Distributing damper assembly for plural zone heating

Claim 1

IN A TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A BUILDING HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ZONES, TEMPERATURE CHANGING MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A TEMPERATURE CONDITIONED MEDIUM TO SAID ZONES, A DUCT SYSTEM INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND BRANCH DUCT MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND ZONES RESPECTIVELY, FOR CONVEYING SAID MEDIUM TO SAID ZONES, A THERMOSTAT IN EACH OF SAID ZONES FOR PRODUCING DEMAND SIGNALS WHEN THE AIR TEMPERATURE IN ITS ASSOCIATED ZONE IS IN SELECTED TEMPERATURE RANGES, BLOWER MEANS FOR CIRCULATING SAID MEDIUM THROUGH SAID DUCT MEANS TO SAID ZONES, AND ZONE DISTRIBUTING MEANS IN SAID DUCT SYSTEM CONTROLLED RESPONSIVE TO SAID SIGNALS TO ASSUME FIRST AND SECOND ZONE POSITIONS DIRECTING SAID MEDIUM PREDOMINANTLY TO THE FIRST AND SECOND BRANCH DUCT MEANS RESPECTIVELY WHEN THEIR ASSOCIATED THEREMOSTATS SEPARATELY PRODUCE DEMAND SIGNALS AND TO ASSUME A DISTRIBUTING POSITION SUPPLYING BOTH BRANCH DUCT MEANS WHEN BOTH ZONE THERMOSTATS ARE CONCURRENTLY PRODUCING DEMAND SIGNALS; THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID ZONE DISTRIBUTING MEANS COMPRISES A DAMPER CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID TEMPERATURE CHANGING MEANS TO RECEIVE SAID MEDIUM THEREFROM AND COMMUNICATING AT OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID CHAMBER WITH THE RESPECTIVE BRANCH DUCT MEANS TO DELIVER SAID MEDIUM TO EACH OF SAID ZONES, A MAIN DISTRIBUTING DAMPER HAVING A FREE EDGE MOVABLE IN A SELECTED ARCUTATE PATH PIVOTED FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT FROM SAID DISTRIBUTING POSITION TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND ZONE POSITIONS, AND AT LEAST ONE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE SUPPLEMENTAL DAMPER PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED IN SAID CHAMBER RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID ARCUATE PATH AND DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID FIRST ZONE POSITION OF SAID DISTRIBUTING DAMPER FOR MODIFYING THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE MEDIUM WHEN SAID DISTRIBUTING DAMPER ASSUMES SAID FIRST ZONE POSITION, SAID SUPPLEMENTAL DAMPER ASSUMES SAID FIRST ZONE TWEEN A FIRST POSITION COACTING WITH SAID MAIN DAMPER AT SAID FIRST ZONE POSITION TO SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENT PASSAGE OF SAID MEDIUM THROUGH SAID CHAMBER TO SAID SECOND BRANCH DUCT MEANS AND A SECOND POSITION SPACING SAID SUPPLEMENTAL DAMPER RELATIVE TO THE DISTRIBUTING DAMPER FOR ADMITTING SELECTED PROPORTIONS OF SAID MEDIUM TO SAID SECOND BRANCH DUCT MEANS WHEN THE DISTRIBUTING DAMPER OCCUPIES THE FIRST ZONE POSITION.