US2656574A - Latching means for window meeting rails - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1953 H. A. KAUFMANN 2,656,574

LATCHING MEANS FOR WINDOW MEETING RAILS Filed Nov. 6, 1950 HARRY A KAUFMANN Zhwentor Patented Oct. 27, 1953 LATCHIN G MEANS FOR WINDOW MEETING RAILS Harry A. Kaufmann, Detroit, Mich, assignor to The Kaufmann Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application November 6, 1950, Serial No. 194,340

This invention relates in general to a sealing device for the meeting rails of a double hung storm or auxiliary window and particularly to a type thereof for preventing separation of the said meeting rails in a said storm window having metal sash.

Metal sash for storm windows have been found particularly desirable because of their strength, light weight, pleasant appearance and mini-- mum obstruction to light. The use of rolled or extruded, metal structural forms provides a high 1y satisfactory sash accomplishing these purposes. Examples of this type of sash construction may be found in my Patents Nos. 2,292,273

storm windows.

jectionable in appearance.

rails tightly together.

the storm or auxiliary sashes.

4 Claims. (Cl. ZIP-55) construction of windows, screens and similar articles upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is an oblique view of my improved sealing device for meeting rails mounted in its normal position of use.

Figure 2 is a horizontal, sectional view of a window equipped with my improved sealing device taken immediately above the meeting rails.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of said sealing device.

In the following description the terms upwardly and downwardly when used, will have The rails t. and

The

It will be and 2,359,756. However, because of the resultreference to the sealing d vice nd/or Windows ing small cross-section of the rails of the sash, when dispos d in t e r normal po tion of use. said rails often are excessively flexible, espe- The terms wardly and outwardly 01 their cially where large windows ar involved, derivatives will have reference to the inside and Accordingly, a strong wind, for example, will outside of the windows with respect to the buildtend to separate the meeting rails of a double i w t which said Windows are used. hung storm window having metal sash, thereby Referring to es 1 and 2, the numeral I creating i leakages d Sometimes objectj indicates the upper rail of a conventional, main able rattling. Attempts to overcome this problower window sash and the numeral 2 indicates lem have been made by providing meeting rail the lower rail of a conventional, a n pp l t or 1 k of one type t 2 window sash. The upper rail I and the lower ever, in general, present latches are large, com. rail 2 are designed to Seat together, as flWn in plicated dumsy structures, unsuitable for use Figure 1, and collectively to constitute the meetwith the small metal rails usually utilised for mg rails 3 0f e permanent or main wil dew s mt require greater 4. The said main sashes, hence the meeting mgunting space t is provided among rails rails 3, are held against inward and outward of metal sash, and their size makes them movement by conventional means. such as guide Even the more suitstrips and the Stops able latches are t adapted to use in instanw The auxiliary or storm window 5 consists of tions where the space is small between the main an upper Sash having alOWfir Tail 6 and a lower window sashes and the storm window sashes. n, Sash having an upper Tail Acgordingly it is a principal object of my 0D 1 are designed to lie side by side, when the storm ention to provide a ealing device for the meet \VindDW 5 is Closed, and collectively constitute ing rails of a double hung storm window havthe meeting Tails 8 0f the Storm W d ing metal sash, which will hold the meeting meeting rails 8 of the storm window 5 are nor-- mally parallel with, and spaced apart, in su A further object of my invention is to provide 40 Stantiauy the Same horizontal p ane from the a sealing device for a meeting n as afore meeting rails 3 of the main window but, inso said, adapted to use in installations having a far as this invention is concerned, these parts small spacing between the permanent sashes and may Vary Vertlcauy horizontally With spect to each other freely within the limits per A further object of my invention is to p r 0V1 d e mitted by the usual requirements of storm wina sealing device for meeting rails, as aforesaid. dow constructwn' sashes of the Storm having simple Structure and operation dow are held agamst inward movement by the blind stops l8 and against outward movement A fu'rther w of my is to plovlfje by any conventional means, not shown. It will a 3 demo? for {neetmg as aforesafld be understood that any suitable installation arwhich 1S. readily adgustable for compensat ng rangement for the windows is contemplated irregularitlesun the construction of either the my invention The storm Window 5 provided Permanent WlHdOW the auxiliary WIIIdOW- with glass panels 9, and the permanent win Other objects and purposes of my invention will dow 4 is provided with glass panels I0.

be seen by those acquainted with the design and understood, however, that although glass panels a are shown, other panels, such as insect or sun screening, may be used.

