IMPROVEMENTS IN LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS, AND IN FITTINGS OR MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING, ADJUSTING, AND FIXING LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Titley, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS, AND IN FITTINGS OR MECHANISM FOR
ACTUATING, ADJUSTING, AND FIXING LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS FOR
VARIOUS PURPOSES."
Sealed the 26th July 1872, and dated the 6th February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Titley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th February 1872.
I, ROBERT TITLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass
Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS, AND IN FITTINGS OR MECHANISM
FOR ACTUATING, ADJUSTING, AND FIXING LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS FOR VARIOUB
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-

page_text: same.
My Invention is especially applicable to the louvre blinds of railway
and other carriages, but is also applicable to louvres and louvre blinds
for various other purposes.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a louvre blind for a
railway carriage window. Instead of making each louvre turn upon an
axis situated in a line passing along the middle of the louvre I make the
said louvres turn upon axes situated near their inner edges, so that when
the louvres are opened they do not project inside the carriage, the pro-
jecting parts of the louvres being external. The louvres are jointed to
a flat vertical rod crossing the middle of the louvre blind, the said ver-
tical rod having on the middle of its inner face a projecting rib or
strengthening piece to which the louvres are jointed, the said rib being
suitably shaped at intervals to form joints with the metallic knuckles on
the inner edges of the louvres. The raising and lowering of the said rod
closes or opens the louvres. When the rod is depressed to its full extent
the louvres are wide open, and when it is raised to its full extent the
louvres are closed. The bottom of the rod slides in a guide on the lower
edge of the blind frame, which said guide contains a spring which
pressing upon the bottom of the rod produces sufficient friction to
maintain the rod and louvres in any position to which they may have
been brought.
In order to ensure the closing of the louvres before the blind frame
can be depressed into the lower half of the door, and thereby to prevent
injury which would arise to the louvres if by inadvertence an attempt
were made to lower the blind before the louvre had been closed, the
following arrangement is adopted :-The top of the vertical flat rod by
which the louvres are raised and lowered is jointed to one arm of a
horizontal lever on the top edge of the blind frame. To the other arm of
the said lever a vertical slide is jointed. The upper part of this slide works
in a guide, and terminates in a nearly semicircular piece which crosses
the top edge of the frame. When the louvres are opened this crossing
piece of the slide stands a short distance above the top edge of the frame.
When the louvres are closed the said crossing piece of the slide lies close
upon the top of the said frame. In order to let down the louvre frame
into the lower half of the door it is necessary, as is well understood, to

page_text: lift the louvre frame to its highest point in order that the bottom of the
frame may be passed over the ledge, over which it must pass before it
can descend. In thus lifting the louvre frame to its highest point, if the
louvres had not previously been closed, the cross piece of the slide
strikes against the upper edge of the door frame in which the louvre.
frame works, and being depressed thereby acts upon the flat rod
described and closes the louvres.
lift the louvre frame to its highest point in order that the bottom of the
frame
may be passed over the ledge, over which it must pass before it
can descend. In thus lifting the louvre frame to its highest point, if the
louvres had not previously been closed, the cross piece of the slide
strikes against the upper edge of the door frame in which the louvre.
frame works, and being depressed thereby acts upon the flat rod
described and closes the louvres.
The lever described, to which the slide is connected, has a handle by
moving which the louvres may be actuated and adjusted, the spring at
the bottom of the vertical rod fixing the louvres in the position to which
they have been brought.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Titley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
TITLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of Feburary, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Titley, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Titley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Titley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS, AND IN FITTINGS OR MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING,
ADJUSTING, AND FIXING LOUVRES AND LOUVRE BLINDS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Titley,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly

page_text: describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, anu n WILDU
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 Robert Titley, 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 the improvements herein-after described
in louvres and louvre blinds, and in fittings or mechanism for the.
same.
My Invention is especially applicable to the louvre blinds of railway
and other carriages, but is also applicable to louvres and louvre blinds
for various purposes.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a louvre blind for a
railway carriage window. Instead of making each louvre turn upon an
axis situated in a line passing along the middle of the louvre I make the
said louvres turn upon an axis situated near their inner edges, so that.
when the louvres are opened they do not project inside the carriage, the
projecting parts of the louvres being external. The louvres are jointed
to a flat vertical rod crossing the middle of the louvre blind, the said
vertical rod having on the middle of its inner face a projecting rib or
strengthening piece to which the louvres are jointed, the said rib being
suitably shaped at intervals to form joints with the metallic knuckles on
the inner edges of the louvres. The raising and lowering of the said rod
closes or opens the louvres. When the rod is depressed to its full extent
the louvres are wide open, and when it is raised to its full extent the
louvres are closed. The bottom of the rod slides in a guide on the lower
edge of the blind frame, which said guide contains a spring which
pressing upon the bottom of the rod produces sufficient friction to
maintain the rod and louvres in any position to which they may have
been brought.
In order to ensure the closing of the louvres before the blind frame
can be depressed into the lower half of the door, and thereby to prevent
injury which would arise to the louvres if by inadvertence an attempt
were made to lower the blind before the louvres had been closed, the
'

