US3381423A

US3381423A - Awning structure

Info

Publication number: US3381423A
Application number: US666520A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernard H Feld
Original assignee: KENRON ALUMINUM AND GLASS CORP
Current assignee: KENRON ALUMINUM AND GLASS CORP
Priority date: 1967-09-08
Filing date: 1967-09-08
Publication date: 1968-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1985-05-07

Description

y 7, 1968 B. H. FELD AWNING STRUCTURE Original Filed Jan. 8, 1965 INVENTOR. Ear/yard bf fYs/a m j flm/WTORNEYS United States Patent 3,381,423 AWNING STRUCTURE Bernard H. Feld, Skokie, Ill., assignor to Kenron Aluminum & Glass Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Continuation of application Ser. No. 425,679, Jan. 8, 1965. This application Sept. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 666,520 3 Claims. (Cl. 52--78) This application is a continuation of applicants copending application Ser. No. 425,679, filed Jan. 8, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates to improvements in awning structures and more particularly relates to an improved form of rigid awning structure.

The invention relates generally to an awning structure having plastic panels of a corrugated glass fiber material in which the corrugations of the panel run transversely of the framework for the panels. The frame work is in the form of parallel rails having channels extending along the rails and opening toward each other. The feature of the invention is to seal the channels and ends of the fiberglass panels and to retain the panels in position in the channels by folding resilient compressible retainer pads over opposite edges of the panels to extend along the edges and the top and bottom sides of the panels. The channels are sealed and the panels are retained in position by the stored up energy in the compressible retainer pads as the panels with the pads folded over the edges thereof are inserted in the channels by slidable movement therealong.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved form of awning structure in which awning panels are retained in place in a rigid awning frame structure by the compressive force of expansible retainers, having compressive engagement with the supporting rails of the framework for the awning structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rigid awning structure of a type that projects from the wall of a building over a window, door or other opening, wherein the awning panels are assembled to the awning frame by sliding of the panels along the frame from an end thereof and are held in place by expansible retainers compressed by the frame and retaining the panels in position, and from rattling, by the stored up energy of the retainers.

Still another object of the invention is to simplify the present rigid awning structures having metal frames and fiberglass panels, by providing resilient retainers for the panels extending along the edges and top and bottom sides of the panels, and slidable along channeled portions of the metal rails of the awning structure, and expansible thereagainst, and retaining the panel to the metal rails of the awning structure by the compressive force of the retainers against the channels of the awning structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved form of rigid awning structure having plastic panels and parallel supporting rails, in which the supporting rails have facing channels extending for the length thereof and in which the panels are retained in place in the channels by cellular rubber retainers extending along the edges and the top and bottom sides of the panels for the depth of the channels and are mounted on the rails by slidable movement of the retainers and panels along the channels, and are retained to the rails in leak and rattle proof relation with respect thereto by the compressive force of the retainers against the panels and channels.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a rigid awning constructed in accordance with principles of the invention,

showing the awning mounted to extend over the window of a building;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 11-11 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view somewhat similar to FIGURE 1, but showing a modified form in which the supporting rails of the awning frame structure may be constructed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown in FIGURE 1 a rigid awning structure 10 mounted on the wall of a building over a window opening. The awning structure 10 includes a metal framework 11 having awning panels 12 supported thereon and herein shown as being corrugated, but which may be flat as well. The metal framework is hingedly mounted to the wall of a building by a hinge bracket 13 extending across the top of the window opening and screwed or otherwise secured to the wall of the building. The hinge bracket 13 has a lower arcuate bearing support or hook portion 15 engaged by a tubular bead I6 extending along the rear end portion of a hinge plate 17, and formed integrally therewith. The hinge plate 17 extends along the top of the awning structure and is bolted or otherwise secured to the top surface of a center rail 18 and the top surfaces of outer rails 19 of the awning structure. As shown in FIGURE 1, side covers 20 are provided for the ends of the outer rails. The hinge plate 17 may extend over said side covers and may be bolted or otherwise secured to said covers and

outer rails

19, 19.

