IMPROVEMENTS IN SUN BLINDS OR SHADES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Miller Park, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Shoemaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SUN BLINDS OR SHADES."
Sealed the 23rd July 1861, and dated the 1st February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Miller Park at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1861.
I, JAMES MILLER PARK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Shoemaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SUN BLINDS OR SHADES," to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention has for object the obstruction of the direct rays of the sun
from shop and other windows or openings without sacrificing so much of the
diffused daylight as is done by ordinary sun blinds or shades. For this purpose
advantage is taken of the circumstance that in the United Kingdom (and
elsewhere) the sun's greatest altitude is always considerably less than 90 degrees,
by constructing the blind or shade so that light can enter above it into the
window or space in a direction having a greater inclination than that of the
sun's rays. In some cases it may be desirable to admit a portion of the sun's
rays above the blind, for the purpose, for example, of throwing light into the
interior of a shop over the articles in the window.

page_text: In practically carrying out the Invention the blind or shade may be
variously modified, but it is essential that a space be provided at the upper
part for the admission of light in directions of higher inclination than the limit
fixed upon, whilst to prevent light entering in directions of lesser inclination,
the upper defining edge of the blind or shade must be thrown forward to an
extent corresponding to the amount of upper light to be admitted. The blind
may be made so that its upper edge may have an invariable position when in
use, or so that its position may be altered to correspond. with the period of the
year, or even with the hour of the day..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Miller Park in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MILLER PARK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Shoe-
maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Miller Park, Her special licence that I, the said James Miller
Park, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Miller Park, my 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN SUN BLINDS OR SHADES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Miller Park, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 I, the said James Miller Park, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention has for object the obstruction of the direct rays of the
sun from shop and other windows or openings without sacrificing so much of
the diffused daylight as is done by ordinary sun blinds or shades. For this
purpose advantage is taken of the circumstance that in the United Kingdom
(and in other countries situated in similar latitudes) the sun's greatest altitudo
is always considerably less than ninety degrees, and the desired end is obtained
by constructing the blind' or shade so that light can enter above it into the
window or space in a direction having a greater inclination than that reached.
by the sun's rays.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood and
carried into effect, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings.
shewing an example of the application of the improvements.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan, shewing the blind
in use.
In this example the blind A is fixed at its lower edge to a wooden stretcher
B, and at its upper edge to a roller C, upon which it is wound when out of
use. The roller C is formed with projecting end spindles D, each of which is
entered through a slotted bracket E fixed to the upper face of the shop front F.
The brackets E are formed with small toothed racks running parallel to tho
slot, and small pinions on the roller spindles D gear into these racks, in
consequence of which the roller C is made to turn as it is moved inwards or
outwards whilst it is kept parallel to the shop front in every position. For tho
purpose of drawing up the blind a pulley G is fixed upon one end of the
roller C, and a cord H wound round this pulley passes thence over guide
pulleys into the interior of the shop. The blind is drawn out by means of the
arms I, to the ends of which the stretcher B is fixed. The inner ends of theso
arms I are jointed to blocks capable of sliding in vertical guide boxes J fixed
to the sides of the shop front according to a plan in common use.
In the present example the blind is shown as arranged for the altitude or
inclination of the sun's rays indicated by the line K-K. The upper edge of
the blind A is situated at such a distance above the edge M of the window
opening that solar rays of less inclination cannot pass over the blind into the
window. At the same time the upper edge of the blind A is placed at some
distance horizontally out from the cornice N, so that there is an open space
N, K, which permits a considerable amount of diffused daylight to enter the
window in directions of greater inclination than that of the line K-K. In
some cases it may be desirable to admit a portion of the sun's rays above the

page_text: blind, for the purpose, for example, of throwing light into the interior of the
shop over and beyond the articles in the window. On the other hand, as the
sun approaches its extreme altitude for only a short time during the middle of
the day, the blind may be set for an inclination somewhat less than the
extreme one, and during the middle of the day either the sun's rays may be
allowed to enter above the blind, or the upper edge of the blind may be drawn
inwards a short distance to exclude them, to be again drawn outwards in the
afternoon.
It will be obvious that the blind or shade may, in practice, be variously
modified, but it is essential that a space (N-K,) be provided at the upper part
for the admission of light in directions of higher inclination than the limit
fixed upon, whilst to prevent solar rays entering in directions of less inclination,
the upper defining edge of the blind or shade must be thrown forward and
upward to an extent corresponding to the amount of upper light to be
admitted. The blind may be so made or contrived as that its upper edge may
have an invariable position when in use, or so that its position may be altered
or adjusted to correspond with the period of the year, or even with the hour
of the day.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have to state that I
do not restrict myself to the precise details herein-before described or delineated;
but that what I consider to be novel and original, and claim as the Inven-
tion secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the
arranging or constructing of sun blinds or shades so that light of higher than a
determinate inclination may enter the window, opening, or space to be pro-
tected by them, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Miller Park, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JAMES MILLER PARK. (L.B.)