US3315728A

US3315728A - Adjustable terminal for shade rollers

Info

Publication number: US3315728A
Application number: US486455A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Anderson; Jacob A Ash
Original assignee: BRENEMAN HARTSHORN Inc
Current assignee: Cooper Industries LLC
Priority date: 1965-09-10
Filing date: 1965-09-10
Publication date: 1967-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1984-04-25

Description

A ril 25, 1%?

J. A. ANDERSON ET AL 3,315,728

ADJUSTABLE TERMINAL FOR SHADE ROLLERS Filed Sept. 10, 1965 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,315,728 ADJUSTABLE TERMINAL FOR SHADE ROLLERS James A. Anderson, Muskegon, and Jacob A. Ash, Muskegon Heights, Mich., assignors to Breneman-Hart: shorn, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 486,455 Claims. (Cl. 160326) This invention relates to rollers for window shades and the like, and more particularly to a removable terminal plug to be used at one end of such rollers and which provides for easy and rapid adjustment in the effective length of the shade roller in predetermined and definite increments.

Window shades and the rollers upon which they are mounted are generally produced in several standard lengths, which are chosen to accommodate those window widths which are most frequently encountered. A chronic and widespread problem arises in this area due to the fact that a great many windows are not of the standard widths. Also, the shade mounting brackets which have been installed upon windows which are nominally of a standard width frequently vary somewhat from the true standard dimension of the shade roller. Thus, actual experience indicates that more often than not, adjustments in the effective overall length of a roller must be made before the shade can be mounted to the actual width of a particular window.

Normally, the dealer from which the shade is purchased makes the adjustment in its length by selecting the next larger standard size of shade which he has in stock and trimming both the shade and its roller to the required dimension. In most instances, the dealers are equipped with special machines for the trimming operation, but due to the many possible sources of human error in the measurement and trimming, it frequently occurs that the resultant shade roller does not accurately fit the window for which it was intended, and instead is cut somewhat short of the precise size which is needed. It also frequently occurs that particular windows which appear upon casual examination and measurement to be of a standard size are actually a small amount (typically, one-eighth inch to one-half inch) wider than the nominal standard dimension. In the many instances which both of these cases precipitate, it is necessary for the consumer himself to somehow slightly adjust the length of the roller to meet the exact circumstances which he encounters when he attempts to mount it for use. Accordingly, in order to completely provide for a satisfactory installation, shade rollers should provide a means by which their length may easily be extended or reduced over a relatively small range.

One answer to the problem of shade roller length adjustment is to provide a removable terminal plug for the gudgeon pin end of the roller. Such a plug may be removed to permit trimming of the roller to different lengths, and it will also provide for length adjustment of the roller assembly if the extent to which the plug is inserted in the end of the roller may be varied over a given range. Various schemes have previously been suggested also for varying the insertion of such plug and for securing the plug within the roller at its various inserted positions, since this of course is definitely required for satisfactory performance. However, most such previous schemes have had inherent limitations which adversely affected their operation and made them less than tot-ally desirable. For example, the plug would tend to slip backward into the roller when placed in an extended position, and the adjustment of the plug within the roller would be difiicult or extremely tedious. Further, removable and adjustable terminal plugs themselves create an annoying and bothersome problem, caused by inadvertently dropping the roller upon its plug end. This seems to regularly and frequently occur, and in the case of most removable terminal plugs it results in the plug being forceably driven completely within the end of the shade roller tube in which it is inserted. This can occur either during shipping, handling by the dealer, or handling by the consumer subsequent to purchase. Whenever it does occur, the result is that the terminal plug is extremely difficult to remove from the shade roller, since it wedges tightly within it in a position which is not accessible from the outside. The roller tube itself may be damaged by either the forcible insertion of the plug thereinto or by attempts at removing the plug, and this is also likely to damage the plug, in that the gudgeon pin may be inadvertently removed, or structural damage to the pin or the plug itself may occur.

Accordingly, it is a major objective of the present invention to provide a removable terminal plug for shade rollers which offers a unique and desirable solution of the problems indicated above. The shade roller assembly utilizing the present terminal plug may he quickly and extremely easily adjusted in length by fixed and definite incremental amounts. Further, in any of its adjusted positions the shade roller is completely stable, since each adjusted position is positively indexed against inadvertent changes resulting from subsequent use. Also, each individual adjustment is substantially separate from and in dependent of other similar adjustments, so that the shade roller may be readjusted at any desired time with the same ease and convenience as the first such adjustment. The adjustable shade roller of the invention further in cludes a unique structure which is cooperative with the terminal plug for positively preventing the forcible insertion of the plug completely within the tubular end of the shade roller at any stage in its shipment and subsequent handling, and at any given adjusted position of the terminal plug.

The invention provides a shade roller assembly which may be quickly and easily adjusted in length and which makes the fullest possible use of existing shade roller structures, so as to be comparatively inexpensive and very attractive commercially. The adjustments in length may readily be made by even unskilled persons, and Without the use of special tools. Further, these advantages are obtained by a structure which is economically feasible within a highly competitive, close margin industry such as is true in the manufacture of shade rollers.

The foregoing major objectives and the purposes and advantages lying therein, together with others which are equally a part thereof, will be understood by those skilled in the shade roller and shade roller equipment art upon further consideration of the following specification and its appended claims, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings setting forth preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a frontal perspective view of the terminal plug of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional elevation taken through the plane 11-11 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a developed view of the body portion of the terminal plug of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, lateral, perspective view of the open tubular end of the preferred shade roller for use with the terminal plug;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, end elevation of the shade roller of FIG. 4, showing in phantom the terminal plug in engagement therewith;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, central section showing a first engagement of the terminal plug and the shade roller; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, central section showing a secand engagement of the terminal plug and shade roller.

Briefly stated, the present invention provides an adjust able shade roller assembly which includes a shade roller of the type having an open tubular end, means associated with the tubular roller defining a stop structure therewithin, and a removable terminal plug which is insertable into the tubular end of the roller. The terminal plug has a plurality of recesses formed therein which extend lengthwise of the plug from the end thereof which is inserted into the roller tube, and these recesses differ in length or extent from each other by predetermined incremental amounts. Each such recess is arranged to be alignable with the stop structure formed in the roller tube and to pass over the same when the plug is inserted into the roller, and each of the recesses terminates in an end wall which comes into abutting contact with the stop structure to limit the tele copic engagement of the plug within the roller. Thus, the overall length of the roller assembly may be varied merely by realignment of the recesses in the plug relative to the stop structure within the tubular roller, and by insertion of the plug in this position to the full extent limited by the noted abutting contact.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the terminal plug of the invention has a generally cylindrical body portion 12 and an end structure 14 which includes a gudgeon pin 16 for rotatably mounting the terminal plug and the shade roller associated therewith. The specific form of the end portion which is used to close the cylindrical body 12 is not actually a part of the present invention, and the preferred end 14 illustrated in the figures is specifically described and claimed in my previous application Ser. No. 430,127, filed Feb. 3, 1965, and consequently will not be described in detail here. The basic construction of the preferred body portion 12 of the terminal plug is of tubular sheet metal having a lap joint which is indicated generally at 18. This general form of tubular construction is also set forth in the above-noted earlier patent application and need not be specifically described here, except to note that it includes circumferentially slideable interlocking means 19 and 20, by which the cylindrical body is contractible to vary its effective diameter.

The basic point of departure of the present invention is the configuration of the outer periphery or surface of the cylindrical plug body 12. This is best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, from which it will be noted that the outer periphery of the body is fluted. That is, a regular series of evenly spaced grooves or recesses 22-36 inclusive are formed longitudinally of the body and extend toward the end portion 14 from the opposite end of the plug, which is inserted into the tubular end of the shade roller. As the developed plan view of FIG. 3 clearly illustrates, the flutes or grooves differ from each other in length, with each succeeding groove being preferably about one-eighth inch longer than the next previous groove. Thus, if eight grooves are provided as shown in the preferred embodiment of the figures, the distance from the end of the shortest groove (i.e., groove 28) to the end of the longest groove (i.e., groove 26) will be seven-eighths inch.

