US703669A - Window-operating mechanism for greenhouses. - Google Patents

Description

PatentedJuI-y I, I902.

m. PRIOR. WINDOW OPERATING MECHANISM FUR GREENHOUSES.

Applieatiun filed Mar. m, 1902.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC MATTHEW PRIOR, OF WATERTOWN, MAsS'AoHUsETTs.

WINDOW-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GREENHOUSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,669," dated July 1, 1902. Application filed March 14, 1902-. semi No. ,23 (No an.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, MATTHEW PRIOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Watertown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an- Improvement in Window-Operating Mechanism for Greenhouses, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like'parts.

My invention is an-improved mechanism for operating ventilating-windows in greenhouses. Such windows are usually in the roof, and hence it is inconvenient to operate them by hand, and, moreover, there are usually a large number which it is desirable to open and close or adjust-frequently, and hence it is the custom to provide mechanism for operating them simultaneously.

My invention aims to provide mechanism of this general character in which counterbalancing devices are contained for making it feasible to operate a large number of windows at once without eifort.

My invention also includes certain special features of construction which enable me to replace and adjust parts without taking down the whole device and also make the construc View of a-portion of a greenhouse provided.

with my invention, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing certain constructional details thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

It will be understood thatwhile I intend my invention primarily for use with greenhouses its use is not restricted'thereto, but

maybe applied for opening a series'of movable or swinging windows or analogous parts wherever they may chance to be.

In a bracket or pair of brackets 0,, shown herein as consisting of a single casting having two arms a a secured to a single base a extending in two wings at right angles to each other, so as to embrace the cross-beam b at the bottom of the window-frame, are mounted two pinions c c for operating on the opposite teeth of a rack d, which is pivoted at d to the lower end of the window or swinging object 9.

The pinion c is fast on a shaftf, which, as' herein shown, is provided at one end with a sprocket-wheel f for receiving a sprocketchain f operated by a second sprocketwheel f and crank f located at any convenient place in the building.

The pinion c is fast on a shaft 0 preferably extending at both ends beyond the bracketa and provided with oppositely-wound springs 8's, secured at one end to fixed lugs or any other form of holding devices 0 and at their opposite ends held by any suitable means to the shaft, as by cotter-pins '0 As herein shown, the arm a is also provided with a guide-lug a, which serves to keep the rack 01 in line with the two pinions c c.

The supporting '-arn1s 0/ a terminate in hooked ends a as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and preferably one end of the shaft f is held in a box-like-bracket. g, all the other supports of said shaft being hook-like, as shown.

The chief advantages ofthe preferred embodiment of my invention as above explained are that in the first place in case a spring or any other part of themechanism breaks it is unnecessary. to take down the entire mechanismor any considerable portion thereof, but only the part affected need to be removed,"as, for example, if the spring .9 breaks .the cotter-pin isre'moved and a new spring is put in itsplace.

If thegear or pinion 0 should break, there is no need of removing or disturbing the shaft .f,pinionc, or rack d of any of the sets of mechanisms operatedbythe shaft f, nor even those parts at the particular windowafiected but all that is necessaryis to loosen the pinion c from the shaftjc release the two springs, and pull out the shaft 0 so as toremove the broken pinion c, and having placed a new pinion in position insert the short shaft (3 and replace the springs.

simply lifted readily from its supporting hooked brackets and having been fixed is replaced, all this being done without disturbing any of the remaining mechanism.

