US2223997A - Venetian blind tilter - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3, 1940. H. K. LORENTZEN VENETIAN 'BLIND TILTER- Fil ed Nov. 18, 1938 I INVENTOR I flaw fiwwzzz m I M rrommav Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UN ED s 'rss Hans K. Lorentsen, Montclair, N. 1., assigns to Lorentsen Hardware Hf: m New .York,

1N.Y.,acorporationofllewYork Application November 1:, ms. Serial No. 241,133

' sauna. (a. 150-11) This invention relates to Venetian blinds, and

for the most part the features involved in the invention are incorporated in a unit customarily referred to as a tilter. 1 This tilter is. of course, used to tilt the upper slat of a Venetian blind and thereby incline all of the slats. which are articulated with the upper slat in a conventional manner.

o Venetian blind tilters customarily embody a drive shaft from which tilting movement is desired, often through a worm and gear assembly. Usually the drive shaft is provided with a pulley adapted to be driven by a cord which passes over u the pulley and has its two ends hanging free in 1 suitable position to be grasped by the operator. If the cord cumulatively slips or crawls in one direction over the pulley during repeated manipulations of the blind, one end of the cord eventually climbs inconvenientlyhigh while the other end droops too low. For some reason, such cumulative slippage of the cord takes place in very many installations despite ribbed pulleys. cord guides, and other means that are usually used to 25 minimize cord slippage. Accordingly, inactual practice it periodically becomes necessary with many installations to manually lift the cord from the pulley and relocate it thereon: Of course. this is considerable bother to a Venetian blind user, who ordinarily has to employ a stepladder or the like to reach the pulley.

A principal object of the presentinvention is to provide a Venetian blind with tilting mechanism which permits quick-and easy relocation of the cord to compensate for accumulated slippage.

Another object of the invention is to produce a Venetian blind tilter which provides for relocation of a slipped operating cord without any 40 manipulations other than mere pulling of the cord to the correct position.

A further object of the invention is to provide for readyand quick assembly of the operating cord with the rest of the tilter. when the tilter is Anadditional object at the invention is to provide a Venetian blind tilter which effectively encloses the operating parts and which provides for adequate lubrication of the same. so Astillfurtherobiectoftheinventionistoaccomplish the foregoing results with a construction adapted for mtisfactory and economical r w tim. largely from inexpensive stamped sheet metal parts. as Varimisspecincanddetailedobisctaoftheinvention will be apparent from the accompanying disclosure Fig. 1 of the drawing is, in general, a front elevation of a tilter embodyin the invention. A. portionofafrictfondisciscutawaytoshowthe pulley. and the pulley cord is omitted for the sake of clarity.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the tilter structure shown in Fig. 1. m Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tilter structure shown in Fig. 1, portions of the mounting flanges being cut away to show details below them.

Fig. 4 is in general a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, but the pulley and certain associated parts are shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the pulley and certain associated parts taken in general on the line H of Fig. .4.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view showing the parts of the tilter housing and certain gears enclosed by the homing.

Fig. 7 is'a side elevation of a dish like member which retains lubricant for the gears. v

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the tilter, on a reduced scale, illustrating how the cord is inserted when initially installed. I

The housing of the tilter is-made up primarily of two stamped sheet metal shells designated as a whole by A, and B respectively. These two shells are identical except that one is a so-called mirror reversal of the other so that the two shells may be fitted together in complementary relationship. Thus, the detailed description applies equally well to both of the shells. and the same reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts of the two shells. Preferably, each shell is stamped in one piece.

Each shell has a vertical flat face portion it that is separated into two parts by a vertical channel ll. This channel is open at both ends and connects a gear-receiving depression I! with the top of the shell. The depression I! is'shallower than the main portion of the channel ii;

and as the channel approaches the depres i it diminishes in depth and merges smoothly into the depression l2. 'lransversely of the channel II the shell is provided with a semicircular shaftreceiving recess it, which may he in two parts.

on opposite sides of el H as shown in H8- 4. Adjacent to one edge each of the shells is p videdwithahook I8. Atthetomeachofthe sheiisAandBisprovicienwithahorisontalflanile it adaptedtobesecuredbyscrewsorothermeans to a suitable support ior mounting the tllier.

