US3004592A - Foldable screening for garage doors and the like - Google Patents

Description

F. M. NORTON Oct. 17, 1961 FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed June 4. 195a 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllllllllllllllll I! llll ll! lllnliilaitt llllllllllllllll it llllllllllllllllll It lllllllllllllllll I! llllllllllllllllll 1| ilfllifldlllrflillvll llnllllinlitalifliniil V lllllllllllllll '1' I! figs Ive/2Z0? Ha 22/? MNowhsw/ fl mw, amw/zc Oct. 17, 1961 F. M. NORTON 3,004,592

FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed June 4. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I" II luv 1 I 1 LL 0 IHlIIIII' ullllllwi lllll llll l llllllll l Oct. 17, 1961 F. M. NORTON 3,00

FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed Jung 4. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet s Oct. 17, 1961 F. M. NORTON 3,004,592

FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE S'SheetS-Sheet 4 Filed June 4, 1958 I mu W"w' mll'w I Min wil 644 i rzaezz 5'02 F. M. NORTON Oct. 17, 1961 FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed June 4, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I Vania/ H4221? fl a riam United States Patent require an expensive framework structure to mount the screening within or across the opening.

Screens for homes and other buildings conventionally require a framework to which the screening material is secured. The conventional door and window screens are examples, and when not in use, these screens must ordinarily be collected together and stored until again needed. Needless to say, the storage of screens takes up a lot of room either in the basement, the attic or the garage of ones house. The problem is particularly acute ,with the development home owner as many of the newer homes have only limited storage space, either because there is no usable basement or attic or because the space available must be preserved for other uses.

The screen storage problem, as well as cost, in the past have prohibited screening oil of large open areas such as "garage door openings, car ports, and the like, though this would otherwise be highly desirable in many instances where the home has no porch or basement and much of the family activity is carried on under the shelter provided by the garage or car port. Naturally, in-

1 sects, particularly in the evening during warmer months .ofthe yea -prevent maximum enjoyment of these available facilities without the protection of screening.

A principal object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive fold-up type screening that eliminates the needffor conventional wood or metal framework structures, and materially reduces the space required for screening storage.

A further principal object of my invention is to provide screening that may be folded into a relatively small bundle for storage purposes.

Still a further principal object of my invention is to provide a screening device that not only makes practical the screening olf of large openings such as are found llfingarages, car, ports and the like, but also reduces the Iinstallation of thescreening to a do-i-t-yourself basis, 'thus bringing large scale screening installations within the capabilities of the average home owner.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a Q or become apparent from a consideration of the follow- I screening device that is economical to manufacture, which presents apleasingappearance, and which is adaptedufo'r a wide variety of screening operations.

ing detailed description andthe application drawings. a v

In t e drawings:

1 FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a garage and .garage doorway showing one embodiment offlmy invention, applied thereto; 7

. FIGURE 2;,i's, a plan view of .the screening device showninfIGURB 1'; p

FIGURE 3 .is a cross-sectional viewalong line 3-3 of. FIGURE .1; p g V FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic fragmental perspective view ,of the lower portion of the screening device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is. across-sectional view along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

; FIGURE '6 is a fragmental plan view on an enlarged scale of the upper left hand corner of the screening shown in FIGURE 1; 4

3,004,592 Patented Oct. 17., 1961 ing how the screen device may be secured to the garage door; I p FIGURE 10 is a perspective view illustrating my invention as employed to screen off a porch, showing one side open for entry;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmental cross-sectional view along line 11-11 of FIGURE 10 when the screening is zipped in place;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged plan view of the upper portion of one of the screening devices, illustrating a modification of the invention; 7

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 5, but illustrating a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmental elevational view of one corner of a stone garage doorway illustrating a further manner of installing the screening about garage doorways or the like openings;

FIGURE 15 is a cross-sectional view along line 15-15 of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of a patio screened in accordance with my invention;

FIGURE 17 is a cross-sectional view along line 1717 of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 16, illustrating a modified patio screening arrangement; and

FIGURE 19 is a cross-sectional view along line 19-19 of FIGURE 18.

Reference numeral 10 of FIGURES l and 2 generally indicates a preferred embodiment of the invention applied to the doorway 12 of the two-car frame garage 14 that is shown attached to building 16.

