US2630055A - Control apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1953 c.,H. PRIESMEYER 2,630,055

CONTROL APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1948 INVENTOR.

CME; E5 H. law/E5 MEYER Patented Mar. 3, 1953 CONTROL APPARATUS Charles H. Pries'meyer, Park Ridge, Ill., assignor to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 23, 1948, Serial No. 40,313

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a slidable adjusting knob assembly for an air outlet register. Air outlet registers have in the past used a projecting lever for operating their damper blades but this construction is relatively unsightly and the projecting lever is a potential cause of minor accidents. Use of a slidable adjusting knob movable over a portion of the front face is complicated by the requirement that there must be no noticeable rubbing of painted surfaces of the register even after several re paintings of the guide. It is thus an object of this invention to provide an improved adjusting handle for an air outlet register.

It is a further object to provide a slidable knob arrangement for a register which is easily attached, attractive in appearance and does not project unduly from the front of the register.

Itis an additional object to provide an adjusting knob assembly arranged to minimize injury to adjacent painted surface.

It is a somewhat similar object to provide an adjusting knob slidable along a slotted member and guided so that contact with the member on the exposed side is only along the slot forming edges of the member.

It is also an object to provide a slide knob arrangement that can be used with a register adjusting lever with a minimum of change of the lever.

It is a further object to provide an adjusting knob arrangement that is economical to manufacture and easy to assemble.

These and other objects will become apparent upon a study of the following specification and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a register with an adjusting knob for its damper blade.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view, enlarged, taken `on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation view of the back side of the knob of Figures 1 to 3.

\ in Figure 8.

The present knob arrangement, while applicable to registers of various types and construction, is especially intended for those of the sort disclosed and claimed in the copending applica- 5 diffuser blades II, damper blades I2 and I3, a

linkage I4 for simultaneously operating the blades, and a pivoted lever I5 for operating said linkage. As disclosed in the above cited application, and as used in practice prior to this invention, lever I5 was made sufliciently long to extend through slot I6 in channel member II and thus form an operating handle, member I1 being part of the front face of the register. Linkage I4 comprises, in addition to link I5, a

link 6I rigidly attached to blade I2 and a link 62 pivotally attached to blade I3 and pivoted to link 6I at 63, pivot 63 being located about 1/3 the length of pivot 6I from its free end. A short link 64 is pivotally attached at 65 to the end of link 6I, with its other end being pivotally connected to the end of link I5 at 66. Link I5 is pivotally attached to link 62 at 61, pivot 61 being relatively near the end of link I5 and in the upper portion of link 62. This arrangement forms, in effect, a partial toggle linkage comprising the end portion of link I5 and link 64 which, in adjusting the distance between pivots E5 and 61 adjusts the angular relation of links 6I and 62 and thus the opening of the damper blades I2 and I3. The adjustment of the toggle linkage is eiected by the remaining or lever portion of link I5, the linkage being such that movement of link I5 in a direction to reduce the distance between pivots 65 and 61 tends to open 35 the blades whereas a reverse movement tending to lengthen the distance between said pivots adjusts the blades to a closed position, friction tending to hold the parts in their adjusted relation.

As shown in Figure 2, lever I5 is cut off in back o of member I'I `and fits loosely in a hole or slot I9 in the back side or base portion 20 of a clip or slide member 2I. Sides 23 of said member are bent at right angles to base 20 and, spaced from 20, upper and lower pairs of in-turned guide tongues 24 and 25 are bent from said sides 23, said tongues 24 and 25 lying in a plane substantially parallel to base portion 20. Tongues 24--25 areY arranged to `slide along the rear edges of the flanges 26 of channel member I'I, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. Intermediate the upper and lower guide tongues o f member 2|, arms 30 eX- tend outwardly from sides 23 in a straddling relation to member I'I, member 2I being sufiiciently wide that the distance between arms 30 55 is appreciably greater than the width of chanco An adjusting knob or handle is arranged the arms 3G should loosen somewhat, rib 36 is preferably surmounted, in eiect, by ann or rib 39 having parallel sides and formed integral with rib 38. Obviously, n 3&7v is somewhat narrower than slot l5 and, .because it extends through slot I6, is particularlyV useful in preventingr twisting movements of said knob.

