IMPROVEMENTS IN POLES OR RODS FOR CURTAINS AND HANGINGS
Year: 1866

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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN POLES OR RODS FOR CURTAINS AND
HANGINGS." A communication from abroad by Jules Antoine Pelosse, of
Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 3rd May 1867, and dated the 6th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1866.
I, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN POLES OR RODS FOR CURTAINS AND
HANGINGS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the drawing and withdrawing of.
curtains or hangings without applying the hand, to the curtain or hanging.in
order to draw it back. This is effected by communicating a rotary motion to
the curtain rod, pole, or support on which the curtains are' hung. The pole
or rod itself can be made of solid wood, or pierced in parts or throughout its
whole length, to admit of a metallic tube or a plain wooden or iron rod being
inserted therein. On the exterior surface of the rod and starting from the
centre two helical grooves should be made running in opposite directions, and
tending towards the extremities of the rod or pole. Wooden or iron rings are

page_text: placed on the rod or pole, and the curtains are fastened to the rings in the
ordinary or any other convenient manner. The two rings nearest the centre
are furnished with small gudgeons or projecting studs which run in the corre
sponding grooves, so that when the rod is made to rotate the gudgeons and
rings will follow the direction of the helical groove, and will either close or
open the curtains according to the direction in which the rod is made to rotate.
The pole or rod rests on, supports which can be ornamented or not as may be
desired. The pole or rod should turn freely in these supports without any
risk of being displaced. The rotating movement may be communicated to
the rod or pole by means of a band or cord running on a pulley attached to
the end of the rod. Any other means may be used to make the pole or rod
rotate. It will be readily understood that this kind of curtain rod may be
elaborately ornamented.
As a modification of the above instead of the helical grooves an iron or
other wire may be wound helically round the rod or pole in the same manner
as and in the same direction as the grooves above mentioned, but this helical
wire is made to terminate near the supports with several narrow helical coils
equal in number to the wider helical coils, but with sufficient space between
them to allow the rings to rest between them when the curtains are drawn
back. In this modification the rings are all furnished with gudgeons or
projecting pins which bear against the helical coils formed by the iron wire,
and are forced in the direction taken by the iron wire when the rod is made
to rotate as in the former instance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on a
the 6th May 1867.
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 Sixth day of November, in the 'year' of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my 'executors, administrators,

page_text: 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POLES OR RODS FOR CURTAINS AND HANGINGS," being á
communication to me from abroad by Jules Antoine Pelosse, of Boulevard
Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly 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 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 bereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to construct and arrange the rods or poles
for curtains and hangings in such a manner that a reciprocating motion is
communicated to the curtains on the rod itself by causing the latter to rotate.
The rod may be made either of solid wood, or pierced in. places or throughout
its whole length, so as to allow of the introduction of a metallic tube, or a
wooden or iron rod inside. On the exterior surface of the rod, and running
lengthways, is formed a helical groove, and care must be taken that while
starting from the centre of the rod the grooves shall run in opposite directions
towards the extremities of the rod. The direction of the helical groove is
therefore to the right on one side, and to the left on the other side..
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawing represents one of the improved curtain
rods or poles in elevation, showing one of the curtains drawn up close and the
other curtain extended.
Rings a, a, are placed upon the rod or pole 6, and the curtains c, c, are
attached to the rings in any convenient manner, such as by sewing or other-
wise. The two rings nearest the centre are furnished with small pins a', as
shown in the detached view Fig. 2. These. pins run in the grooves 61, 6¹ of
the rod, which is made to rotate by means of a band d at either end. The
pins that are attached to the rings will slide in the grooves towards the centre;
and the curtains can therefore be drawn close, or opened according to the way

page_text: in which the rod is made to rotate. The extremities of the rod or pole 6 rest
in brackets or supports e, e, which may be ornamented in any suitable manner,
and in which the rod should rotate freely, but without being able to shift
laterally in the slightest degree. The rod is caused to rotate by means of
cords or bands d, which work over the extremity of the rod, which is grooved
like a pulley to receive them. It will be easily seen that this kind of curtain
rod may be very easily ornamented, but as it is intended to adapt the Invention
to the simplest and most unpretending form of hangings, and therefore to be
within everybody's means, the arrangement shown. is of great simplicity of
construction. Instead of the helical grooves made in the rod a metallic wire
may.
be wound round the rod like the thread of a screw, as shown in Fig. 3;
these wires are to be fixed on the rod in such a way that they shall make two
helices in opposite directions, as in the first-mentioned method, and terminated
at the extremities by a number of closer helices made sufficiently large to
contain the rings when the curtain is drawn back, as shown in the Drawing.
In this arrangement the rings are all furnished with pins, as shown at Fig. 2,
and these pins being in immediate contact with the helical wires are made to
advance or retire as the rod is caused to rotate.
As a modification the curtain rods may be constructed of two bands or flat
pieces of iron rolled in the form of two helices in opposite directions, but not
joined round a mandril, but soldered together at their extremities. The
mandril being drawn out the iron helices thus formed will preserve their shape
which is given them by means of a moderate heat or other suitable means,
a hollow bar is thus obtained as represented at Fig. 1. In this arrangement
the pin of the rings runs in the helical grooves formed by the non-juxtaposition
of the rolled pieces of iron.
Having now described the Invention of " Improvements in Poles or Rods
for Curtains and Hangings," which has been communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim as the Invention. secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid,―
First, the arrangement above described of curtain rods for hangings con-
sisting of two helical grooves inclining in opposite directions in combination
with rings, which follow the direction given them according to the rotation
of the rod.
Second, I claim the arrangement shown at Fig. 2, in which, instead of the
grooves, wires are coiled helically round the exterior of the rod, and the rings
are furnished with pins as shown at Fig. 3.
Third, I claim the arrangements above described for supporting the rods or

page_text: poles, and also the manner herein shown and described of communicating
rotary motion to the rod.
I claim, lastly, the arrangement above described of curtain rods formed of
two pieces of iron rolled helically round a mandril, but not in close contact,
and the mandril being drawn out they will preserve the form thus given to
them.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand, and seal, the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)