US2770020A

US2770020A - Awning and canopy structures

Info

Publication number: US2770020A
Application number: US376722A
Authority: US
Inventors: Howard E Zerbe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-08-26
Filing date: 1953-08-26
Publication date: 1956-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1973-11-13

Description

Nov. 13, 1956 H. E. zERBE AWNING AND cANoPY STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 26, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O AWNING AND CANOPY STRUCTURES Howard E. Zerbe, Du Bois, Pa. Application August 26, 1953, Serial No. 376,722

3 Claims. (Cl. Ztl-57.5)

This invention relates to awning structures and particularly to a ventilated awning structure which does not drip during light rains or when a rain has ceased as do conventional awnings.

One of the major problems in conventional ventilated, as well as other awnings, particularly when used as door canopies is the fact that they drip on the landing or on the stairs adjacent thereto during light rains or when a rain has just ceased. This makes entrance to the doorway covered by the canopy unpleasant and even dangerous, particularly during freezing.

A n object of the present invention is to provide an awning structure which does not drip during light rains and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an awning structure having means collecting the water from the awning surface and discharging it at the side of the awning.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ventilated awning structure in which water is collected from both levels of slats and discharged at the side of the awning.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dev1ce of this character with an invisible gutter arrangement in order to carry off dripping rain water.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of an awning structure according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly cut away of the awning of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of an awning of this invention installed over a door to act as a door canopy.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a ventilated awning having substantially parallel, spaced apart upper slats xed to

spacer members

11, 12 and 13 attached to frame members 14. Each of the upper slats 10 is spaced from the next slat by a Ventilating slot 15. Lower spaced apart slats 16 are provided beneath the Ventilating slats 16 and are fixed to the

spacer members

11, 12 and 13. Each of the lower slats is spaced from each next adjacent slat by a Ventilating slat corresponding in width to that of slats 15 between the upper slats: Each of the upper slats 10 and lower slats 16 is provided with U-shaped channels 17 in the surface thereof to prevent water from running to the edges and to direct it longitudinally of the slat. A slot or gap 18 is cut in each of the upper slats 10 excepting the two outside ones as shown in Figures 1-3. A similar slot or gap 19 is cut in the bottom slats 16. A gutter 20 is fixed to the bottom sides of the lower slats 16 and to the front frame member 14 directly beneath the gaps 1S and 19 in the two layers of slats. The gutter 20 is closed at the ends and provided with a drain outlet 21 at one or both ends to carry the water from the gutter 20.

Side slats 22 are provided on the sides of the frame 14 to form the canopy or awning side. Valance slots 23 are xed to the front of the frame to complete the awning and hide the gutter 20.

When installed on a building as for example as the door canopy shown in Figure 4 the structure operates Patented Nov. 13, 1956 as follows: When a light rain falls on the surfaces of the upper slats 10 and lower slats 16 the water collects and runs down the slats and particularly in the channels 17. When the rain water reaches the

gaps

18 and 19 it falls into the gutter 20 from which it is carried by the drain pipt 21 thus preventing dripping from `the end of the canopy onto the steps or landing directly below. When a heavy rainfall occurs the large amount of water falling on the slats 10 causes a sufficient ilow of water such that it jumps the gap 18 and passes on to the end of the slat 10 and is discharged in an arc of substantial radius, well away from the stairs or landing. Any water which does not have sufficient momentum to jump the gap 18 is collected and carried away by gutter 20.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described above and in the accompanying drawings ti will be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

l claim:

1. An awning structure comprising a pair of spaced apart sloping water shedding surfaces one above the other, each of said surfaces made up of a plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel members having parallel openings therebetween, the members of one level lying in vertical alignment with the openings of the other level, a transverse slot in each said surface adjacent the lowermost edge extending from a point adjacent one side to a point adjacent the other side and formed by removing a narrow portion from each member in the same vertical plane, and gutter means connected to said surfaces beneath the slots receiving water therefrom and discharging said water to one side of the structure.

2. An awning structure comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on a building above an opening therein, a pair of vertically spaced apart water shedding surfaces one above the other on said frame, each of said surfaces made up of a plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel elongated member having parallel openings therebetween, the members of one level lying in vertical alignment with the openings of the other level, a transverse slot in each said surface adjacent the lowermost edge extending from a point adjacent one side to a point adjacent the other side and formed by removing a narrow portion from each member in the same vertical plane and gutter means on the frame vertically beneath the transverse slots receiving water therefrom and discharging said water to one side of the structure.

3. An awning structure comprising frame means adapted to be mounted on a building above an opening therein, spaced transverse members on said frame, the top and bottom edges of said transverse members lying in sloping spaced apart parallel planes, a plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel slot members xed transversely to each of said top and bottom edges forming parallel openings between the members, the members of one plane lying in vertical alignment with the openings between the members in the other plane, a transverse slot extending through each member of each plane excepting the outside member on each side of said plane, said slots lying in the same vertical plane one above the other and adjacent the lowermost ends of the members and gutter means on the frame vertically beneath the transverse slots receiving water therefrom to discharge at one side of said structure.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,557,775 Yancho June 19, 1951 2,619,692 Langley et al. Dec. 2, 1952 2,666,236 Odom u Ian. 19, 1954