The frame structure 11 includes the intermediate rail 18, the outer or

side rails

19, 19, the side covers 20 and a front closure member or brace 21 extending across the ends of the

rails

18 and 19, 19. Each end rail 19 is channel-like in cross section and includes an inwardly facing channel 23 having a base 24, a bottom wall 25 and a parallel spaced top wall 26. The bottom wall 25 has an upright leg 27 extending therealong, generally parallel to the base 24 for a portion of the height of the channel and in alignment with a depending lip or gib 29 depending from the top wall 26 and forming the inner terminal end portion thereof. The intermediate rail 18 has a divider 30 extending therealong with outwardly

opening channels

31, 31 opening from opposite sides of said divider towards the

channels

23, 23 on opposite sides of said divider, and like the channels 23, so not herein shown or described further.

Each awning panel 12 is made from a plastic or synthetic material sufiiciently resilient to conform to the form of the

channels

31, 31 in the rail 18 and the

channels

23, 23 in the

rails

19, 19 as the panel is slidably moved thereinto from the ends thereof. A preferable material for the awning panels is a corrugated fiberglass although the material need not necessarily be corrugated. The panels 12 herein shown are corrugated and the corrugations extending transversely of the awning structure.

Referring now in particular to the means for retaining the awning panels to the

rails

18 and 19, 19 as shown in FIGURE 2 a cellular or sponge rubber retainer pad 33 extends along opposite edges of each panel and is folded over and under the panels to extend along the tops and bottoms thereof for the depth of the channel 23. When inserting the awning panel within its supporting channels, the sponge rubber retainer pads are engaged with the edges of the panel and folded under and over the panel with the terminal ends of the pad in a folded condition terminating at the upright leg 27 and the depending lip 29. The pad 33 extends for the length of the panel and is inserted in the channel 23 in its folded over condition and is moved inwardly along the channel 3 with the fiberglass panel 12 during insertion of the panel in the

rails

18 and 19, 19. The panel preferably rests on the top surface of the leg 27 as inserted in the channel 23.

The sponge rubber pad 33 has an outer skin enabling the pad to be slidably moved with the panel 12 along the channels 23 as the panels are inserted in the channels 23 and in the corresponding channel in the intermediate rail 19. The skin on the outer surface of the sponge rubber pad enables the pad to slidably move along the channel and to be compressed into engagement with opposite sides of the panel 12, as slidably moved along its channel. The compressive force or stored up energy in the pads 33 as they tend to return to their normal unstressed condition, therefore, positively retains the panels 12 to the

rails

18 and 19 and holds the panels from rattling in their channels and also prevents the entry of water into the channels.

If desired the pads 33 may be adhesively secured to opposite sides of the panels 12 by a pressure sensitive adhesive 5. This facilitate the insertion of the panels in the facing channel in the

rails

18 and 19, although a pressure sensitive adhesive need not necessarily be used.

While the sponge rubber pad 33 is show as being in one piece and folded over the awning panel, it may be in two pieces, with one pad adhesively secured to the top of the panel and the other pad adhesively secured to the bottom of the panel. A single pad adhesively secured to the top of the panel may also be compressed in the channel and press the panel into engagement with the leg 23.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 3 I have shown an end rail 39 like the rail 19, except the leg 27 has been eliminated. The top and bottom flanges of the channel are shown as terminating in alignment with each other to form an open channel to receive a sponge rubber pad 33 folded over the edge of the channel and spacing the panel 12 intermediate the top and bottom flanges of the channel to secure the panel in place in the channel on the same general principles as in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 1.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simplified form of awning structure has been provided particularly adapted for plastic or fiberglass panels, and that the panels are held in position in the rails of the frame structure of the awning by cushioning or sponge rubber pads extending over along the top and bottom surfaces of the panels and slidably moved along the channels of the rails of the frame structure for the awning and retaining the panels to the awning frame structure by the stored up energy of the pads. The structure just described materially simplifies the rigid awning structures heretofore in use and makes it possible to readily insert the panels in the rails of the frame structure and to retain the panels from rattling as well as to seal the ends of the panels.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In an awning structure,

