US951868A - Fire-resistant shutter. - Google Patents

Description

J. G. WILSON.

FIRE RESISTANT SHUTTER. APPLIGATIQN FILED JAN. 9, 1909.

Patented Mar. l5, 39ML WIT/VESSEL? JAMES G. WILSON, F LARCHMONT, NEW YORK.

FIRE-RESISTANT SHUTTER,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 41910.

Application filed January 9, `1909. Serial No. 471,390.

To all whom it may concern: f

lle it known that I, JAMES G. WILSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Larchmont, lestchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Resistant Shutters, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to shutters made of fire resistant materials and sliding in suite able grooves or guides as distinguished from hinged shutters.

More particularly my improvement pertains to shutters when constituted of `hing ing metallic slats; my invention is also peculiarly applicable to such shutters when ar-l ranged to roll from the grooves into a coil. One object of my invention is, broadly speaking, to insure a closer junction between the shutter edges and the grooves.

A further object of my invention is to insure a closer junction between thevhinge members of adjacent slats than is ordinarily obtainable.

A still further and most important object of my invention is to so stiifen and maintain a close contact between the hinging members of adjacent slats over the entire length of such hinges as to prevent much of the bulging, warping, ,buckling and twisting of metallic shutters as commonly obtains in such structures when subjected to intense heat as in case of fire.

Shutters of the above generally described type are used to protect door and window openings in case of fire, and are either thrown into place by intention or, in many cases, automatically. Complete protection from lire properly means not only protection from direct actionr of the llame and transference of heat-but should also include a complete cutting oli' of smoke and vapors, the effect of which in many cases is more damaging to merchandise as well as more dangerous to life, than the fire itself.

So far as I am aware, shutters rof the` above mentioned type and as heretofore made. have had openings or passageways of considerable aggregate area between the shutter edges and their inclosing grooves or guides thereby readily permitting smoke or vapor laden air to pass around such shutter edges and across the door or window opening into the roomor rooms to be protected. rlhis has necessarily resulted from the fact lateral play between the shutter edges and the groove bottoms and transverse play between said edges and the groove sides, has been required. to enable the shutter'to be normally operable without excessive friction; while, in case of lire, the expansion of the shutter thereby produced would, without such play, absolutely lock the shutter, possibly even before completely closing.

l accomplish one feature of my invention essentially by placing on the side of each shutter slat at each end a permanently attached metal stop or abutment which makes a substantially closed joint between the shutter and the side of the embacing groove. In a modified form of my invention, which forms the subject of a separate application` l (No. 458,690, filed October 20, 1908), this stop is of resilient material bent so as to inamtam close contact with the groove while, at the same time, yielding to any variations of pressure or irregularities of travel, as the shutter is operated.

In the embodiment of my invention which forms the subject matter of this application, I makeuse of a block which, although it may lill the free space only1 loosely, thereby not materially increasing the sliding friction, may yet be suiiiciently long c. in the direction of the shutte1"s`width) to introduce excessive air friction, and thus Substantially seal the air passage. This block is so shaped that besides thus sealing the junction of shutter slat and grooves it also performs the most important function of keeping the hinging members of adjacent slats in close contact. suitable intervals along the width Aof the shutter, the number of such blocks depending upon the width of the shutter, the 'dimensions of the slats, and the gage of which such slats are made. I am enabled to obtain this close contact relation of hinging mem-` bers over the entire shutter.

Referring to the drawings, Figures l, 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred form of my invention in which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section, with a portion of the groove cut away so as to bring out the structure; the figure is drawn to include but a part of one side of the shutter and a few interhinging slats since the other side of the shutter and the remainder of the slats above and below are similar; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the block, above referred to, as used at the edge By placing these blocks at of the shutter; Fig. 4 is a modified form of the block in perspective, as used on that part of thc shutter away from its edge; and Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of a single slat showing a modified application of my invention.

A is flexible metal shutter comprising interliinging slats 1, l, and B one of the lateral grooves or runways in which the shutter normally slides and by which it is guided.

My'- stop proper comprises a structure C, preferably a solid or hollow block. This bloc-,lr is of approximately triangular crosssection (vertically to the plane of the shutter) and proportioned so as to fill, .with a minimum amount of play, the space between the slats and the groove on one side of the plane of the shutter. The top of each block at 2 is grooved so as to conform to the shape of the hinge member, 3, above. This block lies preferably just outside the tangent line a-a, so as not to appreciably increase the diameter of the shutter coil when the shutter is rolled. n

