US3213776A

US3213776A - Cable operating means for ridge ventilator

Info

Publication number: US3213776A
Application number: US292545A
Authority: US
Inventors: William E Adams
Original assignee: HH Robertson Co
Current assignee: HH Robertson Co
Priority date: 1963-07-03
Filing date: 1963-07-03
Publication date: 1965-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-26

Description

Oct. 26, 1965 w. E. ADAMS 3,213,776

CABLE OPERATING MEANS FOR RIDGE VENTILATOR Filed July 3, 1963 INVENTOR WILLIAM E. ADAMS United States Patent 3,213,776 CABLE OPERATING MEANS FOR RIDGE VENTILATOR William E. Adams, Wexford, Pa., assignor to H. H. Robertson Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 3, 1963, Ser. No. 292,545 1 Claim. (Cl. 9842) This invention concerns an improved ridge ventilator having cable operating means for opennig, closing and positioning the movable components.

Ridge ventilators are well known in the building industry. They are provided along the ridge of a pitched roof and provide adjustable openings for the escape of gases and fumes from the interior of a building. Typical ridge ventilators are described in the following U.S. patents: 2,072,461; 2,096,123; 2,096,124; 2,122,530; and 2,266,261. All of the foregoing US. patents illustrate ridge ventilators which include a ridge cap member and a vertically rising damper element which is positioned beneath the ridge cap.

In US. Patent 2,231,557, there is illustrated a ridge ventilator which utilizes a single member to serve as the ridge cap and also as the vertically rising damper. The present invention concerns such ridge ventilators wherein a single element serves as both a ridge cap and a vertically rising damper element.

Statement of invention This invention concerns ridge ventilators having a casing formed from longitudinal side walls and opposed end walls. A chimney or throat is provided between the side walls. A generally horizontal ventilator opening is provided above the chimney between the side walls. A cap member is adapted to move between a lowermost position which is substantially in contact with the upper rim of the chimney to an uppermost position between the chimney rim and the ventilator opening. When the cap member is spaced above its lowermost position, a gas flow passageway is provided upwardly from the interior of the building through the chimney, around the side edges of the cap member and thereupon upwardly through the ventilator opening. At all times the gas passageway is between the longitudinal side walls of the ventilator.

Such ventilators heretofore have been provided with elaborate mechanical structures for controlling the vertical location of and movement of the cap member. Such ventilators moreover have been diflicult to maintain because of relative inaccessibility of the component elements. Major dismantling has been required to accomplish repair work on the ventilators.

The present invention provides a relatively simple cable operator means for controlling the vertical location of and movement of the cap member. In addition the present cap member is readily removable for access to the cable operator means in the event repairs are required.

Objects The principal object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple cable operating means for a ridge ventilator.

A further object is to provide a ridge ventilator which has a readily removable cap member for access to the cable operator means.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a typical building having a pitched roof and a ridge ventilator;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective illustration of a sectional fragment of a typical ridge ventilator;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section illustration of a ridge ventilator having a cable operating means according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective illustration of operating elements of the present cable operating means; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a plurality of the operating elements along with a longitudinal cap member.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a typical building 10 having a pitched roof 11. A ridge ventilator 12 is shown in position along the ridge of the pitched roof 11. The ridge ventilator 12 has a casing formed from longitudinal side walls 13, end walls 14. A generally horizontal ventilator opening 15 is defined by the upper edges of the opposed side walls 13 which serve as a suction band for the ventilator.

A typical ridge ventilator is presented in FIGURE 2 wherein the ridge ventilator 12 has side walls 13 and end walls 14 which are preferably fabricated from corrosion-resistant coated metal sheets. The ventilator 12 includes a pair of chimney plates 16, each of which has a flashing flange 17 adapted .to overlie a pitched roof, a vertical chimney wall 18 and an outwardly directed stiffening flange 19. The side walls 13 are normally secured to the chimney plates 16 by means of metal screws 20, rivets, or similar fastening means. A ridge opening (also called a throat or chimney) in the building roof 11 is designated by the numeral 21. The vertical chimney plates 18 represent an upward continuation of the ridge opening 21.

A ridge cap damper 22 has a ridged cross-section and is adapted for vertical movement between the side walls 13 from (a) a lowermost position wherein the ridge cap member 22 is in substantial contact with the upper rims 23 of vertical chimney walls 18 to (b) an uppermost position substantially as illustrated in FIGURE 2 approximately midway between the upper rims 23 and the horizontal ventilator opening 15. When the ridge cap member 22 is in the position shown in FIGURE 2 (i.e., the uppermost position), a gas flow passageway as indicated by the large arrows is provided from the interior of the building through the ridge opening 22, between the vertical chimney walls 18 around the outer edges of ridge cap member 22 and outwardly through the generally horizontal ventilator opening 15. The ridge cap member 22 serves at all times as a bafiie to prevent atmospheric moisture and debris from entering into the interior of the building through the ridge opening 21, regardless of whether the ridge cap member 22 is in its uppermost or lowermost position or any intermediate position. A plurality of drain holes 24 is provided in the side wall 13 adjacent to the vertical chimney plates 16 to permit drainage of accumulated moisture and debris from the interior of the ventilator onto the outer surface of the pitched roof of the building.

The present invention concerns cable operating means for raising and lowering and for holding at a selected elevation the ridge cap member 22. The present invention will be described by reference to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5.

The present invention The present ridge ventilator includes chimney plates 16 having a flashing flange 17 which is secured to a pitched roof 11 above a ridge opening 21. The chimney plates 16 have a vertical chimney wall 18 and a stiffening flange 19 extended outwardly from an upper rim 23. A plurality of chimney braces 25 extend between the vertical chimney walls 18 and are secured thereto preferably by means of bolts passing through apertures 26 in the ears 27 of the chimney braces 25. Side walls 13 may be formed as illustrated with a vertical central portion 28, an inwardly sloping upper portion 29, a vertical ventilator opening portion 30 and an outwardly extended stilfener flange 31, an inwardly sloping lower portion 32, a vertical chimney portion 33 and a stiffener flange 34. Thus the casing is wider in its central portion than at its upper end (ventilator opening) or at its lower end (ridge opening). The opposed side walls 13 are secured to each other by means of a brace member 36. The side walls 13 are secured to the vertical chimney walls 18 by means of threaded fasteners 37 which extend through the vertical chimney portions 33. The side Walls 13 are secured to the roof 11 by means of external struts 38. The brace members 36 and the struts 38 preferably are formed from steel bars. The brace member 36 includes a horizontal strut 39 having apertured ears 40 and a depending brace 41 having aperture flanges 42 and a central base 43 which is preferably welded to the horizontal strut 39.

A screen 44 preferably is secured to the horizontal struts 39 and extends across the entire ventilator opening to prevent ingress of birds, debris, etc.

The ridge cap member 22 has a width greater than the distance between the vertical chimney walls 18 and has terminal flanges 45 which extend below the upper rim 23 when the cap member 22 is in its lowermost position as shown in FIGURE 3. The uppermost position of the cap member 22 is shown in phantom outline in FIGURE. 3.

Cable operating means Two or more of the chimney braces are provided with a vertical tube 48 which is centrally welded to the horizontal brace 25. An aperture 49 is provided in the horizontal brace 25 to receive a cable length 50 which is terminated by a knot 51 or a clamp or similar fastening means.

Slideably mounted within the vertical tube 48 is a generally vertical shaft 52 having a cable pulley 53 welded at its bottom end and terminating at its upper end in a threaded stud end position 54. A ridge brace 55 is centrally apertured to slip over the threaded stud portion 54. A ridge cap 56 is likewise centrally apertured tofit over the threaded stud 54 and finally a nut 57 is provided to be threadedly engaged on the stud portion 54. The cable pulley 53 and the shaft 52 comprise a unitary subassembly which is vertically reciprocable in the tube 48.

From FIGURE 3 it will be seen that the ridge brace 55 fits beneath the ridge cap member 22 and the cap member 56 lies above the cap member 22. When the nut 57 is threaded onto the stud 54, the cap member 22 and the vertical shaft 52 comprise an integral suhassembly.

A fixed pulley 58 is welded to the vertical tube 48 or to the chimney brace 25 and is adapted to receive the cable length 50.

