US3058517A

US3058517A - Muntin bar assemblies

Info

Publication number: US3058517A
Application number: US121606A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark N Jacobs; Paroselli Leopold
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-07-03
Filing date: 1961-07-03
Publication date: 1962-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1979-10-16

Description

Oct. 16, 1962 M. N. JACOBS ET AL MUNTIN BAR ASSEMBLIES Filed July 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet .L

INVENTORS MARK N. JACOBS BY LEOPOLD PAROSELLI AT TOR NEY Oct. 16, 1962 M. N. JACOBS ET AL 3,058,517

MUNTIN BAR ASSEMBLIES Filed July 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIP'IP'I I INVENTORS MARK N. JACOBS BY LEOPOLD PAROSELLI ala/9 ATTORNEY United States atent 3,058,517 MUNTIN BAR ASSEMBLIES Mark N. Jacobs, 11-12 Norma Ave., Fairlawn, N.J., and Leopold Paroselli, 15 Anderson Ave., Demarest, NJ. Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,606 1 Claim. (Cl. 160-1136) Our invention generically relates to windows and in particular a collapsible muntin bar assembly adapted to be detachably secured to a window sash for the production of a window having the appearance of one with a plurality of diamond or square shaped window lights.

The tremendous population explosion in the United States has created a vast demand for economical home buildings, particularly in the suburbs contiguous to large population and business centers, like metropolitan New York, Philadelphia, Newark, Chicago and Los Angeles. The builders of these homes are confronted on the one hand with ever increasing costs of labor and materials, and faced on the other, with the necessity of building homes in large numbers to sell at figures that can be met by the buyers who require the homes. The builder is in a squeeze and he must also meet the competition of other builders in the area. It is a highly competitive market and every item that goes into the figuring of the building of a house must be scrutinized with care to assure that it will accomplish its intended purpose and do so at the lowest possible cost.

Many home buyers demand in houses in the medium price bracket the two over two (2/2); three over three (3/3); four over four (4/4) and diamond-shaped window lights which with conventional constructions raises costs greatly over the single light window construction. For example, as compared to a double-hung 2/4 x 3/ 2 2/2 window with an installation cost of about $28.00 including labor and materialssome estimators base their costs of triple windows, that is 3/3, at three times the cost of a single window plus $3.50. For quadruple windows, that is 4/4, the cost of a single window is multiplied four times plus $13.50. This increases the costs of the house having many windows by a large sum.

A primary object of our invention is a collapsible muntin bar assembly which can be produced in economical fashion in large numbers having means for quick attachment to and detachment from the window sash for cleaning or other purposes. A related and also primary object is a detachable muntin bar assembly which will produce the appearance of a multi-paned window at a cost vastly less than the conventional window. A still further object is a collapsible muntin bar assembly which can be fabricated of relatively flat metal or plastic bars at minimum manufacturing and assembly costs. Another object is a collapsible muntin bar assembly which can be shipped to the builder from the point of manufacture occupying the minimum shipping space at low shipping and hauling expenses. These and other objects will be manifest after a perusal of the following specification.

Briefly described, the muntin bar assembly comprises a plurality of metal or plastic bars in assembled relation such that it can be readily collapsed, extended for window attachment and is provided with pivoted fasteners for engagement with the sash when the assembly is extended for placement in a window.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a casement window having single lights with our muntin bar assembly positioned thereon producing the effect of a plurality of diamond-shaped lights.

FIGURE 2 depicts a front elevation of a double-hung window with our assembly positioned thereon producing a plurality of diamond-shaped lights.

ice

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of a double-hung window with the square muntin bar assembly thereon.

FIGURE 4 is a view showing the muntin bar assembly for a diamond-shaped lights in collapsed form.

FIGURE 5 is a top elevational view showing the muntin bar assembly for square lights in collapsed form.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the assembly shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a section on line 77 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8a section on line 88 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9a section on line 99 of FIGURE 3.

In the specification and drawings, like numbers refer to like parts.

In carrying out our invention, we designate one preferred form of the muntin bar assembly by numeral 5, with bars 6 having inclined ends 7, and in this embodiment there is one pair of bars 6 dimensioned alike. Ends 7 are inclined on each of bars 6 in parallelism so that when assembly 5 is in extended position, as for example illustrated in FIGURE 1, said ends 7 will confront the adjacent stiles S of the sash. Bars 6 are centrally pivoted to each other as by pin 8.

Pivoted at one of their inclined ends 9 to the outer ends 7 of bars 6 are two pair of identically dimensioned bars 10, said pairs of bars also centrally pivoted to each other by pins 11 and at their end '9 also attached and pivoted by pins 12 to ends 7; top 13 of pins 12 carry pivotally thereon fasteners 14 provided with curved finger portion 15. The free ends 16 of bars 10' are inclined to a greater degree and in an opposite direction to the inclination of their pivoted ends 9 and the free ends 16 are bevelled to a point as at 17see FIGURE 8.

