Improvements in Door and Window Screens.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1897-Accepted. 30th Oct.,
1897
Improvements in Door and Window Screens.
We, JOHN MADISON WELLS, Miner, and ORVILLE LEROY SHEEK Miner, both of
Cripple Creek, County of El Paso, and State of Colorado, one of the United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
The invention relates to door and window screens for excluding insects, and of
the type provided with exit or outlet openings for permitting the escape of such
flies or other insects as have otherwise gained admission to the room protected by
the screen.
It consists in the combination with a screen provided with outlet openings at
or near its upper end or the cross bar thereof, of a short covering screen over-
hanging said openings and sufficiently removed from the main screen to permit
the ready passage of flies and other insects up between the two screens, and an
outlet opening in the main screen, and also in the combination with the main
screen and the pendent inner screen, of an outer screen covered passageway for
preventing the access of flies and other insects through them to the openings in
the main screen.
It will be understood from the following description and claims, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is an outside perspective view of a screen door with the improvement
applied.
Figure 2 is a similar view looking from the inside with a portion of the inner
pendent screen broken away to show the outlet openings.
Figure 3 represents a vertical transverse section through the upper portion of
the door showing the relative arrangement of the screens.
1 indicates a screen frame, that shown being designed for a door, and provided
with a stiffening cross bar 2 and braces 3-3 converging to their upper ends which
abut against the cross bar 2 or against the upper cross bar of the screen frame
indicated at 4. 5 indicates the main screen covering the entire frame except that
it is provided at the intersection of the converging braces 3-3 with small perfora-
tions 6 sufficient to permit the escape of flies or other insects. In the present
instance these are shown as applied only at the top of the frame, but they may be
applied at the junction of the braces 3 with the cross bar 2. The screen 5 in the
7 indicates
present instance, is shown applied to the outside of the screen frame.
a pendent screen applied to the inner side of the cross bar 4 and of sufficient
length to extend below the openings 6 in the main screen, said screen 7 forming
what we term the back screen. A similar screen may be applied to the cross bar 2
on its inner side and pendent therefrom, and in such case the main screen 5 may
be provided with outlet openings adjacent to and immediately below said bar. It
is well understood that when flies alight upon a screen or other surface, the
tendency is to crawl upward thereon, and a fly alighting on the main screen 5
would crawl upward underneath the pendent screen 6 which would prevent their

page_text: direct backward escape into the room, and following the screen 5 upward, they
would find and pass out through the perforations 6 in the main screen. For
preventing access of flies to the room through said openings, the screen door is
provided with parallel, horizontal strips 8-8 secured to its outer face and con-
nected by a cover of wire gauze of sufficient width to cover the opening in the
main screen. 5 and to form a passageway to the sides of the door through which
the flies may escape. The openings or perforations 6 being thus covered, access
to them from the outside is effectually guarded against while the passageway
formed by the parallel strips 8 and the screen 9 covering the same permits the
ready escape of flies and other insects passing out. from the frame through the
perforations 6.
It will be understood that the perforations may be applied to the main screen in
proximity to each cross bar of the door or window frame, and directly underneath
such bars, so that the flies alighting upon the screen, and crawling up thereon,
will find a ready exit. Wherever these perforations are applied, they should be
covered on the inside by a pendent screen, and upon the outer side of the screen.
frame by an outer screen secured upon parallel bars for preventing the access of
flies from the outside of said perforations.
In puncturing the screen to form fly outlets, it should be done from the inside,
forcing the ends of the wires severed 'outward in funnel shape permitting the
ready escape of the flies, but serving to assist in preventing their return. The
outer screen covered' passage serves to protect the main screen openings, especially
in transportation.
By the construction described a very simple and inexpensive provision is made
for the escape of flies and other insects from a room, and at the same time their
admission from the outside of the room is guarded against as far as practicable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In a screen door or window, the main screen thereof provided with outlet
openings for the escape of insects through it, in combination with a pendent. inner
screen overhanging said openings and sufficiently removed from the main screen
to permit the passage of insects up between it and the main screen, substantially
as described.
-
2. The combination in a window or door screen, of the main screen provided
with outlet openings, an inner pendent screen overhanging said openings, and an
outer screen-covered passageway from said openings, substantially as described.
1000
For the Applicants,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.
5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Chartered Patent Agents."