US3552476A

US3552476A - Method of screening

Info

Publication number: US3552476A
Application number: US721010A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank M Le Tarte
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-04-12
Filing date: 1968-04-12
Publication date: 1971-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-05

Abstract

An improved screen assembly and method of making same employing a frame having an elongated channel or slot extending around the periphery of the opening to be screened. Clips are attached to the screening material and snapped into the longitudinal channel to retain the screening material in the frame. Preferably, the screening material is formed of plastic coated fiberglass or other inextensible, flexible material and preferably the clips are formed of a plastic material having substantial resilience, such as nylon, a polyamide resin sold by E. I. Dupont Company. The clips are provided with integral spring and screening material-engaging portions. Each of these portions provides a part of a means for fastening the clip to the frame. The spring portion resiliently engages the inner surface of the channel (i.e., the surface facing away from the area inclosed by the frame) and thus provides the assembled screen with sufficient resilience to protect the material from destructive forces normal to the screen. The screening material engaging portion of the clip slideably contacts the inner surface of an inwardly projecting lip. This inner surface is substantially parallel to the plane of the screening material, allowing the materialengaging portion of the clip to slide transversely in said channel while retaining the clip in said channel.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor FrankM.LeTarte 9094 Yager Road, Smith Creek, Mich.

[21] AppLNo. 721,010 [22] Filed Apr.12, 1968 [45] Patented Llan.5,197l

[54] METHODOFSCREENING 4Claims, 15 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. 160/371, 160/392, 160/395 [51] 1nt.Cl .4 E06b9/52 [50] FieldofSearch 160/371, 378, 383, 391, 392, 395, 394, 397, 401, 402, 400, 327,328,329

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 444,832 1/1891 l-lartshorn 160/394 917,106 4/1909 McGee 160/394X 1,758,720 5/1930 So'dergren... 160/392 2,325,500 '6/1943 Fosberg 160/383 2,335,361 ll/1943 Schiller 160/395 2,508,506 5/1950 Fridolph 160/378 3,214,314 10/1965 Rowbottam 160/371X Primary Examiner-David J. Williamowsky Assistant Examiner- Philip C. Kannan Attomey-Willis L. Vary ABSTRACT: An improved screen assembly and method of making same employing a frame having an elongated channel or slot extending around the periphery of the opening to be screened. Clips are attached to the screening material and snapped into the longitudinal channel to retain the screening 7 material in the frame. Preferably, thescreening material is formed of plastic coated fiberglass or other inextensible, flexible material and preferably the clips are formed of a plastic material having substantial resilience, such as nylon, a polyamide resin sold by E. l. Dupont Company. The clips are provided with integral spring and screening material-engaging portions. Each of these portions provides a part of a means for fastening the clip to the frame. The spring portion resiliently engages the inner surface of the channel (i.e., the surface facing away from the area inclosed by the frame) and thus provides the assembled screen with sufficient resilience to protect the material from destructive forces normal to the screen. The screening material'engaging portion of the clip slideably contacts the inner surface of an inwardly projecting lip. This inner surface is substantially parallel to the plane of the screening material, allowing the material-engaging portion of the clip to slide transversely in said channel while retaining the clip in said channel.

PATENTEU JAN 5m sum 1 [IF 4 as 2a 0o 39 000 0 Q 2% $00 Kg O O 39 0 o o o fl 0 Q 1: 32 H I 1 HP 1 H 1|,I 1U XI Ill J F 3 34/ I FRANK M E TTR T EI Zfi 7.

gyviuwvwb, flaw ATTORNEYS.

PATENTEDJAN 5L9?! 7 5 2 I I 4 sum 2 [1F 4 INVENT FRANK M, LET TE ATTORNEYS.

PATENTEDJAN 51s?! 3552476 sum 3 or 4 O0 958 0 SBQ OO 0 5o 6 800 0%.? 8 4 \o f I T "ll HI J 50 Y I n,

INVENTOR. FRANK M. LETARTE ATTORNEYS.

' PATENTED JAN' 5197i SHEET 14 0F 4 .E H RT M 2 WM NU H ML 4 WM U m .U 0/ M 1 y 3 0 m www 7 M w 5 o oo 9 W 00 W o Z 0 f O 7 .Z ow? Z:

ATTORNEYS.

. use of plastic coated fiberglassscreening material.

on the'frame.

clip spring portion exerts METHOD OF SCREENING This invention relatesto ascreen assembly and method of making same and more particularly to a method of screening particularly adapted to screening .with plastic-coated fiberglass screening material. l It is known in the art to employ plastic-coated fiberglass screening material on a frame to screen an inclosure. When plastic-coated fiberglass screening material is employed in conventional screen frames, a spline is applied to the screening material and pressed into a substantially U-shaped channel in the frame. The spline retains the screening material in the frame channel. Because plastic-coated fiberglass screening material has substantially no elongation as compared to aluminum orother'metal screening material, pressure applied in a direction normal to the screen can pull the plastic spline minum screeningmaterial and "pressure is applied in a direction normal to the screen, the aluminum wires will elongate rather-thanpull the spline from the channel. Also, except in the instance of elongated or stretched wires, the frame does not have to -exert pressure to keep the aluminum screening material in a taut condition, because .of the materials characteristic rigidity.

V .For these reasons, it ispreferable'inthe'industry to employ aluminum screening material ratherv than plastic-coated fiberglass screening material. Plastic-coated fiberglassscreen- 1 ing material, however,,,exhibits numerous advantages not pos-' sessed by aluminum or metal screening material. For example,

plastic-coated fiberglass screening material can be readily rolled or folded and then opened out and used to screen minf closure. If aluminum or metal screening-material is folded or even kinked, itcannot be straightened to make a scree'n for an inclosure .which 1 is pleasing-to th -eye. The kink will remain trance to the channel is defined by a pair of opposed. longitudinal lips. The lip nearer the inner edge of the frame, or the inner lip, includes an outwardly projecting portion having an arcuate-bearing surface against which the screening material bears or rests when the screen is assembled.

The inner lip-bearing surface also performs the function of providing a camming surface for the spring portion of the clip to cause the spring portion to compress as the clip is forced against the camming surface and as the clip is being inserted into the longitudinal channel. A still further function performed by the inner lip is that of retaining the clip in the channel after the spring portion has moved beyond the inner lip and regains its unstressed or uncompressed dimension. The outer lip, which extends toward the area inclosed by the screen frame, performs at least three functions. It retains the outer edge of the clip within the channel, acts as-a bearing surface for the screening material-engaging portion of the clip and also conceals the outer edge of the screening material.

The channel includes a pair of angularly disposed internal surfaces which assist the clips in gliding or sliding to a final or assembled position. These angularly disposed surfaces are the inner surface of the outer lip and the adjacent portion of the .bottom of the channel which is inclined toward and positioned beneath the inwardly projecting lip. These two inclined surfaces extend toward each other and terminate in an outer wall I a plane slightly above the bearing surface of the inner lip, as

viewed in elevation and in section with the frame lying on one side, such that, in its assembled'form, the screening material and in fact inrnostcases willweaken the area ofthe-screening" material containing the' kink; Further, 'a high degree'ofskillis required toginstall aluminum screening material without damaging thematerial orldistorting themesh.

An object of this invention is-to provide anjimproved screen assembly and memoaor screening particularly adapted to the An object of this invention is to providearnethod of screening which can be method of screening without the'use of; handtoolsin whicha w a screen quicklyandeasilypracticed one unskilled will lie substantially in a single plane throughout the portion which extends over the frame and that portion which incloses the screened area within theframe.

The screening material is first cut to an area equal to or slightly less than the area within the outer wall of the channel.

' Another objectoffthisjnvention isfto provide a manual assembly in which thehscreening material exhibits "elasticity even though the screening materialitself is relatively'inelastic.

Yet another object ofthisinventionisjto provide am nds of screening in whichthesreeningmaterialis fastened .to the frame by clips ic onnectedto. thescreening material only at: spaced intervals, andgibecause of the relative inelasticity of I. plastic-coated fiberglass screeningmaterialgremain concealed beneath an overlapping ledge or cover lip of the frame; however, because of the resiliency .of the clips, the installed screening material is resiliently, supported.

Still another object of this invention is'toprovide in a screen assembly a frame member which is simple in construction and which cooperates with a clip to retain the screeningmaterial Still a further object of this invention is to provide a screen frame member with acrosssection which; can be readily ex- 7 Clips are then attached at spaced intervals along the edge of the screening material. These clips are preferably of suitable resilient plastic material such as nylon. The clips are then snapped into the channel.

- 1 The clips include two major portions, a spring portion and a screening material-engaging portion. Thelatter is a substantially flat portion having integral projections formed in rows and columnsand extending perpendicularly from the flat portion. The spacing of these projections conforms to the mesh of the screening material. These projections are inserted in the mesh immediately adjacent the edge of the screening material and the clip is secured to the screeningmaterial by one of ;sveral convenient methods. The projections may be simultaneously heated and compressed tocause material in these projections to flow-over or'encapsulate the screening material.

' Alternatively, the clips may be provided with segmented screening material-engaging portions including a base and a flap. The base is a fiat portion with projections having enlarged terminal portions. The flap portion has-projection receiving apertures arranged in columns and rows to correspond to those of the projections. The flap portion is connected to the base portion by a hinge portion, preferably of reduced cross section. The flap portion is folded over and snapped onto the projections after the projections have been passed trough the mesh of the screeningmaterial to effectively "Med and which cross sec'tionassists a clip attached to the.

screening material in assuminga position 'inwh'ich the outer edge of the screening'material'is concealed and in which the screening material is supported by'a polygonal frame having a channel extendingaround the areatobe'screened. The ena force-in'a'direction to'oppose sandwich the screening material between those two portions of the clip.

Each embodiment of the clip is preferably provided with at 'least one spring portion, one edge of which'snaps beneath the inner lip of the channel after the outer edge of the clip has been inserted beneath the outer lip to thus retain the clip in the channel. The clips are also provided with a ridge adjacent which pressure may be applied to force the spring portion of the clip against the cam surfaced lip until the spring portion compresses and moves beneath the outwardly projecting lip. The resiliency of the clip causes it to snap into place beneath the inner lip.

These and various other objects, features and advantages will be more clearly understood from a reading of the detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a screen assembly according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in section taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. I and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a clip of the type shown in FIG. 2, prior to being attached to the screening material to the same scale as FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the clip of FIG. 3 after its projections have been positioned within the mesh of the screening material at the edge of the screening material;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 after the projections engaging the screening material have been melted and compressed to encapsulate a small area at the edge of the screening material;

FIG. 6 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the clip of FIG. 5 partially inserted in the channel of the screen frame;

FIG. 7 is an edge view in elevation, to the same scale as FIGS. 2--6, of an alternative embodiment of screen clip;

FIG. Sis a plan view of the clip of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the clip of FIGS. 7 and 8 engaging the screening material and with the clip assembled in the frame;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of still another embodiment of screen clip which may be employed in this invention to the same scale as FIGS. 29;

FIG. 11 is an end view ofthe clip of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the clip of FIGS. 10 and 11 engaging the screening material and with the clip positioned in the frame channel;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of still another alternative embodiment of screen clip, to the same scale as FIGS. 2-12;

FIG. 14 is an end view ofthe clip of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the clip of FIGS. 13 and 14 engaging the screening material and with the clip positioned in the frame channel.

Referring now to the drawing, one embodiment of screen assembly 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which a frame 11 includes a plurality of

frame elements

12, 13, I4 and 15, each having a longitudinal channel 16. The frame elements are connected together to form a polygon by any convenient means, such as by a plurality of conventional corner keys 17. As viewed in FIG. 2, channel 16 is bounded (in part) by an inclined surface 18, a bottom 19, opposed inner and

outer walls

20, 21, respectively, an inner and an

outer lip

23, 24, having

inner surfaces

25, 26, respectively. A screening material 27, which is preferably, but not necessarily, of plasticcoated fiberglass, is mounted on the frame 11 by means of a plurality of clips 28 which are secured to the screening material at spaced intervals and snapped into channel 16 in respective ones of the

frame members

12, 13,14 and 15.

The details of the engagement of the clips 28 with the frame members is shown in detail in FIG. 2, which is a view in section taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale. Each screen clip 28 includes a screening material-engaging portion 30 and an integral spring portion 32. In this particular instance, the screening materiaI-engaging portion 30 encapsulates the screening material 27. Encapsulation is produced by melting and pressing a plurality of projections of the screening material-engaging portion over screening material 27 in a manner which will be subsequently described. The resilience of spring portion 32 causes clip 28 to snap beneath

lips

23, 24 during assembly and after assembly, applies a pressure in a horizontal direction against wall 20 and away from the screened opening, as viewed in FIG. 2. to maintain tension on screening material 27. Spring portion 32 reduces or even prevents damage to the screening material 27 after assembly by absorbing forces applied to the screen in a manner which will be subsequently described. The clip includes an upper, inner edge 34, as viewed in FIG. 2, which engages the inner surface 25 of the inner lip 23 to retain the clip 28 within the channel 16. In this particular instance, the clips 28 are preferably formed of plastic material such as nylon, which is a trademark of the El. Dupont Company for polyamide resins. Clip 28 also includes a longitudinal ridge 36 which includes an upwardly or outwardly facing flat surface 38 to which pressure may be applied in snapping the clip 28 into the longitudinal channel 16 after the screen clips 28 are secured to the screening material 27.

When a force is applied to screening material 27 after assembly, the material tends to move to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, and spring portion 32 tends to compress, i.e., to assume a position indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 2. Thus the cooperation of screening material 27, clip 28 and frame 11 is such that the material 27 exhibits resilience, whereas the material 27, particularly if formed of plastic coated fiberglass or other similar inelastic material, is no resilient.

Clip 28 is shownin plan and end views prior to its being fastened to the screening material in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. Prior to being heated and compressed to encapsulate the screening material 27, the screening material-engaging portion includes a plurality of perpendicular projections 39 which have round bases integrally formed with a relatively flat base portion 40 and which taper to smaller round points or tips. It is to be noted that the size of the bases of these projections are smaller than the area of the mesh of the screening material 27 to permit the individual wires" or plastic-coated yarn to lie between these projections 39 and rest upon the relatively flat surface of base portion 40. In fastening the clip 28 to the screening material 27 after the projections 39 are inserted into the mesh of the screening material 27 adjacent the edge of the screening material, a suitable heated tool is pressed upon the ends of the projections 39 to cause them to fuse, effectively encapsulating the screening material by forming a layer 41 of plastic material upon the base portion 40, layers 40, 41 defining the screening material-engaging portion 30 shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

After the clips are attached to the edges of the screening material, preferably at points, suitably spaced to permit individual manipulation, they are inserted, one at a time, into the channel 16. In this process, the outer edge 43 is first inserted between

lips

23, 24 and pushed into engagement with inclined surface 18. Edge 43 slides-along surface 18 until it engages the inwardly facing outer wall 21 (see FIG. 6). At this point, an inclined undersurface 45 of the spring portion 32 engages the arcuate or camming surface of the inner lip 23, causing the spring portion 32 to begin to compress. Compression of the spring portion 32 continues until the inner edge 34 snaps beneath the lower surface 25 of lip 23 (FIG. 2) in-this position, spring portion 32 resists pull on the screening material to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, or toward the screened opening.

The spring effect of the clips is due, in part, to the resilience of the material. The spring effect may be modified by varying the thickness of the material, particularly at the corners of the spring portion, such as

corners

48, 49 which are of reduced thickness as compared to the rest of the clip. Reducing this dimension reduces the force required to compress the spring portion.

A second embodiment of clip is shown in FIGS. 7 through 9. FIG. 7 is a side view in elevation of a clip 50, which may also be employed to secure the screening material 27 into a frame 11 of the type shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. This particular em bodiment includes a spring portion 51 and a screening material-engaging portion 52, which latter portion includes a rcctan' gular first or base portion 53, having a plurality of spaced projections 54 equally spaced in rows and-columns to define a rectangular pattern, as best seen in-FlG. 8 (only'a few of the projections 54 are shown-),and a second, rectangular flap or cap portion 57. Portions S3 and 57 are connected by a hinge portion 59. Each of the projections 54 has a relatively cylindrical body portion 55, formed integrally with base portion '53 and terminating in an enlarged tapered or frustoconical portion 56. Flap portion 57 has a vplurality of holes 58 therein, equal in'spacing and number to the projections 54 for receiving same in snapping engagement; Flexible hinge portion 59 is preferably of diminished cross section. 1

in assembling, oneledge portion ofscreening material 27 is placed over projections 54, preferably so the outermost plastic-coated yarnor "wire" is to the right of right hand pro jection-54, as viewed in FR}. 7. Flapportion 57 is then rotated bybending hinge portion 59" in a counterclockwise direction until the'hOles'SS-pass overtime enlarged terminal portions 56.

' l-loles58 are of adiarn'eter intermediatethose of thebases and the tips of frus toconical portions 5.6 .'1Thu"s, afte'r portions 56 I pass through'holesSSQthey quickly regain their originalsize and snap? .to' retain portions-53,157 in a;sandwich with1the screening material between-them-, ias best seenin FIG. 9. Aft'e r 3 clips=50 are-attached "atv spaced intcrvals tothe edges-of" seriatim,'in the channel 16 of a frame 1 1 in a manner similar to that previously-described withlr'e sp'eet'to clip 28. The clip'has; I w an outer edge 61) which is-first inserted intoichannellti-togengage andslide-alonginclined surface '18 u'ntil. it engag'es wall I 211 The spring portiori 51; is resilient-or elastic-both due to the resiliencefof the material and. particularly becauseof a pair of g I 1 corner portions 61,62yof reduced cross section in comparison to the rest of theclip. Clip 50 snaps into a retaining position, .shown inFlGq9, which corresponds to the positionofitheclip y v screening material 27, the-- clips arefmanually inserted,

28 in HQ. 2.'i.Spring pe ition 51 .alsoijneludes'a.pressurearea 64, positioned along aridge' 65 for-thep urposeof inscr'ting'the clip into the frame 1-1, whicharea'and ridge correspond to the

parts

38 and 36, respectively ofclip 28. v 1

Although the engagement of projections 54 and Ham. portion 57 is described asfa r snap" engagement, a heat-seal engage- -ment could be employed. Forexample', round projectionssimilar to projections 39 -could' be employed to project; i r through and beyond'holes round in""cross section in flap 57.

After flap57is folde'd' o'ver those round projections, the ends of the projections areheat'cd andlco'mpressed to'retain'the' 1 screening-material between flap'57, and base portion 53.

, Another embodiment of screen'clip 75, which, in this particular form, is preferablyemployed'at the comers of the I screening material; is shown in FIGS. l0 through 12. Clip 75,

I as viewed in FIG. 10, ;includes"a pairof'perpendicularly disposed

spring portions

76, 77, each of'which engages-an inner wall of a separate cornerelement, such as the eleposition shown in FIG. 15. Preferably, the width of "-"the..transverse dimension of the clips measured without com- 30.

portion 81 is folded at hinge portion 83 until the enlarged terminal portions of projections 84 snap through holes 85. After the portion 81' is snapped onto the projections of the portion 80 of each corner clip 75, clips 75 are-inserted at the corners of the frame until they snap into positiongas shown in FIG. 12, In reaching this position, the point of clip 75 is first inserted in slot 16 at the apex of the angle defined by the corner elements and

spring portions

76, 77 may be simultaneously or sequentially compressed by camming against respective surfaces 23 of

frame members

14, 15.

Still another embodiment of corner clip, 90, is .shown in FIGS. 13 through 15. Corner clip 90 includes a general right angled configuration ofscreening material-engaging portion 91 and a pair of perpendicularly disposedspring portions-92, 93, separated by a slot 94, all as seen in H6. 13. The embodiment of FIGS. 13 through .15 is similar in its engagement with the screening material to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 6. Clip 90 includes a plurality of round projections 97,

aligned in rows and columns to cover an angularly disposed area, asbest seen in FIG. 13, in which only a portion of each row orzcolumn is shown. After the corner of the screening melted and compressed-to effectivelyencapsulate the screening ma'terial'27,-as best seen in FIG. 15. The clips 90 are then snapped into channel 16 at the corners of the frame 11 in the the channel 16 is slightly less than pressional forces-on the spring portionso that the clips are "maintained-under partial compression after they are snapped into position. Also, thewidth of the inwardly projecting outer lipispreferably equal to, or greater than two-thirds of, the width of the-screening material-engaging portion. More important, however, the width of the outer lip 24 is equal to and *f'preferably greater than the reduction of width of the spring portion produced when the clip is at maximum compression.

' The width ofthe inwardly projecting lip defines the amount of 40 overlap for the edge of the screening material such that the edge of the screening material cannot readily be pulled out of ,1 the slot 16in the regionbetween adjacent clips. The width of surface '26 beneath outer lip 24 is preferably several times that ,of the surface 25 beneath lip 23 (in this example, about 5V2 times). Preferably, the clip 28 has a width of approximately one-half inch and, in one specific embodiment, this dimension was five-hundred thirty thousandths'of an inch. The thickness of the reduced corner portion of the spring portion of the clip is of the order of ten thousandths of an inch, while the screenments 14, -l5'o f 1 16.1. Clip' 75. also includesan integrally f i frustoconical portion 79, corresponding in profile to the projections of clip.50.

Spring portions

76, 77 *are preferably.

, separated by a slot 86 so

portions

76, 77 can be independently compressed during assembly-so they can compress independently of eachvothe'r in absorbing forces on the screening material 27. Portion 81- includes a pluralityof hole's 85,"cor -i '-responding in number and"spacing"to'zprojections' 84. Theprofile and diameters of the respective parts of projeetions 84 1 holes 85 have the same diameter as holes 58 in clip 50.

-. 'ln attaching clip 75 to'screening material 27, the corner of" screening material 27is placed. to coincide with the corner 87 at the upper right hand endv of portion 80, as viewed in FIG.

' 10, preferably with outer fwires. or'plastic-coated yarn engaging the outer surfaces of the outer rows of projections 84.

After the screeningv material .27 positioned asdescribed,

corresponds to that'of projections 54 (FIGS. 7 through 9) and ing material engaging portion may havea thickness of the "order of twenty thousandths of an inch exclusive of the points that are .060 inch high, prior to any melting operation. The

upwardly facing ledge portion 34 which engages the downwardly facingsurface 25 of the outwardly projecting lip 23 is of the order of forty-five thousandths of an inch wide.

' The preferred embodiment of screening material to be used .in this invention is one in which the mesh of the screening material is square, so that the sameelips may be readily attached'to anyofjth'e edges of the screening material.

'Preferably, the screening material employed is plastic coated fiberglass or other suitable material which does not elongate readily, as compared to aluminum screening material. If the screening material or one of the clips becomes damaged and 1 must be removed, the screen clips may be cut along the spring portion of reduced cross section'(section49 in FIG. 2), allow Sing removallt isalso possible to remove the screening material by positioning'a sharp pointed tool adjacent the outwardly projecting inner lip and the pressure ridge and compressing the spring portion by advancing the tool toward the outer edge of the frame.

The screen assembly, according to this invention. has numerous advantages. For example, in the assembly of the clips into theframe, after a few-of the clips have been inserted they can slide along channel 16 to finally position the screening material.. Also, while comer clips and edge clips have been material 27 is positioned at-comer 98, the projections 97 are described as alternative embodiments, they may be employed in combination. For example, on screen assemblies of substantial width, such as greater than 1 foot, corner clips may be employed and edge clips may be employed midway between each of the corner clips. For larger screen assemblies, a larger number of edge clips will be required between corners. If corner clips are not employed, then edge clips may be employed in close proximity to the corners of the frame and spaced at intervals along the sides of the frame. While the screening assembly of this invention has been described in conjunction with a rectangular frame, it is understood that a polygonal frame of as many sides as are required by the opening to be screened, may be employed. Such a modification would require the corner clips 17 to have an appropriate angle greater than 90, and would also dictate that the edge clips, such as shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, be employed, or would require modification of the corner clips such that the spring portions were disposed at angles corresponding to the angles defined by the junctions of the frame members. It is also understood that different configurations of clip may be employed and, for example, different width of U-shaped channels in the spring portions may be employed depending on the particular thickness and resilience of the material. In the specific example of clips disclosed in this application, the U-shaped channel of the spring portion of the clips is one-hundred twenty thousandths, and the width of the screening material engaging portion is of the order of three-hundred twenty thousandths in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 6.

One of the specific advantages of this arrangement is that all the screening material, including that portion engaged by the clips, lies substantially within a single plane in that there are no 90 bends in said material, and a uniform tension is maintained on the screening material throughout the screen assembly without bowing the frame. The reference to a single plane in this specific example is a plane in which the screening material lies within a boundary of plus or minus fifteenthousandths of an inch for screening material having eleventhousandths of an inch in diameter wires. The screening material in this new type of assembly is not as taut when installed as newly splined screening material installed in accordance with the prior art methods, and yet it exhibits no subsequent flap or reduction in tension, because there is a spring effect on the screening material produced by the screen clips, which do not have a tendency to reduce their spring effect. Further, the arcuate surface of the inner lip provides a smooth surface against which the screening material glides when forces are applied to the screen, thereby obviating damage to the screening material.

While several illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it is understood that other embodiments may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, the frame may be formed of a single piece of rolled metal, it may be formed of one piece of molded metal or plastic, or it may be of circular shape. Also, the frame may be the main door or window frame rather than an auxiliary frame to be attached to the main frame.

Iclaim:

I. A screening assembly comprising:

A frame inclosing an area to be screened, said frame having a longitudinal slot therein, the opening of said slot being defined by inwardly and outwardly projecting lips relative to said area, said inwardly projecting lip being wider than said outwardly projecting lip; and

a screening material having dimensions greater than the distance between opposite edges of opposed inwardly projecting lips whereby the outer edges of said material can be concealed beneath said inwardly projecting lip; and a plurality of clip means fastened at spaced intervals to marginal areas of said screening material and positioned within said slot to retain the edges of said screening material beneath said inwardly projecting lip, said clip means including a surface for engaging said screenin material, and spring means for compresslvely holding sai clip means within said longitudinal slot, said screening material-engaging surface (defines) defining the outer portion of said clip relative to said area, and wherein said spring portion defines the inner portion relative to said area, whereby said spring portion compresses in response to pressure on said screening material and imparts resilience to said screening material.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said screening material-engaging surface includes a plurality of projections, each having a cross-sectional area less than the area of one of the mesh of said screening material.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said screening material-engaging surface includes areas for engaging opposite surfaces of said screening material, said areas being connected by a hinge portion whereby said screening materi al-engaging areas can be pivoted relative to each other to engage opposite surfaces of said screening material.

4. The assembly according to claim I wherein said spring portion is divided into two angularly positioned segments whereby said clip may be inserted at a corner of said frame.

Claims

1. A screening assembly comprising: A frame inclosing an area to be screened, said frame having a longitudinal slot therein, the opening of said slot being defined by inwardly and outwardly projecting lips relative to said area, said inwardly projecting lip being wider than said outwardly projecting lip; and a screening material having dimensions greater than the distance between opposite edges of opposed inwardly projecting lips whereby the outer edges of said material can be concealed beneath said inwardly projecting lip; and a plurality of clip means fastened at spaced intervals to marginal areas of said screening material and positioned within said slot to retain the edges of said screening material beneath said inwardly projecting lip, said clip means including a surface for engaging said screening material, and spring means for compressively holding said clip means within said longitudinal slot, said screening material-engaging surface (defines) defining the outer portion of said clip relative to said area, and wherein said spring portion defines the inner portion relative to said area, whereby said spring portion compresses in response to pressure on said screening material and imparts resilience to said screening material.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said screening material-engaging surface includes areas for engaging opposite surfaces of said screening material, said areas being connected by a hinge portion whereby said screening material-engaging areas can be pivoted relative to each other to engage opposite surfaces of said screening material.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said spring portion is divided into two angularly positioned segments whereby said clip may be inserted at a corner of said frame.