US2441230A

US2441230A - Window closing attachment

Info

Publication number: US2441230A
Authority: US
Inventors: Horace A Stukes
Original assignee: J J LAWSON
Current assignee: J J LAWSON
Priority date: 1944-10-10
Filing date: 1944-10-10
Publication date: 1948-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1965-05-11

Description

y 1948. H. A. STUKES WINDOW CLOSING ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 10, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11, 1948. H. A. STUKES 2,441,230

WINDOW CLOSING ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 10, 1944 2 Sheefs-SheeiZ tion, and which will be Patented May 11, 1948 2,441,230 WINDOW CLOSING ATTACHMENT Horace A. Stukcs, San An direct and mesne assi San Antonio, Tex.

tonic, Tex., assignor, by gnments, to J J. Lawson,

Application October 10, 1944, Serial No. 558,094

This invention relates to a window attachment. An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described specially designed to hold a window sash elevated, or in open posiautomatically released, in case of rain, to allow the sash to close by gravity.

A preferred form of the device includes a rod gripping member adapted to grip a sash-supporting rod and which is maintained in gripping relation with the rod by the pressure of an element which will disintegrate when subjected to Water and thus release the rod gripping member to allow the same to expand and release the sash-supporting rod so that the sash will descend to closed position.

In another form of the invention the sashsupporting rod may be gripped and held by gripping jaws so as to support the sash in upper, or open position and in this form of the invention mechanical means are provided for positively expending, or releasing, said jaws said mechanical device including a spherical weight with means for holding the weight inoperative but which is releasable by the action of the water, in case of rain, to permit the weight to become operative, toactuate the mechanical means to release the Jaws.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, examples of which are given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

V Figure 1 shows a front elevational view of one form of the invention showing the enclosing housing in section.

Figure 2 shows a plan view thereof, partly in section.

Figure 3 show a sectional view taken on the line 3'--3of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a sectional View taken on the line 4-'-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 shows a vertical, sectional view taken on theline 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 shows a view similar to that of Figure 5 showing the other embodiment of the invention.

' Figure 7 shows a horizontal, sectional view of the form of the invention shown inFigure 6; and

Figure 8 shows a vertical, sectional view thereof.

, Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates the window casing as a'whoie where- 7 Claims. (01. 268-423) in there is mounted the vertically slidable sash 2. There is a sash-supporting rod 3 which is vertically slidable through an opening 4 in the bottom ledge 5 of the window casing. The upper end of this rod is inwardly turned and formed with the ball 6 thereon. Attached to the lower portion of the window sash on the outside there is a box like retainer 1 whose front face has a transverse slot 8 through which the turned end of the rod 3 fits closely. The rod is thus attached to the sash so that it may adjust itself laterally to perfectly align with the opening 4 through which it works.

Securely fastened to the ledge 5 over the opening 4 there is an enclosing casing 9 having an outwardly extended tubular bearing 10.

Within the casing 9 there are the opposed grip ping jaws H, H which are fastened together, at their inner side, by the flexible plate l2 attached thereto. Their facing sides have registering vertical grooves forming a vertical bearing [3 through which the rod 3 slides. The numeral l4 designates a tension rod which is fitted trans.- versely through the jaws II, II. Its inner end has a swivelling connection with one jaw and it extends through the other jaw and on its other end there is screwed a nut l5. Between this nut and said last mentioned jaw, surrounding the rod Hi, there is a pressure spring l6 which serves to hold said jaws in gripping relation with the rod 3 and the tension on this spring may be regulated by the nut Hi.

There is a u-shaped frame having side members I1, I! forming 'a track. Fixed to one of said side members and depending therefrom there is a shaft I8 which extends through the bearing l0. It has an annular external keyway IS in which the retaining key 20 projects to prevent its detachment from the bearing. Its inner end is flattened at 21 and projects into the space between the jaws ll so that as the shaft I8 is turned said jaws will be forced apart and thus released from the rod 13. Secured to the opposite ends of the tracks l1, and depending therefrom, there is a container 22 forming a heat chamber and mounted to move along said tracks there is a spherical weight 23. This weight is retained in place on the tracks by the inverted U-shaped retainer rod 24 which is fastened, at one end, to the U-shaped frame remote from the float chamber and at its other end to a cross bar 25 connecting said tracks.

Normally the weight 23 will be at the end of the frame remote from the float chamber, as shown in Figures 1 and land this will hold the opposite end of the frame, and the float chamber, elevated as shown in Figure 1.

There is a latch 28 which is pivoted on the bearing rod 21 between the tracks 11. One end of this latch engages the spherical weight 23 to hold it in inoperative position, that is in the position shown in Figure l. The other end of this latch is of arcuate shape and is attached to a float 28 located inthe float chamber.

The operative mechanism hereinabove described is enclosed within housing 29 which is f fastened to the ledge 5 of the window casing on a the outside of the sash. Its upper side is formed into a shallow hopper provided to catch a quantity of water in case of rain and this hopper has a discharge opening 3| over the float chamber.

With the window sash held in open position,

as shown in Figure 1, and with the float chamber in its elevated position and with the weight 23 at the opposite end of the tracks, as shown in Figure 1, and heldin that position bythe latch 26 the sash will be securely held in said upper, or open position In case of rain a quantity of water will be collected in the hopper, 30 and delivered through the opening 3| into the float chamber. Eventually the weight of water in the chamber will cause said chamber and thefree ends of the tracks I! to move downwardly. The float 28 will relatively move upwardlythus releasing the latch fromthe spherical weight 23 and this weight will travel along thetracks toward the float chamber and will move the free ends of the tracks on downwardly thus-turning the shaft I8 with sufiicient force to-cause the flattened end 2| thereof 'to force the jaws ll apart and to release the rod 3 whereupon the sash 2 will move downwardly to closed position by gravity. a V a v The bottom of the float chamber has an opening 32 which is normally closed by an upwardly opening valve 33. This valve has e. depending stem34 which has an enlarged'he'ad '35.. When the float chamber approaches the limit of? its downward movement the head 35will engage the upper face of the ledge Band will open the valve 33 to permit the water to drain out of the float chamber. A coil spring 36 surrounds the stem 34 and is interposed between the head as and the bottom of the fl'oat chamber and assists in holding thevalve 33 closed. 7 One of the tracks i! has an inw'ardly extended grip member 31 which works through a vertical slot 38 in the housing 29 so that itwill be accessible from the inside of the room. By the use of this grip member thefree ends of the tracks may be elevated so that. the spherical weight .23 will roll back to its original position and when it passes the end of the latchfft the weight of the float on the other end of the latch will cause said latch to reengage the weight and hold it in inoperative position as shown in Figures land 2 However, the device should not be reset for operation ,until the sash has been elevated. V In the form shown in Figures 6; to 8,-inclusive, there is a housing'38 fastened on the upper face of the window ledge and located within it there is a cylindrical gripping element 39. This gripping element is transverselyslitted from end to end forming the grip jaws Ha, Ila Whose facing sides have the registering vertical grooves forming a bearing l3a through which the rod 3 extends. y 1 I There is a rectangular frame composed of the

side members

39a,,39a connected by the end bars 40, 40a. The bar 40 is seated ina transverse slot 4! of the housing38 and in aligned keyway in the 4 gripping element 39, as shown in Figures '7 and 8, so as to hold said element against turning.

Threaded through the bar 40a there is a plug 42 whose inner end is tubular to receive a coil spring 43. Opposite the plug 42 the housing 38 has an opening 44.

There is a rod 45 one end of which may be inserted into the plug 42 to compress the spring 43 and the other end thereof then inserted through the opening 44 against the opposing jaw I la. The spring 43 will hold the rod 45 against the gripping element 39 under pressure. The pressure so exerted' will be at right angles to the slit through the gripping element 39 and will be sufficient to cause the jaws I la, I la to grip the rod 3 and hold the sash elevated.'

The rod 45 is formed of a suitable material which will disintegrate in the presence of water so that in case of rain this rod will quickly disintegrate relieving the friction member 39 from the pressure of the spring 43 and said friction member is formed to slightly expand when relieved of said pressure so that thereupon the rod 3 will be released and the sash 2 will descend by gravity to closed position.

