Improvement in Curtains for Carriage or Wagon Tops and Windows.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Curtains for Carriage or Wagon Tops and
Windows.
JERVIS SPENCER Engineer, residing at 213 E. German Street Baltimore
Maryland United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The curtain to which my invention applies is known as the self-winding or spring
curtain, and the object of my invention is to furnish a ready and excellent curtain
which may be attached to any vehicle without alteration of the vehicle, to be easily
closed, and which will run up without danger when released.
Figure 1 of the drawings, shows the curtain with its roller detached from the
vehicle and provided with the cross-bar or cord.
Figure 2 shows the curtain the same with double cross-bar.
Figure 3 shows three curtains side by side, on a wagon body.
Figure 4 the curtain when closed and fastened.
Figure 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a portion of a wagon top showing
the relative position in which the curtains lay to each other when the curtain is
rolled up.
Figure 6 a view of the same with hanging projection concealing the curtain from
view if desired.
Figure 7 illustrates one means of fastening the curtain at the bottom.
In the drawings, A represents an ordinary wagon-body, B the top supported by
the usual posts. C the curtain.
Upon referring to Figure 3 it will be seen that the curtains are shown attached
to the body of a vehicle at the top, by simply tacking the end of said curtain in
the usual way. R is the automatic spring-roller upon which the curtain is wound
or unwound in hoisting and lowering, and as shown in the drawings hangs below,
the roller itself furnishing the weight to keep it steady. It will be seen by this
arrangement that there need be no alteration or change of the construction of a
carriage-body in order to attach my curtain, consequently no additional room in
the top of the carriage for the roller and supporting brackets therefor; it will also
be seen that when the roller is down and is released, its weight increases by the
rolling up of the curtain as it ascends, and the tension of the spring in the roller
diminishes, so that the two acting in concert tend to make the curtain roll up easily
without snapping hard against the top.
In addition to this, I have provided a brake, as shown in the cross-bar D. When
the curtain is in normal position either at the top or bottom of its movement, this
cross-bar D is pressed against the curtain by the tension of the spring and bears
upon it, acting as a brake in pressing against the curtain; its ends are attached to
the arbor of the spring roller and consequently holds the arbor whilst the roller
responds to the action of the spring. Instead of a bar, a cord may be used drawn
sufficiently tight to answer the purpose, or the cross-bar may be cut in the middle,
leaving the two ends to act as the brake and holder.
The curtain may also be used if desired with the ordinary means attached to the
roller for stopping it at intermediate points.
It will be seen also that when the curtains are attached to a wagon-body in the
ordinary way and the rollers left to hang, that they may be easily made to overlap
by tacking the edge of one cover over the other.

page_text: my said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A flexible self-rolling curtain having a spring roller and attached to a wagon
body or window by the end opposite the roller so that the roller will hang and
operate to lift itself, in combination with means for lowering the same.
2. A flexible self-rolling curtain having a spring-roller and suspended upon cords
by the end opposite the roller, in combination with means for hoisting and lowering
the curtain from the bottom and means for securing and releasing it as desired.
3. A flexible self-rolling curtain having a spring-roller and suspended upon cords
by the end opposite the spring-roller, in combination with means for securing the
same at the bottom and means for lowering it at the top.
4. A flexible self-rolling curtain, having a spring-roller, and suspended or
fastened by the end opposite the spring-roller, in combination with means for
sustaining the ends of the roller shaft and braking the movement of the roller
whilst operating.
5. A flexible self-rolling curtain having a spring-roller and suspended or fastened
by the end opposite the roller, in combination with a cross-bar attached to the
roller shaft and bearing upon the curtain to sustain and hold the shaft whilst the
spring is operating and to operate as a brake to steady its movements.
6. A flexible self-rolling curtain having a spring-roller, and attached to a wagon-
body or window by the end opposite the roller, in combination with a frictional
retarding device operated by the roller-spring to steady the movement and permit
an easy rolling of the curtain in hoisting.
7. A flexible self-rolling curtain having a spring-roller and attached to a wagon-
body or window by the end opposite the roller, in combination with a cross-bar
bearing upon the curtain and attached direct to projections from the roller shaft to
steady the curtain in hoisting.
Dated the 19th day of January 1909
I
MCKENNA & Co.,
Agents.