US3065483A - Cleaners for louvers and shutters or the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 27, 1962 J. cuRAroLo CLEANERS FOR LOUVERS AND SHUTTERS OR THE LIKE Filed NOV. 14, 1960 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH CURATOLO ATTORNEY U ited States Patent O 3,055,483 CLEANERS FR LGUVERS AND SHUTTERS R Tim LIKE Joseph Curatolo, 351 Elwood Road, East Northport, N.Y. Filed Nov. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 68,852 3 Claims. (Cl. 15--210) The present invention relates to cleaning implements and more particularly to a device designed to facilitate the cleaning of louvers and comparable slatted door or window coverings.

One object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus adapted for direct application to the slat elements of louvers without their removal from the frame element containing the slats.

A second object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus adapted to handle effectively opposed -side portions of a louver slat element simultaneously.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cleaning apparatus adapted to handle effectively a plurality `of louver slat elements simultaneously.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus which 'adjusts itself automatically to the configuration of the louver slats to assure complete coverage thereof.

Another object of importance is to provide a cleaning device as stated which can be manufactured at relatively low cost, but will nevertheless be rugged and substantially trouble free in operation.

With the foregoing and other object-s which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangements of parts of the embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing I have set forth an illustrative embodiment of my invention.

In said drawing:

FIGURE l is a plan View of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a reduced top plan view of a support holding a slat cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3; and,

FIG. 5 is a reduced bottom plan view of the support of FIGS. 3 and 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing the numeral 1 denotes a slat cleaner, which consists of a stiff, preferably at base 2 of wood, or plastic material or the like, and of a wiping element 3 of sponge rubber or of any other suitable material which is secured to one side of the base 2 by means of gluing, vulcanizing or the like. The element 3 preferably is of a substantial thickness and that portion thereof which is opposite the base Z is provided with ribs 4 and grooves. 5, which are parallel to each other and which are inclined at an angle which corresponds to the usual inclination of the Islats 7 in a louver or shutter frame 8 or the like. Moreover, the ribs 4 are spaced from one another at the same distances at which the slats 7 in a louver ordinarily are spaced from each other. Furthermore, I prefer to make the ribs 4 of such a thickness that they lit easily into the spaces between pairs of slats 7, so that portions of both sides of a plurality of slats 7 can be engaged simultaneously by the ribs 4 and the grooves 5 of a wiping element 3.

Patented Nov. 27, 1962 Before starting the cleaning operation, the slat cleaner 1 is immersed into water or into any other liquid contained in a pail l0 or the like. Thereby the spongy element 3 is filled with the liquid sufficient for a considerable period of cleaning time, and it is desirable from time to time to place the cleaner 1 upon a holder or the like, where it will rest safely and by which any liquid dripping down from the cleaner 1 will be prevented from soiling floors or pieces of furniture. Therefore, I have developed a ysupport 11 as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 The support 11 consists of a plate 12 of wood or plastic material or the like, the upper side of which preferably is provided with grooves l5 and 16, while to its lower side are secured any suitable means for attaching it to the upper rim portion 17 of the pail lil. I prefer to carry out this feature of my invention in the manner shown in FIGS. 3 to S, Iwhere it will be lseen that mounted to the lower side of the plate l2 are curved tins 20 and 21 adapted for receiving between them a section of the rim portion 17. A block member 22 is inserted between the center portion of the fins 20 and 21, so that the plate 12 will be inclined relative to the rim portion I7 (FIG. 4) when the support 11 has been placed upon the rim I7 of the pail 10. A low frame element Z3, which is interrupted at one of its longitudinal sides for allowing a dripping of liquid from the plate 12 into the pail 10 preferably is attached to the edge portions of the plate 12. Thus, when the cleaner 1 is placed upon the support 11 as is indicated in FIGS. l and 2, any excess liquid emanating from the cleaner 1 will pass through the grooves 15 and 16 toward the lowest portion of the inclined plate 12, and from there will drip into the pail 10.

The cleaning of the slats 7 can be carried out easily and quickly by inserting the ribs 4 of the element 3 between a number of slats 7 and reciprocating the cleaner l in a horizontal direction.

Since certain change-s may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made Without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a wiping member of imbibitory material having a main portion and a top portion provided with parallel grooves and ribs, and a base member secured to the main portion of said wiping member, the ribs and grooves in said wiping member having parallel surfaces which are inclined corresponding to the inclination of louver slats, and said ribs and grooves being dimensioned and spaced from each other in such a manner as to be able to engage simultaneously major portions of a plurality of slats of a louver.

2. A louver cleaning device comprising a wiping member of spongy material having a main portion and a top portion provided with oblique parallel transverse grooves and oblique, parallel, transverse ribs, and a base -member secured to the main portion of said wiping member, the ribs and grooves in said wiping ymember being inclined relative to said base member at substantially the `same angle at which louver slats are inclined relative to a louver frame, and the ribs being so dimensioned and spaced from each other that each rib lits in between a pair of slats.

3. A louver `and shutter cleaning device comprising a fiat base member, and a wiping member of imbibitory References Cited in the le of this patent distance between two louver slats so that each rib fits in 10 8561625 between a pair of louver slats.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wolff May 3, 1898 Simmons June 25, 1901 Kirsner July 5, 1927 Troupa e Aug. 29, 1933 Carlson Mar. 28, 1939 Trindl Dec. 11, 1945 Delacretaz Oct. 21, 1958

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