IMPROVEMENTS IN CURTAIN FIXTURES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CURTAIN FIXTURES."-A communication
from abroad by Chauncey Buckley, and Lodowick Latham Sawyer,
Ted States of Amorinn
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th March 1873.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CURTAIN FIXTURES," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Chauncey Buckley, and Lodowick Latham
Sawyer, both of Meriden, United States of America (to be as

page_text: Fourth. In combining with a curtain fixture a tube or cylinder to be
set on to the ends of the curtain roll, so that the fixture by means of the
said tube may be secured to the roll,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, 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 me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, admin-
istrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, 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 CURTAIN FIXTURES," a communication to me from
abroad by Chauncy Buckley, and Ludowick Latham Sawyer, both of
Meriden, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that
is to say :-
The first part of this Invention relates to improvements in fixtures for
window shades, designed for rolling the curtain from the top down, or 5
from the bottom up, as occasion may require.
The second part of this Invention relates to improvements in that
class of fixtures which are termed stationary fixtures.
The first part of the Invention consists,―
First. In the construction of a pulley for a curtain fixture from two 1
plates of metal, the groove or periphery therein being of a corrugated
form, the corrugations formed in the process of striking up the discs, as
more fully herein-after described.
Second. In the arrangement of a disc between the end of the roll and
the pulley combined, with a screw passing through the pulley and disc 1
into the roll, the said disc serving to create friction upon the roll
sufficient to support the weight of the shade, and made adjustable by
the said screw.
Third. Constructing the halyard plate so as to surround and work
upon a ratchet as a bearing, the roll turning freely in one direction, but 2
engaging a tooth upon the balyard plate in the opposite direction so as
to prevent the ratchet from turning,
Fourth. Constructing the pulley so as to surround and work upon a
ratchet as a bearing, so that the pulley turns free in one direction
without effect upon the roll, but turning in the opposite direction 2
engages the ratchet, so that the turning of the pulley will cause a corre-
sponding revolution of the roll.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents a view of a portion
of a window frame showing the application of the shade thereto.
Fig. 2, a side view of one end of the roll with the mechanism 3
attached; Fig. 3, a longitudinal central section of the same; Fig. 4, a
section on line x, x, of Fig. 2, showing the construction of the pulley.
The last three Figures are enlarged.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7, detached views, full size, to illustrate the con-
struction and operation.
31

page_text: The roll A to which the window shade is attached may be of wood or
other suitable material, the shade B attached thereto in any known
manner. Upon each end of the roll a pulley C is attached, and around
this pulley a cord N is wound, one end of the cord rigidly secured at
the top of the window as at D, and the other below as at E, so that as
the roll moves up and down this stationary cord will cause the pulley to
revolve. To raise or lower the roll, a cord a is attached to a halyard
plate F, and a corresponding cord 6 to a corresponding halyard plato
upon the other end, the two cords brought together over a pulley at D,
and to any suitable securing device c on the window frame, hence taking
hold of the two cords, and drawing down will raise the roll and pulley
and loosing the two cords will allow the pulley and cord to drop. To
this extent this fixture is not new.
In operating it is desireable to raise the shade without rolling, and also
that the curtain may be drawn down without lowering the roll. To do
this it is necessary that the pulley should revolve independent of the
roll, but should engage the roll when running down, and that, in rising,
the halyard plate should engage the roll so that it will not revolve with
the pulley. To do this, a friction upon the roll is necessary, sufficient to
counterbalance the weight of the shade. I place a disc G, formed from
sheet metal, of a concavo-convex form against the end of the roll, which
is prevented from revolving with the roll by a square sleeve d, and
through this sleeve the adjusting screw is set bearing the pulley against
the disc, so that if the pulley is held to prevent its rolling, the disc is
held accordingly, and the friction upon the end of the roll is sufficient
On to this
to prevent the weight of the shade from turning the roll.
sleeve, and next the disc G, a flat collar I is placed, and next to this a
ratchct e. Over this ratchet the halyard plate F is placed, the halyard
plato F being of the same thickness, or a little less, than the ratchet.
The opening through the halyard plate that allows it to set over the
ratchet is of such size that the ratchet will turn freely therein, as
denoted by the arrow in Fig. 6, but when turning in the opposite
direction, as in Fig. 5, will engage a tooth or notch n formed in the
opening. Outside this halyard plate another collar L is placed, the
diameter of the two collars being larger than the opening in the halyard
plate, so that the two collars serve to retain the halyard plate in place,
Outside this collar in a convenient
and yet allow its free working.
position a second ratchet f is placed upon the sleeve, as seen in Figs.

page_text: 3 and 7, and over this ratchet, between the collars m, m, the pulley is
set, the opening through the pulley being similar to that described in
the halyard plate, so that the pulley will revolve in the direction of the
arrow free and without effect upon the ratchet, but turning in the
opposite direction, notches t, more or less in number, will engage one or
more of the teeth in the ratchet, as denoted in broken lines, Fig. 7, and
when thus engaged the friction plate G will be turned with the pulley
and the roll also turned, hence, when drawing upon the cords a, b, to
raise the roll, the pulley will revolve in the direction of the arrow, and
free from the roll, and the shade will be raised bodily without rolling,
and will be held in any convenient position by the device c, or otherwise,
and when thus held, if the shade B be drawn down by taking hold of
the shade, the roll must revolve.
In order to prevent the pulley from running down by such pulling the
ratchet e engages in the halyard plate as seen in Fig. 5; this brings the
strain of the pulling entirely upon the halyard plate and the cords
attached; then if desired to wind the shade upon the roll, loose the
cords a, b, and allow the roll to fall, in doing which the pulley revolves
in the opposite direction to that denoted by the arrow in Fig. 7, and
engages the ratchet f, and causes the roll to revolve and wind the
shade thereon as it descends. The other ratchet e at the same time
revolves as denoted in Fig. 6, freely within the halyard plate. Drawing
upon the cords a, b, the pulley revolves as denoted by the arrow in
Fig 7, and its revolving has no effect upon the roll. The screw H forms
the bearing within the sleeve upon which the roll turns, the friction
plate G may by means of the screw be pressed with greater or less force
against the roll to increase or diminish the friction.
The pulley C is formed from two discs of sheet metal struck into the
form seen in Fig. 3, joined at their centre in the line z, z, so as to make
a groove upon their periphery.
The periphery or groove is corrugated as seen in section in Fig. 4, the
corrugations being formed in each part by the dies which strike up and
shape the two parts. This corrugation is designed to prevent the
slipping of the pulley on its cord.
A modification of this construction is shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11.
Fig. 8 represents a side view of the winding device detached; Fig 9 an
end view of the same; Fig. 10 an end view showing the lever and
ratchet; Fig. 11 a longitudinal central section. A¹ is a metallic cylinder

page_text: by preference threaded to screw into the end of the curtain roll and
provided with a collar B¹ which sets against the end of the roll when
the cylinder has been driven therein. Through the cylinder a shaft C¹
is arranged, and within the cylinder a spiral spring or other suitable
device is fixed, bearing against a collar or head c¹ on the shaft, the
tendency of which is to draw the shaft into the cylinder. Fixed to the
said shaft outside the collar B' is a ratchet D³, and loosely on the shaft is
arranged an arm E' with a pawl F" (see Fig. 10) to engage with the ratchet,
the said arm E employed to support the curtain, and a corresponding
arm is arranged at the opposite end of the roll. These arms correspond
to the halyard plate F, and are operated by the same arrangement of
cords first described and shown in Fig. 1.
To make the curtain positively free when raised we fix to the shaft 0¹
a ratchet d¹ (see Figs. 9 and 11), and to the pulley a balanced or other
suitable pawl ³, so that running in the direction of the arrow, as seen in
Fig. 9, that is, when the roll is raised by the drawing of the cords a, b,
the pawl passes over the ratchet, the pulley being perfectly free, but
reversing when the roll is lowered; then the pawl h¹ engages with the
ratchet and causes the roll to revolve with the pulley as it is lowered.
The pawl ¹, if a single pawl, should be balanced, as in Fig. 9, so that in
any position either one end or the other will at the proper time engage
in the ratchet

page_text: Fourth. In combining with a curtain fixture a tube or cylinder to be
set on to the ends of the curtain roll, so that the fixture by means of the
said tube may be secured to the roll.
This part of the Invention is illustrated in Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15.
Fig. 12 represents a side view of a portion of the roll, with the fixture
attached; Fig. 13, an end view; Fig. 14, a longitudinal central section
enlarged to double the usual size; and Fig. 15, a modification of the friction
plate and ratchet. A² is the curtain roll formed from wood in the usual
manner. The pulley is formed from two circular plates or discs B³, C²,
cut from sheet metal, and may be of a thickness to sustain themselves,
or may be beaded in the process of stamping, whereby a thin metal may
be used. Centrally between these two plates a barrel D³ is arranged,
the length of which determines the space between the two plates,
and centrally through the barrel and two plates is arranged a barrel E³
of square or irregular form, as seen in Fig. 14, the perforations through
the head corresponding so as to fit closely on the barrel E. This barrel
E² is of sufficient length to extend into the roll and thus prevent the
pulley from turning independent of the roll. Through this barrel a
screw F is passed into the roll, the head bearing directly or indirectly upon
the outer disc or plate C², and thus securing the parts of the pulley
together and to the roll; H² is the ratchet which holds the curtain when
rolled up. This ratchet being loose on the screw or spindle F2 is hold
with sufficient friction to support the curtain. This friction is
accomplished by a disc or plate I³ outside the ratchet, and to form a
bearing for the roll we form a shoulder on the screw by placing thereon
a sleeve L³ or otherwise, so as to form a space between the disc and the
head. This bearing upon the disc presses the disc on to the ratchet,
the pressure being adjusted by turning the screw more or less hard
down to adapt the fixture to curtains of different weight; heavy
curtains requiring a greater friction than light curtains.
I have represented the disc as placed outside the ratchet, the two
being separate and detached pieces; but the same object is accomplished
by having the disc and ratchet in one piece, as in Fig. 15, lugs
projecting from the edge of the disc outward, as at a², to serve the
purpose of teeth to engage the pawl; I therefore do not wish to confine
myself to the disc and ratchet as detached parts.
A modification of this construction is shown in Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19,

page_text: section; Fig. 18 a perspective view of the bracket; Fig. 19 a diagram
of a portion of the bracket and ratchet to illustrate the operation;
Fig. 20, a vertical section of the two parts of the pulley, as prepared
for attachment. In these Figures As is the bracket for the support of
that end of the roll to which the adjusting mechanism is attached; the
bearing a for the pivot being elongated about two diameters of the
pivot, as seen in Figs. 16 and 18. A vertical slot d³ opens upward for the
insertion of the pivot. On the end of the roll B³ a pulley C³ is attached,
and outside this pulley a ratchet or toothed whoel 6³ is arranged; the
relativo position of this toothed wheel 68 to the bracket being shown
detached in Fig. 17. In these fixtures, as heretofore constructed, a pawl
has been fixed upon the bracket to engage the ratchet wheel when the
curtain was at rest or being drawn down, the object of this engagement
boing to create a friction upon the roll at such times sufficient to
support the curtain and leave the cords or adjusting device free. This
is here represented as done by the disc f³ outside the ratchet, but when
rolling up the curtain the ratchet wheel will revolve freely without
engaging the pawl, and thus allow the operation of rolling up to be
done without the friction which is upon the curtain when at rest. The
pawl is liable to get out of order and thus destroy the practical working
of the fixtures.
In order to dispense with the pawl I construct the bracket with a
projecting stud n³, as seen in Figs. 18 and 19. The curtain D³ hanging
upon the back side of the roll will hold the pivot back in the bearing,
as seen in Fig. 16, which is the position also seen in Fig. 19. In this
position the teeth of the ratchet engage the projection n³, as seen in
Fig. 19, which prevents that from turning, and creates the friction to
hold the curtain; but when the hand is applied to the cord E³ which is
around the pulley C³ and drawn upon to cause the pulley and roll
to revolve, the pivot will roll back in the bearing to the position denoted
in broken lines, Fig. 19, thus disengaging the teeth of the wheel from
the projection n³, and when the power which caused this operation is
removed the weight of the curtain acting in the opposite direction will
return the roll and pivot to the first position and re-engage with the
projection n°.
In another construction of the pulley I form it from two discs H³, H³,
see Fig. 20. These are struck up from sheet metal, their central
portion depressed as at ³, the outer surface of the depression forming

page_text: the bottom of the groove of which the discs form the sides. These two
parts are united at the centre either by an cyelet, as in Fig. 17, or by
forming what corresponds to one of the discs to pass through the per-
forations in the other disc, and be closed down upon the opposite side.
In curtain fixtures of this character several parts are necessary for the
attachment of the fixture to the roll; that is, either the parts which go
to make up the mechanism or the pulley and several screws of the
common pulley fixtures, and a person often experiences difficulty in
properly applying such fixtures to the roll. To avoid this difficulty I
attach the fixture to a short piece of roll L³ of the standard diameter for
curtain rolls, and set this into the end of a cylinder or tube N³ of sheet
metal, this tube being so much longer than the piece L³ that when the
tube is set on to the end of the roll proper it will serve to secure the
fixtures to such roll proper, and thus prepared the fixture is ready for
market, and the person who applies the fixture has only to cut the 1
roll the required length, and insert it into the open end of the
cylinder N³.
By preference I apply the fixture for both ends of the roll in the same
manner, and this cylinder and block are applicable alike to a large
majority of the curtain fixtures.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of the said Inven-
tion, as communicated to me from abroad, I claim,-
First. A grooved pulley for curtain fixtures formed from two discs of
sheet metal secured together at their centre; one half the groove formed
in each part, and corrugated in the process of striking up, substantially 2
as described.
Second. The arrangement of the friction plate G between the roll and
the mechanism of the fixture made adjustable by the screw H passing
through the fixture and friction plate into the roll, substantially as
described.
Third. The combination of the friction plate G, the pulley and its
ratchet with the square or angular shaped sleeve d, substantially as set
forth.
Fourth. The ratchet ƒ within the pulley, and so as to form the
bearing upon which the pulley revolves freely in one direction, and 3
engaged in the reverse direction, substantially as described.

page_text: Fifth. The halyard plate F combined with the ratchet e within the
said halyard plate, and turning freely therein in one direction, and
engaging in the other direction, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Sixth. In combination with a fixture having a movement independent
of the pulley I¹, the ratchet d' arranged to revolve with or fixed to the
curtain roll, and the pawl arranged upon the said pulley to engage
the ratchet in one direction, and leave the pulley free in the opposite
direction, substantially as herein described.
Seventh. A pulley for curtain fixtures consisting of the two plates B³,
C, arranged upon the barrel E³, and secured in position by the.
screw or spindle F* passing through the said barrel into the roll, and
the head bearing directly or indirectly upon the outer plate.
Eighth. In combination with the roll A³ and a pulley fixed to the
end of the roll I claim the friction plate or disc I outside the said
pulley, and the friction made adjustable by the screw F³, substantially
as set forth, whether the said friction plate be separate from or a part of
the ratchet.
Ninth. The bracket A³ constructed with an elongated bearing a³ and
projection n³ combined with the toothed wheel 63 attached to the roll,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Tenth. A pulley for curtain fixtures formed from two discs H³, H³,
with a central projection h³ and the two discs united, substantially in the
manner set forth.
Eleventh. In combination with a curtain fixture adapted for rolls
I claim the tube N³ and block L³, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Nineteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-