Improvements in Appliances for Operating and Controlling the Cords or Bands of Window Blinds.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Operating and Controlling the
Cords or Bands of Window Blinds.
I, WALTER BRIERLEY, of Bank Chambers, Waterhouse Street, Halifax in the
County of York, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which
has been communicated to me from abroad by Heinrich Lindner of 32 Haxplatz
Strasse, Nurnberg in the Empire of Germany, Merchant, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in appliances for operating and controlling
the cords or bands attached to the blinds of windows, the object being to auto-
matically roll the cord or band of the blind on a drum or roller, when the blind is
being moved to any desired point, the blind being drawn down, or off the top roller
or drawn up by hand in the ordinary manner.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention the following is a complete
description of same reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of window and blind with my improved apparatus for
rolling the cord, or band up on the roller, or drum.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the drum, or roller on which the window cord or band is
fixed and wound and the apparatus for operating same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a part of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the end of the drum or roller with its cover removed in
order to shew the interior.
According to this my said invention the apparatus consists of a drum d upon
which the end of the band or cord a for rotating the top roller b is fastened by
screws or otherwise. The drum d is free to revolve on its axis e the elongated end
of which serves to fasten the drum d to the wall or window frame, and inside the
drum d I place a volute spring one end of which is fixed to the interior of the drum,
and the other end rests against a tooth or notch on the axis e so that if the drum d
is turned in the wrong direction the end of the spring slips over the notch or tooth a
and breakage is prevented.
Outside the flange or disc of the drum and on the axis e I mount a ratchet
wheel in which engages the catch k of the pawl which by chain or cord o passing
over the guide pulley p fixed in the wall or window frame is connected to the spring
clip or handle m which nips or clips the cord or band a of the window blind. The
handle or spring clip m consists of two parts working on a hinge and pressed or
nipped together by the blade spring n so that when the lower ends are pressed
together by the operator the upper ends are opened and the nip or pressure removed
from the cord or band a.
If the blind is to be lowered the spring clip, or handle m must be closed, and
drawn slightly downwards, so lifting the catch or pawl by means of the chain o
and the ratchet wheel i is free, and the blind will partly fall by its own weight and
is partly drawn down by hand so that the band, or cord a is wound off the drum, or
roller the latter revolving on its axis e, and so coiling, or charging the volute
spring in its interior. The spring clip or handle m regulates the speed of the
descent of the blind, acting as a brake by the friction on the band or cord a.
When lowering the blind, and unwinding the band, or cord a from the drum d the
free end of the spring is caught by the hook x on the axis e and the spring is
charged, or coiled; and when the blind is drawn up by the cord, or band a in the
ordinary manner, the spring begins to act, i.e. tends to uncoil itself, so making the
drum & revolve and automatically wind up the cord, or band a, and the latter

page_text: running through the handle, or spring clip m produces sufficient friction to lift the
catch out of the ratchet wheel in order to prevent a rattling noise.
One end of the cord or band a is fixed to the top roller and the other end is
fixed to the drum, or roller d so that a single band, or cord only is employed.
Having now particularly. described and ascertained the nature, and object
of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be employed I
declare that what I claim is :-
1. The automatic band, or cord drum d the spring of which when the blind is
lowered catches the hook on the axis e and coils, or charges itself and moves the
drum or roller d in a reverse direction when the blind is raised as and for the
purpose herein described, and substantially as illustrated by the annexed drawings.
2. The combination of the drum or roller d with the self acting appliances for
moving the catch; consisting of the spring clip, or handle m composed of the two
parts, united by hinges in order to regulate the speed of the descending blind, the
guide pulley p and chain o as and for the purpose herein described, and substantially
as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of March 1892
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Bank Chambers, Waterhouse Street, Halifax.
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Bank Chambers, Waterhouse Street, Halifax.