IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR GRIPPING AND RELEASING THE CORDS OF ROLLER BLINDS, VENETIAN BLINDS, SKY- LIGHTS, AND PULLEY BLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE GRIPPING AND RELEASING OF THE TRAVELLING OR RUNNING CORDS OF OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Goff, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Pattern Maker, and Frederick Potter, of Birmingham aforesaid, Pattern
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR GRIPPING
AND RELEASING THE CORDS OF ROLLER BLINDS, VENETIAN BLINDS, SKY-
LIGHTS, AND PULLEY BLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO THE GRIPPING AND RELEASING OF THE TRAVELLING OR RUNNING CORDS
OF OTHER ARTICLES.”
Sealed the 9th March 1880, and dated the 30th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Goff and Frederick
Potter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th September
1879.
$$
SAMUEL GOFF, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Pattern Maker, and
FREDERICK POTTER, of Birmingham aforesaid, Pattern Maker. IMPROVEMENTS
IN MECHANISM FOR GRIPPING AND RELEASING THE CORDS OF ROLLER BLINDS,
VENETIAN BLINDS, SKYLIGHTS, AND PULLEY BLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE GRIPPING AND RELEASING OF THE TRAVELLING OR
RUNNING CORDS OF OTHER ARTICLES."
Our Invention consists of the construction and arrangements or combinations of
the parts of mechanism herein after described for gripping and releasing the cords
of roller blinds, Venetian blinds, skylights, and pulley blocks and the travelling or
running cords of other articles, such as sail cords, map cords, and the like.
In mechanism constructed according to our Invention the parts are very efficient
in action, simple in construction, and not liable to get out of order.
We will describe our Invention as applied to the cord of a roller blind, in which
the cord is unwound from the pulley of the blind mounting to raise the blind, and
wound upon the pulley by the weight of the blind to lower the blind. To the
bracket of the blind mounting carrying the cord pulley we joint a lever having
motion in a vertical plane. The end of the inner arm of this lever is weighted, the
weight tending to bring the said lever when at liberty to move into a horizontal
position. To the outer arm of the weighted lover and midway between the centre
of the said lever and the end of the outer arm a gripping lever is jointed. The

page_text: inner end of the gripping lever is provided with an eye, and the outer end is
expanded, the expanded end being situated over a depressed part at the outer end
of the weighted lever. An eye is also made at the extreme outer end of the
weighted lever. The cord from the blind pulley passes through the eye of the
gripping lever under the expanded end of the said lever and through the eye at
the extreme outer end of the weighted lever, and depends from the side of the
window frame. When the weighted lever is in its normal horizontal position the
gripping lever is also situated horizontally, the weight of the blind acting through
the blind cord passing through the eye end of the gripping lever raising that end
of the said lever, and causing the cord to be gripped very firmly between the other
or gripping end of the gripping lever and the weighted lever. So long as the parts
are in the respective positions described the blind is supported in its adjusted
position by the gripping lever binding the blind cord between itself and the weighted
lever. When it is wished to release the cord for raising or lowering the blind the
depending cord is pulled down; the weighted lever is thereby raised into a vertical
position, and the gripping lever made to take a like position. The pressure is
thereby removed from the eye or inner end of the gripping lever, and the opposite
end of the said lever is lifted from the cord, and the latter is released and is free to
travel through the eyes of the weighted and gripping levers for adjusting the blind.
On loosing the blind cord the weight on the end of the carrying lever restores the
two levers to their normal positions, and the weight of the blind being again put
upon the gripping lever the latter grips the cord, and the blind is brought to rest.
Instead of a weight for lifting the carrying lever into its horizontal position
when the cord is released from the hand a spring may be used for the same purpose,
but neither a weighted lever nor a spring lever is necessary to the action of our
Invention, but we prefer to use a weighted or spring lever, as the throwing into
action of the gripping lever is made more efficient thereby.
