Improvements in Curtain and like Brackets for Bedsteads and Cots.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Curtain and like Brackets for Bedsteads and Cots.
We, HOSKINS AND SEWELL LIMITED, of Bordesloy, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturers, and ERNEST EDWARD SLADE, also of Bordesley, Birmingham afore-
Baid, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;
-
This invention relates to horizontally swinging curtain or drapery brackets or
hangers principally employed in connection with the head end pillars of bedsteads
and cots, but which may be used in conjunction with the foot ends or other parts of
the framings; and has for its object to to provide means for affixing or retaining the
said swinging brackets in fixed positions and from which they may be removed
without having to be previously lifted bodily.
By the present improvements, the drapery or curtain suspended from the brackets
has only to be pulled on one side when the retaining means becomes automatically
released and the bracket transported to any desired other position in which it is
again self-retained.
In carrying out one form of the invention, the bracket, which may consist of
a vertical rod carrying the frame from which a curtain is suspended, is supported
by top and bottom bearing arms, the upper one having an eye or bearing hole
wherethrough a central end pivot takes, but leaving sufficient clearance between the
underside of the arm and the top of the rod to admit of the bracket rising when
changing its position. The lower arm or bearing has a square or rectangular
shaped recess sunken within its top face, with a round axial hole passing through
its middle, wherein a pivot neck or reduced part at the foot end of the bracket,
engages and turns, the said pivot being greater in depth than the extent of throw
made by the said bracket in rising, so that the said pivot ends always remain
in their bearings. The two opposite sides of the sinking slope upwards and out-
wards, whilst the foot of the bracket is made of the same configuration as, and fits
square into, the bottom of the well as a socket, thus admitting of the said bracket
being retained in two, three or more different set positions.
Assuming that the foot end is square in transverse section, then, as the same
rotates, the corners or angles by making a greater radius than the sides, wipe over
the inclined edges of the well which come in their paths when the said bracket
makes a turning movement about its pivots as a centre. The result of the angles
of the foot wiping over these inclines is that the bracket is gradually but bodily
ifted until the said sides of the foot come into the midway position on the sides
of the well after which they gradually descend, on the continued rotation of the
bracket until the foot comes coincident with, or register with, the sides of said well,
vhon the said bracket is there self-retained in a new position.
Instead of bottom of the well being square and the foot shaped to fit therein, the
aid parts may be triangular, or of an elongated rectangular figure, or polygonal.
The bracket is secured by a screw passing through a hole in the bottom of the
vell and axially for a distance up the pivot, so that accidental lifting of the bracket
ff its bearing is prevented.

page_text: As a modification, the edges of the well may be cut with a series of V-shaped
or triangular teeth or notches, with which a like set of teeth on the bottom of the
bracket engage, and, as a further modification, instead of the bracket rising and
falling, it may be provided with a yielding spring bolt, whose nose end is adapted
to engage on the rotation of the bracket, with oue or other of a series of holes
formed within its path around the bottom of the bearing, this bolt arrangement
being preferably disposed around the foot rud of the bracket, and the holes into
which it engages are made within the opposed face of the support, but instead of
the bolt being carried by the bracket, it may be carried by the bearing and engage
with holes having shanifer leads, made in or through a collar encircling a lower
part of the bracket.
the bracket have sinkings,
As another modification, the
a spring
with side leads, at its edges, with which the free end of
carried on the fixed bearing automatically engages for retaining the bracket in
a set position, and is disengaged therefrom on a pull being given, through the
ourtain, to the supporting bracket.
collar
1007
011
HOSKINS AND SEWELL LIMITED,
ERNEST EDWARD SLADE.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
Improvements in Curtain and like Brackets for Bedsteads and Oots.
WC, HOSKINS ANd Sewell LIMITED, of Bordesley, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturers, und ERNEST EDWARd Slade, also of Bordesley, Birmingham afore-
said, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention und 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 horizontally swinging curtain or drapery brackets or
hangers principally employed in connection with the head end pillars of bedsteads
and cots, but which may be used in conjunction with the foot ends or other parts of
the framings; and has for its object to provide means for temporarily affixing or
retaining the said swinging brackets in fixed positions and from which they may
be removed without having to be previously lifted bodily.