The sealing device H (Figures 1 and 3) is comprised of a flat, substantially rectangular body 2!; having a pair of co-planar, upwardly extending pressure flanges it? and 52a which are integral with the outward edge of the body 28, spaced. from each other and perpendicular to the plane of said body. A pair of parallel, down wardly extending gripping flanges i3 and i311, which are each integral with the respective side edges of the body Eli, are disposed adjacent to the inward edge of the body 29 and spaced from the outward edge thereof. Notches 2i and 25a in said side edges of said body between the forward edge and said gripping flanges, permit the easy formation of said gripping flanges from a single metal plate.

A slot i l (Figure 3 which is provided in the body 2i! and extends substantially diagonally across said body, is comprised of a positioning portion 22 and a locking portion 23. The posi tioning portion is preferably disposed at an angle of between 45 and 99 to the plane of the pressure flanges, whereas the locking portion 23 is disposed at an angle of between about and about 30 to said plane. lhe distance between the outward end of the positioning portion 22 and the outward end of the locking portion 23 measured along a line perpendicular to said plane is preferably substantially equal to the minimum spacing normally found between the storm window meeting rails 8 and the main window mee ing rails 3.

The sealing device 5 i is slidably mounted to the downward face of the lower rail 2 of the permanent window t by conventional means, such as a screw i5, which passes through the slot 56, a washer it between the screwhead and the body it. The ripping flanges i3 and Ito extend downwardly when the sealing device H is mounted. The pressure flanges i2 and i252 extend upwardly from the plate 2i! and at least a part of each thereof is positioned in substantially the same horizontal plane as at least a part of the storm meeting rail 1, sufficient registry being provided that upon horizontal outward movement of the pressure flanges 52 and EM they will firmly engage the storm meeting rail The vertical extent of the pressure flanges 52 and 12a, conveniently about five-eiehts inch in a typical construction, is sufficient to permit all of the vertical variation of the storm window meeting rails with respect to the main meeting rail 2 which is ordinarily permitted anyway by the usual requirement designing storm windows that the meeting rails thereof be substantially in a horizontal line with the main window meeting rails.

Having mounted a sealing device H, as stated above, sealing of the rails 5 and l of the storm window 5 may be accomplished by first urging the device 5 l outwardly until'the pressure flanges i2 and 52a thereof bear against the adjacent side of the upper rail l of the lower storm sash. When such contact is made, the shank of the screw 15 will lie within the locking portion 23 of the slot Hi. Accordingly, movement of the device it substantially sidewardly in the leftward direction, as appearing in Figures 2 and 3, will eiiect a wedging action between the rail 1 and the screw l5 by that part of device H lying between the plane of the flanges 52 and !2a and the outward wall of the locking portion 23 of the slot l4.

Since the meeting rails 3 of the main window t are relatively inflexible by comparison with the meeting rails 8 of the storm window 5, this wedging action will cause the rail I to bow outwardly and snugly engage the rail 6. Friction will normally prevent dislocation of the sealing device I i when thus wedged between the screw I5 and the rail 7. However, where opening of the storm window 5 is not contemplated for a long period of time, or where sill cleanout means are provided as shown in my Patent No. 2,435,008, dislocation of the device H may be positively prevented by tightening the screw 15.

Preferably, the device H is mounted at the center of the window, in which case only one is needed to effect a tight seal between the meeting rails 6 and l of the storm window 5, and one of said devices is entirely sufficient for the usual domestic size of window. Further, although more than one said sealing device may be used, if desired, a single, centered sealing device has been found preferable from the standpoint of providing a more effective seal.

When the sealing device H is fully retracted from the rails 8, it extends beyond the outward face of the rails 3 only by a distance equal to the thickness of the metal in the pressure flanges l2 and l2a, thereby constituting an obstruction to the movement of the sashes in either the permanent window or storm window which will be negligible for any ordinary spacing between the storm windowand the permanent window. Further, unlike any of the conventional mechanical linkages devised for the same purposes as my invention, the outward pressure of the sealing device i i against the meeting rail 3, being manually produced, can be accurately controlled. Accordingly, adjustment and compensation for irregularities in spacing between the window rails is a simple matter.

Modifications of my invention may be made without departing from the principle of my invention. Each of these modifications is to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims unless the language of these claims expressly states otherwise.

