Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
5 ~ 9
This invention relates to rolling shutters and, more
particularly, to a novel foldable rolling shutter which,
when raised, can be compactly folded into a very small
gpace .
As is well known, the curtain of a rolling shutter of the
kind concerned comprises flat bars which are hinged to one
another along their longitudinal edges and, during the lower-
ing and lifting, guided in laterally spaced grooves. In its
open position, the curtain is usually rolled up on a drivable
upper roller. Wi~h the presently usual high clearanceg of
window openings, this leads to relatively bulky rolls requiring
a correspondingly ~ized hood in the lintel recess. The needed
space, particularly the depth of the recess perpendicularly
to the wall face, i8 correspondingly large. That is why
attempts have already been made, in particular with garage
doors having wide bars, not to roll the curtain but to fold
it to a bar pack located overhead and extending perpendicularly
ito the wall face, inwardly or outwardly. The pack formed by
8uch folding ha8 a relatively limited height given by the
thickne8s of the bar~, but its horizontal exten8ion inwardly
(or outwardly) is relatively large and, consequently not usable
with conventional windows having relatively narrow lintel
- recesses, not to mention the relatively complicated folding
mechanism.
The present invention, on the contrary, provides a -
foldable rolling shutter having a simple actuating mechanism
and fitting into a narrow lintel recess such as, for example,
provided for accommodating Venetian blinds, and thus requiring
less space than a rolling shutter or a curtain which is
foldable to a horizontal pack.
, . . ' '. ~- . ,- -'~ ~' . ' ' '
. . .
.
S~39 . ~
The present invention resides in a foldable
rolling shutter including a rolling bar curtain formed over
elongated bars hinged to one another at longitudinal edges ~. :
and guided at their opposite ends in respective guide grooves
at opposite sides o.f an openin~ controlled by the shutter, ~:
the improvement comprising in combination, means, in an ~ .
upper reversing zone adjacent the upper end of said grooves ~`~
about which the rolling bar curtain is trained for direction
reversal during rising and lowering; and bar guide means
extending downwardly from that side of aid means in said
upper reversing zone, opposite to said grooves into means
forming a recess, and engageable with guide elements of the ,
opposite ends of the bars for guiding the bars downwardly -.
'. from said upper reverse zone into the recess, under the weight ~;.
of the curtain, during rising of the curtain; said bar guide
;' means and said guide elements conjointly guiding said bars
to form at least one vertical pile of said bars superposed ..
;. in horizontal orientation in the recess.
The invention may be further characterized by a ::
foldable rolling shutter including a rolling bar curtain formed
: ,
of elongated bars hinged to one another at longitudinal
edges and guided at their opposite ends in respective grooves ..
.. at opposite sides of an opening controlled by the shutter,
~- with an improvement comprising, in combination, a shaft ex-
~.'. tending transversely to the opening and having bar support-ing portions between its ends about which the rolling bar cur.- ~
.` tain is trained for direction reversal during rising and ~ :
.. lowering; means forming a recess behind and beneath the re- .
; versing zone; and guide means effecting folding of the bar . -.
~ 30 curtain within the recess under the weight of the curtain -
.-, during raising of the curtain, said folding effecting meansand said recess forming means conjointly guiding said bars . .
into superposed horizontal orientation in said recess.
t ~
~ 2A.
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.,~ ~ , ,
S89
To this eff~ct, in accordance with the invention, a
mschanism is providad which is adaptsd to roll the bar curtain
about an upper rev~rsing area and to fold it, aft-r thQ -
r~vorsing area and due to tho ~70ight of th- bars as well as
to appropriato latoral guides, into a. lQast one vertical
pile of bars suporpos~d in horizontal position in th~ lintel
roc~ss .
If the curtain co~prisos relativ~ly wide fiat bars, tn~
bars c~ bs piled u~ to a ~ingle pile. Howev~r, if the
curtain is a window shuttar with tho usual rslativ31y narrow
bars, tho curtain can ba folded into two horizontally ju~taposed
piles. Purpos21y, a rotatabl2 lifting shaft is provid d in
.. . .. . . . . ..
the upper r~v~rsing ar2a, having a triangular or polyhadral
cross-section along its entire 12ngth or along somQ portions
of its l~ngth, with th~ sid2s of the cross-saction approxi-
mately corres~onding to tha width of the bars. ~hil~
rotating ths shaft in th~ lifting dirsction of the curtain,
the advancin5 barq engago the polyh~dral por'.ions by which
th~y are po5iti~_1y taken along and ar~ deposited, at t~ run-
aQ off sid9 and du~ to thsir own ~t~ight and also to guidQs ~Ihichbring th~m into ths corrsct position, into one or two
pilss in the lintel recoss. Thus, ths lifting shaft sffects
both the advance of tha curtain into thQ opsn position and
the breaking of the curtain about th~ hing~ cOnnQctions of
ths bars so that, u~dsr th_ Qffect of tho guidss, the curtain
- is foldea in the lin~el rec~ss positively to th~ pile providcd.
Evidently, instoad of using a polyhedral shaft, tne breaki~
of the curtai~ in thQ upper r~vQrsing araa in ordQr to initiat2
th~ folding can also be effect3d m-rely by appropriat~ latsral
, 30 guides for the bars, and th2 curtain might be lifted, for
3. -~ -
-:
:
491~. '
~ . : - : , - -
... . :. . .
..
'1589
example, by means of an endless pull member (cable, chain or
the like) acting on the lowermost bar, or by simply pushing
it up.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a shaft is
mounted in the upper reversing area and, for example, is
connected to rotary drlve means and is provided, at least
along lts portions serving as supports for the bars, with a ~ -
polyhedral cross-~ection. Also advantageous is an embodiment
in whlch a lifting shaft having a circular cro~s-section is
provided as the support for the bars in the upper reversing
area while an arcuate guide means surrounding the reversing
area cau~es the bars to positively engage the shaft. To
be sure, it has been found that a completely satisfactory
circulation of the bars which, due to the hinge connections,
are movable relative to each other to only a limited extent,
may involve difficulties, particularly in cases where the
curtain is to be folded into two juxtaposed piles. This
means that adjacent bars, of the consecutively advancing bars,
must be deviated, after the reversing area, in different
directions. Also, it is necessary to deviate these bars
differently to cause them to follow branch guides which
extend in a spaced relationship. This implies, however,
that the ~ars which, for~example, are to be deviated toward
the inside should follow a different track relative to the
bars to be deviated toward the outside, already in the
reversing area, if possible. The present invention permits
overcoming of these difficulties. To this end, in accordance
with the invention, a member rotating with and supporting
the bars during a part of their motion around the reversing
area is provided, and comprises engaging portions for bars
: .
4.
':~
4S89
to be deviated differently, which portions are located un-
symmetrically relative to the reversing axis.
The unsymmetrically disposed engaging portions may be
formed by mutually opposite faces of an irregular tetrahedral
portion of a lifting shaft or by engaging recesses for guide
pins of the bars, which are not necessarily diametrically
opposite to each other and are provided at unequal radial
distances. The obtained effect is that the bars to be deviated
differently are released by the conveying member at locations
which are radially differently spaced from the reversing axis,
i.e. are transferred to different branch guide grooves provided
after the reversing area.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved
foldable rolling shutter.
Another object of the invention is to provide such
a foldable rolling shutter having a simple actuating mechanism ;
and fitting into a narrow lintel recess or the like.
A further object of the invention is to provide such
a foldable rolling shutter which requires less space, when fold-
ed, than known foldable rolling shutter9.
For an understanding of the principles of the inven-
tion, reference is made to the following description of typical -
embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In the Drawings:
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a first embodiment
i, , .
of a roller shutter, the curtain being lifted and piled up in
the lintel recess; -
FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views similar to FIG. 1,
` respectively showing the rolling ~hutter during the lowering of --
the curtain and with a completely lowered curtain;
~ FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a second embodi-
-. ment of the invention, with the curtain being lifted;
:.~
.~ -
~,'.. ~~ 5.
-: .. . .
: ~ . . . . .
:; . . .
...... . . .. . .
