US2794502A

US2794502A - Vertical slat blind

Info

Publication number: US2794502A
Application number: US565328A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrew J Toti
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-02-14
Filing date: 1956-02-14
Publication date: 1957-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1974-06-04

Description

June 4, 1957 A. J. TOT! VERTICAL SLAT BLIND Filed Feb. 7 14, 1956 INVENTOR. ANDREW J. 7077 2,794,502v vERrIc'AL sear BLIND Andrew J. Toti, Modesto, Calif.

Application February 14, 1956, SerialN 565,328

4 Claims. (Cl; 169-1272) This invention relates to Venetian typeblinds in which the slats hang vertically from their upperends, each from a carrier slidable along a fixed overhead-track and pivotally suspended from the carrier so as to be turnable about a vertical axis to modify or shut oil the light passing between the slats, and' also to be bodily movable tov stack all of the slats against onevertical edge'of a window or door opening or half of them against opposite edges of the window or door.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and positive control of the slats, and one in which the slats will stack closely when pulled to the edge of the Window. Other advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat enlarged perspective view looking slightly downward at one carrier with its slat hanging therefrom and a short section of the square control rod or shaft dotted in position, and also showing one of the sheet metal (or other stiff sheet material) tongues which engages the tongue of the next carrier to limit the maximum spacing of the slats when open.

2 is a straight side elevation of the structure of 3 is a straight front elevation of the structure of Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2 and showing in dotted lines the position of the next carrier when their spacing tongues are hooked together in operative position.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of one of the small slat-suspending pivot-pin with its crank formed on its upper end.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the fixed overhead blind supporting casing and slotted track along and within which casing the carriers all slide.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic plan showing one of the usual arrangements of the control cords for opening a wide blind from the center toward opposite ends of the track.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the slat turning rockers.

Before describing the structure in detail, it may give a clearer understanding to explain that the series of carriers 1 are slidably supported within a hollow overhead fixed casing 2 to move along therein with their small slat suspending pivot pins 3 projecting vertically downward through a slot formed in the bottom of the casing preferably defined by two spaced beaded edges 4.

The casing is secured to any overhead part of a window or door framing as by a suitable attaching plate or bracket 5 and screws 6, as may be required by the particular building construction.

Passing freely through all the carriers in a substantial- 1y square shaft 7 when turned from one end about a quarter turn either way effects the turning of a small crank 8 formed at the upper end of each vertical slat suspending pivot-pin 3 and from the lower end 9 of which the slat 10 is tightly gripped and susp Wlthout freedom of independent turning.

nited States Patent 'ice The means whereby the turning of the overhead shaft turns the slats is the principal feature of the present invention, and comprises several details. The shaft revolves or rather rocks freely in round holes 11 in the carriers, and to keep the square shaft from cutting the edges of the holes the four corners of the shaft are well rounded oif and the sheet-metal ofwhich the carriers are made in quite thick and is doubled over at 12 to present two support-s'for theshafton' each carrier, and also spaced toprovide between the doubled, over portions enough room for the flat shank 13"of a small basket-like curved rocker member 14- to operate freely; The shank 13 is provided with asquare'hole' IS-through which the shaft is freely slidable but cannot turn therein so that'when the shaft is rocked it'rooks allof the rockers; (The square shaft could be replaced: bya round splined shaft engaged by" eachshank as understood by any mechanic.)

The body of the rocker 14 is a curved shell with its curve struck from the center of the shaft and projecting at right angles to the shank 13",- and is provided with two preferably slightly curvedslots 16 extending from the outer edge at the bottom center of the shell inwardly and upwardly toward opposite ends of the shell respectively. This slot engages the flattened upper end 8 of the crank of the slat suspension pivot-pin 3 as indicated in Figs. 4 and 3 and holds it central with slat in open position or extending at right angles to the track as shown in Fig. 1 when the shaft 7 is turned with upper and lower flat sides level as shown in the drawings.

When the shaft 7 is turned either way from this position it will swing the curved rocker and force the crank 8 in the slot to turn substantially at right angles, and of course its slat will thereby be positively turned also, and all slats will be locked in any position to which they are so turned.

To limit the separation of the slat carriers, each is pro vided on one vertical edge with interlocking spacing tongues 17. These tongues are preferably made of thin sheet metal (though they may be of plastic) and they are secured at one end as at 18 to the turned over vertical side edge of the carrier, and at the opposite end are formed with an ofiset hooked end 19 with a reduced size neck 20 adapted to engage through a slot 21 of the tongues of the next carrier, as indicated in Fig. 4 where the said next carrier is shown dotted at 1. Such carrier spacing tongues are shown in my co-pending patent application filed under Serial No. 428,578, May 10, 1954, but are not shown positioned vertically one against the other as disclosed here, and in which position they operate more smoothly on carriers which are relatively high from their sliding base and might tend to bind otherwise, as in the present construction shown.

Vertical slat Venetian blinds made in accordance with this disclosure will stack the slats much closer than any practicable positively operated slats with which I am familiar, and cannot flutterv in a draft of air when open or partially so. They may be installed with pull cord operation in the conventional way, as indicated in Fig. 7 to pull to both sides from the center, or only to one side as well understood in the art. Fig. 7 is diagrammatic to show the hook-up and only indicates six carriers each side of the center, the pull cord 22, its extreme end pulley 23, end bearings 24 for shaft round ends 7 (if desired).

Having thus described my improved vertical slat blind, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a vertical slat blind of the character described, means suspending the slats from their upper ends comprising a horizontally disposed fixed tubular overhead casing having a longitudinally extending slot on its underside, a series of carriers, one for each slat supported within and by the casing for sliding therealong,

3 a vertical slat pivot-pin rotatably supported by each carrier and extending downward freely through said slot, and each pivot-pin provided with means at its lower end for attaching a slat, and a crank at its upper end, said carfriers each provided with an upwardly extending portion, a rock shaft extending longitudinally of and within the casing revolvably and slidably' passing through a hole in said upwardly extending portion of all of the carriers, and a small rocker device associated with each carrier provided with an upwardly extending loop, engaging said rock shaft for rocking therewith while freely slidable therealong, said rocker device includinga curved shell portion at the lower end of said loop extending transversely of the rock shaft and provided with means engaging the crank of said slat pivot-pin arranged to turn the crank as the rocker device is rocked by rocking the rock shaft.

2. In the construction set out in claim 1 said carriers all interconnected by slidably engaged tongues to limit the separation of the carriers, 'said tongues being of thin flat sheet material extending lengthwise of the casing and vertically on edge and secured at one end to a side of a carrier so that they overlap laterally when the carriers are moved close together.

3. In the construction set out in claim 1 said rocker member having a shell portion curved from the axis of the rock shaft and formed with an angular slot through the curved shell portion engaging the crank and positively guide it and hold it at all points of turning.

4. In a structure as set out in claim 1 said rocker member having an upwardly extending shank with a hole in its upper end slidably but turnably engaging said rock shaft, and a lower laterally extending shell curved upwardly both ways transversely of and below the rock shaft, and said shell provided with a slot with two branches meeting at the lower center of the shell and curving back toward said shank and upwardly to points substantially at right angles to their lower central meeting point.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS