US3125333A - Awning type window - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1964 A. J. oLsEN ETAL 3,125,333

AWNING TYPE WINDOW INVENTORS. new J. ase-N BY RAYMWVQ BA1/(12 `@mwa T'ORNEf March 17, 1964 A, J. oLsEN ETAL 3,125,333

AWNING TYPE WINDOW Filed Dec. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. dus# u. az se# wwwa/vo @4x64 BY 115' 2 0 m 4 'frode/ffy March 17, 1964 A J, QLSEN ETAL 3,125,333

AWNING TYPE WINDOW Filed Dec. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS LLE/V d 0455A/ RAyMo/vo @HKM ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,125,333 AWNING TYPE WINDOW Allen J. Olsen, Detroit, and Raymond Baker, Livonia,

Mich., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Security Aluminum Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 73,368 9 Claims. (Cl. 268-109) This invention relates to awning windows, and more particularly to the hinge mountings for the window vents therein.

Heretofore, in awning windows of this type, there has been employed a hollow frame of conventional character and positioned therein one or more substantially upright pivotal window vents or frames with means for pivotally mounting the said vents at their opposite ends upon the frame together with means for actuating the said vents for rotating the same for opening and closing movements about a horizontal axis.

One of the ditiiculties heretofore experienced in windows of this type was that when the actuator or control mechanism was in what was believed to be the fully closed position the window vent was not fully or sealed closed at its lower edge with the window frame or the adjacent window.

It is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to incorporate within the awning window assembly herein a novel form of hinge plate assembly whereby the angular relationship between the hinge plate and the window frame may be adjusted to assure that the window will fully close and seal. This is particularly true where there are employed a plurality of window frames all under the control of a single manual actuator bar and where, for example, one set of windows fully close, but the others do not. Thus the present hinge plate construction, in accordance with the primary object of the present invention provides an adjustability factor between the frame yof the window vent and the hinge plate which will thus assure that on proper adjustment all Window vent frames will effectively close tight.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel form of torque tube connection between the actuator bar under manual control for transmitting rotative forces to the hinge plate at the opposite end of at least one of the set of tiltable vents.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved awning window assembly.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of the present awning window, as viewed from the interior of a building or vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan section of the awning window shown in FIG. 1, on line 3-3 thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary partially sectioned elevational view of a portion of the torque tube assembly and its connection with the vent hinge plate.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end view thereof.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the lower vent assembly with associated sill of the frame and the hinge plate therefor.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section on an enlarged scale illustrating the seal construction of the top vent shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a similar view with the top vent partly open.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

3,125,333 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 ICC that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, the present awning window, which is adapted for any type of structure, such as a building 4or a trailer for illustration, includes the hollow metallic frame, preferably of extruded aluminum or the like, generally indicated at 16 which is normally nested and positioned within a rectangular aperture 15, FIG. 2 formed in the wall of a building or vehicle or other construction, as designated at 12.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is contemplated that the present awning window be applied to and within the body of a vehicle trailer. Accordingly, the wall or body 12 of the building has upon its exterior surface a metallic skin 13 of aluminum or stainless steel, for illustration, and upon its interior a plywood layer, as indicated at 14, thus deiiningywithin the said wall the aperture, or opening 15 within which the awning window assembly is positioned and secured as hereinafter described.

The said frame 16 includes the opposed parallel spaced side rails or jambs 17, FIGS. 1 and 3, which are generally positioned within the aperture 15, which include the integral upright plates 18 which overlap adjacent edge portions of the body structure 12 and are secured thereto in i a conventional manner by a series of longitudinal spaced fasteners 19, such as screws which project through frame apertures 19 and into the said body 12, as best illustrated in FIG. 3.

The plates 13 forming an integral part of the side rails also include as an integral part thereof the elongated upright side support flanges 20, which as shown in FIG. 3, are arranged adjacent opposite sides of the opening within the frame and provide the means by which the vents are pivotally mounted as hereinafter described.

As particularly shown in FIG. 3, the side rail elements 17 have apertured ribs as at 21 which extend throughout their length and provide a means by which the top frame element 23 may span and be secured at its ends to the corresponding upper ends of the said side rails employing the fasteners 22. Said fasteners thread down into the longtiudinal apertures of ribs 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the top frame element 23 includes the upright continuous web 24 which overlies a portion of the building unit 12 and is xedly secured thereto by a series of longitudinally spaced fasteners 19 in a conventional manner. The top frame element 23 also includes the front overhanging or depending continuous plate 25 which serves as a protective cover and enclosure means for the mechanism at the upper end of the window frame as best shown in FIG. 2.

There is also provided at the lower end of the frame 16 a sill defining element 26, preferably of extruded aluminum which at its opposite ends is secured to the lower end portions of the upright rails 17 by additional fasteners 22 which project securely into the longitudinal grooves of apertured ribs 21 in the said side rails 17.

The sill 26 has along its forward edge the vertically offset sill element 27 adapted for cooperative registry with the lower longitudinal edge of the lower vent 48 when the said vent is closed, as shown. The sill 26 also includes the integral depending continuous plate 28 which overlies a portion of the body 12 of the building or vehicle and is fixedly secured thereto by a series of additional longitudinally spaced fasteners 19.

As is conventional in awning windows of this type, there is provided a suitable manually operable control mechanism as at 29 in the nature of a housing and which includes the manually rotatable handle 31, which operates a worm-type of rack gear in conjunction with the rack 32 slidably positioned within the control mechanism 29 and projecting therebelow as at 32, being pivotally connected as at to the link 33, which at its upper end is pivotally joined at 34 by a suitable fastener to a lower end portion of the A-bar or the actuator bar 35. This part of the construction is conventional, but shows the manually operable means hereinafter referred to also as manually operable vertically reciprocal actuator means for pivotally actuating the hinge plates of the pivotal window vents as hereinafter described.

As particularly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, there is arranged across the upper portion of the frame 16 upon the interior thereof, the horizontally disposed torque tube 36 which at its outer ends have axial slots 37 defining spaced end members adapted for projection into opposed pairs of arcuate slots formed within the respective upper hinge plates 38 to thus establish a xed driving connection between the said hinge plates and torque tube 36.

After the elongated hinge plates 38 are iixedly mounted over the slitted ends of torque tube 36, the cup shaped buttons 39 with axial studs 40 projecting therefrom are fixedly and frictionally mounted over the respective ends of the said torque tube in a manner shown in FIG. 4. The respective studs 40 in axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the tube 36 are projected through corresponding apertures 41 formed through upper portions of the upright side support flanges 20, which form a part of side rails 17, as illustrated in FIG. 3. A spring nut fastener 42, often referred to as a Tinnerman nut is pressed over the respective outer end portions of the studs 40 to further retain the torque tube 36 in assembled position, FIGS. 3 and 4 and FIG. 5.

A portion of the respective hinge plates 38 extends upwardly of the point of securing the tube 36 to the said hinge plate in the manner shown in FIG. 2 and there is provided a pivotal connection as at 43 of the said hinge plate with the A-bar or actuator bar 35 at its upper end, there being a suitable locking clip 44 associated with the pivot pin 43 for iixedly, yet pivotally securing the said actuator bar to the said hinge plate 38 for pivotally operating the same in the manner hereinafter described.

An elongated normally upright hollow vent frame 45 preferably of extruded aluminum or the like is positioned within the main frame 16 and opposite end portions of the said vent frame are iixedly, yet adjustably secured to the hinge plates 3-8. For this purpose, the said hinge plate 38 includes an upper mounting finger 50 which projects laterally thereof as shown in FIG. 2, and which extends through a slot of the side iiange 49 of the vent frame 4S and is secured thereto by the fastener 52.

The vent frame 45 includes at its upper longitudinal edge overhanging forwardly projecting flange 46 and along its lower edge the formed or extruded base flange 47 which in co-operation with the end members 49 denes the said vent frame and is provided with continuous parallel flanges therearound for mounting and retaining the glass plate 48 therein.

The hinge plate 38 also has formed therein spaced below the connecting tongue 50 a second connecting tongue 51 of greater height than the tongue 50 and having formed therethrough for illustration a iirst aperture 53. The tongue 51 projects laterally through a slot formed in the end members 49 at opposite ends thereof and is xedly secured thereto by a fastener which extends through the aperture 53 and through a corresponding aperture in the said end frame 49.

As shown on an increased scale in FIG. 6, the tongue 51, being substantially the same on the hinge plate 58, as the hinge plate 38 includes additional spaced apertures 54 and 55 with the said apertures 54 and 55 progressively displaced laterally with respect to the aperture 53 and associated fastener. Formed through the corresponding support 49 directly below the aperture therein which corresponds to aperture 53 are an additional pair of apertures in alignment with the first mentioned aperture.

For illustration the aperture 54 is offset with respect to the aperture 53 a distance of approximately .020 of an inch. Furthermore, the aperture 55 is laterally odset with respect to the aperture 53, a distance of approximately .04() of an inch for illustration.