By the present improvements, the drapery or curtain suspended from the brackets
has only to be pulled on one side when the said bracket becomes automatically
released from the retaining means and may then be turned round or transported
to any desired other position, in which it is again self-retained or automatically
fastened.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents, in elevation, a portion of the
head end pillar of a bedstend provided with a swinging curtain or drapery arm
having in conjunction with it, self-releasing and self-fastening means for retaining
the said arm in either of a number of different or given positions, in accordance
with one form of this invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view to that shown in Figure 1, but with the joint parts
of the arm shown in section.
Figure 3 is a like view as Figure 2 of the joint parts of the said curtain arm,
but upou an enlarged scale.
In these said Figures 1 to 3, the curtain arm is shown pointing in the longer
1

page_text: direction of the bedstead and retained in such position by the square foot end or
he part of the vertical rod lying within a square seating or she-formation in its
bottom supporting bracket.
Figure 4 represents partly in elevation and partly in vertical section the bottom
joint of the suid curtain arm, but with the parts in the positions which they
assume when the said arm is being transferred, by a pull upon the suspended
curtain, from one position to another.
Figure 5 is a cross section of Figure 4 upon the dotted line, with the lower
bracket in plan to show the dispositions of the inclined sides to the square seating
up and down which the foot or lower end of the vertical rod rides when the arm is
wung round.
Figure 6 is a cross section of Figure 3 upon the dotted line z', showing the foot
end of the moving part of the joint lying within the corresponding seating in, the
fixed bracket thereof.
Figure 7 is a side elevation and Figure 8 a topside plan of the fixed bracket
separately.
Figure 9 is an elevation with a part in section, of the lower end of the vertical rod
of the curtain arm, separately and Figure 10 is a cross section thereof upon the
dotted line.
Figure 11 represents the screw employed for retaining the upright rod of the
arm to the lower bracket.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said Figures 1
to 11.
The curtain arm or bracket, in this form of the invention consists of a vertical
rod a, carrying the horizontal arm or member a', from which a curtain is 818-
pended, said rod being supported by top and bottom bearings or brackets b, c,
secured to the pillar d, of a bedstead.
The bracket of the upper joint has an eye or bearing hole b', wherethrough a
central end pivot a³, of the upright a, lakes, but leaving sufficient clearance between
the underside, of the bracket and the top a³, of the rod to admit of the entire
The support or
curtain arm lifting or rising bodily when changing its position.
bearing e, of the lower joint has a square or rectangular shaped seating or recess c',
sunken within its top face, with a round axial hole e, passing through its middle
wherein a pivot neck or reduced part at, at the foot end of the upright rod a,
engages and turns, the said pivot being greater in depth than the extent of throw
made by the said bracket in rising and falling, so that the pivote at both the top
and bottom ends of the rod always remain in their bearings. The bracket, at
the two opposite sides of the rectangular seating or sinking, slopes upwards and
outwards, to form inclined planes, whilst the foot a³, of the bracket is made
of the same configuration as, and fits (when home) square into the bottom of the
well as a socket, and thus serves as a self-acting means for retaining the curtain in
two, three or more different set positions, such as in line with the longer direction
of the bed, or folded over the bed flat against the head rail, or at right angles to
the length of the bed away from the head.
Assuming that the square foot end a³, is lying within its seat c', and retaining
the curtain arm in the position shewn in Figures 1 to 3, and that it is required to
transfer the said arm to a position at right angles to that represented, then the
curtain is pulled and the arm is swung round in the desired direction and as it
rotates about its pivots a³, at, as centres, the corners or angles a6, of the foot a",
O by making a greater radius than the sides a', wipe over the inclined edges e, c
of the well which come in their paths. The result of the angles of the foot wiping
over these inclines is that the bracket is gradually but bodily lifted until the said
sides of the foot come into the midway position on the sides of the well (see
Figure 5) after which they gradually descend, on the continued rotation of the
5 bracket, until the foot comes coincident with, or again registers with, the sides
of said well, when the said curtain arm is there self-retained in a new position.

page_text: Instead of bottom of the well being square and the foot shaped to fit therein,
the said engaging parts may be triangular, as represented in Figure 12, or of an
elongated rectangular figure, or they may be polygonal as represented in Figure 13.
The bracket is secured by a screw e, passing through the hole, in the bottom
of the well and axially for a distance up the pivot a', so that accidental lifting
of the rod foot end off its bearing, or out of its seating, is prevented.
