Air translating apparatus support

Sept. 12, 1950

2,521,920

G. H. KOCH

AIR TRANSLATING APPARATUS SUPPORT

<img file="US2521920A_D0001.tif" />

Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US2521920A_D0002.tif" />

<img file="US2521920A_D0003.tif" />

WITNESSES:

&lt;5.

INVENTOR

Gustav H.Koch.

<img file="US2521920A_D0004.tif" />

Sept 12, 1950

2,521,920

G. H. KOCH

AIR TRANSLATING APPARATUS SUPPORT

Filed March 13, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US2521920A_D0005.tif" />

Patented Sept. 12, 1950

2,521,920

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,521,900;

AIR TRANSLATING AITARATUS SUEPQRT '

Gustav. H; Koch, Springfield^ Mass», assignor?, to Westinghouse «Electric O.orppMtion»i;EastrPiittsburgh; ’Pa;, a-cornoratiomof-Pennsylvania

Application March 13,1947, SerialNo; 734,516 (Cl.248—191) _;

Claims.

;b 2m ·« floor randcomprisesanassembledpair of isuitably bent, tubular: members,thestraightvertically-extending portionsofwhich form the aforementioned legs 51 Each· of the -tubular members « of the baseframesecti0n;6. has a’fbrwardly .-.extending: horizontal portion 7 adapted eta rest on the ' fioor-inafront of theeorrespondihg.’leg£5,eand'iur?· ther bent outwardly and then· rearwardly· «.to ter-minatein-.an elevated·inwardly-extending end’®,

Thisinvention relatesto electric fans, and more particularly to a fan of’the type supported onan adjustable floor standard or frame.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved floor fan assembly having an ‘5 adjustable frame or standard of tubular construction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved floor fan assembly having telescopic means which provide minimum height 10 On ,which a roller-wheel 9 is jo.urnaled.' The two inwardlyf.bentf’ends «8« are-· alignedsafidfrspaeed apart by a tubular-element JOj.so thatrthejrolter wheels 9« are thus mounted in parallel relation rearwardly:·dfcthe’.vertical legs-S,· which are nor15 maliy' giveniforward? support’by :the?iubularr.porr tions. 7: In order to impart’rigidity.) to· the (base iframeiseciion :®’,· v-shaped «struts? I Pinare jintenposedgbetweeniand’weldecl'tothe-lower ends .-of the legsj.5i.and the.respective eleyatediends ftcarin the-low or collapsed position in order to reduce the space occupied and thus to-facilitate shipping of the assembly;

A· further object of the invention is the provision, in a floor fan assembly, of a standard of tubular construction including: relatively movable^ telescoping elements equipped with clamping-means to hold them in extended position; and concealed means for limiting extension of-the tubular standard assembly beyond a safe position. 20 gryinggthe’rollers·,:

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved floor fan having the.desirable characteristics and features already described,· and which is so devised as to require a relatively; small number of simple and inexpensive parts which may readily be assembled to form a durable product of light-weight construction.

.•Other.objects «and .advantages of the’inveiition will appear in the following more detailed «description; thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. .1 .is?an elevational:rear view of a. floor: fan «assembly constructed in accordance «with the invention;

Fig. 2.is an elevational rear view showing;the ₃₅ .enlarged .detail; «it -will·.befseen·.that·«the tubular floor fan of. Fig. l imits low· or collapsed iposition;

Fig; 3 is an elevational side view of the floor fan «shown in Fig. 1;

'Fig. 4 is an «enlarged- detail fragmentary view of one leg of the frame or standard with.the.adjUstable-members -thereof shown in section; «and

-Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the upper frame section of the floor fan assembly shown in Fig. 1, illustrating «the· normally concealed' position-limiting meansassociated therewith.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the improved floor fan: assembly, comprises:· an electrically-drivenfanunitindicated'generallyby the-reference character i, which is suitably supported within a, shroud: assembly, 2; carried :by an inverted; U-shaped tubular frame se.ction.3.'harying vertically-disposed portions 4 mounted in telescoping relation on the«upwardly-extending:legs Sjof'a base frame section ,6.

The frame section?® is? adapted to-.rest onrtite

The upper'frame-;se.ciion-3«is:forme.dof_t-metal itublng-offa larger, size ’than thatemployed.in· the baseiframe:section’6; I prefer to-:utilize.'?aisingie tubularrmember,_:b.ent:in’the;form’of-a

25’ vide thesnormally v.ertically-djspos.edrpoiFtians 4, the intermediate portion I I being-adapted^tpiex^· tend above’the.sfiroud .assembly^ containing fan I, thu&amp;tprovidin&amp;a,convenient ’handle. The lower •«end/of.-each- portion 4-;is ! provided· with one · of:-a ₃₀ pair!of.clamping.devices,|2_iand’is'mountedin&lt;ad'. justable telescoping relation with the .corresponding· verticalleg5 ofithebaseirame section _;6_; • ..Referring.;now,;to Figs 4, of rthe.dr.a wings,; &gt;wherojin ..one, of ,the:-clamping .· devices? I2_f isjllusstratedfin portion 4of«the_;upp.erframe_:section-;3,is-of-sufficient diameter-to. receive the associated tubular leg_: 5 in telescoping: relation while pr,ovidin®sufficient clearance to allow,· a- non-metallic tubular ₄₀ element J 3'; preferably made of relatively soft «fibrous on plastic material, to . beginter posed ebetween-the telescoped frame members; The lower endrpfftubular,’portion^ has fitted .thereonianrannular · member’on «collar 14?which has ajshpulder ' '45 tSyformedion the-.loweriportion’thereof-ifOr holflingit'he fibrous;tube IS· inrplace-within-.the-tubular portion A.· Suitable means;may’beprovidedjfor iseouring JtheiconaK’· lit to the- lowerjendfof.'tubular «portion: 4; including-an-.adjustable:scr.ewielemeitt 50 ffi' disposed in· a threaded bore 417- and «hayingjan inner: end i Mb adapted to extend- through tan; opening; 19 formed in the tubular portion; 4. Interposed between the portions of the tubular member •A andetube l®'aSjacent-the?conar-li4iis ,a splifcanM inUlarnspring? element32.il, thej/endsiofrwhiijhiiase spaced to receive the end 18 of the screw 16 therebetween, A manual clamping member 21 having a handle 22 is mounted in screw-threaded relation in a suitable bore formed in collar 14 opposite the bore 17, and is adapted to be tightened into confining engagement with the annular spring element 20 for causing the latter to force the adjacent portion of tube 13 into gripping relation with the outer surface of leg 5. It will thus be seen that each clamping device 12 is adapted to hold the related tubular portion 4 of the upper frame section 3 in any desired position, with respect to the associated leg 5 of the frame section 6, without marring or otherwise damaging the surface finish of the latter, by reason of the fact that the non-metallic sleeve 13 is utilized to avoid metal-to-metal contact between the telescoped members.

In order to prevent upward movement of the frame section 3 beyond its uppermost position as illustrated in Fig. 1, the floor fan assembly is provided with a concealed stop or position-limiting means, which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, comprises a looped flexible wire or cable 23, which is contained within the U-shaped tubular frame section 3. In order to insure against the possibility of noisy contact between the wire 23 and an inner surface of frame section 3, the •wire 23 is preferably provided with a suitable covering 23a, which may be in the form of wound cotton thread. As shown in Fig. 5, one looped portion of wire 23 projects downwardly beyond one of the tubular portions 4 of the tubular frame section 3, and the two joined ends of the wire extending outwardly of the other portion 4 are secured together by means of a clamping ring 24, 'best shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the ends of the wire 23 are bent upwardly and clamped to the ring 24, and preferably soldered into place. Ata point near the lipper end Of bach of the tubular legs 5 of the base frame section 6, the opposite surfaces of the leg are provided with indented and apertured surfaces 25 for receiving a pair of complementary screw-threaded elements 26 arid 27 forming a sleeve-nut assembly which is adapted to be fitted transversely within tubular leg 5 to form an anchor for the adjacent end of looped wire 23. It will be apparent that when the members of the frame structure are assembled as shown in Fig. 4, excessive upward movement of the frame section 3 beyond a predetermined safe position with respect to frame section 6 will be prevented upon engagement of the ends of looped wire 23 with the respective pairs of sleeveniit elements 26 and 27 carried in legs 5.

