IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTERS, COVERS, OR SCREENS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PARTITIONS OR INCLOSURES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to Robert Orr, of. Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in
Ireland, Pattern Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTERS,
COVERS, OR SCREENS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PARTITIONS OR INCLOSURES."
Sealed the 27th April 1880, and dated the 10th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Orr at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th November 1879.
ROBERT ORR, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in Ireland, Pattern Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTERS, COVERS, OR SCREENS, AND
PARTITIONS OR INCLOSURES."
OTHER SIMILAR
My Invention is meant to provide a simple, cheap, and effective substitute for
the revolving shutters and awnings, and the sliding doors, screens, and partitions,
or other inclosures now commonly employed for protecting and covering windows,
or window and door opes, and other exposed apertures or places requiring occasional
shelter or stoppage, and it may also be employed in warfare and other similar
circumstances for the purpose of encampment or obstruction.
For this purpose I use a series of similar and parallel slats, laths, slabs, or plates
of iron, zinc, tin, wood, papier-mache, or other suitable material at each extremity
running between a positive bar and a hinged bar, and connected together in two
or more transverse lines by the familiar mechanical contrivance known as "lazy-
tongs," which are actuated in the ordinary way by a barrel and ratchet wheel or
screw gearing, or by balance weights, or a combination or modification of such
means.
The apparatus I have invented may be enclosed when not in use in a recess at
the top, side, or bottom of the ope or aperture to be covered or stopped as usually
practised.
I employ a flange or angle iron longitudinally formed upon or attached to one
edge and along the backs of the slats, laths, slabs, or plates, and I may also double
these pieces along the other edge in order to strengthen them, and I provide hooks
or catches also at the backs to maintain them in relative position.
And for the purpose of controlling the movement of the slats, laths, slabs, or
plates in the groove formed by the bars above mentioned, I attach to each end of
the first slat, lath, slab, or plate an angular hook which operates on a pin at the
corresponding end of the hinged bar, so as to contract the groove as the apparatus
I have invented is extended.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Orr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th May 1880.
ROBERT ORB, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in Ireland, Pattern Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTERS, COVERS, OR SCREENS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
PARTITIONS OR INCLOSURES."
The said Invention provides a simple, cheap, and effective substitute for the
revolving shutters and awnings, and the sliding doors, screens, and partitions, or
other inclosures hitherto commonly employed for protecting and covering windows,
or window and door opes, and other exposed apertures or plates requiring
occasional shelter or stoppage, and it may also be constructed in a portable form
and employed as a stockade in warfare and other similar circumstances for the
purposes of encampment or obstruction.
With this object I use a series of similar and parallel slats, laths, slabs, or plates
of iron, zine, tin, wood, papier maché, or other suitable material confined at each
extremity and running between a positive bar and a hinged bar, and all connected
together in two or more transverse lines by the familiar mechanical contrivance
known as "lazy tongs," which are actuated in the ordinary way by a barrel and
ratchet wheel, or screw gearing, or by balance weights, or by a combination or
modification of such means.
The apparatus so constructed when required for intermittent use at an ope or
aperture of a permanent or continuing character may be enclosed while not in use
in a recess provided for the purpose at the top, side, or bottom of such ope or
aperture as usually practised.
I employ a flange or angle-iron longitudinally formed upon or attached to one
edge and along the back of each slat, lath, slab, or plate, and I may also double
each slat, lath, slab, or plate longitudinally upon the other edge in order to
strengthen it, and I provide hooks or catches at the back and perforated snugs or
eyes at the front of each slat, lath, slab, or plate to maintain them in their relative
position. The extremest slat, lath, slab, or plate is furnished with a hook or catch
at each end or with a bar, having a perforation, hook, or catch at each end to or
through which ropes or chains are attached or passed, and are connected with a
barrel and ratchet wheel or balance weights for the purpose of retracting or
extending the apparatus.
Instead of employing broad slats, laths, slabs, or plates in the manner I have
described, and so as to completely cover, close up, and stop the aperture requiring
inclosure, and in order to provide a lattice or open work screen suitable for the
protection of glass window fronts and other similar opes, I substitute narrow rods
or bars riveted or bolted to a close series of light lazy tongs crossing the rods or
bars at right angles. In such cases the adjoining links of the lazy tongs may by
the use of washers be conveniently attached so as to occupy different planes, and
in order to give the screen an ornamental appearance the links may be made of
curved pieces. A link or links must be added to the lazy tongs to enable the
apparatus to be drawn into the recess, and such link or links (if more than one
collectively) must be equivalent in length to the entire breadth of the apparatus
when retracted at the least.
