Claims
- 1. A method of mechanically assembling a venetian blind, comprising the steps of:
- intermittently feeding at least two ladders by ladder feed means, each ladder having laterally spaced side members and cross rungs defining plural openings adapted to receive individual lengths of slat material to form successive slats of the venetian blind, said intermittent feeding sequentially positioning one of said plural openings of each ladder at a first position and portions of said laterally spaced side members and adjacent portions of said cross rungs at said first position further defining a first plane for each ladder in which a respective one of said openings lies and said at least two ladders being located relative to one another with said first planes parallel and spaced a predetermined distance apart;
- simultaneously guiding said at least two ladders by ladder guide means, with adjacent cross rungs of each ladder held apart at least substantially parallel to one another, and portions of the laterally spaced side members between said two adjacent cross rungs of each ladder held apart at least substantially parallel to one another, thereby providing the openings at said first positions with a predetermined parallelogram shape at least at said first position; and
- feeding and guiding elongated slat material along a defined feed path successively through the respective openings in said at least two ladders at said first positions to form the individual slats, said slat material having longitudinally extending edges and being substantially equal in width to the lateral spacing of said side members, and positioning the ladder guide means and the slat material guide means, respectively such that a predetermined acute angle between 30.degree. and 60.degree. is formed in said first planes between a second plane containing the longitudinal edges of the slat material and a line collinear with one of the adjacent cross rungs of the ladders defining the openings at said first positions.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, including forming the acute angle by positioning said portions of the side members at an angle other than 0.degree. with respect to the vertical, said angle lying in said first plane, as the slat material is fed along said feed path.
- 3. The method according to claim 1, including forming the acute angle by positioning said cross rungs at an angle other than 90.degree. with respect to said portions of the side members.
- 4. The method according to claim 1, including forming the acute angle by inclining the slat material such that said plane which contains the longitudinal edges of the slat material is inclined with respect to the horizontal, as the slat material is fed along said defined feed path and through said ladders openings.
- 5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of guiding the slat material to said defined feed path from a reel of slat material, said reel having its axis inclined at an angle to the horizontal in the same sense as the angle at which the slat material is fed and guided along said defined feed path.
- 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the reel is positioned to rest against a friction surface, so that said reel is braked by said friction surface, as it rotates upon the slat material being unwound therefrom.
- 7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the plane containing the longitudinal edges of the slat material substantially bisects the angle made by the side members and cross rungs defining the opening into which the slat material is inserted.
- 8. A method of mechanically assembling a venetian blind, wherein said blind comprises a ladder having laterally spaced side members joined by cross rungs defining plural openings between said cross rungs and side members; slats, formed from a length of slat material, received in said openings supported by the cross rungs; said slat material having longitudinally extending edges and a width substantially equal to the laterial spacing of the side members, said method comprising:
- mechanically sequentially positioning said plural openings at a first position;
- mechanically guiding the cross rungs and side members of the ladder to provide said opening at said first position with a predetermined shape, wherein adjacent cross rungs are at least substantially parallel to one another, and said side members joined by the cross rungs are at least substantially parallel to one another;
- mechanically feeding the slat material through the opening at said first position;
- mechanically guiding said slat material to approximately bisect an angle formed between one of the cross rungs and an intersecting side member defining said opening at said first position, while feeding the slat material through said opening at said first position.
- 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising mechanically guiding the side members of the ladder approximately vertically as viewed in a plane perpendicular to the feeding of the slat material.
- 10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising mechanically guiding the side members of the ladder at an angle other than zero degrees (0.degree.) to vertical as viewed in a plane perpendicular to the feeding of the slat material.
- 11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising mechanically guiding the cross rungs at an angle approximately perpendicular to the side members, whereby said opening at said first position at least approximates a square.
- 12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising mechanically guiding the cross rungs at an angle other than 90.degree. with respect to the side members, whereby said opening at said first position defines a parallelogram.
- 13. A method of mechanically assembling a venetian blind, wherein said blind comprises at least two ladders each having laterally spaced side members joined by cross rungs defining plural openings between said cross rungs and side members; slats formed from a length of slat material and received in said openings supported by the cross rungs; said slat material having longitudinally extending edges and a width substantially equal to the lateral spacing of the side members, said method comprising:
- intermittently feeding said at least two ladders by ladder feed means, said intermittent feeding sequentially positioning one of said plural openings of each ladders at a first position, wherein portions of said laterally spaced side members and adjacent portions of said cross rungs at said first position define a first plane for each ladder in which a respective one of said openings lies and said at least two ladders are spaced a predetermined distance apart;
- simultaneously guiding said at least two ladders by ladder guide means, with adjacent cross rungs of each ladder held apart at least substantially parallel to one another, and portions of the laterally spaced side members between said two adjacent cross rungs of each ladder held apart at least substantially parallel to one another to provide the openings at said first positions with a predetermined parallelogram shape;
- feeding and guiding the elongated slat material by slat material guide means long a defined feed path successively through the respective openings in said at least two ladders at said first positions to form individual slats; and
- positioning the ladder guide means and the slat material guide means at an angle of other than 90.degree. with respect to each other, such that a predetermined acute angle between 30.degree. and 60.degree. in said first planes between a second plane containing the longitudinal edges of the slat material and a line collinear with one of the adjacent cross rungs of the ladders defining the openings at said first positions is formed.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
87305425 |
Jun 1987 |
EPX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 206,231 filed June 13, 1988 and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
490979 |
Mar 1953 |
CAX |
3328121 |
Feb 1985 |
DEX |
220865 |
Apr 1985 |
DEX |
561086 |
Jan 1959 |
ITX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
206231 |
Jun 1988 |
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