US3487842A

US3487842A - Privacy/windbreak screen

Info

Publication number: US3487842A
Application number: US674233A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward F Larkin; Leon B Dubey; Gustav Faeder
Original assignee: LEON B DUBEY
Current assignee: LEON B DUBEY
Priority date: 1967-10-10
Filing date: 1967-10-10
Publication date: 1970-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 1987-01-06

Description

Jam 17@ Y E. F. LARKIN ETAL PRIVACY/WINDBREAK SCREEN Filed Oct. l0, 1967 INVENTORS F. ARK/N DUBEY BY GUSTV FAEDER W Avro@ Ey:

United States Patent O M' 3,487,842 PRIVACY/WINDBREAK SCREEN Edward F. Larkin, 2328 University Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10468; Leon B. Dubey, 9 Abbott St., West Babylon, N.Y. 12204; and Gustav Faeder, 116 W. 197th St., Bronx, N.Y. 10468 Filed Oct. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 674,233 Int. Cl. E04f 10/00, 10/02 U.S. Cl. 135-5 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a portable privacy/ windbreak unit having a retractable screen portion and a horizontal brace bar extending between upright posts, the improvement comprising constructing the horizontal bar in telescoping sections with means for locking the telescoping sections at a desired length.

This invention relates to an improvement in a portable Iprivacy/windbreak screen of the type generally having two upstanding posts and a retractable screen which is drawn horizontally from one post and anchored to the other.

Prior screens of the general type referred to above have been constructed without a horizontal bracing member or where such a member is present, it has not been constructed so as to permit variance in the length of the horizontal member. Consequently, accommodation of any deviation in the spacing between the upright posts, necessitated by reasons apparent to those skilled in the art, requires a change in the position of one of the upright posts. Where, as here, the primary purpose to which the screen is to be put, is outdoors, and where the upright is set into position by placing same in an appropriate receptacle driven into the ground, a change in the position of the upright is laborious and inconvenient.

With the present invention, the upstanding posts can be set in their receptacles and be vertically aligned by arranging the telescoping horizontal member at the proper length and locking at this position. After which the screen may be extended across the opening formed between the uprights; the locked horizontal member acting as a brace against lateral movement of the upright.

A principle object of this invention is to provide a privacy/windbreak screen of extreme lightness and ease of assembly.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for freely varying the length of the assembled screen while maintaining sucient rigidity at all lengths.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a screen and screen support system;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are detailed views of the T assemblies.

As is best seen in FIGURE l, the system is assembled as follows:

Uprights 3 and 4 are set in place respectively over ground pegs 1 and 2, Ts are generally designated as 9. Ts 9a and 9b are slipped over upright 3, Ts 9c and 9d are slipped over upright 4. The bottom Ts 9b and 9d are fastened rrnly to the uprights by tightening thumbscrews b and 5d.

3,487,842 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 ICC The lower spring roller pin 20 attached to roller 8 is set into slot 16b on the top of T 9b. At this point, with the lower pin 20 in the slot 1Gb, the screen roller 8 is rotated about 8 to 10 times to exert tension on the roller spring before the screen 7 is extended across to upright 4. This tension gives the extended screen a taut appearance and enables it to sustain light winds without billowing.

With the roller now pre-tensioned, the top end of the roller is set in 'place by adjusting T 9a so that its pin hole 16a accommodates upper roller pin 19. Thumbscre'w 5a is then tightened. Next tube 12 is set in the opening 21 of T 9a, and tube 13 is set in the opening 22 of T 9c. Tubes 12 and 13 are designed to telescope over a `wide range and are held in place at the desired length by collar clamp 14.

The leading edge of the screen 7, -containing a rigid tube 17, is now pulled towards upright 4 and fastened by means of

pins

10 and 11 into pin holes 16C and 16d on Ts 9c and 9d respectively. If the top edge 23 of the screen is not lying perfectly straight and rigid, the collar clamp 14 may be loosened and tubes 12 and 13 adjusted to the proper length.

When the invention is disassembled for moving or storage, it is possible to leave the screen roller 8 attached to upright 3 in the tensioned state. This is so because the leading edge tube 17 is chosen to have: a diameter larger than the space remaining between upright 3 and the roller body 8, on which is now wound the screen material. This self-locking feature is achieved by placing the pin hole 16a and the slot 16b at a particular distance out on TS 9a and 9b.

The T design makes possible the use of screens of various heights; the upper limit being the height of the uprights. In addition, the thumbscrew feature allows the adjustment up or down of the screen in use.

As is best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the slot 16b and the pin hole 16 are machined into bosses 24 on each T 9. The use of such raised areas reduces frictional resistance to the unwinding and rewinding of the screen. Instead of the metal ends of the roller being in full contact with the T surfaces, the area of contact is reduced substantially, to the surface area of the bosses alone. In addition, by building up the T at the point where the screen roller pin 19 penetrates into T 9a, the possibility of friction and wear between the roller pin 19 and the telescoping tube 12 is eliminated.

The same invention could be adapted for indoor use, by the substitution of stands for the ground pegs and the addition, if necessary, of a lower stiifner structure of telescoping tubes between T 9b and 9d.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown, other adaptations may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A portable privacy/windbreak screen Comprising a rst upright po-st having a retractable :roller screen associated therewith, said roller screen being extendable horizontally and having a vertical roller axis supported by a pair of members carried on said first post and vertically adjustable thereon, a second upright post to which said screen extends, said second post having a pair of members vertically adjustable thereon which members are adapted to retain the vertical edge of the extended screen, and a horizontal member telescopically adjustable in length adapted to be received in the upper vertically adjustable member of each pair whereby said posts are braced by said 2,890,051 horizontal member and whereby the vertical position of 2,996,954 said screen can be adjusted. 3,215,279

References Cited 5 718,3 14 UNITED STATES PATENTS 380,875 1,221,564 4/1917 Mills 160-240 1,231,735 7/1917 Harris 13S-7.1

6/ 1959 Williams 248--469 X 8/1961 Schroder 160-24 X 11/1965 Leo 211-182X FOREIGN PATENTS 9/ 1965 Canada. 12/ 1907 France.

PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner