US2849063A - Vertical slat blind - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1958 M. E.-ACHLER Er-Al. 2,849,063

VERTICAL SLAT BLIND 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2. 1955 @w Ms W @NMN INV N TOR5 Maurice Bidder 2', Albert JiMIZsimc flfiome'g 195.8 M. E. ACHLER ETAL 2,849,063

VERTICAL SLAT BLIND 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2. 1955 MWN QQW MW TJQ 1 w 1958 M. E. ACHLER EI'AL 2,849,063

VERTICAL SLAT BLIND Filed June 2, 1955 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS: Maurzce liflqhlqr a, By AZberZJLMzZs'ZIIZc:

8 8 M. E. ACHLER HA1.

VERTICAL SLAT BLIND 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 2. 1955 United States Patent Ofiice 2,849,063 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 VERTICAL SLAT BLIND Maurice E. Achler and Albert H. Milstine, Chicago, Ill., assignors of one-tenth to Harry Shapiro, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 2, 1955, Serial No. 512,694

4 Claims. (Cl. 160-177) This invention relates to vertical blinds of the Venetian type, and is concerned more particularly with improvements in the subject matter of our copending application, Serial No. 372,629, filed August 6, 1953, entitled Vertical Venetian Blind Construction.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved tilt tube which has one or more of the attributes of, among other things, increased strength, resistance to sagging and torsion, reduction in cost of manufacture, and eliminating the necessity for a center support in some cases heretofore requiring a cent-er support.

A further object is to provide improved traverse cord looping sheave mounting structure.

Another object is to provide a tilt gear which may function as a traverse cord guide.

A further object is to provide for the adjustable mounting of a tilt tube in relation to the tilt gear assembly.

An additional object is to provide a simplified means for coupling a tilt gear assembly to the tilt tube.

It is also an object to provide an improved chain construction associated with the bottoms of the vanes or slats of a vertical blind.

Another object is to provide for the mounting of an intermediate tilt shaft support while the shaft is in operative position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be better understood upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a vertical Venetian blind embodying features of the invention, with the slats extended across the width of the window, and showing a portion of the facia board.

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but shows the slat groups parted and adjacent the window jambs, and omits the facia board.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of parts of the upper and lower structure appearing in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 to 8 are sectional views taken as indicated by the lines 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, and 8-8, respectively, in Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the connectors,

taken as indicated by the line 9-9 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken as'indicated by the line 10-14) in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an isometric view of one of the slat-sus pending sliders.

Fig. 12 is an isometric view of one of the master slides.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the slat-anchoring studs, taken as indicated by the line 13-13 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 14 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 15-15 in Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 16-16 in Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a plan sectional view taken as indicated by the line 17-17 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 18-18 in Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a sectional view line 19-19 in Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the chain anchor springs.

Fig. 21 is a plan sectional view of a part of one of the chains when collapsed.

Fig. 22 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by the line 22-22 in Fig. 17.

Fig. 23 is similar to Fig. 22 but shows the relation of the inner end links just as they are automatically uncoupled.

Fig. 2 4 is similar to the lower part of Fig. 3 but shows the slats fully lapped.

Fig. 25 is a sectional view line 25-25 in Fig. 24.

Fig. 26 is similar to Fig. 6 but shows the shaft fully tilted so that the slats are fully lapped.

Fig. 27 is a plan sectional view of a part of Fig. 26, taken as indicated by the line 27-27 in Fig. 26 but turned 90.

Fig. 28 shows an anti-sagging support for a tilt shaft.

Fig. 29 is taken on the line 29-29 in Fig. 28.

Fig. 30 is similar to the upper part of Fig. 3 but shows a modified tilt tube and connector construction.

Fig. 31 is an end View taken on the line 31-31 in Fig. 30 and showing only the tilt shaft and connector.

Fig. 32 is a side elevational view of the connector, taken on the line 32-32 in Fig. 31.

Fig. 33 is a top plan view of the connector, taken on the line 33-33 in Fig. 30.

Fig. 34 is a view, partly in cross-section, showing a modified sheave mounting in place on the modified shaft.

Fig. 35 is a top plan view of Fig. 34.

Fig. 36 shows an intermediate hanger mounted on a shaft of the type shown in Fig. 31.

Fig. 37 is a sectional view taken on the line 37-37 in Fig. 36.

Fig. 38 is a side elevational view of the lower hanger section also seen in Fig. 36.

Figs. 39, 40, and 41 are respectively top plan, bottom plan, and end elevational views of Fig. 38.

Fig. 42 is an isometric view of the upper hanger section also seen in Fig. 36.

Fig. 43 is a side view, partly in section, of the same.

Figs. 44, 45, and 46 are respectively top plan, bottom plan, and end elevational views of Fig. 43.

Fig. 47 is an isometric view, on a reduced scale, of an adapter bracket for supporting the hanger when the blind is installed in the room beyond the window frame.