With the usualconstruction of shutters of' the class here in question, the shutter willarts it descends in its grooves, owing to unavoidable friction between slat ends and grooves, so proceed that each slat will successively, from the bottom up, ltend to stick in the grooves so as to separate the cooperating hinge members to the full limit of their allowed play; and even if the friction of shutter edges with grooves be eliminated, this separation would still take place, in lowering the shutter, when the bottom slatnally struck the bottom of the shutter opening. Such separation of the hinge members obviously forms a more or less continuous air passage through and around the hinge members and over the entire width of the shutter and the total cross-section thus opened up to the passage of smoke, vapors and Haine, may become thereby much ygreater than that existing around the shutter edges between said edges and the grooves. Vvfith my block form of smoke guard the block is fixed on each slat with each groove 2, against the next upper slat at 3 when the hinge members of the two sla-tsiare pressed closely together, z'. e., when' the slats involved are pressed apart. lVhether being raised or lowered, therefore, the shutter is thereafter always tightly stretched by reason of these blocks and the iiiige members are in close contact throughout their entire length so that passageway across the face of the shutter both through and around the hinge members is entirely cut oil". .This keeping the shutter always in stretch instead of allowing the slats to bunch up has the still further advantage of giving it a much more sightly a Jpearance. Ihere the shutter is comparatively narrow, blocks as thus explained in each side groove would generally be sutlicient to properly hold slats, by )oining wings or lugs,

the hinge members of adjacent slats in close contact over the entire length of such hinge. but where the shutter has considerable width it is generally better to place one or more blocks suitably spaced across the front of `the shutter to aid the groove blocksin main-y taining the desired contact. These intermediate distance blocks are particularly desirable and necessary on wide shutters when there is a probability that any fire, which lstretching blocks on the opposite side instead without departing from the spirit of my 1n- \'ention. Or, I may place the seals on both sides of the shutter; ordinarily however, the air passages are so completely cut off by placing the seals on one side only that the small gain in applying the seals to both sides will not repay the disadvantage of the lextra friction entailed, to say nothing of the increased cost.

To provide against any lateral sliding or separation of the slats of a metallic shutter, it is common practice in the art to affix L- shaped lugs at the end of one slat with one leg of the L lying across the interlocked hinge members at the end. Vith my improvement I may dispense with.. such lugs, and still prevent lateral separation ofthe 6 and 7, t0 the outside of the blocks C when used at the edge of the shutter; these lugs project over the ends of the hinge members as shown in Figs. l and 2. These lugs or wings are preferably. formed integral with the blocks themselves.

I may obviously arrange my lugs, 6 and 7, both cast on the saine block, as in Fig. 3, in which case the block is used only on every alternate shutter slat. with the remaining blocks plain as at 8, F ig. et, oryI may use the saine style of block on each ,slat end using, in such case, but, one lug, bottom, to each slat and modifying the shape of the lug if necessary.

In Fig. l I show a thin asbestos pad which may, should I desire, be cemented or otherwise fastened to the groove 2 in case it is thought desirable to soften slightly the rigidity with which the hinge members are lield together.

lVith the blocks C on the Ifront of the shutter as in Figs. l and 2 the curved end of said block is at its top and presses against either at top or.

tion of the shutter.

curved to form hinge members, fire resistant vapors around them and thus through the interbinging slats and sliding in grooves, a block of re resistent material lined to one senese the hinge member of the slet next above. Were the block to be placed on the ie've:se`` side of the shutter its large and curved end would be down instead of up and would pressfgifzainst the hinge member 5 oftlie sla-t nextflieiow. lbisisslioivny in Fig. 5 wnliei'e C is a block placed on the reverse side oi the shutter. l

Many changes of detail. ineyobviously b mede in app ying iny-invention Without departing from its spirit. My-invention is effective, simple, and easy to apply. and having now fully disclosed the seine, l hereby claim: v s

l. Ina re resistant shutter `comprising interhinging slats and sliding in grooves, a block of fire resistant material fixed to one side of each slat end and shaped so as 'to substantially ,ll tbe transverse section between thel side 'of seid slet end and a side wall of the groove, whereby the passage of. smoke and vapors is substantially cut off Without interfering with tbe'normal opeiaY 2; ln a. re resistant shutter comprising interbinging slats. and sliding infgrooves, a pair of opposite sides of each Islet being eleinentsixed to each siete-nd conformed closely tothe hinge member of an adjacent slet wlieeby the' hinge members `aire kept in'V close coiitaetend the passage of smoke and shutter opening is substantially cut oit. 3. ln e treresistantfsliutter comprising sideof each slet end and substantiaily bridging thejrensverse section bet-Ween said slet end .x and the groove, said blo-cli; having e. grooved end adapted to closely but slidably it the hinge member of in adjacent slet so :is to press the slats :spart end keep their binge members inclose'contect, whereby the passage of smoke and vapors around the hinge members end between the shutter.

edges .and the grooves is snbstentially cutofi". 4:. ln s fire resistant shutter comprising Ainterl'iinging slats, fire resistent means etrtewlfied'to said sliiittei and adapted to keep the hinge members of adjacent slats in close Contact, seid means having further ineens adapted to prevent lateral separation of seid slats, substantially is and or the purpose described 5. In .e fire resistant shutter comprising nterliiiiging slats and slidingin grooves, partir` of opposite sides of each slet beingl curved to forni binge members, iiie resistent elements fixed to each slat one eiid of each element being conformed closely to e binge member of an adjacent slat and being adapt ed to press against said hinge memberv there by keeping seid slats in stretch end preventing the passage of smoke end vapors `through said'binge meinbersnnd across the fece of the siiiittei. i

ln testimoiij whereof l.' have hereunto set myiiand inA the presence of'tw'o subscribing witnesses this 7th dy of January, 1909.v

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