US2345594A - Automatic window sash operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

April 4, 1944, c. c. GARDNER AUTOMATIC WINDOW SASH OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 18, 1941 Patented Apr. 4, 1944 2,345,594 soromric wmnow SASH OPERATING mzcnmsm Clair C. Gardner, ltockforfl, Ill. Application August 18, 1941, Serial No. 407,284

6 Claims.

sash operating mechanism.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a power operated window operating plunger rod attached to the bottom rail ofthe sash on the longitudinal center line thereof, this arrangement having the important advantages of, first, freedom from a tendency for the sash to bind, that being common where the sash has thrust applied oil! center, and, second, substantially complete concealment of the operating means when the window is closed, as distinguished from the many unsightly devices which have been tofore and which were too conspicuous.

The salient feature of the mechanism of my invention consists in the provision of a reversible electric motor more or less directly connected through reduction gearing with the plunger rod on the sash, the mechanism being concealed in a housing in the wail under the sill, the motor having electrically connected therewith a double throw switch and a single throw switch, the latter being normally closed, these switches being operable automatically by two projections on the plunger rod in vertically spaced relation to one another, the lower one being arranged to operate only the double throw switch at the upper limit of movement to reverse the motor, and the upper one being arranged to operate both switches at the lower limit of movement so as to stop the motor only when the window is fully closed. The upper projection is adjustable to dififerent positions in vertically spaced relation on the plunger rod, and the two switches are also vertically adjustable 4 relative to their supporting brackets in the housing so that the precise timing desired is easily obtained and the motor will not stop until the window is fully closed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an inner elevation of a window sash shown supported in an open position by a power operated plunger rod forming part of an operating mechanism made in accordance with my invention, the housing containing said mechanism being indicated below the sill with the door therefor open to better illustrate the mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the mechanism with the plunger rod appearing in cross-section;

Figs. 4 and 5 are two detail views of a portion of the plunger rod illustrating the adjustable upper projection; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram.

proposed here Theoperationis as the thrust is transmitted bearing is mounted in the bottom of (Cl. 268-124) This invention relates to an automatic window The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

In Fig. 1 the sash I is of conventional design adapted to slide vertically within channels in the frame 8. A plunger rod 9 having rack teeth l0 along one side thereof is fixed at its upper end to the middle of the bottom cross-rail I l in any suitable manner, as by entering the upper end of the rod into a hole in the cross-rail and suitabl securing it therein as by means of a pin l2. A vertical hole i3 is provided in the sill i4 tor the rod in to reciprocate vertically inside the wall H as the sash l is raised and lowered. A housing i6 is provided in the wall beneath the sill i4 and contains the reversible shaded pole electric motor H for power operation of the rod 9 to raise or lower the window under power. A pinion i8 meshes with the rack teeth l0 and is keyed or otherwise suitably fixed on the horizontal shaft is mounted in bearings 20 and 2! suitably supported the housing it. The shaft 59 is driven through reduction gears 22 and 22' from the armature shaft 23 of the motor ii! and is easily sufiicient to carry the load imposed thereon by the sash l and rod smooth and quiet, and inasmuch directly along the longitudinal center line of the sash, there no tendency for the sash to chatter and bind, the sash being in balanced relation to the rod 9. The rod 9 is guided for operation in proper clearance relationship to the'pinion l8 by a channel-shaped the housing 56 on the opposite side of the rod 9 from the pinion it, as shown. There are two other advantages in having the rod 9 located in the middle and projecting downwardly from the bottom cross-rail of the sash, one being that it afiords a certain measure of protection against burglars entering the house through the open window, there being hardly enough room left on either side of the rod for such entry and the rod preventing raising of the window by reason of its reduction gearing connectionwith the motor, and the other advan -tage being that when the window is closed the rod 1'! is a well known snap action type. ring pressed normally toward closed position but adapted to be opened by depression of its leaf spring actuating arm 29. The lever 28 has a ball-shaped free end 30 which fits freely in a longitudinal groove 3| provided in the side of the rod 3, 90 removed from the rack ill. The arm 23 has an L-shaped free end portion 32. which also projects freely into the groove 3i above the ball end 3ll of the lever 23. Now, the groove 3! terminates short of the lower end of the rod 3, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to raise the lever 28 at the upper limit movement of the switch, whereby to swing the lever 28 upwardly to reverse the motor I! for downward movement or the sash. The lower end of the groove, therefore, provides one of two vertically spaced projections on the rod 9 for operation of the switches 28 and, 2!, the other projection being a screw 33 which is entered in a selected one of a plurality of holes 3i provided in the bottom of the groove 33 invertioally spaced relation relative to the rod 3 inthe upper portion of said rod. The groove 3i may therefore extend to the upper end of the rod 9, inasmuch as the screw 33 will determine by its location in the groove the point at which the lever 28 and arm 29 will be forced downwardly in the downward movement of the sash to stop the motor 11 and bring the switch 26 to a reverse position for subsequent upward movement of the sash. The switches 26 and 21 will require careful vertical adjustment so that the motor ll will be stopped when the window is exactly fully closed, and such fine adjustment is easily obtained by the adjustable mounting of the switch 26 on a bracket 35 and the adjustable mounting of the switch 21 on another bracket 36. The bracket 35 has a vertical slot 37 therein through which the threaded shank 38 on the body of the switch 26 projects, and this shank has nuts 39' threaded thereon to be tightened against opposite sides of the bracket to secure the switch 26 in any desired position of vertical adjustment. The bracket 38 has a vertical slot 49 provided therein through which the shank of a. screw M extends for threaded engagement in the body of the switch 21, and in that way theswitch 27 may be clamped on the bracket in adjusted position by tightening the screw M. The holes 3% the lower end of the groove 3|. The switch 27 is indicated in this view as having a spring s tending normally to close the same, and inasmuch as this switch is moved to open position only at the limit of downward movement of the plunger and is otherwise closed, the rod 9 is indicated, for the purpose of the diagrammatic showing, as hold-- me the switch open against the action of the spring s. For further control of the motor ii, a manually operable switch 42 is shown in Fig. 6 and also a timer-operated switch at 3, a timer being indicated diagrammatically at It, with a movable contact arm for closing the switch 43 at a predetermined time for which the timer may be set. Line terminals are indicated at 45 tor connection with the source or electric currentsupply.