.
For the purpose of controlling the movement of the slats, laths, slabs, plates, rods, or
bars in the groove formed by the positive and hinged bars before mentioned, I attach
to each end of the slat, lath, slab, plate, rod, or bar nearest to the additional links
mentioned in the last preceding paragraph of this Specification an angular hook,
which operates on a pin at the corresponding or free end of the hinged bar, so as
to contract the groove by forcing the hinged bar into a line parallel or nearly
parallel with the positive bar as the apparatus is extended.
But I may dispense with the use of the positive bar, employing the hinged bar

page_text: only for the purpose, and providing a groove in the framework or studs fixed in
the ope or aperture.
And in order that the said Invention may be more fully understood I shall now
proceed to refer to the Drawings on the Sheet hereunto annexed, the same letters
of reference being used throughout all the Figures to indicate the same or corre-
sponding parts of said apparatus.
Fig. I. is a back elevation showing the shutter extended over a window and
displaying the lazy tongs, catches, and horizontal bar by which the slats, laths,
slabs, or plates are connected and actuated.
Fig. II. is a section of the same, showing the recess at the top of the window
into which the shutter is to be raised when out of use.
Fig. III. is an enlarged section of the recess, showing the positive and hinged
bars or groove and the angular hook and pin by which the groove is contracted
while the shutter is extended.
Fig. IV. is a section of the slats, laths, slabs, or plates, showing the flanges (for
which angle-iron may be substituted) and doubled edges and the hooks and
catches which maintain the shutter in position during the operation of extending
and retracting same and the studs by which the lazy tongs are attached to the
slats, laths, slabs, or plates.
Fig. V. is an enlarged view of the lazy tongs and shows their construction.
Fig. VI. is a front elevation of a window covered and protected at the lower
half by a screen consisting of narrow horizontal rods or bars and a series of lazy
tongs, which are to be lowered into a recess at the base of the window similarly to
the method shewn in Figs. I. and II.
Fig. VII. is an enlarged view of the lazy tongs and horizontal rods or bars,
shewing the construction and position of the same when extended.
a, a, are the slats, laths, slabs, plates, rods, or bars; b, b, are the lazy tongs;
c, c, are the catches or hooks attached to the backs of the slats, laths, slabs, plates,
rods, or bars, in order to pass through the perforated snugs or eyes d, d, attached
to the front of the slats, laths, slabs, plates, rods, or bars immediately behind; e is
a bar attached to the lowermost or uppermost slat, lath, slab, plate, rod, or bar, and
to which ropes or chains are fastened for the purpose of retracting or extending
the shutter fand g are the positive and hinged bars, forming a groove in which
the shutter moves; h is the angular hook acting on the pin i in the hinged bar g,
for the purpose of contracting the groove when the shutter is extended; k, is a
recess for the shutter when out of use; is the cast iron bracket (bolted to the
window beam) to which the lazy tongs are attached at the top and from which the
shutter is suspended; m, m, are the longitudinal flanges (or angle iron); and n, n,
are the doubled edges strengthening the slats; o, o, are the studs, bolts, pins, or
rivets by which the lazy tongs are connected with the slats, laths, slabs, plates,
rods, or bars; p is the washer used when required for the purpose of placing
adjoining lazy tongs in different planes; and r is a stop or catch to prevent the
screen being extended too far.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it to be understood that I do not claim the
use of "lazy tongs," nor of slats, laths, slabs, plates, rods, or bars, nor of grooves
formed by positive and hinged bars or otherwise, angular or other hooks, catches
eyes, or snugs, except when the same are constructed specially and employed as
herein described, nor do I claim the use of barrels and ratchet wheels, screw gearing
or balance weights, nor of any of the separate mechanical parts which form the
compound apparatus used by me; but I claim,-
First. The manufacture and use of shutters, covers, screens, and other partitions
and inclosures, constructed and employed substantially as described and shewn in
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. The use in shutters, awnings, screens, and other partitions and
inclosures of the mechanical contrivance known as "lazy tongs," constructed and

page_text: employed substantially as described and shewn in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Thirdly. The use in shutters, awnings, screens, and other partitions and
inclosures of a hinged bar and angular hook with or without a positive bar,
constructed and employed substantially as described and shown in the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Fourthly. The respective combinations and arrangements of parts which
constitute my improved protecting, covering, inclosing, or partitioning apparatus,
constructed and applied substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in the several Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Orr, have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.