Fig. 48 shows a further modified tilt shaft.

Fig. 49 is similar to Fig. 13 but shows a modified stud taken as indicated by the taken as indicated by the riveted to a slat.

Fig. 50 is a sectional view taken on the line 50-50 in Fig. 49.

Fig. 51 is similar to Fig. 49 but shows another stud construction.

Fig. 52 is a sectional View taken on the line 52-52 in Fig. 51.

Fig. 53 is a top plan view of the stud in Fig. 51.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, disclosing illustrative embodiments of the invention, there is shown a window casing or frame 20 to the jambs 22 and 24 of which are secured installation brackets 28 adapted to receive and removably retain end bearings 30 and 32, supporting a facia board 33, said bearings being preferably identical to reduce the number of dies required.

Assembled with and retained by the end bearing 30 is a journal 34 in the form of a tilt gear whose row of teeth 36 is adapted to mesh with a worm 38 driven by a tilt cord 40 passing through a guide 42 and about a pulley 44. The gear 34 is recessed as at 45 beyond the end teeth 36 to insure return-meshing of the worm 38 with the teeth when the tilt shaft is fully titlted in either direction. A journal 46 is assembled with and retained by the other end bearing 32.

The journals 34 and 46 are formed with non-circular holes or slots 48 and 50, respectively, for the sliding telescopic reception of tongues 52 of connectors or adapters 56 and 58 so that each journal and the associated connector may be readily assembled and mutually adjusted and disassembled and will turn together when assembled. Each connector comprises a yoke whose arms 60 are in the form of spring sockets adapted to removably and adjustably receive, with a sliding friction fit, the wings 62 of a tilt shaft 64. The several parts are so constructed and arranged that when they are assembled as noted, and the tilt cord 40 is pulled, the journals, connectors, and shaft will turn as a unit in an orbit about the journal axis 66.

Vertical Venetian blinds are made at the factory to meet the specifications of the customer. When a blind is being installed, it sometimes is found that the window frame, instead of being rectangular, is slightly wider or narrower at the top than at the bottom. The aforesaid adjustability of the connectors permits of operative assembly of the shaft 64 with the journals 34 and 46 notwithstanding such slight discrepancy between the actual and the specified window frame dimensions.

The tilt shaft 64 comprises a tube 70 and fins such as the wings 62 and a flange 72 extending therefrom, the tube having lips 74 defining a straight slot 76 coextensive with the shaft. A portion 77 of each connector socket 60 is arranged adjacent the outside of the tube 70 to engage the same so as to substantially prevent relative lateral movement between the connectors and the shaft 64. The fins 62 and 72 serve the purpose of reinforcement so that a substantially longer tilt shaft 64 than was heretofore feasible, when made of the same material (for example, extruded aluminum), may be employed without intermediate support in a vertical slat Venetian blind without danger of excessive sagging, one or more of the fins being operative-to effectively resist such sagging irrespective of the degree of tilt or the non-tilt of the shaft. The wings 62 serve a still further purpose as will appear.

A traverse cord looping sheave 78 is journaled about a nut 79 riveted to an arm 80 of an L-shaped part 81 whose relatively short fulcrum arm 82 is adapted to engage a face of the connector tongue 52. The shank 83 of a screw 84 is adapted to pass loosely through a hole 85 in the connector tongue 52 and engage in the nut 79, the screw head 86 engaging the connector tongue when the arm 80 engages the inner surfaces of the shaft lips 74 to clamp the part 81 to the shaft, with the sheave 78 in operative position, projecting if necessary into the interior of the tube and projecting into a space 87 provided therefor in the tilt gear 34.

The journal 46 has spaced holes 88 for the runs 89 of the traverse cord 90, and the associated connector 58 has a finger 91 adapted to extend between and thus space apart and prevent fouling of the runs. The connectors 56 and 58 are preferably identical to reduce the number of different dies required. Thus the connector 56 associated with the looping sheave 78 has a needless finger 91 between the cord runs, but this finger is not in the way and could be removed if desired; and the connector 58 has a needless hole 85.

It is thus apparent that substantially the entire length of the tilt tube slot 76 may be utilized for the reception of slat-suspending sliders 92, that the connectors 56 and 58 prevent escape of the sliders from the slot, and that it is unnecessary to remove the end portions of the shaft wings and flange, so that substantial economy in material and labor involving the tilt shaft 64, which can be extruded and sawed or cut into the desired lengths, is realized, regardless whether or not a center support is to be employed.

Although there may be a single group of slats 94 for the full width of the window, with means for bunching all of them toward one jamb of the window casing, we have illustrated a pair of slat groups or units 96 with means for bunching them toward the respective window jambs 22 and 24 to afford a substantially unobstructed symmetrical view through the window, and for this purpose the traverse cord runs 89 are adapted to be suitably clamped, as by screws 98, to the respective master slides 100 of the respective slider groups 102. If the blind has an even number of slats, they are preferably evenly divided between the two groups; if the blind has an odd number of slats, one group preferably has one more slat than the other group.

All of the sliders 92 of each group are connected in a string by a tape 106 as by rivets 108 whose heads 109 also secure the respective ends 110 of individual short tapes 112 having loops 114 linked through and suspending hook elements 116. The hook 118 of each element 116 is releasably received in a center hole 120 in the upper end 122 of a slat 94 in a manner to releasably and resiliently wedge and suspend the slat and cause the slat to rotate noiselessly therewith, the slat being adapted to be readily slipped onto and off the hook whenever desired. The slats 94 may be of any suitable width, a preferred width being 2", in which event the axes of adjacent rivets 108, when the tape 106 attached thereto is fully extended, are preferably disposed 1%" apart, so that the slats lap one another about /s" when fully overlapped.

Each slider 92 and master slide 100 is respectively rormed with opposite grooves 128 and 130, respectively, for slidably receiving the lips 74 defining the tube slot 76, and each master slide has a hole or socket 134 in which the inner end slider of the associated slider string is adapted to be telescopically received so as to register the respective grooves, so that said slide and slider may be slipped as a unit into and move as a unit along the tube slot. When the tapes 106 are full extended, the master. slides 100 are substantially in mutual abutment. and the slides are so dimensioned that the axes of the rivets 108 attached to the inner end sliders (assembled with the master slides) are then 1% apart, so that the two groups of slats 94 will then have the appearance of a single group throughout the width of the window.

Each outermost end slat may be made of reduced width at its upper end as at 136 to clear the adjacent end support for the tilt shaft 64.

Flexible caps 138 may be provided to readily and releasably receive and clasp the lower ends 139 of the slats 94, so that the caps are supported by the slats. Each cap 138 is preferably formed of soft rubber, leather, plastic, or other suitable soft material so that, when the slats are tilted into close overlapping relation, their bottoms will not rattle even in the wind, inasmuch as they will not contact one another, but instead contact will take place between the caps and will be noiseless. Each cap 138 is formed at the bottom 140 thereof with a central notch 142 defining a hole through which the collar-button-like shank 144 of a relatively stiff generally T-shaped molded or other suitable hanger stud 146 is adapted to be passed, said stud having an elongated fin-like head 148 disposed within and substantially at the bottom of the cap for disposition at a face of the slat end 139 in the cap. The shank has a flange 150 adjacent the head 148 and adapted to be easily snapped into the notch 142 pursuant to flexure apart of the cap walls 151 so as to closely underasaepea lie the upper edges 152 of the 'notclia'nd locate the head as aforesaid, so that the flange'and head retain the stud 145 6 in proper assembly with the cap and thus the two Wlll not accidentally separate, although they may be readily assembled and disassembled Whenever desired. The shank 144 has a free end knob 154 below the flange 1 50 and an intermediate neck 156 flattened at opposite sides as at 158 in spaced relation to the knob, so that the neck portion 160 directly above the knob is round in cross-section. The purpose of the foregoing shank formation will appear presently.

Chains 164 and 166 are provided, one for each slat group 96, each chain comprising a plurality of identical intermediate links 167, a relatively short outer link 1'68, and an adjustable outer end link 169, said chains having complemental inner end links 170 and 171, respectively. Each of the links 167, 168, 170, and 171 has a flat portion formed with an intermediate longitudinally extending keyhole 172 consisting of a cul-de-sac 174 of a size to permit passage of the connector knob 154 therethrough, a canal or throat 176 of a width to permit passage of the connector neck 156 therealong only when the planes of the flat faces 158 of the neck are between and parallel to the sides of the canal, and a cul-de-sac 1 78 large enough to rotatably receive the neck portion 160 but too small to permit passage of the knob therethrough, said neck portion being too large to pass through the canal. The outer end links 169 similarly accommodate the studs 146, as will be explained. When the chains 164 and 166 are thus assembled with the studs 146, and the studs are assembled with the caps 138, and the caps are assembled with the slats 94, with each stud head 148 be tween a slat end 139 and a cap wall 151, alternate links rest on and are rotatably supported by the stud knobs 154, and, by virtue of the fact that the stud neck portions 168 cannot pass through the keyhole canals, accidental dislocation or separation of the links relative to the studs is precluded. Separation of the links from the studs can be effected at will by reversing the foregoing procedure.

If desired, studs 182 (Figs. 49 and 50) riveted at 184 to the slats, or snap-on studs (Figs. 51 to 53) may be employed. The studs 1186 need ditfer from the others only in the head structure, comprising an elongated head portion 188 from which extend upward alined mutually spaced jaws 189 engageable with a face of the slat and an intermediate jaw 190 engageable with the other face of the slat, jaw 190 having a detent 191 engageable in a hole 192 in the slat bottom portion 193 with the bottom edge 194 of the slat seated on the upper surface 195 of the head portion 188. Thejaws 189 and 190 are preferably flexible and hug the slat, and the detent 191 has a tapered surface 196 to facilitate assembly of the stud with the slat.

