Carnes Company, Inc.

Kenneth E Prochnow

Richard C Burke

Tony J Kempen

Disclosed is an air-flow-directing grille assembly of the type having two frame members and a grille bar supported by such frame members for pivoting movement about a grille bar axis. In the improvement, each frame member has a hole, the bar has an axle extending through the holes and each hole and the axle are cooperatively sized to provide a friction fit between such hole and axle. The grille bar is thereby frictionally retained in a position. A new method for making a grille assembly includes providing a pair of frame members, each having a hole therethrough of a first diameter. A grille bar is provided to have an axle with a second diameter at least equal to the first diameter. The axle and the frame member holes are urged into frictional engagement with one another and the grille bars will thereby hold a selected air-flow-directing position.

Grille assembly and related method

A safety spring lock for locking an air pattern control in a diffuser includes a normally bowed strip carrying a retainer clip. The strip is flattened to engage the clip with a fixed part of the diffuser, the clip engages the diffuser and that engagement and the inherent bias of strip hold the spring lock in place in the diffuser. The safety lock includes a U-shaped portion spaced from the retainer clip and connected to the retainer carrying portion by a normally bowed strip which is flexed to a flattened position to locate the U-shaped portion adjacent to portion of the movable air pattern conrol when it part of the diffuser. The U-shaped portion is urged into engagement with a portion of the air pattern control to prevent movement thereof in the diffuser which would otherwise be sufficient to remove the air pattern control from the diffuser.

Safety lock

An air distribution device system includes an air distribution device of rectangular configuration and an auxiliary frame adapted to flush-mount the air distribution device within a ceiling of the type wherein ceiling material is directly fastened to overlying structural members such as joists or rafters. The auxiliary frame is substantially rectangular in form and is fashioned from elongate frame members of T-shaped cross section. The vertical portions of the T-shaped frame members are fastened to the structural members so that the horizontal portions of the frame members are substantially coplanar with the ceiling. Thereafter, the air distribution device rests upon, and is supported by, the horizontal portions of the frame members. When desired, the air distribution device can be raised off the auxiliary frame to obtain access to the interior of the ceiling.

Auxiliary frame for ceiling mounted air diffusers and the like

An opposed blade balanced damper includes three sector-shaped damper blades individually mounted to a frame for pivotal movement around a pair of pivot tabs integrally formed on each damper blade. A user-actuable control assembly simultaneously controls the relative rotational position of each damper blade so as to selectively regulate airflow through a duct. The damper blades and control assembly function to direct airflow toward the center of the duct and thereby maintain symmetrical airflow through the duct. This is achieved by rotating the damper blades so that the inner ends of the damper blades move downstream, and the outer ends of the damper blades move upstream, as the damper blades are rotated from a closed to an open position.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Kenneth E Prochnow