IMPROVEMENTS IN VENETIAN BLINDS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Thomas Wood Piper, of Plymouth, in the County
of Devon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENETIAN BLINDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Thomas Wood Piper
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July 1876.
CHARLES THOMAS WOOD PIPER, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon. "Tм-
PROVEMENTS IN VENETIAN BLINDS."
My Invention relates to outside Venetian sun blinds, and consists in the following
improvements" :—
According to my Invention the laths, which are of greater width and therefore
fewer in number than usual so as not to impede the view, are constructed of
lenticular form in cross section, that is to say, thicker in the middle than at the
edges to prevent warping, and combine strength with lightness of appearance, I fix
the laths between double cross tapes passing above and below the lath to ensure
them falling at the proper angle and prevent them being displaced by the wind,
and I dispense with the usual canting lath at the top of the blind and attach the
ladders to a fixed head piece in such manner that when the blind is lowered the
laths assume such an inclination as to afford an effectual Screen for the sun without
materially obstructing the view. The laths being fewer in number than usual,
occupy less space when drawn up, and therefore the box in which they are received
is smaller and more sightly. In order to avoid the necessity of opening the window
to raise or lower the blind I carry the cords round a suitable arrangement of side
pulleys and through a groove in the top of the window sash to the interior of the
room, where they are united to a single cord, so that the blinds may be raised or
lowered from the inside.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Thomas Wood Piper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th January 1877.
"TM-
CHARLES THOMAS WOOD PIPER, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon.
PROVEMENTS IN VENETIAN BLINDS."
My Invention relates to outside Venetian sun blinds, and consists in the following
improvements :-

page_text: According to my Invention the laths, which aro of greater width and therefore
fewer in number than usual so as not to impede the view, are constructed of
lenticular form in cross section, that is to say, thicker in the middle than at the
edges to prevent warping and combine strength with lightness of appearance. I fix
the laths between double cross tapes, passing above and below the lath to ensure
them falling at the proper angle and prevent them being displaced by the wind,
and I dispense with the usual canting lath at the top of the blind and attach the
ladders to a fixed head piece in such manner that when the blind is lowered the
laths assume such an inclination as to afford an effectual screen from the sun without
materially obstructing the view. The laths being fewer in number than usual
occupy less space when drawn up, and therefore the box in which they are received
is smaller and more sightly than usual. In order to avoid the necessity of opening
the window to raise or lower the blind I carry the cords round a suitable arrange-
ment of side pulloys and through a groove in the top of the window sash to the
interior of the room, where they are united to a single cord so that the blinds may
be raised or lowered from the inside.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figuro 1 is a front elevation of my improved sun blind applied to a window.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 are vertical sections of the same showing the blind secured to
wire guides in different positions in the various Figures. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
A are the laths preferably about 3 to 5 inches wide and 4 to 5 inches apart.
They are made thicker in the middle of their width and gradually thinned at the
edges, as plainly shown in the cross sections; B is the webbing and C, C, are cross
tapes attached to the webbing B in the ordinary manner and passing above and
below each lath. The webbing B is attached to a fixed head piece D instead of the
usual canting lath, and is permanently arranged so that the cross tapes C, C, and
the laths A shall hang at the proper angle when the blind is lowered as above-
mentioned. E is the box in which the blind when drawn up is received and
protected from raiu.
The blind may be guided in raising and lowering, and fixed when lowered so as
to prevent the wind blowing it about in various ways; for instance, the cord by
which the blind is raised and lowered may be pulled down through the bottom
lath and attached to a hook in the sill of the sash frame, as shown by the broken
lines in Figure 2, or vertical wire guides, represented by the broken line G,
Figure 4, may be stretched from the lead piece to the sill of the sash frame, and
in a line with the webbing B, to which are secured by sewing or otherwise rings H.
sliding on the wires G. 1 prefer, however, to fix the wire guides at either side of the
blind (as shown by the broken line G in Figure 1) so that the blind may be secured
to the guide wires at the ends of the lathe by the wire passing either through holes
in the laths near the ends, or through rings or staples H secured to the ends of the
laths as shown, the blind in either case sliding up and down the guiding wires. In
Figure 3 I have omitted the portion of the cords which pass down through the
laths in order to show the wire & more clearly. The cords N for raising and lowering
the blind pass up between the ladders through holes in the laths in the usual way,
and over pulleys I mounted in mortises in the head piece, as usual, thence round
side pulleys K at one end of the head piece, thence through a groove in the top of
the upper sash L of the window into the room where they are united to a single
cord M passing over a pulley, so that the blind may be raised and lowered with-
out opening the window. To prevent noise or rattling when the blind is shaken
by the wind I prefer to cover the rings or staples H with leather or other soft
inaterial.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of performning
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is―
•
1st. Making the laths of lenticular form in cross section, that is to say, thick in

page_text: the middle and gradually thinned at the edges as and for the purpose shown and
described.
2nd. Supporting the laths between double cross tapes, that is to say, cross tapes
passing above each lath as well as below, and guiding and holding the blind by
wires so as to hold the laths in position, and prevent the blind being displaced by
the wind as described.
3rd. Hanging the ladders or webbing from a fixed head piece instead of from the
usual canting lath so that the laths will always hang in one position as specified.
4th. Leading the cords for raising and lowering the blinds through a groove in
the top of the window sash into the room as described, so that the blinds may be
raised and lowered from the inside.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Thomas Wood Piper, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
C. T. W. PIPER. (L.S.)