US1963558A - Fan - Google Patents

Description

June 19, 1934.

[Mm/m5 L ,4 PESME/V i ATTUJWY Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FAN Louis A. Pesmen, Chicago, Ill. Application June 26. 1933, Serial No. 77,592

4 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a hand fan of the collapsible type and refers particularly to anovel means for interlocking the leaves of the fan to prevent accidental collapse of the same.

Fans of this general type are well known in the art,'as shown by U. S. Letters Patent No. 835,761 issued November 13, 1906, to D. T; Kendrick. However, it has been deemed necessary, hereto fore, to provide cooperating slits or some similar construction in order to maintain the fan in open position. This type of structure is'open to many objections. Inthe first place the leaves of the fan are weakened by slitting so that they may become bent or torn in the vicinity of the slits. The result is that the appearance of the fan is invariably spoiled after the first few times it is used, and the interlocking means is soon destroyed so that the fan becomes useless. Another disadvantage of providing slits to interlock the leaves of thefan is that the slits break the continuity of the leaves and detract appreciably from the beauty of any decorative design that may be placed on the leaves.

In fans such as that disclosed in the Kendrick patent, hereinabove mentioned, it is necessary to exercise great care in cutting the slits and assembling the leaves to insure subsequent accurate registration of the slits in adjacent leaves. If any slit fails to meet its mating slit in the adjacent leaf accurately, it is impossible to interlock the leaves without tearing them. Even when the slits are properly registered, it is necessary to exercise considerable care to prevent tearing of the leaves in the process of interlocking the same.

It is an object of my invention to provide a fan in which the leaves may be interlocked to maintain the fan in open position with a minimum of time and effort. It is a further object of my invention to provide the leaves of a fan with means for interlocking the same in open position that will not weaken the leaves or interfere with any decorative design that might be placed on the leaves. It is a further object of my invention to provide means for interlocking the leaves of a fan that will be positive in operation and will permit ready disengagement of the leaves from interlocked engagement when it is desired to move the leaves to closed position. It is a further object of my invention to provide a simple and eificient fan that may be manufactured and assembled with a minimum of labor and expense. Other objects of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

\ Figure l is a front elevation of my fan with the leaves in'closed position;

Figure -2 is a side elevation of the leaves in closed position; and

Figure 3 is a front elevation of my fan with the leaves in open position.

As shown in the drawing, the fan includes a plurality of leaves 2 pivotally connected adjacent their bottom edges by means of a rivet or eyelet 3. The leaves 2 are tapered downwardly so that the fan can be handled conveniently. The pivotal connection 3 permits the leaves 2 to 'be spread out in open position for use as a fan, or collapsed to facilitate carrying.

Although the exact shape of the leaves 2 is matter of choice, certain characteristics are essential in order to attain the desired results. The leaves 2 are provided with continuous edges. By continuous I mean that the edges are not interrupted by slits or notches of any kind. The preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing shows the leaves 2 provided with straight side walls 4 extending over a major portion of the height of the leaves and ending at the point indicated by the reference numeral 5 in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing.

The edges of the leaves 2 adjacent the point 5 are curved outwardly, as indicated at 6, and then inwardly, as indicated at 7, to provide a pair of symmetrical projections 8 on opposite edges of each leaf 2. Although I have shown a sharp pointed projection 8 as my preferred form, it will be obvious that the projection may function efliciently if it is rounded, or is made of any other desirable shape. The edges of the leaves 2 between the upper ends of the curves '7 may be of any desired configuration. It is desirable, however, that the configuration of the top edges of the individual leaves harmonize with the particular decorative design applied to the fan.

After the leaves of the fan have been spread apart fanwise, they may be maintained in open position by flexing the upper portions of two adjacent leaves toward each other until the projections 8 cross each other and then moving the leaves toward each other on the pivot 3 as far as the meeting edges of the leaves will permit. The mating projections 8 will then be interlocked so that it will be impossible for the leaves to be moved accidentally to closed position. The interlocking engagement may be effected between any two leaves in a fan regardless of the relative position of the leaves in the series comprising the fan. The interlocking engagement of the leaves is positive regardless of the degree of accuracy my fan with with which the leaves may be assembled in making the fan.

In order to collapse the fan it is necessary only to spread the leaves 2 radially far enough to separate the projections 8 of adjacent leaves. The inherent resilience of the leaves will cause the projections 8 of each leaf to spring back to the plane of the body portion of its leaf. The leaves may then be swung around the pivot 3 until they are all superimposed without any interference from each other. The projections 8 will not catch on each other during the closing operation because the normal tendency of the leaves is to lie fiat in their own plane and they must be twisted or bent slightly out of said plane before they can be interlocked.

The individual leaves 2 may each be decorated with an individual design, or, preferably, each leaf may be decorated With a portion of a larger design so that when the fan is opened the individual designs will unite to present one complete design. In the embodiment illustrated, the leaf 2 has its lower body portion decorated with a design 9 which is repeated on every leaf of the series comprising the fan. The top of the leaf is decorated with a running design 10 which is also repeated on every leaf of the series. Between the decorative designs 9 and 10, each leaf is provided with an individual design 11 which constitutes a portion of a larger design. When the leaves of the fan are opened, as shown in Figure 3, the individual designs 11 unite to constitute one integral design.

The designs 11 may, of course, be separate and distinct designs. In this event it is desirable for each of the designs to harmonize with all the others. The chief advantage of having separate and distinct designs is that the particular order in which the leaves are interlocked can never affect the appearance of the fan. In purely imaginary decorative effects, each design 11 may be fixed so that it will fit in any position in the series, but in the case of an actual panorama reproduced and divided into various sections, it is necessary that the individual sections be interlocked in a definite sequence in order to present the entire decorative design accurately.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that such description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or'scope of my invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details described except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fan, a plurality of leaves having continuous unnotched edges, means pivotally securing said leaves together, and means integral with said continuous edges to interlock said leaves.

2. A fan including a plurality of leaves having continuous unbroken edges, means pivotally securing said leaves together, and projections integral with said leaves adapted to maintain said fan in open position.

3. In a fan, a plurality of leaves pivotally connected in predetermined relationship, each of said leaves having continuous unnotched edges, and projections integral with said leaves adapted to interlock to maintain said leaves in open position, said leaves and projections being provided with complementary portions of a decorative design so that said fan will present a single unitary design when opened.

4. In a fan, a series of resilient leaves having continuous unbroken edges, means pivotally connecting said leaves adjacent one end, and projections extending from opposite edges of each of said leaves, each projection being engageable with any projection on the opposite edge of any other leaf of the series to maintain said sheets in open position.

LOUIS A. PESMEN.

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