The riveted and snap-on studs just described may be used with or without the caps 138.

Each link 167 has substantially diagonally opposite holes 198 and 199, and a pivot rivet 200 extends through the hole 198 of each such link and the hole 199 of the next such link. Each link 167 has a stop lug 201 at the longitudinal edge 202 thereof adjacent the hole 198 and the links 167 of each chain are successively lapped and reversed so that the lug of each link is arranged to cooperate with the other longitudinal edge 203 of the adjacent link, the arrangement being such that when the lugs engage the neighboring edges 203, the links of each chain are extended in a straight line.

The knobs of alternate studs support the lower links which thus support the upper'links so that the knobs of the stems passing through the upper links are spaced below the upper links. The stem neck portions 160 are of sufficient length to project into the cul-de-sacs 178 of the upper links, so that accidental dislocation of the upper links relative to the studs projecting therein is preeluded.

Each chain is anchored to the adjacent jatnb by an anchor spring 205 of steel or other suitable material cooperating with the outer end link 169 of the chain. Each anchor 285 is preferably in the form of a generally toboggan-shaped strip with a somewhat angularly offset tail 207 having a hole 208 for the reception of a screw 209 or other fastener whereby it is fastened to the jamb, and a curled end 210 including a reduced width portion 212 and bayonet lugs 214, each lug being oppositely slotted as at 216 to provide a neck 220 and a head 222. When the anchor 285 is secured to the jamb, the end 210 is sprung toward the jamb so that it has an added initial resistance to being pulled away from the jamb, to augment the pull on the chains for maintaining the chains taut when the chains are coupled together.

Each outer end link 169 is adjustable and comprises an inner strip 224 pivoted at 226 to the adjacent intermediate short link 168, and an outer strip 228 having a channel-shaped inner portion 230 slidably receiving the inner strip. The inner strip 224 is formed with a longitudinal slot 232 constituting a cul-de-sac communicating with a canal or throat 234 and a cul-de-sac 236 formed at the inner end of the outer strip 228, to provide a keyhole 238 having the same function as the keyhole1'72. The outer strip 228 has a slot 240 adjacent the keyhole 238 and arranged to register with one part or another of the slot 232, and a screw 241 has a shoulder key 242. non-rotatably engaged in the slot 240 and a shank 243 passing through the slot 232 and cooperating with a not 244 between the channel flanges 246 to clamp the strips in the desired adjustment, such as to locate the cul-de-sac 236 at the proper distance from the cul-desac 1'78 of the keyhole 172 in the adjacent link 168 when that link and the link 169 are alined. Said distance,

H as is apparent from the foregoing, will, in the illustration of dimensions given, be 1%" if the slat axis spacing is to be uniform throughout when the blind is fully extended, or, as shown, in Figs. 3, 17, and 24, will be less than that distance if the outermost slat axis is to be closer than 1% to the next slat axis, aswill appear. The outer strip 228 has an outer end slot 250 of a shape and size to accommodate either bayonet lug 214 and to permit relative pivotal movement between the anchor 205 and said link when the neck 220 is disposed in the slot. Each link 169 can be readily assembled with the adjacent anchor 205 by angling the link out of its normal range of positions so that a lug head 222 passes through the slot 250, and then returning the link so that the neck 220 is disposed in the slot and the head extends transverse to the slot. Once the neck 220 is disposed in the slot 250, and the link assumes any of its normal or service positions, said slot is disalined from the head and thus the link and anchor are pivotally interlocked. The anchor 205 is reversible so that it may be mounted at either jamb, and thus only one die or set of dies is necessary for making the anchors.

The inner end links and 171 of the respective chains 164- and 166 are pivoted to the adjacent respective innermost intermediate links 167 and are of special and complemental formation. The link 170 cooperates with the pivot-lirniting lug 281 of the link 167 connected thereto, and the link 171 is formed with a pivot-limiting 254 cooperating with the link 167 connected thereto, for the purpose noted above. The link 170 is formed at the inner end 2515 thereof with a hole or slot 256 and an arm 2'57 arranged to project away from the window pane, said arm having a downwardly projecting lip 258 spaced from said end. The link 171 is formed near the inner end 259 there of with an inclined depending cam tongue or hook 260 adapted to pass down through the slot 256 and hook against the inner edge 261 of the slot and to be there releasably maintained by the pull of theanchor springs 295. The link 171 is also formed adjacent its inner end 259 with an arm 262 arranged to project away from the window pane and having a downwardly projecting lip 263 slightly spaced from said end. The lips 258 and 263 are thus spaced from each other when the links 170 and 171 are held hooked together by the anchor springs 205, and the outer surfaces of the respective lips are preferably knurled or otherwise roughened to afford anti-slip finger grips.

