US2225167A - Constant height adjustable grille - Google Patents

Description

o wire I6 in both Figs.

Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITE-o STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,225,167 i CONSTANT HEIGHT Aniosrlusnii GRILLE .John F. Farmer, Indianapolis, Ind. Application June 8, 1939, Serial No. 277,985

z claims.

This invention relates to extensible grilles or guards intended 'to be employed in conjunction with screen doors, open windows and the like. A primary object of the invention is to provide a grille structure that may be adjustable laterally without altering the initial vertical dimension oi the frame. It is necessary to make a laterally adjustable grille to accommodate the various sizes of doors or openings in order that one grille may be employed throughout quite a range of dierences in dimensions of these openings so that it will not be necessary to carry individual grilles of fixed dimensions in the many sizes otherwise required. Y f

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention, such as the unique manner of retaining the grille within the frame lmembers and the mechanical features connected therewith, will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation oa structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevation;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the structure in extended condition;

Fig 4, a detail in perspective on an enlarged scale of the relative position of the grille and channel members in the reduced width position; and

Fig. 5, a similarview in perspective but showing the relation of the grille and channel members when the grille is in the extended condition.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

A wire grille, generally designated by the numeral I5, is formed by interweaving a plurality of wires I6 to give a more or less diamond-shaped mesh. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, each wire I6 is deformed at regularly spaced intervals to form in effect a slot thereacross to dene the crossing junction of that wire with another wire. The slot is best illustrated in the end ofthe 4 and 5 where it is designated by the numeral I1. By employing this form, the grille I5 may be extended and retracted within its own plane, the retracted position being indicated in Fig. 1 whereas the extended position is indicated in Fig. 3.

I form a metallic, rectangular frame having vertical end members I8 and I9 to which are attached the horizontally extending members 20, 2I and 22, 23 respectively. It is to be noted that all of these various frame members are of a hollow (Cl. 2li-71) channel construction slotted longitudinally of the members along their inner sides so as to receive the marginal portionsof the various edges of the grille I5 through those slots and so as to have in, thev retracted position, a considerable area of those marginal portions within the members. As indicatedin Figs. v1 and 3, the channel member 2l) telescopes Within the channel member 22 and the channel member 23 at the bottom telescopes within the other channel member 2l. Thistelescoping arrangement keeps the top and bottom rails, each composed of the two respective telescoping members, in longitudinal alignment, and the respective ends of those top and bottom combined rails are secured respectively to the top and bottom ends of the vertical end frame members I8 and I9 by any suitable means such as by hollow rivets 24, these rivets being purposely made hollow soV as to permit entrance therethrough of screws for attaching thegrille to a dooror a window frame when such means of attachment is desirable. In this regard, each of the end frame members I8 and I9 is provided with an upper and lower extending ear 25 and 26 respectively through which an opening is formed to receive screws therethrough if that form of attachment is preferred.

As above indicated, the marginal edge portions of the grille I5 are received within the channel frame members. The top and bottom portions of the grille are left free to travel vertically as well as horizontally in their respective receiving members, While the ends or the grille I5 are retained Within the vertical members I8 and I9 by any suitable means, such as by the rivets 21 and 28 respectively passing entirely through those members and through a portion of the grille as indicated in Fig. 1.

With this assembly above described, the end members I8 and I9 may be pulled apart one from the other and the grille I5 will travel therewith by reason of the presence of the rivets 21 and 28 so as to expand the grille I5 from one such position as indicated in Fig. l to that position as indicated inlig. 3. It is to be noted that in going from the one position to the other, the grille will expand laterally but will be reduced in vertical height. The top and bottom frame members are made sufliciently wide to retain the ends of the various wires I6 within those members during this vertical travel. This travel is best illustrated in comparing Figs. 4 and 5 where in Fig. 4, the grille is shown in the retracted position corresponding to Fig. 1 where the ends of the wires I6 will be substantially in abutment with the upper 55 and lower edges of the top and bottom members respectively. A limiting feature oi this retracted position is obtained by reason of the abutment aiorded by the U-shaped deformations 29 on the wires at their crossing positions abutting the frame members on each side of the slot through which the grille extends. 'I'he degree of expansion of the grille is determined when the next deformation 29 within the top and bottom frame members strikes those members on the insides thereof, as indicated in Fig. 5. Thus these two spaced apart lines of deformations inherently provided in the grille itself serve to limit the retracted as well as the expanded positions of the grille, and further serve, in the expanded position, to prevent the ends of the various wires I6 from leaving the top and bottom frame members. It is, therefore, to be seen that by the Very simple expedient above described, a grill is provided that will have a considerable degree of expansion but will have a frame of constant height.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the best form as now known to me, it is obvious that structural changes` may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fixed height, extensible grille, an interlaced grille filler consisting of spaced apart interwoven members each having oppositely presented U-shaped deformations therein at the intersections of the members, end channel frame members of fixed length, and top and bottom rails fixed by their ends to said end frame memers, each of said rails consisting of at least a pair of telescoping channels, the marginal end portions of said grille being entered into the intersections of the members, end channel frame members of fixed length, and top and bottom rails fixed by their ends to said end frame members, each of said rails consisting of at least a pair of telescoping channels, the marginal end portions of said grille being entered into the channel of each of said end frame members, and means for retaining said grille portions therein, said top and bottom marginal edge portions of the grille filler being entered into the channels of said top and bottom rails, said rails having sufficient depth to retain the edge of the ller therein during vertical travel as the filler is laterally expanded and retracted, each of said rails being provided with a restricted longitudinally extending slot through which the ller extends into the rails, said slots being dei-ined by an opening between inturned edges of the rail wall, and said ller edge portions entering said rails being formed to have each of the ller members terminating with an abutment to strike said inturned wall edges of the rails to limit expansion of the filler, the deformation next adjacent the end of each filler member being outside oi said rails to serve as a limiting sto-p upon in- Ward travel of the ller upon retraction thereof.

JOHNv F. FARA/LER.

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