US1928366A - Awning frame - Google Patents

Description

Sept. '26, 1933. L. Y. BUCKINGHAM AWNING FRAME Filed Feb. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Lew/Ir Sept. 26, 1933- L. Y. BUCKINGHAM AWN I N G FRAME Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zemls' Patented Sept. 26, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February 25, 1933. Serial No. 658,623

9 Claims. (01. 156-42) My invention relates to improvements in awning or canopy frames, and has broadly for its object, the making of such a frame so that the same may be readily collapsed or folded and the canvas of the awning rolled thereon so that the awning in its entirety canreadily be stored away when not in use. This is most desirable, both from the standpoint of storage in transit, or in stores or other places'of use. 7

While it has heretofore been old in the art to make collapsible or folded awning frames, these prior knock-down frame structures have not met the requirements of successful commercial use,

due not only to their complicated character which made their manufacture under competition prohibitive, but also to the fact that they were difficult to assemble and to hang or secure to the opening for which their use was intended.

Besides the above disadvantages in this type of awning frame as heretofore made, one of the greatest difficulties occurring in use was the factthat theside members of the frame had a decided tendency to weave or move laterally with respect to the front section in a wind when the jawningwas hanging. This was due to the construction of such frames with hinged or break joints between the'side and front sections which permitted the side sections to only fold inwardly along the inside of the front section and to over- ;come this tendency, it has been necessary to either produce complicated, cumbersome break joints orto utilize extra reinforcements or stay pieces, all adding to the cost of manufacture of the awning frame, difficulty in assembling and necessitating frequent replacement of parts due to wear and strain.' This tendency of the frame to weave and sway is overcome by my improved construction of frame as will hereinafter be pointed out more in detail.

'40; Still another disadvantage of the prior awning having knock-down or folding frames in which the side members fold inwardly, lies in the fact thatthe canvas from which the body of the'awning is made is stretched by the inswing of the side section relative'to the front section at the hinge or break joint when. the same is folded, and consequently, tears, rips and wears badly at these points.

In my improved awning frame, all of the above disadvantages vare'overcome in avery simple'manner without any complication in manufacture or assemblage, and it is my intention to accomplish these beneficial results by causing the side sections to fold only outwardly with respect -to the front section, as distinguished from folding inwardly, so as to lie along the front of the latter when in knock-down position and to prevent their inward movement or swing with respect to the front section to an angle of not more than 90 to the rear, in which position-it, is desired to maintain the same when in use.

Having outlined the general type of awning I have invented, I will now describe the preferred construction thereof, and so that the same may be readily understood, reference is madeto the 5 V accompanying drawings, in which: b

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the awning hung' at a window opening;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the awning when in position to use;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section of the side member and hinge;

Figure 5 is a plan view with one'of the side bars turned back into folded or knockdown position; and

Figures 6 and 7 are modifications of types of hinges which may be employed in lieu of that shown in Figure 4. I

In the drawings, A represents a U-shaped frame over which the canvas B of the awning is threaded or stretched. This frame comprises a front section C and two side sections D adapted to bev attached at their free inner or eye ends E to the frame of a window or other opening by usual means well known in the art. The top of the awning is hung from points F near the top of the opening frame. The frame A is made of three pieces of metal comprising the front and side sections over which the'lower edges of the awning are threaded, as usual. At the points G where the side sections D are attached to the front sectionC, I construct a hinge or break joint, preferably of the form shown more clearly in Fig. 4. This hinge is made by forming or securing pairs of ears H and K on the ends of the front and side sections respectively, and interposing a link or leaf L between each pair of ears, thereby. connecting the sections. This link or leaf L is connected to the ears H and K so that the same turns or is capable of movement relative thereto and has a shoulder or abutment M formed at one of its inner edges, which shoulder is adapted to make contact with the space between the ears carried by the side members and limit the innerrelative movement of the sections and link in one direction, while the outer edge N of the link is rounded to some extent, or so formed as to readily pass between the shoulders, allowing free swing in the opposite or thereto while in this position by the abutment M at one end and the fastenings at their eye ends E. 7

Attention is called to the fact that the link or leaf L is preferably of such length that when the side members are in their collapsed or folded po sition with respect to the front section, that is, when the same are approximately parallel thereto, that there is a spacing at the ends of the members where they are connected. This is a material advantage, inasmuch as it forms the space for folds of the canvas of the awning, whereas, on the other hand, the joints of the front andside sections were closely pivoted, the

canvas would naturally be readily pinched, frayed andtorn by the folding of the sections at their hinge connection when in knock-down condition.