The construction is such that the inner links 170 and 171 will automatically uncouple pursuant to a pull on the traverse cord 90 to traverse the slats outward toward the respective jambs. This takes place in the following manner. As such traverse commences, the master slides 100 in moving away from each other cause the upper ends of the slats 94 suspended by the associated sliders 92 to do likewise, but inasmuch as the links 170 and 171 are still coupled together, the lower ends of the same slats remain substantially unmoved, except to rise somewhat due to the fact that such slats are not now vertical, and accordingly the inner ends of the links 170 and 171 are correspondingly swung upward so as to initially partially dislodge the hook 260 from the slot 256. In this swinging movement, the head 154 of the stud associated with the link 171 is spaced below that link, but that link is swung up by the inner end 255 of the link 170, so that both links swing at the same time. Such dislodgement is progressively greater as the outward traverse of the slides 100 continues, until eventually the hook 260 is completely dislodged, whereupon the links 170 and 171 are sprung uncoupled by the anchors 205 and said slats resume their normal vertical positions and the links resume horizontal positions. To couple the links 170 and 171 when the sliders 100 are again in substantially mutual abutment, all that is required is that the lips 258 and 263 be moved toward each other against the resistance of the spring anchors 105 and the hook 260 guided into the slot 256, where it will be held by the anchors, with the axes of the associated slats spaced apart the same as the axes of the neighboring slats.

In many cases the window frame width is such that a suitable blind therefore is one whose slat pivot axes are uniformly spaced throughout when the tapes 106 are fully extended, with the outermost end slats in the desired proximity to the jambs so that the jambs will not interfere with the tilting of such end slats and such slats when fully overlapped with their neighbors adequately prevent passage of light. Such a window frame width, for example, is 27, for which a proper blind has 16 -slats.- Another such window frame is 25% wide, the proper blind therefor having slats. For a window frame which is less than 27" and more than wide, a blind containing 15 slats whose axes are uniformly spaced when the tapes 106 are fully extended would not be suitable, since it would not sufiiciently cover the window at one or both jambs when the blind is closed; and a blind for that window containing 16 slats whose axes are uniformly spaced when the blind is fully extended would not fit properly between the jambs.

For a window frame of such intermediate width, a l6- slat blind is used, but provision is made so that the outermost slat of each or either slat group will overlap the next slat to a greater extent than the lapping between other slats of the group, and this is accomplished easily merely by adjustment of the outer end links 169. Such increased overlap will not appreciably detract from the appearance of the blind as a whole.

When the chains are extended but disconnected from each other, and the traverse cord 90 is pulled in the direction to collapse the slat groups, each master slide 100 will first move outward and then progressively force the sliders one by one outward until the cord is released or until all of the sliders of each group are bunched adjacent the respective jam'b. As the movement commences, each innermost slat 94 moves and by gravity tends to remain plumb, with the result that the stud 146 associated with that slat exerts an outward force on the inner end link 170 or 171 associated therewith. The pivot connection between that inner end link and the next link 167 being offset from the direction of that force, it follows that a zigzagging action takes place, the two links just mentioned mutually pivoting. As the outward traverse continues,

the aforesaid link 168 and the next link 168 also mutually pivot, but in the opposite direction, and so on depending on the extent of the outward traverse, and when such traverse is complete all of the links of each chain will have pivoted to provide a zig-zag effect (Fig. 16), so that the slats remain suspended parallel to one another. As noted above, the link pivots, alternating as they do on opposite sides of the plane of the slat tilt axes when the chains are in the same straight line, promote the zig-zag formation of the chain links, but since, when the chains are disconnected from each other, there is relatively little restriction to the movement of the links, certain adjacent links, were it not for the jackknife construction afforded by the presence of the link lugs, might accidentally pivot to form an angle at the wrong side of said plane and thus foul the slats or the order of their tilt axes. The aforesaid jackknife construction promotes and insures the maintenance of the arrangement of the slat tilt axes, thus insuring an orderly appearance and an orderly expansion and contraction of each slat group pursuant to inward and outward traverse. When inward traverse takes place, each master slide again moves first, but now in the inward direction, and when the slack in the tape 106 between the slider 92 carried with the master slide and the next slider 92 is taken up and the traverse is continued, said next slider commences to move inward, and so on gradually until (if the traverse continues as far as it can) the master slides are in substantially mutual abutment, the tapes 106 are fully extended, and the chains are ready to be hooked together.

