Improvements in Fortiere and We
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1895
Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug.,
1895
Improvements in Fortiere and
We, FREDERICK HOSKINS, of the Firm of Hoskins and Sewell, of Bordesley, in
the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, and THOMAS SMITH, of Lombard Street,
Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in portiere and like rods, affixed to doors
and windows, of that type in which a trailing curtain or drapery is lifted parallel to
the plane of the floor.
In carrying out our improvements, the portiere rod consists essentially of a
primary rotating rod, working within and supported by bearing brackets carried by
the door and hinge side of the door frame respectively, and having a hanging or
set-down supplementary rail connected to it by frame members, which connect the
two bars together, forming a double-barred rail hanging from the bearing brackets
as aforesaid.
The bracket carried by the opening side of the door is preferably terminally
bifurcated, within the forks of which the primary bar rests, whilst the bracket
carried by the hinge side of the door frame supports a swivelling or a swivelling
and eyed, bearing, wherethrought the inner end of the primary rod passes and
wherein it is confined by fixed collars or shoulders, whilst disposed upon the rod,
outwardly of the swivelling bearing, is a depending double arm or wiper cam, which
is the medium of rotating the portiere rod.
Thus, the inside end of the primary curtain rod has made fast to it, an eye, ring
or collar, having depending and inclined double arms, one inclined inwardly towards
the door and the other outwardly, the inner one of which has within its path, a table
or other fixed bracket carried by the top of the supporting bracket within which
the eyed bearing swivels.
Now assuming that the curtain is suspended from rings threaded upon the primary
rod, and with the supplementary rail hanging vertically, the opening of the door
swings the said frame and turns the whole of the portiere rod horizontally about
the vertical pivot as a centre, by which the inner arm, meeting the edge of the table
bracket, is made to ride up the said edge through a quadrant, and by it a quarter
rotation of the portiere rod is made, but immediately the lower end of the acting
part of the said snug comes above the plane of the table bracket rotation of the rod
ceases and the snug rides and describes a curved path upon the said bracket, thereby
holding the portiere rod fixed, with the curtain in a lifted position, during the full
opening of the door.
The rod is made interchangeable from one side of the door to the other by having
the short arms or wiper snugs in duplicate, so that to change the same from a right
hand door to a left-hand one, it is only necessary to affix the rod in a reverse position
without any further change, and it is obvious, that when a non-reversing rod is
required, only one inwardly sloping arm or cam will be necessary.
The converse movement to that described may be attained by mounting the inner
end of a portiere rod within a bracket which will admit of the rod both rotating

page_text: and swivelling, and by making the rest bracket rotate or move with the door and a
short arm to come within its path.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1894.
We, FREDERICK HOSKINS of the Firm of Hoskins and Sewell, of Bordesley in
the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, and THOMAS SMITH of Lombard Street,
Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Works, 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 relates to improvements in portiere and like rods, affixed to doors
and windows, of that type in which a trailing curtain or drapery is lifted parallel
to the plane of the floor on the opening of the door or window.
In carrying out our improvements, the portiere rod consists essentially of a primary
rotating rod, working within and supported by bearing brackets carried by the
door and hinge side of the door frame respectively, and having a hanging or set-
down supplementary rod connected to it by frame members, which connect the two
bars or rods together, forming a double-barred rail hanging from the bearing
brackets as aforesaid.
The bracket carried by the opening side of the door is preferably terminally
bifurcated, within the forks of which the primary bar rests, whilst the bracket
carried by the hinge side of the door frame supports a swivelling or a swivelling and
eyed, bearing, wherethrough the inner end of the primary rod passes and wherein
it is confined by fixed collars or shoulders, whilst disposed upon the rod, outwardly
of the swivelling bearing is a depending double arm or wiper cam, which is the
medium of rotating the portiere rod.
Thus, the inside end of the primary curtain rod has made fast to it, an eye, ring
or collar, having depending and inclined double arms, one inclined inwardly
towards the door and the other outwardly, the inner one of which has within its
path, a table or other fixed bracket carried by the top of the supporting bracket
within which the eyed bearing swivels.
Now assuming that the curtain is suspended from rings threaded upon the primary
rod, and with the supplementary rod or rail hanging vertically, the opening of the
door swings the said frame and turns the whole of the portiere rod horizontally
about the vertical pivot as a centre, by which the inner arm, meeting the edge of
the table bracket is made to ride up the said edge through a quadrant, and by it a
quarter rotation of the portiere rod is made, but immediately the lower end of the
acting part of the said snug comes above the plane of the table bracket rotation of
the rod ceases and the snug rides and describes a curved path upon the said bracket
thereby holding the portiere rod horizontally fixed, with the curtain in a lifted
position, during the full opening of the door."