page_text: following arrangement is adopted :-The top of the vertical flat rod by
which the louvres are raised and lowered is jointed to one arm of a
horizontal lever on the top edge of the blind frame. To the other arm
of the said lever a vertical slide is jointed. The upper part of this slide
works in a guide, and terminates in a nearly semicircular piece which
crosses the top edge of the frame. When the louvres are opened this
crossing piece of the slide stands a short distance above the top edge of
the frame. When the louvres are closed the said crossing piece of the
slide lies close upon the top of the said frame. In order to let down the
louvre frame into the lower half of the door it is necessary, as is well
understood; to lift the louvre frame to its highest point, in order that the
bottom of the frame may be passed over the ledge, over which it must
pass before it can descend. In thus lifting the louvre frame to its
highest point, if the louvres had not previously been closed, the cross
piece of the slide strikes against the upper edge of the door frame in
which the louvre frame works, and being depressed thereby acts upon
the flat rod described and closes the louvres.
The lever described, to which the slide is connected, has a handle by
moving which the louvres may be actuated and adjusted, the spring at
the bottom of the vertical rod fixing the louvres in the position to which
they have been brought.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, and Figure 2 in side elevation, a
louvre blind for a railway carriage window containing my principal
improvements, the louvres being shown open; and Figure 3 is the same
view as Figure 1 with the louvres closed.
.
a is the frame of the louvre blind, and b are the louvres turning upon
pivots or axes working in the frame a.. The manner. in which the said
louvres are jointed to the frame a is herein-after described; c is the flat
vertical rod crossing the middle of the lower blind. To this rod c the
several louvres 6 are jointed, the sliding of the said rod in one or other
direction opening or closing the louvres. When the said rod. c. is
depressed the louvres are opened, and when raised they are closed. The
manner in which the louvres are jointed to the rod c is herein-after'
explained. The bottom of the rod c slides in a guided on the lower

page_text: edge of the blind frame a, which said guide d contains a spring e
(shown in section on a larger scale in Figure 2), which pressing upon
the said rod produces sufficient friction to maintain the rod and the
louvres jointed thereto in any position to which they may have been
brought.
g
The mechanism for ensuring the closing of the louvres 6 prior to the
lowering of the louvre blind into the lower half of the carriage door is
constructed as follows:- is a horizontal lever at the top of the louvre
frame a, the said lever turning on the centre f². To one arm of the
lever the sliding rod c is jointed at c³, and to the opposite arm of the said
lever a vertical slide 9 is jointed at g². This slide g works in a guide h,
and terminates in a curved arm which crosses the top edge of the frame,
and when the louvres 6 are opened the said curved arm stands a short
distance above the said top edge (see Figure 2). The end of the lever f
is formed into a handle, by depressing or raising which handle the
louvres are opened or closed, and their position adjusted. When the
louvre blind a is lifted preparatory to its descent into the lower half of
the railway carriage door the curved arm at the top of the slide g strikes
against the upper edge i of the door frame in which the louvre blind
works, and the said slide 9 being depressed thereby acts upon the
sliding rod c, and closes the louvres as illustrated in Figure 3. The
louvres are thus closed by self-acting mechanism which is brought into
action by the act of raising the blind preparatory to the lowering of it
into the lower half of the door, and the injury to the louvres which
commonly arises from the open louvres striking the said lower half of
the door is prevented.
Figure 4 represents in side elevation, Figure 5 in front clevation, and
Figure 6 in vertical cross section, a louvre blind containing a modifi-
cation of the mechanism last described; Figure 7 represents the same
view as Figure 6 with the louvres open; Figure 8 represents in back
elevation, drawn of the full size, a portion of the same; and Figure 9
is a cross section of the actuating rod. In this modification of my
Invention the mechanism for ensuring the closing of the louvres is
situated at the lower edge of the blind frame instead of at the upper
edge, as last described. a is the louvre blind; b, the louvres; and c, the
rod for opening and closing the louvres. At the bottom of the louvre
frame a is a case d containing the flat spring k, which spring bears
against the tail of the link or lever 1. One end of this link is jointed to