Each groove or recess in the plug body may conveniently have the same width and cross sectional shape (see FIG. 2), and each groove terminates in an end wall structure, to be seen subsequently in greater detail, except for the longest groove 26, which terminates directly adjacent the rearward edge of the end portion 14 (see FIG. 1). Although not absolutely a necessity, it is very convenient to locate the longest groove 26 directly over the lap joint 18, as FIG. *3 illustrates, with one longitudinal half of this groove formed adjacent the lap joint interlocking means 19 and 20 and the other longitudinal half of groove 26 formed adjacent a lap joint flange 18a, such that when the interlocking means are slidably inserted through the apertures formed in the said flange, both halves of the groove will be placed adjacent each other to form the finished groove 26 which is seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will be observed that the surface of the body portion 12 connecting grooves 28 and 30, connecting grooves 30 and 32, connecting grooves 36 and 22, and connecting grooves 22 and 24 is cut away, as seen at 38, 40, 42 and 44 of FIG. 3, with portions 38 and 42 extending approximately one-eighth inch from the adjacent end of the body, and portions 40 and 44 extending approximately onefourth inch therefrom. The purpose for this will also be seen subsequently.

The shade roller 46 which is most prefer-red for use with the terminal plug of the present invention preferably has an open tubular end formed by a rolled sheet metal construction, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. The sheet metal forming the roller 46 is joined along a longitudinal lock seam 48 in a known manner, such that the seam extends inwardly from the surface of the roller to form a ridge therewithin. Further, the walls of the tubular roller are lanced in diametric opposing fashion, to provide a pair of inwardly-directed tabs 50 and 52 (FIG. 5) whose free ends extend toward the open end of the roller tube, at an acute angle to the sides of the tube. The tabs 50 and 52 are each positioned a distance from the open end of the tube that is equal to a selected fraction of the total length of the body portion 12, preferably the length of the groove or recess 22.

In assembly and use, the cylindrical body 12 of the terminal plug is inserted into the open end of the shade roller tube 46, such that a preselected one of the flutes or grooves in the body is aligned with and passes over the longitudinal lock seam 48 within the roller. The normal diameter of the body portion 12 is preferably slightly greater than the inside of the roller tube, such that the plug must be slightly contracted at its lap joint in order to be inserted into the tube. In this manner, the inherent resilience of the rolled plug exerts a constant outward force against the inside of the tube to more securely hold the plug in place therewithin.

As has been stated, each of the flutes terminates in an end wall. Thus, the extent to which the terminal plug may be inserted into the tube is determined by the length of the particular flute which is aligned with the seam in the roller. This is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, where flutes 22 and 34, respectively, are seen engaged with the seam 48. It will here be seen that the end of the seam comes into direct abutting contact with the end walls 220 and 34a of grooves 22 and 34, respectively, to limit the engagement of the plug with the roller. From these figures the principle underlying the fluted plug body and the function thereof will be entirely apparent. The flutes provide a means for changing the overall length of the shade roller assembly, since whether the roller is initially too long or too short, by removing the terminal plug from the roller and rotating the plug, a different flute may be selected for alignment with the seam in the roller tube, and when the plug is inserted into the roller to its fullest extent, the abutment of the roller seam with the end wall of the selected flute provides a sturdy assembly whose length is changed to correspond to that which is required.

Although the abutment between the end of the roller seam 48 and the end walls (such as 22a or 34a) of the terminal plug flutes is firm and easily sturdy enough to withstand all normal operating forces acting endwise of the roller assembly, it frequently happens in shipment and handling that the entire roller assembly will be sharply dropped upon one of its ends, very often the gudgeon pin end. Generally speaking, a sharp force such as this will usually be enough to drive a removable terminal plug substantially completely into the roller.

In the case of the present terminal plug construction, the outwardly extending lugs 54 (FIGS. 1, 6, and 7) of the end portion 14 prevent any such occurrence, since they are generally coextensive with the outer surface of the shade roller and hence come into full abutment with the open end thereof. However, if one of the flutes other than the longest one (i.e., flute 26) should be in alignment with the seam 48 in the roller tube when the roller is sharply dropped, the resulting force could be suflicient to drive the end wall of that particular flute past the end of the lock seam. Thus, the terminal plug itself could be driven so far into the roller tube that the lugs 54 became flush with the end of the roller. If this should occur, the terminal plug would be tightly wedged into the roller and it would be difficult to extract it therefrom, since only the gudgeon pin and the lugs themselves would then protrude from the roller and this would afford very little area to grip when extracting the plug.

