IMPROVE MENTS IN WINDOWS, WINDOW BLINDS, AND SHUTTERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Reuben Clarke, of Cwmbrân, near Newport,
(Mechanic), in the County of Monmouth, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN WINDOWS, WINDOW BLINDS, AND SHUTTERS."
Sealed the 18th January 1859, and dated the 20th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Reuben Clarke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1858.
I, REUBEN CLARKE, of Cwmbrân, near Newport (Mechanic), in the County
of Monmouth, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOWS, WINDOW BLINDS, AND SHUTTERS," to be as
follows:
My improvement consists in the application of springs of steel or other
elastic material, either in combination with levers or otherwise, for the purpose
of supporting windows, window blinds, or shutters in various positions, or at
various altitudes, in carriages, dwellings, or other buildings, and also in vessels
on water. The window, window blind, or shutter rests on and is connected to
the points of two or more bars or rods in the same plane with the window;
these rods are connected at their ends to two similar rods in a mode analogous
to what are known as "lazy tongs." When the window is down the rods are
approaching a parallel with each other; when up, the two upper rods are at a

page_text: greater or less angle with the two lower, ranging with the height of the
window. The action of these rods is regulated so as to maintain them in any
required position by steel or other springs, either. on the extension or com-
pression principle, by force of which springs is made to balance the weight of
the window.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Reuben Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, REUBEN
CLARKE, of Cwmbran, near Newport (Mechanic), in the County of Monmouth,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Reuben Clarke, Her special licence that I, the said Reuben Clarke,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Reuben
Clarke, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOWS,
WINDOW BLINDS, AND SHUTTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Reuben Clarke, my executors or administrators, 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 Reuben Clarke, 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
statement:
My improvement consists in the application of springs of steel or other
elastic material, either in combination with levers or otherwise, for the purpose
of supporting windows, window blinds, or shutters in various positions or at

page_text: on water.
various altitudes in carriages, dwellings, or other buildings, and also in vessels
The window, window blind, or shutter rests on and is connected
to the points of two bars or rods in the same plane with the window; these
rods are connected at their ends to two similar rods in a mode analogous to
what are known as "lazy tongs." When the window is down the rods are
approaching a parallel with each other; when up, the two upper rods are at
a greater or less angle with the two lower, varying with the height of the
window. The action of these rods is regulated so as to maintain them in any
required position by steel or other springs, either on the extension or com-
pression principle, the force of which springs is made to balance the weight of
the window; which Invention is more fully explained by the Drawings
hereto annexed.
As
The Figure shewn in the Drawing represents the door of a railway or other
carriage, A, A, A, A, being the door frame. The frame of the shutter or
glass is represented by B, B. A pair of levers or rods C, C, are hinged to two
supports D, D, attached to the bottom frame of the door. is the finger piece
to lift the frame. Projecting portions of the rods C, C, are supported on the
ends of the curved spring E, which is recessed into or fastened to the door
frame bottom. To the tops of the levers or rods at d, d, are hinged two
shorter rods F, F, both of which are hinged to the shutter or glass frame
at G. The elastic force of the spring E supports the rods in a position to
keep the shutter or glass frame up to the full height. In lowering the frame
the lever power diminishes in proportion as the spring power lessens.
the shutter or glass frame is forced down, the power of the weight over the
levers is increased, and thus overcomes the increasing power of the spring.
The action of the projecting portion of the lower levers or rods c, c, is similar
to that of the blade of a clasp knife on the spring; the friction of the spring
and the levers is arranged to keep the rods at any required angle, the force of
the spring balancing the weight. The spring may be made of any width and
strength required, being out of the way of the frame when down, as seen by
the dotted lines, which shew the position of the rods and frame when lowered;
the rods all act in the same plane with the shutter or glass frame, which they
do not exceed in thickness, and for carriage doors this is a great advantage,
getting rid of the inconvenience of balancing by weights which require an extra
thickness of door.
By this substitution of springs and levers, both glass
frames and blinds or shutters may be made to act in the same door without
encreasing its thickness, and without the need of glass strings. It is obvious
that springs may be made to act on the rods or levers in other ways, as, for
example, by an elastic cord of caoutchouc stretched between the hinges d, d,

page_text: and in many other modes. And the numbers of the levers or rods may be
multiplied, and the springs also, if preferred.
Having now described my said Invention I claim as original the com-
bination of levers or rods with springs for the purpose of supporting glass
frames, or blinds, or shutters in carriages, dwellings, and other buildings, and
in vessels on water, as herein-before described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Reuben Clarke, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
REUBEN CLARKE. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed in the presence of
DAVID BROWN,
Manager of Cwmbran Iron Works,
Mon'thshire.