US2062747A - Double glazed window - Google Patents

Description

Deci 1., 1936.

F. GELSTHARP DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOW Filed Oct. 5, 1955 v INVENToR. /Q'socQ/c/c GDL-Lrwwrp BY Y A T ORNEYS.

` 4L0 ity readily accessible.

UNITED STATES amari PATENT OFFICE DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOW Frederick Gelntharp, Tarentum, P'a., asslgnor to Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company,

Allegheny `County, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 5, 1935, Serial No. 43,729

3 Claims.

The invention relates to double glazed windows particularly for use in connection with railway passenger cars. It is necessary with double glazed windows that the gas between the panes 5 (air, nitrogen or other inert gas) should be mainphere and supplied with dry Sas when the instala lation is made. This prevents any clouding of the glass when the installation is rst made, but it is practically impossible to maintain the seal at the edges of the panes over any considerable period of time, so that infiltration of air carrying moisture occurs, resulting in clouding ofthe glass. This condition calls for the removal of the unit from its frame, a renewal of the seal, and a replacement of the moist gas with a dry one. The

tendency to leakage and infiltration is further increased due to changes in atmospheric pressure to which the car is often subject, as this causes bending of the sheets in and out incident to relative changes in pressure in the atmosphere, as compared with the pressure between the glass sheets. The present invention is designed to remedy the difficulty, as above 'set forth, and to provide a construction in which clouding of the inner faces of the glass sheets is avoided or remedied despite any failure of the seal which may occur at the edges of the glass sheets.

Briefly stated, this is accomplished by the use of a piping system connectedl to the spaces between the pairs of glass sheets in series with circulating means, such as a fan or pump and a dehydrating unit, the piping being suitably located -in the walls of the car, and the circulating and dehydrating means being located in a space or cav- When any or all'of the windows show clouding, the system is operated to circulate and dry the air or other gas, after which each unit maybe cut off from the system, if desired. Also associated'with the circulation system is an expanding device. such as a sylphon,

which tends to equalize the pressure inside the units with that outside, thus reducing the tendency to leakage-and also to breakage intranscontinental cars, in which large variations in .atmospheric pressure occurs due to changes in elevation. The one system of piping thus takescare of the circulation for dehydration and equalizing pressure, and avoids any requirement for removing the glazing units from the structure in which they are mounted in order to recondition them.

(Cl. 2II-56.IS)L

-One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. wherein: i.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sidev elevation view showing the construction. And Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one oi the units. 5

Referring to the drawing, YI and i are double glazed units constituting a part of a series of. such units `as used in the side of a passenger earA Each of these units consists of a pair of glass sheets 3 and 4, spaced apart as indicated in Fig. 2, by u strips of material II, such as rubber or other suitable material which will form a seal with the glass.

`Around the periphery of the glass sheets is a frame 6 preferably of sheet metal, which applies the compressive force upon the periphery oi the 15 unit. I isone side of the car framing, and 8 is the other side, the unit being held removably in position by means of strips 9 of sheet metal secured in position by means oi screws or bolts.

The particular character of the mounting of the 20 unit is immaterial in so far as the present invention is concerned. .I

Extending longitudinally of the structure above and below the windows are the pipes I0 and II which communicate with the spaces between the 25 glass sheets through the connections I2 and I3. Valves I4 and I5 serve to cut on the spaces between the glasses from the pipes It and II when it is desirable to do this. Lying in a circuit which includes the pipes I 0 and II is a circulating fan 30 or pump I6 and a pair of dehydrating tanks I l, I1. 'Ihe tanks contain a suitable dehydrating material, such as activated alumina or silica gel, which will remove the moisture from the gas circulated therethrough. These dehydrating ele- 3f ments may be of various designs well vknown in the dehydrating art and are preferably provided with heaters for drying out the dehydrating material from time to time.

Two tanks are employed so that in service their use may be alternated, thus permitting one of the tanks to be regenerated or renewed while the other tank remains in service. Suitable valves I 8, I9, 20, and 2| are provided so that the circulation may be switched through either tank depending upon which one is used. Connections 22 are'also provided leading to the atmosphere and carrying valves 23, so that the circulation may be directed to the outer air when one of the tanks is being regenerated. 5

The line I0 is also provided with a filter 24 for catching anydirt or dust in the system, and the line II' is provided with a sylphon 25 or other suitable expanding container for permitting at least( a. partial equalization of the pressure be- 55 tween the glass panes and the atmosphere. When the atmospheric pressure on the panes is reduced, the excess pressure ows into the syl- `phon so that the windows do not `bulge outward,

as would otherwise be the case, andwhen pressure on the panes by the atmosphere is increased, the sylphon contracts and forces air or gas into the spaces between the glass sheets. This reduces any tendency to breaking of the windows and also tends to prevent leakage at the points at which the glass sheets are sealed since the constant bending in and out of the glass sheets tends to impair the seal.

When the inner surfaces of any lof the glass sheets become clouded, due to infiltration of moisture from the atmosphere, the operator starts the fan or pump I6 and a circulation of gas is secured from the line I to the line Il through the window spaces, and this circulating gas flows through the fan or pump and through one of the dehydrating tanks I1, thus carrying any moisture-laden gas from the spaces between the windows and dehydrating it, 4the moistureladen gas being replaced by a dry gas so that the clouding on the glasses soon disappears. The units may all be reconditioned at one time, or may be individually reconditioned by manipulating the valves I4 and l5 to meet requirements. The fan or pump IB may be driven in any suitable way, but is ordinarily driven when used in a car construction by an electric motor supplied with current from the storage batteries of the car.

By the usev of this apparatus any requirement for removing the double glazed units from the car for reconditioning is avoided, such removal and reconditioning being a. matter of very considerable expense and inconvenience in a construction of this type. lThe invention has its largest application in connection With car constructions, but may be used to advantage in other structures employing a large number of glazing units which are so located that they may be conveniently connected to a piping system.

What I claimed is:

1. In combination with a wall structure comprising a plurality of windows each consisting of a pair of glass sheets spaced apart and provided with sealing means between their margins, a piping system in the wall structure connected with the spaces between the pairs of glass sheets, means for causing a circulation through the piping system and said spaces, dehydrating means located in the line of ow through said system and a readily expansible container connected to the piping system.

2. In combination with a wall structure comprising a plurality of windows each consisting of a pair of glass sheets spaced apart and provided with sealing means between their margins. a piping system in the wall structure connected with the spaces between the pairs of glass sheets. means for causing a circulation through the piping system and said spaces, valves in the piping system whereby each unit may be closed oit with respect to the piping system, dehydrating means located in the line of flow through said system. and a. readilyexpansible container connected to said piping system.

3. In combination with a wall structure comprising a plurality of windows each consisting of a pair of glass sheets spaced apart and provided with sealing means between their margins, a piping system in the wall structure connected with the spaces between the pairs of glass sheets,

means for causing a circulation through the piping system and said spaces, dehydrating. means located in the line of flow through said system.

.and a sylphon. connected to said piping system.

FREDERICK GELBTHARP.

Images