US2419107A

US2419107A - Link for slat shades

Info

Publication number: US2419107A
Application number: US610763A
Authority: US
Inventors: Baldwin Harry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-08-14
Filing date: 1945-08-14
Publication date: 1947-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 1964-04-15

Description

April 15, 1947. BALDWlN 2,419,107

LINK FOR SLAT SHADES Filed "Aug. 14, 1945 \NVENTOR H22 RlLfifi A/LDWIN BY A TORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LINK FQR SLAT SHADES Harry Baldwin, Mamaron eck, N. Y. Application August 14, 1945, Serial No. 610,763

3 Claims.

This invention relates to links for slat shades that are commonly used on greenhouses, roofs, porches, and on like places. Such shades are formed of a number of parallel wooden slats that are .hingedly connected by links at their longitudinal edges so that the shade may be rolled and unrolled.

The links usually employed are metal links formed of wire, the wire being twisted at one end of the link so as to form a loop at that end, the axis of. which will be at a right angle to the axis of the loop at the other end.

The difficulties with that type of link is that the twisted loop at one end of the link, in the operation of rolling and unrolling the shade, causes a lateral angular deviation of the slats, the total amount of which is substantial, so that it is impossible to 'ro-ll or unroll the shade retaining the slats in proper alignment and position. Consequently it is not possible with shades employing that usual type of link, to completely cover with the shade the varying areas which the shade is intended to protect. This sidewise creeping action also presents objectionable interference with adjacent shades. Further, since links of that type do not in the rolling and unrolling operation travel in proper alignment, one upon the other, the loops contact and wear upon the wooden slats causing substantial injury thereto which requires their frequent replacement.

To overcome these difliculties, I have provided a novel hinge link in which the loops are formed with axes at right angles to each other without twisting, which avoids the creeping action referred to and enables the slats to be rolled or unrolled always maintained in proper alignment and which protects the slats from any wearing action of the links.

A further object of my invention is to provide a link which in addition completely encloses transversely the upper and lower horizontal edges of the slats and with fastenings supporting both loops.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a link which may be cheaply made and easily installed and without requiring any notching of the slats, and which may be easily replaced.

The foregoing and other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention taken in connection with the annexed drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the'link which also indicates the hidden portion of the points.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one side of a slat shade employing my invention.

Fig. 3 is afragmentary plan view of the other side of the slat shade shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line II'II of Fig. 2.

The complete slat shade and the details of mounting it upon the greenhouse and the means for rolling and unrolling the shade are well known, form no part ofmy invention and hence are not shown.

Referring to the drawings, Ill designates the slats and T5 the links. The links are made from metal strips in the form of a strap, the respecthe ends of which are generally designated as is "and it, terminating in points 21! set at an angle to the strap which are driven into the slat for the purpose of securing the link in position. As shown in Fig. l the end [9 is notched so as to-torm two points '20 while the narrower end [3 is provided with one point 20. The link substantially transversely encloses the slat, completelyenclosing the top and bottom

horizontal edges

24 and 25 ofthe slats and protrudes beyond these edges. Thetu'rn of the strap around the lower horizontal edge 25 of the slat [0 forms a loop ll, the axis of which is parallel to the plane of the slat it. A loop [6 having its axis at a right angle to the plane of the slat It is formed at the other end of the link by cutting apertures 2! in the opposed portions of the strap at the turn at that end leaving a transverse strip 22 between the apertures 2i as the shaft about which loop ll of the adjacent link turns. The width of the strap is reduced from the point 23 at the lower horizontal edge 25 of slat [0 to the end I8 of the I strap so as to permit this portion of the link to pass through the apertures 2| of th adjacent link.

The links it and slats it may be assembled i position in various obvious ways. For instance, the links may be opened sufficiently to provide clearance between the points 2!! and the opposite side of the link to permit the slats to be inserted in the links, the links then being connected and the slats inserted and the points 2%] then driven into the slats, or the assembly may be accompli shed in other obvious ways.

While the slats may be of any desired dimensions they usually are approximately one inch wide and one-quarter inch thick. For this type of slat, I employ a link which is about one and three-eighths inch in overall length, made of a metal strip about one-quarter inch wide, and the loops IE5 and i1 have an inside length, measured 3 from the apeX of the loop to the horizontal edge of the slat of about three-sixteenths inch. The design of the said link lends itself to simple and inexpensive manufacture of links of such small sizes as well as to larger sizes.

Each loop of the link is thus securely fastened to the slat which gives greater security to maintaining the link in position and avoids the use of thicker and heavier metal which would be required if only one end of the linkwas secured and the maintenance of the loop at the other end depended upon the rigidity of the metal employed.

It is apparent that the links can be separately easily removed and replaced without disturbing the remainder of the assembly.

With this construction which avoids any twistin of one end of the link to form a loop the axis of which will be at a right angle to the opposite loop, there is no tendency to sidewise creepingo'f the slats during the rolling or unrolling of the shade, and the slats will remain in perfect alignment. As the links remain always in alignment, one rolling upon the other in the rolling' or unrolling of the shade, the metal links never come in contact with the wood slats so as to cause Wear'thereon, the Width of the link being sufficient to accommodate any slight variation in lateral position that might occur.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the embodiment of my invention hereinabove described without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

.I claim:

1; .A connecting hinge link for slat shades comprising a metal strap transversely enclosing and protruding from the horizontal edges of the slat, having a loop atone end of the link formed by the turn of thestrap, the axis of said loop being parallel :to the edge of the slat, and having a loop at the other end of the link formed by apertures in the opposed portions of the strap at the turn thereof separated by an integral transverse strip at the extreme'end of the link, the axis of said last named loop being at a right angle to the axis of the first named loop.

2. A connecting hinge link for slat shades com- 4 prising a metal strap which extends transversely around the slat completely enclosing and spaced from the top and bottom horizontal edges of the slat, the said spacing of the strap around one of said horizontal edges of the slat providing a loop having its axis parallel to said edge, and a loop being formed at the opposite end of the link having its axis at a right angle to the plane of the slat by opposed apertures in the spaced portions of the strap separated by an integral transverse portion of the strap, the Width of the link for that portion thereof which is contained in the first named loop being reduced to less than the width of said apertures.

3. A connecting hinge link for slat shades comprising a metal strap which extends transversely around the slat completely enclosing and spaced 'fromthe top and bottom horizontal edges of the slat, the said spacing of the strap around one of said horizontal edges of the slat providing a loop having its axis parallel to said edge, and a 1009 being formed at the opposite end of the link having its axis at a right angle to the plane of the slat by opposed apertures in the spaced portions of the strap separated by an integral transverse portion of the strap, the width of the link for that portion thereof which is contained in the first named loop being reduced to less than the width of said apertures, and the ends of the strap terminating on the same side of the slat in points at an angle to the plane of the strap which are driven into the slat to secure the link in position.

HARRY BALDWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,174,539 Bauer Mar. '7, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 470,613 Fr June 19, 1914