US2867010A - Awnings - Google Patents

Description

AWNINGS Filed Dec. 28, 1956 1 Fl i 3 INVENTOR. YSAMUEL H. ELLMAN B Qdiw m ATTORNEYS States atent O AWNINGS Samuel H. Ellman, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Lite-Vent, Inc., Detroit, Mich.

Application December 28, 1956, Serial No. 631,365

1 Claim. (Cl. -575) v welding or riveting or the like to form the unitary awning panel.

There have been a number of disadvantages to this type of construction since quite often part of the awning panel is damaged in transit or While hanging on a building so that replacement is necessitated. Where the panel is a single panel or is formed of a number of sections permanently secured together, there is no way of repairing or fixing any one place on the awning, but instead a new awning must be ordered. Further, the problem of handling such a large size awning is complicated by its very size. This type of awning must be assembled in a shop and shipped to the job complete. In many cases, tremendous trucks and tremendous handling equipment are required to carry and to mount the awning particularly where very large awnings are used on large buildings.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to form a unitary single sheet awning out of a number of joined sections, wherein the sections may be easily placed together and easily removed, but when secured together form a rigid integral appearing sheet without the appearance of being formed of a number of sections. This is particularly important since the appearance is important to the consumer.

A further object is to provide a construction wherein a single section may be stocked and this section may be used for all the various sections of the awning, thus requiring a limited inventory in making an awning of any size by simply using more sections when necessary.

Still a further object is to form the sections in such a manner that they may be shipped to the job in a knockdown condition and may be easily assembled with no effort and no special tools thereby reducing shipping costs, handling costs, and damage to the awning. Likewise, should any section of the awning or any part of the awning become damaged, that part can be easily replaced by removing it and substituting in a new section.

These and further objects of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of which the attached drawings form a part.

With reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an awning formed in accordance with this invention, with the supports upon which the awning is mounted being omitted.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view showing two sections and a valance secured together.

Fig. 3 is a top view of two sections as they are being assembled together.

The awning, of this invention, is formed of a top awning panel 10 which is a single sheet panel of thin sheet material, such as thin gauge sheet aluminum or the like, secured to support bars 11. The support bars are in turn secured to the building upon which the awning is mounted in any conventional manner. The construction described above is conventional.

The novel construction consists of forming the panel 10 out of sections 15 with each of the sections being identical to one another. Each section is formed in a stair-like configuration having treads 16 and risers 17 and terminating at the upper end in a riser 17a and at the lower end in ariser 17b. All of the risers including the end risers are of the identical size and all the treads are also. of identical size. Each section is identical to each other so that they may be used interchangeably and may interlock interchangeably.

The panel 10 is made up by assembling a number of the sections 15. This is accomplished by providing interlocking means consisting of a flange 18 formed integral with the riser 17a to form a channel 19 between the flange 18 and the riser 17a. The channel is approximately the width of the thickness of the sheet material. Likewise, on the riser 17b a flange 20 is formed integral and spaced from this riser to form a channel 21 also of approximately the thickness of the sheet material, Note, that the flanges 20 and 18 face towards each other.

The identical sections 15 are joined by sliding the flange 18 into the channel 21 or conversely by sliding the flange 20 into the channel 19 by moving the two sections together in the directions of arrow 25 for the lower section and 26 for the upper sections as shown in Fig. 3.

This sliding interlock is easily accomplished, and the frictional contact formed between the flanges and the risers at the joint is sufiicient to prevent the members from becoming dislodged relative to one another.

The riser 17b being outside of the flange 18 when the sections are assembled appears to be integral with the next tread 16 beneath it so that the composite panel seems to be made of an identical series of treads and risers formed of a single sheet of sheet material.

The panel 10 may be secured to the bars 11 in any conventional manner, such as by means of ordinary sheet metal screws which are passed through the treads 16 at their respective risers, and into the bar 11 to hold the panel to the bar. The screws may be arranged so that their heads press against the risers 17b and crimp or dimple into these risers so as to mechanically interlock the junction between the flanges and the risers (not illustrated). This additional crimping guarantees that the panel will not come apart under any stress or load.

In awnings of various types formed of sheet metal, valances are frequently formed on the front or lower end because of appearance requirements as Well as for rigidifying the front end of the awning. In this case the valance may be formed by providing a sheet 30 having an integral downwardly extending flange 28 which may he slipped into the channel 21 formed between the flange 20 and the riser 17b of the lowest section of the panel 10.

It can be seen, that this construction provides a unitary panel 10 formed of a number of sections each extending the widths of the awning but interlocked together so as to give the appearance of a unitary panel as well as to give the structural advantages of a unitary panel. Further, the sections may be removed at any time quite easily and may be assembled easily on the job, and moreover, being identical, the supplier need carry only one cross-section in his inventory and simply use that crosssection over and over again.

This invention may be further developed within the Patented Jan. 6, 1959.

scope of the following attached claim. Accordingly, it is desired that the foregoing description he read as being merely illustrative of an operative embodiment of my invention and not in a strictly limiting sense.

I now claim:

In an awning formed of a unitary, thin sheet metal material bent into a stair-like configuration in cross-section, the improvement consisting of a single panel being formed of a number of identical sections each extending the entire Width of the panel and each section being bent into a number of identical downwardly directed steps extending the full width of the section and formed of risers and treads which meet at substantially sharp right angle bends and terminating in risers, the riser on the upward end of the section extending upwardly and the riser on the downward end of the section extending downwardly, with the riser at each end having an integral flange bent from and arranged parallel to the respective riser and extending the full length of the respective riser and spaced from the riser a distance approximately the thickness of the sheet material to form a channel opening towards the steps, but with the flanges being on the sides of their risers which face towards each other and the end risers being of the same height as the risers located between them; the flange on one section riser being frictionally interlocked in the channel of the adjacent section riser to secure the sections together end to end and to form a four ply thick seam extending the full width of the panel and acting as a support joist, with the interlocking being accomplished by sliding one flange into the adjacent channel in the direction of the length of the flange and 'of the channel, wherein the sections form a single panel having the appearance of being formed of a single sheet of material shaped like a conventional stairs; said panel being secured to support bars having flat top surfaces and arranged beneath the panel transverse of the steps, with the sharp corners formed by a tread meeting the lower end of a riser resting upon the support bar top surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images