plate to-one side of said means; a connecting plate having a connecting opening and a guide opening, said feet being engaged in the connecting opening and said pulley being disposed adjacent said guide opening; and a pair of bent integral guide tabs formed from the connecting plate portions bordering the guide opening, whereby a chain or cord may be guided into engagement with said pulley.

16. A' Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing composedof twocasing plates oppositely disposed and having coaxially aligned orifices therein; a hub having a central portion with outwardly extending projections thereon and therefore being non-circular in cross section and larger in diameter than said orifices, said hub having end portions which are reduced in diameter and non-circular in cross section and whose greatest diameter is less than the diameter of either of said orifices; a gear disposed within the housing and having an orifice correspending in shape to the central portion of the hub and being mounted thereon; whereby the gear is keyed to the hub and rotates therewith, said gear being free to move longitudinally on said hub but restrained in such longitudinal movement by said casing.

17. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism in cluding: a housing composed of two casing plates oppositely disposed and having coaxially aligned orifices therein; a hub having a central portion with projections thereon and therefore beingnoncircular in cross section and larger in diameter than said orifices, said hub having end portions which are reduced in diameter and non-circular in cross section and whose greatest diameter is less than the diameter of either of said orifices; a gear disposed within thehousing and having an orifice corresponding in shape to the central portion of the hub and being mounted thereon; whereby the gear is keyed to the hub and rotates therewith, said gear being free'to move longitudinally on said hub but restrained in such; longitudinal movement by said casing; and a tilting bar bracket having a portion thereof adapted for attachment to a tilting bar and having another portion with an orifice corresponding in. shape to an end portion of said hub, whereby the bracket may be rotatably keyed to the said end portion of the hub but slidable therealong.

18. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism including: a housing com sed of two identical casing plates oppositely posed and having coaxlally aligned orifices therein; a hub journalled at its ends in said orifices, and polygonalin cross section; the polygonal corners on each 01' the hub ends connecting the sides being rounded a substantial distance in from the said hub ends, the hub thus having a central portion withthe polygonal corners intact forming outwardly extending projections thereon, the diameter of the central portion of the hub between any two opposite polygonal corners being greater than the orifices in the casing plates the hub thus having hub ends with rounded polygonal corners acting as bearing surfaces in cooperation with said onfices, the diameter of the hub ends between any two opposite rounded polygonal corners being less than the diameter of the orifices in the easing plates; a gear disposed within the housing and having an orifice corresponding in shape .to the central portion of the hub and being loosely mounted thereon; whereby the gear is keyed to the hub and rotates therewith, said gear being free to move longitudinally of the hub; the gear and central portion of the hub being independently restrained in such longitudinal movement by the said casing.

19. A Venetian blind tilting mechanism in cluding: a housing composed of two casing plates;

/ a worm mounted on a shaft; a bearing having a peripheral fiangerotatable on said shaft and fixed in position by being compressed between corresponding depressions in said casing plates;

a foot on each casing plate disposed on one side.

of said means; a connecting plate having an oriflce within which the feet of the casing plates are engaged and whereby theportions of said casing plates adjacent the connecting plate, are held in operative position to compress the said bearing in the said plates.

. JULIUS NISENSON.

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