Abstract: A shutter for a skylight or a window comprises a transparent housing and a shutter assembly within the housing. The shutter is formed of louvres comprising light weight S-shaped reinforced foil members pivoted at their ends with light weight pivot pin bearings. A counterbalanced crank arm rotates the louvres by way of one of the pivot bearings.

Abstract: The power operated bi-fold strip curtain door assembly is well-suited for doorways and openings to conserve energy and has applications, as an example, in the car wash industry and in industrial plants. Strip curtain supporting inboard and outboard sections are hinged together at next adjacent side edges in side-by-side relation. The inboard section is suspended from an overhead track by a carriage guidingly engaged with the track. A fluid power actuator, when energized, operates to fold and extend the door sections to respectively open and close the strip curtain door. One of the door sections has a side edge strip curtain upper horizontal hem portion reinforced such that its vertical border portion extends laterally in the plane of the strip door section a predetermined distance therebeyond. With the bi-fold door extended, the border portion is moved into overlapping flush relation to the neighboring strip curtain section providing a seal therebetween.

Abstract: A combination window shade and clutch assembly is provided to prevent over-tensioning of the spring motor of the window shade. The clutch assembly includes spool means connected to one end of the spring motor and cup means, both movable along the window shade dowel, and each having locking means formed to engage one another. The cup means engages retaining means formed in the rotatable housing of the window shade so that rotation of the housing is transmitted to the spool means through the cup means while their locking means are in engagement. The locking means of the cup means and spool means are operable to maintain engagement to permit tensioning of the spring motor a predetermined number of turns of the cup means and spool means together with window shade housing, and then disengage to prevent further tensioning of the spring motor without restricting rotation of the housing in such one direction.

Abstract: A venetian blind mechanism having a lead and a plurality of auxiliary carriers supported for traversing movement along a header between a retracted and an extended position and vane supports mounted on the auxiliary carriers for turning about an upright axis for light control. An operating chain is connected intermediate its ends to the lead carrier and has first and second chain portions extending lengthwise of the header in meshing engagement with sprockets on the auxiliary carriers to control spacing between the auxiliary carriers. Chain operating means is associated with the ends of the first and second chain portions for moving them in relatively opposite directions to effect rotation of the vane supports. A chain locking device is provided for automatically locking the chain to the sprocket on an auxiliary carrier when the carriers are retracted, to restrain movement of the operating chain by the chain operating means.

Abstract: A venetian blind mechanism having a lead and a plurality of auxiliary carriers supported for traversing movement along a header and vane supports mounted on the auxiliary carriers for turning about an upright axis for light control. An operating chain is connected intermediate its ends to the lead carrier and has chain portions extending lengthwise of the header in meshing engagement with sprockets on the auxiliary carriers to control spacing between the auxiliary carriers and to effect rotation of the vane supports. The header has telescoping sections to enable adjustment of the length of the header. The trackway is located at the rear side of the header.

Abstract: A bead-chain drive system for operating and positioning a window shade comprises a roller having a window shade mounted thereon, the roller being urged by the weight of the window shade in a direction to lower the shade. The drive system further includes a sprocket for driving the roller that is driven by a bead-chain, trained about the sprocket. The bead-chain includes a chain length urged toward the sprocket by the weight of the shade applied to the roller and the sprocket. The drive system also includes a bead-chain retainer having a holding device operative to hold at least one of the beads of the chain length against movement toward the sprocket to position the window shade and from which the chain length can be easily freed upon movement thereof away from the sprocket.

Abstract: Security proof shutter structure applicable to windows, doors, store or garage fronts, utilizing slats constructed of steel or the like. A special S-shaped spring linkage means is secured to respective ends of the slats. The lower hook of each linkage means being engaged with the upper hook of the adjacent linkage means to provide a rotatively operative linkage between adjacent slats without fixed attachment.The hooked linkage is well adapted to independently install or remove any one slat on site and to independently control by sliding the closing of the louvre spacing between adjacent slats or moving apart from each other. The louvre spacing between adjacent slats can be progressively closed or opened. The full lowering takes place with opened louvre spacing and by continued lowering the progressive closing of the louvre spacing between adjacent slats will take place. The winding around the upper roller takes place with fully opened louvre spacing.

Abstract: An interior window covering is shown of the type adapted to be supported adjacent a window in the manner of a vertical blind. The window covering includes an inner fabric panel, an outer fabric panel which overlays the inner panel and which is secured thereto by a series of vertical spaced-apart seams, whereby a series of vertical pockets is formed between the inner and outer panels. A plurality of bowed slats are disposed within the vertical pockets. Each of the slats is separated from the next adjacent slat by one of the vertical seams to allow collapsing of the window covering by folding the seams to form a stack of the vertical pockets.

Abstract: A screen-operating device for use in a roller blind having a braking mechanism consisting a brake-drum secured to a bracket, a coil spring fitted on the brake-drum, a disk loosely mounted on the coil spring and integrally coupled with a screen-roll on which a screen is wound, and a cord-pulley mounted on the disk. The coil spring has their both ends inserted in an opening in the disk and the cord-pulley has its inner tung inserted between the both ends in the opening. Torque from the cord-pulley side acts on either of the both ends to loosen the coil spring and then rotates the screen-roll to raise and lower the screen. But, any torque from the screen side acts on the end to fasten the coil spring on the brake-drum and is immediately braked.

Abstract: A glass door and window structure is provided in which a glass is placed in a groove in a metal frame having one straight and one sloping side with the glass spaced from the sloping side and an elongate metal shoe having a corresponding sloping side is placed between the glass and sloping side with the sloping sides in contact and means are provided for drawing the shoe into the groove to tightly and sealingly engage the glass.