Referring to FIGURES g2-6, it will be noted that the screen device 10 comprises a relatively large quadrilateral sheet 20 of flexible screening material, such as fiberglass screening, to which is secured about three of the edges thereof fabric flanges 22 (see FIGURE 6). As seen in FIGURES 3 and 5-, the flanges 22 are preferably secured to the structure defining the doorway 12, and the screening sheet 20 is in turn secured to the respective flanges 22 by zipper devices 24, 26 and 28. The zipper devices each comprise rows of conventional interlocking zipper lug elements 30, one row of elements 30 being secured in a conventional manner to a tape 32 that is stitched to the corresponding edge of the screening. 20 while the other row of lug elements 30 is securedto a tape 34 that is stitched to the corresponding flange 22 (see FIGURE 6). The respective zipper devices each include a double handled zipper fastening member 36 which is employed to bring the zipper lug elements into interlocking engagement as is well known in the zipper art. The zipper assembly 36 that extends along the top of the screenings moves either to the right or to the left of FIGURE 1 in closing or opening the zipper, but preferably the socket 38 and starting zipper lugs 39 (see FIGURE 6) of the side zipper assemblies 24 and 28 are positioned at the top edge of the screening 20, so that the zipper fastening members 36 of these'assemblies move downwardly when the side zippers are closed.

As shown 'in FIGURE 6a, the members 36 have handles or pulls 37 on each side thereof so that they may be operated from either side of the screening.

In the screening device 10, the lower or fourth edge of the sheet 20 is embraced by a flap member 40 that may be formed from any suitable weather resistant material. The member 40 is' illustrated in the form of an elongated sheet 42 which is doubled over along its longitudinal axis and secured by suitable stitching along its longitudinal edges 44 to-the bottom edge of the screening 20. Suitable weights 46 may be positioned within the space 48 defined by the doubled over member 40; the weights 46 should be relatively short and light to permit folding of the screening into a relatively small bundle.

The device 10 is shown secured to the frame garage 14 by appropriate nails 50 extending through lattice strips 52 and into the framework of the garage, the respective flanges'22 being interposed between the strips 52 and the garage framework structure. The securing arrangement at the top and sides of the garage doorway is similar, as seen in FIGURES 3 and 5.

The screening device 10 also includes a protective cloth fabric flap 54 which is secured in place over the respective flanges 22 by fasteners 50 and 56. The flaps 54 are preferably proportioned so that they overlie the respec-- tive zipper assemblies to protect same. It will be noted that the flanges 22 are also proportioned to overlie the zipper assemblies (see FIGURES 3) so that the respective zipper assemblies are in efiect housed in a protective enclosure. As the flaps 54 and flanges tend to lie flat against the screening device, the zippers are exposed to the elements only when being operated. Both the flaps 54 and the flanges 22 may be formed from suitable weatherproofing and moisture resisting materials.

The screening device lo may also include several hooks 60 (see FIGURES 4 and 9) secured in any suitable manner to the outwardly facing surface of flap 40 for securing to suitable eyes 62 attached to one of the articulated panels 64 of conventional overhead door 66 that is shown mounted for operation across doorway 12 in FIG- URES 7 and 8. The positioning of hooks 6i) and eyes 62 may be reversed, if so desired.

The screening device 10 when employed for screening garage doorways of the type shown in FIGURES 1', 7 and 8 may be supplied in several standard sizes corresponding to the standard sizes of garage doorways whether they be of theone-car or two-car type. The device 10 will ordinarily be supplied in the form shown in FIGURE 2 including the flanges 22 and the zipper assemblies 24, 26 and 28 as well as flaps 54. The flanges 22 are secured in place about the doorway in the manner indicated in FIGURES 3 and 5 either with or without the screening 20 zipped in place. The securing arrangement of FIGURES 3 and 5 is preferred for frame structures though the bars or strips 52 may be eliminated if so desired. Alternately, the flanges may be secured to the v face boards 70 of the doorway, as shown in FIGURE 13,

as by nails 72. The securing arrangement of FIGURE 13 is preferred for doorways of brick or stone buildings though it is possible to employ the arrangement of FIG- means is provided for retaining nails 50 and 56 in place.

A further way of securing the screening device 10 in place about the doorway 12 is illustrated by FIGURES 14 and 15. Framing members 53, which in the illustrated embodiment are formed from rolled aluminum screen stock, are secured about the top and sides of the doorway in any suitable manner, the flange 22, to which flaps 54 are secured by suitable stitching 54a,.being held in place in each member 53 by rod-like splines 55 forced together with the border of the flange into pocket 57 of the respective members 53. The splines 55 are formedfrom a resistant plastic material, and bind the flange to the respective framing members 53. The individual members 53 are secured in place by suitable screws: 59 passing URES 3 and 5 for masonry structures where suitable structures (as shown) or into the wood of frame building structures. The members 53 may be mitered at the 4 corners as indicated at 63 to make job.

The protective flaps 54 may be omitted if so desired, and where employed, may be supplied separately or stitched to the respective flanges 22.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 1-9, 14 and 15, the flanges 22 are formed from any suitable canvas or clothlike material, as are the tapes 32 and 34 of the zipper assemblies.