With knob 35 and slide member -ZI'assembled as described above, and lever I5 vprojecting through opening i9, vertical movements of knob 35 Will cause lever I5 to operate dampers I2 and I3 through linkage Iii. Because of the loosefit of lever I5 in hole I9 and the spacing of portion from tongues 24-25, and thus from channel member I'l, the distance between member I'I and theend oflever I5. is permitted` to vary appreciablywithout interfering with the purely vertical movementsof knob 35. As the only contact between knob and member 2| with member I'l is between tongues 2425Y and` the rear edges of flanges 26v and between rib 38, and, possibly 1in 39, and the slot forming edges ofY I'I, it is apparent that' thev exposed painted surfaces of member I1, with the exception of the edges'along slot I6, are protected from rubbing and may, if desired, be.l repainted several times without interfering with the operation of the present apparatus.

While the barbed arrangement for the ends of arms 30 is considered a preferred construction, .a modified knob: 43, similar to 35, mayA have oppositely arranged sockets'4l and 42 formed in its sides, as shown in Figures Sand 7, to receive inturned ends 44 and 45,' respectively, or arms 46, withrecesses 4Ifbeing formed to receive the adjacent portions of said arms. Except for the knob attaching portion, armslitcorrespond tc"30- in the example above. y

*Inaddition,.v as a further modification, rknob "5 ,ILiirifliiguref8,1generallysimilarV to knobs 35; and 43, has spaced j rearwardly extending `armsj52 molded in Asaid knob; the free ends' ofl saidy arms hayingrectangular holes 53j for interlocking Vwith oppositely disposed'tongues 542 of Vslide member Y55. Member 55; besti'shownin' Figure 9, is essentially thesame as '2 iipreviously described exceptling-that tongues 54 Vare formedv inthesame-plane y'as the base portion of thejmember andno arms ncorrespondingtc 3D orv Mareprovidedfor said member, "the connecting arms, as above mentioned, being formedasipart'offits associated As a study of the above .disclosure may Suggest other substitutions. and equivalent constructions,

the scope. of this invention isto .be determined ,only bythe appended claims.

Iclaim as my invention: 1.Y In -a register having adjustable damper meansa movable lever for operating said damper ,meansy achannelmember arrangedv in front of ranged 'parallelj tothe plane ofemovement of said lever, a clipv member, means operatively connect- As .further assurance that the knob will be accuratelvguided .even

ing said clip member to said lever, said clip member having inturned tongues slidable along the edges ofthe ilanges of said` channel member, said clip member having spaced: armsiextending outwardly past said channel member on opposite sides thereof, and a knob attached to said arms and arranged on the front side of said member, said knobincluding a projecting generally con- Vex guide, rib. of Y greater width than the slot in said member Aand slidable along the edges of sald slotifor spacing the rest of said knob from said member and for preventing said arms from engaging said'channel member.

2. In a register including adjustable damper means and having a front face portion, a relativelynarrow elongated slotted member arranged in. said'face portion, said slotted member having front'and rear portions, an'adjustingknob -having rearwardly extendingv guide means movable along said slot and ofsuch size and shape as to contact said member only along the` edges of-said slot, arear slide 4member having slide portions facing Said knob` and engageable with kspaced rear portions of said slotted member spaced byv said slot, spaced relatively rigid connecting meansarranged in straddling relation to said slotted member and connecting said knob to said slide member, said connecting` means beingV spaced sufficiently to avoid rubbing Aon said elongated. slotted member, and means for operatively connecting said slide member to saidv damper means.

3. In a register having a front yface portion and including adjustable damper means, an elongated relatively narrow slotted member arranged in said face portion, an operating lever for said damper'means movable in a plane parallel to the slot in said slotted member, a slider member. means operatively connectingsaid .slider member to said lever,V said slider member being movable alongthe backside of said slotted member, -an adjusting knob having a xedlyvrelated generally convex ribA portion movable alonggthe" front side of said slotted member, said rib portion extending intosaid slot andengagngthe slot dening edges of said member, the knob otherwise being-spaced from said slotted member4 by. saidrib portion,1,and a pair of relatively' rigid connec;ting members for connecting said slide ,memberL tof said'knob; said erm members being Spacedfrem VSeid. Slotted .member by. more than the widthpf said member and prevented from rubbing againstlsaidmember by thesuidine eeet. .of the ,rib 'portioniefsaid said -movable member, upper andY lower. pairs of inturnedl tongue membersV connected to" said back side portion and arranged ina yplaneiparallelto and: spaced'- fromf said back'side-'portiona pair of arm membersconnected -to' the oppositesi'des or said slide member; intermediatethe upper-'and lower tongue members and extending perpendicularly.: away from said backside portion, theouter ends of said arm members having rearwardly di.-

- rectedbarb mea-nsrand an adjusting: knob having spaced-:socket fzportions.. inserted :over: said .arm 'L memberseand held in place. .bpsaid barbemeans,

said knob including a projecting guide means arranged to bear against the slot forming edges only of said narrow slotted member, said guide means being formed between said socket portions and extending lengthwise of said slide member.