Accordingly, in setting up the vent or window frame, if the particular frame does not fully close and seal snugly within the frame, the upper screw corresponding to the aperture 53 is removed and the screw introduced for example into the aperture 54 with a slight angular readjustment being made between the said hinge plate 38 and the window frame element 49 so that the screw enters the second aperture 54 formed in the frame member 49. Thus there is provided a means whereby an angular adjustment may be initially achieved between the hinge plate 38 and the corresponding frame element 49 which forms a part of the vent 48.

If the adjustment is not sufficient, then the screw may be removed from the aperture 54 and a readjustment achieved so that the screw enters the lowermost aperture 55 for cooperative projection within the lower aperture 55 in the frame element to thus achieve a greater angular adjustment between the said frame and the hinge plate 38. Thus it is seen that in view of the center distances between the respective screw openings 53, 54 and 55, with respect to the connection at 52, in view of the ratio of distances here and the distance between the axis of the torque tube 36 and the bottom edge of the vent 48, that the small adjustment at points 53, 54 and 55 will provide for increased adjustment at the bottom edge of the vent.

For example, if the intermediate set of openings are employed, such as the openings 54, 54', providing a lateral adjustment at the hinge plate of only .020 of an inch, assuming an 8 to 1 ratio, the adjustment at the bottom edge of the window will be .160 inch.

On the other hand, if the bottom screw openings, 55 and 55' are employed for connecting the hinge plate 38 to the vent frame element 49, then in that case with a lateral adjustment at that point .040 of an inch, the adjustment at the bottom edge of the vent will be .320 inch. This thus provides a means whereby the angular relationship between the hinge plates 38 at opposite ends of the vent 49 may be adjusted so that in operation as hereinafter described, all of the vents will close simultaneously and fully seal within the frame.

Referring again to FIG. 2, it is seen that the upper marginal edge of the overhang 46 at the top of the vent frame extends upwardly and is arcuate as at 56 so as to cooperatively underlie the lower free edge of the overhang plate 25. In order to complete a water tight seal, an elongated strip of material 57 is interposed between the lower edge of the overhang 25 and the forward edge of the forwardly extending member 46 of the vent frame. Strip 57 may be rubber or neoprene.

Thus regardless of the tilting movement of the upper vent 48, there will be a seal between its upper longitudinal edge and the bottom longitudinal edge of the overhang 25.

In the present window construction, normally there are provided two or more additional vent frames arranged in vertical alignment normally with the liirst vent frame 45-48 and with means for providing pivotal mounting of the same upon the hollow frame 16 for movement in unison with the iirst described vent frame.

For this purpose, a slightly different form of hinge plate 58 is employed which is similar in some respects to the hinge plates 38, but differs in other respects. For example, the upper hinge plates 38 are mounted upon opposite ends of the torque tube 36 and the torque tube itself is pivotally mounted upon the side support anges 20.

In the case of the hinge plates 58, no torque tube is available and accordingly the pivot mounting 64 for the said hinge plates 58 form an integral part of the said hinge plate as best shown in FIG. 6.

The second vent 48 includes the formed top frame element 59, which is cooperable with and is sealingly er1- gagedv in .a conventional manner with the longitudinal undersurface of the top vent 48. The second vent frame also includes a bottom frame element 60 with depending longitudinal flange adapted to cooperatively engage the forward longitudinal edge of the sill element 27 of the main frame and which also includes a conventional downwardly depending sealing means for cooperative engagement with a portion of the sill for sealing the vent frame when in closed position.

Though not described in detail, the same vent frames 49 and 61 also are provided with cooperative sealing means at their respective opposite upright edges for cooperative sealing engagement with portions of the main frame to thus completely seal the Vents when in closed position, as shown in FIG. 2.

Arranged upon the opposite upper edges of the side frame elements 61 of the lower vent are the pair of hinge plates 58, which said hinge plates include the upper projection 62, fixedly secured to the outer surfaces of the frame element 61 as by the fasteners 52. The said hinge plates 58 also include spaced below the projections 62 a second projection 51 of the same construction as projection 51 of the hinge plate 38. This also has a series of apertures 53, 54, and 55 formed therethrough, which said apertures, namely the second and third being apertures 54 and 55, offset laterally with respect to the uppermost aperture 53. By this arrangement, the fastener employed may be projected selectively through either of the three apertures 53, 54, and 55 to adjustably, yet lixedly secure the hinge plate 58 to the respective opposite ends of the vent frame 61. Thus a means is provided by which the angular relationship between the hinge plates 58 and the vent frame ends 61 may be regulated to thus predetermine that the said pivotal vents will be closed into full sealing position peripherally, as shown in FIG. 2.