Figure 14 represents a modification of this form of the invention, in which the
square seating c³, with the inclinations c³, c, leading therefrom are formed at the
lower end of the upright support of the curtain arm whilst the corresponding
rectangular boss as, is made a fixture with the brackot c, of the bottom joint.
It is to be understood that instead of the square or polysided formation being
formed at the foot of the vertically rising and falling rod and engaging with an
inclined-sided and corresponding shaped sinking or well in its lower supporting
bracket, the upper extremity of the said rod may be so formed, and may engage
and work within a like shaped seating or well, with inclined sides, formed in the
top side of the upper bracket, in which case the lower end of the rod would be
in a stalk form and take through a plain hole in the lower brackot.
Or the poly-sided formation may be made or attached at any intermediato
position upon the rod and engaged with a suitable sinking in the upper side of
a supplementary bracket through which the upright rod may bodily pass.
In curtain arms which rotate without rising and falling, the same may be
retained by a stud or studs upon the one element taking into one or more corre-
sponding holes or incline-sided sinkings in the other part.
Figure 15 represents partly in section, and partly in elevation, a further modifi-
cation of the invention and Figure 16 is a plan of the bracket supporting the
upright of the curtain arm.
In this arrangement, instead of curtain arms or frame rising and falling, the
fixed joint bracket c, is provided with a yielding spring bolt, whose nose end is
adapted to engage, on the rotation of the rod a, with one or other of a series of
holes a', formed within its path around the bottom of the foot or bearing end a³,
but instead of the bolt being carried by the bracket, it may be carried by the
bearing end of the curtain arm or frame and engage with holes (preferably having
shamfer leads) made in or through the said supporting bracket.
Figure 17 represents one form of this last arrangement in section and Figure 18
is a plan of the fixed bracket, which has a series of sinkings a³, into one or other
of which a loose bolt, located within a hole a, in the foot o, of the pivoted rod a,
falls by gravity, on being brought opposite thereto by the swinging round of the
curtain arm.
Figure 19 is an elevation, partly in section of a still further form of the invention
and Figure 20 is a cross section of the lower or foot end of the pivoted rod or like
member of the curtain arm or frame, upon the dotted line *.
In this form, a foot collar a³, of the lower end of the rod a, has a series of sink-
ings a, preferably with side leads, with which the free end f', of a spring f, carried
on the fixed bearing bracket c, automatically engages for retaining the bracket in
a set position, and is disengaged therefrom on a pull being given through the
curtain to the supporting rod or frame.
As an alternative, the spring catch or tongue may be carried upon the end of the
pivoted rod, and the holes formed around the periphery of the fixed bracket.
4
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be perofrmed, we declare that what we 5
claim is:-
Firat. In curtain and like arms for bedsteads and cots having a vertically rising
and falling rod or member supported by brackets, the employment of a polysided
foot or equivalent he part or parts on the one element, rotating, working and
senting itself within an inclined sided and corresponding shaped well, sinking or 5
equivalent she part of the other element, whereby, when the curtain arm is swung

page_text: round, the said elements are self-released and again automatically disengaged, sub-
stantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. Curtain and like arms for bedsteads and cots comprising a vertically
sliding arm having a polysided foot or part, rotating and working and seating
itself within an inclined-sided and like shaped well or sinking formed upon or
within a supporting bracket of the said arm, whereby, when the curtain arm is
swung round, it is self-released from one of a series of given positions and then
automatically locked in another position, substantially as described and set forth
in Figures 1 to 13.
Thirdly. In curtain and like arms for bedsteads and cots which rotate without
rising and falling, the employment of a series of holes or sinkings in the one
element, with one or other of which, a spring or other bolt, catch or equivalent
fastener carried by the other element, engages, whereby on the swinging round of
the curtain arm, the said fastener is self released from one of the said holes and
then automatically engages with another hole, substantially as described and set
forth in Figures 15 to 20.
Fourthly. In curtain and like arms for bedsteads which rotate without rising
and falling, the construction arrangement and combination of the parts of a spring
catch device, substantially as described and set forth in Figures 19 and 20.
Dated this 16th day of August. 1898.
HOSKINS AND SEWELL LIMITED.
FRNEST EDWARD SLADE.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham Agent for Applicants.