Improvements in Venetian Blinds and Collapsible Shutters for Windows, and other analogous uses.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2211 June. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Mar., 1897-Accepted, 24th Apr., 1397
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Venetian Blinds and Collapsible Shutters for
Windows, and other analogous uses.
1, REGINALD CHURCHILL of Saint Paul's Square, Barton-on-Trent, in the
County of Stafford, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention pertains to improvements in collapsible blinds and shutters
for windows and other analogous uses and has distinct reference to that class of
blind or shutter well known as the "Venetian" or "Louvre."
The object of the invention is to construct a collapsible blind or shutter in such
a manner that its durability shall be considerably increased, its appearance made
much more neater, and the repairing of the same, when required, facilitated,
and this is accomplished by mounting or suspending the slats or laths of which
the same is composed upon or by fittings of metal or other suitable material,
instead of upon tapes or webbings as in the ordinary manner. These fittings are
arranged upon both sides of the series of slats or laths, and are made to support
them at distances. apart when the blind or shutter is open, but to allow them to
collapse or fold close to each other when the same is closed. The said fittings
consist essentially of a number of cross bars or carriers, to each of which a slat or
lath is fixed, connected together at both their ends, or their front and back parts,
by a pair of folding flaps, adapted to open out and fold gusset-wise when the blind
or shutter is respectively in an open or closed up position. Each of these folding
flaps are connected hingedly together at their middles, and also to the cross bars
or carriers as before described, to the slats or laths with which they are adjacent,
and the same span the space between each and every slat or lath, or each division,
when the blind or shutter in an open position; the said flaps also being capable
of moving vertically and in a parallel direction to each other when the position or
angle of the slats or laths of the blind is changed. Each and every slat or lath of
which the blind is composed is mounted, carried, or suspended, on both sides of the
same in a fitting as described, the whole of them being arranged in a vertical line
one above the other, and the adjacent parts connected, so that throughout the whole
of the system each and every slat is carried by a cross bar or carrier suspended or
supported by a pair of folding sides, which fold either inwardly or outwardly, as
may be required, to admit of the slats coming together or one upon the other when
the blind is pulled up.
To ensure the successful folding of the fittings it is necessary that the points or
connections of the folding flaps to each other shall be arranged in a position either
inwards or outwards of a straight line drawn between the points of their connection
to the cross bars or carriers.
In the manufacture of these blind fittings the barrel part of the hinge I should
fashion in one piece with the bodies of the same and, in the case of metal, this
would be accomplished by a stamping process, a centre pin being inserted through
the eyes of the barrel parts for their connection. The hinged connection of the
one part of the fitting to the other can be made in many ways so long as a free
connection is effected.
The said fittings may be made from metal, vulcanite, xylonite, and such

page_text: like hard materials, and can be suitably embellished by enamelling, painting, or
the like, according to the class of work for which the same are intended.
The series of slats and their suspending or supporting fittings are carried by a
frame bar in the ordinary manner, and cords are provided for their pulling up and
down and angular movements.
Dated this 20th day of June 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Venetian Blinds and Collapsible Shutters for
Windows, and other analogous uses.
I, REGINALD CHURCHILL of Saint Paul's Square, Burton-on-Trent, in the
County of Stafford, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of. this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention pertains to improvements in collapsible blinds and shutters for
windows and other analogous uses, and has distinct reference to that class of blind
or shutter well known as the "Venetian" or "Louvre."
The object of the invention is to construct a collapsible blind or shutter in such
a manner that its durability shall be considerably increased, its appearance made
neater, and the repairing of the same, when required, facilitated, and this is
accomplished by mounting or suspending the slats or laths of which the blind is
composed upon or by particularly constructed fittings of metal or other suitable
rigid material, instead of upon tapes or webbings as in the ordinary manner.
These fittings are arranged upon both sides of the series of slats or laths, and
are made to support them at equidistances apart when the blind or shutter is open,
but allow them to collapse or fold close to each other when the same is closed.