When the tilt shaft 64 is in neutral position, so that the lips 74 are in a horizontal plane at the bottom of the tube '70, the loop portion 114 of each slat-suspending tape 112 and the longitudinal edges of each slat 94 lie in planes substantially normal to the window pane. When the tilt cord 40 is pulled to turn the shaft 64 from the position just noted, each slat-suspending tape loop 114 follows the path of least resistance pursuant to the gravity pull of the slat 94 suspended thereby, with the result that the tape loop folds more and more acutely adjacent the rivet head 109 by which the tape 112 is anchored, and the fold line changes from one which is normal to the window pane to one which becomes progressively more and more acutely inclined to the window pane, so that the several loops approach a common plane, and thus likewise turn the slats so that when the loops reach positions nearly parallel to the window pane, the slats are in fully overlapped relation, virtually blocking passage of light therebetween. The shaft 64 will of course remain in any position to which it is adjusted by the tilt cord 40.

It will be noted that the rivet-anchored portions 110 of the slat-suspending tapes 112 are in such proximity to the journal axis 66 irrespective of the degree of tilt or the non-tilt of the shaft 64 that the rise or descent of the slats pursuant to turning of the shaft is negligible.

Other vertical slat Venetian blinds are so constructed that they fit windows of predetermined size and shape, and cannot be changed at all, or certainly not by an unskilled person, to fit window frames for which they were not designed, so that when a person moves to another house or apartment where the window frames are of different size or shape, the Venetian blinds used in the prior home are useless to him and he must undergo the expense of furnishing his new home with a new set of Venetian blinds.

These disadvantages are not present in our construction.

If the new window frame is of greater height than that for which a given Venetian blind of the present invention is suitable, but of the same width, all that is necessary is that a new set of slats of appropriate length be purchased and substituted for the original slats.

If the new window frame is of less height than but of the same width as the old one, nothing need be purchased, since all that is necessary is that the lower ends of the slats be cut off, by means of shears, for example, no skill being required where caps 138 and studs 146 are used. Where the snap-on or riveted studs are used, a new set of slats is all that need be purchased.

'If the new window frame is of the same height as the old one, but suificiently Wider to require one or more additional slats, it is necessary merely to replace the old tilt shaft-and-slider assembly with a new shaft-andslider assembly of the proper length, a corresponding set of chains, and the number of additional slats, studs and caps needed. These parts may be purchased and readily assembled and installed by the purchaser.

If the new window is of the same height as the old one, but sufiiciently narrower to require a smaller number of slats, all that need be done is to saw or cut 01f an end of the tilt shaft to bring it to the correct length, snip off the outer end portions of the draw tapes 106 to remove the proper number of sliders 92, remove corresponding outer slats, caps and studs, replace the chains by new chains of suitable length, and assemble the remaining parts.

It is apparent from the foregoingthat, whatever changes may be needed, they in no event will involve the installation brackets, the end bearings, the journals (with which the tilt shaft is removably connected), the connectors, the tilt gear driving mechanism, the traverse cord, the looping sheave unit, nor the chain anchors.

The positions of the sheave unit and journals may be reversed to locate both the tilt cord and the traverse cord ends adjacent the same side of the window, either right or left, as desired, so that, particularly where the window frame is very wide, and it is desired to adjust the slats at the same time by both traversing and tilting, both operations may be performed by the same person without necessitating his walking from one side of the window frame to the other to make such adjustments.

When the tilting slats 94 are nearly fully overlapped and are approaching fully overlapped relation, should one or more of the slats accidentally lag, a shaft wing 62 will come into play and nudge the lagging slats, one wing being operative when the slats are turning in one direction toward fully overlapped relation and the other wing being operative when the slats are turning in the opposite direction toward fully overlapped relation.

When the slats 94 are in neutral positions (i. e., in planes generally normal to the window pane), and during a substantial angle of turning of the slats from said positions, the wings 62 are clear of the slats. The slats of course turn coincidentally with the turning of the shaft 64, so that, as the shaft turns from neutral position, one of the wings 62 moves into proximity with the upper ends of the slats, and, if there are any lagging or recalcitrant slats, they will be nudged and swung by that wing toward the positions they should occupy in relation to the other slats. If the shaft 64 is turned somewhat farther than is required to fully overlap the slats, the wing then engaging all of the slats will hold the upper ends of the slats slightly displaced laterally from the vertical plane in which their axes are located when the slats are freely suspended, so that there is a substantial lateral pressure on the upper ends of the slats resulting from the gravitational tendency of the slats to resume their freely suspended positions. The displacement is insuificient, however, to produce any noticeable change in the appearance of the blind. Under these circumstances, rattling of the upper ends of the slats and bowing of the string of slats, such as would be occasioned by a breeze, are obviated. When the shaft 64 is return-tilted to turn the slats 94 out of lapped relation, said wing gradually recedes clear of the upper ends of the slats, allowing them to turn properly.

