US1978152A - Traverse roller for venetian blinds - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1934. L T. WARD TRAVERSE ROLLER FOR VENETIAN BLINDs Filed May 12. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RWI/7 I .La

Patented Oct. 23,` 1934 AUNITED STATES vrif-irland# Aori-ica TRAVERSE RLLER FOR VENETIAN BLmDS Lawrence Thomas Ward, Kane, Pa., assigner to Kane Manufacturing Company, Kane, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 12, 1931, Serial No. 536,858

12 Claims. (Cl. 156-17) roller. Devices of this type, particularly applied l to large blinds, oier disadvantages among which might be mentioned the excessive effort necessary to rotate the roller by a pull on the operating cord and the possibility of losing control and dropping the blind in the event of inadvertent release of the cord, the downward pull also tending to increase friction and binding of the traversing screw.

According to 4my invention, Ilv provide a gear driven sleeve which is slidably engaged in a spline relation within one end of the traverse roller. 3The driving gears for the sleeve are rotated by means of rigid operating shafts that may be rotated manually or by means of a motor drive in a manner to rotate the main drum to raise or lower the slats which are suspended from the drum. A gear drive of the type described has for its main object to provide agdirect, positive drive for a traverse roller that may be operated with a minimum of eiort. 3o Another object is to provide an operating means which is effective in any position to afford a locking means which will prevent slippage of the roller upon stoppage of the driving force.

Another object is to provide an operating 35 means of the geared type wherein an electric motor may be employed as a source of power.

I attain these objects and others by a novel combination of parts, a preferred modification of which is disclosed in the accompanying draw- 40 ings, wherein- Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the relative positions of the roller, blind and operator;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in section showing an assembled traverse roller;

Fig. 3 is a detailA view of a driving gear and sleeve;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a gear housing;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows a detail;

Fig. 7 shows a horizontal motor drive; and

Fig. 8 shows a vertical motor drive.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I have shown a traverse roller 1 supported at one end 55 upon a threaded sleeve 2 which threadably engages a collar 3 fitted within the roller end and attached thereto by means of screws Il. The sleeve 2 is supported at one end by means of a bracket 5 and a pair of slots 6 arranged on opposite sides of the sleeve are adapted to engage the side edges 7 of a bearing 8 formed on the bracket. The other end of the traverse roller is supported by means of a driving sleeve 9 which extends axially within the roller in slidable engagement with a drive collar 10 attached to the 65 roller by means of screws 11. As shown in detail in Fig. 3, a driving worm gear 12 is secured rigidly to the sleeve 9 a short distance from the outer end` thereof. The sleeve `end is rotatably supported-by means of a yoke shaped gear housing 13 which is attached to a bracket 14 by means of screws 15. It will be noted that the sleeve engages the housing 13 at two points on opposite sides of the gear 12.

'Ihe sleeve 9 is provided with a driving key 75 16 which engages a keyway 17 formed in the collar 10. I provide an aligning rod 18 ,which ez;- tends axially through the sleeves 2 and -9 and through the roller in a manner shown in my Patent No. 1,845,856, granted February 16, 1932. A rigid vertical operating rod 19 is supported at its upper end vin a bearing 20 formed in the housing 13 and a worm 21 secured to the rod 19 meshes with the worm gear 12.

The lower end of the rod 19 may be connected 85 by means of gears 22 to an operating crank 23 to provide a means for manually operating the traversey roller -1. In the event that blinds of large size are used, the effort necessary to raise such blinds becomes appreciable and it is desirable to provide a power drive for operating the traverse roller.

Fig. 7 shows a horizontal electric motor drive comprising a motor 24 which-is mounted on a base 25 adjacent the driven end of the roller. 95- The motor shaft 26 is connected by means of a Worm andgear reduction 27 to a shaft 28 which in. turn is provided with a worm 29 in engagement with a worm gear 30 that is attached to the driving sleeve 9.

Fig. 8 shows a vertical electric drive comprising an electric motor 24 which is connected to a power supply 31. The motor 24 is operatively connected in driving relation to the vertical operating rod 19 by means of a gear reduction 32. 105 For controlling the electric motor, I provide a circuit controller which comprises an up switch 33, a down switch 34 and a stop switch 35 which may be constructed in a well known manner. Obviously, aseries of vertical rods 19 110,

associated with a plurality of traverse rollers may be driven from a single or common motor through transverse rods connected to the vertical rods.

In the operation oi mv device, when itis de sired to rotate the traverse roller to raise or lower the blind suspended therefrom by cables in the usual manner, a rotary motion is imparted to the rod 19 by means of the crank 23 or by operation of the motor 24 in the proper direction,-whereby the sleeve 9 is rotated. Due to the engagement of the key 16 with the collar 10, a corresponding rotation is imparted to the roller 1 and the latter is moved laterally by the action of the threaded sleeve 2 which engages the threaded collar 3. The loose spline engagement of the sleeve 9 within the collar 10 permits the roller 1 to slide freely therealong in a manner to wind the blind supporting cables to lie in a uniform layer thereon as set forth in the 'above mentioned patent. 'Ihe sleeve or bearing 9 has been shown preferably as circular in cross-section and in a splined relation. Other forms are contemplated, for example, a bearing rectangular in cross-section will provide satisfactory construction and operation, in which case the use of a spline key is avoided.