In applying our Invention to the cords of Venetian blinds we prefer to make the
lever carrying the gripping lever of a nearly semi-circular figure, the curved gripping
levers being arranged in divisions of the carrying lever. Each of the cords of the
Venetian blind connected with the laths bears against the inner end of the gripping
lever, and passes between a cross bar at the free end of the carrying lever and the
opposite end of the gripping lever, the action of the parts being essentially the same
as in the arrangement first described.
The gripping lever may be jointed to the free end of the carrying lever, and the
cord be gripped between the middle of the said gripping lever and a depressed part
at the middle of the carrying lever, but these and other details we do not think it
necessary here to explain.
We apply our Invention to the gripping and releasing of the cords of skylights,
pulley blocks, and other articles provided with travelling or running cords, sub-
stantially as described with respect to the cords of blinds.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Goff and Frederick Potter in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd March 1880.
SAMUEL GOFF, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Pattern Maker, and
"IMPROVEMENTS
FREDERICK POTTER, of Birmingham aforesaid, Pattern Maker.
IN MECHANISM FOR GRIPPING AND RELEASING THE CORDS OF ROLLER BLINDS,
VENETIAN BLINDS, SKYLIGHTS, AND PULLEY BLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE GRIPPING AND RELEASING OF THE TRAVELLING OR
RUNNING CORDS OF OTHER ARTICLES."
Our Invention consists of the construction and arrangements or combinations of
the parts of mechanism herein after described for gripping and releasing the
cords of roller blinds, Venetian blinds, skylights, and pulley blocks, and the
travelling or running cords of other articles, such as sail cords, map cords, and
the like. In mechanism constructed according to our Invention the parts are very
efficient in action, simple in construction, and not liable to get out or order.
We will describe our Invention as applied to the cord of a roller blind, in which
the cord is unwound from the pulley of the blind mounting to raise the blind, and
wound upon the pulley by the weight of the blind to lower the blind.
To the bracket of the blind mounting carrying the cord pulley we joint a lever
having motion in vertical plane. The end of the inner arm of this lever is weighted,
the weight tending to bring the said lever when at liberty to move into a nearly
horizontal position. To the outer arm of the weighted lever and midway between
the centre of the said lever and the end of the outer arm a gripping lever is jointed.
The inner end of the gripping lever is provided with an eye, and the outer end is
expanded, the expanded end being situated over a depressed part at the outer end
of the weighted lever. An eye is also made at the extreme outer end of the
weighted lever. The cord from the blind pulley passes through the eye of the
gripping lever under the expanded end of the said lever and through the eye at
the extreme outer end of the weighted lever, and depends from the side of the
window frame. When the weighted lever is in its normal nearly horizontal position
the gripping lever is also situated horizontally, the weight of the blind acting
through the blind cord passing through the eye end of the gripping lever, raising
that end of the said lever, and causing the cord to be gripped very firmly between
the other or gripping end of the gripping lever and the weighted lever. So long
as the parts are in the respective positions described the blind is supported in its
adjusted position by the gripping lever binding the blind cord between itself and
the weighted lever. When it is wished to release the cord for raising or lowering
the blind the depending cord is pulled down; the weighted lever is thereby raised
into a nearly vertical position, and the gripping lever made to take a like position.
The pressure is thereby removed from the eye or inner end of the gripping lever,
and the opposite end of the said lever is lifted from the cord, and the latter is
released and is free to travel through the eyes of the weighted and gripping levers
for adjusting the blind. On loosing the blind cord the weight on the end of the
carrying lever restores the two levers to their normal positions, and the weight of
the blind being again put upon the gripping lever the latter grips the cord and
the blind is brought to rest.
In applying our Invention to the cords of Venetian blinds we prefer to inake the
lever carrying the gripping lever of a nearly semi-circular figure, the curved
gripping levers being arranged in divisions of the carrying lever. Each of the cords
of the Venetian blind connected with the laths bears against the inner end of the
gripping lever, and passes between a cross bar at the free end of the carrying lever
and the opposite end of the gripping lever, the action of the parts being essentially
the same as in the arrangement first described.