Abstract: A support member for the end of a rotatable shaft for winding and unwinding a curtain of articulated slats forming a roll-type shutter or awning. The support member is made of a pair of interlocked, L-shaped plates forming a box-like structure open at both ends. A bushing, through which is passed the end of the rotatable shaft, is journalled through one of the L-shaped plates and is held in position by a U-shaped saddle member. The support member is converted to a gear drive by replacing the bushing with a worm wheel and mounting in the U-shaped saddle member a worm gear meshing with the worm wheel. The worm gear is mounted on, or made integral with, a drive shaft. The U-shaped saddle member is arranged to be mounted in any one of a plurality of positions within the box-like enclosure so as to provide several possible orientations for the drive shaft.

Abstract: A semicylindrical roofing member includes an arch-shaped carrying rib and one cylindrically curved plastic sheet that rests on the carrying rib. At least one non-extensible strap spans the plastic sheet and holds it to the carrying rib. This strap is releasably attached to the carrying rib by catches at its ends. A strip of soft flexible material is positioned between the strap and the plastic sheet on the carrying rib and is compressed by the strap. As a result, the strap is held in position on the sheet under tensile stress and thus secures the sheet to the rib.

Abstract: A collapsible awning frame for mounting in front of an opening in a window, door, or the like. The frame receiving an awning thereon. The frame is characterized by having a rigid structure which can withstand high winds. Also, the frame provides sufficient room to allow windows and doors to be opened outwardly for receiving outside air. Further, the frame and awning can be quickly folded adjacent the opening by loosening only a pair of lock screws.

Abstract: A wall opening frame member (10, 79) for framing doors, windows, and the like having an exterior side (14) and an interior side (16). The frame member (10) has a metal frame (18) that preferably has at least one structural heat transfer barrier (52, 62) whereby no unbroken metallic heat transfer path exists between the exterior side (14) and the interior side (16). A wood facing (20) is adapted to cover all substantial interior surfaces of the metal frame (18) when the metal frame (18) is in use. Means are provided for attaching wood facing (20) to the interior surfaces of the metal frame (18) so that no substantial surface of the metal frame (18) is exposed to the inside ambient air and the transfer of heat between the exterior side and the interior ambient air of the frame member (10) is inhibited.

Abstract: A transparent, flexible curtain with spaced access slits is provided for installation across the opening of display type, open front and open top coolers, freezers and the like of the sort used in retail food stores. The curtain is comprised of a rectangular sheet of flexible, transparent material detachably secured at one end to the top or rear edge of the cooler cabinet and extending across the cabinet opening. The upper and lower margins are reinforced by a flexible laminated scrim for improved wear at the stress points. The curtain is formed with plurality of spaced parallel slits, all extending in the same direction and all originating and terminating within the margins of the sheet with the exception of a slit along a fold line extending through the lower edge of the curtain. The curtain retains cold air within the refrigerator and allows the food products to be clearly visible to the customer. Goods are removed by the customer reaching through any slit near the product selected.

Abstract: An insulating shade including a channel-type frame which is designed to be permanently installed on the prime window frame. The shade assembly which is mounted in the frame includes a pair of rollers which are geared together so as to rotate simultaneously and simultaneously either take up or play out the shade material. The rollers with the shade are supported on bearing plates which in turn are hung on spring brackets that snap into the channels permanently secured to the window frame. A cord operated pulley carries a gear which in turn drives the two rollers so as to raise and lower the shade. Weather stripping is secured inside the channels of the frame, which cooperate both with the sides of the shade itself and the weighted roller at the bottom of the shade to prevent cold air from flowing about the shade.

Abstract: A ladder tape roll (1) for venetian blinds and having a through hole (2) for receiving and for unrotatable connection with the tilting bar of the blind and provided with means (6) for axial locking of the ladder tape roll in relation to the tilting bar and provided with fixing means (10) for the ladder tapes (b 9) of the blind. One end of the roll (1) is slotted (3) and conically tapered (4), and has a part provided with outer threads (5). A nut (6) having inner threads (7) and an inner conical part (8) having smaller dimension than the conical part (4) of the roll are provided to press the slotted (3) part of the roll together for squeezing and axially locking the ladder tape roll to the tilting bar by tightening around said threads (5) of the roll.

Abstract: An adapter for use with a base curb for matching selected roof-top equipment to the curb without any field modification so that when the roof-top equipment needs of the building become known the adapter and roof-top unit may be installed. This eliminates roof integrity and leakage problems. The adapter is a substantially box member having a base positionable upon the roof curb and having an open frame positioned above the base. Inclined surfaces interconnect the base with the open frame. Channel members beneath the inclined surfaces add further rigidity to the adapter. The interior portions of the adapter include insulation so that condensation problems are eliminated.

Abstract: A locking device for cords to hold a pleated shade or a venetian blind at a selected elevation comprises a U-shaped channel member and a housing covering one end of the channel member. A cradle integral with the channel member supports an axle on which congruent U-shaped cord-locking members are pivoted. The inner cord-locking member has a slotted bottom portion through which the cord extends to be gripped by the outer cord-locking member when the cord is pulled in one direction by the shade or blind, the cord-locking members releasing the cord in response to reverse tension. The cord is threaded through an opening in the bottom of the channel member and through the cord-locking members before assembly of the channel member and the housing together. The channel member and the housing have interlocking means to hold them attached to each other after assembly.