Improvements in Means for Raising Door Portiere Rod Curtains.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Raising Door Portiere Rod Curtains.
JOSEPH LILLY, of 6 Hutton Street, Nechells, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Art Metal Worker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to means whereby the curtains hanging from portiero
rods upon doors, may be automatically raised and lowered as the door is
respectively opened and closed.
Usually the mechanism is combined with an ordinary portiere rod, but may be
fixed upon the door and door frame if desired independently of the said rod.
It consists broadly of a bracket carrying a lifting lever (from and by whose
outer end the curtain is raised,) which is operated upon by a travelling or sliding
roller or projection which is carried upon or from a fixed bracket upon the door
frame.
When used in combination with the portiere rod, the lifting lever is carried
upon a bracket which is secured upon the outer end of the rod, and upon that
side of the bracket by which it is supported from the door, which is farthest
from the hinge side of the said door. Also from the rod (door) bracket is carried
a projection which preferably consists of an antifriction roller. Hence as the
door opens as is well known, the rod slides through the door bracket, and in so
doing the lever is made to travel over the roller, or it may be described rice versa.
The lever is so shaped that as this motion takes place the roller lifts it quickly
until such part assumes a horizontal position, and then ceases to lift it further
but merely travels along its then horizontal surface. As before mentioned the
outer end of the lever is connected to the curtain and the latter is thereby raised.
This connection may be by cords, or other suitable means whose lower ends may
be secured to the curtain or to a rod or bar which latter is first secured in or
upon the curtain.
In cases where the device is not used in combination with the rod, the lever
bracket is secured to the door, and the bracket carrying the operating part
is carried from the door frame. Upon the door frame bracket is pivoted an
arm (which answers to the portiere rod in the before mentioned arrangement)
whose forward end acts upon the underside of the lever so as to raise it as the door
opens, after the manner before described. Preferably this arm is assistantly
supported beneath the lever, by its travelling upon a stud or projection which
is placed upon the lever bracket, or in some cases this arm may be made wider, so
as to have therein a slot which shall travel along the buss of the lever, the said
boss and the slot being respectively so shaped as to give the necessary motion to
the lever as tho door is moved.
These parts are made reversible so that doors hung either to the right or left
hand may be accommodated.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1896.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Means for Raising Door Portiere Rod Curtains.
1, JOSEPH LILLY, of 6 Hutton Street, Nechells, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Art Metal Worker, 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 means whereby the curtains hanging from portiere rods
upon doors, may be automatically raised and lowered as the door is respectively
opened and closed.
Usually the mechanism is combined with an ordinary portiere rod, but may be
fixed upon the door and door frame if desired independently of the said rol.
In order to more clearly explain this my invention I have appended hereunto an
illustrated drawing upon which are figures and numbers of reference.
Fig. 1, shows my invention in combination with a portiere rod as it appears
when the door is closed.
Fig. 2, shows the same device as it appears when the door is opened and the
curtain raised.
Fig. 3, is a view of a modified form of bracket and lever.
Fig. 4, is a side view of such modified bracket.
Fig. 5, is a front view of the invention as applied independently of a portiere
rod as seen when the door is closed.
Fig. 6, shows the latter arrangement as seen when the door is opened.
I will first describe it as applied to a portiere rod, having reference to Figs. 1
to 4 inclusive.
8, is the door, 9, is the door frame, 10 is the portiere rod which is hinged upon
the bracket 11 which latter is fixed upon the door frame. The other end of the
rod is supported by the bracket 12 through which the rod slides to an extent due
to the opening and closing of the door. 13 are the rings from which the curtain
hangs in the usual manner. 14, is the lifting lever carried upon the bracket 15
which is secured upon the outer end of the rod 10 and upon that side of the
bracket by which it is supported from the door-which is farthest from the hinge
side of the said door. Also from the rod (door) bracket 12 is carried a projection
which prefornbly consists of an antifriction roller 16. Hence as the door opens as
is well known the rod 10 slides through the door bracket 12, and in so doing the
lever 14 is made to travel over the roller 16, or it may be described vice versa.
The lever is so shaped that as this motion takes place the roller lifts it quickly
until it assumes a horizontal position, and then ceases to lift it further but inerely
travels along its then horizontal surface. As before mentioned the outer end of
the lever is connected to the curtain and the latter is thereby raised. This
counection may be by cords 17, or other suitable means whose lower ends may be
secured to the curtain or to the rod or bar which latter is first secured in or upon
the curtain.
It will be noticed that in the bracket 15, two joints 15" and 15 are provided so
that the lever 14 may be connected to either joints to accommodate a right or left
band door. In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown this bracket modified in shape so as to
have one ceutral joint 15%, and made the lever 14 straight, so that to accommodato
a right or left hand position does not then require alteration of position of tho
lever upon the bracket. Referring now to Figs. 5 & 6 it will be seen that the
same device may be used independently of the portiere rod, in which case the lever
bracket 15 is secured to the door, and the bracket 12 carrying the operating
roller 16 is carried from the door frame. Upon the door frame bracket 12 is
pivoted an arm 18, (which answers to the portiere rod 10, in the before inentioned

page_text: arrangement) whose roller 16 at its forward end acts upon the underside of the
lever so as to raise it as the door opens, after the manner before described and
shown in Fig. 6. This arm may be made single so as to only lie beneath the lever,
but preferably it is made wide enough to perinit of the slot 19 embracing the pivot
joint of the lever, and thus by providing a roller 16 upon both sides of the alot as.
shown, it makes it reversible for right or left hand doors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In means for raising door portiere rod curtains, the combination with the
portiere rod 10 carried upon bracket 11 and bracket 12 having the roller or
projection 16, of the lever 14 carried upon or from the bracket 15, with cords 17,
all substantially as set forth and shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
2. In means for raising door portiere rod curtains the combination of the arm 18,.
rollers 16, bracket 12, with the lever 14, bracket 15d and cords 17 all constructed,.
arranged and operating substantially as set forth and shown in Figs.. 5 and 6.
Dated this 13th day of January 1897
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12 Cherry Street, Birmingham, Applicant's Agent.