Flexible closure panel and means for supporting same

Claim 2

In a closure structure including flexible closure panel means having upper and lower edges, comprising: elongated, horizontal shaft means, the upper edge of said panel means being secured to said shaft means so that rotation of said shaft means in one rotational direction will cause said panel means to be rolled upon said shaft means; support means located beneath said shaft means and adapted to support said shaft means and the panel means rolled thereon in a substantially horizontal position; roll means rotatably supported directly above, parallel with and spaced from said shaft means; shoe means secured to and along said lower edge of said panel means, said shoe means and the lower portion of said panel means being heavier than said shaft means; plural spaced band means having intermediate portions thereof draped over said roll means, each band means having its upper end attached to said shaft means and its lower end attached to said shoe means, said band means being rolled upon said shaft means in said one rotational direction and the tension on said band means being such that said shaft means is raised off of said support means when said shoe means is raised; and means for selectively rotating said shaft means.

Claim 3

A closure structure including flexible closure panel means having upper and lower edges, comprising; elongated, horizontal shaft means, the upper edge of said panel means being secured to said shaft means so that rotation of said shaft means in one rotational direction will cause said panel means to be rolled upon said shaft means; plural support means located at intervals along said shaft means and adapted to support said shaft means and the panel means rolled thereon in a substantially horizontal position; plural coaxial roll means mounted directly above, parallel with, at intervals along and spaced from said shaft means; shoe means secured to and along said lower edge of said panel means, said shoe means and the lower portion of said panel means being heavier than said shaft means; plural band means, each one thereof being draped over a said roll means and having its opposite ends attached to and between said shaft means and said shoe means, said band means being rolled upon said shaft means in said one rotational direction and the tension on said band means being such that said shaft means is raised off of said support means when said shoe means is raised; and means for selectively rotating said shaft means.

Claim 4

A closure structure including flexible closure panel means having upper and lower edges, comprising; elongated, horizontal shaft means, the upper edge of said panel means being secured to said shaft means so that rotation of said shaft means in one rotational direction will cause said panel means to be rolled upon said shaft means; plural support means located at intervals along said shaft means and adapted to support said shaft means and the panel means rolled thereon in a substantially horizontal position; plural coaxial roll means mounted directly above, parallel with, at intervals along and spaced from said shaft means; shoe means secured to and along said lower edge of said panel means, said shoe means and the lower portion of said panel means being heavier than said shaft means; plural band means, each one thereof being draped over a said roll means and having its opposite ends attached to and between said shaft means and said shoe means, said band means being rolled upon said shaft means in said one rotational direction and the tension on said band means being such that said shaft means is raised off of said support means when said shoe means is raised; and means for selectively rotating said shaft means.

Claim 5

A structure according to claim 2 including a second elongated and horizontal shaft means parallel with, spaced from and located between said roll means and the first-mentioned shaft means; second plural band means, each one thereof being located between pairs of the first-mentioned band means and connected at opposite ends thereof to and between the two shaft means, each of said second band means being unrolled from one of said shaft means as it is rolled upon the other shaft means; and means supporting said second shaft means for rotation about an axis fixed with respect to said roll means, said second shaft means being simultaneously rotated by said means rotating said first-mentioned shaft means.

Claim 6

A structure according to claim 2, wherein each support means includes bracket means and a pair of spaced, parallel rollers mounted upon said bracket means and engageable with one of said band means and said panel means on the lower side of said shaft means, said rollers in each pair being on opposite sides of a vertical plane including the axis of said shaft means.

Claim 7

A structure according to claim 2 including a pair of upright, channel-shaped guidE means opening toward each other, the lateral edges of said panel means being slidably disposed within and engageable with said guide means; and wherein the opposite ends of said shoe means project into the said guide means.

Claim 8

A structure according to claim 2, wherein said means for rotating said shaft means includes motor means and chain and sprocket means connecting said motor means to an end of said shaft means for effecting rotation of said shaft means.

