IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING AND ACTUATING WINDOW CURTAINS, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Fraser at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th July
1864.
I, JOHN FRASER, of 73, Mildmay Road, Islington, in the County of Middle-
sex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ARRANGING AND ACTUATING WINDOW CURTAINS, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an improved method of constructing and
arranging the apparatus connected with the cornice poles of window curtains,
which are either drawn from or to the centres thereof, to or from both sides
thereof respectively, or drawn from one side to the other. When a window
is furnished with two curtains, each curtain to be drawn by the apparatus to
or from the centre thereof, I fix a double sheaved pulley or two pulleys in the
centre of the pole along which the curtain rings are drawn; I fix the pulley
or pulleys in that position by means of a hinged band, the ends of which
overlap and are fastended together and around the pole by a screw rose. To
this band I attach the pulley or pulleys by means of an axis or axes placed
radially projecting from the outside of the band; and I fix the band on the.
pole in such a manner that the sheaves of the pulley or pulleys shall be above
the pole with their axes in a vertical position. I prefer to use this centre.
band and pulleys when a window has two curtains, but it may be dispensed
with as herein-after mentioned.

page_text: On each side of a window at which a cord is to be used for drawing or
withdrawing a curtain I place a bracket in the ordinary position for carrying an
ordinary cornice pole, but I make the bracket with a curved top, hinged at
back, and overlapping in front, the overlapping ends being secured together
when the pole is in its place by means of a screw rose, which also holds the
pole in its proper position. On the top of the hinged piece of such a bracket
I mount a single-sheaved pulley, the axis of which is placed vertically, and
immediately above the centre line of the pole. I also attach to the same
hinged piece a double sheaved pulley, the sheaves of which work on a hori-
zontal axis placed at a right angle or nearly at a right angle with the centre
line of the pole. The sheaves of this double pulley are to be mounted in such
a position that the cord working over them may pass down behind the pole or
in front of the pole to the place at which the cord is to be pulled by the hand
for drawing the curtain attached to the cord in the required direction.
When a window has two curtains, and the pole is furnished with a centre
band and pulleys such as above described, I prefer to place the double-sheaved
pulley on the bracket at each side, so that the cords leading from the sheaves
shall pass down behind the pole.
If the centre band and pullies be used, the cord for drawing a curtain to or
fro passes up over one of the sheaves of the double-sheaved pulley mounted
above the bracket at the side of the window where the cord is to be pulled or
actuated, and then passing along above the pole to the centre band, is to be
passed round one of the sheaves of that band, and is then to be carried back
again to and passed over the other sheave of the double pulley at the bracket.
In that case it will be observed that the single pulley working on a vertical
axle at the top of the hinged piece of the bracket is not used, but that pulley
must be used when the pole is not furnished with a centre band and pulley or
pulleys such as above described, the cord in that case being passed around the
sheave of the pulley above the bracket instead of being passed around a pulley
sheave upon the centre band.
When a window is only furnished with one curtain, the centre band and
pulleys are not necessary, and the double-sheaved pulley only of the bracket
at one side of the window is used and the single pulley at the top of the
bracket at the other side.
The cord arranged through or over pulleys in any of the ways above
described may be attached to one of the rings of the curtain to be drawn
either in the ordinary manner or by means of the guide herein-after
described.

page_text: I have invented a guide for attaching a window curtain cord to one of the
leading rings of a curtain; and also for the purpose of guiding that ring as it
is drawn along the pole by the cord. My guide consists of a piece of brass
straight at top and rounded at bottom (which I call a guide piece), with screw
hole at the top, and another screw hole at side. I make a band consisting of
a strip or piece of pliable sheet metal, perforated with holes and slotted for the
purpose of enabling it to be drawn tight and fixed by screws passing into the
holes in the guide piece already mentioned. The band is attached to the side
of the guide piece by means of a screw passing through one of the slots in the
band into the hole in the side of the guide piece. The band is passed through
one of the leading rings, and carried over to the top of the guide piece upon
which the ends of the band are drawn tight and fastened by a screw eye
passing through two holes or slots in the band into the guide piece. The
screw eye at the top of the guide piece receives the cord by means of which
the curtain is to be drawn to and fro.