IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS USED IN CARRIAGES
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STATHAM, of West Street, Saint Giles, in the County of Middlesex, Venetian
Lock Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twentieth day of October, in the sixth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Statham, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Statham, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Statham, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS FOR VENETIAN
BLINDS USED IN CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said James Statham, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Statham, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon 5
(that is to say)—
In constructing locks for Venetian blinds used in carriages, they are so
arranged that two operations are required to open such blinds, and two to
close them. First, there is the sliding of a bolt or latch to unlock the blind;
and, secondly, the opening of the blind is performed by a slide. And in closing 1
a blind the bolt or latch has again to be moved, and then by a tape or strap
the blind is closed. And such description of blinds are often injured and put
out of order by persons not accustomed to work them, or not thinking at the
time what movements are to be gone through in order to open or close such
blinds. Now the object of my Invention is so to arrange locks for Venetian
blinds used in carriages, that by the simple act of unlocking a blind the same
shall be opened by a spring, and that in the act of again closing the blind the
spring shall be brought into a condition to re-open the blind when the same
is released or unlocked.
Figure 1 represents a Venetian blind as seen from within a carriage.
Figure 2 shews another view of the blind as seen from without the carriage.
In both these Figures the blind is shewn as being closed. Figure 3 shews
a section of the blind when closed; and Figure 4 shews a section of the blind
when opened. a, a, is a tape or band attached to each part of the blind; it
then passes over a pulley b, and thence, being attached to a thin strip of
metal c, is in connection with a cord d, which passes into the lock, which I
will now describe by the aid of the other Figures in the Drawing, where a
lock, and the various parts thereof arranged according to my Invention, will
be seen separately, full size.
Figure 5 is the outside of a lock constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 6 is an inside view of the lock, the working parts being uncovered in
order that the same may be more readily understood. Figure 7 is a transverse
section; and Figure 8 is the metal plate affixed on the lower part of the
blind, and it is by means of the projection thereon that the blind is locked when
closed, as will be hereafter explained. e is what I call the presser plate,
because on pressing on this plate the blind is unlocked, the plate e protrudes
through the opening f in the lock. At the lower part of the plate e is formed
a notch or slit e¹, which embraces and moves on the fixed projection g of the
lock plate. The upper end of the plate is formed into the shape shewn in the

page_text: Drawing, and enters through a hole formed in the projecting plate h¹, of the
lock plate h, and the notch e rests against the edge of the opening through
the projecting plate h', and moves thereon as a fulcrum, the back part e
constantly resting on the lever i, which moves on a fulcrum at it, and such lever
is constantly borne upwards by a spring. The lever i works the sliding
bolt j, the shape of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing; and such is the case
with respect to the other working parts, they all being shewn separately in
various views. The end of the lever rests in the notch of the bolt, and the
upper end slides through an opening formed in the projecting plate h', as is
shewn, the lower end of the bolt j being formed into a curved surface, against
The lever k
which the curved surface of the upper end of the lever k acts.
moves on an axis k¹, and is constantly pressed against by the spring /; and
it will be seen that the upper end of the lever k acts as a click or stop for the
barrel n of the spring n', on the outer surface of which barrel are formed
ratchet teeth. The barrel n turns on an axis o, fixed in the lock plate h, to which
axis one end of the spring is fixed, the other end of the spring being affixed
to the barrel, all which is clearly shewn by the Drawing. d is a cord affixed
to the projection on the barrel. p is a plate affixed to the lower part of the
blind. The projection p', when between the sliding bolt j and the lock plate h,
will by the sliding bolt j be retained locked in the position shewn in Figures 2
and 3, and also in Figures 6 and 7. And it should be stated that these
Figures shew the blind closed; and if the presser plate e be pressed into the
lock it would press down the lever i, and consequently withdraw the sliding
bolt j, and release the projection p¹ of the plate p, and at the same time the
click or stop of the lever k would be pressed away by the descent of the sliding
bolt j, and thus release the barrel, and the spring would thus be at liberty.to
act on the cord d, and would wind it on the barrel, and cause the blind to
be opened;
thus it will be seen that the simple act of unlocking the blind by
the presser plate, or other suitable instrument, the blind will be opened; and
in order to close the blind the tape or strap q causes the blind to be closed, as
was formerly the case, and in doing so causes the projection p¹ to press back
the blot till it has passed beyond it, when the bolt is shot up by its spring, and
locks the plate p, and consequently the blind; and it will be seen that the act
of closing the blind causes the spring to be wound up or put into a state of
5 tension, and in that state will be held by the lever k till the same is again
released.
I would remark, that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein
described, as the same may be varied, provided the peculiar character of the

page_text: Invention be retained. And in order to shew that such may be the case, I
have in the Drawings given several Figures of a different modification of lock,
which acts on the same principle as that above described.
Figure 9 shews the interior of the lock, with the working parts uncovered,
in order that the arrangement and combination may be readily traced.
In this case the presser plate e moves on an axis, and acts by a curved
surface e against a curved surface of the lever k, the shape and construction
of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing; and this lever k acts as the
click or catch to the ratchet teeth on the barrel of the spring, and also
for the sliding bolt j, the upper end j of the lever k being moved back
out of the way of the projection p', when the presser plate e is pressed into
the lock. In all other respects the lock acts in a similar manner to that before
described.
Figure 10 is an internal view of the lock plate h and presser plate e;
Figure 11 is a transverse section of the lock; and Figure 12 is a longitudinal
section of the lock.
The other Figures in the Drawing shew the various parts separately,
in different views, whereby their shape and construction may be readily
traced.
I wish it to be understood, that although I have been thus particular in
explaining the best means of constructing locks according to my Invention,
I would state that the peculiar character of action depends on the working
the blind by the spring to open the same when unlocked or unbolted, and
winding up or bringing the spring again into a state of tension on closing
and locking the blind; and so long as these peculiarities are retained,
though the parts may be varied, the same will be in accordance with my
Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately. But what I claim is, the mode of constructing locks
for Venetian blinds used in carriages, by causing the same to be opened by a
spring when unlocked, and winding up or bring such spring into a state of
tension by closing the blind, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Statham, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
JAMES (L.s.) STATHAM.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1843, the aforesaid James Statham came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three.