Pivot window construction

Abstract

A horizontal pivot window construction. The window includes a window frame having a sill, a head, and a pair of upright jambs which interconnect the ends of the sill with the ends of the head. The window sash is mounted within the frame and the sash includes upper and lower rails and upright stiles which interconnect the opposite ends of the upper and lower rails. Means are provided for supporting the window sash within the window frame for movement of the sash between a closed and locked position and an open and unlocked position. The supporting means includes means for pivotally mounting the sash within the frame for movement about a substantially horizontal axis so as to make the normal exterior side of the window accessible from the interior of the room in which the window is located. The supporting means also includes a member for vertically moving the sash between an upper position and a lower position when the stiles and the jambs are substantially coextensive with each other. The upper position corresponds to the closed and locked position of the sash within the frame. Cooperating means are mounted on the sash, on the frame, and on the vertical moving member so as to prevent sideways, front, back, upward and downward movement of the sash within the frame only when the sash is in the upper, closed and locked position. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION--FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART This invention relates to a window construction of the type which is pivotable about an axis, such as a horizontal axis, so as to make the normal exterior side of the window accessible for cleaning and maintenance from the interior, and it particularly relates to such a window construction which is principally constructed of wood and which is primarily intended for use in commercial, industrial and apartment buildings. In designing the constructing windows for such industrial or commercial use, considerations are quite different from the design and construction of windows for home use. Although window maintenance is always an important factor, whether for commercial type use or home use, maintenance costs, particularly exterior maintenance, are an extremely important factor in designing windows which are to be used in commercial buildings. Because of the maintenance factor, it has probably been more common to use metallic windows rather than wood windows for commercial use. The basic advantages of a wood window are little or no condensation problems on the frame and sash during cold weather, overall better insulating value than metal windows and a more aesthetically pleasing appearance than metal windows. In commercial buildings, including apartment buildings, these advantages are sacrificed because of greater maintenance problems required on the exterior, such as for painting. Now, however, the exterior of the windows may be constructed of or protected by metal, such as aluminum parts, while the interior can remain as wood. The exterior of the wood window sashes may be covered or clad with aluminum panels, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,285. With the metal exterior, maintenance problems are greatly alleviated as exterior painting and maintenance of the windows are almost non-existent, even with windows made principally of wood, but which retain the principal advantages of wood windows. In addition to the maintenance problems of windows used on commercial, industrial or apartment buildings, it is important for the glass and sash to be securely mounted within the frame. In recent times, there have been a number of well-known high rise buildings wherein the window glass has actually fallen out of the structure. In modern architectural designs for commercial buildings, large glass windows are frequently used. Because of high winds, these large glass windows break and/or fall from the buildings. In addition to the security problem, the sash should be as easy as possible to remove from the frame, if removal is desirable or necessary. Also, because of high winds and heavy rains, not only must the glass and sash be securely mounted within the frame, but the weather seal must be designed to assure that the "waterfall" effect of rain water does not cause leaking of water from the exterior into the interior. Many windows, whether metal or wood, have the sash pivot about a horizontal axis or a vertical axis so that the exterior of the window glass can be washed or maintained from the interior. In such a construction, however, it is extremely important that the mounting of the pivoting sash within the frame and/or the mounting of the glass within the sash are to be secured in place without any significant risk that the sash could fall from the frame or the glass from the sash. The weather seals on the windows must be designed so as to prevent water leakage from the exterior into the interior. Also, it is desirable for the operation, that is, the opening and closing, of the window to be simple and, during movement of the window to the open position, there is to be assurance that the sash is to be securely mounted within the window so that there is substantially no danger or risk of the window sash becoming disengaged from the window frame. SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide an improved window construction, particularly for use with commercial, industrial, or apartment buildings, wherein the window is substantially maintenance free, the window glass, on its exterior side, is accessible for cleaning from the interior of a room, and the glass and window sash are securely mounted in place without any significant danger of becoming disconnected from the window frame whether the window is in the closed and locked position or in the open position. It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved window construction, primarily made of wood, with a substantially maintenance free exterior, a wooden interior, a horizontally pivotable window sash, and a uniquely constructed support system for the sash within the frame, both when in the open position and when in the closed position. It is a further object of this invention to provide a uniquely constructed horizontally pivotal window sash mounted within a window frame wherein a single locking member serves not only to lock the window in the locked position, but additionally serves to vertically lift the sash within the frame for movement from the unlocked position to the locked position and which also maintains the window sash in an upper locked position, thereby serving three distinct and important functions. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a unique support mechanism for a sash within a window frame wherein the frame is pivotally supported about a horizontal axis, when in the open position, and, when in the closed position, is locked into a fixed position relative to the frame by cooperating means on the sash, on the frame, and on a unique locking member. It is still another object of this invention to provide a unique mechanism for lifting a window sash within a window frame by the fulcrum action of a locking member, accessible from the interior, the lifting action being assisted by spring members for the sash mounted in the frame. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a support member for supporting a sash for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis wherein the pivotal support is sturdy and which substantially eliminates the possibility of the sash becoming disengaged from the frame as the window sash is being pivoted between the open and closed positions and cooperating means are provided for holding the window sash within the window frame by interengagement at the top and bottom of the sash only after the sash is lifted upwardly, by an operating mechanism, to the upper, closed and locked position. It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved window construction for supporting a window frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and for also assuring secure interengagement between the window frame at all times during use. Further purposes and objects of this invention will appear as the specification proceeds. The foregoing objects are accomplished by our window structure which includes a fixed window frame which comprises a sill, a head, and a pair of upright jambs interconnecting the sill with the head, a window sash having upper and lower rails and upright stiles interconnecting the upper and lower rails, means for supporting the sash within the frame for movement between the closed and locked position and an open and unlocked position, the supporting means including means for pivotally mounting the sash within the frame for movement about a substantially horizontal axis for thereby making the normal exterior side of the window accessible from the interior side, the supporting means further including means for vertically moving the sash between an upper position and a lower position when the stiles and the jambs are substantially coextensive with each other, and cooperating means are provided on the sash, on the frame, and on the vertical moving means for preventing sideways, forward, rearward, and up and down movement of the sash within the frame only when the frame is in the upper, closed and locked position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.