US2514920A - Window screen - Google Patents

Description

y 1950 L. P. WRIIGI-VIT 2,514,920

WINDOW SCREEN Filed Nov. 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. LINWOOD P WRIGHT A TTYS.

L. P. WRIGHT WINDOW SCREEN July 11, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 7, 1945 fzwezaiiaailimwoodflWa-iagfai,

Patented July 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT O FF ICE WINDOW SCREEN Linwood. P. WrightQ 'FaImouth, Maine Application November '7, 1945', Serial No. 627,220

1. My: present i-nvention. relatesto "improvements inzwindow screens. of that type havingars'creen element consisting of top and bottom members and asheetof flexible screening connected: thereto: which can be rolled 'for handling or "storage and installed from the room interior by means attached to the-window casing. I

The potential advantage of screensio'fi thisutype. have long been recognized, but structures: pre viously proposed have not permitted those all-- vantages to be realized. This was due to such I actors as appearance and" the d i fiiculty of having the screening fittightly against the margins: of the area to be screened. v

In'accordance with my invention, I provide: a

window screen having side members to be attached to sides of the window casing. Each of the side members cons'i'sts oi a portion to: be attached'to the window casing; a flange extending intothe-area to be screened and -a cover portion hinged to the" first named portion: to swi ng from open position into a closed position in which iti issubstantia-lly in engagement withzthe flange Attached to each coverportion is: a trip and preferably the coverand first namedportionsare connected byvme'ans" by the cover is resillent-1y fh'eld' either open. or closed; positionsiagainst accidental movement.

screening element in. accordance with: my

invention consists of a top member adapted "to" be detachably supported by'the' upprer endsoffithe flanges of theaside members, a; bottom member adapted to: be detachably' connected tm the: windowsil'l, andnexible screeningwconnected to the topcandl' bottom. members and. dimensioned to engagewith. the flanges: of: the side" members.

'witlma window screen inia'cc'ordance wittr my inventiomthe side: memberszare 'first'attached-to thee'window casing: and the screening element may then be readily installed from within. the room-by first mounting. its'top members on. the flanges with the screening and: bottom. memberson: the. outside of the: flanges. Themwith" the cover portions of the side members open, the bottom member is; drawninwardly and attached. to the sill. with the: marginal portions of the; screening; in contactrw-itlr the flanges;

accordance. with. myinvention; the cover portionsggwhen' in their open. position,.:are spaced. to accommodate the. width of. the: screening and the. trips with which each of. the cover portions i'siprovided are disposed. so that, when the. cover portions are. in their open. position.marginalportlons of the. screening engage therewith. IThe positioning of. the bottom member of. thee-Screen.

9 Claims. (-01. 160-371) element for attachment to the window silli'accordi'ngly causes the screening to engage with.

the trips and to move. the. cover portions from their-open to their closed position. Preferably the first named and cover portions of. the side members are interconnected by means resiliently holding the cover portions in either their open or their closed positions.

Window screens in accordance with my invention. have the advantage that ease of installa.

tion "and: effective screening are combined. Addi-tional'; features are that my window screen may be economically manufactured to be attractivein appearance and in. the accompanying drawings ,1 have shown an. illustrative embodiment of my invention from which these and its other novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

'I'nthe drawings: Fig. I shows an installed window screen in accordance with my invention as viewed from theportion of' a side member is resiliently held in either its closed or'its open position, Fig. 7 is a transverse section. on an enlarged scale with side members closed against the screen: and the bottom member locked to: the sill, and Fig. "8 is a fragmentary section showing a side member in its open position and the bottom member-unlocked;

In the drawings I have shown my invention as embodied ina window screen: particularly adapted foruse' in screening the lower half; of a double hung window, the upper half of which is indicated generally at W in Fig. 1. The sides of the window casing H, the window sill l2, and the. bottom rail i3 of theuppersash (see Fig. 3)- define the area to. bescre ened.

Inaccordance with. my invention, I provideside members generally indicated. at 14. Each side: member f icomprises aportion I5: adapted, to be attached to the casing H- and having a flange 3 which extends outwardly into the areato be screened. substantially in a plane inclusive of the outer face ofthe. rail [3 as. shown in Fig. 3.

A cover it is connected by hinges it to the portion. i=5 adjacent its edge that is oppositethe flange Hi to-swing trom its open position shown.