In operation, assuming that the window is closed, as indicated in the diagram Fig. 6 by the fact that the switch 21 is held open, the operator may set the window in an open position by closing the switch 42 and holding it closed long enough to bring the window to the desired position. The motor [I will stop when the operator opens the switch 42. Assuming that the timer M has been set for closing the window at a later hour, let us say seven o'clock in the morning, the window will under these conditions remain open until the appointed hour, at which time the switch (335 closed, thereby causing the motor ll to operate so as to complete the cycle, the first part of which was taken care of the evening before. That is to say, if the window was raised only half way by the manual closing and opening of the switch 42, the motor H to complete the cycle must first raise the window therest of the way, so as to cause reversal of the switch 26 before the downwardmovement commences, and then when the window is finally closed, the switch 21 is thrown back again to the position shown in Fig. 6, simultaneously with the opening of the switch 21. In that way the mechanism is left in condition for the start of another cycle.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim: I

1. In a window sash operating mechanism of the character described, a reciprocable sash supporting and circuit controlling member adapted one extreme position and for movement of said lever in the opposite direction when said circuit controlling member reaches its other extreme position, and a relay switch for auxiliary control of said electric motor driven means normally biased in one direction toward closed circuit position but having an actuating part also extending into the groove with the aforesaid lever to be moved to open circuit position when the circuit controlling member reaches one of its extreme positions.

2. A window sash operating mechanism as set forth in claim 1 including a projection mounted in relation to the movement of the circuit controlling member to its one limit position, said projection being adjustable step by step relative to said member, and said switches being infinitely adjustable within small limits on supporting means longitudinally with respect to said groove. v

4. A device of the class described, comprising a substantially vertical rod element adapted for attachment to a gravitating window sash movable in a window frame, said rod element disposed substantially vertically on the true longitudinal center-line of the sash and frame and in the centra1 plane of the sash, so that the 1011-, gitudinal center-line of the rod element when extended passes through the center of gravity of the sash, said rod element being attached to the lower end of the sash and arranged to be supported on the frame to hold the sash in an open position against its normal tendency to close, said rod having a longitudinally extending groove provided in one side thereof and a rack formed in another side thereof, and mechanism on the frame for operating the rod up and down, comprising a pinion meshing with the, rack and mounted on a shaft supported in stationary bearings, electric motor driven means for driving said shaft selectively in either direction, a reversing switch having an oscillatable actuating lever projecting into the aforesaid groove for movement of the lever in one direction when the circuit controlling member reaches one extreme position and for movement of said lever in the opposite direction when said circuit controlling member reaches its other extreme position, and a relay switch for auxiliary control of said electric motor driven means normally biased in one direction toward closed circuit position but having an actuating part also extending into the groove with the aforesaid lever to be moved to open circuit position when the circuit controlling member reaches one of its extreme positions.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, including a projection mounted on the circuit controlling member for adjustment lengthwise relative to the groove to advance or retard the operation of said switches in relation to the movement oi. the circuit controlling member to its one limit position.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4, including a projection mounted on the circuit controlling member for adjustment lengthwise witl. respect to said groove to advance or retard the operation of said switches in relation to the movement of the circuit controlling member to its one limit position, said projection being adjustable step by step relative to said member,

and said switche being infinitely adjustable within small limits on supporting means longitudinally with respect to said groove.

CLAIR C. GARDNER.

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