Improvements in Display-racks for Curtains.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Display-racks for Curtains.
I, JOSEPH STRASSNER, of 1836 Amboy Street Philadelphia, in the County of
Philadelphia, and State of Pennslyvania, United States of America, Gentleman,
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 relates to display-racks or stands and the objects in view are to.
provide a structure to be set up in retail and wholesale curtain stores and adapted
to support in a suspended compact manner a series of pairs of curtains, each of
which pairs may be successively drawn out for the purpose of inspection and when
released will be automatically returned to their packed positions.
With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain features of
construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure is a perspective of a show-rack constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.
Fig. 3 is a detail in elevation of one of the curtain-supporting carriers.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
In practicing my invention I secure to the ceiling of a show-room opposite pairs
of depending hangers 1, each pair of which is connected by an upper cross-bar 2,
located near the lower ends of the hangers, and a lower cross-bar 3, located at
said ends.
One cross-bar 2, is elevated or located in a plane above the other cross-bar,
while the two lower cross-bars are in the same plane. The two lower cross-bars
are connected by side-bars 4, and the frame-work thus constructed is braced by
diagonal guy-wires 5, connected at their lower ends to the hangers 1 and at their
upper ends to the ceiling.
Each pair of cross-bars 2 and 3, is provided with vertically-opposite screw-
eyes 6, the vertically-opposite pair at one side of the structure being located
opposite those of the remaining pair of bars, and the eyes of the two upper bars
are connected by track-wires 7, and in a similar mauner are the eyes of the lower
bars connected by track-wires 8, so that the upper wires form inclined ways and
the lower wires horizontal ways, the two diverging toward what I shall for
convenience call the "front" or "operative" side of the machine.
In advance of the front depending hangers, 1, there is located a frame 9, which
is connected to the ceiling and extends down below the track-wires, said frame
being connected to the adjacent lower cross-bar 3, by means of braces 10, which
braces support a transverse bar 11. A ticket-board 12 is secured to the depending
frame 9, amd upon the same opposite each pair of diverging track-wires may be
attached the price and quality of the curtains supported, as hereinafter described,
upon that particular track.
L
Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, it will be seen that I have provided
carriage for running upon the track and between the diverging track-wires. This
carriage consists of an upper bar 14 and a lower bar 15, each of which is provide
upon its upper side and near its ends with standards 16 which embrace the upper
and lower track-wires, and above and below said track-wires said standards have
grooved roller; 17, designed to run either upon the under side or upper side of th
track. The bars 15 and 14 are connected to each other by an inclined bar 18,
through the medium of a pair of U-shaped links 19, connected to diagonally-
opposite ends of said bars 14 and 15.
:

page_text: The upper bar 14 is provided at its front end with an eye 20, and a similar eye
is located upon the upper side of the diagonal bar 18, slightly above the centre of
the same and also upon the under side of, said bar, the latter being.connected by a
coiled spring 21 to a rigid stirrup or standard 22 rising from the lower bar at the
rear end of the same. The two eyes 20 first mentioned are likewise connected by
a coiled spring 21, so that the two springs exert a tendency to draw the two
bars 14 and 15 together.
From the upper bar rises a standard 22, and to the lower bar, in eyes 23, there
is supported a pair of curtain-rods 24", to which pairs of curtains may be attached
and draped. Like cords or ropes 24 are connected to the standards 22", and each
cord or rope passes through an eye 25 located above the front end of the track and
is continued on and secured to an eye 26, located in advance of the eye 25. Upon
each of these ropes, between these eyes just mentioned small pulleys 27 are located,
and pulling-ropes 28 depend from each pulley and pass through guide-eyes 29,
projecting from the bar 11, and are connected to hooks 30, projecting from the
lower cross-bar of the frame 9 from which said ropes may be disconnected and
to which they may be resecured at a higher point, as will hereinafter appear.
This completes the construction of my apparatus and the operation of the same
is as follows:-
It will be observed that the springs 21 of the carriers are distended when the
carriers are at the widest portions of their tracks, and that if released at those
portions they will automatically return to the narrowest portions, which is the rear
of the apparatus. Hence the normal position of each carrier is at the rear end of
the exhibitor, and in this manner a large number of curtains may be held suspended
and draped. In exhibiting the curtains it is simply necessary to draw upon one of
the cords or ropes 28 connected with that pair of curtains which it is desired to
exhibit, whereupon the carrier and the curtains supported thereby will be drawn to
the front of the apparatus, at which point it may be retained by connecting the cord
or rope 28 with the hook of the frame 9. If desired, two or more curtains may be
drawn out simultaneously, provided the tracks are long enough, and thus compared,
after which by releasing the ropes 28, the springs 21 drawing the upper and
lower bars of the carriers together, and the inclined upper wire causes the carrier
or carriers to return to their normal positions at the rear end of the apparatus.
From the above construction it will be seen that I may provide a comparatively
cheap and very simple device for conveniently supporting and exhibiting to a
better advantage lace curtains, portieres, etc., and thus avoid the inconvenient and
poor way of throwing the same over the backs of chairs, counters or other
convenient handy objects.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what !
claim is :-
1. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination with diverging tracks, of a
curtain-exhibiting carriage comprising upper and lower bars, loose connections
between the same, having grooved rollers embracing the wires of the tracks, springs
for normally drawing the bars toward each other, and a rope connected with each
carriage, substantially as specified.
2. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination with opposite pairs of depending
supporting-standards, cross-bars connecting each pair of standards, the upper bar
of one pair of standards being arranged above the corresponding bar of the
opposite pair of standards, corresponding eyes located in said cross-bars, track-
wires connecting the eyes of one pair of bars with those of the opposite pair of
bars, pairs of eyes located in rear of the front pair of hangers opposite each
track, and a frame located in rear of said eyes and provided at its lower end with
fastening devices, of the carriers consisting of upper and lower bars, springs for
connecting the same and drawing them toward each other, ropes connected to the
carriers, passed through the eyes in front of the standards and connected to

page_text: the front eyes, pulleys mounted upon the ropes between the eyes, and ropes depending
from the pulleys and connected to the fastening devices, substantially as specified.
3. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination with the horizontal track-wires
and the inclined track-wires, together with their supports, of the curtain-carriers
consisting of the upper and lower bars, each provided with pairs of vertical
standards embracing the wires, pairs of pulleys mounted in each standard and
moving on the wires, links extending from the adjacent sides and at diagonally-
opposite ends of the bars, an inclined bar pivoted to the links, standards extending
from the diagonally-opposite ends of the bars, and springs connected to the
standards and the inclined bar, substantially as specified.
4. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination with the upper and lower tracks
converging toward each other at one end, combined with the carriage comprising
upper and lower trucks, each provided with rollers and moving on its respective
track, said trucks being hinged together, of contracting springs connecting the two
trucks of the carriage and serving to move the carriage toward the converged end
of the track, and means for returning the carriage to the starting-point and
retaining the same in position, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of October 1891
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.