AN IMPROVEMENT OR IM- PROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND LOWERING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE RAISING AND LOWERING OF OTHER BODIES."
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas James Perry, of the Lozells, in the
Parish of Aston juxta Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engine Turner, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND LOWERING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS,
APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE RAISING AND LOWERING OF OTHER BODIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas James
Perry at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th June 1853.
I, THOMAS JAMES PERRY, of the Lozells, in the Parish of Aston
juxta Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engine Turner, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND LOWERING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS,
APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE RAISING AND LOWERING OF OTHER BODIES," to be as
follows:-
Fig. 1, represents my Invention in vertical section, and Fig. 2,
represents the same in front view; a, is the drum or axis on which the

page_text: cord is wound, and from which it is unwound; c, is the crank or lever
by which the said drum or axis a, is turned; the said crank or lever
turns upon a joint at d, and the end e, of the crank or lever is urged
in the direction indicated by the arrow f, by the spring g, and the pin
e, on the end e, of the crank or lever c, is thereby made to engage
in one of the holes h, h, (see Fig. 1.) which are formed at short intervals
around the plate i. When the hand is placed upon the knob k, for the
purpose of turning the crank or lever c, the said knob is pressed in the
direction indicated by the arrow, and the pin e, disengaged from the
holes in the plate i, the said crank c, may then be turned in either
direction, so as to wind or unwind the cord b, and on loosing the said
knob, the pin e', is immediately pressed against the plate i, by the
spring g, and made to engage in one of the holes in the said plate, and
secure the crank c, and cord f, in the position in which they were left
when the hand was removed from the said crank.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas James Perry in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 12th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
THOMAS JAMES PERRY, of the Lozells, in the Parish of Aston juxta
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engine Turner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas James Perry, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas James Perry, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas James Perry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during

page_text: the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND LOWERING VENETIAN
AND OTHER BLINDS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE RAISING AND LOWERING OTHER
BODIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
James Perry, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas James Perry, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
My Invention consists of an instrument or apparatus for raising and
lowering blinds and such bodies as are raised and lowered by the
winding and unwinding of a cord, which said instrument or apparatus
fixes the position of the blind or other article after it has been raised
or lowered, so as to prevent the further raising or lowering of the same,
excepting by the application of the hand to the said instrument or
apparatus.
Figure 1, represents my Invention in front view; Figure 2, re-
presents the same in side view; and Figure 3, represents a vertical
section of the same; Figure 4, represents a modification of my said
Invention; a, is a drum or axis on which the cord b, is wound or un-
wound, the said cord b, being connected in the ordinary manner with a
Venetian or other blind, or other article to be raised or lowered. The
cord b, is connected with the drum or axis a, by being passed through
the hole c, and its end tied in a knot; d, is a crank or lever attached to
the drum or axis a, by a joint e; the end f, of the crank or lever d, is
urged in the direction indicated by the arrow g, Figure 3, by the spring
h; and the pin i, in the end f, of the crank or lever d, is thereby made to

page_text: ongage in one of the holes h, k, which are formed at short intervals
around the plate 7. When the hand takes hold of the knob m, for the
purpose of turning the crank or lever d, the said knob m, is pressed in
the direction indicated by the arrow, and the pin i, disengaged from
the holes, in the plate 7. (The pressure on the knob m, in the
direction indicated by the arrow 2, is usually effected involuntarily.)
The said crank or lever d, may now be turned in either direction so as
to wind or unwind the cord b, and when the blind or other article has
been raised or lowered to the required extent, and the hand removed
from the knob m, the pin i, is immediately pressed against the plate 1,
by the spring h, and made to engage in one of the holes, in the said
plate . The crank or lever d, is thus fixed in the position, or there-
abouts, in which it was left when the hand was removed therefrom. I
sometimes modify my Invention in the manner illustrated in Figure 4;
that is to say, I divide the axis into two parts by a plate or plates o, so
as to make two drums, on which the ends of the cords p, p', are coiled,
the said ends being coiled in opposite directions. By turning the crank or
lever q, the cord
P is wound on one drum, and the cord p¹, unwound
from the other, or the reverse.
My Invention is applicable to the raising and lowering of Venetian
and other window blinds, maps, and such other bodies as are or may
be conveniently raised and lowered by the winding and unwinding of
a cord.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not limit myself to the precise methods of carrying my
Invention into effect herein described and illustrated by the accompany-
ing Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from my
Invention; but I claim constructing an instrument or apparatus for
raising and lowering Venetian and other blinds, and such other bodies
as are or may be raised and lowered by the winding and unwinding of
a cord, by connecting the crank lever or handle by which the said cord
is wound and unwound with the axis or drum on which the said cord
is wound and unwound, by means of a joint, and causing the said crank

page_text: lever or handle to engage or lock itself, and thereby fix the position of
the drum or axis when the pressure of the hand is removed therefrom,
as herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas James Perry, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW,
THOMAS JAMES PERRY. (L.S.)