Improvements in Roller Blind Fittings and Attachments therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roller Blind Fittings and Attachments therefor.
We, JOHN BENTLEY of 5 Vallets Buildings, Clerk, and JOHN HOLT of
66 Beckett Street, Spinning Overlooker, both of Bolton, in the County of
Lancashire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in fittings and attachments for roller
blinds, proscenium and the like, the object of which is to provide a method of and
means for raising and lowering said blind or proscenium and arresting and holding
the same in any desired position by the use of one cord only.
Our invention consists of a metallic reel, one flange of which is perfectly circular
and the other formed into three radial arms, the extremities of which describe an
equilateral triangle. The circular flange may be cupped or recessed on its outer
surface so as to fit upon the end of a roller; and has countersunk holes for screwing
it thereto. The radial flange is provided at the axis thereof witli a projecting stud
or pin upon which the roller revolves when said stud is placed within one of the
bearing holes of the bracket. The cord or rope used for raising and lowering the
blind or proscenium is wound upon the reel between the flanges which form a guide
therefor. The opposite end of the roller may be furnished with a plate and pro-
jecting bearing stud and bracket after the type of those in general use, or a reel
as above described may when desired be attached to each end of the roller.
The bracket constructed according to our invention for carrying the roller is
of peculiar formation and consists of a base plate provided with holes for attaching
it to any flat vertical surface and has a right angled projecting arm provided with
two holes into the upper one of which the stud on the reel before described is placed
when the weight of the roller and blind or proscenium is borne by the bracket.
A double arnied pawl or tappet is pivotted upon said bracket near the base thereof
and has upon each arm a projecting cam piece arranged in such a manner as to
engage when desired with the projecting radial arms of the reel before described.
The extremities of each of the arms of the pawl or tappet is provided with a right
angled projection having a hole or eye bored or otherwise formed therein, said
projections incline from the bracket towards the roller so that the holes or eyes
therein occur immediately above and below the centre of the reel upon the roller.
The pawl or tappet is so balanced upon the bracket that when at rest the cam
piece on the upper arm thereof falls between the radial arms of the reel and
prevents the roller turning round. The cord or rope upon the reel passes through
the hole or eye in the bottom hole of the pawl or tappet and depends therefrom.
When it is desired the blind or proscenium shall be raised or lowered the operator
by an angular pull upon the rope or cord disengages the upper cam from the radial
arm of the reel against which it has been resting and releases the roller when the
blind may be either pulled up or permitted to fall as desired. The bottom of the
blind may be weighted to assist the fall thereof, and the moment tlie cord or rope
is released from the hand of the operator the progress of the blind is arrested
automatically and held in its then position by reason of the upper cam engaging
with the radial flange as before.
The brackets and reels are suitable for either end of the roller as by reversing
the bracket so that the upper cam becomes the lower cam and passing the cord
through the other eye, the action is precisely the same and may be operated upon
at either end and may if desired be fitted to both ends of the roller at the same
time.
:

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roller Blind Fittings and Attachments therefor.
We, JOHN BENTLEY of 5 Vallets Buildings, Clerk, and JOHN HOLT of
66 Becket Street, Spinning Overlooker, both of Bolton in the County of
Lancashire, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in fittings and attachments for roller
blinds, proscenium and the like, the object of which is to provide a method of and
means for, raising and lowering said blind or proscenium and arresting and holding
the same in any desired position by the use of one cord or rope only.