The tabs 50 and 52 formed in the walls of the roller tube provide a means for insuring that if the end walls of the flutes are driven inside the roller tube, a desired length of the terminal plug will still protrude from the tube to enable the plug to easily be extracted. In accomplishing this, the tabs are positioned a distance from the open end of the roller which is less than the overall length of the terminal plug. This is illustrated in FIG. 6, where the tab 50 is seen placed immediately behind the terminal plug with flute 22 almost fully engaged with seam 48 in the roller. From this figure, it will be apparent that if the terminal plug should be driven sharply into the roller, it could only move a slight amount before the rearward edge of the plug would be engaged by the tabs with the alignment between the tabs and the outer surface of the plug being seen in FIG. 5. Thus, substantially all of the length of the plug seen protruding from the roller tube in FIG. 6 would remain outward of the plug, and this would allow the plug to be easily extracted.

If any flute which is shorter than flute 22 should be engaged with the roller seam when the plug is driven inward of the roller, the end of the terminal plug would once again be engaged by the tabs 50 and 52 when the plug was driven into the tube an extent corresponding to the length of flute 22, as is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 7. Thus, the inward movement of the plug would again be arrested at the point where the plug remained protruding from the roller an amount corresponding to the length which protrudes when flute 22 is fully engaged therewith.

In order to provide for the full engagement of flutes 24 and 26 with the roller tube, the portions 38, 40, 42 and 44 are cut away from the base of the terminal plug in amounts corresponding to the amount that flutes 24 and 26 exceed flute 22 in length. Thus, when flute 24 is in register with the seam 48, portions 38 and 42 will be in register with the tabs 50 and 52 to prevent further insertion of the plug into the roller, and when flute 26 is in register with the seam, portions 40 and 44 will be in register with the tabs. Consequently, the plug may then be inserted into the roller an amount exceeding that shown in FIG. 6, but the tabs will once again act to prevent the plug from being driven into the roller beyond the length of either of the two longest flutes.

From the foregoing explanation, it will be understood that the terminal plug provided by the present invention makes possible a quick, simple, and easy method of adjusting the overall length of a shade roller assembly. No special tools, equipment, or skills are required to adjust the roller length to the particular width of a given window. The device of the invention is extremely flexible in operation, and permits a Wide range of adjustments to be made in definite, known increments and at any time subsequent to the original purchase and installation of the shade roller. Further, the construction afforded by the invention overcomes the problems which arise when the roller is dropped on its gudgeon pin end by providing a positive limit to the extent to which the terminal plug may be driven into the roller.

Having described the specific embodiment of the invention which is most preferred, it will be recognized that other embodiments and certain modifications may be made which nonetheless embody the spirit of the invention and incorporate its concepts. Consequently, all such embodiments and modifications should be considered as included within the scope of the claims appended hereinafter, unless these claims by their language specifically state otherwise.

We claim:

1. An adjustable shade roller assembly, comprising: a shade roller having an open tubular end; a removable terminal plug insertable into said roller end; means associated with one of said roller and terminal plug defining a stop structure; a plurality of recesses formed in the other one of said roller and terminal plug; each of said recesses differing in lengthwise extent from each other by predetermined incremental amounts; each of said recesses arranged to be alignable with said stop structure to pass over the same; and each of said recesses having an end wall at its terminus for coming into abutting contact with said stop structure to limit the telescopic engagement of the plug with the roller, whereby the overall length of said roller assembly may be varied by realignment of said recesses and stop structure.

