A New or Improved Apparatus for Noiselessly and Readily Lowering and Noiselessly Raising Roller Window Blinds.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 12th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Noiselessly and Readily
Lowering and Noiselessly Raising Roller Window Blinds.
I, HERBERT PERCY MILLER, of 15 Craven Terrace, Hyde Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide apparatus for noiselessly and readily
lowering and noiselessly raising roller window blinds.
According to this invention I provide bearings of india-rubber, leather or similar
material for the spindle of the roller to run in and affix the said bearings in any
suitable manner to the ordinary roller brackets or I construct special brackets with a
recess into which the india-rubber, leather or similar material is placed. By this
means I ensure perfectly noiseless action of the roller.
The endless blind cord is kept at the requisite tension by special apparatus
consisting of a piston or plunger around which is coiled a spiral spring, one end
of which abuts against a shoulder on the said piston or plunger while the other end
abuts against a shoulder on a tube through which the piston or plunger passes and
extends above and below the said tube.
The lower end of the said piston or plunger terminates in an ordinary push
button and to the upper end I affix or form integral therewith a frame carrying
a horizontal bar on which if desired a pulley may be placed, or if no pulley is used
the bar will be grooved and with an opening in either of the sides of the said frame
through which the cord may be passed.
The tube is affixed vertically to the side of the window frame in a convenient
position for the hand, either by means of lugs or projections on the tube with eyes
therein through which screws or nails may be passed, or by passing the said tube
through two or more screw eyes or nails which are affixed to the window frame.
Part of the outside of the tube is screw threaded and a milled headed screw nut is
passed thereover for the purpose of adjusting the height of the tube above the screw
eyes, and thus regulating the tension of the spring. The tube may be turned round
on its longitudinal axis so as to set the cord at any convenient angle.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the tube is in position the cord is passed through the opening in the
side of the frame attached to the upper end of the piston or plunger, and the
If now
tension adjusted by turning the milled head on the outside of the tube.
the bottom of the piston or plunger is pressed upwards, the tension of the spring
will be overcome and the frame will be raised, thus relieving the tension on the cord.
The weight of the blind will then rotate the roller and the blind will thus be lowered
quickly or slowly according to the pressure on the bottom of the piston, and may be
stopped in any position by removing the pressure therefrom. The blind is raised in
the ordinary manner.
Dated thio 7th day of June 1980

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Noiselessly and Readily
Lowering and Noiselessly Raising Roller Window Blinds.
I, HERBERT PERCY MILLER, of 15 Craven Terrace, Hyde Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, 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: :-
The object of this invention is to provide apparatus for noiselessly and readily
lowering and noiselessly raising roller window blinds.
According to this invention I provide bearings of india-rubber, leather or similar
material for the spindle of the roller to run in and affix the said bearings in any
suitable manner to the ordinary roller brackets or I construct special brackets with a
recess into which the india-rubber, leather or similar material is placed. By this
means I ensure perfectly noiseless action of the roller.
The endless blind cord is kept at the requisite tension by special apparatus
consisting of a piston or plunger around which is coiled a spiral spring, one end of
which abuts against a shoulder on the said piston or plunger while the other end abuts
against a shoulder on a tube through which the piston or plunger passes and extends
above and below the said tube. The lower end of the said piston or plunger
terminates in an ordinary push button and to the upper end I affix or form integral
therewith a frame carrying a horizontal bar on which if desired a pulley may be
placed, or if no pulley is used, the bar will be grooved, and with an opening in either
of the sides of the said frame through which the cord may be passed.
The tube is affixed vertically to the side of the window frame in a convenient
position for the hand, either by means of lugs or projections on the tube with eyes
therein through which screws or nails may be passed, or by passing the said tube
through two or more screw eyes or nails which are affixed to the window frame. Part
of the outside of the tube is screw threaded and a milled headed screw nut is passed
thereover for the purpose of adjusting the height of the tube above the screw eyes,
and thus regulating the tension of the spring. The tube may be turned round on its
longitudinal axis so as to set the cord at any convenient angle.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the tube is in position the cord is passed through the opening in the side of
the frame attached to the upper end of the piston or plunger, and the tension adjusted
by turning the milled head on the outside of the tube. If now the bottom of the
piston or plunger is pressed upwards, the tension of the spring will be overcome and
the frame will be raised, thus relieving the tension on the cord. The weight of
the blind will then rotate the roller and the blind will thus be lowered quickly
or slowly according to the pressure on the bottom of the piston, and may be
stopped in any position by removing the pressure therefrom. The blind is raised
in the ordinary manner.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried
into practice, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts
throughout.
Figure 1 shews my invention fitted to a window blind in position; Figure 2 is a
longitudinal section of the apparatus for keeping the tension on the endless
blind cord; Figure 3 shews the details of the tension apparatus; Figure 4 shews
a front view of a pair of brackets; and Figure 5 shews a modified form of the
tension apparatus:
The piston or plunger A is provided with a rod B over which the spiral spring C
is passed and at the bottom bears against the shoulder D on the piston. The piston
and spring are placed within the tube E, and the cap F is screwed over the end of
the piston rod B whose upper end is threaded for this purpose, thus securing the
plunger and spring in position in the tube. The under face of the cap F forms the

page_text: bearing face for the upper end of the spring ( the said cap F carries a frame or
cord holder G open at one side as shewn at H Figure 1, and provided with a grooved
horizontal bar Jaround which the endless cord K passes. In place of the grooved
bar I may place a grooved pulley wheel loose on the horizontal bar of the cord
holder G but I prefer to groove the said bar as I find the cord will run quite evenly
thereover and the noise of the rotating pulley is dispensed with. The outside of the
tube E is screw threaded as shewn at L, and over this an adjusting milled nut M is
screwed. Two screw eyes N are secured to the wood work of the window frame or
other convenient place, the tube E is passed through the two eyes and the nut M
screwed over the ends L. The cord K is passed through the opening H and placed
on the boss or pulley J, the nut M is then adjusted according to the tension required
on the cord. O is a finger piece or push, formed on, or affixed to, the lower end of
the piston A. To release the tension on the cord K, the push O is raised by the
finger causing the piston or plunger to rise in the tube E, thus compressing the
spring C, and raising the piston rod B, and with it the frame or cord holder G.
The tension being now off the endless cord K, the weight of the blind will rotate the
roller and lower the blind. When the pressure is removed the spring C returns the
piston and the cord holder to the normal position shewn in Figure 1, thus arresting
the blind in any desired position.
In the modification shewn in Figure 5, the outer tube E is dispensed with the
piston itself being screw threaded at L' to take the nut M. The under side of the
nut in this case rests on the top of the lower screw eye N and the top of the spiral
spring C bears against the under side of the upper screw eye N. By dispensing with
the outer tube I reduce the cost of production and provide a cheaper form of tension
apparatus.
Figure 4 shews the brackets P which may be of any ordinary construction and are
provided with bearings Q of india-rubber, leather, or similar material having central
circular apertures R to form a noiseless bearing for the spindle of the roller. In fixing
the roller in the brackets the india-rubber or other bearing Q on the right hand
bracket is first placed over the spindle of the roller and then pressed in position
between the jaws of the bracket.
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 :-
-
(1) In combination with one or more screw eyes N or their equivalents, the
exteriorly screwed tube E with adjusting nut M and spring piston or plunger A
carrying cord holder G adapted to be raised by pressure on the push 0, arranged and
operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, of the accompanying drawings.
(2) The tension apparatus for endless cords consisting of a tube externally
screw threaded with an adjusting nut, a spring piston working in said tube and
carrying a cord holder, the said piston being designed to be raised by pressure on the
bottom substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.
(3) The modified form of tension apparatus substantially as described with reference
to Figure 5 of the drawings and for the purpose stated.
(4) The brackets P with bearings of india-rubber, leather or other suitable
material having central apertures R to take the roller spindles substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
1 ..
1
1000
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.