Where a tilt shaft is so long that, notwithstanding its fins, it tends to sag by reason of its weight and the Weight of the slats etc. supported thereby, this tendency is overcome by means of a supporting structure adapted to be applied mid way of the length of the shaft. Such a shaft is shown at270, and such a supporting structure is shown generally at 272 (Figs. 28 and 29) and may comprise a :bracket 274 having front upper horizontal and rear verti- 10 cal portions 276 and 278 formed with holes 280 for the reception of screws (not shown) so that the bracket may be suitably mounted on the window frame header or other suitable support. The bracket 274 has a lower forwardly extending portion 282 having a front upstanding tongue 284. A U-shaped or other suitable supporting member 286 having side grooves 288 like those of the sliders 92 may, like the sliders, be passed into the shaft slot between the lips 74 to a position midway of the length of the shaft 270, so that when the slider groups are assembled with the shaft, said member will be disposed between the master slides 100. The supporting member 286 is pivotally connected at 290 with the bracket tongue 284 adjacent the axis 66 of the journals 34 and 46. It is thus apparent that material sagging of the shaft 270 is precluded. The wing 62 adjacent the window pane is notched as at 292 to clear the bracket 274 so that the bracket will not interfere with tilt of the shaft 270. Since the supporting member 286 may be made to occupy a very small space lengthwise of the shaft 270, the presence of said member will not materially affect the appearance of the blind as a whole. Except for greater length of the shaft 270 and the presence of the notch 292, the shafts 64 and 270 may be identical.

At 300 (Figs. 30, 31 et al.) is shown a modified tilt shaft of such cross-section as to afford increased strength and resistance to bending and torsion, rendering unnecessary the provision of a tin such as the fin 72 of the shafts 64 and 270.

As noted above, the shaft 270 is centrally notched to accommodate a center support, and the center support hanger must be assembled with the shaft before at least one of the slider strings is assembled with the shaft.

These requirements are avoided when the shaft structure 300 is used. To this end the shaft 300 is formed with opposite ribs 302 for cooperation with one or more hangers 304 (Figs. 36 to 47). Each hanger 304 comprises a lower section 306 having a pair of sheet metal or other suitable generally yoke-shaped plates 308. One arm 310 of each plate 308 is formed with an inner notch 312, and the arms are sufliciently spaced apart so that one plate may be applied transversely of the shaft 300 to position a rib 302 in the notch of said plate and the other plate reversely arranged and similarly applied to position the other rib 302 in the notch of said other plate, all either before or after the shaft and slats etc. are installed and ready for use. A spacer sleeve 314 is riveted to the same part of each plate 308, which has an arcuate marginal flange 316 radially outwardly spaced from the spacer. Having thus been applied to the shaft 300, the plates 308 are moved toward each other until the spacer 314 substantially abut the respective plates, the spacer bores being automatically alined with the plate holes 318. A screw 320 is then projected through each spacer 314 and the adjacent hole 318, and a nut 322 is applied to each screw to provide the rigid dovetail hanger section 306 which is thus interlocked with the ribs 302 and freely slidable along the shaft 300.

Each hanger 304 also includes an upper section 326 comprising a pair of sheet metal or other suitable angle members 328 straddling and riveted as at 330 to the web 332 of a rigid nylon or other suitable element 334 of T-shaped cross-section having a head 336. The head 336 is longitudinally arcuate and of such form and curvature as to be telescopically insertible, as indicated in dotdash lines in Fig. 36, into either end of the section 306 and assembled therewith, with the web 332 passing between the plate flanges 316, and the head passing between said flanges and the spacers 314, and the convex surfaces 338 of the head in sliding bearing contact with the concave inner surfaces 340 of said flanges.

The wings 342 of the angle members 323 are formed with a suitable number of holes 344 for receiving screws 346 to secure the upper hanger section 326 to the desired part of the window frame header 343 (Fig. 46). When the desired number of hangers 304 is applied and located where desired along the shaft 300, to prevent sagging thereof and to relieve the end journals 34 and 46 of the major or substantially all of the support burden so that the end journal friction is relatively small, the upper section 326 of each hanger will serve as a fixed journal on which the associated lower section 306 is freely journaled and supported throughout the range of tilt of the shaft in both directions and by which the lower section is prevented from movement relative to the shaft.

Where the blind is installed beyond the Window frame opening, requiring supports projecting from the wall into the room, an adapter angle bracket such as that shown at 350 may be employed for supporting each hanger 304. The vertical arm 352 of the bracket 350 has a suitable number of holes 354 for attachment of the bracket to the wall face as by screws (not shown) and the horizontal arm 356 of the bracket is arranged to project into the room. The bracket arm 356 is formed with holes 358 with which the holes 344 in the wings 342 of the hanger section 326 are adapted to more or less register when said section is properly assembled with said arm, to receive screws (not shown) for fastening the section to the arm. When the desired position for a hanger 304 is determined, the lower hanger section 306 is adjusted along the shaft 300 to that position, the upper hanger section 326 is assembled with the lower section, the bracket 350 is positioned with its horizontal arm 356 over and engaging the wings 342 and moved with the upper section to locate the vertical arm 352 against the wall, and screws are applied to fasten the latter arm to the wall and the former arm to the section 326.