page_text: The gripping lever may bo jointed to the fore end of the carrying lever, and tho
cord be gripped between the middle of the said gripping lever and the middlo
of the carrying lever, but these and other details are herein after fully described.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, and Figure 2 in cross section, a portion of
a roller blind to which our Invention is applied, the blind cord being represented
gripped by the holding mechanism, and the blind supported in its adjusted position;
Figure 3 represents the mechanism after the gripping lever has been thrown out of
action and the cord released for raising or lowering the blind; Figure 4 represents
the gripping and releasing mechanism supported by a plate, which may be fixed to
the window frame instead of by a bracket on the blind mounting; Figure 5 repre-
sents a plan of Figure 4.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
a is the roller; and b the blind; c is the pulley of the blind mounting, from
which the cord d is unwound for raising the blind, and upon which the cord is
wound for lowering the blind as is well understood; is the depending end of
the blind cord; e is the carrying lever of the mechanism turning in a vertical
plane on the centre e carried by the bracket f of the blind mounting, as seen in
Figures 1, 2, and 3, or by the plate h, fixed to the side of the window frame, as
seen in Figures 4 and 5. The inner arm of the lever e is weighted with a weight
es, the said weight tending to bring the said lever e when free to move into the
nearly horizontal position represented in Figures 1, 2, and 4; i is the gripping
lever jointed at to the middle of the outer arm of the weighted lever e, the said
gripping lever i having motion independently of that of the said weighted lever e.
The outer arm of the gripping lever i is expanded and has the curved figure
shown at ³, the said part 3 constituting the gripping end of the lever, and the end
of the outer arm of the weighted carrying lever e is expanded and curved at et,
and over the said curved end e, the gripping end of the gripping lever is
situated, the blind cord being gripped between the two curved parts et, is, of the
gripping and carrying levers, as herein after explained; & is an eye on the inner end
of the gripping lever i, and is an eye at the outer end of the carrying lever c.
The blind cord d from the pulley c passes through the eye of the gripping lever i
k
between the gripping parts e and of the two levers e and i, and through the
eye at the extreme end of the carrying lever c, and depends at d² from the side of
the window frame, as illustrated. The parts being in the relative positions
represented in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the weight on the carrying lever e causes the
latter to take the normal nearly horizontal position represented in the said
Figures 1, 2, and 4, the gripping lever i being also situated nearly horizontally.
When the gripping lever i is in this position the weight of the blind b acting
through the cord & passing through the eye of the said gripping lever raises the
said eye end of the said lever, and causes the cord d to be gripped very firmly
between the other end of the said gripping lever, and the gripping part 4 of the
carrying levere (see Figures 2 and 4). The cord & being thus gripped or bound
between the ends e¹ and 3 of the two levers e and i, the blind b is held firmly in
the position to which it has been adjusted. In order to release the cord for
raising or lowering the blind the depending end of the cord d is pulled down,
and the cord thereby straightened. By this pulling down and straightening of the
cord d, the weighted levere is raised into the vertical position represented in
Figure 3, the gripping lever i taking a like position. By this change of position
of the gripping lever i the pressure of the blind b acting through the cord d is
removed from the eye or inner end of the gripping lever, and the gripping parts
es, 3, of the two levers are separated from one another, as represented in the said
Figure 3, and the cord d may travel without obstruction through the eyes and
of the weighted and gripping levers e and i for adjusting the blind. After the
position of the blind has been adjusted, the depending end of the cord dis
loosed when the weight e³ of the carrying lever e restores the parts to the positions

page_text: represented in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the cord d is again gripped between the
gripping lever i, and the weighted lever e and the blind is brought to rest.
Instead of a weight for lifting the carrying lever e into its nearly horizontal
position when the cord is released from the hand, a spring may be used for the
same purpose. But neither a weighted lever nor a spring lever is necessary to
the action of our Invention, but we prefer to use a weighted or spring lever, as the
throwing into action of the gripping lever is made more efficient thereby.
When neither a weighted lever nor a spring lever is employed, the gripping
action is effected for inclining the cord outwards when it is brought in contact
with the side of the eye in the gripping lever. The said lever is thereby made to
turn upon its axis and the gripping of the cord is effected.