Claim 9

A structure according to claim 2, wherein said panel means is a woven fiberous mesh coated with a resin.

Claim 10

A structure according to claim 1, wherein said shoe means includes a pair of similar channel members opening toward each other, the lower edges of said panel means and said band means being clamped between said channel members.

Claim 11

A structure according to claim 1, wherein said band means are disposed closely adjacent to the interior surface of said panel means whereby to strengthen the resistance of said panel means to wind loads.

Claim 12

A structure according to claim 1, including shroud means enclosing said shaft means, said roll means and said support means; and elongated, flexible strip means having one edge thereof secured to the bottom of said shroud means adjacent said panel means for engagement therewith.

Claim 13

A structure according to claim 10, including awning and gutter means connected to and extending exteriorly from said shroud means.

Claim 14

A structure according to claim 5, including brace means anchored adjacent the lower ends of said guide means and engageable therewith.

Claim 15

A closure structure including flexible closure panel means having upper and lower edges, comprising: first elongated, horizontal shaft means, the upper edge of said panel means being secured to said shaft means so that rotation of said shaft means will cause said panel means to be rolled upon said shaft means; support means located beneath said shaft means and adapted to support said shaft means and the panel means rolled thereon in a substantially horizontal position; second elongated horizontal shaft means rotatably supported directly above, parallel with and spaced from said first shaft means; shoe means secured to and along said lower edge of said panel means; plural spaced band means attached to and between said first and second shaft means, each band means being unrolled from one of said shaft means as it is rolled upon the other shaft means, and the tension on said band means being such that said frist shaft means is raised off of said support means when said shoe means is raised; and means for simultaneously and selectively rotating said first said second shaft means.

Claim 16

A closure structure including flexible closure panel means having upper and lower edges, comprising: first elongated, horizontal shaft means, the upper edge of said panel means being secured to said shaft means so that rotation of said shaft means will cause said panel means to be rolled upon said shaft means; support means located beneath said shaft means and adapted to support said shaft means and the panel means rolled thereon in a substantially horizontal position; second elongated horizontal shaft means rotatably supported directly above, parallel with and spaced from said first shaft means; shoe means secured to and along said lower edge of said panel means; plural spaced band means attached to and between said first and second shaft means, each band means being unrolled from one of said shaft means as it is rolled upon the other shaft means, and the tension on said band means being such that said frist shaft means is raised off of said support means when said shoe means is raised; and means for simultaneously and selectively rotating said first said second shaft means.

Claim 19

In a closure structure including flexible closure panel means having upper and lower edges, comprising: elongated horizontal shaft means having the upper edge of said panel means fixedly secured thereto so that rotation of said shaft means in one rotational direction causes said panel means to be rolled upon said shaft means; drive means drivingly connected to said shaft means for selecTively rotating same; roll means rotatably supported directly above, parallel with and spaced from said shaft means; and flexible band means coacting with said shaft means for maintaining said shaft means in a freely suspended position below said roll means when said panel means is rolled onto or off of said shaft means, said band means having a portion thereof disposed in engagement with said roll means, and said band means having one end thereof attached to said shaft means for causing said band means to be rolled onto or off of said shaft means simultaneous with said panel means.

Claim 20

In a closure structure including flexible closure panel means having upper and lower edges, comprising: elongated horizontal shaft means having the upper edge of said panel means fixedly secured thereto so that rotation of said shaft means in one rotational direction causes said panel means to be rolled upon said shaft means; drive means drivingly connected to said shaft means for selecTively rotating same; roll means rotatably supported directly above, parallel with and spaced from said shaft means; and flexible band means coacting with said shaft means for maintaining said shaft means in a freely suspended position below said roll means when said panel means is rolled onto or off of said shaft means, said band means having a portion thereof disposed in engagement with said roll means, and said band means having one end thereof attached to said shaft means for causing said band means to be rolled onto or off of said shaft means simultaneous with said panel means.