:.: : --
. . . ~ , . ,, : . - : . .
s~9
FIG. 5 is a vertical a2ctional view of a variant of the
em~odi~ent shown in FIG~ 4, the curtain being lowerad,
PIG. 6 is a ~_rtical sQctional vi~w of a variant of ` .
tho ~mbodim~nt shown in FIG. l;
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are ~nlargod sectional vi~ws of a
curtain sho~ing differQnt designs of the bars;
FIGS. 10 to 13 arQ vertical soctional views of th3
revsrsing ar_a of a foldable rolling shutt~r comprising a
tstrah~dral li4ting shaCt having po~itively engaging portions,
in four diffsrsnt position3 of ths shaft;
FIGS. 14 ana 15 are views corr~sponding to ~IGS. 10 and 12,
r3spoctivsly, showing a second e~bodiment of a foldabls rolling
PIGS. 16 and 17 ar3 a front and lateral elevational .
view, rQspectivoly, of an _mbodim2nt of ths hook connectiona
of th~ curtain bars;
FIGS. 18 and 19 show a variant of the ho~k conn~ctions
in visws similar to FIGS. 16 and 17, respectively; ~$
FIG. 20 is an ~nlargsd vi~w of a variant of th~ em~od~ment
according to FIG. 10;
FIG~. 21 and 22 ara, r3~2octiv-ly, a latoral elevational view
and a s ctional view taksn along thc linQ 13-13 of FIG.. 21 :
of th~ guida elem-nts in thP revarsir.g arsa, and ~:
. . FIG. 23 is a s~ctional vi~w of ths driv- m~chanism o~ a
: foldabl~ rollina ~hutt~r, com~risir.g a limit stop arrang-m~nt. .
FIGS. 1 to .3 show 2 window lin.~l 1' with a lint~l
recoss 2', a ~Jindow 3' &nd a rolling shutter 4'-. Th~ curtain
of rolling shutt~r 4' is formsd of hollow bars 5' ~hich are
` hinged to eac~ other along th-ir longitudinal edg3s in a
mann~r (not sho~n~ such that th~y can bs mov~d apart to a
'
6. ~ .
. ' ' ' .
. ~ . .
"~
~044589
limited extent to form light slits 6' or light-tightly
engaged with each other, and also folded about their
longitudinal ~edges to form a pile. Such a bar connec-
tion is shown, for example, in FIG. 7. In this case,
the hinge connection of the bars is formed by chains
passing through the bars and comprising partly bent chain
links 7'a, 7'b, hooked together.
'rO guide the bars of the rolling shutter curtain in
the lower position thereof, laterally spaced guide grooves
8' are provided at opposite sides of the window or other
opening controlled by the shutter, while every other bar
5' comprises pins 9'a, 9'b at it opposite ends and loc-
ated approximately at the mid-width of the respective bar
and engaging grooves 8'. As shown in the drawing, pins
9'a, 9'b are alternately offeet relative to the midplane
of the curtain, pins 9'b at the inside of the midplane.
At its upper end, where curtain bars 5' are released, each
groove 8' forks into two mutally ad~acent branch grooves
lO'a, lO'b for pins 9'a, 9'b, respectively, which are -
spaced from each other by a distance corresponding to the
m~tual spacing of offset pins 9'a, 8'b. The two branch
grooves lOa', lO'b extend along an arc of approximately
180 about the axis of an upper lifting shaft 11' having
at least two portions with tetrahedral cross-section
located in spaced relationship along the rolling shutter.
Relative to the tetrahedral cross-sections of the shaft,
the arcuate portion of the radially external groove lO'a
follows a circumscribed circle while the arcuate portion
of the radially internal groove lO'b follows an inscribed
circle. After the arcuate portion, approximately at the
level of the axis of shaft 11', the two branch grooves
lO'a, lO'b commence to diverge up to a spacing approx-
imately corresponding to the width of a bar. Upon
'-~
. - .:: -
1044589
reaching this spacing, grooves lO'a, lO'b extend in spaced
parallel relation downwardly and end at the level of the
lower opening of the lintel recess. Lifting shaft 11' is
associated, through an appropriate mechanism (not shown)
with a hand crank 12' for manual operation of the shaft.
The just described rolling shutter 4' is operated in
the following manner. Fig.3 shows the rolling shutter
with a completely lowered curtain. Since the lowermost
bar 5', or the usually p~ovided end bar, rests against a
bottom support, the complete lowering curtain. Since
the lowermost or the usually provided end bar, rests
against a bottom support, the complete lowering of the
curtain results in the forming of a practically light-
tight closing of the opening because, due to the hinge
connections shown, for example, in FIG. 7, the mating
- ' ..
bars S' engage into each other and close the light sl`its
6'. In the lowered position of the curtain, each of the
uppermost three bars remains resting against a respective
one of the lateral faces of the tetrahedral portions of
shaft 11' and these bars are held in this positionby end
pins 9'a, 9'b of the last but second and last bar 5',
respectively, of which the ~irst-men tioned is guided in
in groove lO'a and~the last-mentioned in groove lO'b.
