Improvements in or relating to "Short Blind" Supports for Windows and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in or relating to "Short Blind" Supports for Windows
and the like.
I, PERCIVAL PHILPOT of George Yard, Aldermanbury, in the City of London,.
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to produce supports for what are commonly known as
short blinds for windows and the like which can be adjusted in length so as to suit
windows or openings of varying widths. At present these short blinds which
generally consist of gathered lace or muslin are supported upon brass rods or tubes
carried at each end in special sockets the objection to these being that they are
rigid and of a fixed length and will only suit a window of the size for which they
are made; by my invention I am able to apply my supports to windows or openings
of any ordinary size.
I form the improved supports of any suitable elastic or extensible material or
they may be made of non-stretchable material and provided with meaus to allow of
their expanding. Probably the simplest form of support consists of an ordinary
helical wire spring of a length adapted to be slightly stretched for the smallest
window to which it is applicable; this spring can be stretched to a larger window
as required within anything like a reasonable length. For instance, a support
adapted to a window of 2 feet would easily stretch to accommodate one of 3 feet 6
or even 4 feet. Any suitable attachment devices may be employed for securing the
spring holder to the window frame; for example a simple brass plate with one or
more holes in it to receive the end of the spring the plate being screwed to the
window frame will be suitable for what I will call the fixed end while the other end
will have a suitable catch so that it can be attached or detached as required.
suitable form of detachable attachment will consist of a forked plate with the
fork ends bent backwards and outwards and a stop to which the spring is
secured provided with means for taking hold of it and preferably slanting stops to
fit under the hooked bracket. If desired the detachable attachments may be fitted
to both ends of the support.
A
Another way of constructing this support would be to form it of non-stretchable.'
material such as a suitable cord, wire or the like connected with a spring barrel or
the like somewhat on the principle of the ordinary spring tape measures so that the
cord could be drawn out against the spring pressure to the required extent. Another
form would be a simple cord of indiarubber secured at one end and adapted to be
stretched more or less according to the size of window to which it was applied.
Another form would be one or more rigid pieces, say tubes, and one or more spring
pieces, say coiled springs. Another form would be two or more tubes telescopically
arranged either with or without a spring device to hold them together; if the
spring device were employed the attachment devices might be as before described,
but if no spring were employed it would be desirable to make the attachment
such as would prevent the support increasing in length as well as decreasing.
Dated this 20th day of November 1893.
:
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to "Short Blind" Supports for Windows
and the like.
1, PERCIVAL PHILPOT of George Yard, Aldermanbury, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention is designed to produce supports for what are commonly known as
short blinds for windows and the like which can be adjusted in length so as to suit
windows or openings of varying widths and will be best understood by reference to
the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and a plan of one form of the
support constructed according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the manner of attaching it to the window
frame or equivalent and
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively an elevation and a plan of one of the forked
plates therefor.
Figure 6 is a sectional plan of another form of the device and
Figure 7 is an elevation of another form which is also shown in Figure 8 in
vertical section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In Figs. 1, 2 & 3 A indicates the support which in this example consist of a
helical spring into the ends of 'which are soldered or otherwise suitably secured
plugs B which project beyond the spring ends and are conveniently formed with
shoulders B' adapted to engage with the prongs C' of the forked plates C secured
to the window frame or other part to which it is desired to apply the short blind.
The prongs C¹ as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are bent backwards and outwards and the
shoulders B' are inclined or curved as shown in Fig. 2 so as to correspond with said
prongs to ensure that the rod will not accidentally become displaced when in
position.
The forked plate C and shoulders B₁ are illustrated merely as an example of a
convenient means for fulfilling the desired purpose of securing the support A to the
window-frame or equivalent and it will be readily understood that other means may
be employed with equally beneficial results.
When fixing up a "short blind" by means of the before described support the
said blind is threaded on to or otherwise conveniently attached to the support one
end whereof is secured to its forked plate or equivalent C and the other end is
drawn outwards (the elasticity of the spring permitting this) until it is in position
to be engaged with the second forked plate C when the second plug B is inserted
between the prongs C and then released the resilience of the spring drawing the
shoulders B¹ against the prongs B' and retaining the support in position until it is
next elongated. The plugs B may be so shaped as to facilitate their being grasped
by the fingers.
The support shown in Fig. 6 comprises two tubes D and a third tube E in
which the tubes D are capable of sliding longitudinally. Or two tubes D sliding
telescopically one within the other dispensing with the tube E may be used.
The tubes D and E if desired may be fitted together by means of pins or pro-
jections D' secured in D engaging with slots E¹ in the tube E to prevent the
tubes D from being wholly withdrawn from E; or the reverse of this arrangement
or other equivalent means may be employed for the purpose; these means may
however be entirely dispensed with.
Convenient means for attaching the last described device to a window frame or

page_text: equivalent may consist of holes D' formed diametrically through the tubes D and
screwed pins having nuts F1 thereon secured to the window frame for engaging
with said holes as shown in the drawing.
The outer ends of D may be either left open or closed by any suitable
plugs D'.
In this last described device the tubes D may be drawn outwards to any
desired extent within the limit determined by the projections D' abutting against
the outer ends F' of the slots F¹.
The support shown in Figs. 7 and 8 comprises a non-stretchable cord preferably
a wire or gimp cord G to one end of which is attached a bar H adapted to fit
into a socket H' secured to one side of the window frame or equivalent I. The
bar H is tapered towards its.free end so that it may be inclined in the socket H¹
to allow of its projection H' engaging with the lower edge of the socket as shown
in Fig. 7. The other end of the cord G is connected to a preferably flanged
drum to which is secured one end of a spiral spring K whose opposite end is
connected to a pin L. The drum J is enclosed and freely rotates within a casing M
secured to the window frame or equivalent I by the back plate M¹ which is
extended upwards and carries on such extension a guide roller or pulley N over
which the cord G passes before passing through an opening in the casing M to
the drum J. The before mentioned pin L projects through the front plate M' of
the casing M and has there secured on it a milled or other head or equivalent L'
by which it may be conveniently turned and a ratchet wheel O with which engages
a spring controlled pawl O' which, as shown may be provided with a knob or
equivalent to enable it to be readily moved out of engagement with O.
This last described device may be adjusted to suit windows or equivalent from
the narrowest width up to any width within the limit of the length of the cord G.
Should it be desired to apply it to say a comparatively narrow window the drum J
is turned round by means of the head L' while the cord G is disengaged until the
bar H, is a suitable distance away from the socket H and could not be made to
reach it without putting stress on the spring K. The pawl O' engaging with the
ratchet wheel O will then prevent the inner end of the spring K from rotating so
that when the cord G is drawn outwards to enable the bar H to be fitted in the
socket Hit will be held at the tension necessary for properly supporting the
"short blind." Should it be desired to alter this tension this may be effected
by turning the head L' in the required direction, when the cord is slack; or if it
be desired to apply the device to a wider window the cord G is released and the
pawl O is held out of engagement with O and the cord drawn outwards to such
an extent that the bar will be a short distance away from the socket H¹ the
pawl O being then released by the operator and allowed under the influence of its
spring to re-engage with the ratchet wheel O. The cord G is then drawn out
and the bar H inserted in H' so that the cord will be held at a proper tension.
If desired instead of the before described devices, I may use a simple cord or
spring of india rubber secured at one end and adapted to be stretched more or
less according to the size of the window to which it is applied as indicated in
Fig. 6; or 1 may dispense with springs altogether and use merely two or more
rods tubes or equivalent of round flat or other desired section connected together
so as to be longitudinally adjustable in relation to each other such a device where
no spring is employed necessitating the employment for attachment to a window
frame or equivalent of clips or equivalent which will prevent the support both
increasing and decreasing in length, one example of such a support is shown in
Fig. 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. An extensible support for "short blinds" with end fixing devices substantially

page_text: 2. The employment as a support for a "short-blind" of a resilient cord of
indiarubber substantially as described.
3. The combination with a "short-blind" support comprising a resilient cord or
a spring of plugs or ends such as B B and forked plates such as C C' substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a "short-blind" support the employment of two or more tubes connected
together so as to be capable of longitudinal adjustment in relation to each other
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a "short-blind" support the combination with two tubes D and stops such
as D of a slotted tube such as F F¹ substantially as described and illustrated in
Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings:
6. In. a "short-blind" support the employment in combination with a non-
extensible cord G of a spring tension device substantially such as described and
illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In a "short-blind" support the combination with a non-extensible cord G
and spring-tension device comprising a drum J spring K and revolvable pin L of
an adjusting device comprising a ratchet wheel and spring controlled pawl
substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 30th day of January 1894.
PERCIVAL PHILPOT.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.