While the weight of the suspended blind acting through the suspension cables is appreciable and, at all times tends to rotate the roller 1, the roller is prevented from rotating owing to the engagement of the worm gear 12 with the worm 21. In the prior art devices, it has been the practice to employ an operating cable wound around the traverse roller for rotating the roller. The extremely large force exerted on such cables results in excessive pressure of the roller` upon the threaded sleeve 2, and which is effective to unduly increase the friction of the screw drive as well as to cause distortion of the screw sleeve, thereby causing a detrimental binding action of the screw.

By providing a gear driven sleeve operator for traverse rollers, I reduce the driving force to a minimum and materially increase the life and efliciency of the roller. As applied to large blinds particularly, my gear driven operator effects simplicity and economy in manufacture, as well as in its maintenance.

For the purpose of fully disclosing the principles of my invention, a preferred modication thereof has been illustrated and described. I do not, however, wish to be limited to the form shown but contemplate variations within th scope of the appended claims. Y

What I claim is:

1. In a venetian blind, in combination, a traverse roller, separate bearings extending within said roller at opposite ends thereof, inter-engaging threads on said roller and one of said bearings and providing a support for one end of the roller, said other bearing slidably engaging said roller means to prevent relative rotation between said other bearing and the roller, means for rotating said last named bearing comprising a worm wheel thereon, and a Worm shaft having a worm meshing with said worm wheel.

2. In a venetial blind, in combination, a traverse roller, bearings engaging said roller at opposite ends thereof, inter-engaging threads on said roller and one of said bearings and providing a support for one end of the roller, said roller being rotatable relative to said last named bear- 1ng, said other bearing slidably engaging said roller means to prevent relative rotation between said other bearing and the roller, a worm wheel on said last named bearing, a worm shaft having e worm meshing with seid wheel and a drive for seid vorm smit.

3. ln e venetian blind, in combination, e. trevn erse roller, sleeve bearings extending within opposite ends of said roller, one of said sleeves being threadedly engaged with the roller, said roller slidably engaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relative rotation between said other bearing and the roller, an aligning rod extending through said sleeve bearings and means to rotate said last named sleeve bearing.

4. A traverse roller comprising a drum, a sleeve bearing, said bearing and drum being threadedly engaged, whereby to `impart axial movement to the drum during rotation thereof, a sleeve bearing extending within the other end of said drum, spline means for slidably connecting said last named sleeve bearing to said drum, a non-rotatable aligning rod extending through said sleeve bearings, and means for rotating said last named sleeve bearing whereby to rotate said drum.

5. In a venetian blind, in combination, a traverse roller, sleeve bearings extending within opposite ends ofl said roller, one of said sleeve bearings being threadedly engaged with the roller, said roller slidably engaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relative rotation between said other bearing and the roller, an aligning rod extending through said sleeve bearings and roller, and means to rotate said last named bearing.

6. In a venetian blind, in combination, a traverse roller, sleeve bearings extending within opposite ends of said roller, one of said sleeve bearings and said roller having interengaging threads, said threads providing a support for one end of the roller, said roller slidably engaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relative rotation between said other bearing and the roller, an operating rod, gearing for connecting said rod to said last named sleeve bearing, and a motor operatively connected to said rod.

7. In a venetian blind,'in combination, a traverse roller, sleeve bearings extending within opposite ends of said roller, one of said sleeve bearings being threadedly engaged with the roller, said roller slidably engaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relative rotation between said other bearing and the roller, an aligning rod extending through to said sleeve bearings, an operating rod, gearing for connecting said rod to said last named sleeve bearing, and a motor operatively connected to said rod.

8. In a venetian blind having cables for lifting the slats, a spool mounted above the slats with the cables connected thereto, ymeans to rotate the spool and simultaneously therewith move the spool longitudinally of its axis to wind the cables in a single layer on the spool, the spool having a shaft with a worm wheel thereon, a. worm shaft having a worm meshing with said wheel, and a drive for said worm shaft.

9. In a venetian blind having slats with cables for lifting and lowering same, a rotatable spool positioned above the slats with the cables connected thereto, means to rotate the spool, said spool having a screw threaded portion at one end, a stationary threaded bearing rod engaging said threaded portion for moving the spool longitudinally of its axis during its rotation to wind the cables in single layers on the spool, a rotatable shaft support extending into the other end of the spool, means to prevent relative rotation between vroo IOS

Said latter shaft and the spool, the shaft support duced gear drive, an electric vcircuit for said motor and means for controlling the current in said circuit to reverse the motor.

12. In a device asset forth in claim 9, the means for rotating-saidfworm shaft comprising a motor operably connected thereto by a reduced gear drive, an electric circuit for said motor and switching means for controlling said circuit and motor to raise or lower the slats.

LAWRENCE THOMAS WARD. f

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