The shaft 300 may also be used where no intermediate support is required, in which event the ribs 340 have no function other than to offer some reinforcement. The shaft 300 by reason of its cross-sectional form provides increased stiffness and resistance to torsion with economy of material so that it may be used in substantially greater lengths than the shaft 64 without requiring intermediate support or suspension.

The shaft 300 is of uniform cross-section and is formed with a tubular portion 364 of rectangular cross-section, with a wall thereof divided to provide lips 366 defining a slot 368 for accommodating the slat-suspending slider groups as above. Unlike the wings 62 of the shafts 64 and 270, the wings 370 of the shaft 300 are arranged to incline downward when the shaft is in neutral (untilted) position, as shown for example in Fig. 36. Each wing 370 has a marginal portion 372 performing the same function as the marginal portion of each wing 62, except that the portion 372 comes into engagement with the slats when the shaft 300 has tilted from neutral position through a smaller angle than is true of the shafts 64 and 270.

In view of the above noted downward inclination of the wings 370, the connectors 376 may be similar to the connectors 56 and 58 except for the inclination of the sockets 378.

The traverse cord looping sheave mounting for the shaft 324 may be as above described. A modified sheave mounting and assembly is shown at 382 in Figs. 34 and 35, and comprises a U-shaped leaf spring or other clip 384 adapted to be slipped onto the tube wall 386, and a sheave 78 journaled about a stud 388 riveted to the inner arm 390 of the spring. With such a sheave assembly the connectors obviously need not be formed with holes, and no sheave holding screw is required.

For heavier duty than that for which the shaft 300 is adapted, a shaft having the uniform cross-section shown at 394 (Fig. 48) is particularly useful. It is like the shaft 300 but is reinforced by a crown 396. The hanger plates 308 are recessed as indicated at 398 to accommodate the crown 396, so that the hangers 304 and adapter brackets 350 are equally adapted for use with both shafts 300 and 394. The several sheave assemblies are obviously likewise equally adapted for use with the shafts 300 and 394.

The various sliders could be rounded for engagement with the inner surfaces of the tube lips to minimize sliding friction.

The slats are preferably formed of sheet steel or sheet aluminum, and preferably bowed, substantially as shown, but wood, plastic, or other suitable material and shape, enameled or not, as desired, may be employed.

The journals 34 and 46, sliders 92, master slides 100, studs, and hanger elements 334 are preferably formed of molded nylon, but may "be of any other suitable material.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention. Hence we do not wish to be restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

We claim:

1. In a blind construction a horizontal tilt shaft journaled for rocking about a horizontal axis, a series of slats suspended from said shaft and each being rockable about a vertical axis pursuant to rotation of said shaft, said shaft having longitudinally coextensive depending wings extending oppositely angularly outwardly and downwardly, said shaft having a pair of spaced longitudinally coextensive ribs, support means intermediate the ends of said shaft, said support means comprising a stationary hanger part adapted to be attached to a fixed support and having opposed lateral shoulders, a movable'hanger part comprising a generally yoke shaped member having means engagea'ble with said ribs so as to be interlocked and rockable with said shaft but being freely slidable longitudinally thereof. said yoke terminating short of said wings, said movable hanger part having spaced oppositely directed lateral flanges engageable with said shoulders, said movable hanger part and said shaft being rockable about said horizontl axis, and said wings being selectively engageable with said slats.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the shoulders are of arcuate formation.

3. In a blind construction a horizontal tilt shaft journaled for rocking about a horizontal axis, said shaft having a pair of spaced longitudinally coextensive ribs, support means intermediate the ends of said shaft, said support means comprising a stationary hanger part adapted to be attached to a fixed support and having opposed lateral shoulders, a movable hanger part comprising a generally yoke shaped member having means engageable with said ribs so as to be interlocked and rockable with said shaft but being freely slidable longitudinally thereof, said movable hanger part having spaced oppositely directed arcuate lateral flanges engageable with said shoulders, said movable hanger part and said shaft being rockable about said horizontal axis.

4. In a blind construction a horizontal tilt shaft jour- .naled for rocking about a horizontal axis, said shaft having a pair of spaced longitudinally coextensive ribs, support means intermediate the ends of said shaft, said support means comprising a stationary hanger part adapted to be attached to a fixed support and having opposed lateral shoulders, a movable hanger part comprising a pair of generally yoke shaped spaced parallel plate members having recesses to receive said ribs so as to be interlocked and rockable with said shaft but being freely slidable longitudinally thereof, said plate members each having an arcuate flange with the flanges being directed towards each other and affording clearance therebetween, said flanges being engageable with said shoulders and permitting rocking of said shaft about said horizontal axis.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Leeper Aug. 12, 1930 Loehr Mar. 8, 1938 Ajouelo Dec. 27, 1938 Whaley Mar. 31, 1942 Schaefer Feb. 6, 1945

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