IMPROVEMENTS IN HANGING AND WORKING WINDOW AND OTHER CURTAINS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Moir, of Oxford Market, in the County of
Middlesex, and Robert James Miller, of Tolmer's Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Upholsterers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
Scaled the 12th December 1873, and dated the 13th June 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Moir and
Robert James Miller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th June 1873..
We, JAMES MOIR, of Oxford Market, in the County of Middlesex,
and ROBERT JAMES MILLER, of Tolmer's Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Upholsterers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANGING AND WORKING WINDOW AND OTHER
CURTAINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to or consist in improvements in hanging and
working long window curtains, and is applicable for either straight, bow
or bay windows, and also for hanging and working long curtains in
general whatever be their position or intended usc.

page_text: In carrying out our Invention we proceed as follows:-At the top of
the window (or other position in which the curtains are to be hung), we
fix the lath from which the curtains are to be suspended, which lath of
course takes the shape of the window. To this lath we attach a rail
constructed by preference of flat bar iron or other material placed on
edge or vertically. This rail is fastened to the said lath by brackets
which are screwed or otherwise suitably fixed to the lath at their upper
ends, and at their lower ends are attached to the said rail at or about
midway between its upper and lower edges, so that a band of metal or
other suitable material placed on the said bar and with a break in its
side can be slid past the said brackets. To a succession of these bands
or runners the curtains are hung and so may be drawn along the rail,
and thus opened and closed as required.
When desired a cord may be attached to the leading runner or that
one to which the inner end of the curtain is attached, which cord by
being passed over or round suitable pulleys may be used to draw the
curtains as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Moir and Robert James Miller in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
MOIR, of Oxford Market, in the County of Middlesex, and ROBERT
JAMES MILLER, of Tolmer's Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Upholsterers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said James Moir and Robert James Miller, Her
special license that we, the said James Moir and Robert James Miller,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
James Moir and Robert James Miller, our 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,

page_text: Figures 6, 7, and 8, shew our Invention applied to a curtain pole,
Figure 6 being a view of the back of the pole when in position or that
side next the window, Figure 7 a plan of the under side of same, and
Figure 8 a cross section thercof; Figures 9 and 10 illustrate our Inven.
tion as applied to a straight window with lath and cornice, Figure 9 being
a front or end view of the lath, and Figure 10 a plan of the under
side thereof.
In each Figure the same letter of reference wherever it occurs
indicates like or corresponding parts.
In carrying out our Invention as applied to windows where the
curtains are suspended from a lath behind a cornice, we proceed as
follows: At the top of the window we fix the lath A to which is
attached the apparatus from which the curtains are to be suspended and
which lath of course takes the shape of the window, i.c., either bay,
bow, or straight. In the Drawings it is shewn as applied to a bay
window. To the under side of the lath A I attach as herein-before
described a rail B constructed by preference of flat bar iron placed on
edge, as shewn in the Drawings. This rail B is attached to the lath A
by brackets C which are screwed into the rail at or about midway
between its upper and lower edges. This is clearly shewn in Figures 2,
4, and 5. A succession of hooks or runners D are placed on the rail B,
and to these runners the curtains are attached as shewn in Figure 2.
These runners have a break in one side to allow of their passing tho
brackets C that they may be passed along the rail B from end to end.
The relative positions of the lath A, rail B, brackets C, and runners D,
are clearly shewn in the enlarged view at Figure 4, which is a section
taken at the line a, b, Figure 2. The curtains are drawn backwards and
forwards or opened and closed by means of cords E and E' attached to
the front or leading runner D¹, which is made larger at the top than the
others and is provided with a set screw to hold the cord as shewn in
Figure 5.
These cords are passed over or round suitable pulleys F as
clearly shewn in the Drawings, and at the outer ends hang down and
are arranged so as to be conveniently reached. Thus by pulling the
cords E the curtains will be closed or drawn towards the centre of the
window, whilst on pulling the cords E¹ they will be opened.
It will be observed on referring to Figure 3 of the Drawings that at
the curves of the rail B, the brackets C are placed nearer together than
at the other parts of the rail. This is to give an easy curve round which

page_text: to draw the cords, the upright portions of the brackets C being provided
with rollers as shewn, so as to reduce the friction of the cord passing
over them.
It will also be observed that the cord for drawing the curtains towards
the centre of the window is carried through the lath and back over the
top thereof.
Figures 6, 7, and 8, shew our Invention applied to a curtain pole. It
will be observed that the lower part of the back of the pole is rebated to
receive the rail, brackets, cords, &c.; the process in this case is sub-
stantially the same as the last, what differences exist being only in detail,
and these are clearly shewn in the Drawings; for instance the rail B is
attached to the pole by horizontal pins G, clearly shewn in Figure 8, and
the cords E, E¹, are both worked under the upper horizontal surface
instead of one above and one below as in the first described application.
Also there are special rollers H provided at the curves of the pole
instead of being applied to the brackets sustaining the rail B.
Figures 9 and 10 shew our Invention as applied to straight windows.
The action here is in principle the same as already described.
It will be obvious that our Invention may be applied in a manner
similar to that already described for working curtains in other positions
than before windows.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
our said Invention and the manner in which the same is to or may be
performed, we claim as our Invented to be secured by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, improvements in hanging and working
window and other curtains, substantially as herein-before set forth and
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert James Miller, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three
ROBERT JAMES MILLER. (L.S.)