Our invention consists of, firstly, a metallic reel, one flange of which is perfectly
circular, and the other formed into three radial arms, the extremities of which
describe an equalateral triangle. The circular flange may be cupped, or a rim
formed upon its outer surface, and provided with holes for attachment to the end
of a blind, or proscenium roller. The radial flange is provided at its axis with a
projecting stud, or pin upon which the roller revolves when said stud or pin is
placed within one of the holes of the bracket. The cord or rope used for raising
and lowering the blind, or proscenium is wound upon the reel between the flanges
which form a guide therefor. Secondly-Of a bracket constructed according to our
invention, of a peculiar design, for carrying the roller, and consists of a plate
having holes for fixing or suspending the same upon any suitable flat vertical
surface, and a right angled projection also provided with holes into one of which
the stud upon the reel, previously mentioned, is placed, when the weight of the
roller and blind, or proscenium is borne by the bracket. A double-armed pawl, or
tappet is pivotted upon said bracket near the base of the front or back thereof, and
has upon each arm a projecting cam, or pin arranged in such a manner as to engage
when desired with the projecting radial arms of the reel before mentioned for
retaining the blind or proscenium in any position.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood we have appended here-
unto a sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the brackets.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the metallic double flanged reel, or roller end.
Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one side of Fig. 2 shewing the shape of the
radial arms thereof.
Fig. 4 is an alternative method of constructing Fig. 1.
Fig 5 is a view of the apparatus in action as viewed from the position occupied
by the roller when attached thereto, and shewing the action of the cord, or rope
upon the tappet when unlocking the reel for raising or lowering the blind, or
proscenium.
Fig. 6 is a repetition of Fig. 5 shewing the action of the cord upon the tappet
when lock ng the reel to hold the blind or the like in the desired position.
Fig. 7 is a front view of Figs. 5 or 6 with the roller attached and the apparatus
at work.
Similar letters of reference are used to denote like parts throughout the
several views.
In carrying our invention into effect we construct of any suitable metal, a base
plate or rectangular bracket A, one angle of which consists of two lugs in which
are countersunk holes a and b, the other angle having two larger holes c and d.
The holes a and bare for attaching A to any flat vertical surface in a suitable
position for the reception thereof, such for instance as the side of the window frame
when the roller is used for carrying a window blind, or the like. One, or the other
of the holes c d are for the reception of the bearing stud upon the reel, accordingly
as the bracket is used at the right or left hand end of the roller. A pawl, or

page_text: tappet B having two arms e and fis pivotted upon the inner, or outer face of A
at 9, the extremities of e and f projecting at right angles in the direction of the
roller, are provided with holes e¹ and and upon the inner faces of e and fare
projecting studs, or cams e" and f".
The manner of constructing A shewn by Fig. 1 is that described in our Pro-
visional Specification, but we may as an alternative arrangement construct said
bracket as at Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, the difference being simply, that the position of A
and B are reversed relatively to each other, that is to say, in Fig. 1, B is pivotted
at g, upon the inner face of A, whereas in the other figs., B is pivotted at g,
upon the outer face of A, the operation and purposes of A and B being identical
in both cases.
The reel Fig. 2 is constructed of any suitable metal and provided with two
flanges C and D, the former consisting of three radial arms h, i and j. preferably of
the shape shewn in the drawings at Fig. 3, the latter being circular, and either
recessed within its own thickness, or provided with a rim k, and having holes 1, for
attaching the same by means of screws, or the like, to the end of the roller, as at
Fig. 7. Extending from the axis of the reel in an outward direction from Ć, is a
projecting stud, or pin E, upon which the roller revolves when this is inserted in
one or the other of the holes e d in A. One end of a cord, or rope F is attached
to the reel Fig. 2 by any convenient means, between the flanges C, D, and is wound
thereon and thereoff during the operation of lowering and raising respectively the
blind, or proscenium, the opposite end passing through one, or the other of the
holes e¹ or as shewn at Fig. 7.
When intended that the blind or proscenium is to be operated upon from the
right hand side only, the reel Fig. 2 would be fixed by screws, or the like upon that
end of the roller G, as at Fig. 7, and the bracket A would be fixed in position so
that the hole would be uppermost, over a, and the tappet arm fabove e, as at
Fig. 7. The stud E, upon C of the reel would then be inserted in the upper
hole d, in A, and the cord F, when wound upon the reel, between C and D would
pass in its downward course through the hole e', in e, as at Fig. 7. The opposite
end of the roller G, may, in this case be furnished with a plain circular plate, pro-
vided with a projecting bearing stud similar to E, and may be carried in an
ordinary bracket in the usual way, and the bottom of the blind, or proscenium,
weighted by any suitable means, preferably, by that of a metallic rod in a hemn
in the lower end, and the manner of operation is as follows.