page_text: с
the frame a, and the other end is jointed to the bottom of the actuating
rod c (see Figures 6, 7, and 8). By the action of the spring k on the
link of the rod c the said rod c when at liberty to move is raised, and
the louvres jointed thereto are closed. The louvres are held in their
open position, and the said louvres closed on the depression of the
louvre blind into the lower half of the door in the following manner :—
To the bottom of the actuating rod c of the louvres a cross handle m is
jointed, the said handle having a hole or ring n in the middle thereof.
By grasping the handle m the rod c may be depressed, and the louvres b
fully opened or partly opened. At the bottom edge of the louvre blind a
is a lever p.
The lower arm of this lever when the louvre blind is in its
raised position rests upon the bottom r of the window frame in which the
louvre blind works, and the upper arm of the said lever is furnished with
hooks or catches of the form represented, upon one or other of which
hooks the ring n of the handle m may be hooked. By means of
springs q, q, the lever p is pressed in the direction of the arrow, Figure 7.
When the louvre blind a is in its raised position, as illustrated in the
Drawing, the weight of the said blind causes the lever p to take the
position shown in Figure 7, compressing the springs q, q, and projecting
its hooks or catches from the case d. When in this position the
handle m jointed to the rod c can be pulled down for opening the
|louvres, and its ring n engaged with one or other of the said hooks or
catches of the lever. The louvres are thus kept in their open position.
When the louvre blind is to be lowered in the door frame the raising of
the said louvre blind a relieves the lever p of the weight of the said
blind, and the said lever p is turned into the position represented in
Figure 6 by the action of the springs q, q, and the hooks of the lever
withdrawn from the ring of the handle m. The said handle is thereby
released, and the rod c is raised by the action of the spring k, and the
louvres are closed as illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and 6. Instead of
raising the rod c by the action of a flat spring pressing on a link a
coiled spring bearing upon an arm on the bottom of the said rod c may be
used. This modification of my Invention is illustrated in front elevation
in Figure 10, and transverse section in Figure 11 of the Drawings, where
the coiled spring is marked ² and the arm on the rod c upon which the
said coiled spring acts is marked 8. The other parts are the same
as those last described, and are marked with the same letters of
reference.

page_text: This rib may be
When the rib c² is
The louvres 6 are jointed to the flat sliding rod c in the following
manner:―The said rod c has on the middle of its inner face a projecting
rib or strengthening piece c² (see Figures 8 and 9).
rolled on the bar or made by the casting process.
rolled on the bar portions of the said rib c² are cut away and shaped at
intervals to form eyes or knuckles at c³, with which eyes or knuckles c³
the metallic pins or knuckles 62 on the inner sides of the louvres b
engage. When the rib is made by casting the said eyes or knuckles c³
are made by the casting process. One of the louvres b, drawn of the
full size provided with a metallic knuckle 6³, is represented in Figure 12.
Two methods of jointing the louvres 6 to the frame a are represented in
the Drawings.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 10, and 11 the louvres are jointed to the frame
according to my Invention, and in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 the said louvres
are jointed to the frame in the ordinary manner.
In the ordinary method of jointing the louvres represented in
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, each of the louvres 6 turns upon axes 6³ (see the
full-size view, Figure 13) at the middle of the louvre; but in jointing the
said louvres according to my Invention, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3,
10, and 11, the axes' 6* upon which the louvres turn are situated near
the inner edges of the louvres, as best seen in the full-size view,
Figure 14. By jointing the louvres to the frame according to my
Invention the louvres when opened do not project inside the carriage,
the projecting parts being external.
My improvements are applicable to louvre blinds other than for
railway and other carriage doors, and to louvres for shutters and ven-
tilators, and for various purposes.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention the improvements in louvres
and louvre blinds, and in fittings or mechanism for actuating, adjusting,
and fixing louvres and louvre blinds for various purposes herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say,—
Firstly. The method described and illustrated of jointing the louvres
to the frame in which they work, that is to say, making the axes upon

page_text: which the louvres work near the inner edges of the said louvres instead
of at the middle of the louvres for the purpose described.
Secondly. Actuating, adjusting, and fixing the louvres by means of
a flat vertical rod crossing the middle of the louvre frame, the louvres
being jointed to the said rod, and the 'said rod worked substantially in
the manner described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of the parts of mechanism
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
accompanying Drawings, for ensuring the closing of the louvres of
louvre blinds prior to the lowering of the said louvre blinds in the lower
half of the door or frame in which they slide. Also the modifications
described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11 for effecting
the same object.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Titley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
HENRY SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
ROBERT TITLEY. (L.S.)