US 4,676,145 AGranted

Ventilating apparatus for building foundations in both brick and siding type structures

OwnerRobert F. Allredinventor

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Abstract

A ventilating appartus for installation in a ventilation opening in a building foundation includes a peripheral border having detachable lateral extension tabs for selective retention to be mounted in a mortar joint in brick-type construction and, alternatively, for selective detachment for disposition flush with laterally-adjacent foundation surfaces for edgewise disposition thereon of siding in siding-type building construction. No border is utilized in an alternative embodiment of the ventilating apparatus to facilitate mounting thereof to the outward face of a building foundation as a replacement for broken and deteriorated ventilating apparatus, a separable side portion facilitating such mounting in buildings of siding-type construction. A slotted shutter-like mechanism is provided for convenient opening and closing operation of the ventilating apparatus.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A ventilating apparatus for selective mounting disposition in a ventilation opening in a building foundation having horizontal construction surfaces in collinear relation with one another at opposite lateral sides of the uppermost extent of the ventilation opening, said ventilating apparatus being adapted for use in buildings of both siding-type construction wherein a lowermost edge of building siding defines the uppermost extent of the ventilation opening and brick-type construction wherein a course of bricks defines the uppermost extent of the ventilation opening, said ventilating apparatus comprising:

ventilating means for positioning in a ventilation opening in a building foundation and being selectively openable and closable for respectively permitting and preventing ventilating air flow therethrough, and border means affixed to said ventilating means for positioning said ventilating apparatus within said ventilation opening, said border means including a longitudinal side border along one longitudinal side of said ventilating means for disposition horizontally uppermost within the ventilation opening, said border means including a pair of detachable tabs extending in correspondence with said longitudinal side border from its opposite ends outwardly beyond said ventilating means and a transverse score line intermediate said longitudinal side border and each said tab to facilitate selective detachment thereof flush with respectively adjacent lateral side portions of said ventilating means, said score line permitting selective retention of said tabs for disposition superposed respectively on the horizontal construction surfaces to facilitate brick-type construction of the building with a brick course superposed directly on said longitudinal side border with said tabs in correspondence to a mortar joint between the horizontal construction surfaces and the brick course and selective detachment of said tabs for disposition of said longitudinal side border collinearly flush with the horizontal construction surfaces to facilitate siding-type construction of the building with siding superposed edgewise on said longitudinal side border and the horizontal construction surfaces.

A ventilating apparatus particularly adapted for replacement of existing ventilating apparatus mounted in a ventilation opening in a building foundation in buildings of both siding-type construction wherein a lowermost edge of building siding defines the uppermost extent of the ventilation opening and brick-type construction wherein a course of bricks defines the uppermost extent of the ventilation opening, said ventilating apparatus comprising:

a generally planar mounting plate for stationary affixation to the face of the building foundation outwardly of the ventilation opening in covering relation to the ventilation opening, said mounting plate having a plurality of openings therein;
screen means affixed to one side of said mounting plate for facing the building foundation in covering relation to said openings for permitting air flow therethrough while otherwise substantially restricting passage of objects therethrough;
and
an operating plate having a plurality of openings therein, said operating plate being movably mounted to the opposite side of said mounting plate in substantially parallel surface abutment therewith for parallel sliding movement with respect thereto between an open position wherein said openings of said operating plate are in correspondence with said openings of said mounting plate for ventilating air flow therethrough and a closed position wherein said openings of said operating plate are out of correspondence with said openings of said mounting plate for preventing air flow therethrough;
said mounting plate including a longitudinal score line extending along one longitudinal side portion of said mounting plate to define a selectively detachable longitudinal side portion for selective detachment of said side portion to facilitate unobstructed flush mounting of said mounting plate to the building foundation face in buildings of siding-type construction with said score line in abutment against the lowermost edge of siding and for selective retention of said side portion for flush mounting to the building foundation face in buildings of brick-type construction with said longitudinal side portion in covering relation to the course of bricks above the ventilation opening.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.