11
When it is desired that the blind, or proscenium shall be raised, the cord F
would be pulled at a slight angle towards the operator, as at Fig. 5, and the
angular pull thus given raises the tappet arm e and puts the stud, clear of the
arms h, i, and j, and by continuing the pull upon F the reel CD would revolve
without obstruction, and the cord F unwound and the blind, or proscenium raised
and wound upon G, and when raised the desired height the cord F may be released,
which falling into a perpendicular position, permits the tappet B when relieved of
the angular pull previously mentioned, to fall by its own weight, until the study'
engages with and arrests the first of the arms h, i, or j, and prevents the return
motion, or fall of the blind, and so locks it in that position. This will be clearly
understood by reference to Figs. 6 and 7. And when it is desired that the blind
shall be again lowered, the same angular pull may be given to F as in the case of
raising, until " be again clear of hi and j, when F may be paid out, still held at
the same angle, until the blind or proscenium is sufficiently lowered when the release
of F permits the locking as before described.
In Fig. 6 the angle of F is reverse to that shewn in Fig. 5, and is so drawn to
the more forcibly illustrate the necessity of the angular pull shewn in Fig. 5, but
is not necessary when locking the blind, but may be suddenly released as described
or held in a vertical position if desired until the tappet falls, and the locking is
perfected.
In cases where large and heavy blinds or proscenium are to be raised and lowered
it may be necessary to use a cord, or rope at each end of the roller G, in which

page_text: case, all that is needed is to fix the apparatus in duplicate, that at the opposite
end of G being reversed, that is to say, the hole a in A at the left hand end of G,
would be above the hole b, and the tappet arm e above the arm f the stud E being
placed in the now upper hole c, and the cord, or rope F passed through the now
lower hole f¹in f, and the pin or came" would act as the arrester of the radial
arms hi and j in the same manner as 11
f" at the opposite end already described, the
operation of raising, lowering, arresting and holding the blind or proscenium being
identical at both ends of G.
By this means we are enabled to raise, or lower a blind or proscenium and auto-
matically arrest and retain it in any position desired by the used of a single cord
only at either end, thus dispensing with the need of springs and catches, and a
pulley around which the double cord must pass, as is the case in the method and
means hitherto employed for a similar purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is.
1st. For improvements in roller blind fittings and attachments therefor, the
apparatus as described, combined and operating substantially as herein set forth
and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
2nd. For improvements in roller blind fittings and attachments therefor, the
construction and use of an angular bracket A provided with holes a b c and d with
double armed tappet B, with holes e¹ and y' in the angular ends thereof, and having
studs or cams e" and " upon the inner faces of same, and pivotted at g upon either
the front or back of A, substantially as described and shewn by Figs. 1 and 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
3rd. For improvements in roller blinds fittings and attachments therefor,. the
construction and use of a mettallic cord or rope reel, having flanges C and D, the
forming consisting of radial arms hij, the latter circular with a rim k or its
equivalent, and holes / for attaching same to either end of a roller G, and operating
in combination with the apparatus set forth in the preceding claim, substantially as
described and shewn by Fig. 2 and 3 of the appended drawings.
4th. For improvements in roller blind fittings and attachments therefor, the
employment of a bracket and reel as set out in the preceding claims adaptable for
use upon either end of a roller G operated by a cord, or rope F, wound between C
and D and passing through holes e' or ', the manner of operating the same for
automatically raising, lowering, arresting and holding a blind, or proscenium in any
desired position by the use of one cord only at either end, substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the accompany
drawings.
Dated this 15th day of June 1901.
GEO. THOS: HYDE,
4, Moorfields, London, E.C., Agent for Applicants.