tions of'joints which will accomplish the same result as that above described. In Fig. 6, there is a curved or gooseneck end 1 attached to the side sections and hinged to the front section. 35-

The curvature of this end permits 'the ready folding of the side sections outwardly to a position parallel to the front section, but limits the inward movement. thereof by abutting at the point 2 thereagainst. Fig. 7 is still another way of accomplishing this same general result by pro-' viding a decided shoulder 3 on the connecting member. I

It is also my intention to provide in connection with an awning frame of the type described, an'awning having side section embracing portions through which the side sections are threaded and which side section embracing portions are adapted to be-readily opened by means of a quick, detachable fastener, preferably of the zipper type, but obviously of any other known form, indicated at O. The end button of the fastener preferably has attached thereto a comparatively soft metal tab or strip P which is adapted to be folded around the inner or eye part E of the side sections and operates to hold the fastener in closed position by binding the same around the eye end E.

' It is quite advantageous to have this fastener arrangement in connection with a folding or knock down awning due to'the fact that the pocket can be opened the full length thereof and when the joint is broken at the hinge, there, will be very little, if any, material whichwill be affected by the outer fold thereof and thus, of course, avoids wear and tear of the canvas at these points. i

It will be obvious that I may employ other forms of hinges or connections between the outer ends of the side members and the front member, inasmuch as it is my primary object to limit the backward swinging of the side sections so that when they are hung or attached at their inner ends E to the frame of the opening, the awning will be rigidly held in place and there can be no swaying or weaving of the frame when InFigs. 6 and '7, I have shown two modifica once hung due to wind or other conditions. This is considerably due to the fact that when the inner ends of the awning frame are sprung or swung in place and are inserted in the window frame brackets, they are thereby held against lateral movement both by the hinge stops and by the brackets, because the hinge stop is then at the limit of its inward movement and being held in place in this position by the window bracket at the inner end of the awning. Yet, when the frame and awning are detached from the fastenings at the rear, the same may readily and easily be folded for storage in transportation and the canvas can be readily rolled thereon into a compact bundle. Also, there will be no stretching and tearing of the canvas at the hinge points when the frame is being folded inasmuch as there is no stretching caused by an inward swing, but only an outward fold which causes no stretching of the fabric. This is particularly true with the fastener arrangement of the side section embracing portions.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

,1. An awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge connection between the side sections and the front section, said hinge having a part thereof constituting an abutment for limiting the rearward swing of a side section with respect to the front section to a position at right angles thereto at the'rear while permitting the side sections to be folded forward to a position approximately horizontal to the front section.

2. An awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge between the side sections and front section, said hinge permitting free outward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section and limiting the rearward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section. V

3. A knock-down awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge connection be-' tween the side sections and front section, the hinge being so constructed as to permit free outward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section so as to allow the side sections to lie approximately parallel to the front section and said hinge preventing the side sections from moving rearwardly with respect to the front section beyond the point desired for hanging the frame at the opening intended.

4. An awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge connection between the side sections and front section, the hinge having an abutment along the inner edge thereof to limit the rearward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section.

5. An awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge connection between the side sections and front section, the hinge having an abutment along the inner edge thereof to limit the rearward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section and said hinge having the outer edges thereof rounded so as to permit free outward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section.

6. An awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge connection between the side sections and front section, the hinge permitting free movement of the side sections with respect to the front section in one direction and limiting the movement of the side sections with respect to the front section in the opposite direction in combination with an awning having slit side section-embracing portions within which the side no sections are disposed, the slit extending along one side of the embracing portions and ending adjacent the hinge connection and a quick detachable fastener for the opening.

7. An awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge connection between the side sections and front section, the hinge permitting free outward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section and limiting the tear ward movement thereof in combination with an awning having slit side section-embracing means adapted to contain the side sections and a quick detachable fastener for the slit of the embracing means.

8. An awning frame comprising front and side sections and a hinge connection between the side sections and front section, the hinge permitting free movement of the side sections with respect to the front section in one direction and limiting the movement of the side sections with respect to the front section in the opposite direction, in combination with an awning having slit side section embracing means within which the side sections are disposed and a quick detachable fastener for the embracing means.

9. An awning frame comprising front and side sections, a hinge. connection between the side sections and the front section, the hinge permitting free outward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section and limiting the rearward movement of the side sections with respect to the front section, in combination with an awning having side section-embracing portions, said embracing portions having a longitudinal slit provided with a quick detachable fastener, the slit ending adjacent the hinge connection.

LEWIS Y. BUCKINGHAM.

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