Cord guide and support therefor

Cord guide, such as a pulley, and support therefor, for use with a liftable shade, as a Roman shade or a venetian blind. There is provided a pivotally suspended cord guide support for use with a liftable shade which will suspend the cord guide in a pivotal manner so that the pull cords may be held for operation at a substantial angle with respect to the wall without diminishing their effectiveness in operating the shade. Specifically, the cord guide is supported within a generally conventional clevislike structure which has a specially constructed head end adapted for pivotal support on and by a ceiling or wall attachable bracket. With such pivotal support, the clevis and the cord guide carried thereby, while normally hanging parallel with the wall, can be angled away therefrom to permit greater ease in pulling of the shade cords but without diminishing the accuracy or effectiveness of said cords in the operating of the shade. A lock and guides for the shade cords may also be provided if desired.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to cord guide, normally pulley, support means for the 
cords of a liftable shade, as a Roman shade or a venetian blind, and 
relates particularly to a type thereof having hanger means and cord guide 
housing means which are provided with a pivotal joint therebetween. The 
hanger means includes a ceiling or wall mountable bracket whereby the 
pulley and cords may normally occupy positions generally parallel with an 
adjacent wall but may during operation if desired be angled away from the 
wall without diminishing the ease or effectiveness of their operation. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Liftable shades and the cord guide means, usually pulleys, used therewith 
have been known for a long time and during all of this period there has 
necessarily been some means present for supporting such pulleys in a 
predetermined position with respect to the shade. This has usually been a 
fixed position with respect to the shade and a position wherein the plane 
of the pulley was parallel to the plane of the window with which the shade 
was used. Since the normal method of handling the shade cords would 
involve maintaining them at least substantially in the plane of a given 
shade pulley, this would mean maintaining such cords at least 
substantially in a plane parallel to such window. A careful operator of 
the shade would have no difficulty in so doing but a careless operator of 
the shade cords might well stand at some distance from the window, or the 
wall adjacent the window, and would particularly do so if there were 
furniture adjacent the wall. In so doing, he would angle the cords at what 
sometimes became a substantial angle with respect to such wall. This often 
caused a cord feeding toward a pulley to fail to track with respect to 
such pulley and either go off the pulley entirely or at least jam between 
the edge of the pulley and the pulley support. This has in the past been 
met by providing various types of guiding devices in association with the 
pulley in order that the cord would be fed onto the pulley in proper 
alignment therewith regardless of the angle at which the majority of the 
cords were held with respect to the adjacent wall, i.e., with respect to 
the plane of the pulley. This has worked with a reasonable degree of 
satisfaction insofar as preventing the shade cord from escaping from the 
pulley but such guides normally generate a substantial amount of friction 
and thereby make more difficult the operation of the shade. While it is 
recognized that this is of no great consequence with small or short 
shades, in the case of large shades where there is already a substantial 
load present, the addition of such further frictional load is highly 
undesirable. 
This problem has long been recognized but insofar as I am aware, there has 
been only one previous attempt made to deal differently with it. This 
attempt involved hanging the pulley from a horizontal pin, in somewhat of 
a loop and pintle arrangement, to permit the pulley to pivot around a 
horizontal axis parallel with the longitudinal extent of the shade. This 
permitted the pulley to angle away from the wall to follow the shade cords 
if same were so angled in somewhat the same manner as the blocks (pulleys) 
often used in various positions, as on the deck, of a sailboat. This has 
provided a substantially improved operation but because of the use of 
metal components and the permanence resulting from metal fabrication, it 
presents certain problems in manufacturing and inventorying which it is 
the purpose of the present invention to solve. 
Accordingly, the objects of the present invention include: 
1. To provide a support for a cord guiding means, usually a pulley means, 
usable in association with a liftable shade, as a Roman shade or a 
venetian blind wherein said cord guide support is made entirely from 
plastics material, wherein said cord guide support comprises a hanger 
section and a cord guide, usually pulley, housing section and wherein the 
said housing section will pivot with respect to the hanger section around 
an axis parallel with the longitudinal extent of the shade. 
2. To provide a cord guide support, as aforesaid, which can be manufactured 
as an independent unit or which can by a simple modification be 
incorporated into a shade as an integral part thereof. 
3. To provide a cord guide support, as aforesaid, in which the cord guide 
housing section and the hanger section comprise independent parts having 
broad mutually engageable load bearing surfaces rather than a 
pivot-and-pin relationship. 
4. To provide a cord guide support, as aforesaid, in which the housing 
section has a snap-in relationship to the hanger section but wherein the 
parts providing the snap-in function are independent of the load bearing 
areas so that the snap-in relationship is not dependent upon such parts 
for carrying the cord guide, as pulley, loading. 
5. To provide a cord guide support, as aforesaid, in which a single hanger 
section design may be utilized for a plurality of cord guide support 
designs in order to simplify the inventorying of such components. 
6. To provide a cord guide support, as aforesaid, in which the parts can be 
assembled by a single motion and do not require the more complicated 
motions normally associated with hinge and pin arrangements. 
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons 
acquainted with devices of this general type upon reading the following 
specification and inspection of the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the drawings in more detail, there is shown in FIGS. 1-5 a 
cord guide, here pulley, support assembly comprising a hanger section 1 
and a pulley housing 2. The hanger section 1 is arranged for fixing 
rigidly as by screws to support means, such as the ceiling 5 adjacent the 
upper end of a liftable shade, and the pulley housing is pivotally 
connected thereto for swinging motion as indicated by the arrows A and B 
in FIG. 2. 
First examining the hanger section in more detail, there is a body or plate 
member 3 having a central opening 4 therein for purposes appearing 
hereinafter. Openings 6 are provided as desired for the entry of screws to 
fix the pulley hanger to a supporting surface, such as a ceiling. Short 
projections 7 are provided if desired for firmly holding the hanger 
rigidly with respect to the supporting surface and preventing its 
twisting, especially during installation. 
Depending from the plate member 3 are trunnion hangers 8 and 9 which carry 
on their mutually facing surfaces the trunnions 11 and 12, same defining 
upwardly facing, convex, trunnion surfaces. There are of semicircular 
cross section and are fixed with respect to, here molded integrally with, 
the trunnion hangers 8 and 9. 
Reinforcing members 13 are provided at both ends of the hanger member as 
desired and provide reinforcing between the plate member 3 and the 
trunnion hangers 8 and 9. Trunnion guards 14 and 16 extend downwardly from 
the plate 3, extend between the trunnion hangers 8 and 9 and are spaced at 
their lowermost extermities sufficient distances 14A and 16A from the 
trunnions 11 and 12 to provide for the passage therebetween of the pulley 
housing trunnions as hereinafter described. The trunnion guard 16 may be 
somewhat shortened as compared to the trunnion guard 14 as shown in FIG. 4 
for purposes appearing further hereinafter. 
Now turning to the pulley housing 2, same comprises a generally U-shaped 
body portion or clevis 21 with a pulley 22 rotatably supported therein in 
any conventional manner such as by the shaft 23 projecting through 
suitable openings 24 and 26 in the side walls of said clevis. One end of 
said shaft may be upset as indicated at 27 for holding the pulley firmly 
in position. An opening 28 is provided in the bottom of the clevis for the 
passage of the shade cord and cord guides 29 may be provided across said 
opening 28 if desired. (Said cord guides will not generate appreciable, if 
any, friction with respect to the shade cords in view of the pivoting of 
the pulley as hereinafter described in more detail.) Further openings 31 
are provided in horizontal alignment with the upper edge of the pulley 22 
for the passage of the cords in the region of the pulley outwardly of said 
pulley housing toward the shade structure. 
At the upper side of said clevis 21 at each horizontal end thereof there 
are provided the pulley trunnions 32 and 33, both having, in this 
embodiment, downwardly facing concave trunnion surfaces. Same are fixed 
with respect to, here molded integrally with, the adjacent portions of the 
clevis 21 and have portions thereof 32A and 33A extending beyond 
respectively corresponding ends of said clevis for overlapping, engaging 
with and being supported by, the support trunnions 11 and 12. The 
curvature of the respectively interengaging trunnions is, of course, 
substantially concentric to insure smooth operation although if desired 
the pulley support trunnions 32 and 33 may be designed on a radius 
slightly longer than that of the support trunnions to insure against 
binding therebetween. 
The length of the pulley housing is such as to fit snugly between the 
mutually facing ends 11A and 12A of the support trunnions 11 and 12 and 
the distance between the respectively outer surfaces 36 and 37 of the 
housing trunnions 32 and 33 is such as to permit said housing trunnions to 
fit snugly but slidably between the end surfaces 38 and 39 of the opening 
4. Thus, the pulley housing can be inserted into operative position merely 
by passing same through the opening 4 between the trunnions 11 and 12 
until the housing trunnions 32 and 33 engage in supporting relationship 
said hanger trunnions 11 and 12. 
If desired, cam-shaped projections 41 and 42 may be provided to provide a 
snap-in relationship between the hanger 1 and pulley housing 2 for holding 
same together during the mounting procedure. If said cams 41 and 42 are 
sloped also on the lower side thereof as shown in the drawings, the parts 
may be taken apart by a reverse snapping motion to that above described 
for assembly. 
Any desired locking mechanism may be provided for holding the shade cords 
in a fixed position. In the present embodiment same constitutes a sloped 
slot 51 with a knurled pin 52 positioned therein. Same will effect more 
positive operation if there are provided the teeth 53 along one side of 
said slot into which can fit the teeth 54 comprising the knurling of said 
pin. 
In one use of this embodiment said hanger is supported, as shown in FIG. 2, 
from a ceiling adjacent the upper end of the shade with which same is 
used. Alternatively, however, with the trunnion guard 16 shortened as 
shown in the drawings, the clevis may be rotated 90.degree. with respect 
to the plane of the plate 3 and said plate then fixed, as shown in FIG. 
10, to a vertical wall adjacent the window with which the shade is used. 
In either case, the cords are introduced through the openings between the 
guards 29 over the pulley 22 and behind the pin 52 as shown in FIG. 5. 
When said cord is pulled downwardly, the pin 52 will release same and when 
said cord is permitted to move back upwardly, particularly if it is angled 
slightly rightwardly as shown in FIG. 5, it will engage said pin in the 
usual manner and cause same to lock the cord at the desired point against 
further upward movement. Likewise in either case, whether the plate 3 is 
positioned vertically or horizontally, the cords may be angled away from 
the wall adjacent the window with which the shade is being used and said 
clevis will pivot as needed away from the wall to maintain the plane of 
the pulley in alignment with the alignment of the cords. This will 
minimize any friction which would otherwise exist between the cords and 
the cord guides and still insure that the cords remain in proper operative 
position on the pulley. In this connection it will be evident that the 
openings 31 should be arranged as closely as possible to the center or 
centers around which said trunnions operate in order to insure that 
pivoting of the clevis with respect to the hanger will not generate 
undesired friction between said cords and the walls defining said openings 
31. 
FIGS. 7-9 illustrate the same base 1 utilized with a different form of 
pulley housing, such as that used intermediate the ends of a Roman shade. 
In this embodiment there is provided a clevis structure 61 for holding a 
pulley, same being rotatably mounted therein in generally the same manner 
as above described in connection with said pulley 22. Extending above said 
clevis is a hemicylindrical portion 56 having extensions 57 extending from 
each respective end thereof to constitute trunnions. Said trunnions engage 
the trunnions 11 and 12 of the base 1 in the same manner as above 
described for the engagement of the trunnions 32A and 33A with the base 
trunnions 11 and 12. 
Trunnion guards 58 and 59 are provided similar to the trunnion guards 14 
and 16 and in this case there is provided a cutout 62 if desired to enable 
the pulley housing to rotate sufficiently to assume a position such that 
the plane of its pulley is parallel with the plane of the plate 3. This 
enables this unit also to be wall mounted if desired as well as ceiling 
mounted in the same general manner as already illustrated with respect to 
the form of FIGS. 1-5. 
This construction may also be snapped in and out of operative position in 
the same manner as above described for the form of FIGS. 1-5. 
It will thus be understood that a single design of base 1 may be utilized 
with a variety of pulley housings as desired thus simplifying both 
manufacturing procedure and the inventorying thereof. 
Referring now to the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 11-15, it will be 
seen that in this instance the base structure has a pair of concave 
upwardly opening trunnion supports which carry a pair of trunnions which 
in turn support the pulley housing. 
Referring to these figures in more detail, the hanger section 71 here 
comprises a pair of base plates 73 and 74 positioned perpendicularly with 
respect to each other and fixed rigidly with respect to each other as by 
being integrally molded as a single unit. Said base plates have means such 
as openings 76 and 77 associated therewith for reception of screws or 
other means for fixing same to a downwardly facing surface as shown in 
FIG. 12 or to a vertical surface as shown in FIG. 15. A plurality, here 
two, protuberances 78 are provided for guide structure against an edge as 
shown in FIG. 12 or for reception into a slightly deformable sealing 
surface for rigidifying said hanger structure 71 with respect thereto. 
Projecting from and between the base plates 73 and 74 are a pair of spaced 
trunnion supports 81 and 82, each having coaxial upwardly opening concave 
surfaces 83 and 84 (FIGS. 12 and 13). Said surfaces are curved on the same 
radius and are hence in alignment with each other. 
Suspended from said hangers 81 and 82 is the cord guide, here pulley, 
housing 72. Same comprises a generally boxlike structure 86 having sides 
87 and 88 parallel with and spaced from each other. Said sides are 
connected and positioned rigidly with respect to each other by ends 91 and 
92 which are rigidly fixed, as by being molded integrally with, said sides 
87 and 88. Said box structure 86 also includes a pair of fixed, as 
integrally molded, trunnions 89 and 90 extending from each end thereof and 
presenting downwardly facing convex surfaces which rest on the upwardly 
facing concave surfaces of the respective hangers 81 and 82. Said convex 
trunnion surfaces are curved on a slightly smaller radius than that of the 
concave hanger surfaces 83 and 84, as best shown in FIG. 12, in order to 
assure easy pivoting with respect thereto and avoidance of binding. 
Roller and lock structure is provided here generally similar to that of 
FIGS. 1-5. In this instance, a roller 93 is mounted on an axle 94 which is 
fixed rigidly between and with respect to said sides 87 and 88. Same may 
be so fixed in any convenient manner as by upsetting as indicated at 96 
(FIG. 15). As best shown in FIG. 14 the upper surface of said roller is 
aligned with or slightly above the upper surface 97 of one of the 
trunnions in order that a cord C guided thereby may lead out therefrom to 
the structure it is controlling. 
Lock structure is also provided for said cord C which is the same as that 
above described in connection with FIGS. 1-5. Since same is identical to 
the structure already described in connection with FIGS. 1-5, a further 
detailed description is unnecessary and it is sufficient only to identify 
the parts thereof, namely the slot 101 having teeth 102 along one side 
thereof, the cord engaging knurled roller 103 and a small pinion 104 (FIG. 
11) integral therewith for engaging the rack teeth 102. Thus, rotation of 
the knurled roller 103 by contact with a moving cord C will cause said 
pinion 104 to walk along the rack teeth 102 and assure movement of said 
lock in a proper direction for fixing or releasing same as desired and as 
determined by the direction of movement of said cord C. 
In the form here shown, the stiffener 106 is of such thickness that it is 
not possible (see FIG. 15) for the pulley guide 172 to assume a position 
parallel with the base plate 73 and the design and use of the structure in 
question is such that such a positioning would seldom if ever be 
necessary. However, if even greater versatility is desired for this unit, 
said stiffener 106 may be made of slightly less thickness in the vertical 
direction as appearing in FIG. 15 and with such modification the pulley 
guide 72 can assume a position parallel with that of the base plate 73. 
In FIGS. 16 and 17 is shown a unit corresponding to that of FIGS. 7-9 and 
used, for example, intermediate the ends of a Roman shade. If desired, the 
hanger portion 111 thereof may be identical with the hanger 71 or as shown 
in the drawing and as will be more common in actual use, same may be 
slightly shorter to accommodate a pulley housing 112 which is somewhat 
shorter than the pulley housing 72. 
The hanger 111 is, however, excepting for its length, identical with the 
hanger 71 and hence needs no detailed description. The numerals used 
thereon are the same as the numerals of the hanger 71 with the letter "A" 
associated therewith. 
Turning now to the pulley housing 112, same comprises a generally 
rectangular box including a pair of spaced parallel sides 113 and 114 
having fixed, as integrally molded, trunnions 116 and 117 at the upper 
end, same presenting a pair of downwardly facing convex trunnion surfaces 
for engagement with and support by the upwardly facing concave surfaces 
83A and 84A of hangers 81A and 82A. A brace member 118 is provided across 
the bottom thereof. A pulley 119 is rotatably mounted between said side 
members 113 and 114 in any convenient manner, such as by a pin 94A which 
is identical with and upset in the same manner (FIGS. 14 and 15) as the 
pin 94. 
Again, here, the stiffener 106A is of sufficient thickness that the pulley 
housing 112 is not able to quite assume a position parallel with the base 
plate 73A inasmuch as such positioning is seldom needed in the ordinary 
use of this pulley unit. However, if it is desired to have the greater 
versatility of such positioning, then it is a simple matter to reduce the 
vertical (as seen in FIG. 16) dimension of the stiffener 106A and the 
pulley housing 112 will then have no difficulty in assuming a position 
parallel with the base plate 74A alternatively with its position parallel 
with the base plate 74A. 
In the drawings and foregoing description, it will be noted that the cord 
guide means has throughout been referred to as usually a pulley, namely 
such as the pulleys 22, 65, 93 and 119. However, it will be recognized 
that such use of a pulley within the cord guide housing in each case is 
merely the preferable form of cord guide means for most instances and such 
cord guide means may instead of a pulley be a rigid guide without 
departure from the substance of the invention as appearing in any of the 
illustrated embodiments. Likewise the lock structure shown in connection 
with FIGS. 1-5 and 11-15, while effective and capable of good cooperation 
with the rest of the disclosed devices, is not critical in any specific 
form to the invention as set forth in any of several embodiments and same 
may be modified or omitted entirely excepting as hereinafter otherwise 
specifically claimed, without departure from the scope of the invention. 
Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been 
disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that 
further variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including 
the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.