US2531797A - Extensible metallic structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1950 RLK. WELLMAN EXTENSIBLE METALLIC STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1948 Nov. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1948 Patented Nov. 28, 1950 EXTENSIBLE METALLIC STRUCTURE Rudyard K. Wellman, St. Clair Shores, Mich.,

assignor to Wellward Tool Company, Inc., Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,703

4 Claims.

The invention relates to extensible articulated metallic structures, particularly designed for use as an awning, roofing or shutter assembly, and which may also be employed to advantage as a garage door, air conditioning outlet or as a heat regulating closure for automobile radiators, and has for its objects to provide certain new and useful improvements in metallic structures of this character.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a structure or device of the character described which is of light weight and capable of convenient manipulation and wherein provision is made for extending or collapsing the articu lated elements of the structure with a minimum of friction.

A further object of the invention is to provide integral means on the individual slat elements of the awningor closure, for reenforcing the same against undue distortion and relative twisting or turning movement, while permitting the essential parts to be constructed of thin or light gauge pressed or rolled sheet metal, such awning in extended or lowered position, taken substantially on line ll of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the awning in collapsed, stacked or telescoped elevated position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the extended awning as viewed from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view through one of the awning slats adjacent an end thereof.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale, illustrating two of the connected louver slats in extended position.

Referring to the drawings the awning structure comprises a plurality of substantially identically formed die pressed or rolled metallic louver slats in, of thin gauge and weight, each slat having an integral depending .forward wall II and a depending rear wall l2. The forward wall H terminates in an integral rearwardly extending flange portion I3 defining an open chan...

' nel structure at the front portion of each slat.

The dependin rear wall 12 is sharply bent upon itself as at M and thence extended reversely as a vertical or upstanding flange I5 terminatingin an integral forwardly projecting angular flange portion It. By virtue of such construction, the lower rear wall portion of each slat I0 is composed of a reenforced double wall thickness, while at its upper portion sets off an open channel above the slat proper in a manner similar to the forward channel disposed below such main body portion of the slat. Each slat II] at its opposite ends is preferably provided with an integral depending flange I1 and as a means of further reenforcement, the body portion IU of the slat is preferably provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced upstanding die pressed integral corrugations l8. Adjacent its opposite ends the slat members ID are provided with transversely aligned apertures 19 and 20 respectively disposed in the depending forward and rear wall portions or flanges H, 12 and I5.

If desired similar transversely aligned apertures may be provided in the said forward and rear flange portions ll, l2 and I5 of the slats at the central or intermediate portion of the structure as best seen in Fig. l. Said aligned apertures are for the purpose of receiving therethrough a plurality of fixed headed guide rods 2! by means of which the forward and rear slat walls, as well as Wall portions of the adjacent slats, are connected together, and upon which rods the said slats are mounted for slidable movement in one direction into outward extended position (Fig. 1), and in the opposite direction into inward stacked or telescoped relation (Fig. 2). The rods are suitably enlarged or headed at their opposite ends preferably so as to be immovably connected to the forward and rear flange portions ll, l2 and I5 of a given slat. Each rod 2| is loosely extended through a single aperture 22 in the upstanding flange l5 of another or subjacent slat Ill, so as to connect such slats for relative sliding movement into and out of nested or stacked relation. The arrangement is such that outward sliding movement into extended position of the connected or articulated slats is limited by contact of the forward edge of rear flange 16 of a lower or inner slat, with the inner surface of 3. depending forward flange H of an adjacent superposed connected slat l0. At such time the rear edge of flange I 3 of the superposed slat is in position to contact or abut against the front face of upstanding flange l5 of the first mentioned subjacent slat (Fig. 1).

-.or support member :28. said rod :are welded-orcotherwise secured as at When in thus extended position it will be noted that forward and rear flanges I! and I5 of adjacent connected slats are transversely spaced longitudinally of the rods 2!, by means of the angularly disposed vertically spaced flange portions [3 and iii of such connected slats, and the latter mentioned flanges lie closely against the outer surface of the main body portion of a slat, and against the upper surfaces of the rod members 24 respectively. In this manner undue tendency of the slats to twist or flex transversely relative to the rods and to one another is .insured against. Stated otherwise, when in extended position the slats are maintained substantially rigid against axial turning or twisting, by their slat and rod contacting'fiange portions l3 and I6 respectively.

The rear upstanding flange portion [5 of the upper or innermost lower slat H] is or -may be bent into a loop 23 to constitute a journal or bearing for :a support rod 24 in turn :journaledor flxedratitsnpposite ends within suitable'bracket .members 25 fixed-on opposite sides of the opening-A-of the window "or door frame B adjacent the upper portion of the frame. The forwardde pending flange H of the lower outermost slat Hiis preferably not away'as at 26 (Fig. 1) and -is.similarly .formedinto an open :loop- 2-! constitutinglabearing support for a rigid forward rod The opposite ends of 29 to the router endsof .a'pair-of oppositely dis- .posed support rods 3%, in turn pivotally secured at their-inner ends as at 135 to suitable bracket .members3 2 aflxed onthe windowor door frame adjacent the frame opening A. Suitable ten- .sion or .0011 "spring members :33 are or may be ,provided for yieldably maintaining the awning structure in desired extended position against wind pressures, over the frame opening. The outer ends of .said .spring members may be 'secured to lug elements -34 respectively fixed or .=immovably-1nounted on the support rods3il, and

.the inner 'endsof said springs may be suitably secured as at :35 to the :window or door frame.

