Improvements in Suspending Door Curtains.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification. Left, 23rd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suspending Door Curtains.
I, RICHARD GILMAN LYSTER RODD, of Knock Hall, Greenhithe, Kent,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
One curtain rod working on a hinge fixed to the outer extremity of the door
frame and extending about two thirds the width of the door on which its other end
is supported by a bracket. On the opposite side a shorter rod is fixed extending to
the centre of the door and overlapping the other.
This latter is thrown back out of the way on the door being opened, by a lever
and crank and closed again on the door being shut. By this arrangement each
curtain may be fastened to the side of the door frame so as to effectually prevent
the draught which by existing curtains is simply directed along the walls of the
room in which they are used.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of March 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suspending Door Curtains.
1, RICHARD GILMAN LYSTER RODD, of Knock Hall, Greenhithe, Kent,
Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention has for its object to provide doors with two curtains folding over
each other so as to effectually exclude draughts, while at the same time on opening
the door the two curtains are automatically folded back so as to be out of the
way. For this purpose the one curtain is carried by a hinge-jointed pole, one
part of which is carried by the door frame on the hinge side while the
other part is carried by the door, so that on opening the door, the pole together
with the curtain will fold back with it; a similar arrangement to this has already
been employed.
The other curtain is carried by a pole whose end is fixed to a vertical spindle
carried in bearings on the other side of the door frame. The spindle is connected
by a crank arm and connecting rod or other suitable device to an arm also
pivotted to the door frame, with which engages a pin fixed to the top of the
door. Thus on opening the door, its pin turns the arm on its pivot and thereby
causes it to turn the spindle and with it the curtain rod and curtain outwards
out of the way of the door while on closing the latter, its pin again engages
with the arm and thereby turns the curtain pole and curtain inwards again.
By preference I employ in combination with this arrangement a spring acting
on the spindle in such manner as to tend to keep the curtain pole in the outward
position, so that should the pole be accidentally turned inwards while the door is
open, when it would interfere with the closing of the latter, the spring will turn
it outwards again.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shew a part elevation of a door with
one arrangement of my above described invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 shews
lanlan thereof

page_text: A is the pole for the one curtain, attached to the door frame at B and to
the door at C, while at A' it is formed with a double hinge-joint, so that when
the door is opened the pole A will fold on its joint A¹ so as to open with it
as indicated by the dotted lines at Fig. 2. Dis the second pole, extending
partly across the door from the opposite side and fixed to the spindle E, carried
in bearings F F fixed to the door frame. To the spindle E is fixed a crank
arm G having a pin to which is connected one end of a connecting rod H, whose
other end is pivotted to the forked arm I pivotted at J to the door frame.
Into the fork of I takes a pin K fixed to the top of the door. Thus it will
be seen that on opening the door the pin K in sliding along the fork of I will
first turn this into the dotted position Fig. 2, thereby also turning E and D
into the dotted outward position, and will then pass out of the fork.
On closing the door, the pin K will again enter the fork and will turn I, E, D,
back into their original position, so that the curtain carried by D will be
folded over the curtain carried by A. In order to insure the correct outward
position of the arm I for the pin of the door to enter it on closing, as also to prevent
the accidental turning inward of the curtain, I provide on the arm G a tail G'
which, when G is turned outwards, comes in contact with a fixed stop L, thus
preventing the arm from turning outward beyond the dotted position shewn, and
a helical spring M has its one end fixed to the bearing F and its other end to the
arm G or spindle E, so as to tend to maintain the parts in the dotted position.
Thus, should the pole D and its curtain be accidentally turned inwards while the
door is open, the spring will bring it back to the outward position.
In order to insure the correct relative positions of the arms G and I, the connecting
rod H is provided with a screw adjustment, as shewn.
When the above described spring arrangement is employed, the arm G and rod H
may be replaced by pullies N and O fixed respectively on the pivot of I and on E,
as indicated in dotted lines, a cord or chain P being partly wound round each
pulley and having its ends fixed thereto, so that on closing the door, the pull
on the cord or chain produced by the turning of the pulley N will cause the pole D
to turn inwards, while when the door is opened, the pull exerted by the spring will
hold the arm I in the correct outward position, this being in that case also provided
with a tail I which comes in contact with a fixed stop on the door frame.
Also, when the spring is used, the arm I need not necessarily be made forked, as
it will be sufficient to cause the pin on the door to press against its outer side, the
arm being kept against the pin by the spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. For suspending a door curtain, a curtain pole pivotted to the framing of the
door at the side on which it opens, in combination with an arm or lever also pivotted
to the door frame and actuated by the door, such lever being connected to the axis
of the curtain pole in such a manner that when the door is closed the curtain pole
extends to any required distance over it, while when the door is opened, the curtain
pole is caused to turn outwards so as to leave the door way unobstructed, substantially
as described.
2. The combination of a curtain pole D fixed on a spindle E carried by the door
frame, a forked arm or lever I also pivotted to the door frame with which arm a
pin K on the door is made to engage, and an arm G and connecting rod H connecting
the pole spindle with the arm I, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination of a curtain pole D, fixed on a spindle E, carried by the door
frame, an arm such as I also pivotted to the door frame, a pin K on the door acting
on the said arm, a spring such as M tending to bring the curtain pole into the
outward position, and means for connecting the pole spindle with the arm in such
manner that on closing the door the pole moved inwards against the door, while

page_text: on opening the latter, the pole is made to move outwards so as to leave the doorway
free, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.