Figure 6 represents in front elevation, Figure 7 in section, and Figure 8 in side
elevation our Invention applied to a Venetian blind. m is the carrying lever jointed
at its inner end n to the bracket p fixed on the window frame, the said lever m being
pressed into the raised position represented by a spring qaround the axis of the said
lever. The said lever m is divided by a partition into two (or more) divisions; ",",
are the gripping levers turning on the centre s and arranged to work in the divisions
of the frame like lever m; t, t, are the cords of the Venetian blind connected in the
usual way with the laths. The said cords are conducted under the inner ends of
the gripping levers r, r, and between the outer ends of the said gripping levers,
and a cross bar m² at the free or outer end of the carrying lever m, as seen in the
section Figure 7. When the parts are in the respective positions represented, the
weight of the laths acting through the cords t, t, raises the inner arms of the
gripping levers 7, 7, and causes their outer arms to grip the cords between their
ends and the cross bar m² of the carrying lever m, and the blind is held in its
adjusted position. To release the cords t, t, for raising or lowering the blind, the
depending ends of the cords are pressed inwards or in the direction indicated by
the arrows in Figures 7 and 8. The curved carrying lever m and the gripping
levers r, r, carried by it are thereby brought into a nearly vertical position. The
pressure of the laths acting through the cords t, t, is by this change of position of
the gripping levers removed from them, and the said cords are released and are
free to travel between the two levers for adjusting the blind, the action of the
parts being essentially the same as in the arrangement represented in Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5.
Figures 9 and 10 represent in section, and Figure 11 in front elevation the
arrangement of our Invention in which the gripping lever is jointed to the free end
of the carrying lever, this part of our Invention being especially fitted for use with
a rope, cord, or line passing to a skylight or over a pulley block, Figure 9 showing
the rope released and Figure 10 the rope gripped. wis the curved carrying lever
jointed at its inner end to the fixed plate w³, the said lever having at its middle
a convex cross bar The weight of the said lever w causes it to take the
vertical position represented in Figure 9; x is the gripping lever jointed at x² to
the free outer end of the carrying lever w. The said gripping lever x is curved
and has a hollow or concave part 3 at its middle, the said concave part 3 of the
said gripping lever being presented to the convex part w' of the carrying lever w.
Between the two parts 3 and w' the rope or cord y is gripped. The cord or rope
passes through the top of the hollow lever, and between the gripping parts ³
and w, and out at the bottom of the said lever. When the levers wand x are in
the vertical position represented in Figure 9 the rope y is free to move between
the two gripping parts ³ and w' for paying out or drawing in the rope. When it
is wished to fix the rope the depending end y is pulled outwards so as to raise
the two levers into a horizontal position, as represented in Figure 10. The pressure
of the rope y on the gripping lever now forces it towards the carrying lever w, and
the rope is gripped very firmly between the two gripping parts and w', as scen
in Figure 10. To release the rope the depending end is pulled inwards, when
the two levers take their normal vertical positions and the rope is released.
We apply our Invention to the gripping and releasing of the cords or ropes of

page_text: sails, maps, and other articles provided with travelling or running cords, substan-
tially as described and illustrated with respect to the cords or ropes of window
blinds and pulley blocks.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention of "Improvements in Mechanism for Gripping and Releasing the Cords
of Roller Blinds, Venetian Blinds, Skylights, and Pulley Blocks, and the Travelling
or Running Cords of other Articles,"
-
First. The combination of a gripping lever with a carrying lever for gripping
and releasing the cords of roller blinds, maps, and other articles, the parts of the
said gripping and carrying levers being constructed, arranged, and operating
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of two or more gripping levers with a carrying lever
for gripping and releasing the cords of Venetian blinds and other articles, the parts
of the said gripping and carrying levers being constructed, arranged, and operating
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The modification herein before described and illustrated in Figures 0,
10, and 11 of the accompanying Drawings, in which the gripping lever is jointed
to the free outer end of the carrying lever, and the gripping parts are made to act
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Potter, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.