Improvements for Facilitating the Drawing of Curtains on Cornice Poles and Rods.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements for Facilitating the Drawing of Curtains on Cornice
Poles and Rods.
I, WILLIAM ALFRED REES, Cornice Pole Maker, of 5, Fairbridge Road, Upper
Holloway, London, N., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows: :-
My improvements as described in the following specification, consists in making
& using a wire ring or frame and placing thereon a number of balls or wheels of
any desired shape to act as or in lieu of a cornice pole ring. The said wheels to
revolve freely on the wire for the purpose of facilitating the moving of the curtains
which may be hung upon them. An example of my invention may consist in
making an open wire ring or shape that is the ends not joined of about
3" diameter, and about 1/16" of an inch thick and covering or filling it with wooden
balls or wheels say about 5/8" diameter, bored, so as to revolve freely on the wire.
The ends of the wire may then be joined together, forming, if I wish the eye to hang
the curtains upon. The wire frame may be of any desired shape, such as round,
square, oval or triangular. The upper part only may be fitted with wheels, the
lower portion consisting of any fancy material suspended therefrom for ornamental
purposes. It will be readily understood, that if a ring formed as described be
placed upon a cornice pole or rod, and moved along it. those wheels in contact
therewith will revolve, and the curtain be drawn along with ease. In lieu of the
wire frame, a number of short links, some, or all of them having a ball fitted
thereon, may be joined together to form the upper portion of my improvement that
is the portion which rests upon the pole or rod, I may make my improvement in
wood, metal, or any suitable material plain or ornamental and may, if I wish, use
a cord for the centre instead of wire. The frame may be single or double-that is
-forming a single or double ring. The improvement is applicable for all kinds
of cornice poles or rods where rings are required. The upper portion only as
described may constitute my improvement, the lower portion being left to be fitted
according to taste of the users, that is-ribbons, chains or any suitable material
may be attached to the said upper portion as desired, hooks being formed for that
purpose.

page_text: Improvements for Facilitating the Drawing of Curtains on Cornice
Poles and Rods.
I, WILLIAM ALFRED REES, Ironmonger, of 5, Fairbridge Road, Upper Holloway,
N., 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 follow-
ing statement:-
The object of my present invention is to facilitate the drawing, or moving, of
curtains by the means as set forth in the following specification wherein I shall
describe various modifications and arrangements without departing from the
principle of the invention which, in its most simple form consists of a wire ring
or frame circular by preference-filled with balls or rollers-hereafter termed
"rollers"---of any desired shape or configuration which shall revolve freely on the said
wire frame--hereafter termed "ring"-to act as or in lieu of a cornice pole ring when
placed upon any kind of cornice pole or rod intended, and used for, suspending
curtains from. I may form a single or double ring, or use a spirally coiled wire or
spring of any desired length or number of turns, filled or partly filled or covered
with the rollers aforementioned. An example of a single ring is shewn at A Fig. I
Sheet 1 suitable for a pole of 21/2" diameter, and consists in forming a wire ring
of 3 1/2" diameter and filling it with rollers of about 5/8" diameter and turning the
two ends into the form of eyes to suspend the curtains from, as shewn at B Fig. I
Sheet 1. Whilst any of the rollers will revolve when in contact with the pole I
prefer to make two of them in the upper part of ring of larger diameter than the
remainder so that they only shall touch the pole, as shewn at C Fig. I Sheet 1
thus reducing friction and preventing the others being soiled by contact with the
pole when dirty. To form a double ring I may make the joint at the top of ring-
eyes being formed or fitted at the bottom-and leave extensions of the wire, say
about 3/4" in length, at right angles to the ring itself and connect these together
loosely so that they will both travel together; an example is shewn at Fig. 2
Sheet 1. Or I may form the wire as or with a double coil as at Fig. 3 Sheet 2
and fill or partly fill or cover it with rollers as described. These coils may be
extended to any required length or number of turns; an example, for a pole 6 ft.
long may consist in forming two lengths, a little over 3 ft. in length, the action
and effect being that when the curtains are drawn back, i.e. opened, by means of a
cord the spring-formed by the coil itself is compressed and may be kept so by
fastening the cord. Then upon releasing the said cord the coils will return to
their normal lengths carrying the curtains with them. I may also form the ring
of a number of short links or sections each or either of them being fitted with a
roller or rollers so that they shall revolve freely when in contact with the said pole.
In any of the foregoing examples I may place rollers in the upper portion only
and affix any suitable fancy material to complete or cover the said frame as at
Fig. 4, B Sheet 2. I also claim to make my invention in metal, wood, earthenware,
glass, or any other suitable material; also of any desired form, i.e. round, square,
triangular &c., also that I may join the said rings either at the top, bottom, or side
and in any manner I may find most suitable. I may also use cord in lieu of wire
for the frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the 'nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1st. A circular or other shaped wire or cord frame covered or filled with rollers
substantially as docenihed

page_text: 2nd. A wire or cord frame partly covered with fancy material the upper part of
said frame containing rollers substantially as described.
3. A double ring, formed by joining two seperate rings together, or consisting
of two or more coils of spirally twisted wire, rollers being fitted thereon sub-
stantially as described.
4. A frame or ring composed of a number of links or sections substantially as
described.