The muntin bar assembly 5 is shipped to the job in collapsed or folded form as depicted in FIGURE 4 and to secure and install, the assembly is extended and positioned on the wondow sash with the bars of the assembly adjacent and over the single light L. The curved portion 15 of fasteners 14 are then turned to imbed the outer ends of the said fasteners in the adjacent stiles S of the sash, as depicted in FIGURE 7. The pivoting of fasteners 14 about pins 12, with the pins acting as fulcrums, causes bevelled terminals 17 of the bars to engage the top and bottom rails R of the sashsee FIGURE 8. Thus, a single lighted window is given the inherent beauty of a diamond and quasi-diamond lighted window as best shown in FIGURE 1, an example of a casement window. In FIGURE 2 is illustrated a double-hung window, with a single light top and botton which when our muntin bar assembly is installed as shown, is provided with all of the attributes and appearance of a multi-lighted window, without the greatly increased cost of labor and materials. Cleaning is easily accomplished by removing assembly 5 and in a few minutes the window panes can be cleaned with facility. The assembly is readily detached from the window by manipulating arms 15 to turn the fasteners 14 out of engagement with the stiles. Removal of the assembly presents no problem as its weight is but a few ounces. We contemplate that the assembly illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 will be fabricated of relatively thin, inherently light, material such as aluminum, and as those skilled in the art will comprehend, the dimensions of the bars and inclinations of the ends thereof will vary for different sizes and kinds of windows, as demand dictates. Aluminum is one preferred material as the bars simulate the lead glazing of antiquity. And it is also intended that the muntin bar assembly may be varied from the form shown in FIGURE 1 by having more or less of the bars 6 and extending their length and the length of the companion bars to provide additional diamond-shaped lights when the modified assembly (not shown) is extended.

In FIGURE 3 is illustrated a View of a double-hung window with another preferred embodiment in the form of assembly 18 wherein to longitudinally extending bar 19 are pivoted at their centers, as by pins 20, a pair of bars 21, each carrying at their opposite outer ends a pair of fasteners 22. These fasteners are mounted on pins 23 and their inner ends define a curved portion 24. As best shown in FIGURE 9 fasteners 22 engage the top rail R of the window sash when assembly 18 is extended and mounted in the sash. Thus, in eflect as is shown in FIGURE 3, a six over six (6/6) double-hung window with square lights is provided at vastly less cost than conventional multipaned construction, and in a house with many windows, the savings run into substantial amounts. And, too, if the house owner so desires he can remove and store the muntin bar assemblies after cleaning the windows if he desires to vary the appearance of his house. As with assembly 5, assembly 18 may be varied by adding to the number of bars 21, or having only one of them. In FIGURES 4 and 5 are illustrated

assemblies

5 and 18 in closed or collapsed position. Before installation it is only necessary to open up the assemblies from their closed positions.

All assemblies of our invention are, as has been described, adapted to be detachably secured to window sash.

We do not wish to limit the material of which our assembly is fabricated. It may be one of the man-made materials, such as plastics, and the component bars could be extruded at modest cost. Assembly of either metals or plastics could be done expeditiously, and as can be seen in the drawings, particularly FIGURES 4 and 5, shipping large quantities of muntin bar assemblies can be accomplished at minimum cost.

In all assemblies, when in engaged position, it is to be noted that the

fasteners

14 and 22 extend beyond the ends of the bars on which they are pivoted.

Our invention can also be employed in window sash having more than one light; it can be attached to each light of a two light window to produce either a plurality of diamond or square shaped lights on each light, for example.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of our invention shown and described, are illustrative only, and that the invention is susceptible to considerable variation as to details, and other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

A collapsible, unitary, integral muntin bar assembly for detachably securing on a window sash having at least one light, upper and lower rails and side stiles, said assembly comprising a plurality of interconnected flat metal bars, one pair of bars similarly dimensioned, centrally pivoted to each other and having inclined ends, a pair of fasteners pivoted in the region of the opposite ends of and to at least one of said pair of bars, one end of the fasteners pointed, the other end having a raised portion for manipulating the fastener, two pair of similarly dimensioned centrally pivoted bars, also having inclined ends, having their inner ends pivoted to the outer ends of the first mentioned pair of bars, and their opposite free ends bevelled to a point, the pointed ends of the fasteners adapted to be imbedded in the adjacent stiles of the sash when the assembly is in extended condition with the pivot points of the fasteners functioning as fulcrums, whereby the opposite upper and lower pointed ends of the second mentioned pair of bars engage the upper and lower rails of the sash when the raised portions of the fasteners are turned to imbed the pointed ends of the fasteners in the stiles of the sash and thereby maintain the assembly on a window light to produce the efiect of a window with a plurality of lights.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 193,195 Steckel July 17, 1877 1,501,545 Piifard-Francis July 15, 1924 1,572,763 Carr Feb. 9, 1926 2,408,281 Wilkin Sept. 24, 1946 3,021,577 Roberts Feb. 30, 1962