US543261A - Adjustable window-screen - Google Patents

Description

F. C. MILLER. ADJUSTABLE WINDOW SCREEN.

V//I//MY/I/ UNrrnn STA-'rss PATENT @Frisia FRANK C. MILLER, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADJUSTABLE WINDOW-SCREEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 543,261, dated July 23, 1895.

Application filed January 4, 1895. Serial No. 533.856. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANK C. MILLER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Easton,

in the county of Northampton and State of' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new andvslidably fitted to the ends of the screen-frame,

and which panels are normally pressed away from the screen--frameby tension-springs, and the outward movement of which slidable panels is limited by stop devices.

The object that I have in view in the present invention is to produce a strong and simple screen of few parts, which can be manufactured at'a low price, and to provide improved devices whereby the user can conveniently and readily adjust and handle the screen, either to place it in or remove it from the window-frame.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the combination, with arigid frame l having the usualscreen-wire attached thereto which pass loosely through the central open` 4 l so and provided in'its end railsv with transverse centrally-disposed openings or passages, of slidable panels fitted to the ends of the screenframe toslide thereon, two central pull-bars,

ings in the end rails of the screen-frame, having their outer ends rigidly fastened to the slidable panels and provided at their inner ends with iinger-pieces, which extend at right angles to the Shanks of the pull-bars and thus lie at right angles to the wire fabric from which said finger-pieces extend, whereby the operator is enabled to easily grasp the pullbars, the central arrangement of which Vbars to the frame enables the screen to be easily balanced in the hands of the operator for the purpose of conveniently adjusting the screen to or removing it from the window-frame,

, springs which normally force the slidable my invention.

panels away from the end rails of the frame, and stops to limit the outward `movement of said slidable panels.

My invention further consists in the combination, with a rigid screened frame and slidable panels constructed with closed sides and outer ends to leave the inner'ends of said panels open for the receptionof the ends of the screened frame, of stop-rods attached to the slidable panels 'at points within the top and bottom rails of the screened frame and tted between the closed sides of the end panels and the end rails of said screened frame, so as to be housed and protected by the closed rsides of the slidable panels, with which said stop-rods are movable, the inner ends of said fstop-rods terminating usli with the inner edges of the closed sides of the slidable panels, and said inner ends of the stop-rods bent to form lugs, in the path of which lie the end rails of the screen-frame, so that the lugs on th'e stop-rods will abut against the end rails of the frame to limit the outward movement of said slidable panels, the central pull-bars attached to the slidable panels, and coiled springs fitted on the pull-bars and'bearing against the slidable panels and end rails of the rigid screen-frame.

The special arrangement of the stop-bars between the slidable panels and the end rails l of the screen-frame, and each rod having one end attached to the panel and. its free end formed with a hook or lug to take against an end rail of the frame, produces a simpler and cheaper screen than heretofore-consisting of fewer parts, hence cheaper to manufac-k ture-and avoids recessing or slotting the horizontal rails of the screen-frame, 'which has heretofore been customary in order to accommodate the stop-rods and the pins or studs with which the stop-rods are designed to engag To `enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I have shown the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of 'this specification, and in Which- Figure 1 is an elevation looking at one side of a screen constructed in accordance with Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane indicated bythe dotted line w a: of Fig. l. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged IOO detail sectional views on the plane indicated by the dotted line y y of Fig. l, showing thev position of one slidable panel and one stoprod when the panel is drawn in toward the end rail of the screen-frame and when it is forced out to its full limit away from the screen-frame. Fig. 5 is a full-sized horizontal sectional view similar to Fig. 2, in order to clearly illustrate the pull-bar and the spring, together with a part of the screen-frame and the slidable panel.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The screen-frame A consists of the end rails 0L a and the top and bottom rails b b, which are suitably joined together in a strong and rigid manner. Over this frame is stretched the usual woven-wirefabric B, which has its edges confined between the rails a b of the frame A and the cleats or strips b', which are laid upon and fastened to the frame A.

O D denote the slidable panels, which are fitted to the ends of the frame to inclose the rails a at thereof and to slide freely over the same. Each panel is made in the form of a boxing or housing, and consists of two side pieces c c and an end piece c, which is fitted between and fastened to the side pieces c c', whereby the panel has two closed sides and one closed end, while the other end of the panel is left open to receive the end of the screen-frame. The length of the panel is equal to the width of the frame A, and the combined width of the two panels is such that the screen may be materially widened to lit in window-frames which vary in width, but which window-frames exceed the width of the screen-frame A.

The space between the sides c c of the panel slightly exceeds the thickness of the end and side rails of the screen-frame, in order that the panelmay move freely over the end of the frame when it is desired to retract or pull the panel in toward the frame and also to permit the stop-bars E F to liebetween the slidable panels and the end rails of the frame A, whereby the stop-bars are coinbined with the frame and the panels in a way to avoid cutting slots or recesses in the frame A, as has been customary heretofore, but which practice is objectionable, as it not only involves additional machine work in the preparation of the rails for the screen-frame, consequently adding to the cost of manufacture, but also involves a special construction of stop bar or plate and the use of pins or studs to co-operate with'said stop bar or plate.