The rod is made interchangeable from one side of the door to the other by
having the short arms or wiper smugs in duplicate, so that to change the same
from a right hand door to a left-hand one, it is only necessary to affix the rod
in a reverse position without any further change, and it is obvious, that when a
non-reversing red is required, only one inwardly sloping arm or cam will be
necessary.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents partly in elevation and
partly in section, a portiere rod, constructed in accordance with one form of our
invention. The inner part is shown in section in order to show the swivelling eyed
bearing bracket.
Figure 2 represents an elevation of the inner end of Figure 1, with the terminal
removed.
Figure 3 represents an elevation of the rod in its elevated position.
Figure 4 represents a topside plan of the inner end of Figure 3 showing the double
cam upon the topside of the table bracket, whereby the supplementary rod is kept
in the same horizontal plane as the primary rod.
Figure 5 represents an end view of a modification in which a wheel or rolling cam
is employed to turn the rod in lieu of a fixed horn cam.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of Figure 5, with the end partly in section.
Figure 7 represents the swivelling eyed bracket separately.
Figure 8 is the table bracket and its socket, wherein the stalk of the swivelling
bracket Figure 7 takes and works.
Figure 9 is a topside plan of Figure 8.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 4
and 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings.
a is a primary rotating rod, with rings a¹ threaded upon it, and with the end a³
at the opening side of the door resting between the branches of the forked upper
end 6, of an outstanding bracket b, secured to the said side of a door c, by small
screws or otherwise and by which the rod is made to move with the door. The
other end a³, of the primary rod passes through an eye d', of a swivelling bracket d,
whose stalk 2, is fitted and works within the socket e', of a bracket e, secured to
the door framing f, and surmounted by a table or rest e², having an inclined lead e³,
against which the inner horn g¹, of a cam g, secured and made fast to the rod a,
impinges and over which it wipes on the opening of the door, thereby taking the
impingement rod to the position represented in Figure 2.
The primary rod a, carries a supplementary lifting rod at, by branched members a³,
thereby forming a rectangular frame, which describes an are about the axial line of
the primary frame as a centre, and by means of which supplementary rod the
curtain h, is picked up.
The longitudinal shifting of the principal rod a, is prevented by collars a, a,
made fast upon it and coming upon the two opposite sides of the eye of the bracket.
In Figures 5 and 6, a is the primary rod, at the secondary one, united to the
first named by rods a³, d is the swivelling bearing bracket, with the stalk of
it working within the socket e¹, of the bracket e, supported by the frame f, of the
door.
e is a roller cam carried by and made fast to the rod a, through the collar
bracket a², so that on the door c, being opened the said roller impinges against
and wipes over the edge e³ of the table e, and then travels or rides along the top of
it, the same as does the corresponding horn cam in the preceding arrangement.
The converse movement to that described may be attained by mounting the inner
end of a portiere rod within a bracket which will admit of the rod both rotating and
swivelling and by making the rest bracket rotate or move with the door and a short
arm to come within its path.
C
Figure 10 represents such an arrangement, in which a is the primary rod and a
is the supplementary rod, connected to the former by stay members a³. The end
of the rod at the opening side of the door is supported by a forked bracket b¹, fixed
to the door e and which turns the rod outwardly, whilst the other end is supported
and turns within a swivelling bracket d, working in a socket e¹, of an outstanding
bracket e, secured to the door frame f, whilst the rod a, carries a cam or horned
wiper, secured and made fast to it, whilst the door carries a table bracket e³,
adapted, when the door is opened, to come within the path of the born cam
thereby partly rotate the rod and thereby lift the curtain.
and

page_text: 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
First. In portiere and like rods, giving a lifting motion to the rod or frame
through the medium of a wiper arm, cam or fixed or rolling contact piece, made
fast to, and carried at the joint end of, the rod, and with the same coming in contact
with and wiping over an inclined or curve-sided bracket or table-bracket lying
within its path and made fast to the door frame, substantially as described and set
forth in Figures 1 to 9.
Secondly. In portiere and like rods, giving a lifting motion and a period of rest
to the rod or frame through the medium of a wiper arm, cam or fixed or rolling
contact piece, made fast to, and carried at the joint end of, the rod and with the
same coming in contact with and wiping over and travelling or riding upon the
top of a table bracket lying within its path and made fast to the door frame,
substantially as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 9.
Thirdly. A portiere or like rod, consisting of a double barred frame, supported
at its outer end by a bracket secured to the opening side of a door, and at its inner
end by a jointed and swivelling bearing mounted upon a fixed bracket carried by
the door frame, and with a lifting motion and a period of rest imparted to the said
rod by the means referred to in the preceding claims, substantially as described and
set forth in Figures 1 to 9.
Fourthly. In portiere and like rods, the means herein described for giving a
lifting motion, or a lifting motion and a period of rest, to the said rod, substantially
as described and set forth in Figure 10.
DAL
1
T
1007
FREDERICK HOSKINS,
THOMAS SMITH,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.