5. A knob assembly for use with a device having an elongated exposed member with a longitudinal slot and having a member movable in approximate alignment with said slot comprising, in combination, a rectangular slide member having a back side portion, means for operatively connecting said back side portion to such a movable member, upper and lower pairs in inturned tongue members connected to said portion and arranged in a plane parallel to and spaced from said back side portion, a pair of arm members connected to the opposite sides of said slide member intermediate the upper and lower tongue members and extending perpendicularly away from said back side portion, inturned tongues on the outer ends of said arm members, and an adjusting knob having oppositely disposed sockets for receiving said tongues for thereby securing said knob to said slide member, said knob having a rearwardly projecting convex guide rib arranged to coact with the slot forming edges of said elongated exposed member.

6. A knob assembly for use with a device having an elongated exposed member with a longitudinal slot and having a member movable in approximate alignment with said slot comprising, in combination, a rectangular slide member having a back side portion, means for operatively connecting said back side portion to said movable member, upper and lower pairs of inturned tongue members connected to said portion and arranged in a plane parallel to and spaced from said back side, a pair of oppositely disposed tongue members in the plane of said back side portion and arranged between the upper and lower inturned tongues, and an adjusting knob having spaced rearwardly extending arm members each having a recess for coacting with its respective oppositely disposed tongue, said knob having a rearwardly projecting convex guide rib arranged to slide along the slot forming edges of said elongated exposed member and to space the other portions of said knob from said member.

7. A knob assembly for use with a device having an elongated relatively narrow member exposed to view and manually accessible, said narrow member having a front side and a back side and having a longitudinal slot, said device having a member movable in approximate alignment with said slot, said knob assembly comprising, in combination, a rectangular slide member having a base portion, said member including upper and lower slide portions adapted to engage the back side of said exposed member, means for operatively oonnecting said base portion to said movable member, an adjusting knob having an` integral generally convex rearwardly projecting guide rib arranged to slide along said slot and to space said knob from the front side of said exposed member, and spaced connecting means arranged in straddling relation to said elongated member for connecting said knob to said slide member, said connecting means being spaced apart more than the width of said narrow member.

8. In a device having an exposed and manually accessible relatively narrow slotted face member with front and back sides, an adjusting knob arranged in front of said member and having guide means movable along the slot in said member, said guide means being generally convex in section and of greater width than said slot and engaging said member only along the edges of said slot, a rear slide member having forward facing slide portions engageable with the rear portions of said face member and movable along the back side of said member, and spaced connecting means arranged in straddling relation to said slotted face member and firmly connecting said adjusting knob to said slide member.

9. In a register including adjustable damper means and having a relatively narrow slotted member exposed to view and manually accessible, an operating lever for said damper means movable in a path substantially parallel to the slot in said member, a slider member, means operatively connecting said slider member to said operating lever, said slider member being movable along the back side of said slotted member, and an adjusting knob iixedly attached to said slider member, said knob having convex guide means on its back side for engaging only the slot forming edges of said slotted member, said guide means being wider than said slot so that said knob is spaced from the surfaces of said slotted member by said guide means.

10. In a register including adjustable damper means and an operating lever therefor, an exposed and manually accessible register face member having a slot substantially in alignment with the path of movement of said lever, a clip member having means for connecting said clip member to said lever and movable along the black side of said exposed member, an adjusting knob movable along the exposed face of said register member, and rigid connecting means connecting said knob to said clip member, said knob including convex guide means for engaging only the slot forming edges of said register member, said guide means spacing other parts of said knob from said exposed member.

11. In a device including a movable member and an operating lever therefor, a longitudinally extending relatively narrow exposed and manually accessible member of said device having a front side and a back side and having a slot substantially parallel with the path of movement of said lever, a clip member having means for operatively connecting said clip member to said lever and movable along the back side of said member, a knob movable along the front side of said member for moving said clip member, and spaced arms attached to and extending from said clip member for straddling said exposed member and attaching said knob to said clip member, said knob including a xedly related rearwardly extending longitudinal guide rib movable along said slot, said rib being convex in section and of a size sumcient for spacing said knob from said exposed member, said arms being sufficiently spaced and so guided by said rib that they avoid contacting said narrow slotted member.

CHARLES H. PRIESMEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of rec file of this patent: om in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 674,915 Giarth May 28 1901 1,749,778 Petreui Mar. 11 1936 1,961,948 Symonds June 5 1934

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