For example, upon an initial assembly, if it appears that after the upper vent 48-49 has been fully sealed, that the lower vent has not completely closed, all that is necessary is to remove the screw from the apertures 53 and the hinge plates 58 and selectively change the same to one of the laterally displaced apertures 54 or 55.

The projections 62 of the hinge plates 58 diifer from the tongues 50 of hinge plates 38 in the sense that the said projections include at their upper ends the outwardly extended integral portions 63 which at their free upper ends have upright members which terminate in the outwardly extending pivot pin 64. These pivot pins, shown in FIG. 2, project through corresponding apertures formed in the side support iianges of the rails 17 forming a part of the main frame to thus provide a pivotal mounting for the lower vent 48-61 and its corresponding hinge plate 58.

It is contemplated that there may be a plurality of vents in addition to the lower vent shown in FIG. 2, whose arrangement and construction and pivotal mounting is the same as above described with respect to the lower vent 48-61.

As above described and as particularly shown in FIGS. l and 2, the adjustable portion 32 of the manual control mechanism is connected thereto as at point 30. The link 33 whose upper end is pivotally connected as at 34 not only to the free end portion of hinge plate 58, but also to the lower end portion of the actuator bar 35. Accordingly upon rotation in one direction of the manually operable vertically reciprocal actuator means 31, the link 33 causes a downward movement of the actuator bar 35 with a corresponding outward opening movement of the upper vent 49-50 with the said hinge plates 38 rotating in a clockwise direction about the axis of the torque tube 36.

This same downward movement of link 33 causes a similar pivotal movement of the hinge plates 58 at their t 6 respective one ends of the additional vents 48-61. In order that there be no bending action, the thrust applied through the actuator bar 35 to the end of the upper vent 48 is transmitted to the hinge plate 38 at the opposite end thereof by the torque tube 36; thus a uniform thrust is applied to the opposite ends of the upper vent.

By the same token, and yas best shown in FIG. l, there is provided a second actuator bar 35', shown on the left side of FIG. l; this actuator bar at its upper end is pivotally connected as at 43-44 to the outer portion of the second hinge plate 38 corresponding to the hinge plate 38 shown in FIG. 2.

The lower end portion of the actuator bar 35 is pivotally connected by additional pivot assembly 34 to the outer portion of the lower hinge plate 58 at the opposite end of the lower vent corresponding to the hinge plate 5S shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, and by this construction, the pulling forces of the actuator bar 35 of FIG. 2 are applied uniformly to opposite ends of both of the vents 48-49 and IS- 61, above described.

In the event that there are more than two vents employed, in that case, the secondary actuator bar 35 would be additionally connected pivotally to the free end portion of any additional hinge plates 58 corresponding to the hinge plate 58 of FIG. 2. The same thing would be true upon the opposite side of the frame, namely the fact that if there were at least three vents, then the actuator bar 35 would also be pivotally connected to the corresponding free end portion of the corresponding hinge plate 53 so that there would be a movement in unison of the respective vents.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

We claim:

l. In an awning window, a hollow frame, including spaced side rails with upright side support flanges, a top rail Vand a sill, a horizontal torque bar within said frame at its upper end spaced below said top rail and at its ends journaled upon said side flanges, upright tiltable hinge plates secured upon the outer ends of said torque bar, a normally upright framed window vent extending between said side support flanges, said hinge plates below said torque bar adjustably secured angularly with respect to opposite ends of said window vent, and manually operable vertically reciprocal actuator means joined to one hinge plate for eifecting alternate tilting opening and closing movements of said window vent relative to said hollow frame.

2. In the awning window of claim l, the securing of said hinge plates to Said window vent, including a rst securing connection and an angularly adjustable securing connection spaced therefrom providing relative angular adjustment of said hinge plates with respect to the window vent.

3. In the awning window of claim l, the securing of said hinge plates to said window vent, including a iirst securing connection and an angularly adjustable securing connection spaced therefrom providing relative angular adjustment of said hinge plates with respect to the window vent, said adjustable securing connection, including a first aperture with connecting means in alignment with said first securing connection, and an additional aperture with connecting means in said hinge plate and spaced from said rst aperture and laterally oliset therefrom.

4. In the awning window of claim 1, the securing of said hinge plates to said window vent, including a iirst securing connection and an angularly adjustable securing connection spaced therefrom providing relative angular adjustment of said hinge plates and Window vent, said adjustable connection including a first aperture with connecting means in said hinge plate in alignment with said iirst securing connection, and additional longitudinally spaced apertures with associated connecting means in said hinge plate spaced progressively from said first aperture and laterally offset progressively therefrom.

