Improvements in Window Shade or Blind Fixtures.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Window Shade or Blind Fixtures.
I, EDMUND FISHER HARTSHORN, of Newark, County of Essex, State of New Jersey,
United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My improvement relates to those automatic spring shade fixtures, in which a spring
roller is controlled by a pawl and ratchet or other stopping device operated simply by
the manipulation of the shade; and consists in applying the stopping device
heretofore mounted on the roller, by which the movement of the roller is controlled
to the foot stick, or stick at the bottom of the shade, whereby the shade may be
freely run up or down, and arrested and retained at any desired point, by the
manipulation of the shade roller itself, and at the same time the bottom of the shade
will be held against the window frame, and the shade kept taut and in place in front
of the window.
In the accompanying drawing which shows one construction of my improvement,
Fig. 1 is a front view of a window casing, with my shade fixture in place thereon.
Fig. 2 is a rear view of a portion of the foot stick showing the pawl thereon, and of
the ratchet with the window casing removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pawl
and ratchet, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the ratchet strip.
In the construction shown in the drawing, A is an ordinary spring shade roller,
mounted in brackets in the window frame in the usual manner, and without any stopping
or controlling mechanism to arrest its motion. B is a shade attached to and wound
on the roller, and C is the usual foot stick at the bottom of the same. On the
end of the foot stick C, and preferably on both ends, is a pawl or detent d, and
on the side of the window frame is a ratchet-bar, or series of ratchets F so placed
as to engage with the end of the pawl d on the stick. The pawl is hung on the
stick by the pivot g so that it can swing freely thereon, and is so constructed
that when free to do so it will swing outward towards the side of the window
frame, and enter the ratchet on the latter. On the end of the pawl is a notch d¹
which engages with the edge of the ratchet opening. In the particular construction
shown in the drawing, the ratchet, or series of ratchets, consists of a metallic strip E
bent or folded into the desired shape, as shown in Fig. 4, and fastened along the
side of the window frame, from the top to the bottom of the latter. On one of the
sides of this strip, facing the window opening, are a series of openings e¹ forming
the ratchet spaces, and with the upper edge e² of which the notch d' of the pawl engages.
The metal face of the strip at the bottom of the openings is inclined inward, as at e³
and serve to bring the end of the pawl into and out of engagement with the upper
edge e² of the ratchet. The form and construction of the pawl and its connection with
the foot stick is such that its free end presses against the face of the ratchet strip,
as it moves up with the shade under the action of the spring in the roller, and, when
permitted to do so, swings into the ratchet opening e¹ and against the edge e². At
the same time the form of the pawl is such that when the shade is allowed to run up

page_text: rapidly under the action of the spring, and the pawl thus caused to slide quickly up
the face of the strip, the end of the pawl is carried past the ratchet openings and
is not allowed to swing into and engage therewith.
To bring the pawl-and ratchet into engagement, therefore, and arrest. the. further
revolution of the roller, it is only necessary to cause the shade to move up slow
enough to permit the pawl to swing into one of the ratchet openings, when the
engagement is effected; and on the other hand, to keep the pawl and ratchet out of
engagement, and allow the shade to move up all or part of the way on the window,
it is only necessary to permit the shade to run up rapidly under the action of the
spring in the roller, until the desired point of attitude is reached, when the motion
of the shade is checked and slowed until an engagement is effected between the
pawl and one of the ratchets, and the shade is held at that point. To disengage the
pawl and ratchet, the shade is pulled down a short way, when the pawl coming in
contact with the inclined piece e³ is thrown out of the ratchet and the disengagement
effected. Therefore, to run the shade up to any desired point, the shade is pulled
down a little way and then allowed to run up rapidly as far as wished and then
the motion slowed until engagement is effected with the stopping device, and
the shade held.
As will thus be seen, the operation of the pawl and ratchet, or stopping device, is
effected simply by manipulation of the shade itself, in the same manner as with the
present automatic shade roller fixture, in which the stopping device is mounted on the
roller; and by thus transferring the stopping device to the foot stick at the bottom of
the shade, I am unable to apply the present automatic spring shade roller fixtures,
and have it operated in the same manner as it does now, to uses for which this present
construction is not applicable, for instance, to car windows, where it is necessary to
keep the bottom of the shade against the windows and prevent it from swinging out,
and the shade taut and close against the window frame.
In the construction shown in the drawing, the pawl is mounted on a metallic sheath
or end piece H on the foot stick, the end h of this sheath on one side projects beyond
the stick and is bent back and in, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to enclose one edge of one
of the faces of the ratchet strip e. This acts as a guide for the shade, and ensures it
moving evenly and truly as it is run up and down on the window and wound on the
roller.
While my improvement will operate with a pawl and ratchet on one side only, it is
preferable to have a stopping device on both sides of the shade, not only to ensure
better action, but to hold the shade more effectually against the window frame.
It will be evident that any form and construction of detent, or of pawl and ratchet
may be used, and I do not limit myself to the constructions shown and described
herein. And furthermore my improvement is equally applicable to those shade
fixtures where the spring roller is placed at the bottom of the window, and the shade
pulled up towards the top of the window in unwinding.
By the term "normal manipulation of the shade" as employed in the claims is
meant the ordinary up and down motion of the shade in winding and unwinding.
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 :
1. In a spring shade fixture having a spring shade roller controlled by a detent,
applying the detent to the end of the shade opposite to the roller, substantially as
described.
2. A shade fixture, consisting of a spring shade roller, a pawl secured to the end of
the shade opposite to the roller, and a ratchet connected on the window frame and
arranged to engage with the pawl, substantially as described.
3. In a shade fixture, in combination, a spring shade roller, a shade mounted
thereon, and a detent applied to the end of the shade opposite to the roller, and
arranged to engage with a ratchet on the window frame, substantially as described.
4. A shade fixture consisting of a spring shade roller, a pawl arranged and adapted
to be secured to the end of the shade opposite to the roller and a ratchet adapted to

page_text: be attached to the window frame and arranged to engage with the pawl, whereby the
operation of the pawl and ratchet is effected by the normal manipulation of the shade,
substantially as described.
5. In a shade fixture, in combination, a spring shade roller, a shade mounted
thereon, and a detent applied to the end of the shade opposite to the roller, whereby
the operation of the detent and the revolution of the roller is controlled by the
normal manipulation of the shade, substantially as described.
6. In a shade fixture, in combination, a spring shade roller, a shade mounted
thereon, a pawl connected to the end of the shade opposite to the roller, and operated
by the normal manipulation of the shade, and a ratchet secured to the window frame
and arranged to engage with the pawl, substantially as described.
7. In a shade fixture for spring shade rollers having a pawl and ratchet for
controlling the operation of the shade, a pawl mounted on the end of the shade
opposite the roller, arranged and adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement
with the ratchet by the normal manipulation of the shade; substantially as described.
8. In a shade fixture for spring shade rollers, having a pawl and ratchet for
controlling the operation of the shade, a pawl mounted on a metallic base adapted to
be attached to the foot stick, the pawl being arranged to be thrown into and out of
engagement with the ratchet by the normal manipulation of the shade, substantially
as described.
9. In a shade fixture for spring shade rollers having a pawl and ratchet, the pawl d
pivoted to the metallic sheath H adapted to be secured to the foot stick, and arranged
and adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the ratchet by the normal
manipulation of the shade, substantially as described.
The 12th day of April 1897.
EDMUND FISHER HARTSHORN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.