2. An adjustable shade roller assembly, comprising: a shade roller having an open tubular end; means associated with said roller defining an internal stop structure; a removable terminal plug insertable into said roller end; said terminal plug having a plurality of recesses formed therein and extending lengthwise thereof from the end of the plug inserted into the roller end; said recesses differing in lengthwise extent from each other by predetermined incremental amounts; each of said recesses arranged to be alignable with said stop structure to pass over the same; and each of said recesses having an end wall at its terminus for coming into abutting contact with said stop structure to limit the telescopic engagement of the plug with the roller, whereby the overall length of said roller assembly may be varied by realignment of said recesses and stop structure.

3. An adjustable shade roller assembly, comprising: a shade roller having an open tubular end; said roller having an abutment stop on the inner surface of its tubular end portion; a removable terminal plug inserta'ble into said roller end; said terminal plug having a seriesof surface grooves formed lengthwise thereof; said grooves each extending from the end of said plug inserted into said roller and differing in length by predetermined incremental amounts; each of said grooves arranged to be alignable with said abutment stop to pass over the same when the plug is inserted into the roller; and each of said grooves terminating in an end wall for coming into abutting contact with said abutment stop to limit the telescopic engagement of the plug with the roller, whereby the overall length of said roller assembly may be varied by realignment of said grooves and abutment stop.

4. The roller assembly of claim 3, wherein said shade roller includes a rolled sheet metal tube and said abutment stop is formed by a longitudinal seam in said tube.

5. The roller assembly of claim 3, wherein said terminal plug has a cylindrical tubular body formed of resilient wall material; said tubular body wall having a lap joint extending longitudinally thereof; and said lap joint including circumferential-1y slidable interlocking means permitting limited diameter adjustment of the body; said plug normally having a diameter larger than the inside of the roller tube and being contractable at said lap joint to inside the tube and expand outwardly against it to provide a frictional engagement therebetween.

6. The roller assembly of claim 3, further including at least one secondary stop means spaced from said abutment stop and further within said tubular roller; said secondary stop means arranged to engage portions of the innermost end of said terminal plug in the event the said end walls are forcibly driven lbeyond said abutment stop, to prevent the terminal plug from being forced completely inside the roller tube.

7. The roller assembly of claim 6, wherein said shade roller includes a rolled sheet metal tube and said secondary stop means are tabs struck from the walls of said tube and bent inwardly thereof.

8. As an article of manufacture, a terminal plug for a shade roller having an open tubular end, said terminal plug comprising: a generally cylindrical body portion; a plurality of recesses formed in said body and extending lengthwise thereof from the end of the plug which is inserted into the roller end; said recesses differing in lengthwise extent from each other by predetermined incremental amounts; and each of said recesses having an end wall at its terminus.

9. As an article of manufacture, a terminal plug for a shade roller having an open tubular end, said terminal plug comprising: a generally cylindrical body portion; a series of surface grooves formed lengthwise of said body; said grooves each extending from the end of the plug which is inserted into said roller and differing in length by predetermined incremental amounts; and each of said grooves terminating in an end wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,175,345 3/1916 Cunningham 160263 3,195,618 7/1965 Anderson et al 160323 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,584 3/1890 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ADJUSTABLE SHADE ROLLER ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING: A SHADE ROLLER HAVING AN OPEN TUBULAR END; A REMOVABLE TERMINAL PLUG INSERTABLE INTO SAID ROLLER END; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID ROLLER AND TERMINAL PLUG DEFINING A STOP STRUCTURE; A PLURALITY OF RECESSES FORMED IN THE OTHER ONE OF SAID ROLLER AND TERMINAL PLUG; EACH OF SAID RECESSES DIFFERING IN LENGTHWISE EXTEND FROM EACH OTHER BY PREDETERMINED INCREMENTAL AMOUNTS; EACH OF SAID RECESSES ARRANGED TO BE ALIGNABLE WITH SAID STOP STRUCTURE TO PASS OVER THE SAME; AND EACH OF SAID RECESSES HAVING AN END WALL AT ITS TERMINUS FOR COMING INTO ABUTTING CONTACT WITH SAID STOP STRUCTURE TO LIMIT THE TELESCOPIC ENGAGEMENT OF THE PLUG WITH THE ROLLER, WHEREBY THE OVERALL LENGTH OF SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLY MAY BE VARIED BY REALIGNMENT OF SAID RECESS AND STOP STRUCTURE.