Incmdedin the tiiteraretwodwlicate gear elements i8, i6. These are assembled face-toface so as to, .in effect, constitute one gear. Each of the gear elements l8. l8 may be so stamped from sheet metal as to have a toothed disc i1 and a hub portion l8. As shown in Fig. 4, the toothed disc portion i1 isadapted to be located in gearreceiving depression l2. The hub portion 18 makes a bearing fit with perforated boss L (Fig. 6) formed integral with depression l2. In order 10 that the gear elements l6, l8 may be duplicates.

it is necessary that they be provided with an even number of teeth so that the respective teeth of the two gear elements will be in alignment when the gear elements are positioned face to face.

'Ifdesired, the entire periphery of disc portion l1 may be toothed, but I prefer to leave a blank space l8 (Fig. 4) which acts asa stop to prevent complete rotation of gears. The gear hubs l8,

i8 areprov'lded with duplicatenon-circular holes,

'e. g., rectangular holes, to receive and drive a connector member M (Figs. 2 and 4) projecting from the top slat of the blind. a

As shown more particularly in Fig. 4, a drive shaft 28 is adapted to be journailed in shaftreceiving recesses l4, and the shaft carries a worm 2| which meshes with the gear elements i8, it. In assembly, the gear elements l8, it are placed in the respective gear-receiving depressions i2, i2. Then the tilter housing is formed by bringing the two shells A and B together in face-to-face relationship and permanently securing them together by suitable means such as spot welding. This housing is then plated, or otherwise suitably finished, thereby covering all manufacturing scars, including the welding scars. Thereafter the worm 2| and shaft 28 are installed, as will be described later.

The free end of the shaft 28 is provided with an integral head 28, adjacent to which is an 40 integral square shank portion 28 (Fig. 5): and adjacent to the square shank portion 28 there is a round shank portion 21. Initially this round shank portion 21 extends to the point designated by T in Fig. 5. Telescoped on to the square shank 48 portion 28 is a friction disc 28, preferably made of suitable spring material such as spring bronze. The hole in the center of disc 28 corresponds to square shank 28, so that the disc cannot rotate with respect to shaft 22. Telescoped onto the 60 round shank portion 21 is a sheet metal pulley designated as a whole by P. This pulley is shown as made up of stampings 28 and 88 permanently secured together at 2| and provided with ribs such as 22 to increase the frictional contact with 88 the pulley cord C (Fig. 8). I

It will be noted that the pulley is of such configuration as to have its axial faces provided with annular recesses 24 and 28 adjacent to the drive shaft, thus providing salient peripheral 60 zones at 88 and 21. Telescoped onto the round shank portion 21, and located in annular recesses 38 is an abutment disc 28. After disc 28 has been placed on the shaft, a suitable cylindrical tool is driven axially of the shaft to displace 85 metal from the point 1' and form an integral collar which permanently secures the parts together in the relationship shown in Fig. 5. If

abutment disc 22 is provided with an octagonal hole surrounding shank 21, metal will flow into 70 the corners of the hole as collar 48 is formed. thereby preventing rotation of disc 28 relative to the shaft 28.

The force applied in forming collar 48 shifts the pulley axially on the shank 21 against the 78 opposing force of spring disc 28. Thus, spring disc 28 is left in a stressed condition in which it I permanently and frictionally engages the peripheral zone 28 of the pulley. Of course. when collar 48 is being stamped, friction disc 28 can be supported as required to limit the stressing of 5 disc 28 to the desired degree. I

It will be seen that the pulley P is rotatably mounted on the shaft 28 but is coupled thereto by friction disc 28. Thus, when the pulley is rotated by operating cord C, the gear I6 is re,- tated to tilt the blind if the gear is free to rotate. However, if the gear is held against rotation (as by the action of non-toothed sector l9, or by 3 the tilt slat of the blind striking an obstruction), 1 rotation of the pulley merely results in slippage 15 between the pulley andfriction disc 28. thereby resulting in an idle movement of the pulley cord. In this way, the positions of the ends of the cord 'can be readily readjusted to compensate for slippage of the cord on the pulley, when such 2 slippage has accumulated during a period of use 1 .of the blind.