I claim:

1. In a sealing device for the meeting rails of a double hung storm window mounted adjacent to a double hung permanent window and upon the frame thereof, the meeting rails of said permanent window being parallel with and spaced horizontally from the meeting rails of the storm window, the combination comprising: a rectangu lar, fiat body having inward and outward edges, the width of said body between said edges being substantially greater than the horizontal spacing between the respective meeting rails of said storm and permanent windows and a slot formed in said body diagonally arranged with respect to said edges, said slot having a locking portion at the inward portion thereof comprising over half of its length and disposed at a low angle to said outward edge, and having a positioning portion at the outward portion of said slot comprising less than half of its length and disposed at an angle to said outward edge greater than said low angle; means extending through said slot releasably and slidably securing said body to lower surface of that meeting rail of said permanent window adjacent so said storm window, said means being spaced from the adjacent meeting rail of the storm window a distance which is intermediate the distances which the ends of the slot are spaced from said storm window meeting rail whereby said body may be urged outwardly into engagement with and retracted from said ad- Jacent storm window meeting rail by movement of said body with respect to said means, a pair of co-planar, spaced pressure flanges secured to and extending upwardly from the outward edge of said body for engagement with the adjacent meeting rail of said storm window when said body is urged outwardly thereagainst; and gripping means integral with said body, whereby said device may be manually engaged for urging same against the adjacent meeting rail of said storm window.

2. In a window assembly for a building structure having a substantially rigid double hung main window sash construction having a centrally disposed member held against inward and outward movement with respect to said building structure and a pair of relatively flexible double hung storm sashes each equipped with a meeting rail and spaced outwardly from said main window sash construction and held at their side edges against inward and outward movement with respect to said main window sash construction, means for holding the meeting rails for said storm sashes against inward and outward movement with respect to each other comprising: a member including head and shank portions extending downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom rail of the upper One of said double hung sash; a rectangular flat body having inward and outward edges, of width between said edges sufiicient to extend from the inner surface of the inner one of said double hung storm sash to a point beyond the position occupied by said member and a slot formed in said body and diagonally arranged with respect to said edges, said slot having said member extending therethrough and being of a uniform width sumcient to permit a sliding clearance with respect to the shank of said member but permitting the head of said member to overlap both edges of said slot, and said slot further having an elongated locking portion including the inward end thereof and comprising over half the length of said slot and disposed at a low angle to said outward edge, and said slot also having a positioning portion including the outward end of said slot and comprising less than one half the length of said slot and disposed at an angle to said outward edge greater than said low angle; a pressure flange integral with the outward edge of said body and extending perpendicularly therefrom for engagement with the innermost surface of the storm window meeting rails and grip-ping flanges integral with said body and extending downwardly substantially perpendicular with respect thereto.

3. In a window assembly for a building structure having a substantially rigid double hung main window sash construction having a centrally disposed member held against inward and outward movement with respect to said building structure and a pair of relatively flexible double hung storm sashes each equipped with a meeting rail and spaced outwardly from said main window sash construction and held at their side edges against inward and outward movement with respect to said main window sash construction, means for holding the meeting rails for said storm sashes against inward and outward movement with respect to each other comprising: a

member including head and shank portions extending downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom rail of the upper one of said double hung sash; a rectangular flat body having inward and outward edges, of width between said edges suflicient to extend from the inner surface of the upper rail of the lower one of said double hung storm sash to a point beyond the position occupied by said member and a slot formed in said body and diagonally arranged with respect to said edges, said slot having said member extending therethrough and being of a uniform width sufficient to permit a sliding clearance with respect to the shank of said member but permitting the head of said member to overlap both edges of said slot, and said slot further having an elongated locking portion including the inward end thereof and comprising over half the length of said slot and disposed at a low angle to said outward edge, and said slot also having a positioning portion including the outward end of said slot and comprising less than one half the length of said slot and disposed at an angle to said outward edge greater than said low angle; a pressure flange integral with the outward edge of said body and extending perpendicularly therefrom for engagement with said inner surface and gripping flanges integral with said body and extending downwardly substantially perpendicular with respect thereto.

4. In a device for holding the horizontally adjacent meeting rails of a double hung storm window against horizontal movement towards and away from each other, said window being mounted in a frame with a double hung, substantially rigid main window having an upper sash meeting rail horizontally aligned with and spaced inwardly from said storm meeting rails, the combination comprising: a member having a head and shank, said shank extending downwardly from and being secured to the lower surface of said upper sash meeting rail; a flat rectangular body having inward and outward edges spaced from each other a distance substantially exceeding the distance between said member and the inner surface of said inner storm sash; means forming a slot in said body diagonally arranged with respect to said edges, said shank being slidably disposed within said slot which has a uniform width substantially less than the minimum width of said head, said slot having a locking portion remote from said outward edge and disposed at a small angle thereto and having a positioning portion adjacent to said outward edge and disposed at a relatively larger angle thereto, said locking portion comprising the larger part of said slot; a pressure flange integral with said outward edge of said body and extending perpendicularly therefrom for engagement with said inner surface of said storm sash; and gripping means integral with said body and extending downwardly therefrom.

HARRY A. KAUFMANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

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