In FIGURE 5, there is illustrated an overall integral subassembly of the ridge cap member 22 and the plurality of generally vertical shafts 52. It will be seen that the ridge cap member 22 is comprised of a number of generally rectangular sheets which are lapped and joined by means of screws 60, for example, which joins the sheets 22a, 22b. The ventilator also includes a fixed pulley 61 which is secured to the casing of the ventilator or to the building 10 adjacent to an end wall 14 of the ventilator as seen in FIGURE 5. A lengthwise cable 62 passes over the. pulley 61 and extends generally horizontally lengthwise of the ventilator 12 and also depends from the pulley 61 into the interior of the building 10. Each of the cable lengths 50 is secured to the lengthwise cable 62 by means of a suitable cable connector 63. The lengthwise cable 62 extends horizontally parallel with the ridge to the connecter 63 of the cable length 50 which is associated with the brace members 25 which is most remote from the cable pulley 61.

Thus it will be seen that a vertical downward pull on the depending end 62 of the lengthwise cable 62 will pull all of the cable connectors 63 towards the right in FIGURE 5 thereby shortening the length of each cable length by the same amount. Shortened cable lengths 50 raise the vertical shafts 52 and the cap member 22 which is integral with the vertical shafts 52.

The depending cable end 62' may be anchored at any position whereby the ridge cap 22 may be maintained at its uppermost position, its lowermost position or any desired intermediate position. A single lengthwise cable will successfully operate a ridge ventilator according to this invention in lengths of 100 feet of ridge or more. Motorized winding, unwinding and fastening of the pepending end 62' of the lengthwise cable can be conveniently arranged.

An outstanding feature of this invention is the ready accessibility of the moving components in contrast to the relative inaccessibility of components of prior art ridge ventilators. A workman desiring access to the working elements can gain access by removing the selected length of screen 44, and thereafter selectively removing the nuts 57, ridge caps 56, and screws which secure the particular section of the ridge cap member 22 which requires maintenance, repair or removal.

In ventilators of this invention, the ridge openings 21 may vary from about four inches width to about two feet width. A highly eflicient ridge ventilator as herein described had a ridge opening 21 of six inches width and a length of fifty feet. A single cable (three-eighths-inch diameter steel cable) operated the entire length of the ridge cap. The side walls 13, end walls 14 and the'ridge cap 22 were fabricated from zinc-coated steel sheets which had been protected with bituminous coated asbestos covering. The ridge cap weighed about 78 pounds. The ridge cap could be raised by a pull of about fifty pounds on the cable end.

I claim:

In a ridge ventilator for a building comprising an elongated casing adapted to be mounted upon a roof ridge and to form the suction band of the ventilator, said casing being provided with an outlet at its upper end and with an inlet at its lower end, said inlet communicating with the interior of the building and being defined by a pair of spaced-apart horizontal lips parallel with the said ridge, said casing being wider in its central portion than at its upper end of its lower end, a cap member movably mounted within the casing and being wider than the said inlet and wider than said outlet and being adapted in its lowermost position to close the said inlet by overlying the said horizontal lips, and operating means supported by the said casing for moving the cap member vertically from said lowermost position to various positions where- 1n an air passageway is provided within the said casing sequentially through the said inlet, around the side edges of said cap member and through the said outlet, the said cap member being an obstacle to straight-line flow of air from the interior of said building through said inlet and then through said outlet, the improvement in said operating means which comprises:

a plurality of brace members extended transversely across the said inlet, a fixed pulley secured to each of said brace members, separate support shafts each vertically reciprocably mounted to each of said brace members, the upper end of each shaft being secured to the said cap member above the said inlet, a reciprocating pulley rigidly secured the bottom of each support shaft, 7

a cable pulley for an operating cable secured to one end of the said casing,

a separate cable length connected to each of the brace members at one end and extended downwardly therefrom through the said reciprocable pulley and thence upwardly through the said fixed pulley and thence to a cable connector,

an operating cable extending from the interior of the building over the said cable pulley and thence generally horizontally below the said lips and parallel with the said ridge to the connector of the cable length associated with the brace member most remote from the said cable pulley,

all of the said connectors being secured to the said operating cable whereby lengthwise movement of the said operating cable creates tension in each cable length, thereby raising each of the said support shafts and also raising the said cap member vertically above the said inlet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner.

JOHN F OCONNOR, Examiner.