Abstract of
GB951039
951,039. Ornamenting. TITUS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION. Nov. 23, 1962 [Dec. 6, 1961], No. 44480/62. Drawings to Specification. Heading B6G. [Also in Division F4] A grille for the outlets or inlets of ventilators or the like is formed from an assembly of aluminium or other anodisable metal bars, each having along one edge alternating rectangular recesses and raised portions, said edge and preferably also the two opposite sides of the bar being dyed or coated with a colour presenting a visual contrast with the colour of the metal, the colour being removed from the raised portions only. The bars are assembled in spaced parallel relationship with the raised portions outwards. At each end a hollow tube is passed through holes in the bars and expanded at spaced parts by a mandrel to form longitudinal ribs which fix it to the bars. Pins passing through the rectangular or other ventilator frame pass into the ends of the tubes, or the tubes pass through holes in the frame.
1. A process for producing a bar for grillwork which comprises coating at least an edge of a metal bar having alternating recesses and raised portions along that edge with a coating which visually contrasts with the metal of the bar, and removing the coating 90 from the raised portions without disturbing the coating in the recesses.
2. A process of producing grillwork which comprises mounting several bars made by a process as claimed in claim 1 on supporting members in parallel spaced relationship to form a rigid grille structure.
3. A process of producing grillwork which comprises coating at least an edge of each of several metal bars, each such edge having 100 alternating recesses and raised portions along it, with a coating which visually contrasts with the metal of the bar, removing the coating from the raised portions without disturbing the coating in the recesses, and mounting the bars on supporting members in parallel spaced relationship to form a rigid grille structure, at least the step of removing the coating being performed after the bars have been so mounted. 110 4. A process as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 in which the supporting members are tubes which pass through holes in the bars, and which includes securing the bars to the tubes by expanding the tubes after the bars have 115 been assembled thereon.
5. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the metal of the bar or bars is aluminium and the coating is effected by anodizing and dyeing. 120 6. A bar for grillwork produced by a process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 5.
7. A rigid grille structure produced by a process as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5.
8. A rigid grille structure comprising 125 series of spaced metal bars each presenting an edge having alternating recesses and raised portions, a surface coating one at least the recesses of the bars which contrasts visually with the metal of the bars, and the raised 130 recesses 16 at regular, spaced intervals. The walls of these recesses are coloured by a coating which is a strong visual contrast with the natural metal colour of the front faces of the raised portions 17 of the bars 12. In the preferred practice of the invention, the walls of the recesses 16 are dyed after anodizing the bars 12. The dye is markedly contrasting in colour with the natural colour of the base metal, e.g., aluminium. Almost any colour may be used for dyeing the walls of the recesses 16, but for the best contrasting effect it is preferred to use a dark colour such as black, brown, dark green or dark blue. It is also preferred that the upper and lower walls 18 and 19, respectively, of the bars 12 be coloured in a similar manner to the recesses 16 with a coating contrasting with the natural metal colour of the front faces of the raised portions 17 so that the grillwork is made up of bars wherein the front faces of the raised portions 17 are the only visible parts of the bars which are of natural metal colour, the remainder of the bars being of a contrasting colour.
The embodiments of Figures 5-7 are three additional designs of grille face which may be achieved utilizing different forms and arrangements of grillwork bars. In the embodiment of Figure 3, the raised portions on the aluminium bars are staggered in successive bars. The raised portions 20 of natural aluimnium colour have a length which is about twice the length of the recesses 21, the latter having an anodized and dyed coating which is a dark colour, e.g., black, contrasting with the aluminium colour of the raised portions 20.
In the embodiment of Figure 6, the grille is of the same general character of the grille of Figure 5 except that the length of the raised portions 22 of the bars is about twice the length of the raised portions 20, and the length of the anodized and dyed recesses 23 of the bars is about twice the length of the recesses 21, giving a grille face design having a different appearance from that of Figure 5.
In the embodiment of Figure 7 the aluminium coloured raised portions 24 and the contrastingly dyed anodized recesses 25 are of the same length. This arrangement provides yet another different appearance.
The foregoing embodiments are illustrative of hundreds of different designs which can be provided. Other designs can be provided by altering the length of the raised portions and/or the contrasting recesses, and also by altering the relative positioning of the recesses and raised portions of a bar in relation to the recesses and raised portions of adjacent bars.