While now turning lifting shaft 11' by means of
hand crank 12' in the lifting direction of the curtain,
thus clockwise in the drawing, the tetrahedral faces of ~ -
shaft 11' take the bars 5' along. ~his results first ~ -
due to the mentioned bar connections, in an opening of
slits 6' between curtain bars 5' guided in grooves 8' and,
thereupon, in a lifting of this part of the curtain. Bars
5' advance consecutively to the tetrahedral portions of
shaft ll' while pins 9'a, 9'b, due to thier offset posi-
tions, move in the associated branch grooves lO'a andlO'b respectively.
.... .
: . ' ' ;
:, . : ,
1044589
Bars 5' leaving shaft 11' in the lintel recess 2', are
guided, by pins 9'a, 9'b provided only on every alternate
bar, in the branch groove portions lO'a and lO'b spaced
from each other and extending downwardly in spaced para-
llel relation so that, as shown in FIG. 2, the curtain
is folded after every other bar. At the bottom end of
lintel recess 2', the t~ first consecutive bars 5' are
deposited side by side while the next two bars are super-
posed on the first two bars in a position reversed by
180 which, as shown in FIG. 1, upon a complete lifting
of the curtain, results in two juxtaposed piles of bars
5'a, 5'b, closing the lintel recess 2' at the bottom. i~
The relatively narrow lintel recess 2' is thereby filled
up in the best possible manner. To lower the curtain
of the rolling shutter, lifting shaft lli is rotated in
- the opposite direction, counterclockwise, whereby the ; ;
bars which have remained on the tetrahedral portions and,
consequently, the entire curtain, are positively taken
along in the lowering direction. Due to the weight of
the bars, the light slits 6' between the bsrs continuously
i leaving shaft 11' and guided in grooves 8'- reopen a~d,
of course, remain open if the rotation of lifting shaft
11' is interrupted as soon as the lowermost bar 5' (or -
the end bar) reaches its bottom end position. Thus,
light slits 6' can selectively remain open or be closed.
In the embodiment of FIG. 4 which, otherwise, cor-
responds to the embodiment according to FIG. 1, instead
of the lifting shaft, a non-driven reversing roller 21'
is provided comprising axially spaced cylindrical por-
tions or being cylindrical over its entire length. In
this case, the lateral faces of the tetrahedral portions
i acting, in the first embodiment, as positive guides
. . .
,, , , , ,: -. -
: .::: , . . . : . :
~044S89 ::
and engagement elements, are replaced by an appropriately
curved guide sheet 22' associated with the arcuate por-
tions of grooves lO'a, lO'b extending around the reversing
area and with roller 21' serving as the radially internal
support of the bars. From its position sh~wn in FI~.4 in
which bars 5' in the lintel recess 2' form two juxtaposed
piles 5'a, 5'b, the curtain is lowered, inthis example,
by pulling the end bar by hand. Analogously, the curtain
is lifted by pushing it up, in which case guide sheet 22'
ensures that the bars 5', of which again only every other
one is positively guided in grooves lO'a, lO'b by means
of end pins 9'a, 9'b, glide over reversing roller 21' ; -
without being lifted therefrom.
A variant of the embodiment of FIG. 4 is shown in
FIG. 5. In this case, an endless chain 23' (or a V-belt
or cable) is provided as the pull means for lifting and
lowering the curtain of the rolling shutter which, other-
wise, is designed in the same manner as the embodiment of
FIG. 4. The chain is operable by means of hand crank 12'
through a sprocket mounted on roller 21', and is passed
around upper and lower idler wheels 24'a, 24'b. The
lowermost bar 5' (or end bar) is connected to chain 23'
by a dog 25'. Turning of lifting roller 21' in the clock-
wise direction results in a lifting, and turning in the
opposite direction in a lowering, of the curtain,
In the foregoing, rolling shutters comprising rela-
tively narrow bars (or the width of a few cm) have been
considered, which can be deposited in any normal window
lintel recess in the form of the mentioned double pile-
Designs are possible, however providing relatively wide
bars in which case, to be sure, the usual narrow lintel
recesses permit a folding
.
s~9
of the curtain into only a single pile having a width corres- -
ponding to the width of a bsr. Such a design i8 shown in
FIG. 6. ;~
In FIG. 6, the otherwise similarly designed bars 35'
are approximately of a double width relative to the examples
described here~nabove, and a cor~espondingly smaller number
of bars is necessary for assembling a curtain having the
same height. In this case, each bar 35' i~ provided with end
pins 39' which are guided in a groove 40' starting from
groove 8' and extending around tne upper reversing area and,
at the other side, again down to the lower opening of the
lintel recess.
For positively guiding the bars and as a drive member, ;~ ~ -
.
a lifting shaft 41' is associated with groove 40' in the
reversing area, having a trihedral cross-section over its entire
length or, at lesst, along some portions of its length. The
length of the sides o this cross-section corresponds approx-
imately to the width of a bar and the arcuate portion of
groove 40' extending around the reversing area ollows
approximately a circle in~cribed in the triangular cross-
section. ~hile rotating lifting shaft 41' in the lifting
direction of the curtain (clockwise in FIG. 6), each of the ~;
advancing bars engages one of the lateral faces of shaft 41'
and is taken along by the same and, upon leaving shaft 41',
due to the guidance of the pins, bars 35' fold alternately to
the one and to the other side and pile up, under their own
weight, to a correspondingly folded pile 35'a.
I The described design makes it possible to utilize
Z fully the space available in the lintel recess for piling
up the lifted rolling shutter without an expensive construction
11 .
..- ,., - :
.
.~ ....
1044589
, . .. .
for the bar guidance. The sole condition is to provide
a hinge connection between the bars permitting an unhin-
dered folding of the curtain. Bars movable relative to
each other and thus permitting a formation of light slits,
such as, for example, shown in Fig. 7 or at 45' in FIG.
8, are particularly suitable in this respect. In the bae
design variant shown in FIG. 8, a perforated or transpar-
ent intermediate link 47' is provided as the hinge member
establishing connection and permitting folding to both
sides. Elastically flexible intermediate links could
also be provided. As shown in FIG. 9, shaped slats 55'
interlocked by edge flanges 57'a, 57'b may also be used. `
The foldable rolling shutter shown in FIGS. 10 to 13
comprises a curtain formed of hollow flat bars la, lb, lc,
ld made for example, of metal or plastics. These consecu-
tively arranged bars are hinged to each other by means
of hook links Za, 2b and, as usual, guided in laterally
spaced guide grooves 3. As shown in detail in FIGS. 16
and 17 and diagrammatically in FIGS. 10 to 13, two hinges
2a are always followed by two hinges 2b. Hinges 2a and
2b differ from each other in the orientation of their res-/
.
pective folding capablility, hinges 2a being desinged so
as to permit a folding of the bars through 180 to the
one side and hinges 2b being designed so as to permit a
folding through the same angle to the opposite side. Con-
centric with the upper reversing axis a of the curtain,
a lifting crank 4 is mounted as is drivable, for example
through a hand-cran~ mechanism.
Shaft 4 comprises tetrahedral portions 5 having an
irregular cross-section, i.e., unsymmetrical relative to
axis a. The arrangement is made so that the bar lb situ-
ated between two hinges 2b (foldable outwardly through
180 ) engage the smallest tetrahedral face 5b and the bars
ld situated between two hinges 2a ~foldable inwardly
through 180 ) engage the
.... . . .
.. .~ ~ ~ . . .
~ 589
largest tetrahedral face Sd. Consequently, bars la engage
the one (5a) and bars lc again~t the other (5c) of the two
remaining tetrahedral face~. Bars la and lc situated between
differently designed hinge~ 2a, 2b are provided, on their
front faces, with guide pins 6a, 6b, respectively. Pins 6a
of bars la are located at the outside of the midplane of the
bars, i.e., offset relative to pins 6b with respect to this
plane. In the reversing area, the common vertical lateral
guide grooves 3 ~or pins 6a, 6b fork into separate branch i~
guide grooves 3a, 3b which, after the reversing area, extend
downwardly at a spacing corresponding to the distance by which
pins 6a, 6b, in two juxtaposed piles of horizontally stacked
- bar~ la, lb or lc, ld, are spaced from each other. To ensure
a reliable taking along of the bar curtain in the reversing
area, an engaging member 7 is firmly mounted on the end
portion of shaft 4. The engaging member has two forked arms
of which the radially shorter fork 7a i8 intended to engage
over and take along pins 6a and the radially longer fork 7b
extending in the opposite direction relative to ork 7a is
intended to engage over and take along pins 6b. Such posit-
ively engaging members 7 are very advantageous, but they
may also be omitted.
