Window-operating apparatus

Claim 1

A push-pull actuator device for moving one member of a pair of members relative to another comprising: a. a housing adapted to be mounted on one of said members, b. drive means mounted in said housing, c. semirigid actuator means mounted for movement relative to said housing and consisting of a substantially inextensible cable member and a coil spring member, said coil spring member having a hollow interior passage extending longitudinally therethrough, said cable extending through said interior passage, the outer end of said cable being secured relative to the outer end of said coil spring and the inner end of said cable being connected to said drive means whereby said spring means may be driven inwardly relative to said housing by said cable in response to movement of said drive means, said drive means engaging said spring means such that the spring may be driven outwardly from said housing by said drive means to assume a substantially straight configuration projecting outwardly from said housing, d. the outer end of said actuator means being securable to the other of said members to move said other member to-and-fro relative to said first-mentioned member.

Claim 7

A device for moving a pivotably mounted window or the like to-and-fro between an open and a closed position, comprising: a. a housing adapted to be mounted on a window jamb or the like, b. said housing having a substantially circular chamber formed therein, c. an opening formed in the annular wall of said chamber, d. a winding drum mounted for rotation within said chamber and having an outer winding surface in spaced parallel relationship to said annular wall of said chamber to define an annular actuator receiving passage therebetween, e. a semirigid actuator member which is substantially rigid under tension and compression while also being adapted to be coiled upon itself for storing, f. said actuator member being adapted to fit within said actuator-receving passage in a close-fitting sliding relationship so as to slide freely therein while being restrained by the annular walls of said passage against uncontrolled flexing, g. said semirigid actuator member consisting of a substantially inExtensible cable member and a tightly coiled flexible spring member, said coil spring member having a hollow interior passage extending therethrough, said cable extending through said interior passage, the outer end of said cable being secured relative to the outer end of said coil spring and the inner end of said cable being secured relative to said drum whereby said actuator means may be drawn inwardly relative to said housing by said cable in response to movement of said drum, h. said drum means engaging the inner end of said spring means to drive said spring means outwardly from said passage through said opening in a substantially straight line in response to movement of said drum, i. drive means for rotatably driving said winding drum to move said actuator means between said extended and withdrawn positions, j. said outer end of said actuator member being adapted to be secured to a window sash in use.

Claim 8

A device for moving a pivotably mounted window or the like to-and-fro between an open and a closed position, comprising: a. a housing adapted to be mounted on a window jamb or the like, b. said housing having a substantially circular chamber formed therein, c. an opening formed in the annular wall of said chamber, d. a winding drum mounted for rotation within said chamber and having an outer winding surface in spaced parallel relationship to said annular wall of said chamber to define an annular actuator receiving passage therebetween, e. a semirigid actuator member which is substantially rigid under tension and compression while also being adapted to be coiled upon itself for storing, f. said actuator member being adapted to fit within said actuator-receving passage in a close-fitting sliding relationship so as to slide freely therein while being restrained by the annular walls of said passage against uncontrolled flexing, g. said semirigid actuator member consisting of a substantially inExtensible cable member and a tightly coiled flexible spring member, said coil spring member having a hollow interior passage extending therethrough, said cable extending through said interior passage, the outer end of said cable being secured relative to the outer end of said coil spring and the inner end of said cable being secured relative to said drum whereby said actuator means may be drawn inwardly relative to said housing by said cable in response to movement of said drum, h. said drum means engaging the inner end of said spring means to drive said spring means outwardly from said passage through said opening in a substantially straight line in response to movement of said drum, i. drive means for rotatably driving said winding drum to move said actuator means between said extended and withdrawn positions, j. said outer end of said actuator member being adapted to be secured to a window sash in use.