The bridge connecting the jaws I lo, I la is flexible and the bearing l3a is slightly larger in diameter than the rod 3 so that the rod will move freely through the gripping element 39 until pressure is applied to the jaws by the rod 45 as above explained.

' The attachment is particularly useful for causing open windows to close in case of rain when there is no attendant to close them. a

What I claim is: V

l. A window attachment comprising, gripping jaws, a rod connected to a window sash and movable between the jaws, means for causing the jaws to grip the rod to prevent movement'of the sash and means including a track operatively con nected withv the jaws and a gravity actuated weight movable along the track to actuate the track to spread the jaws to release them from the rod to allow the rod and sash to descend.

2. An attachment for windows comprising, a casing having a lateral bearing, confronting gripping jaws in the casing, a rod attached to a window sash and extending between the jaws,'me'ans for causing the jaws to grip and hold the rod against movement, a frame forming tracks, an axle secured to the frame and extended through said bearing whereby the frame is pivoted at one end, a container having a float chamber secured to the other end of the frame, a weight on the frame, a latch pivoted on the frame one end of which is engaged against the weight to hold itat the pivoted end of the frame, a float in the float chamber to which the other end of the. latch is secured, said latch being releasable fromithe weight upon elevation of the float by water in the float chamber to allow the weight to move along the track to depress the free end thereof and rotate said shaft and means on the shaft for spreading the jaws, upon said rotation of the shaft, to release the rod and permit the rod and sash to descend. Y

3. An attachment for windows comprising, a casing having a lateral bearing, gripping" means in the casing, a rod attached to a window sash and extending through the gripping means, means for causing the gripping means to grip and hold the rod against movement, a frame forming traeks, an aale securedto the frame and extended through said bearing whereby the frame is pivoted atone end, a container having afloat chain:-

her secured to the other end of the frame, a weight on the frame, a latch pivoted on the frame one end of which is engaged against the weight to holdit at the pivoted end of the frame, a float in' the float chamber to which the other end of the latch is secured, said latch being releasable from the weight upon elevation of the float by water in the float chamber to allow the weight to move along the track to depress the free end thereof and rotate said shaft for expanding the gripping means upon said rotation of the shaft, to release the rod and permit the rod and sash to descend.

4. An attachment for windows comprising, rod gripping means, a rod attached to the window sash and arranged to be gripped by said gripping means, a frame forming a track and mounted to pivot at one end, a container having a float chamber carried by the other end of the track, a weight on the frame, a latch pivoted on the frame one end of which engages the weight to hold it at the pivoted end of the frame, a float in the float chamber to which the other end of the latch is connected, said latch being releasable from the weight upon elevation of the float b water in said chamber to allow the weight to move along the track to rotate the frame, and operative connections between the frame and gripping means effective to release the latter from the rod to allow the rod and sash to descend by gravity.

5. A window attachment comprising, gripping jaws, a rod connected to a window sash and movable between the jaws, means for causing the jaws to grip the rod to prevent movement of the sash and means operatively connected with the jaws and including a track operatively connected with the jaws and a gravity actuated weight movable along the track to actuate the track to release the jaws from the rod to allow the rod and sash to descend.

6. A window attachment comprising, rod gripping means, a rod connected to a window sash and movable through said gripping means, means for causing the gripping means to grip the rod to prevent downward movement of the sash and means including a track in operative connection with the gripping means and a gravity actuated weight movable along the track to actuate the track to effect release of the gripping means from the rod to allow the rod and sash to descend.

7. A window attachment comprising, rod gripping means, a rod connected to a window sash and movable through the gripping means, means for causing the gripping means to grip the rod toprevent downward movement of the sash, means in operative relation with the gripping means and including a pivotally mounted track and a gravity actuated weight movable along the track to actuate the track to effect release of the gripping means from the rod to allow the rod and sash to descend.

HORACE A. STUKES.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 431,963 Buehler July 8, 1890 567,193 Nash Sept. 8, 1896 1,124,969 Stockwell Jan. 12, 1915 1,306,702 Liston June 1'7, 1919 2,185,646 Noland et al Jan. 2, 1940 2,321,591 Gardner June 15, 1943