In order to assemble frame sections 3 and 6, the looped end of the wire 23 may first be inserted irito one of the tubular portions 4 and drawn outwardly of the other tubular portion so that the ends of the wire '23 secured by ring 24 will also project from the first tubular portion 4, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The tubular portions 4 are then brought into telescoped relation with the legs 5 of the lower frame section 6, whereupon the respective pairs of screwthreaded elements 26 and 27 may be inserted through the apertures in the indented surfaces 25 of the legs 5 and through the corresponding loops of the wire 23. It will be understood that the opposite looped ends of wire 23 are thus positioned about the respective pairs of elements 26 arid' 27, so that they will simultaneously be brought into engagement with these elements to prevent movement of the upper frame section

2,531,930 beyond its uppermost position. By slidably mounting within the U-shaped frame section 3 a single wire 23, doubled as described to provide looped ends that are inherently equalized in length, simultaneous engagement of both looped ends with the respective pairs of elements 26 and 27 is insured. This feature of the invention provides a considerable advantage over the use of separate and independent stop means for each of the two sides of the frame section.

It will thus be seen that the improved floor fan assembly just described may be adjusted to a maximum height, or a maximum dimension A as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which position only the uppermost portions of tubular legs 5 of the base section 6 still remain in telescoping relation with the lowermost ends of the tubular portions 4 of the upper frame section 3. The height of the fan unit and the surrounding shroud assembly 2 constitutes a part of the dimension A. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be. observed that upon adjustment of the standard of: the fan assembly to its telescoped or collapsed position, indicated by dimension B, the height of, and, therefore, the space occupied by, the entire floor fan assembly is substantially halved, due to,the fact that the tubular legs 5 are received in the tubular portions 4 of the upper frame section through a distance which includes the height of the fan unit f and surrounding shroud assembly

2. The fan assembly in its collapsed position as shown in Fig. 2 may thus be more readily handled for shipping and other purposes than would be the case with a frame standard of the type heretofore employed, having telescoping means , permitting overlapping of only the portions of the frame members located below the fan unit, and shroud'assembly, whereby only the dimension of the standard below the fan unit could be halved.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the improved floor fan assembly constructed in accordance with the invention will present-unmarred exterior surfaces and a decorative appearance regardless of the position to which the .upper frame section may be adjusted. The tubular construction of the frame members together with substantial concealment of otherwise unsightly elements of the necessary clamping and position-limiting mechanisms are desirable characteristics rendering the fan apparatus suitable for household use. Bv reason of the provision of hidden sleeves or tubes of non-abrasive material as elements of the clamping mechanisms, any number of adjustments of the fan standard may be made without materially affecting enameled or •other highly finished surfaces. By using· the novel and inexpensive arrangement of the wire loop contained in the U-shaped section in cooperation with the stationary stop elements carried in the floor or base section, the standard assembly has been rendered substantially foolproof without unduly complicated additional structural elements.

It will further be obvious that convenience: in use and ease of transportation of the floor fan are insured by the proportioning, construction and arrangement of the upper and lower tubular frame members as herein disclosed, facilitating lowering of the assembly from its maximum height to an extremely compact or collapsed position, wherein the top of the fan unit is brought closely adjacent the uppermost ends of the tubular standard or base members.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled, in the

2,521,920

S art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.