3 in Figs. 2 and 6 to a closed position in which it is substantially in engagement with the flange I6 as shown in Fig. 4. In its closed position, the cover I! defines an acute angle with the portion l so that it is inclined inwardly and defines with the portion and the flange IS a compartment l9, see Fig. 4.

Each of the covers I! has a trip preferably having a flange 2|. When the covers I! are in their open position, they are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of the area to be screened and in this position each trip 20 projects into that area as shown in Fig. 2. When the covers are in their closed position, the trips 20 are concealed within the compartment l9.

Preferably, I employ means indicated generally at 22 to hold resiliently each cover I! open or closed to prevent its accidental movement from either position. As may be seen from Figs. 2 and 6, the spring means 22 may comprise a loop 23 of resilient stock fast to the portion l5 of the side member [4 and a loop 24 secured to the cover I1. I interconnect the loops 23 and 24 by a substantially U-shaped wire connector 25 secured at its ends to an eccentric 25 in the loop 23. By this construction, as a cover is swung, the eccentric 26 turns within the loop 23 and tends to wedge it apart. Because of the resiliency of the stock from which it is made, the loop 23 snaps the eccentric from a dead center position into either a position in which the cover I! is open or closed.

The screen element in accordance with my invention comprises a top member generally indicated at 21, a bottom member generally indicated at 28 and any suitable screening 29 connected at its top and bottom to the members 21 and 28 respectively and dimensioned as required by the size of the area to be screened so that its margins will engage with the flanges l6.

As may be most clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the top member 21 has an inner flange 30 and an outer flange 3! so disposed relative thereto that when the top member 21 is supported by the upper ends of the flanges IS with the inner flange 30 between them and the rail IS, the outer flange 3| extends downwardly and inwardly so that its edge is beyond the edge of the flange 30 and is in a plane substantially inclusive of the flanges E5. The screening 29 is connected as at 32 to the edge of the outer flange 3|. I have shown the upper ends of the flanges l6 as being offset at 33 to accommodate the inner flange 30.

The bottom member 28 is apertured to receive any suitable fastening means such as is indicated at 34. These are attached to the window sill l2 and may be formed as at 35 to receive, for example, the hook 36 with which pivotable knobs 31 on the bottom member 28 are provided thereby to establish means for detachably looking the bottom member to the sill l2.

The bottom member 28 has a flange 38 so disposed that when the bottom member 28 is locked to the sill, the flange 38 extends upwardly and inwardly with its edge substantially in the plane defined by the flanges l6 of the side members M. The bottom edge of the screening 29 is attached to the edge of the flange 38 as at 39.

Preferably, the width and inclination of the flange 3| of the top member 2'! and the flange 38 of the bottom member 28, when such members are installed, are the same as that defined by the covers I! when in their closed position. The ends of the top and bottom members abut the window casing ll.

respectively with the upper and lower ends of the covers 11 when closed and are complementally so formed that the effect of a unitary screen frame is established as will be apparent from Fig. 1. The side, top and bottom members may be made of relatively thin stock formed with strengthening bends which may impart to them an attractive design.

Window screens in accordance with my invention'are easy to install and remove. The side members M are first attached to the sides of The window screen element comprising the top and bottom members 21 and 28 and the screening 29 connected thereto, may then be installed from the inside of the room when the covers H of the side members I4 are in, their open-position. This may be read- 1 ily effected by supporting the top member 21 on the upper ends 33 of the flanges ill with the inner flange 30 between them and the rail 13, with' the screening 29 and the bottom member 28 on the outer side of the flanges l6 and beyond the trips 20.

The means by which the bottom member 28 is attached to the sill are initially positioned so that the screening 29 must be pulled taut before the locking of the bottom member to the sill may be completed. In doing this, the bottom member is drawn inwardly and pulled downwardly over the fastening means 34 and, in so doing, the margins of the screening 29 are brought into contact with the trips 20 thereby causing the screening 29 to close the covers I! as the bottom member is positioned for attachurged outwardly, the covers I! are opened and the top member 21 is then lifted from the ends 33 of the flanges iii. The covers then are manually closed and the side members remain availv able for usewhen it is desired to reinstall the screening unit. The removed screening unit may be rolled up-for ease in handling and to permit compact storage.

