IMPROVEMENTS IN STAIR RODS AND EYES OR SOCKETS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George James Farmer, of Hampton Street, Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, and George Briggs
Hardy, of Alexander Place, Brompton, in the County of Middlesex,
Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAIR RODS AND EYES
OR SOCKETS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 6th December 1859, and dated the 10th June 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George James Farmer
and George Briggs Hardy at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th June 1859.
We, GEORGE JAMES FARMER, of Hampton Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Machinist, and GEORGE BRIGGS HARDY, of Alexander
Place, Brompton, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAIR RODS AND
EYES OR SOCKETS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention of improvements in stair rods and their eyes or sockets
According to one
relates to various different formations of those articles.
arrangement, we form the eyes or sockets of an angle piece to fit the angle of
the stair, and from the one part raise a small bracket or arm on which is
supported a small weighted swing lever, the end of which in part forms &
encloses the space or eye in which the rod is inserted simply by pressing the
[Price Sd.1

page_text: one end of lever downwards with it, and so counterbalancing the weighted end
which immediately after the entrance of the rod assumes its original position,
and prevents the rise of the rod, the lever coming against a stop for that
purpose. On the ends of the rods we form stops or projections to prevent the
rod from being slid edgeways after insertion; other projections or stops we
also sometimes add to prevent the rod turning round so that any ornamental
design of rod or ornament on the rod might always be properly presented
to view.
Another arrangement of the eyes or sockets consists simply of a small bar
with a kind of hook or bent arm, which bar is fixed down on the tread, or it
may be on the riser, and under which hooks or bent arms the ends of a rod
are simultaneously placed, suflicient space being left between the end of the
hook and the boards for its insertion. The tension on the carpet keeps the
rods in their places after insertion, and if furnished with the end motion stops
are prevented moving in any direction.
Another arrangement consists in forming sockets enclosed at the ends to
recieve the rods, and thereby prevent their end traverse after insertion. In
order to insert the rods in these fixed sockets, we form the rod of tubes sliding
on each other or of a tube or tubes sliding on a rod considerably less in length
than the distance between the sockets; these sliding parts are projected
end ways by a spring or springs which permit of compression for insertion
or removal from the sockets, but which at all times tend to elongate the rod,
and so keep the ends in and abutting against the ends of the sockets. These
sockets and compound rods may be rendered more or less ornamental as
required. The several improvements in stair rods, and eyes or sockets herein-
before described are also applicable for hanging pictures and straining table
covers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George James Farmer and George Briggs Hardy in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
JAMES FARMER, of Hampton Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, and GEORGE BRIGGS HARDY, of Alexander Place, Brompton, in
the County of Middlesex, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said George James Farmer and George Briggs Hardy, Her special licence
that we, the said George James Farmer and George Briggs Hardy, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George.
James Farmer and George Briggs Hardy, our 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 STAIR RODS, AND EYES OR SOCKETS, WHICH ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said George James Farmer and George Briggs Hardy, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, 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 we, the said George James Farmer and George
Briggs Hardy, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
Our Invention of improvements in stair rods and their eyes. or sockets
relates to various different formations of those articles. According to one
arrangement, we form the eye or socket of an angle piece to fit the angle of
the stair or otherwise, and from the one part raise a small bracket or arm, on
which is supported a small weighted swing lever, the end of which in part
forms and encloses the space or eye, in which the rod is inserted simply by
pressing the one end of the lever downwards with it, and so counterbalancing
the weighted end, which immediately after the entrance of the rod assumes its
original position and prevents the rise of the rod, the lever coming against a
stop for that purpose. On the ends of the rods we form stop or projections
to prevent the rod from being slid endways after insertion; other projections
or stops we also sometimes add to prevent the rod turning round, so that any
ornamental design of rod or ornament on the rod might always be properly
presented to view.

page_text: Another arrangement of the eyes or sockets consists simply of a small bar,
with a kind of hook or bent arm, which is fixed down on the tread, or it may
be the riser, and under which hooks or bent arms the ends of the rod are
simultaneously placed, sufficient space being left between the hooks and the
stairs for its insertion. The tension on the carpet keeps the rods in their
places after insertion, and if furnished with stops to prevent the end motion,
are prevented moving in any direction.
Another arrangement consists in forming sockets enclosed at the ends to
receive the rods, and thereby prevent their end traverse after insertion.
In
order to insert the rods in their fixed sockets, we form the rod of tubes
sliding in each other, or of a tube or tubes sliding on a rod, considerably
less in length than the distance between the sockets. Those sliding paris are
projected edgeways by a spring or springs which permit of compression for
insertion or removal from the sockets, but which at all times tend to elongate
the rod, and so keep the ends in and abutting against the ends of the sockets,
Instead of the rods being elongating, the springs may be placed in the sockets.
which recede so as to permit the insertion of the rod. These sockets and com-
pound rods may be rendered more or less ornamental as required. The
several improvements in stair rods and eyes or sockets herein-before described,
are also applicable for hanging pictures and straining table covers.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. I represents a stair rod according to our Invention, which is simply
provided with stops a, a, to hinder the movement of the rod in the direction
of its length, and prevent it slipping in that direction from the eyes or holders
by which it is fixed to the stair. We also apply another stop b at right
angles to the stop a, as seen in the end view, Fig. 2, which stops together
prevent the rod turning on its axis, for the purpose of always holding and
présenting properly to view any ornament that may be on the rod, as the
coat of arms, for instance. The one stop a bears against the riser of the
step, while the stop b bears on the tread. Instead of stop b, the ornament
itself may act as the stop to prevent the rod turning on its axis by bearing
against the riser, or it may be on the tread. The end motion stops a should,
of course, be at right angles to the ornament. To secure these rods with
fixed stops to the stairs, we employ a holder or eye having an opening at
which the rod can be entered sideways, as represented at Fig. 3, which is a
cross section of the stair and rod, with such holder applied and fixed to the
tread of the step, as seen.

page_text: between the hook points of the holders and the riser; the tension of the carpet
then draws the rod up to a bearing in the holder, and prevents any tendency
to its coming out, while the stops a. a. bear against the holders c, c. and
prevent any end motion, as seen at Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a modification of the
holder or eye shown at Figs. 3 and 4, the difference being merely that it is
mounted on an angle piece secured to both the tread and riser of the step.
Figs. 6 and 7 represent another arrangement of holder for stair rods,
Fig. 6 being a front view of the stair rod and holder. & Fig. 7 a transverse
section of the same. The holder consists of a bracket piece d. fixed to the
stair, in which is mounted a small weighted lever h, on a fulcrum at e. The
small ball or weight in ordinary rests on the bracket foot with the horn g
in a horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 7 when it is desired to introduce the
stair rod, it is simply pressed on the horns g of the holders, causing the levers h
to assume the dotted position shown in Fig. 7. when the rod slips into
position, while the levers h assume their original position, the horns g of
which retain the rod and prevent it again rising, while the stops a prevent end
motion of the rod as before explained.
Fig. 8. which represents a front view of a stair rod, also represents the
holders i, i, shown in side view at Fig. 5; this rod has the end motion stops
both at one end, and consisting of two collars k, k, which answer the purpose
where it is not necessary to keep the rod in the same position axially.
The next part of our Invention relates to an extending rod. the ends of
which are received into fixed socket. holders, which retain the rod in position,
and also prevent any end motion. Fig. 9 represents a front view of this rod,
partly in longitudinal section. For this purpose we use a tube for the middle
part of the rod, and in the ends of the tube we fit. short rods m, m, fitted to
slide therein, and held by stop pins to limit the sliding traverse of rods m;
springs n, n. are also inserted in tube 1, so arranged as to pass the rods m
outwards, and so extend the whole length of the rod. The holders p, p, are
somewhat like ordinary stair eyes, but instead of the holes passing quite
through, socket holes are formed in the sides, into which the ends of the rods
are received and .heid. To introduce or remove these compound rods it is
simply necessary to press the parts m, m. so as to shorten the whole length
of the rod, and slip it in between the fixed socket holders; when released, the
ends m. m. spring out and enter the sockets, which thus retain the rod in all
directions. Any suitable ornament may be placed on the holder as the knob
shown, or it may be other ornamental device. Instead of the socket holders,
ordinary stair eyes may be used, while the necessary stops in the extension of
the rod may be formed on the parts m, m, to come in contact with the eyes.

page_text: Instead of making the rod elongating and contracting, an analogous
arrangement may be applied to the socket holder, and the rod formed solid
like ordinary rods.
Fig. 10 represents a section of an arrangement of spring sliding holder;
is the socket to receive the end of rod: this socket is fitted to slide in the
holder r, which contains a spring s, constantly pressing the socket g towards
the rod, the knob in this instance forming a stop to resist the force of the
spring, it being connected by a rod or neck passing through a hole in the
holder to the socket. To insert a rod it is simply necessary to place the end
in the socket q. and press it back therewith. or by pulling the knob this
motion permits the other end of the rod to enter the opposite socket, which
may or may not be fitted with a spring, and have sliding motion as the one
last herein-before described.
Fig. 11 represents a side view of the sockets of Fig. 9.
Rods and holders constructed as above described and illustrated in the
Drawings annexed, are also applicable to hanging pictures and straining table
covers, as will he readily understood.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the application of stops to limit the end motion of stair rods, as also
the stops to prevent axial motion or turning round of such rods, as herein-before
described.
Secondly. the several arrangements of stair rod holders herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings, or any mere modifications thereof.
Thirdly, the elongating rod herein-before described, adapted to socket or
other holders as described; we also claim the spring sliding socket holder
herein-before described, to be used in lien of the spring elongating rod as
described.
Lastly, we claim the application of these rods and holders to hanging
pictures and straining table covers.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Briggs Hardy, on behalf of
myself and the said George James Farmer. have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
G. B. HARDY. (L.S.)