Furthermore, it is not essential that the design provided by the raised portions and contrasting recesses be a regular pattern of repeating units as is the case in the illustrated embodiments. The overall pattern pro951,039 951,039 portions of the bars exhibiting metal free from such coating.
9. A rigid grille structure as claimed in claim 8 in which the coating also covers the side surfaces of the bars.
10. A rigid grille structure as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 in which the recesses and raised portions recur at uniform spacing along the bars.
11. A rigid grille structure as claimed in claim 10 in which the recesses and raised portions of adjacent bars are in staggered relationship.
12. A rigid grille structure substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 15 or any of Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
KILTBURN & STRODE, Chartered Patent Agents, Agents for the Applicants.
Leamington Spa: Printed for Her Maiesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press.-1964.
Published at The Patent Office, 25, Southampton Buildings, London. W.C.2. from which copies may be obtained.
Description
PATENT SPECIFICATION
DRAWINGS ATTACHED 951,039 X: Date of Application and filing Complete Specification Nov. 23, 1962.
No. 44480/62.
Application made in United States of America (No. 157436) on Dec. 6, 1961.
Complete Specification Published March 4, 1964.
Crown Copyright 1964.
Index at acceptance: -36 G(2B, 3B); F4 VAlE International Classification: -B 44 d (F 24 f) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Górsilworkr andi Components thereof We, TITUS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, a Corporation organised and existing under the Laws of the State of Iowa, United States of America, of Waterloo, Iowa, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to grillwork of the kind comprising an assembly of spaced bars, to bars for such grillwork, and to processes for producing such bars and grillwork.
According to one aspect of the invention a process for producing a bar for grillwork comprises coating at least an edge of a metal bar having alternating recesses and raised portions along that edge with a coating which visually contrasts with the metal of the bar, and removing the coating from the raised portions without disturbing the coating in the recesses.
According to another aspect a process for producing grillwork comprises coating at least an edge of each of several metal bars, each such edge having alternating recesses and raised portions along it, with a coating which visually contrasts with the metal of the bar, removing the coating from the raised portions without disturbing the coating in the recesses, and mounting the bars on supporting members in parallel spaced relationship to form a rigid grille structure, at least the step of removing the coating being performed after the bars have been so mounted.
According to a further aspect of the invention a rigid grille structure comprises a series of spaced metal bars each presenting an edge having alternating recesses and raised portions, a surface coating on at least the recesses of the bars which contrasts visually with the metal of the bars, and the raised portions of the bars exhibiting metal free from such coating.
The raised portions of the bars, being the colour of the natural metal, provide a strong visual contrast to the recesses, and by suitably arranging these contrasting areas both lengthwise of the bars and transversely, a wide range of different designs of grillwork can be achieved.
The best metal for the bars is an extrudable and anodizable metal, e.g., aluminium.
One edge of the metal bar can be machined at spaced intervals to provide the alternating raised portions and recesses.
The machined bar is thereafter provided with a coating at least along that edge and preferably also over at least the two opposite sides of the bar. While these coatings may be a metal-adiherent paint or enamel, or a coloured vitreous enamel coating in the case of steel bars or other similar coatings, the preferred procedure for providing colouring on the aforesaid surfaces of the bars is to anodize a bar made of an anodizable metal.
For this purpose, aluminium or anodizable aluminium alloys are particularly suitable.
The machined, aluminium bars are anodized by well mkno-m techniques after which the anodized surfaces of the bars are dyed to the desired colour, which should be one having a strong visual contrast with the silvery colour of aluimnium. At least the machined edge having the raised portions and recesses is anodized although it is usually more convenient and is generally preferred to anodize and colour by dyeing the entire bar. If desired, the dye may be set and sealed by techniques well known in the art.
In the coating operation, both the raised portions and the recesses of the edge of the bars may have a coloured coating applied thereon. In this case the raised portions are thereafter polished or machined by wire wheels, grinding wheels or machine cutting tools to a depth sufficient to remove the coating on the raised portions. The coating in the recesses is left undisturbed.
As a result of this operation, the raised portions have the colour of the natural metal.
In the cases of metals such as aluminium these raised portions have a silvery appearance which contrasts with the coated areas of the bars.
Several embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of grillwork embodying the invention mounted in a frame of an air inlet or outlet grille of a heating or ventilating system; Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on section 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the grillwork and frame shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a fragmentary, detailed view taken on section 4-4 of Figure 3; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are front elevations of further embodiments of the invention.
