IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CURTAIN, FIXTURES AND MOUNTINGS
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I LOUIS WEBER, a Citizen of the United States, residing at N° 218 Bedford
Avenue in the City of Brooklyn, and State of New York, United States of
America, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CURTAIN, FIXTURES AND MOUNTINGS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
"
My invention relates to that class of curtain fixtures in which the curtain, or
the curtains, as the case may be, are secured at their upper ends to travellers or
carriages which are strung on an operating cord, whereby the curtains may be
drawn back or run out at will. The travellers run on a rod, which is usually
mounted in a tubular bar, slotted on its underside.
----
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a
vertical longitudinal sectional view of my curtain-fixture in its most approved
form, the section being taken on line 1 1 in Figure 2. Figure 2 is a horizontal
section of the left-hand end of the bar on line 2 - 2 in Figures 1 and 3.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3 - 3 in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a
transverse section on line 4
Figure 5 is a side view and plan
4 in Figure 1.
of the bracket for supporting the curtain bar.
These figures represent the approved form of my fixture which I will now
describe.
A represents a tubular curtain-bar, usually of metal, but which may be of other
material. This bar has a slot a in its underside extending its entire length.
I usually construct this slot in drawing the tubular bar, but an ordinary tube
may be slit open and used for the purpose. This bar I provide at intervals, with
open rings or bands b, seen best in Figures 1 and 4. These rings are constructed
open so as not to obstruct the slot a in the bar, and are provided with hooks b¹ to
receive a lambrequin b², when a lambrequin is used.
The bar A is mounted in two brackets, B, B, which are constructed alike, and
are best illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 5. This bracket comprises a slotted arm c,
a fixed jaw c¹, and a hinged jaw o, which may be raised or thrown back to admit

page_text: the bar A. On each jaw is formed a half-nipple, c³, which half-nipples, when
brought together and a screw thread is formed thereon, form a screw to receive a
nut c¹. Thus the jaws are held firmly together when clamped on the bar. The
slotted arm c fits in a keeper formed on a piece d screwed to the wall, or other
part, and a set screw d, passes through the slot in c and screws into . Thus the
bracket may be extended, within limits, and the set-screw serves to clamp c and d
together.
In the left hand end of the bar A is fitted a flange cup e and in the right-hand
end a flanged cup e¹; these cups are substantially alike. C is a rod which is fixed
at its one end in cup by a nut e², and at its other end it passes through the cupe
and is bent down, its bent end e³ taking under a keeper, e best seen in Figure 3.
As the flanges on 'the cups e, e¹ engage the ends of the bar A, the straining of the
rod C by the nut e², serves to keep the cups in place. D, D are short tubes slipped
over the ends of the bar A; in these are fitted plugs or blocks E, E, usually of
wood, to which are secured ornamental end-knobs F, F. These knobs are not
essential parts of the bar.
G, G are travellers which support and carry the curtains. The traveller is best
Been in Figures 1 and 4. It comprises a sheave f, mounted rotatively between
upright arms f', f¹ and is arranged to roll or travel on the rod C as on a track.
The arins f¹ are connected to a tubular eye f2, from which depends, through the
slot a in bar A, a stem or hook f³, from which is suspended the curtain-clasp. H.
best seen in Figures 1, 3 and 4.
On the stem f³ is a disc f, which serves to prevent the stem from being drawn
up through the slot into the bar when the curtains are manipulated. The clasp H,
which clasps the curtain I, comprises an ornamental plate or button, g, provided
with a pointed screw-stem g¹, which, when the clasp is in use, passes through the
curtain and screws into another plate or button, 2, which forms the other half of
the clasp. A suspending link g³ has a hole or eye in its one end through which
the screw stem g¹ passes, and an eye or hook in its other end to engage a corre-
sponding part formed on the end of the stem of the traveller G.
The curtains are operated by a cord J the bight of which passes around a
horizontally rotating sheave h, mounted usually at the left-hand end of the bar A.
as herein shown. The sheave bearing h¹ (see Figures 1, 2 and 3) is secured to the
cup e by a stirrup 2, the ends of which pass through the cup e, and the keeper e
and are secured by nuts. The two sides or strands of the operating cord J are
threaded through the laterally oblong eyes f2 in the travellers G and pass thence
over two vertically mounted sheaves h³, fixed in bearings on the cup e¹ at the other
end of bar A.
From the sheaves ³ the ends of the cord J pass down through holes formed in
the bar A by enlarging the slot a in the same at that point.
----
The outer edges of the two curtains are suspended from hooks f³, fixed in the
bar, or in the tubes D, as seen in Figure 1. The inner edges of the two curtains are
suspended from master travellers, G, one of which is shown in section in Figure 1,
and in section at right angles to this in Figure 11, the plane of this latter section
being indicated by line 11 11 in Figure 1. These master-travellers are secured,
respectively to the two sides or strands of the cord J, and thus the movement of
the said cord is caused to carry the edges of the curtains to or from each other as
one or the other ends of the cord are pulled. I construct this master traveller
almost exactly like the traveller G, and I have used the same letters of reference to
the details of both, as far as possible.
I provide the master traveller, however, with a device or means for securing it to
the cord, and releasing it therefrom, which device I arrange to be operated from
the outside of the bar, through the slot a in the latter.
This device comprises, by preference, a lever i provided with teeth to bear on the
particular side of the cord to which the master traveller is to be secured. To the
end of this lever i is coupled a stem by drawing down on which the toothed

page_text: lever is caused to press on the cord. A shoulder on the stem i¹ is caused to engage
a shoulder on the body of the traveller when the stem is drawn down and then
turned axially, and thus the lever i is prevented from rising. By arranging this
securing device to be, operated from outside the bar I am enabled to adjust, the
master traveller along the cord without dismounting the bar. In the master,
traveller I prefer to divide the cord-passage by a partition formed in this case by
the stein i¹ as seen in Figure 11. Where but one curtain is hung on the bar, only
one master traveller is required.
:
It will be seen that by constructing, my travellers as herein shown, the line of
draft is below the axes of the track sheaves or wheels f, which is very important.
The modification shown in Figure 6 relates to the mountings at the end of the:
bar A. In this construction the cup e is not flanged to take over the end of the
bar, but.is held in place by a stud j, fixed to the said cup and projecting outward
through the slot a. This stud is screw-threaded; it passes through a hole in the
lower jaw of the bracket B, and a nut j¹ is employed to clamp the cup e, bar A and
bracket B, together. The rod C has a nut on both ends.
Figure 7 is a cross-section of the bar shown in Figure 6, taken in the plane of
line 77 in Figure 6. This shows the bottom of cup e cut away so as to leave
only a bar whereby to attach the rod C and the mounting or bearing of the
pulley h.
Figure 8 shews how the bar seen in Figure 1, (or that in Figure 6) may, be
mounted in end-sockets instead of in brackets. In this construction the tube D
has an outwardly turned flange which engages an inturned flange on a circular
socket B2, that is divided diametrically into halves. This socket mounting is
necessary where the bar is to be mounted between two jambs.
Figure 9 shows how my travellers G and track C may be used without the
tubular.bar A.
In this construction the pulleys for the cord J, and the rod C, are mounted on
or in bracket-plates B¹, which are fixed to the walls or jambs by screws. These
plates might, however, have arms similar to the arm c of the bracket shown in
Figure 5, and these be set up in the same way as for the other bars. In this
construction I have not shown the cord J as doubled; the master-traveller G¹ is
constructed the same as the travellers G, and is prevented from sliding on the cord
by knots or obstructions 1, l. Only one curtain is shown, and only one master-
traveller; the curtain being manipulated by drawing on one or the other of the
pendent ends of the cord.
Figure 12 shews a modification in which the wheels ff on the traveller G take
the place of the sheave f seen in the other figures. The rod C is omitted, and the
wheels run on tracks formed by flattening the bottom of the bar A at the sides of
the slot a.
In this construction it will be seen that the line of draft is below the
axes of the wheels f, fas in the other form of carrier.
In Figure 10 I have shown a modification of my hinged-jaw bracket. In this
construction the bracket is made up of two like jaws, on each of which is formed
half of the arm c. These jaws or parts are hinged at c³, somewhat like a pair of
shears.
•
I will state that the portion of the traveller G through which the operating
cord J passes should be long enough to prevent the wheels or sheaves f of adjacent
travellers from touching when the travellers are drawn together in withdrawing
the curtains.
It will be seen that my bar is so constructed that it may be varied in length to
fit in any position without the necessity of making it telescopic, as has been done.
It is only necessary, in shortening the curtain bar, to cut off the end of bar A and
the rod Ċ to correspond. Thus any variation in the length ordinarily required
may be made.
My bar or fixture is particularly well adapted to heavy curtains, and curtains
requiring long bars.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, in respect of curtain fixtures and mountings, is
1. The traveller having a wheel or wheels to roll on a track, and having the axis
or axes of the said wheel or wheels arranged above the line of draft of the operating
cord, as set forth.
2. The bar A, provided with the track-rod C for the travellers, the said rod being
secured at the ends of the bar, as set forth.
3. The combination of the slotted bar A, the flanged caps e, e¹, the track rod C,
mounted at its ends in cups e, e¹, and the sheaves h, h³ mounted on the said
cups e, el below the rod C, as set forth:
4. The bar A, provided with a slot a extending its entire length with the
reinforcing tubes D, D at its ends, and the cut or open rings b, as set forth.
5. The bracket B provided with a hinged jaw, as set forth.
6. The bracket provided with a hinged jaw, and with the nipple c³ and nut c³,
as set forth.
7. The master travellers G¹, provided with track sheaves or wheels having their
axes arranged above the line of draft, and having a device for securing the said
traveller to the cord which is adapted to be operated through the slot in the bar,.
whereby the dismounting of the bar is avoided, as set forth.
8. The construction of the curtain fixture without the bar A, as shown in
Figure 9, and as described.
9. The construction of the bracket B as shown in Figure 10, and as described.
10. The construction of the clasp H for the curtain, as shown and described.
11. The mode of securing the track rod C in the cups e, e¹, as shown and
described.
12. Constructing curtain fixtures and mountings as described and shown.