Operatingmeans for the awning structure is preferably .provided in the form of a flexible pull *cord .secured at its outer end as at 3! :to-one .or both of the 'pivotally-mounted support rod-s38. Said-cordis passed inthe usualmanner -.be apparent that release of the pull cord will ,permitthe support rods 30 and stacked slats I!) connected thereto, to swing outwardly under .the .influenceof gravity or slight pressure, said .-slat members 'movingrelative to one another on the rod guide-elements 2-! with little or no friction. .Theawning is raised or elevated into the position shown in Fig. 2 by pulling on the cord ,tfipresultinginthe slats ii sliding relative to one another on the guide .rods 2i, in the opposite :direction into stacked or telescoped position.

It is thought that the invention and many :ofqits attendant advantages will be understood :from they foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the .form, :construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A metallic awning structure comprising a plurality of connected slat members each having an integral depending forward wall -.terminating in a rearwardly extending. flange spaced inwardly from the body portion of the slat, each of said .slat members further including an integral depending rear wall portion merging into a reversly folded upstanding rear wall portion having spaced apertures therein and terminating in a forwardly extending flange spaced outwardly "from thebody portion of the slat, and a plurality of .spaced guide .rod members connected to and extending between said depending forward and rear slat walls, the intermediate portions of said guide rods respectively loosely extending through thespaced apertures in said upstanding'rear'wall 'of an adj'acentislat to connect said-slats Torrrelative sliding .movement in roppcsite directions :respectively into extended'and-stackedzrelation; said :forwardly e-Xtendingrear wall flangezof a=saidtslat 'member when in extended position .ienga'ging against the depending forward wall of '.a con- :nected slat member closely adjacent said arod members to space said rear wall inwardly ionfthe rod members a substantial distance from i'said connected 'forwardslat wall, to -maintain the extended slats in substantiall -self supporting "re-- 'lation.

2. A metallic awning structure comprising a plurality of connectedslats-'each'having an integral depending forward aperture wall terminating in a rearwardly extending flange *spaced inwardly from the bodyportion'of theslatgeach of said slats further including an integral "depending rear wa'll'merg'ing into 'a reversely folded upstanding apertured-rear wall term'inatingin a. forwardly extending flange spaced outwardly from the body portion of theslat, and a plurality of spaced guide rod members-connectingandextending through the aperturesin'said depending forward and rear slat walls, the intermediate portions of said guide'rods respectively loosely "extending through the aperturesin'said upstanding rear wall of another slat to connect 'said slats for relative sliding movement in opposite directions respectively into'extended stacked relations, said forwardly and rearwardly extending terminal flanges respectively on the rear and forward walls of adjacent connected slats'being respectively engageable with said rod members and with the outer surface respectively of such adjacent slats to limit relative turning'and twisting movement of the slats when the latter arein extended position.

3. A metallic awning slat comprising 'a body portion having an integral depending forward wall terminating in a rearwardly extending reenforcing flange spaced from the inner surface of said body portion, said slat further "including an integral depending rear wall .portionmerging into a reversely folded upstanding'rear wallportion terminating in a forwardly projecting reenforcing flange spaced from the outer surface of said body portion, and a plurality of spaced rod members connected to and extending between said dependingforward (and rear slat walls, said upstanding'rear' wall'portion having spaced apertures therein for the slidable reception therethrough of the aforesaid spaced rod members of an adjacentconnecte'd slat.

4. A metallic awning slat comprising a body portion having an integral depending forward wall terminating in a rearwardly extending reenforcing flange spaced from the inner surface of said body portion, said slat further including an integral depending rear wall portion merging into a reversely folded upstanding rear wall portion terminating in a forwardly projecting rcenforcing flange spaced from the outer surface of said body portion, a plurality of transverse integral reenforcing corrugations spaced longitudinally of the body portion of said slat, a plurality of spaced rod members connected to and extending between said depending forward and rear slat walls adjacent said corrugations, and a plurality of spaced apertures in said upstanding rear walls respectively disposed in vertical alignment with said rod members for slidably receiving therethrough the rod members of another slat to movably connect said slats together for relative sliding movement in opposite directions respectively into extended and stacked relation, said forwardl extending rear wall flange of a said slat member when in extended position engaging against the depending forward wall of a connected slat member closely adjacent said rod members to space said rear wall inwardly on the rod members a substantial distance from said connected forward slat wall, to maintain the extended slats in substantially self supporting relation.

RUDYARD K. WELLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 140,674 Boughton July 8, 1873 162,361 Eller Apr. 20, 1875 427,287 Wood May 6, 1890 888,433 Thompson May 19, 1908 1,555,645 Ellis Sept. 29, 1925 1,636,200 Vetterlein July 19, 1927 1,648,851 Lupin Nov. 8, 1927 1,832,966 Cook Nov. 24, 1931 2,078,134 Goni Apr. 20, 1937 2,263,540 Johnson Nov. 18, 1941

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