US2703611A

US2703611A - Extensible window screen

Info

Publication number: US2703611A
Application number: US374575A
Authority: US
Inventors: Truman L Atkinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-08-17
Filing date: 1953-08-17
Publication date: 1955-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1972-03-08

Description

March 8, 1955 'r. L. ATKINSON EXTENSIBLE WINDOW SCREEN Filed Aug. 17, 1953 IN V EN TOR. Truman L Afk/nson I I I HMPIII HHHHKI United States Patent EXTENSIBLE WINDOW SCREEN Truman L. Atkinson, Ludington, Mich.

Application August 17, 1953, Serial No. 374,575

1 Claim. (Cl. 160-428) This invention relates to extensible window screens of the type which are placed between lower edges of window sashes and the upper sides of sills and which may be extended to difierent lengths to conform to the widths of the window frames.

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a particularly practical, useful and certain screen structure which is economically fabricated, very quickly and easily assembled and, after assembly, the two parts of the screen will not separate but are substantially locked against separation under any of the conditions of use or handling to which the screen is ordinarily subjected. Moreover, the screen made of two parts, has each of said parts of identical structure, the economy of manufacture and the reduction of the numbers of the steps followed in such screen manufacture being greatly facilitated. The screen structure is also of a sturdy and durable type, resistant to damage and of an accordingly long life of service.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of the two parts of the screen structure, two of which are used in the completed screen.

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation of the completed screen with the parts in assembled relation and the screen at its shortest over-all length.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of the upper portion of one of the screen members, the view being taken at the inner side thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken vertical section substantially on the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated, and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the two parts of the screen immediately before they are snapped into place to complete the assembly thereof.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the structure of each of the two parts which are used to make up the screen, a screen frame member is provided having oppositely spaced upper and lower sides made of thin metal formed with an outer side 1 having integral, at the upper and lower edges of the upper and lower horizontal screen members, right angle turned webs 2 which terminate in flanges 3 paralleling the faces 1. At the inner edges of each of the sides 1, the metal for the greater portion of its length is bent back upon itself and then formed with a Ubend providing a U-shaped channel or elongated clip indicated at 4 for gripping the edges of a screen 5 which extends across the opening between the opposite upper and lower sides 1. The frame member is completed by end 6 of identical form and cross section, between one of the ends of each of the upper and lower members, and a cross member 7 paralleling the end 6, of like identical shape and form and cross section, which is inset from the adjacent ends of the upper and lower sides a distance of a few inches, in practice approximating three inches in a screen the distance between the upper and lower sides of which approximates fifteen inches.

Each end of the cross member 7 has the flange portions of the parts corresponding to the parts 3 and 4 of the upper and lower sides of the frame removed for a short distance, as indicated at 8, Fig. 3, so as to provide space for 2,703,611 Patented Mar. 8, 1955 ice the slidable operation of the two members when they are assembled with the terminal flanges 3 thereof extending inwardly as in Figs. 5 and 6. The parts beyond the cross member 7 indicated at 9 have the terminal portion of the screen holding clips 4 removed leaving one side of said clip as shown at 4a in Fig. 4 and by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The screen 5 is securely held at its edges by the clinching of the elongated clips 4 of the upper and lower sides 1 of the frame and the like clinching of the corresponding clips of the end 6 and cross member 7 which, as previously stated, are of the same structure and cross section as such upper and lower sides of the screen frame.

On each of the extensions 9 of the upper and lower sides of the frame a yielding latching member is permanently secured. It comprises a length of thin metal, preferably less in length than the distance from the adjacent cross member 7 to the free end portion of the projecting member 9. Such latching member is formed and shaped into corrugated form, one end leg 10 of which lies against the inner side of the adjacent side 1 of the extension 9 of the upper and lower frame members of the screen and against the infolded part 4a, being spot welded thereto. Such leg 10 is continued upwardly at the upper side of the screen and downwardly at the lower side thereof (Figs. 5 and 6) and formed into a Ubend 11, thence continued parallel to the free leg 10 for a distance and formed into a reverse Ubend 12, thence extending outwardly and shaped into a Ubend 13 terminating in a free leg 14. The first mentioned Ubend at 11 lies between the terminal flange 3 and the outer side 1 and may be spot welded or otherwise permanently secured thereto, but the remaining portion of the latching member is free of connection to any part of the extension 9 of the frame member to which it is secured.

In assembling, the latching members which are on said extension 9 to the lower frame members, are inserted into the channel of the lower side of the associated companion frame member. That is, the free portions including the U-bends 13, the legs 10 and 11 of which are permanently secured to the extensions 9 of one of said frames, are seated in the channels of a second identical frame to be assembled therewith at positions in the length of the lower side of said companion frame between its end bar 6 and cross bar 7 By swinging the two frame members toward each other at their upper sides, the yielding latching members described will be brought with the free legs 14 against the upper terminal flanges 3 of the upper channels of the second or associated frame member (Fig. 6) and will yield upon pressure against the latching members to pass underneath said flanges 3 against which they engage and snap into the channel, as in Fig. 5, with the free legs 14 against the inner side of the face 1 of the upper frame member and with the U-shaped bend between it and the adjacent flange 3. Such latches therefor will all be located within the confines surrounded by the upper and lower frame members and the bars 6 and cross members 7 of the two frame members. When the frame members are extended to make the longest length of the screen which there may be, the two cross members 7 come against each other and their flanges, corresponding to the flanges 3 of the upper and lower members 1 will pass by each other until stopped.

The identity in every way of the structure of the two frame members of the frame requires only one series of fabricating and manufacturing steps to produce them, so that for a designated quantity of screens to be manufactured it is necessary to produce only twice that number of identical screen members. The assembly is performed manually, almost instantly. After the assembly has been made the screen has the two parts thereof securely connected together against separation and the parts of the latches on one screen member engaging the guides therefor on the other screen member press against said guides so that there is friction against movement of the two screen members with reference to each other, preventing aimless, accidental or other change in position of the screen members when they are once extended to a desired over-all length.

The structure is practical, useful and economical to produce and sturdy in service and has exceptionally long life in service. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

In a structure having two identical frame members, each comprising parallel spaced sides, an end extending between one end of each of said sides permanently secured thereto and a cross bar extending between said sides spaced from the other ends of said sides, said sides of one frame member being located side by side against the respective sides of the other frame member, each of said sides being of generally channel cross section, one leg of each of said channel sections being shorter than the other, the shorter legs of the sides of said frame members being located side by side, the improvement comprising, a yielding corrugated latching member secured at one end, one to each of said sides of each of said frame members at the end portions thereof beyond the cross bars of said frame members, each of said latching members having one corrugation located in and permanently secured to the channel of the side of the frame member to which said end thereof is connected, a second corrugation into which the shorter sides of said side by side flanges extend, and a third corrugation extending into the channel of the adjacent side of the other frame member, said third corrugation terminating in a free leg bearing frictionally against the inner side of the longer leg of said last mentioned channel, said latching members having sliding engagement with the channels of the sides of the frame member to which not permanently secured between the end and cross bar thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,762,884 Noyes June 10, 1930