A Combined Cornice and Curtain Hanger.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by OSCAR BERNHARD HELLSTRÖM, of 87, Phillip
Street, Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, Clerk.].
A Combined Cornice and Curtain Hanger.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6, Breams Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention has been devised for the purpose of lessening the difficulties that
housewives encounter in hanging lace and other curtains.
It consists of a cornice which is preferably divided into two halves, one half
for each curtain. The external surface of the cornice may be decorated in any
suitable manner. The cornice is constructed with its top and end sides hinged
or articulated so that they may be opened outwards, while its back and bottom
sides are left quite open. The cornice will be provided with means whereby it
may be hung on the moulding above the window. Attached to the rear side of
the front of the cornice, is a pliable or articulated slip of any suitable material
and of any desirable width. This slip should be of about the same length as
the width of the curtain, and should be so constructed that it may be folded
in pleats and when thus folded would lie within the limits of the half cornice
with which it is connected. A similar slip of flexible or articulated material
will be laid upon the first or lower slip, with the curtain between, so that, when
the two slips are folded together into pleats, the curtain shall be gripped firmly
by the two slips and hang in folds or pleats. Instead of the articulated slip being
hidden behind the cornice, it may be enclosed within a hollow ornamental cur-
tain pole.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the combined cornice and curtain hanger with the
curtains fixed in position ready for hanging.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the appliance viewed from below, but without the curtains.
Fig. 3 is a view of the extreme right hand end part of Fig. 2, but with the end
open and the top thrown back into the position shewn in Fig. 4.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the extreme right hand end of Fig. 1, but with
the end open as in Fig. 3 and the top raised.
Fig. 5 is a detail of the articulated slips, shewn, folded on the left hand
side of Fig. 2, and illustrates the manner in which the two slips will be
straightened out and opened ready to receive the upper end of a curtain.
A (Fig. 2) is the lower edge of the front face of the cornice which may be
ornamented in any suitable or tasteful manner. Articulated at a a¹ (near the
centre of the cornice) to the rear side of the front face, are the two slips B B¹,
which are articulated or jointed at the points b b¹ so that they may be folded
into pleats. The free end of the upper slip B is provided with an end piece C,
which is absent from the under slip B¹. The reason for this will hereafter be
made-plain. The-top-D-and-ends-E,-E!,-are-hinged-at-d,-and-e,-el-so-that-they-

page_text: may be opened outwards; they are also respectively, provided with hinged
clips F, F1, F2, whereby they may be firmly, retained in the closed position,
the hinges being shown at f, f, f. The under side of the top: D is provided
with a retaining flange or batten G, which is employed to retain in position
and secure the slips B, B', when the curtain has been placed between them and
folded. Within each of the ends E, E is a channel piece h, h¹ to receive and
retain the extremities C of the slips B, when the whole appliance is closed up.
The curtains J, Jare shewn in position and secured, in Fig. 1.
The modus operandi is as follows:-The cornice is laid face downwards on
a table; the slips F, F1, F2 are released, when the top D, and the ends E, E¹,
will open outwards into the positions shewn at Figs. 3 and 4. The extremities C
of the slips B are released from the channel pieces h, h¹ and the slips. B, B¹ are
then opened out as shewn in Fig. 5. The curtain. J is laid evenly between the
slips B, B, the top slip B is then laid upon the curtain and the two slips are
then folded up as shewn at Fig. 2. The top D is then closed and secured by
the clip F; by closing D the flange or batten will be laid against the folded slips
and will retain them in position. The extremities C are laid into the channel
pieces, h, and the ends E, E¹ may then be closed and secured to the top. D.
by means of the clips F, F. The appliance may then be suspended by the
eyes or rings K, K, above the window.
For convenience of illustration, the cornice has been shewn of double construc-
tion, but it is considered preferable that each half of. the cornice should be
independent of the other half, so that one curtain only might be fixed and sus-
pended at one time.
:
The articulated slips may be enclosed within a hollow ornamental curtain pole;
in which case the pole should be made in two halves, divided longitudinally.
When the pole is opened the slips will be released. On the curtain being folded
into the slips and the pole closed, the ends of the pole will be retained together
by means of ornamental terminal caps or finials.
It is obvious that many of the details of construction as illustrated in the
drawings may be varied, without in any way departing from the main principle
upon which the invention is based.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, (as communicated to
me from abroad), I declare that what claim is
I. In combination, a cornice frame, with or without a hinged top and ends, two
articulated folding slips, between which the curtain is placed, and a retaining
flange or batten for retaining in the folded position the pleated slips and curtain,
as specified.
II. A suitably ornamented front plate, which is provided with a hinged top
and ends, two articulated or jointed slips hinged to the rear side of the front plate
and so arranged that they can be folded into pleats, means for securing the free
ends of the jointed slips, means for securing and retaining in the folded positions
the folded slips, and means for securing all the hinged or articulated parts of
the appliance firmly together as and for the purposes set forth.
III. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts in the
combined cornice and curtain hanger as and for the several purposes specified.
Dated this 18th day of September 1800
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.