Many other advantages of my invention will'be apparent. Among these may be noted that my invention enables window screens to be readily fitted to houses where the window casings are not properly rectangular. This results from the fact that the flanges l6 are proportioned so that more or less of the screening engages'therewith and since there are no side members permanently atta'ched to the screening 29, it may be readily trimmed if desired.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure' by Letters Patent is:

1. A window screen comprising a pair of side members, each of said side members including a portion to be attached to a side of the window casing, a flange extending into the area to be screened and acover portion hinged to' said first named portion to swing from an open position to aclosed position in which it is substantially in engagement with said flange, and a removable: screen element comprising top and bottom mem-":

bers and a sheet of flexible screening connected to said members, said top member detachably in- V terlocking with the upper ends of said flanges; means detachably locking said bottom-member:

member.

to the window sill, the marginal portions of said screen element engaging said flanges when said top and bottom members are attached respectively to said flanges and to said sill and. being held engaged therewith by said cover portions when in their closed position.

2. A window screen comprising a pair of side members, each of said side members including a portion to be attached to a side. of the window casing, a flange extending into the area to be screened, and a cover portion hinged to said first named portion to swing from an open position to a closed position in which it is substantially in engagement with said flange and defines an acute angle with said first named portion, and a removable screen element comprising top and bottom members and a sheet of flexible screening, said top member having a web portion and inner and outer flanges, said outer flange tapering inwardly towards said inner flange, said top member being disposed over the ends of the flanges of said side member with the inner flange in engagement with the inner surface thereof, said outer flange having the same inclination as said cover portions in their closed positions and having its edge substantially in the plane defined by said flanges of said side members, said screening being connected to the edge of said outer flange, said bottom member having a portion to be attached to the window sill and a flange extending at the same inclination as said cover portions in their closed positions and having its edge substantially in the plane defined by said side member flanges, and said screen element being attached to the edge of said bottom member flange and having its margins engaged with said side member flanges and being held thereagainst by said cover portions when in their closed position.-

3. The window screen of claim 2 in which the ends of the flanges of the top and bottom members engage respectively with the top and bottom ends of the side member flanges and all of said ends are uniformly inclined.

4. The window screen of claim 2 in which the upper ends of the side member flanges are outwardly offset a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the inner flange of the top 5. A window screen comprising a pair of side members, each of said side members including a portion-to be attached to a side of the window casing, a flange extending into the area to be screened, a cover portion hinged to said first named portion to swing between a closed position in which its edge is substantially in engagement with said flange and an open position, and a trip carried by said cover portions, and a removable screen element comprising top and bottom members and a sheet of flexible screening connected to said members, said top member detachably interlocking with the upper ends of said flanges, means to detachably lock said bottom member to the window sill, said screen engaging said flanges, said covers, when in their open position, being spaced apart a distance accommodating the width of said screening and exposing said trips in the path of the margins of the screen element.

6. A window screen comprising a pair of side members, each of said side members including a portion to be attached to a side of the window casing, a flange extending into the area to be screened, a cover portion hinged to said first named portion to swing between a closed position both in their open position,being spaced apart a distance accommodating the width of said screening and exposing said trips for engagement by the margins of said screen element and said bottom member is swung inwardly into position for attachment to said sill thereby to close said covers against said flanges.

7. A side member for a window screen comprising a portion to be attached to the sides of the window casing, a flange extendin into the area to be screened, a cover portion hinged to said first named portion to swing between an open position and a closed position in which it is substantially in engagement with said flange, and means resiliently holding said cover portion in either of said positions.

8. A side member for attachment to the sides of a window casing and to retain the margins of a screen element, said member comprising a portion to be attached to said sides, a flange portion extending into the area to be screened, a cover portion hinged to said first named portion outwardly of said flange to swing between an open position and a closed position in which it is substantially in engagement with said flange to define therewith a chamber, a trip carried by said cover portion engageable by said margins when said cover portion is in its open position, as it is brought from the outside inwardly against said flange thereby to move said cover portion into its closed position and in said closed position, said trip being within said chamber.

9. The side member of claim 8 and means resiliently holding the cover portion in either its open or its closed position.

LINWOOD P. WRIGHT.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,131,204 Bridges Mar. 9, 1915 1,241,425 Nelson Sept. 25, 1917 2,314,026 Willett Mar. 16, 1943

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