CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANU- PACTURING OF WINDOW BLINDS
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
BARRON, of Wells Street, in the Parish of St. Mary le Bone, Venetian Blind
Manufacturer, and JACOB WILSON, of Welbeck Street, in the Parish of
St Mary le Bone, Upholsterer, both in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the
Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, in
the fourth year of His reign, give and grant unto us, the said James
Barron and Jacob Wilson, our exors, admors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said James
Barron and Jacob Wilson, our exors, admors, and assigns, during the term
of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANU-
PACTURING OF WINDOW BLINDS;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso that if we, the said James Barron and Jacob Wilson, shall
not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within.
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters

page_text: Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantage
whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void
as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and a
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
James Barron and Jacob Wilson, do hereby declare that the nature of ou
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
particularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and the following description thereof (that is to say) :-
inches long,
inches long
Our improvement on blinds are applicable to three distinct sorts; firstly
that known by the name of the outside Venetian shade blind, which, by
additions and alterations in the making is quickly changed to answer as a
bonnet or projecting blind. Fig. 1 shews the blind when drawn up; Fig. 2,
when let down; Fig. 3, its appearance when transformed to that of a bonnet
or projecting blind; and Fig. 4 an oblique view from the inside of the room,
shewing hinge Fig. 10 when fixed, but neither the facid top or the blind
below constitute any part of our Inventions. The different articles formed by
us to be used in the making of the said blind are as below. Fig. 5, the fan,
which must be made right and left, and is composed of taper laths from about
3 to 4 feet in length, about the thickness of those used generally in shade
blinds, and an inch wide at the narrow end, and 3½ inches at the wide end,
or thereabout, with a round half-inch hole at top at letter A, to admit of
socket D, Fig. 6, 1 inch long, which socket turns on pin E, 2
which, with the socket D, goes through a plate Fig. 7, about 5
by 2 inches wide, and of an inch thick, and screws in socket and plate C,
Fig. 6, which plate is screwed to the wall lining, and plate 7 is fixed at letter
A, Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, on an inner lining, a sufficient distance from the wall lining
to allow space for the fan when shut up, and is shewn full length at Fig. 6.
Letters F & G refer to the same parts in Fig. 7. The plate supporting one
end of the pin and socket, plate C, Fig. 6, the other end, and the fan is
suspended on the pin and socket at hole A; the large end of pin E and
socket D can be seen at A, Fig. 4. About 3 inches from the bottom ends of
the laths are grooves, two holes in the one next the wall caseing, and one in
each of the others, as shewn from I to H. These grooves are for studs and
screws to slide in. The first lath is secured to the wall lining by a screw at
the top groove at H, on which screw the lath slides, and the lath is secured
to the second lath by a small stud and revet, Fig. 8 (the full size of which is
given in Drawing), on the said stud the lath slides, and the second lath is
fixed to the third lath in like manner, until we come to the number of from

page_text: 6 to 10 laths, according to the size of the blind. The lath at I, be the
number more or less, is fixed and slides on a screw at the back of the caseing
which comes next the blind; thus, the first and last being fixed to opposite
linings by the assistance of rods, Fig. 9, the fans are expanded or contracted.
The rod Fig. 9 is fixed by a plate at each end K, K, to the opposite linings
next the blind, and directly under the bottom lath when let down. The fans
and caseings being thus united by rod 9 (observing that the (caseing) next the
blind turns on the same pin as the fan at letter A, in Fig. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and
is cut on a bevel to allow it to open at letter B). By pushing the rod out the
shade blind is carried between the linings, and the fans are extended, which,
when so, are secured on that position the outside linings, forming a shoulder
or butt joint against a shoulder in a rule joint, as likewise by hinges made
right and left, Fig. 10, about an inch wide, inch thick, and 2 feet long,
with a joint in the middle at L, and about 2 inches from each end, the one in
the middle at L being a rule joint, and fixed to move upwards, when extended
keeps the fans secure. The straps of the hinges M, M, at one end are
screwed to the caseing next the sash frame, and the strap at the other
end screwed to the caseing that carries the blind. To form the bonnet,
and to remove the same, the hinges are raised up; the rod being pulled
inwards contracts the fan between the caseings. The shade blind is drawn
into the box at top by a line, as usual. The side caseings will be required
about an inch wider than usual to allow room for the fans, and are made solid
above letter A (unless the rod Fig. 9 should be objected to; in that case the
fans will be required to go to the top, and to support the linings; the pannel at
top must be framed into them), also below letter B, in everything else except
the caseing that carries the blind, its appearance and dimensions are the same as
the outside shades generally made. The size of the fan given we calculate for
a window about 8 feet high, but for size there can be no rule, as it must
depend on the fancy of our employers and the situation of the place; but be
the size more or less, the same pin E,.sockèt D, plate and socket C, and plate
7, as likewise stud and rivet 8, may be used generally without alteration, but
hinge Fig. 10 and rod 9 will vary in length agreeable to the projection of fan
and width of the window.
The second sort of blind to which our improvements apply is that known by
the name of the outside spring blind, and in general use for shop windows. The
improvement consists in a readier method of charging the spring and keeping
the blind more out of the way of foot passengers than those hitherto made.
To charge the blind we have formed centre plate N in Fig. 11, which has a
half-inch square hole at O to admit the end of the rod belonging to the spring.

page_text: The spring being fixed to the rod in the usual way, plate N, notched for the
purpose, is turned with a forked screw driver on plate P, Fig. 11, about 8
inches square and inch thick, which is screwed to the end of the box that
contains the blind. The rod being turned the reverse way the cloth charges
the spring. When so charged centre plate N is secured to square plate P,
with screws tapped for the purpose. Fig. 12 shews the comparative thick-
nesses of cntre plate N and square plate P, being a section of the full size of
the end of the box, which is calculated for blinds of ordinary dimensions.
Letters N and P refer to the same parts in Fig. 11 as in Fig. 12; and to
support the blind when drawn out of the box which contains the spring roller
we use rods made of hollow tubeing, one length hinged in the middle at each
end of the blind, and if the blind is very large, one or more between them.
The full size is shewn extended as Fig. 14 at Q, Fig. 13, suitable for a
moderate-sized window. A size less is sufficient for the part fixed to the facia
of the blind box at R, in Fig. 14. These rods are supported by iron boxes,
which answer as brackets, of which Fig. 13 is a full-sized section. S, S, are
two springs which are fixed to the box with iron nutts and bolts T, T. V, V,
are two rollers which work on springs S, S, which are shewn in Fig. 13.
Rod Q is fixed in an iron plate, which is bent to form box Fig. 18, to receive
rollers V, V. Letter W, in Fig. 13, is a round ferrule which slides on rod Q,
made taper, and with a shoulder at X. This ferrule secures the rod when in
its place by sliding into a hole in plate Fig. 19, which plate is secured to
box 13 by four screws. Fig. 20 shews the end of section 13 and bar Z to
prevent rod from going too high, the holes tapped to receive screws of
plate 19. The shoulders of ferrule W is for the conveniency of taking it out
of plate 19 when the blind is wanted to be shut up. Fig. 14 shews the end
of the blind on an inch scale when drawn out with a section of the spring
roller in the box on the top of the cornice. Y, Y, the cloth; but in this
section the rod and fixtures only are our Invention, and Fig. 15 the rod only,
as shut up before the blind is fixed to it. Fig. 13, in Fig. 14 and 15, denotes
that the parts are the same as section 13. All the improvements upon these
blinds may be made of brass, iron, or other metals. (The fan we prefer in
wood.)
Our third improvement is in cogged roller blinds, by diminishing the
quantity of line and the space usually taken by it, which is done by means of
stamped cap 21, which is fixed to casting 22 (a section of each is shewn on
end of roller 26); an iron washer 23 is used to strengthen the cap, and they
are attached to the spindle by screw and flanch 24. Plaited line, about the
size of whipcord, is used, a sufficient length to draw the blind up, and a