Claim 21

A closure structure according to claim 15, wherein said band means has the upper end thereof fixedly attached to said shaft means and the lower end thereof fixedly attached to said panel means adjacent the lower edge thereof, said band means having an intermediate portion thereof disposed in engagement with and draped around said roll means, said band means including an upper portion extending between the upper end thereof and said intermediate portion, said upper portion being disposed adjacent one side of said roll means, and said band means including a lower portion extending between the lower end thereof and said intermediate portion, said lower portion being disposed adjacent the opposite side of said roll means.

Claim 22

A closure structure according to claim 16, including second flexible band means connected between said shaft means and said roll means, said second flexible band means having one end thereof attached to said shaft means and the other end thereof attached to said roll means whereby said second band means will be unrolled from said roll means and rolled onto said shaft means simultaneous with said panel means being rolled onto said shaft means.

Claim 23

A closure structure according to claim 15, wherein said band means has the other end thereof attached to said roll means whereby said band means is rolled onto and around said roll means simultaneous with the unrolling of said panel means from said shaft means, and wherein said band means is unrolled from said roll means and rolled onto said shaft means simultaneous with the rolling of said panel means onto said shaft means.

Claim 24

A closure structure according to claim 15, wherein said shaft means is supported solely by said flexible band means so that the panel means wound on said shaft means is totally free of engagement with external supporting devices.

Claim 25

A closure structure according to claim 19, wherein said drive means includes an endless flexible drive member disposed in driving engagement with said shaft means for permitting floating movement of said shaft means without disrupting said drive means.

Claim 26

A closure structure, comprising: first horizontally elongated shaft means supported for rotation about a first substantially horizontal axis; second horizontally elongated shaft means supported above, substantially parallel with and spaced from said first shaft means, said second shaft means being rotatably supported for rotation about a second substantially horizontal axis; frame means coacting with said second shaft means for supporting same for rotation about said second axis; flexible element means adapted to be wound onto said first shaft means when same is rotated in one direction, said flexible element means coacting between said first and second shaft means for supporting said first shaft means in a freely suspended position below said second shaft means, said flexible element means constituting the sole support for said first shaft means during operation of said closure structure; said flexible element means having upper and lower edges, the upper edge of said flexible element means being fixedly attached to said frist shaft means for permitting said flexible element means to be rolled onto said first shaft means, said flexible element means also including an intermediate portion supported on and draped around said second shaft means for maintaining said first shaft means suspended below said second shaft means; weight means fixedly attached to said flexible element means adjacent the lower end thereof; and drive means drivingly connected to said first shaft means for controlling the rotation thereof, said drive means when deenergized preventing rotation of said frist shaft means so that same remains suspended below said second shaft means while preventing said flexible element means from being wound onto or off of said first shaft means.

Claim 27

A closure structure, comprising: first horizontally elongated shaft means supported for rotation about a first substantially horizontal axis; second horizontally elongated shaft means supported above, substantially parallel with and spaced from said first shaft means, said second shaft means being rotatably supported for rotation about a second substantially horizontal axis; frame means coacting with said second shaft means for supporting same for rotation about said second axis; flexible element means adapted to be wound onto said first shaft means when same is rotated in one direction, said flexible element means coacting between said first and second shaft means for supporting said first shaft means in a freely suspended position below said second shaft means, said flexible element means constituting the sole support for said first shaft means during operation of said closure structure; said flexible element means having upper and lower edges, the upper edge of said flexible element means being fixedly attached to said frist shaft means for permitting said flexible element means to be rolled onto said first shaft means, said flexible element means also including an intermediate portion supported on and draped around said second shaft means for maintaining said first shaft means suspended below said second shaft means; weight means fixedly attached to said flexible element means adjacent the lower end thereof; and drive means drivingly connected to said first shaft means for controlling the rotation thereof, said drive means when deenergized preventing rotation of said frist shaft means so that same remains suspended below said second shaft means while preventing said flexible element means from being wound onto or off of said first shaft means.