Abstract: A window shutter having pivoting louvers radially mounted in an arcuate frame. Each louver has a narrow end mounted to an inner frame member, a wide end mounted to an outer frame member, and two diverging lateral sides. The wide louver end is pivotally mounted to the outer frame member by a mounting pin extending into the wide end and into the outer frame member. The narrow louver end is securely mounted to a pinion gear which meshes with arcuate front and rear rack gears which are slidably mounted in the inner frame member. The shaft of each pinion gear extends into the inner frame member to rotatably mount the gear thereto. Rotation of a single pinion gear causes a corresponding arcuate movement of the rack gears in opposite directions. Movement of the rack gears, in turn, rotates all pinion gears and all louvers simultaneously. The rack gears may also be directly positioned to rotate the louvers. The total range of movement of the rack gears cause a 180.degree. rotation of the louvers.

Abstract: A window shutter having pivoting louvers mounted in a rectangular shutter frame and linked together for common pivotal movement by a ganging bar mounted adjacent the ends of the louvers. The bar has pins extending into the end of each louver spaced from the pivot point of the louver. The louvers are retained in positions selected by the user without imposing significant axial force on the louvers by means of a pair of magnets mounted in the side of the frame adjacent the ganging bar for retaining the bar in the selected position. The louvers are pivoted about an asymmetric axis positioned so that the louvers never extend beyond the rear face of the frame, while extending substantially beyond the front faces of the frame in their horizontal orientation.