Damper unit for controlling air flow

Claim 2

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises a. a substantially U-shaped bracket mounted on the underside of said support, b. a worm extending downwardly from said support and mounted for rotation at the upper end thereof in said support and at the lower end thereof in said bracket, c. an operating member below said blades and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, and d. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with said support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other.

Claim 3

A damper unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said worm is formed of a corrosion resistant plastic material and has a noncircular opening extending axially thereof, an elongated rod having a cross-sectional configuration similar to that of said noncircular opening, and a clip on said bracket, said rod being adapted to be securely held in place by said clip while the damper unit is in storage or being shipped and to be removed therefrom and then frictionally held in the noncircular opening of said worm during installation of the unit, whereby rotation of said rod will rotate said worm to move said damper blades.

Claim 4

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. a worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member below said blades and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. a noncircular opening extending axially through the entire length of said worm for the reception of an elongated rod having a cross-sectional configuration similar to that of said noncircular opening, whereby rotation of the rod will rotate said worm to move said damper blades, and the rod may be moved upwardly through said opening for storage purposes.

Claim 5

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. a worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member below said blades and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. a noncircular opening extending axially through the entire length of said worm for the reception of an elongated rod having a cross-sectional configuration similar to that of said noncircular opening, whereby rotation of the rod will rotate said worm to move said damper blades, and the rod may be moved upwardly through said opening for storage purposes.

Claim 6

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. A worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member below said blades and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. an elongated member extending from said support member toward said operating member, a stop member adjustable to selected positions along the length of said elongated member in the path of movement of said operating member, thereby to limit movement of said operating member in one direction, and movement of said damper blades toward each other.

Claim 7

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. A worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member below said blades and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. an elongated member extending from said support member toward said operating member, a stop member adjustable to selected positions along the length of said elongated member in the path of movement of said operating member, thereby to limit movement of said operating member in one direction, and movement of said damper blades toward each other.

Claim 8

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. a worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member including a relatively flat strip extending transversely of said support below said blades, and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means including two arms, one on each side of said support and rigidly secured thereto, extending from said strip upwardly toward said damper blades, for connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. pivot means connecting each said worm with one of said damper blades.

Claim 9

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. a worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member including a relatively flat strip extending transversely of said support below said blades, and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means including two arms, one on each side of said support and rigidly secured thereto, extending from said strip upwardly toward said damper blades, for connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. pivot means connecting each said worm with one of said damper blades.

Claim 10

A damper unit as defined in claim 5, wherein each said pivot means includes a pin and slot connection.

Claim 11

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof toward each other to open position and away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises a. a worm formed of a corrosion resistant plastic material mounted on the support and extending therefrom in a direction away from the direction in which the blades move toward open position, b. an operating member engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and movable axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, d. a noncircular opening extending axially through said worm, and e. a rod having a cross-sectional configuration similar to that of said noncircular opening and received therein, whereby rotation of said rod will rotate said worm and operate said damper blades, said rod being frictionally held in said worm, but movable to selected positions axially thereof, whereby it is adapted to be used with various heights of louvered faces mounted on said frame member.

Claim 12

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof toward each other to open position and away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises a. a worm formed of a corrosion resistant plastic material mounted on the support and extending therefrom in a direction away from the direction in which the blades move toward open position, b. an operating member engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and movable axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, d. a noncircular opening extending axially through said worm, and e. a rod having a cross-sectional configuration similar to that of said noncircular opening and received therein, whereby rotation of said rod will rotate said worm and operate said damper blades, said rod being frictionally held in said worm, but movable to selected positions axially thereof, whereby it is adapted to be used with various heights of louvered faces mounted on said frame member.

Claim 13

A damper unit as defined in claim 7 wherein said rod is also formed of a corrosion resistant plastic material.

Claim 14

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. a worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member below said blades and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. the means connecting said damper blades with the support including a pair of ears extending outwardly from each said blade adjacent the support, an opening through each of said ears, and a pair of pin members extending outwardly from opposite sides of the support, each pin extending through the opening in the ear adjacent thereto.

Claim 15

In a damper unit for regulating air flow and having a frame member with an opening therethrough for the passage of air, a support extending transversely of the frame member and secured thereto, a pair of opposed damper blades mounted for generally pivotal movement about the adjacent edges thereof upwardly toward each other to open position and downwardly away from each other to closed position, the improvement which comprises: a. a worm rotatably mounted on the support and extending downwardly therefrom, b. an operating member below said blades and engaging at least one of the teeth on said worm and adapted to move axially thereof when said worm is rotated, c. means connecting said damper blades with said operating member and with the support, whereby rotation of said worm will cause said operating member to move axially of said worm, thereby to move said damper blades toward or away from each other, and d. the means connecting said damper blades with the support including a pair of ears extending outwardly from each said blade adjacent the support, an opening through each of said ears, and a pair of pin members extending outwardly from opposite sides of the support, each pin extending through the opening in the ear adjacent thereto.