RACKS FOR BLINDS AND THE LIKE
Year: 1884

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I MARTIN BOWELL of Crawley, in the county of Sussex, Builder do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for RACKS FOR BLINDS AND THE
LIKE" to be as follows:-
These racks are provided with a spring to accomodate the varying length of
the blind or other cord and may also have a screw and nut or equivalent device so
as to bring the cord to the proper tension, and as an accomodation in addition to
the spring. The spring may be a helical one or india rubber. The structural
details may of course be varied but the essential principle of the invention will be
understood by the following description.
A suitable bracket adapted to be screwed to the wood work carries a rod screwed
for about half its length and having a milled nut whichs erves to compress a spring-
coiled round the rod between the nut and an ear or projecting portion of the
bracket of which there may be one or more--through which the rod passes.
The upper portion of the rod carries the pulley round which the cord passes and
draws up the rod against the pressure of the spring.
In a modified form the spring is coiled round the rod which terminates in a head,
the screwed portion passing through the bracket against which the nut works. A
tube or sheath is placed outside the spring and being so closed as to catch the
free end of the spring-or the spring end may be attached to the sheath. The
action is the same as before.
Where desired the nut and screw may be dispensed with and the bracket can be
fitted with a spring at the back and arranged to slide in the common rack, but I
prefer the former plan.
In using the rubber for the spring I prefer a tube to one end of which the
pulley is secured while a hook at the other end takes into a loop upon the screwed
rod, is secured to the bracket or eye-or the hook may be dispensed with the
screwed rod being used direct.
A simple stretched ring having the pulley at one end and the screwed rod at the
other will however do very well.
This invention may be applied to the ordinary spring bracket by threading the
central rod and placing the nut upon it so as to compress the spring.

page_text: I MARTIN BOWELL, Crawley Sussex, Builder do hereby declare the nature of
this invention for "RACKS FOR BLINDS AND THE LIKE and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:—
This invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which like letters of reference represent like parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rack, A is the back plate or bracket with ears B
through which passes the spindle C having the pulley D at one end, and screwed
as shown for a portion of its length at the other end. E is the adjusting nut and F
the spring. When the cord G which passes round the pulley D draws it and the
spindle C upward it compresses the spring F between the nut E and the upper
ear B and should the pressure not be sufficient it may be increased by screwing up
the nut a little more if the pressure be excessive the nut may be turned back a
little. A double compensation is thus obtained-:-the spring which always exercises
an elastic pressure upon the cord and the nut by which that pressure can be
modified when required.
The same principle carried out in Figure 2 the manner of applying it being
slightly varied. In this case the spindle and spring are carried in a sheath or
case H which carries the pulley D at one end and is sufficiently closed at the
other to allow the spindle to pass through but to retain the spring, or this end of
the spring may be secured to the case H in any convenient manner and the end be
left open. The spindle C has a head or equivalent I between which and the end
of the case the spring F is compressed in the same manner as before described the
pressure being regulated by the nut E which bears against the supplementary
bracket A as shown: The spindle is screwed as before.
In Figure 3 the principle of double compensation or adjustment is mentioned,
the spring F acting as before, but in place of the nut E I adapt the common
rack K and spring L.
Figure 4 shows a simple form of the apparatus the spring being compressed
between the screw bracket N and the nut E as will be easily understood.
Figure 5 shows a rubber tube O carrying the pulley D at one end and a hook or
equivalent P which may be secured by screw or other fastening to the wood work
of the window &; The tube expands and contracts according to the strain put
upon it and it may be encased if desired to keep it from swaying about a telescopic
case may be adopted for this purpose.
The arrangement shown in Figure 6 is very similar to that of Figure 4 but
instead of compressing the spring by means of the nut E the sleeve R is used for
this purpose.
Figure 8 shows two views of a modified form of Figure 1. the springs compressed
between the bottom of the carriage U and the travelling nut E the carriage being
pulled upwards by the action of the blind cord and the nut drawn down by turning
the screwed spindle C.
The form shown in Figure 9 will be easily understood; O being an indiarubber
ring and carrying a pulley book W in the same manner as in Figure 10. Figure 10
shows the rubber ring attachment applied to an ordinary rack.

page_text: This sleeve has teeth R¹ which engage with corresponding teeth C¹ upon the
spindle C, these two sets of teeth are kept in gear by the screw S which is relaxed
when it is desired to alter the position of the sleeve R upon the spindle C.
The sleeve R in Figure 7 acts in the same manner as in Figure 6 but the screw S
is replaced by the Spring T which holds the two sets of teeth in gear nnless it be
compressed which may be done by pressing the knob U.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be
understood that I lay no claim to either the spring screw or rack separately as
these are all well known but what I do claim is
1, In a rack or tightener for blind cords and the like the combination with the
spring F of means for adjusting the tension thereof.
2, The india rubber tightener for blind cords and the like substantially as
described and illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
3, The combination with an ordinary blind rack of the rubber ring O and
pulley hook W substantially as described and shown in Figure 10 of the accom-
panying drawings.
4, The tightener for blind cords and the like substantially as shown in Fig 9 of
the drawings in which the rubber ring O supplies the spring adjustment to the
pulley hook W, said adjustment being controlled by the screw device C E acting
upon the bracket or eye N.