A further chief advantage of my invention is the simplicity with which the apparatus may be installed, as each bracket a is simply firmly fastened in place at the proper window and the pinion c and spring devices are then put in place independently for each window,

whereupon the single shaft f for the entire series is hooked in place and the apparatus is complete. This explanation brings me to another prominent feature, which resides in the simple means with which the proper tension of the counterbalancing-springs is obtained. The mechanism having been put in place with the springs not under tension, the shaftf is rotated, so as to raise the windows to threequarters or so of their maximum elevation, and then the cotter-pins c are put in place, so as to retain the free ends of the several springs, and thereupon when the windows descend they automatically wind up the springs and place them under the proper tension for securing the desired counterbalancing eifeets. If the proper tension is not secured in this manner, the windows are raised, the cotter-pins removed, and the windows are then raised further before again inserting the cotter-pins, thereby getting greater tension, if desired. Also by reason of my invention it will readily be seen that the springs for different windows may be given different degrees of tension according to the situations required. For instance, one window may be larger than another or hung at a different angle or heavier in construction, in which case it may be desirable that its counterbalancing spring or springs should be placed under greater tension than the other windows, and it will at once be seen that this does not require any different mechanism or complicate the apparatus of said window with that of the others, but merely necessitates that the springs of this particular window shall not be secured by their cotter-pins or other fastening devices until said window is raised to a greater extent than that at which the springs of the other windows were secured, the result being that when all the windows are closed the springs of this window will be under greater tension than the springs of the remaining windows. Also by my invention the thrust of the rack is brought directly on the bracket and in line therewith, or, in other words, there is no liability of causing the shaftfto bind or bend, but its sole purpose is simply to rotate the liftingpinions. Moreover, the shaft is inexpensive in construction, being simply a rod, without requiring any special construction, and this remark applies in general to the short shafts c and springs and pinions, all of which are of ordinary kinds commonly found in stock for various uses, one purpose of my invention being to provide a construction which will enable me to employ, with the least change possible, materials ready at hand.

Vt hile my invention is preferably constructed according to the embodiment herein shown, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the kind described, comprising fixed supporting means containing two pinions, a rack engaging said pinions atits opposite sides and secured at one end to the object to be moved thereby, an operating-shaft for operating one of said pinions, a short shaft secured to the other pinion, and a counterbalance-spring mounted on said shaft.

2. A device of thekind described, comprising a bracket, a rack-bar secured at one end to a movable object and its other end guided by said bracket, a pinion mounted in said rack to engage one edge of said rack-bar, a counterbalance-spring adapted to be wound and unwound by the rotation of said pinion, a second pinion mounted in said bracket for engaging the opposite edge of said rack-bar, an operating-shaft for driving said second pinion, said bracket having a hooked outer end, and said shaft being removably mounted in said hooked end.

3. In a device of the kind described, supporting means containing two fixed arms, having hooks at their outer ends, two pinions carried between said arms, one of said pinions being removably mounted in said hooks and the other pinion being at the opposite end of said arms, a rack-bar'guided between said arms and in engagement with said two pinions, a counterbalance-spring adapted to be wound and unwound by the rotation of one of said pinions, and means for positively-rotating the other pinion for raising the rack and object connected therewith.

4. In a device of the kind described, sup porting means containing two fixed arms, having hooks at their outer ends, two pinions carried between said arms, one of said pinions being removably mounted in said hooks and the other pinion being at the opposite end of said arms, a rack-bar guided between said arms and in engagement with said two pinions, a short shaft passed through said arms and one of said pinions, and acounterbalance-spring secured at one end to a fixed object and at its other end to said short shaft, and adapted to be placed under tension by the rotation of said shaft, and means for rotating the other pinion.

5. In a device of the kind described, a support, two pinions carried thereby, a rack-bar between said pinions and in driving engagement with one pinion and driven engagement with the other pinion, means for driving the latter pinion, a shaft for the former pinion extending at opposite sides thereof, and two counterbalance-springs, one at each end of said shaft.

6. A device of the kind described, including a rack-bar for lifting a window, and a driving-pinion and counterbalance-spring for cooperating therewith, combined with fixed supporting means supporting said rack beneath said driving-pinion, the thrust of the rack being in line with and borne by said supporting means.

7. A device of the kind described, comprising a series of window-lifting mechanisms, and a single operating-shaft for all of them, said several window-lifting mechanisms including hooked supports provided with fastening means for permanently and immovably fastening them to a fixed part of

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