Apparatus for the Lowering and Raising of Blinds and similar Devices.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for the Lowering and Raising of Blinds and similar
Devices.
I, CARL WENCK, of Nos. 97 and 98 Carlstrasse, Carlshafen, in the German
Empire, Merchant, 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 consists of an apparatus for the lowering and raising of blinds and
similar devices.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of this apparatus, and
Figure 2 is a part sectional view thereof.
An armature bis pivotted in supports between the poles of a steel magnet a,
and carries on its axis a small cog wheel d and the commutator e on which rub the
brushes and ¹. In the supports c is pivotted also the axle W which is formed
square at the front end, and carries the blind roller at its back end a large cog
wheel is attached, which engages with the smaller cog wheel d.
2
On the steel
magnet is supported the axle 7, which carries a loose contact worm wheel r,
engaging with a worm h, on the axle W, and a disc i fixed to the axle g. The
disc is pressed firmly, by the spring against the contact wheel .. The wheel
and the disc i are provided with projections m and n which may be changed in
relative position to one another by the rotation of the axle through the handle .c,
in order to break the circuit at pleasure, and to raise or lower the blind as
desired.
The disc and the contact wheel r, move between a contact lever u, which is
moved to the right or left by the projections m and n, whereby either the circuit is
made through the springs 8 and 9, and cramps 7, 10 and 11, and the current carried
to the motor; or conversely, the circuit is interrupted.
Outside of the window to be protected by a blind is arranged a circuit closing
device, which is operated by the rays of the sun. Two hemispheres kk' of equal
size are closed herınetically, and connected by a connecting piece o and a small
glass tube o. Three platinum wires 4, 5, and 6, are fused into the latter, which
are connected alternately with either the motor or the battery by the mercury
column in the tube o'.
The hemisphere is surrounded by an envelope of any suitable material, so that
it is not exposed to the rays of the sun.
As shown in the drawings, the apparatus is not under the influence of the rays
of the sun, but at rest. When the hemisphere k is exposed to the rays of the sun,
the air contained therein expands more than the air contained in the semi-globe k¹,
and raises the column of mercury so as to come in contact with the wire 4, thus
closing the circuit. The current passes then as follows. From its source B it
passes to the binding screw v, through the wire 5, and the mercury column to
the wire 4, binding screw w through the circuit wire L to the cramp or plate 7,
and spring 8, thence into the contact brush, to the armature of the motor
brush, thence to spring 9, cramp 10, and back through the wire A to the
battery.
The motor now moves with considerable velocity, for instance to the right, until

page_text: the projection on the disc i pushes the contact lever to the left, whereby the
contact. between the spring 8 and the cramp 10 and between spring 9 and cramp 11
is established, and therefore the circuit previously existent is broken.
When the hemisphere is no longer exposed to the rays of tho sun, the volume
of the air contained therein is decreased gradually to the volume of the air
contained in the hemisphere &', so that the column of mercury returns to its
original position, thus closing the circuit for "shade."
The current passes in this case as follows:-From the battery B to the binding
screw e, wire 5, mercury column Q, wire 0, binding screw p, wire R, cramp 11,
spring 9, brush, armature of motor b, brush, spring 8, cramp 10, and through
the wire A back to the battery B; the current at the same time passes through
the motor uninterruptedly, the inotor therefore rotates to the left, and winds up the
blind until the projection a pushes the contact lever to the right, and the springs 8
and 9 on the cramps 7 and 10, whereby the circuit is again interrupted.
This process is repeated automatically as soon as the hemisphere & is influenced
by the rays of the sun, and again when the rays do not impinge on the hemisphere,
whether the temperature is high or low. The apparatus acts when the hemisphere k
has a higher temperature than the hemisphere , that is to say when the volume of
air is different in the two globes whereby the column of mercury is moved..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1st. An apparatus for the automatic operation of blinds, consisting of two
hermetically closed hemispheres kk', connected to each other by n tube of glass o,
into which have been fuzed platinum wires 4, 5, and 6, and which is partially filled
with mercury, one of eaid hemispheres being exposed direct to the rays of the sun,
so that when it is acted on by the rays, the volume of the air contained in it
expands correspondingly, and acts on the column of mercury, whereby, and by the
platinum wires extending into it, an electric circuit is closed, which operates a
mechanism ab connected with the blind roller which towers or raises the blind.
2nd. In the apparatus claimed in Claim the construction of the operating
mechanism, consisting of an electro-motor a b which transmits by gearing
wheels d, g, the movement to the axle W connected to the blind, substantially as
described.
3rd. In the apparatus claimed in Claims 1 and 2 the alternating mechanism
consisting of the disc i, provided with projections, substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of February 1896.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.