In FIGo 10~ the curtain of the folda~le rolling shutter
is shown in its upper position clearing the window opening
- in which position the main part of the curtain is folded
after the reversing area to two piles placed side by side,
such as shown in FIGS. 1~ 4 and 5. By rotating lifting shaft
4 counterclockwise, the curtain of the rolling shutter is
lowered. As may be seen in FIG. 11, during the first quarter
turn, fork 7a engages over pin 6a of bar la coming into
13.
:. . - . . . . .
, . . .
contact with tetrahedral face 5a while fork 7b disengages from
pin 6b of bar lc leaving tetrahedral face 5c. It is evident
that, in this way, member 7 is permanently engaged with
at least one pin 6a or 6b (see also the further quarter
turns of shaft 4 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13) so that not-only
a secure motion of the curtain over the tetrahedral portions 5, ~
but also a correct positioning of the individual bars on ;
the associated tetrahedral faces, is ensured. During lifting
of the curtain, i.e. rotating of lifting shaft 4 clockwise,
the bars are guided through the reversing area in the opposite
direction, i.e. following a sequence of FIGS. 4, 3, 2 and 1.
As shown in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, cylindrical
portions 15 may be provided instead of tetrahedral portions 5.
In this case again, pins 6a, 6b are guided in grooves 3a, 3b
and are positively moved through the reversing area by the
engaging members 7 because, in any position, at least one
of the pins is engaged with the associated fork of the engaging
member. Otherwise, this foldable rolling shutter is
designed in accordance with FIGS. 10 to 13. It should be noted
that, in this design, however, since the flat supporting faces
for the bars are absent, an undesirable rising or deflection
of the bars upwardly is prevented by the roof-like outer
flange 3c (FIG. 20) of lateraly guide groove 3 extending around
the reversing area.
FIGS. 16 and 17 show details of an embodiment of the
hinge connection of the bars which are used in foldable rolling
shutters according to FIGS. 10 to 15. The hinges 2a and 2b
are formed by pairs of links 20, 21 which are hooked to each
other in the interior of hollow bars la - ld. To form hinges
2a, the respective links are connected so that the hinge is
,.
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14-
, . ~ .: -
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~, .. . .
1(~44589
completely foldable to the inside (considered in the posi- -
tion of the curtain shown in FIG. lO) and to form hinges
2b, the respective links areconnected so as to permit a -~ -
complete folding of the hinge to the outside. In the
interior of the hollow bars, links 20 form an oblong loop
into which links 21 are engaged in a manner such that a
limited motion of the links towards and apart from each
other and, thereby, a corresponding relative motion of the
bars, are made possible. This not only permits the form-
ation of the light or air slits in a closed curtain but
also ensures a completely satisfactory run of the bars
through the reversing area.
RIGS. 18 and 19 show a more simple hinge connection
between the bars. While, according to FIGS. 16 and 17,
the free, outwardly spread end portions of links 21 are
firmly clamped in the rear cross web of the respective
hollow bar, in this design, each bar is provided with an
additional middle web against which the end of a hook link
30 engages. Jn the zone of the rear cross web of hollow
bar 11, an oblong chain link 31 i9 suspended from hook
link 30, and is engaged with a second chain link 31 from
which the next hook link 30 is suspended. This ensures
not only the required mutual displacement of the bars
., .
but also a trouble-proof foldability of the curtain.
In most of the examples described in the foregoing,
it has been assumed that shaft 4 moving the rolling shutter
, is driven, for example, by a namually operated mechanism.
However, it is also possible to lift or lower the curtain
directly by pushing it up or pulling it down, Since, in
such a case, while pushing the curtain up, the bars tend
to deviate in the reversing area upwardly, i.e., instead
of taking the
15.
: : . ' : ~ . . .
, ~ . . . .