The said fittings consist essentially of a number of cross bars or carriers, to each
of which a slat or lath is fixed, connected together at both their ends, or their
front and back parts, by a pair of folding flaps, adapted to open out and fold
gusset-wise when the blind or shutter is respectively in an open or closed up
position. Each of these folding flaps are connected hingedly together at their
middles, and also to the cross bars or carriers of the slats or laths with which they
are adjacent, and the same span the space between each and every slat or lath, or
each division, when the blind or shutter is in an open position; the said flaps also
being capable of moving vertically and in a parallel direction to each other when
the position or angle of the slats or laths of the blind is changed.
In the sheet of drawings the invention is practically carried out, a window blind
so fitted being illustrated in diagram in Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrative of two slats or laths, their carriers, and
supporting or suspending means, the position thereof in this view being the same as
in the diagram Fig. 1. In Fig. 3 a transverse vertical section is shown taken upon
the dotted line X, Fig. 2, which said view sets forth the slats and their carriers
and suspending fittings, whilst Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view but with the blind
pulled up and closed; the supporting fittings folding inwards to lie flat and
between and against the faces of the slats or laths.
Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 3 and sets forth a practical way of connecting the
barrel portions of the hinge-like fittings which support the slats; the said fittings
being clearly shown separately in Figs. 6 and 7.

page_text: The adaptability of the invention to ornamentation is illustrated in Fig. 8, whilst
in Fig. 9 a stop part for the knuckle joints of the fittings is shown.
The blind a is composed of slats or laths s, carried by cross bars b of a depth
sufficient to accommodate them, the ends of which cross bars are fashioned into
barrel parts 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.
Each and every slat or lath of which the blind or shutter is composed is fixedly
connected to two of these cross bars or carriers b, one of the latter upon each end
of the lath, and the said carriers are supported or suspended by pairs of folding
flaps a², hingedly connected to each other and to the carriers or cross bars in
vertical line on both edges of the slats by knuckle joints a, and hinge-like parts a°.
A pair of these folding flaps a² are arranged to span the divisional spaces between.
each and every slat or lath. and each of the pair consists of two thin metallic
parts a, a, connected together and also to one of the ends, of the carriers b, by
the simple hinge connections a³ a, a stop being arranged upon the knuckle hinged
part a (as clearly shown in Fig. 9) to prevent the possibility of the hinged-
together folding fittings straightening out to a vertical line, which would interfere
with their action. One of each of the parts a³ and a are clearly shown in front
and edge view in Fig. 7 and these, and also the carriers, to which they are
connected, are made from thin metal, xylonite, vulcanite, or other such hard
wearing material, and loosely jointed one to the other so as to combine and
construct a folding fitting to the slats. The parts constituting the fitting, when
made from sheet metal, are produced by stamping and of certain standard sizes, so
as to facilitate duplication should any part become broken or badly worn, and the
fitting together of the same is such that they can be very simply disconnected or
taken apart and again put together when the blind or shutter is required to be
cleaned, and to accomplish this, the centre pin m of the knuckle and hinged joints
is preferably made of wire with one end split to slightly open out and prevent its
withdrawal.
The knuckle hinged part a would be made as small as possible consistent with
strength, so as to fold close and allow the slats of which the blind is composed to
occupy as small a space as possible when the blind is pulled up.
The series of slats and their suspending and supporting fittings are carried by a
top frame barg (shown in Fig. 1) of the ordinary construction, and cords fare
provided for their pulling up and down and angular movements.
The improved fittings may be suitably embellished and embossed to give an
ornamental appearance to the blind, and the wear of the same would be practically
indefinite.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In Venetian or louvre blinds and shutters, the combination with the slats
or laths thereof of inwardly folding, collapsible, and loosely jointed fittings of
metal, or other rigid material, to support, space and carry the said laths or slats,
substantially as described and set forth.
Second. The combination with the slats or laths s and frame bar g of a Venetian
blind or shutter, of inwardly folding collapsible and free jointed hinge-like flap
fittings a², having knuckle hinged parts a, and joint pins m, and jointed cross bars
or carriers 6 substantially as described and set forth.
Third. In folding and collapsible metallic fittings of Venetian blinds and
shutters the construction, arrangement, and fitting of the various parts as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of March 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 11 Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.