In my screen the end and side rails are made from ordinary stock and without any additional work to prepare them for use in a screen, and the stop-bars E F are made from single lengths of wire or steel rod, which are suitably bent into shape and attached in a simple way to the panel and arranged so as to act with the end rails a a to limit the outward displacement of the panel. As stated,

each stop-bar is `cnt in suitable length from a piece of wire or rod, and one end is bent to form the panel-attaching prong e, while the other end of the wire is bent at right angles to produce the stop lug or hook f. There are two of these stop-bars provided for each panel, and they are attached to the panel near the ends thereof, but at points within the side rails b bof the screen, in order that the stop hooks or lugsfof the bars may extend toward the screen fabric B and the end rails a a of the frame B may lie in the path of the hooks or lugsf to adapt the latter to come in con- .tact with the inner edge of the end rail when the bars and panel are forced outward under the pressure of the coiled spring I. These stop-bars are thus arranged near the sides of the frame, within the side rails thereof, and between the pair of stop-bars for each panel is arranged the pull-bar H, the latter being disposed centrally with relation to the frame.

The stop-bars are fastened to one side c of the panel, and they extend alongside of and close to the side c ofthe panel, said bars passing over the end rail a of the frame and having theirfree ends flush with or terminating within the sides of the panel, the hooks or lugsf extending from the panel toward the screen fabric, in order that said lugs may take or bear against the end rails of the frame, as has been explained.

Each pull-bar H, of which two are provided for the two slidable panels, is made in a single piece, with a plain smooth shank, a threaded attaching end h, and a right-angled fingerpiece h. The shank of the pullbar passes loosely through an aperture t' out in the center of the end rail a of frame A, and its threaded end h is screwed into the end piece c of the IOO slidable panel. The finger-piece h extends at right angles to the length of the pull-bar, and

when the bar is in position on the screen this finger-piece preferably extends from the screen fabric toward the` operator, whereby the pull-bar can be firmly grasped between the linger and thumb of the hand without the hand coming in contact with the screen fabric B. This finger-piece is preferably in the form of abroad curved hook, as shown in the drawings, although it may be in the shape of a loop or eye which stands at right angles to the length of the pull-bar and extends out from the screen fabric. These finger-pieces of the pull-bars can thus be easily grasped by the operator to retract the panels C D toward the screen frame A, and by having the pullbars disposed centrally with relation to the frame A the screen is made to balance itself in the hands of the operator, thereby enabling both panels to be retracted at once and the screen to be conveniently operated and adjusted to place it within, or take it from, the window-frame.

The springs I are of the coiled-wire variety, and they are tted loosely around the plain smooth shanks of the pull-bars, one end of IIO i each spring'bearing against a slidable panel and the other end of said spring bearing against an end'rail a, of the screen-frame.

It will be noted that the stop-bars and the coiled springs are practically housed entirely within the slidable panels C D, so that the parts are protected from injury by the panels themselves.

My improved screen, constructed as herein shown and described, possesses many practical advantages over other screens in that a fewer number of parts are necessary to produce a screen having all the advantages of prior devices and the parts are arranged andl disposed to better advantage with a view to securing the necessary functions. It follows that as a less number of parts are employed .the screen is simpler in construction and is cheaper to manufacture. At the same time the parts are not liableto get out of order and the screen is more durable and satisfactory. Importance4 is'attached to the construction and organization of the pull-bars as herein described, because the screen is made to balance itself nicely in the hands of the operator and a very secure hold can be obtained on the `finger-pieces of the pull-bars, which enables the screen to be lifted, held, and adj usted by simply grasping the finger-,pieces with the hands. K

' In order that the advantage of my screen may be apparent in so far as its simplicity and' cheapness are concerned, I may state that in some of the prior screens which have been devised and placed on the market there are no less'than sixteen (16) diiferent and distinct parts, while inrmy improved screen there are only ten parts necessary to be made and as? semrbled together. The screen can thus be made and sold by the manufacturer at alower price than ordinary screens, and in addition Y to the advantage to the manufacturer it is more convenient to the user in that it is more easily adjusted than other screens, is less liable to get out of order, and more durable.

ybars fastened tothe panels and the inner free ends having hooks or lugs f that extend inwardly in the path of the end rails and abut against the inner edge thereof, the pull bars and pressure springs, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A window screen comprising a rigid.

frame having' the wire fabric, the box-like panels C, D, fitted to the ends of said frame toinclose the end rails thereof, the central pull bars H passing loosely through the end rails of the frame, having their outer endsfastened to the panels, and provided at their inner ends with the right angled finger pieces that extend outward from the Wire fabric, the coiled springs fitted on said pull bars, and the pair of stop bars E, F, for each panel, which stop bars are disposed on opposite sides of the pull bar but within the side rails of the frame, and each stop bar having a prong which .is fastened to the panel and said bar passing between the end rail of the frame vand one side of the box-like housing, and having at its free end a hook or lugf which extends toward the screen fabric and is adapted to bear against the inner edge of the end rail of said frame, all arranged and combined substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. FRANK C. MILLER. Vitnesses:

ROBERT J. RICHARDS, S. S. HORN.

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