~ 8 ~
tetrahedral portion along, to lift therefrom, in the variant
shown in FIG. 20, the lifting shaft is designed as a ~pring
roller. The tetrahedral parts 5 are secured to a cylinder
44a which is connected, by means of a spring 44b, to a
shaft 44c fixed against rotation. The connection is provided
80 that, while cylinder 44a rotates counterclockwise (lowering
of the curtain), spring 44b is tensioned and, while cylinder
44a rotates clockMise (lifting of the curtain), the tension of
spring 44b is released and the qpring supports the action.
As for the remainder of the structure, guides 3, 3a, 3b,
tetrahedral parts 5 and engaging member 7 correspond to the
respective elements shown in the example of FIGS. 10 to 13.
Here again, every other bar 41 is provited with a pin 6a
or 6b located inside or outside, respectively, cooperating
with guide grooves 3a and 3b as well as with engaging forks
7a and 7b.
In this variant, bars 41 are designed as hollow bars
having their edges formed with undercut through-slots 41a.
In the8e end slots, corre~pondingly shaped end portions o~
elastically flexible intermediate nembers 42 are received,
which form a flexible link between the bars. One of the
edge slots of each bar, in the present example the front slot ~ :
41a considered in the lowering direction of the curtain,
is deep enough to permit the flexible link to penetrate to
a certain extent therein thereby enabling bars 41 to move
through a limited distance toward or apart from each other.
Thus, a trouble-free run of the bars through the revessing
area and folding of the curtain to the desired piles are
made possible. The flexible links 42 may be provided with
slits forming air openings while the curtain is appropriately
lowered.
16.
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l!~B4~ 9 ~`
As may be seen from the foregoing, aside from a bearing
for the lifting shaft, different guide grooves are needed in
the reversing area, which must be disposed exactly relative
to each other and to the reversing axis. A particularLy
advantageous solution of this problem is shown in FIGSo 21 ~ `
and 22~ At either side of the rolling shutter, a one-piece
structural part 50 is provided, and is formed with the grooves
3a, 3b connecting to lateral groove 3, as well as with the
bearing 54 for the lifting shat. After the reversing area,
grooves 3a, 3b diverge, are enlarged and extend downwardly
to a channel member 55 serving as a bottom closure and support
for the pile or piles of bars. The two flanges of channel
member 55 are slightly springy and provided, in the zone of
their free edges, with inwardly pro~ecting tongues ~6. On
the back wall of structural part 50, outside the two grooves
3a, 3b, pairs of pro~ections 57a, 57b are provided.
For assembling, the flanges of the channel member are
pushed upwardly past the two pairs of projections until
tongues 56 engage over the one or the other pair of pro~ections.
Since the height of the lintel rece~ is limited and must be
ully utilized for the piling of the curtain, in assembled
state, channel member 55 is in its uppermost position,i.e.,
its web is immediately adjacent grooves 3a, 3b and tongues
56 are engaged over the upper pair of projections 57a, The
arrangement i8 made 80 that, with the curtain lifted, while
the lowermost bars are still in lateral groove 3, the pile
chamber formed above the web of the channel member is dimen-
sionRd just sufficiently to receive the bars which have
pasæed behind the reversing area. However, to be able to
receive the entire curtain in this pile chamber (thus in cases
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10445~9
where the curtain is competely removed from the lifting
shaft), channel member 55 can be partly lowered so that
its tongues 56 engage over only the lower pair of projec-
tions 57b. This provision of accommodating the curtain
in the enlarged pile chamber makes it possible to trans-
port and mount the rolling shutter along with the lifting
shaft and the lateral structural parts 50 as a compact
unit.
FIG. 23 shows a hand-crank link 60 of a mechanism 61
driving the lifting shaft 4 of the rolling shutter. Be-
tween the mechanism and the crank connection, a square
section bar 62 is provided comprising an axially displace-
able stop nut 63. Through an external thread, nut 63
engages in an internal thread of a fixed hexagonal sleeve
64 in which stops 65 are provided in adjustable fixed
positions. While turning bar 62 by means of the crank,
nut 63 turnlng therewith is displaced, in accordance with
the direction of rotation, toward the one or the other of
stops 65 whereby, the possible number of revolutions of
the cr-ank or lifting shaft 4 is limited.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been
shown and described in detail to illustrate the application
of the principles of the invention, it will be understood -
that the invention may be embodied otherwise without
departing from such principles.
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