Patent US3630309A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3630309A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Portable shell
Assignee: Wenger Corp
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Filing: 1969-06-10
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Granted: 1971-12-28
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Expires: 1989-06-10
Abstract
Abstract A portable acoustical shell structure arranged for reflecting sound. The shell structure arranged for reflecting sound. The shell structure is freestanding and is portably carried on a base which may be provided with suitable casters. The shell structure comprises a plurality of panels which are selectively disposed in an extended sound-reflecting arrangement or in different storage arrangements as desired. The panels are movably connected to the frame of the structure for facilitated rearrangement. The uppermost panel is adjustably mounted for controlling height of the shell structures and direction of projection of the sound. A plurality of the shell structures may be used in side-by-side arrangement to define sound-reflecting walls, or shells, such as choral and symphonic shells.
Inventors
- 👤 Jerry A Wenger
- 👤 Daryl D Douglas
- 👤 Erich Harfmann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:19
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04B; E04B1/00; E04B1/62; E04B1/74; E04B1/82; E04B1/8227; E04B1/8236
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
66 words
A portable acoustical shell structure comprising: panel means having a planar upright lowermost portion and a planar forwardly inclined uppermost portion; a framework carrying said panel means to define an upright sound-reflecting surface; and base structure extending substantially only rearwardly of said surface and provided with wheel means for movably carrying said framework, said wheel means including front wheels disposed subjacent said lowermost panel means portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
66 words
A portable acoustical shell structure comprising: panel means having a planar upright lowermost portion and a planar forwardly inclined uppermost portion; a framework carrying said panel means to define an upright sound-reflecting surface; and base structure extending substantially only rearwardly of said surface and provided with wheel means for movably carrying said framework, said wheel means including front wheels disposed subjacent said lowermost panel means portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 1 wherein said base structure includes a rear crosspiece comprising counterweight means and means removably securing said counterweight means in said base structure for stabilizing the rear of the base structure and concurrently counterbalancing the shell structure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 1 wherein said base structure is forwardly open and narrows rearwardly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 1 wherein said panel means includes a forwardly inclined bottom section extending to forwardly of said base structure whereby said base structure is effectively hidden from view from forwardly of said surface by said bottom section.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 1 wherein said base structure defines a forwardly opening trapezoidal configuration adapted to nest with the base structure of a second of said shell structures.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
95 words
In an acoustical shell structure: support means having a forwardly open, rearwardly closed bottom portion, panel means carried by said support means including means defining an upright sound-reflecting front surface spaced above the bottom of said support means, and a kicker panel hingedly connected to said panel means for selectively extending downwardly of said panel means to the level of and forwardly of the bottom of said forwardly open support means selectively positionable to close the opening thereof during use and expose the opening thereof for nested storage of a second such shell structure therewith.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
In an acoustical shell structure: support means having a forwardly open, rearwardly closed bottom portion, panel means carried by said support means including means defining an upright sound-reflecting front surface spaced above the bottom of said support means, and a kicker panel hingedly connected to said panel means for selectively extending downwardly of said panel means to the level of and forwardly of the bottom of said forwardly open support means selectively positionable to close the opening thereof during use and expose the opening thereof for nested storage of a second such shell structure therewith.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 6 including means hingedly connecting said kicker panel to the lowermost portion of said panel means and means carried on said base for causing the kicker panel to be forwardly tilted in the downwardly extending arrangement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 6 further including retaining means for releasably securing said kicker panel in an upper storage position spaced above the bottom of said support means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 6 wherein said kicker panel is opaque and effectively hides the lower portion of said support means below said panel means from view from forwardly of said surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
In an acoustical shell structure: support means provided with front and rear wheels for movably carrying the shell structure, panel means carried by said support means including means defining an upright sound-reflecting front surface, a canopy panel, and means for adjustably positioning said canopy panel upwardly of said panel means including adjustable articulated arm means connected between said canopy panel and a portion of said support means rearwardly of a vertical plane defined by said front wheels.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
77 words
In an acoustical shell structure: support means provided with front and rear wheels for movably carrying the shell structure, panel means carried by said support means including means defining an upright sound-reflecting front surface, a canopy panel, and means for adjustably positioning said canopy panel upwardly of said panel means including adjustable articulated arm means connected between said canopy panel and a portion of said support means rearwardly of a vertical plane defined by said front wheels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 10 wherein said arm means includes threaded means for threadedly adjusting the arrangement of the arm, said threaded means being disposed fully rearwardly of said vertical plane.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 11 wherein said threaded means comprises turnbuckle means for providing the adjustability thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 10 wherein said support means and arm means are provided with cooperating detachable pin and connector means for connecting the arm means to the support means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
120 words
In an acoustical shell structure having support means, panel means carried by said support means including a first panel fixedly secured to the support means and defining an upright sound-reflecting front surface, second and third panels, and means movably mounting said second and third panels to said support means for selective disposition in a storage position rearwardly of said first panel and a sound-reflecting position of said second panel in coplanar edgewise alignment with said first panel and said third panel in angular relationship to said sEcond panel in edgewise alignment therewith, said second and third panels cooperatively defining a sound-reflecting front surface in said sound-reflecting position effectively comprising a turned continuation of the sound-reflecting surface of said first panel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
120 words
In an acoustical shell structure having support means, panel means carried by said support means including a first panel fixedly secured to the support means and defining an upright sound-reflecting front surface, second and third panels, and means movably mounting said second and third panels to said support means for selective disposition in a storage position rearwardly of said first panel and a sound-reflecting position of said second panel in coplanar edgewise alignment with said first panel and said third panel in angular relationship to said sEcond panel in edgewise alignment therewith, said second and third panels cooperatively defining a sound-reflecting front surface in said sound-reflecting position effectively comprising a turned continuation of the sound-reflecting surface of said first panel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 14 wherein said mounting means comprises hinge means swingably mounting said second panel on said support means and said third panel on said second panel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The acoustical shell structure of claim 14 further including a fourth panel, said mounting means being arranged to dispose said third and fourth panels at an angle to said first panel in said sound-reflecting position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
118 words
A portable acoustical shell structure comprising: an upright frame; a first sound-reflecting panel fixed to said frame; a second sound-reflecting panel; means movably mounting said second panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said first panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to said first panel; a canopy panel; means movably mounting said canopy panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said second panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to said second panel; and a base extending substantially only rearwardly of said first panel, said base narrowing rearwardly to nest with a similar base of a second similar acoustical shell structure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
118 words
A portable acoustical shell structure comprising: an upright frame; a first sound-reflecting panel fixed to said frame; a second sound-reflecting panel; means movably mounting said second panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said first panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to said first panel; a canopy panel; means movably mounting said canopy panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said second panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to said second panel; and a base extending substantially only rearwardly of said first panel, said base narrowing rearwardly to nest with a similar base of a second similar acoustical shell structure.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein said first panel is spaced above the base to permit facilitated longitudinal relative movement of said base into the nested relationship.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
66 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein said second panel is disposed rearwardly of said first panel and said canopy panel is disposed rearwardly of said second panel, said panels being in facial juxtaposition in the storage position, the first panel of said second shell structure being rearwardly facially juxtaposed to the canopy panel of the first shell structure in the nested storage arrangement.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein said second panel is hingedly mounted on said frame.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein said canopy panel is hingedly mounted on said second panel.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
64 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein said second panel is disposed rearwardly of said first panel and said canopy panel is disposed rearwardly of said second panel, said panels being in facial juxtaposition in the storage position, the thickness of said juxtaposed first, second, and canopy panels in the storage position being less than one-third the fore-and-aft dimension of said base.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
50 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein the shell structure has a length less than 6 feet 6 inches and a fore-and-aft dimension of less than 3 feet when the panels are in said storage position whereby said shell structure may be moved freely through a conventional doorway.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein said shell structure may be arranged with said first and second panels in edgewise adjacency and said canopy panel facially adjacent said second panel in a partial storage arrangement of the shell structure.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
47 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein a counterweight is provided on the base having a weight and spacing rearwardly of the frame preselected to counterbalance the panel arrangement with the canopy panel extending angularly upwardly from an upper portion of said first sound-reflecting panel.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
72 words
The portable acoustical shell structure of claim 17 wherein said first panel is spaced above the base and said shell structure further includes a counterweight in the base and a kicker panel selectively movable to extend downwardly from said first panel to the level of the bottom of said base in A sound-reflecting position, and upwardly from the bottom of said first panel in a retracted position permitting nesting of said bases.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
139 words
A portable acoustical shell structure comprising: an upright frame; a first sound-reflecting panel fixed to said frame; a second sound-reflecting panel; means movably mounting said second panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said first panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to the upper edge of said first panel; a canopy panel; a kicker panel; and means movably mounting said canopy panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said second panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to the upper edge of said second panel, and movably mounting said kicker panel in said shell structure for selected disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said first panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to the lower edge of said first panel.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
139 words
A portable acoustical shell structure comprising: an upright frame; a first sound-reflecting panel fixed to said frame; a second sound-reflecting panel; means movably mounting said second panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said first panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to the upper edge of said first panel; a canopy panel; a kicker panel; and means movably mounting said canopy panel in said shell structure for selective disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said second panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to the upper edge of said second panel, and movably mounting said kicker panel in said shell structure for selected disposition in a storage position facially adjacent said first panel and a sound-reflecting position in edgewise adjacency to the lower edge of said first panel.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-12-27 | 1975-06-28 | 1975-12-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-12-27 | 1979-06-28 | 1979-12-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-12-27 | 1983-06-28 | 1983-12-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |