CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING WINDOW BLINDS AND SHUTTERS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING WINDOW BLINDS AND
SHUTTERS." A communication.
Sealed the 4th August 1857, and dated the 17th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th March 1857.
J, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING WINDOW BLINDS..
AND SHUTTERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the construction,
arrangement, mode of connection, and method of operating folding blinds and
shutters for the exteriors of windows, and is applicable to blinds or shutters of
wood or metal.
The distinguishing features of novelty in this Invention are, first, the
employment of movable upright pieces containing notches to receive and
constitute bearings for the tenons of the blind slats, arranged to operate
within the stationary sides of the blind or shutter framing for the purpose

page_text: of confining the tenons of the slats when the blind or shutter is down, or of
liberating the tenons to allow the blind or shutter to be drawn up or folded.
Second, the use of guide plates for conducting the tenons of the bottom
slat clear of the notches during the drawing up of the blind. These guide
plates are attached to portions of the tenons of the said slat that extend
beyond the ends of the tenons of the other slats into cavities that are made
within the stationary side pieces of the blind for the cords or chains, by which
the blind is raised or folded, to work through.
Third, the constructing of chains with stops on the links, arranged in such
manner as to allow the links to fold freely inwards or away from the slats, and
prevent them from folding between the slats.
Fourth, the application of a spring and cord to the upper slat, in com-
bination with the connection of the slats by chains at their inner edges, for the
purpose of effecting the closing of the slats when the blind or shutter is down,
and keeping them closed unless held open by other means.
Fifth, the suspension of the top slat from fixed pins in the cap of the frame
of the blind or shutter by slotted plates of a form which admits of all the
necessary. movements.
Sixth, the employment of a curved lever and sliding ratchet bar to operate
upon the lower slat, and open the blind or shutter from the interior of, the
window.
Seventh, the use of a hook, attached to the inner edge of one of the slats,
and operating in combination with the spring and cord, mentioned in the
fourth head, to hold open the slats of the upper portion of the blind or shutter
while the lower portion remains closed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward

page_text: Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Edward Newton; 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING WINDOW BLINDS AND SHUTTERS," being a communi-
cation from abroad; upon the condition (ainongst otliers) that I, the shid
William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inventioit,
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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Certain Improvements in Folding Window Blinds 'and
Shutters relates to a novel or improved construction, arrangement, mode of
connection, and method of operating folding blinds and shutters for the
exteriors of windows, and is applicable to blinds or shutters of wood or metal.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figures 1, 2, and 3 exhibit transverse vertical sections of a window, to which
is applied a blind or shutter in which all the improvements that constitute the
Invention are embraced, the several section's showing. the blind or shutter in
different conditions. Fig. 4 is an inside view of the jamb framing of the
window and of the blind or shutter. Fig. 5 is an outside view corresponding
with Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the window and blind or
shutter. Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are detail views which will be herein-
after explained. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
the several Figures.
A, B, B, C, is the wooden jamb framing of the window, A being the sill,
B, B, the jambs, and C, the cap; D, D, E is the frame of the blind or
shutter, which may be of wood or iron, secured to the exterior of the jamb
framing, said frame consisting of two uprights D, D, and a cap piece E*;
the uprights are sunk into the sill A, and secured by screws or any other
suitable means to the jambs B, B; the cap piece E has the jambs mortised
into it, and is secured by bolts or other means to the cap C of the jamb

page_text: framing. The uprights D, D, have cavities a, a, in their inner faces, as shown
in Figures 1, 2, and 6, and also in Fig. 5, in the latter of which Figures they
are represented partly broken away to expose the said cavities, which are for
the purpose of containing two moveable upright pieces E, E, which contain
notches c, c, in their front sides to receive and constitute bearings for the
round tenons c, c, at the ends of the slats F, F, of the blind or shutter to
turn in to open and close them while the blind or shutter is down, as shown
in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, of which Figure 3 shows the slats open, and the
other Figures show them closed. The tenons are confined in the notches
when the blind or shutter is down by the pieces E, E, being held against the
front sides of the cavities a, a, but as the blind or shutter is intended to fold
and draw up to the top of the window, provision is made for liberating the
tenons from the notches c, c, by making the pieces E, E, of less depth from
back to front than the cavities a, a, to allow them to move inwards or back-
wards in the said cavities far enough to leave room for the tenons to move for-
ward out of their bearings c, c, and move upward between the front of the pieces
E, E, and the front sides. of the cavities a, a. Fig. 1 represents the pieces
E, E, drawn back, and the slats F, F, drawn up to the top of the window.
Springs d, d, are placed between the pieces E, E, and the back or inner sides
of the cavities a, a, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6, to force the said pieces
forward or outward, so as to confine the tenons of the slats when the blind or
shutter is let down; and rods e, e, one for each piece E, are provided to draw
the pieces E, E, back to allow the slats to move up; the rods e, e, pass
through the jambs B, B, so as to admit of their being operated by hand from
the interior of the house or other building without opening the window. W
in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6, is the window sash. A small upright sliding bolt f
is applied inside the jamb to each rod e to drop into one of two notches e in
the said rod for the purpose of locking the piece E, either in its inward
position, shown in Fig. 1, or its outward position, shewn in Figures 2, 3,
and 6. The movable upright pieces E, E, are confined to the cavities a, a,
by screws u, u, near the top and bottom, the said screws passing through
horizontal slots u*, u*, Figures 1 and 2, in the pieces E, E, and screwing into
the stationary uprights D, D. Rollers v, v, are fitted into the bottoms of the
upright pieces E, E, to run on the sill A, so as to reduce the friction.
The slats F, F, are all connected together at their inner edges by two
chains G, G, which are made with two links to each slat, the said links being
so provided with stops as to fold only in an inward direction or away from the
slats, as shown in Fig. 1, so as not to get between the slats and prevent them
from being drawn up close to each other. The construction of the links is

page_text: illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the former of which exhibits a transverse
section, and the latter an inside view, on a larger scale than the Figures
already referred to, of portions of three slats, and the chain connecting them.
The links g, g, are connected by hinged joints, and the links g¹ are each
constructed with a stop piece h at its upper end, which, when the chain is
extended, comes in contact with the link g above it, and thus prevents the
joint i, that stands midway between the connections j, j, of the chains and
slats, from folding towards the slats, but yet allows it to fold freely from the
slats in the manner illustrated in the lower part of Fig. 7. The top or
uppermost slat F of the blind or shutter is suspended by two slotted plates I, I,
shown in Figures 2 and 3, from two stationary pins w, w, that are secured in
the cap piece E. The form of the plates I, I, is illustrated best in Fig. 9,
which is a side view of one of them detached. The object of making these
plates with large slots 20 to work on the pins w, w, and the particular form
of the said slots will be herein-after explained.
The slats are drawn up into the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of two
cords or chains p, p, Fig. 5, connected with the tenons of the lowest or bottom
slat, and passing up through the cavities a, a, in the uprights D, D, of the
frame of the blind or shutter, over guide rollers k, k, in the cap piece E, as
shewn in Fig. 1, and from thence through the cap C and under guide rollers
1, 1, in the back part thereof to rollers m, m, on a horizontal shaft that is
mounted in bearings n, n, attached to the interior of the cap C within the
building. The two cords or chains p, p, are drawn up (in order to draw up
or fold the blind or shutter) by turning the shaft H, and thus winding up the
cords or chains on the rollers m, m. Various means may be employed to
enable persons standing on the floor of a room or apartment to operate the
shaft H. When the blind or shutter is made of wood the means shown in
the Drawing will serve the purpose very well, viz, an endless band or cord q
running over a pulley r at one end of the said shaft and under a pulley s,
attached to an upright bolt t at the lower part of the window, which bolt has
a spring applied to it within a stationary guide box K, in such a manner as to
produce such a tension on the cord as is necessary to produce friction enough
on the pulley to turn the shaft or hold it stationary. By pushing up this
bolt to slacken the endless band or cord q, the blind or shutter is allowed to
unwind the cords or chains p; p, and descend or close itself by its own weight.
The bottom slat, when not of itself heavy enough to effect the above result, may
have weights attached; 15, 15, represent such weights. The means above
described of operating the shaft H are however not applicable with advantage
when the blind or shutter is made of metal, as the weight of the blind is too

page_text: I
great to be raised by cords and pulleys; but instead of those contrivances
propose to employ an upright shaft, geared by bevil gearing with the shaft
H, and provided with a handle at the bottom, which should be at a convenient
height to allow it to be turned by a person standing on the floor. The cords
or chains p, p, by which the lower slat is drawn up to fold or open the blind
or shutter, work in rebates which are formed in the front or outer sides of
the movable upright pieces, as shown at p in Fig. 5, and also in Fig. 10,
which is a transverse or horizontal section of one of the pieces E. These
cords or chains are connected with excentric circular plates a, a, attached to
the tenons of the bottom slat, the said plates fitting between the fronts of the
cavities a, a, in the stationary uprights D, D, and the backs of the rebates
2, of the pieces E, E, and serving as guides to conduct the bottom slat
upward without any liability of its tenons entering the notches c, c. A side
view of one of the plates a, a, is given in Fig. 11 on a larger scale than that
in which it is shown in any other Figure. The other Figures, in which the
guide plates a, a, are shown, are Figures 1, 5, and 6. Opposite the lowest
pair of notches c, c, there are small cavities sunk in the back of the rebates p",
for the plates a, a, to work in when the upright pieces E are moved forward
to confine the tenons of all the slats. The tenons c*, c*, of all the other slats
are made shorter than those of the bottom slat, in order to allow the cords or
chains P, P, pass them. The bottom slat, as it is drawn up by the cords
or chains p, p, passes behind the one above it, and thus throws it forward and
throws the tenons of the latter out of the notches c, c; the latter one passes
behind the one above it and acts in the same manner, and so on all the way
to the top, cach slat throwing forward the one above it and releasing its
tenons. The slats as they rise successively assume a horizontal position.
The uppermost or top slat has its inner edge connected at about the middle
of its length by a cord y with a spring, that is placed in a cavity in the cap
piece C of the jamb framing, as shown in Fig. 3. The cord y passes over a
pulley y, which is so arranged (as shown in Fig. 3) that the spring in pulling
the cord exerts a tendency to throw forward the inner edge of the slat, so as
to bring the slat as nearly as possible to an upright position, or in other words
to close it. The connection of the inner edges of the slats by the chains G, G,
causes all of the slats to be closed by the closing of the top one when the
blind or shutter is down and the tenons are in their bearings c, c, and in like
manner causes all to be opened by the opening of the bottom onc. To enable
the slats to be opened from inside the window, a curved lever 16 (shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) is mounted outside the window. This lever is a
kind of cam, and is connected to a fulcrum 17, and has connected with it a

page_text: sliding spring ratchet bar 18, which works in a cavity in the sill A, and is
furnished with a knob 19 standing above the sill inside of the window; by
pulling the knob 19 inwards the upper or cam-like portion of the lever 16 is
caused to slide over the inner edge of the bottom slat in such a way as to
depress the said edge and turn the slat to a horizontal or other open position,
which position is maintained against the action of the spring and cord y by
the ratchet bar 18. This operation is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, in the
latter of which the lever is shewn not in operation and the slats closed, and
in the former the lever is shewn in operation and the slats open.
J is a hook attached to the inner edge of one of the slats, for the purpose
of enabling the slats of the upper portion of the blind to be opened while the
lower ones are closed. This is only operative while the tenons are secured in
the notches c, c. By placing the point of this hook over the inner edge of the
next slat above it, that slat and all above it are held open, while the slat to
which the hook is attached, and all below it, remain closed, as shewn in
Fig. 2 by red outline, which represents the upper slats in an open condition.
This adjustment can only be effected by opening the window; but all the other
adjustments and movements of the blind or shutter are effected from the
interior, without opening the window.
The suspension of the top slat of the blind by the slotted plates I, I, admits
of all the movements necessary to the various conditions of the blind, which
could not be effected by suspending the slat at a fixed point. The outer or
upper sides of the slots 20 constitute portions of circles, described from."oints
in the line of the axis of the tenons c, c, of the slat, so as to admit of their
working over the pins w, w, as the slat turns on its tenons when the blind or
shutter is down, but the inner or lower side of the said slot 20 is described so
as to work against the pins w, w, when the blind is being drawn up, , and guide
the upper slat in its double movement, viz, its movement toward a horizontal
position, and the upward movement, which brings it close to the cap E. This
blind or shutter combines the characteristics of both a blind and a shutter, and
when made of iron, is fire-proof and burglar-proof.
Having now described the Invention of folding window blinds and shutters,
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, as com-
municated to me by my foreign correspondent, I would observe that the
distinguishing features of novelty in the above described Invention, and which
I desire to claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as afore-
said, are,
First, the employment of moveable upright pieces E, E, containing notches
c, c, to receive and constitute bearings for the tenons of the blind slats,

page_text: arranged to operate within the stationary sides D, D, of the blind or shutter
framing for the purpose of confining the tenons of the slats when the blind or
shutter is down, or of liberating the tenons to allow the blind or shutter to be
drawn up or folded.
Second, the use of guide plates, for conducting the tenons of the bottom
slat clear of the notches c, c, during the drawing up of the blind, such plates
being attached to portions of the tenons of the said slat, that extend beyond
the ends of the tenons of the other slats into cavities that are made within the
stationary side pieces of the blind for the cords or chains, by which the blind
is raised or folded, to work through.
Third, the construction of the chains G, G, with stops on the links, arranged
in such manner as to allow the links to fold freely inwards or away from tho
slats, and prevent them from folding between the slats.
Fourth, the application of the spring z and cord y to the upper slat, in com-
bination with the connection of the slats by the chains G, G, at their inner
edges, for the purpose of effecting the closing of the slats when the blind or
shutter is down, and keeping them closed unless held open by other means.
Fifth, the suspension of the top slat from fixed pins w, w, in the cap of the
frame of the blind or shutter by slotted plates of a form which admits of all
the necessary movements.
Sixth, the employment of a curved lever and sliding ratchet-bar to operate
upon the lower slat, and open the blind or shutter from the interior of the
window.
Seventh, the use of a book, attached to the inner edge of one the slats, to
hold open the slats of the upper portion of the blind or shutter while the
lower portion remains closed, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)