Improvements in Venetian Blinds.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1895-Accepted, 29th June, 1895
Improvements in Venetian Blinds.
I, HANKINSON LUKE, of 14 Brazennose Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in Venetian blinds and has for its
principal objects the simplification of the arrangement and construction of the parts
in order to facilitate the operations of cleaning and repairing.
The first improvement consists in mounting the swivel rail (or top bar by which
the laths are reversed) in slotted brackets by which it can be readily detached and
replaced and also in securing the "tapes," by which the laths are supported, to the
swivel rail in such a manner that the laths and tapes constituting the blind proper
can be readily detached and taken down for cleaning or repairing and as readily
replaced in position without having to take out the fixed bar or box frame, which
commonly necessitates the employment of skilled labour. This improvement may
be carried into practical effect in a variety of ways as for example by the use of
hooks on the swivel rail and eyes on the tapes or vice versa; or instead of hooks
and eyes any other convenient and suitable form of fastening such as buckles or
eyelets may be employed by which the blind can be securely suspended and yet
can be easily detached and replaced again when required.
The second improvement consists in mounting the pulleys for the drawing cords
on one of the brackets which supports the swivel rail and on the swivel rail itself
instead of on a fixed bar above it as hitherto customary. One advantage arising
out of this arrangement is that when a check action (such as that well known in
the trade as "Beaumonts' Check Action") is employed it works exactly in the
reverse way to the ordinary, that is to say instead of pulling the check cord to lock
the mechanism and hold up the blind when raised, the check action locks
automatically when the blind is raised but is liberated to release and allow the
blind to be lowered and this arises through the altered position of the pulleys which
causes the drawing cords to occupy a horizontal position above the swivel rail
instead of having to pass up to the pulleys in the fixed top bar or frame as in the
ordinary arrangement.
The principal or leading pulleys may either be mounted on a stationary stud as
now customary or may be arranged to swivel so as to follow the line of pull of the
drawing cords and thus diminish friction.
The third improvement consists in the use and application of a spring or flexible
stop piece which is fixed preferably on the stationary top bar or frame or it
might be on the swivel rail and which acts as a cam surface or wedge to temporarily
lock the swivel rail and laths when in the approximately perpendicular position and.
so close the blind.
Dated this 24th day of August 1894.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
.

page_text: Improvements in Venetian Blinds.
I, HANKINSON LUKE, of 14 Brazennose Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
männer the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in Venetian blinds and has for its
principal objects the simplification of the arrangement and construction of the parts
in. order to facilitate the operations of cleaning and repairing.
The first improvement consists in mounting the swivel rail (or top bar by which
the laths are reversed) in slotted brackets by which it can be readily detached and
replaced, and also in securing the "tapes," by which the laths are supported, to the
swivel rail in such a manner that the laths and tapes constituting the blind proper
can. be readily detached and taken down for cleaning or repairing, and as readily
replaced in position without having to take out the fixed bar or box frame, which
commonly necessitates the employment of skilled labour. This improvement may
be carried into practical effect in a variety of ways as for example by the use of
hooks on the swivel rail and eyes on the tapes or vice versa; or instead of hooks
and eyes any other convenient and suitable form of fastening such as buckles or
eyelets may be employed by which the blind can be securely suspended and yet
can be easily detached and replaced again when required.
The second improvement consists in mounting the pulleys for the drawing cords
on the swivel rail itself instead of on a fixed bar or lath above it as hitherto
customary:
And in order that this invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 an end view of a Venetian blind fitted
with my improvements.
Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the end brackets and
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the swivel rail.
In these views, a designates the top rail and b the brackets by which the said
rail is secured to the window frame.
с
To the top rail a are secured two angle brackets cd of which the bracket c has a
Boss c cast or otherwise formed on it and with a hole to receive the pivot e fixed
at one end of the swivel rail fand the bracket d has a boss d¹ and a right angled
slot cut in it to receive the pivot e' at the other end of the swivel rail f. To the
Bracket and above the vertical portion of the slot is pivoted a catch g which
retains the pivot e¹ and so prevents the swivel rail f from jumping out of the
Bracket.
On the swivel railf near each edge are secured hooks or clips h which receive
and support eyes i to which are connected the tapes; by which the laths k of the
blind are supported.
By unhooking the eyes i from the clips h the tapes j and laths k constituting the
blind can be readily detached and cleaned etc., and as readily replaced in position
without disturbing the fixed top rail a.
The pulleys m for the drawing cords (not shown) are mounted on the swivel
rail so that they with the drawing cords are taken down with the swivel rail when
the latter is taken out of its bearings in the brackets o d.
с

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with the fixed top rail a and the slotted bearing
brackets cd, of the swivel rail f and means such as the books or clips h and
eyes i for detachably connecting the blind to the swivel rail substantially as. herein
set forth.
2. The combination with the fixed top rail a slotted bearing brackets cd, of the
swivel rail ƒ having the blind detachably connected thereto and carrying the pulleys
for the drawing cords substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 24th day of May 1895.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.