Improved Device for Automatically Lifting and Lowering Door Curtains.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Device for Automatically Lifting and Lowering Door
Curtains.
1 ROBERT DODSWORTH of Eastbourne Terrace West Hartlepool Accountant
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
In carrying out my invention I employ a suitable bracket or brackets which may
be attached to, or near, the top of the door, inside, which bracket or brackets carry
the rod to which the curtain is suspended, the object of my invention is to cause
this rod to be raised by the door being opened and lowered by the door being
closed, automatically.
In carrying out this I employ a suitable bracket or brackets, the size of which
may vary according to the distance the rod is required to be lifted, or for other
reasons. On the top of this bracket or brackets at the outer edge is fixed a
perpendicular tube or cylinder, as shewn in accompanying illustrations at A. Fig. 1.
inside which is fitted a suitable spiral spring actuating a piston as shewn at B. Fig. 2.
A quadrant C. Fig. 2. is arranged to work from a centre near to the top of the
inside of the bracket or brackets as shewn at D. Figs. 1 & 2. The piston b. Fig. 2.
is attached to the lower edge of the quadrant at E. Fig. 2. by means of a small
chain, or wire or cord or any suitable means as F: Fig. 2. From the quadrant at
the centre D. Fig. 2. is fixed a small, preferably square, shaft G. Fig. 3. to which
shaft is also fixed a cam or lever H. Figs. 1 & 3, so arranged as to project outwards
over the inside line of the door, at the top, or the side, when the door is open
and the spring extended, so that in the operation of closing the door the lever,
(on which may be fixed a small pulley for the purpose of reducing the friction
as shewn at K. Figs. 1 & 3,) is made to come in contact with the door frame or a
projection therefrom and so to press this lever backwards, causing the shaft G. Fig. 3.
to partially rotate carrying with it the quadrant to which is attached the piston as
described, thus compressing the spring or springs by drawing down the piston and
it's load.
The operation of opening the door, of course, removes the pressure from against
the lever and allows the spring or springs to again lift it's load, drawing with it it's
attachments.
The lever H. Fig. 1. and quadrant may if desired, be made to form one piece or
may be separate and attached as described.
I do not confine myself to the number of brackets or lifters used for the purpose
of lifting the rod, which may be arranged to work independently, each actuated
by it's own lever, or in connection by means of a shaft, as shewn in the perspective
drawing at A Fig. 4. This drawing also shews the general arrangement of a two-
bracket lifter acting in combination.
The lifters and connections may be made of any suitable material or materials
such as wood, brass, iron, &c., and of any suitable design, and may be so arranged.
that the quadrant may work inside, what for purposes of description I call a double-
bracket, such as is shewn in my illustrations, or on one or both sides of the bracket,
or, if desirable, the lower portion of the bracket may be dispensed with entirely.
Dated this Fourth day of March 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Device for Automatically Lifting and Lowering Door
Curtains.
I, ROBERT DODSWORTH, Eastbourne Terrace, West Hartlepool, Accountant,
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:--
In carrying out my invention I employ a suitable bracket or brackets, which is
attached to the door at or near the top, on the inside, which bracket or brackets
carry the rod to which the curtain or curtains are suspended; the object of
my invention is to cause this rod and its load to be raised by the door being
opened and lowered by the door being closed, automatically.
The
In accomplishing this, the bracket or brackets used may vary in size according
to the distance the rod is required to be lifted, or for other reasons. On the top of
the bracket or brackets, at the outer edge is fixed a perpendicular tube or cylinder,
as shewn in the illustrations left with the Provisional Specification at A. Fig. 1.
inside which is fitted a suitable spiral spring actuating a piston as shewn at B. Fig. 2.
A quadrant or arm, C. Fig. 2. is arranged to work from a centre near to the top
of the inside of the bracket or brackets as shewn at D. Figs. 1 and 2.
piston (b. Fig. 2.) is attached to the lower edge of the quadrant as at E. Fig. 2. by
means of a small chain, or wire, or cord, or rod, or any suitable means, as F. Fig. 2.
From the quadrant at the centre, D. Fig. 2. is fixed or fitted a small shaft or
rod (G. Fig. 3.) to which shaft is also fixed or fitted a lever or cam (H. Figs. 1
and 3.) so arranged as to project outwards over the inside line of the door, at the
top or at the side, when the door is open and the spring extended, so that in the
operation of closing the door the lever, (on which may be fitted a small wheel or
pulley for the purpose of reducing the friction, as shewn at K. Figs. 1 and 3.) is
made to come into contact with the door-frame or a projection arranged therefrom,
and thus pressed or forced backwards, causing the shaft (G. Fig. 3.) to partially
rotate carrying with it the quadrant to which is attached the piston, as described,
thus compressing the spring or springs by drawing down the piston or pistons and
their load.
The operation of opening the door, of course, removes the pressure from against
the lever and allows the spring or springs to again lift the piston or pistons and
their load, drawing with them their attachments.
The lever (H. Fig. 1.) and quadrant (C. Fig. 2.) may, if desired, be made to
form one piece or may be arranged separately and attached as described.
I do not confine myself to the number of brackets or lifters to be used for the
purpose of lifting a rod, which brackets or lifters may be arranged to work or act
independently, each actuated by its own lever, or may be arranged to act in
connection or combination by means of a shaft, as shewn in the perspective drawing
at A. Fig. 4. This drawing also shews the general arrangement of a two-bracket
appliance, the lifters acting in combination.
The brackets or lifters and connections or any portion or portions thereof may
be made, wholly or in part, of any suitable material or materials, such as wood;
brass, iron, &c., and of any suitable design, and the brackets may be so arranged
that the quadrant may work inside of (what, for purposes of description, I call) a
double-bracket, such as those, shewn in my illustrations, or on one or both sides of
a single-bracket, or, if desirable, the lower outer portion of the bracket may be
dispensed with entirely.
The whole of the illustrations herein referred to, are those left with the
Provisional Specification.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A device for automatically raising or lifting and lowering door curtains as herein
5 substantially described.