US2023666A - Curtain operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1%, 1935. w CQURTRIGHT I 2,023,666

CURTAIN OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 10, 1934 INVENTOR, l/QZZvam eomrtfl r Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURTAIN OPERATING MECHANISM William H. Courtright, Hawthorne, N. J.

Application July 10, 1934, Serial No. 734,503 2 Claims. (01. 156-28) The principal object of this invention is to provide means by which a curtain or other like closure may be automatically moved in relation to the opening to which it applies subject to remote 5 control and when moved to whatever extent in either direction will remain held by said means in the position to which it is thus moved, the construction to be such that when the movement has been effected to a given limit in either direction the actuating means shall be ineifective to continue the movement in such direction. Whereas, according to my principal object, the invention is to be applied to the operating of curtains or other closures it will be understood that it is not necessarily limited thereto. For

operating such a closure as a curtain the invention is particularly applicable to automobiles in order, for example, to place the rear curtain in the control of the driver.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is an inside view of the back of an automobile body, with the lining removed and showing the invention largely in inside elevation, but partially broken away and partially in section;

Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of the motor and certain parts directly associated therewith;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 4 a plan of the switch, the cover being removed in Fig. 4;

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams of the electrical system, illustrating two conditions thereof; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are diagrammatic sections of the circuit-closer.

Rigidly supported by and connecting stanchions l of the automobile body are guides 2 and 3 consisting of flat strips, the former having a longitudinal slot 4 and the latter a pair of holes 5. 3 designates vertical guides rigidly secured to and connecting guides 2 and 3 and having longitudinal slots 7. These guides 6 are between the holes 5 but the slot 4 is between them In brackets 8 mounted on the guide 2 are set the trunnions of a spring roller 9, one such trunnion being fast to the roller and the other being the end of an axial spindle 90. around which the roller revolves and to which it is connected by a helical spring l9 having one end attached to the roller and the other to the spindle, it being understood that the last-named or spindle trunnion is held by the corresponding bracket against rotation therein in the well known manner, as by being flattened and fitting a slot in such bracket. In short, given a curtain l I wound on the roller, if the curtain is pulled upon to unroll it against the tension of the spring and then released the spring will cause rewinding of the cur ain,

Attached to the lower end of the curtain is a bar l2 which travels in the slots 1 and is connected with another bar l3 below the guide 3 by rods I 4, the ends of the rods, which extend through the holes 5, being threaded and pene- 5 trating said bars and having nuts l5 thereon clamping the bars. In short, the bars and rods form a rectangular frame which is guided vertically by the guides 2, 3 and 6.

An electric motor 16 is mounted on the sill Ii 10 below the curtain. In the diagram views (Figs. 5 and 6) its field winding is indicated at Ilia, its armature at I61), and its commutator at I and. its brushes lEd are shown as having terminals at a and b. 15

Figs. 3 and 4 show a double-pole switch whose spring-blades l i, secured upon an insulating base [3 by screws which may constitute the mentioned terminals a and b, may be mutually depressed into contact with terminals 0 and d on the one 20 hand or e and on the other by buttons 13. A suitable cover 23 through which the buttons (of insulating material) protrude may be attached to the base over the spring-blades.

The armature shaft 2! of the motor has a worm 25 22 fast thereon and meshing with a worm-wheel 23 fast on a shaft 24 journaled in bearings 25 of the motor casing, and shaft 24 has fast thereon a pulley 25a around which is wound a cord or other flexible connection 26 attached to bar I3. 30 Shaft 24 also has fast thereon a worm 2'! meshing with a worm-wheel 28 on a shaft 29, journaled in a suitable bearing 29a, and this shaft has fast thereon a roll 33 forming a circuit-closer and having each of two zones thereof formed 35 conductive, at 30a (Figs. 7 and 8), for the major portion of its peripheral extent and insulative, at 3012, the insulations 30b in the two zones being rotatively offset from each other somewhat.

The circuit arrangement is as follows: From a 40 service line 3|, or other source of current, leads a conductor 32, including the motor field I611, and being then branched, one branch 32a leading to terminal 0 and having a continuation 32am thereof leading from terminal (1 to ground I03 45 and having gap-forming contacts 33 which wipe one of the peripheral portions of the circuit closer; the other branch 32b, in which are gapforming contacts 34 wiping the other peripheral portion of the circuit-closer, leads to terminal 6 50 and has a continuation 3212a: thereof leading from terminal 1 to ground. For the purpose of explanation I term the terminals a and b, respectively, primary and secondary terminals, and the terminals c and d, respectively, on the one hand and e 55 and f, respectively, on the other, input and output terminals.

If the right-hand button is pressed, closing the circuit through branch 32a and its continuation 32am, then having the break at c-d in such branch 32a--32aa: closed through the brushes and commutator, the motor will be driven in one direction. If the left-hand button is pressed, closing the circuit through branch 32b and its continuation 32hr, then also having the break at erj in such branch 32b:-32b$ closed through the brushes and commutator (but now so that, as will appears, the current flows in the reverse direction through the brushes and commutator), the motor will be driven'in the opposite direction? In short, f

the input and output terminals. 0 and d in the first case, and the input and output terminals 6 and 1 in the second case, are respectively connected with the primary and secondary brush terminals a and b. In each case, however, if at the time a button is pressed the motor is at its intended limit 01 motion in the direction corresponding to such button and consequently the corresponding contact 33 or 34 engage the corresponding nonconductive Surface of circuit-closer 30 such actuation of they button will be abortive. In short, the motor will, be turned and the, curtain moved in one direction or the other according to which button is pressed and so long as the motor and circuit closer are not at either limit of their motion; butif such limit of movement in one direction has, beengreached movement, can only be effected in the opposite direction, as by pressing the button; by which such movement is efiected. The insulation at 30b might be entirely omitted, leaving arecessto leave electrically disconnected inthat. way the members of a pair of contacts when, they coincide therewith;

, The contacts 33 and 34 are shown mounted on an insulating block 35 attached to the motor casing.

Due to the worm gearing 22-23,A whenever the current is. cutoff from the motor the latter'of course holds the curtain at the position to, which it was last moved, notwithstanding the elevating action'of spring I0.

The frame l2-l3l4 might be omitted but, taken with its described guiding means, it insures maintenance of the cord 26 always in the plane of the pulley 25, as on the flapping or other shifting of the curtain when not so guided might occasionally not be the case. Besides the construction is such, as shown, that no part of the operating mechanism appears through the window opening 36 from the back, the top bar I2 being hidden by the curtain, the rods i4 always hidden by the structure both sides of the window, and the bottom bar l3 and cord always hidden by the structure'below the window.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination, with supporting structure 6 having an opening, a wound system including a roller journaled in said structure at one side of the opening and a curtain wound on the roller e the opening and a curtain wound on the roller and adapted to be drawn in a plane across said opening, means normally acting to wind said system, and means to effect an unwinding of said system including an open rigid frame connected to the curtain and formed and adapted to surround the opening when the curtain hasbeen so wound as substantially completely to expose the opening, said structure having means to confine the 'frame to movement substantially in said plane.

WILLIAM H. COURTRIGHT.

Images