Associated with the pulleyP is a cord guide designated as a whole by G. This guide is stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and 2 includes a flat portion 4| which is located between the pulley P and the housing of the tilter. Stamped in flat portion 4| is a perforated boss '42 by which the cord guide is suspended from hook H as shown in Fig. 4. Of course, the por- 30 tion 4| of the cord guide is perforated to permit shaft 28 to pass through it. If this perforation corresponds in size to the size of shaft 28, the cord de will not be able to oscillate sidewise with respect to the pulley. However, if this perforation is larger than shaft 28, the cord guide will be able to oscillate sldewise, as more fully explained in my application Serial No. 119,865, filed January 5, 1937. In practice I may make the cord guide either way, viz., either so that it is loop, however, is not a closed loop since the ends of the curved guide fingers 48 and 41 are spaced apart in opposed relation, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. r

The tilter housing having been previously assembled (including the gear l6) the cord guide 6 "is merely hung in place on hook I! in an obvious manner. Then worm 2i is dropped in man with gear l8, this dropping being provided for by the vertical channels II, II. Of course in putting the worm in place, care should be taken to see that the two gear elements l8, l8 are rotatively isned to obtain registration between the respective teeth on the two gear elements, the respective blank portions II on the two gear elements, and .5 the respective holes for connector member MI. Pulley P and associated parts having been P manently afilxed to shaft 28 as previously described, the shaft is installed in the tilter. To do this it is merely necessary to insert the free end 10 of the shaft 28 (from the left side of Fig. 4) into the Journals provided by shaft-receiving recesses l4, I4, and at the same time drive the shaft, through the worm 2!. The shaft 28 is provided with suitable knurling or projections which en- 15 asaaoav gage the bore of the worm and permanently secure the shalt and the worm in the relationship shown in Fig. 4. For thispurpose I prefer to provide the shaft with interlocking projections as disclosed in detail in my application Serial No.

219,303, filed July 15, 1938.

It is dimcult and expensive to so unite the shells A and B that the housing will be oil tight. However, I m-ovide a dish-dike lubricant retainer H (Figs. 2, 4, 6 and 7) which retains lubricant for the gearing. This retainer is stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and comprises a trough portion BI and fourclip portions such as ii. In shape the dish-member H correspondsto the hottom of the tilter housing which encloses the gear II; and this dish-like member is adapted to e. snapped into place over the housing. where it occupies the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Recesses I2, Fig. 7 (one in each side of the dishmember). provide space for the tilt bar connector M, and the clip members I are each provided with an ear 5|. These ears snap over the top of the gear-receiving depressions II, as shown in Fig. 2, and hold the member H in place. Thus the member H acts as a lubricant retainer permitting a certain level of lubricant to be kept about the gear I. and thereby keeping the worm and gear lubricated. I

The cord guide G is made with spaces at 5. it and I (Fig. 1) which are correlated with the thickness of the pulley cord C. The space 1 between the ends of guide fingers II and ll is less than the thickness of the pulley cord, but great enough to permit the cord to be inserted through it when the cord is diametrically compressed. The spaces at BI and 58 are similarly correlated to the thickness of the pulley cord. Where the cord guide G is arranged to cacillate sidewlse with respcctto the pulley, these do spaces are such that the cord canbecompressed and inserted sidewlse through them by oscillating the guide G as indicated in Fig. 8. After the cord C has been compressed and inserted through the space l'l between the ends of fingers I and I1.

is the guide a n oscillated to one side and the cord forced between guide flange II and the rim of the pulley. with the cord in place in the pulley groove on this side, the cord guide is then oscillated in the opposite direction and the other 50 branch of the cord similarly inserted. when the cord guide is so made as to be non-oscillatory, the spacingat llandliissuchthatthecord call. upon compression, be inserted sidewise between the guide flanges hand I! and the rim of the B8 glllesy without the cord guide oscillation shown in g. 7 In compliance with the patent statutes I have disclosed best form in which I have contemplated applyin my invention. but it will be un-. U derstood that the disclosureis illustrative of the invention without limiting the scope of the same.