5. In the awning window of claim 1, the securing of Isaid `hinge plates to said window vent, including a iirst securing connection and an angularly adjustable securing connection spaced therefrom providing relative angular adjustment of said hinge plates and window vent, said adjustable securing connection including in said vent frame a series of longitudinally spaced aligned apertures, and in said hinge plate a corresponding series with securing apertures with the rst of said securing apertures in said series in alignment with said first securing connection and with the additional apertures in said hinge plate laterally offset therefrom progressively whereby a fastener may be projected selectively through any one of the plurality of longitudinally spaced series of apertures.

6. In the awning window of claim l, each hinge plate being in the form of a cantilever xedly connected intermediate its ends to said torque bar, on one end connected with said actuator bar, and adjacent its other end having a pair of spaced securing tabs, one securing tab having a fixed connection with said window vent and the other having a series of longitudinally spaced fastening apertures laterally spaced from each other for relative angular adjustment of said hinge plate and window vent.

7. In the awning window of claim l, a second normally upright framed window vent below said rst vent, said second vent extending between said side support anges, upright hinge plates adjustably secured to opposite ends of said second vent for relative angular adjustment with respect to said second vent, each of said latter hinge plates having an outturned mounting pin pivotally mounted and journaled upon said frame support flanges, said latter hinge plates including arms extending rearwardly, the arm of one said latter hinge plates being pivotally connected to said actuator means, and a link pivotally connecting the arm of the other latter hinge plate to said actuator means and thus joined to the corresponding hinge plate of the rst Vent for movement in unison.

8. In an awning window, a hollow frame, including spaced side rails with upright side support flanges, a top rail and a sill, a horizontal torque bar within said frame at its upper end spaced below said top rail and at its ends journaled upon said side flanges, upright tiltable hinge plates secured upon the outer ends of said torque bar, a normally upright framed window vent extending between said side support flanges, said hinge plates below said torque bar adjustably secured to opposite ends of said window vent, and manually operable vertically reciprocal actuator means joined to one hinge plate for effecting alternate tilting opening and closing movements of said window vent relative to said hollow frame, said torque bar being tubular with its ends split and slotted, each hinge plate having a pair of apertures to tightly fit over and xedly interconnect with said torque bar.

9. In an awning window, a hollow frame, including spaced side rails with upright side support flanges, a top rail and a sill, a horizontal torque bar within said frame at its upper end spaced below said top rail and at its ends journaled upon said side flanges, upright tiltable hinge plates secured upon the outer ends of said torque bar, a normally upright framed window vent extending bctween said side support flanges, said hinge plates below said torque bar adjustably secured to opposite ends of said window vent, and manually operable vertically reciprocal actuator means joined to one hinge plate for effecting alternate tilting opening and closing movements of said window vent relative to said hollow frame, said top rail including a depending horizontally disposed overhang flange, the frame of said window vent including an opposed longitudinally extending outwardly projecting flange, and an elongated flexible sealing means at its respective opposite edges retained between said overhang flange and `said window vent frame tiange for establishing a seal between said frame and said pivotal window vent throughout all opening pivotal movements thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,140 Schottenberg Dec. 23, 1941 2,444,311 Reynaud June 29, 1948 2,767,442 Blanchard Oct. 23, 1956 2,854,707 Hieatt Oct. 7, 1958

Claims (1)

1. IN AN AWNING WINDOW, A HOLLOW FRAME, INCLUDING SPACED SIDE RAILS WITH UPRIGHT SIDE SUPPORT FLANGES, A TOP RAIL AND A SILL, A HORIZONTAL TORQUE BAR WITHIN SAID FRAME AT ITS UPPER END SPACED BELOW SAID TOP RAIL AND AT ITS ENDS JOURNALED UPON SAID SIDE FLANGES, UPRIGHT TILABLE HINGE PLATES SECURED UPON THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID TORQUE BAR, A NORMALLY UPRIGHT FRAMED WINDOW VENT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE SUPPORT FLANGES, SAID HINGE PLATES BELOW SAID TORQUE BAR ADJUSTABLY SECURED ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID WINDOW VENT, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE VERTICALLY RECIPROCAL ACTUATOR MEANS JOINED TO ONE HINGE PLATE FOR EFFECTING ALTERNATE TILTING OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS OF SAID WINDOW VENT RELATIVE TO SAID HOLLOW FRAME.

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