The air handling grille shown in Figures 1-4 comprises a metal frame 1 of generally rectangular shape having on two opposite sides trapezoidal front face plates 2, 3 and on the other two opposite sides trapezoidal front face plates 4, 5. These face plates make up a frame around a central air passage defined by the four sides 6, 7, 8 and 9 extending rearwardly from the front face plates 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The sides 6, 7, 8 and 9 abut at their ends 10 and 11 and form a rectangular passageway adapted to be connected with the terminal end of ductwork of an air heating, cooling, and/or ventilating system. The frame 1 is made into a rigid structure by welding, soldering or brazing at the abutting ends 10 and 11 of the sides 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Within the passageway formed by the sides 6-9 there is mounted a grillwork made of spaced bars 12 held in spaced relationship to each other on mounting members. The bars 12 may be held in spaced relation on the mounting members by conventional techniques utilizing, for example, welding, spacerwashers or jam-fits, but it is preferred for the sake of simplicity of manufacture to mount the bars 12 in spaced, fixed relation to each other on hollow mounting members having a length approximately equal to the height of the opening of the air passageway. The hollow mounting members are in the form of tubes 13. These tubes extend through holes in the bars 12. A tight friction fit between the bars 12 and the tubes 13 is achieved by distorting at spaced points the outer surface of the tubes 13 so as to form longitudinally extending ribs 14.
The grillwork is formed by placing the bars 12 in a jig and inserting the tubes 13 through holes pre-drilled in the bars 12. A mandrel having a plurality of spaced ribs of a radius slightly larger than the internal radius of the tubes is forced through the tubes in a longitudinal direction. This procedure 70 results in the formation of flutes or grooves at spaced points in the inner walls of the tubes 13 and simultaneously results in the formation of longitudinal ribs 14 on the exterior walls of the tubes. These ribs press 75 tightly against the inner walls of the holes in the bars 12. This is sufficient to hold the bars 12 tightly on the tubes 13. In the case of bars made of soft metal such as aluminium, the holes in the bars may also be 80 slightly distorted by the distortion of the hollow tube. This provides a rigid assembly of spaced bars mounted on the tubes 13.
As a specific example of one relationship between the mandrel and the tube 13, a tube 85 having a 1/4" internal diameter and 5/16" outside diameter was inserted through holes in the bars 12 of slightly more than 5/16" diameter. The body of the mandrel was 0.015-0.016" smaller in diameter than the 90 1/4" internal diameter of the tube 13. The mandrel had ribs which were 0.028" larger than the 1/4" internal diameter.
Thereafter, the grillwork thus formed is assembled in the frame 1 by driving four pins 95 through holes in the sides 6 and 7 into the four open ends of the two tubes 13 with a tight, friction fit between the pins and the tubes. The assembled grille is a rigid structure whose parts are not subject 100 to vibration by air passing through.
As an alternative method of manufacture, the frame in which the grille is supported may be provided with holes aligned with the holes of the spaced bars and the hollow 103 supporting members may extend through the holes in the frame. Then the mandrel can be pushed through the hollow members to cause them to expand at spaced points in the form of longitudinal ribs which press 110 tightly against the holes of the bars and the holes of the frame.
Instead of a rectangular frame and corresponding opening, the frame may be circular, oval, triangular or other desired shape. The 115 passageway for the air formed by the rearwardly-extending sides may be of the same shape as the frame. The tubes 13 need not be round. They may be rectangular, e.g.
square, triangular, oval or other shapes. Also, 120 especially in large grilles, a reinforcing bar can be inserted into the tubes after formation of the longitudinal ribs to give the tubes additional rigidity. Also, the bars 12 may have other shapes and may be positioned 125 obliquely in relation to the direction of air flow for deflecting the air in a desired direction.
The front edges of the bars 12 in the embodiment of Figures 1-4 have rectangular 130 951,039 vided by the raised portions and contrasting recesses may be an irregular pattern provided by random positioning of the raised portions and contrasting recesses in adjacent bars.
Still further, the positions of the raised portions and the recesses may be such that the recesses or raised portions form a geometric outline, a monogram, a figure, or other indicia on the grille face, e.g., a circle or series of circles, letters or devices. 75 The grillwork can be used, for example, for wall or ceiling outlets or inlets for heating ventilating and/or cooling systems, for heating or air-conditioning units, as floor grilles, as ornamental grillwork for space 80 dividers in homes or commercial buildings, as ornamental floor or pavement gratings, and as treads for escalators and staircases.