What is claimed is:

l. A Venetian blind tilter comprising: a wormand-gear assembly, the gear having a formation which engages the worm and prevents complete rotation of the gear: a drive shaft on which the worm is mo1mted;.a cord operated pulley rotatable on said drive shaft: and means to operatively n couple the pulley to the drive shaft whereby rotawhenthegearilfreetorotatasaidcoupling means including a friction disc non-rotatahly mounted in the drive shaft and frictionally engaginga acoeofthe pulleywherebi 1g pulley cord ieadjustable by forcibly rot flnd ni drive shaft whereby rotation of the pulley imparts ley to said tilting means whereby rotation of the pulley actuates the tilting means when the same 1% gear:

' eratively couple the pulley to tion of the pulley imparts movement-to the gear pulley relative to the shaft when the worm is not free to rotate. 2. A Venetian blind tilter comprising: a wormand-gearassembly, the gear having a formation which engages the worm and prevents complete 5 rotation of the gear; a drive shaft on which the worm is mounted; a cord operated pulley rotatable on said drive shaft; and means to operatively couple the pulley to the drive shaft whereby rotation of the pulley imparts movement tothe gear 10 when the gear is free to rotate, said coupling means including a spring disc non-rotatably mounted on the drive shaft and frictionally en- -gaging a peripheral zone only of the pulley whereby the pulley cord is adjustable by forcibly ro- 15 tating the pulley'relative to the shaft when the worm is not free to rotate.

3. A Venetian blind tilter comprising: a wormand-gear assembly including means to arrest rotation of the gear; a drive shaft on which the 20 worm is mounted: a cord operated pulley rotatable on said drive shaft, one axial face of the pulley having an annular recess surrounding the drive shaft whereby the pulley is provided with a salient peripheral zone; and means to operatively couple the pulley to the drive shaft whereby rotation of the pulley imparts movement to the gear when the gear is free to rotate, said coupling means including a springy disc frictionally engaging said salient peripheral zone, the center of 8 the disc being biased toward said annular recess. and the pulley being forcibly rotatable relative to the drive shaft to adjust the pulley cord.

4. In a Venetian blind: a worm-and-gear assembly for tilting the slats of the blind, there be- $5 ing means to arrest rotation of the gear; a drive shaft on which the worm is mounted; a cord operated pulley rotatable on said drive shaft; and v means to'operativelycouple the pulley to the a, movement to the gear when the gear is free to rotate, said coupling means including a friction drive whereby the pulley cord is adjustable by forcibly rotating the pulley relative to the shaft when rotation of the gear is arrested.

5. In a Venetian blind: means for tiltin the slats of the blind, there being means to arrest the movement of said tilting means; a cord operated Pulley; and means to operativeiy couple said pulis free to move, said coupling means including a frictional driving connection whereby the pulley cord is adjustable by forcibly rotating the pulley relative to the tilting means when movement of the tilting means is arrested.

6. In a Venetian blind: a. worm-and-gear assembly, there being means to arrest rotation of mounted; a cord operated pulley rotatable on said drive shaft, each axial face of the pulley having an annular recess surrounding the drive whereby each face of the pulley is provided with a salient peripheral zone; and means to op- 05 the drive shaft whereby rotation of the pulley imparts movement to the gear when the gear is free to rotate, said coupling means including a friction drive whereby the pulley cord is adjustable by forcibly rotating lo.

the pulley relative to said drive shaft when rotation of the gear is arrested. said friction drive including a collar affixed to the drive shaft and nesting into one of said pulley recesses, and an axially stressed disc sills-ed to the drive shaftand m a drive shaft on which the wormls engaging the peripheral zone of the pulley on a one-piece dished lubricant-retaining member the face opposite to said oollar.

7. A Venetian blind tilter comprising: two stamped sheet metal shells, each having a flat face portion, a gear-receiving depression adiacent to the bottom of the stamping, a channel open at both ends and connecting the depression with the top of the stamping, and a shaft-receiving recess extending crosswise oi the channel, the.

two sheetmetal shells being secured together in iace-to-iace relationship with saiddepressions;

channels and recesses in registration a shaft Journalled in said shaft-receiving recesses; a gear in said gear receiving depressions; a worm meshing with said gear, the worm being amxed to said shaft and being positioned in said channels and nesting with the lower portion of said gear-receiving recess and eflective to retain lubricant in the recess regardless of leaky assembly or said sheet metal shells. Y

8. A Venetian blind tilter comprising: two stamped sheet metal shells secured together; a worm-and-ge'ar assembly embraced and supported by the shells, the worm-and-gear being adjacent to the bottom of the shells: and a In bricant-retaining dish member nesting with the lower portion of said shells to hold lubricant in contact with one of said gear elements regardless ofleaky assembly of said sheet metal shells.

HANS K. noREmzEN.

Images