a rigid frame adapted to extend from the wall of a building including a pair of parallel spaced rails inclined downwardly from the wall of the building, means connecting said rails together at their front and rear ends,

said rails having channels formed lengthwise therein and opening toward each other towards the ends of said rails,

a corrugated awning panel slidable within said channels from the ends thereof with the corrugations thereof extending transversely of said rails, and

means retaining said panel to said rails comprising a pair of elongated one-piece cushioning retainer pads extending respectively along the opposite edges of said panel,

each of said pads being wrapped around its corresponding panel edge and folded over the top and bottom marginal portions of the panel, said pads being compressible from a free state configuration to a smaller assembled state configuration to fit into said channels,

said pads having a skin on the outer surface thereof for engaging the sides of the channels to enable the pads to be inserted lengthwise into the channels and to snugly and sealingly retain the edges of the panels in said rails,

said pads being sufficiently spongy to conform completely to the corrugations of the panel.

2. An awning structure in accordance with claim 1,

in which the awning panel is made from corrugated fiberglass and the cushioning retainer pads are made from sponge rubber and are adhesively secured to the top and bottom sides of the panel,

3. The structure of claim 1,

wherein each channel has an upright leg extending upwardly from the bottom of each channel adjacent the outer end thereof, for the length thereof, and forming a slidable support for the bottom surface of the awning panel, and

wherein said upright leg also forms a confining member for the portion of the cushioning retainer pad extending along the bottom of the corrugated awning panel, confining the bottom of said cushioning retainer pad to exert pressure against the inner wall of the channel to further seal and prevent rattling of the panel Within the channels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,565,294 8/1951 Bain 5276 2,731,686 l/l956 Ball 5274 2,781,561 2/1957 Gifford et a1 52397 2,983,001 5/1961 Guldager 52-4O3 X 3,092,171 6/1963 Deddo 5278 X 3,266,192 8/1966 Kolm 49-383 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

PHILIP C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN AN AWNING STRUCTURE, A RIGID FRAME ADAPTED TO EXTEND FROM THE WALL OF A BUILDING INCLUDING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SPACED RAILS INCLINED DOWNWARDLY FROM THE WALL OF THE BUILDING, MEANS CONNECTING SAID RAILS TOGETHER AT THEIR FRONT AND REAR ENDS, SAID RAILS HAVING CHANNELS FORMED LENGTHWISE THEREIN AND OPENING TOWARD EACH OTHER TOWARDS THE ENDS OF SAID RAILS, A CORRUGATED AWNING PANEL SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID CHANNELS FROM THE ENDS THEREOF WITH THE CORRUGATIONS THEREOF EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID RAILS, AND MEANS RETAINING SAID PANEL TO SAID RAILS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED ONE-PIECE CUSHIONING RETAINER PADS EXTENDING RESPECTIVELY ALONG THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID PANEL, EACH OF SAID PADS BEING WRAPPED AROUND ITS CORRESPONDING PANEL EDGE AND FOLDED OVER THE TOP AND BOTTOM MARGINAL PORTIONS OF THE PANEL, SAID PADS BEING COMPRESSIBLE FROM A FREE STATE CONFIGURATION TO A SMALLER ASSEMBLED STATE CONFIGURATION TO FIT INTO SAID CHANNELS, SAID PADS HAVING A SKIN ON THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF FOR ENGAGING THE SIDES OF THE CHANNELS TO ENABLE THE PADS TO BE INSERTED LENGTHWISE INTO THE CHANNELS AND TO SNUGLY AND SEALINGLY RETAIN THE EDGES OF THE PANELS IN SAID RAILS, SAID PADS BEING SUFFICIENTLY SPONGY TO CONFORM COMPLETELY TO THE CORRUGATIONS OF THE PANEL.