When the zipper assemblies are operated to secure the screening 20 in place, the doorway 12 will be effectively screened off against insects. When it is desired to open the doorway 12 to move ones automobile into or out of the garage, the hooks 60 of the flaps 40 are engaged with eyes 62 of the garage door 66, after the side zipper assemblies 24and 28 have beenunzipped, and when the door 66 is moved to its overhead position, the screening 20 is lifted out of the doorway; By returning the door to its position of FIGURE 7 and unhooking the screening 20 for rezipping, the screening is returned to its screening position within the doorway.

Access to the garage will normally be had through its conventional door opening leading into the house, but by unzipping one side of the screening, one may open up the screening sufficiently to enter, and then re-zip it into place,

My invention is applicable to other large openings or spaces, such as in the porch shown in FIGURE 10 or the patio shown in FIGURES 16 and 18. The porch 80 includes two openings 82 and 84 in which screening a very neat appearing devices 86 and 88 are mounted, devices 86 and 88 being similar in nature but proportioned to close ofi the spaces 82 and 84 respectively. The devices 86 and 88 each comprise the relatively large fiberglass screening members 90 and 90a, the zipper assemblies 92, which are similar to the zipper assemblies previously described, and flanges 94, which are similar to previously described flanges 22. The zipper assemblies 92 and flanges 94 are mounted about all four sides of the screening member 90 but device 86 is similar in construction to device 10. The flanges 94 at the sides of the devices 86 and 88 may be secured to suitable upright structures 96 as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 11, which shows strips 98 nailed in place against the respective flanges 94 and uprights 96. The sides of the screening device 86 adjacent the building 100 are held in place in a similar manner as by strips 102 suitably nailed in place and flanges 94 at the tops of both the devicesand the bottom of device 88 may be tacked directly in place to adjacent porch framing structures. The device 86 includes flap 40 so that it acts as a doorforthe porch, which is operated merely by unzipping and re-zipping one of the side zipper assemblies. The flanges 94 may be secured in position with or without the screening zipper in place.

The screening devices 86 and 88 also may include the protective flaps 54a and the flanges 94 may be proportioned as described above so that the zipper assemblies are protected from the weather. The zipper assemblies include tapes 32 and 34 for securing the zippers to flanges 94 and the screening members 90.

When the devices 86 and 88 are positioned as illustrated, they serve as screening for the porch 80 during the months of the year when screening is desired. When it is desired to remove the screening, the zipper assemblies are operated to unzip the screening 90 and 90a, and the latter are folded up and placed in' 'aiiappropriate storage space. The flanges may also be removed, but this is not necessary under ordinary circumstances, and re-application of the screening at the beginning of the next season is facilitated by having the flanges already mounted.

FIGURE 12 illustrates a modified form of the invention in which the flanges described above are provided in the form of fiberglass strips 110. This concept may be applied to all of the embodiments of the invention illustrated. 7

My invention is also applicable to enclosing patios and summer houses, as illustrated in FIGURES 16 19. In FIGURE 16, patio 120 is enclosed by screening device 122 by erecting vertical and horizontal wooden framing members 124 and 12.6 respectively substantially as shown adjacent the homelZS. 01' o her bu lding, n al i g screening e ices. 13.0, cons ructed iath same way as devices but suitably proportioned for the spaces to be screened off, to the framing members in the manner indicated in FIGURE 17. Thus, nails 132 are applied along flanges 22 to secure the screening devices in place, the zippers being drawn up tight at the corners to close off all openings. The top panel 134 can be formed from a water proof canvas instead of fiberglass, if so desired, to provide a roof for the patio.

In the arrangement of FIGURES 18 and 19, framing members 124a and 126a are formed from piping, and flanges 22 are omitted in favor of interconnecting strips 140, which may be formed either from canvas (as shown) or fiberglass, that are provided with zipper lug elements 30 along each edge thereof. Two zipper fasteners or pulls 36 operate longitudinally of each framing member to fasten the devices 12?. together without securing the strips 140 to the piping.

In the embodiments of FIGURES 16-19, the screening along the sides of home 128 is secured in place by one of the methods described above. The screening may be opened from either the outside or inside of the enclosure at one of the framing members where entry or exit is desired. While the supporting structures shown are generally prismatic in configuration, other shapes come within the scope of the invention.

Summer houses would be formed in accordance with my invention in the same manner except four sides and a top would be enclosed, as the summer house is normally an independent structure.

It will therefore be seen that I have provided a screening device for screening off relatively large openings which neither employs nor requires any framework structure that is comparable to that used in conventional window screens and which may be folded up into a relatively small package for storage purposes. Moreover, the need for the conventional screen door is eliminated since access to and from the screened ofi. area may be achieved by merely unzipping the screening along one side of the opening and moving the screen to one side. Fiberglass screening is relatively inexpensive and easy to handle. At the present time it is available in widths up to six feet, but fiberglass screening may be easily sewed or stitched together where larger widths are required. It is relatively light in weight and its physical characteristics permit it to be readily shaped to any appropriate size.

The screening shapes employed may be other than quadrilateral where the opening to be closed off requires that.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate my invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A closure device for garage doorways comprising guide rail members mounted on each side of the doorway and each including generally vertical portions merging into generally horizontal portions above the doorway that extend inwardly of the doorway, a sectionalized door mounted for shifting movement by said guide rail members between a lower generally vertical doorway closing position in parallel relation with said vertical portions and an upper generally horizontal position in parallel relation with said horizontal portions to open the doorway, a generally quadrilateral sheet of fiberglass screening proportioned to substantially close off the doorway, a

row of zipper lug' fastening elements secured along two opposed edges of said sheet, one of the other of the remaining pair of edges of the sheet serving as the top of said sheet, a flange member for each of said opposed edges of said sheet,'said flange members being substantially coextensive with said opposed edges, respectively, and, each carrying along one edge thereof a row of zipper lug fastening elements adapted to interlock with the respective lug fastening elements of said opposed edges, respectively, zipper lug fasteners operably associated with said elements of each of said opposed screening edges and their said flanges, respectively, said elements and said fasteners along said opposed edges of said screening comprising zipper fastening means, with the zipper fastening means of each of said opposed screening edges employing zipper starting lugs and sockets at the top of said sheet, whereby said zipper fasteners of said opposed screening edges are moved downwardly to interlock said elements of said opposed edges with said elements of their respective flanges, means for securing said flanges and said top of said sheet along the sides and top of the doorway, respectively, the fourth of said edges of said sheet engaging the bottom of the doorway, and including means for releasably securing the fourth edge of said sheet to said door adjacent the top portion thereof, whereby, the screening sheet fourth edge, after said zipper means are snfficiently unzipped, may be secured to said portion of said door when said door is in its said vertical position, and after the screening zipper means are fully unzipped, the door may be moved to its said horizontal position to remove said screening from said doorway without detaching said screening therefrom.

2. A screening device for garage doorways having a garage door apparatus associated therewith of the type including guide rail members mounted on each side of the doorway and each including generally vertical portions merging into generally horizontal portions above the doorway that extend inwardly of the doorway, a sectionalized door mounted for shifting movement by said guide rail members between a lower generally vertical doorway closing position in parallel relation with said vertical portions and an upper generally horizontal position in parallel relation with said horizontal portions to open the doorway, said screening device comprising a generally quadrilateral sheet of fiberglass screening proportioned to substantially close off the doorway, a row of zipper lug fastening elements secured along two opposed edges of said sheet, one of the other of the remaining pair of edges of the sheet serving as the top of said sheet, a flange member for each of said opposed edges of said sheet, said flange members being substantially coextensive with said opposed edges, respectively, and each carrying along one edge thereof a row of zipper lug fastening elements adapted to interlock with the respective lug fastening elements of said opposed edges, respectively, zipper lug fasteners operably associated with said elements of each of said opposed screening edges and their flanges, respectively, said elements and said fasteners along said opposed edges of said screening comprising zipper fastening means, with the zipper fastening means of each of said opposed screening edges employing zipper starting lugs and sockets at the top of said sheet, whereby said zipper fasteners of said opposed screening edges are moved downwardly to interlock said elements of said opposed edges with said elements of their respective flanges, means for securing said flanges and said top of said sheet along the sides and top of the doorway, respectively, the fourth of said edges of said sheet engaging the bottom of the doorway, and means for releasably securing the fourth edge of said sheet adjacent the top portion of said door, whereby, the screening sheet fourth edge, after said zipper means are sufficiently unzipped, may be secured to said portion of said door when said door is in its said vertical position, and after the screening zipper means are fully unzipped the door may be moved to its said horizontal position to remove said screening from said door- 1,990,870 Kelly Feb. 12, 1935 way without detaching said device'therefrom. 2,002,596 Westrope May 28, 1935 References Cited in the file of this patent I ;f'f '"7"7 S UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,391,871 I Ben$on... .Jan. 1, 1946 7 445,661 Moore et a1. Feb. 3, 1891 2,702,082 Wolf Feb. 15, 1955 1,743,369 Mears Jan. 14, 1930 Smith; Mar. 26, 1959

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