Improvements in Combined Window Cornices and Curtain Supports.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1893-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Window Cornices and Curtain Supports.
I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark of
53 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication from Howard Franklin Kantner, Clerk, of Greenville Jersey City,
in the County of Hudson and State of New Jersey, United States of America) to
be as follows:-
The invention relates more particularly to inside window cornices and curtain
supports and it has for its object to combine with the cornice body, adjustable
fastening devices at each end, adapted to be operated in unisou, whereby to
conveniently adapt the cornice body to windows of different widths.
It also has for its object to combine with such cornice supports adjustable curtain
holding brackets and lambrequin supports.
The front face of the cornice is provided at its front lower edge with a down-
wardly projecting portion serving to conceal the curtain bracket adjusting devices,
and upon the rear face of the cornice piece at its opposite ends are secured sheet
metal guides which hold sliding members carrying clamps formed of wire bails,
which are connected by a tape which is carried around a winding shaft which is
journaled in eyes on the rear of the cornice piece the eyes and shaft being received
in a recess in the rear face of the cornice.
As a convenient means of attaching the tape to the shaft, and causing such tape
to wind in opposite directions on such shaft when turned, I form the shaft of a split
key, the lower end of which is spread and formed with offsets to hold the shaft in
place, while the upper end terminates in an eye, to which is pivotally connected
an operating handle which normally folds down and rests on the top of the cornice
piece.
The eye has flattened inner faces in which the eye on the handle is pivoted and
to make such pivotal connection a reversible one, the eye is formed triangular
whereby a combined hinge and lever joint is provided. Thus a continuous rotation
of the shaft can be effected, by making a half rotation of the handle and then
swinging it over to the place of beginning and turning as before. When it is
desired to place the capping or cornice piece in place, by turning the shaft the tape
will be wound in opposite directions and the clamps drawn inward against the
window casing and after it has been securely clamped, the tension on the tape can
be maintained by turning the handle down to engage a pin on the top of the
cornice.
Each end of the cornice or capping is provided with adjustable eyes or staples
which are held by ornamental screw knobs and form suitable supports for a tape, or
wire rod, from which to suspend a lace curtain lambrequin.
Upon the under face of the cornice piece at the opposite ends are secured sheet
metal guides, which support sliding members, formed of wire bails, which are
secured to the sliding plates and whose outer ends are bent down to form brackets,
one of which is formed with a circular bearing to receive the circular stud of a
spring roller, while the other has its side arms spread at the upper part and
contracted at its lower end, to form a circular bearing of a diameter sufficient to
allow a free turning therein of the squared end of the spring roller and is provided
with a locking piece fitted to slide on the arms which when pushed down fits over
the end of the spring roller and holds it from unwinding. By this construction the
tension of the spring roller can be adjusted without dismounting such roller.
In a modification, the slide is omitted and upon the squared end of the roller is

page_text: mounted a crank, the upper end of which has an eye in which is movably held a
member which forms the double function of a handle for the crank and a stop for
holding the crank from turning when adjusted.
By supporting the roller brackets in the manner described, the same can be
quickly adjusted to suit rollers of different wilths. To adjust the brackets in
unison, the ends thereof are connected to cords which pass up through an aperture
in the cornice and are connected to a ring which when pulled will draw the
.brackets inward, a stud being provided about which the cords can be secured when
the brackets have been drawn inward the required degree.
'
The cornice piece proper may be made of three sections, the end ones being
adjustable on the central one and their ends being connected to the tape, fixed
hooks being secured to their outer ends.
Dated this 16th day of June 1893
A. MELVILLE CLARK,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Window Cornices and Curtain Supports.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. & Wm Clark, of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me by Howard Franklin Kantner, Clerk, of Greenville Jersey
City in the County of Hudson and State of New Jersey, United States of
America 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 more particularly to inside window cornices and curtain
supports and it has for its object to combine with the cornice body, adjustable
fastening devices at each end, adapted to be operated in unison, whereby to
connect the cornice body to windows of different widths in a quick, simple and
effective manner.
It also has for its object to combine with such cornice supports adjustable
curtain holding brackets and lambrequin supports.
With other minor objects in view and which will hereinafter appear, the invention
consists in the peculiar combination and novel arrangement of parts as hereinafter
described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front view of a window cornice with the improvements applied.
Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the same.
Figure 3 is a bottom plan view thereof.
Figures 4, 5 and are detail views of the adjustable curtain brackets or
supports and
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modification hereinafter referred to.
In the drawings A indicates the cornice or capping piece, the front face of
which is of a suitable ornamental shape, its front lower edge projecting down as
at a to conceal the curtain bracket adjusting devices presently referred to.
Upon the rear face of the cornice piece A, at its opposite ends are secured sheet
metal guides B B in which are held to slide members CC, to which are fixedly
held the clamps DD formed of wire bails the ends of which are turned upward
and inward to form hooks d d as shown most clearly in Figure 2.
By reference to such figure it will be noticed that the ends d' of the clamps D D
are connected by a tape E, which in turn is connected with a winding shaft F
journaled in eyes G G on the rear of the cornice piece.
As a convenient means of attaching the tape to the shaft, and for causing such
tape to wind in opposite directions on such shaft when turned, I form the shaft of
a split key the lower end of which is spread and formed with offsets ff to hold the

page_text: shaft in place, while the upper end terminates in an eye f¹ to which is pivotally
connected an operating handle H, which normally folds down and rests on the top
of the cornice piece A and engages either one of a series of stop pins 1 for a
purpose hereinafter referred to.
To permit the cornice piece to be fitted up close to the wall or window frame,
the rear face of such cornice has a central concaved portion a' in which the eyes G
and the shaft F are disposed, thereby bringing the tape E flush with the rear face
of the cornice piece A.
It will be observed that by forming the shaft F of a split key, that the eye f¹
will have flattened inner faces in which the eye on the handle H is pivoted and to
make such pivotal connection a reversible one, the eye his formed triangular
whereby a combined hinge and lever joint is provided. By this construction it
will be observed, a continuous rotation of the shaft can be effected, by making a
half rotation of the handle H, and then swinging it over (see dotted lines Fig. 2)
to the place of beginning and turning as before. When it is desired to place the
capping or cornice piece in place, by turning the shaft F the tape E will be wound
in opposite directions and the clamps D drawn inward against the window casing,
and after it has been securely clamped, the tension on the tape can be maintained
by turning the handle H down to engage one of the pins I.
98
Each end of the cornice or capping A, is provided with adjustable eyes or
staples J which are held in grooves a³ by means of the ornamental screw knobs K,
such staples forming suitable supports for a tape, or wire rod, from which to
suspend a lace curtain lambrequin.
Upon the under face of the cornice piece A at the opposite ends are secured
sheet metal guides L L in which are movably held the slide members M, formed
of wire bails bent preferably to the shape shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5 by
reference to which it will be seen, their base portions m are secured to the slide plates M¹
while their outer ends are bent down to form the bracket members proper N N¹,
one of which N is formed with a circular bearing n to receive the circular stud of
a spring roller, while the other has its side arms spread as at n'n' aud contracted
at its lower end, to form a circular bearing n' of a diameter sufficient to allow a
free turning therein of the squared end o of the spring roller O, a slide P having a
recess being fitted to slide on the arms n¹ n', which when pushed down will fit
over the end o of the spring roller and hold it from unwinding.
By this construction it will be noticed the tension of the spring roller can be
adjusted without dismounting such roller.
In some instances I may prefer to use the modified form of device shown in
Fig. 5 for holding the roller from unwinding, and in such construction the slide P
is omitted and upon the squared end of the roller is mounted a crank Q, the upper
end of which has an eye q, in which is movably held a member R, which forms the
double function of a handle for the crank and a stop for holding the crank from
turning when adjusted as shown.
It will be readily understood that by supporting the roller brackets in the manner
shown, the same can be quickly adjusted to suit rollers of different widths. To
provide means whereby such brackets are adjusted in unison, so as to be adjusted.
equally at each side, the ends thereof are connected to cords S S¹ which pass up
through an aperture s in the piece A, and are connected to a ring T, which when
pulled upon will draw the brackets inward to the desired position, a stud U on the
top of the piece A being provided about which the cords can be secured when the
brackets have been drawn inward the required degree.
In the modification shown in Fig. 6, I make the cornice piece proper of three
sections, the end ones B' B' being adjustable- on the central one A¹, their ends
being connected to the tape, fixed hooks D* D* being secured to the outer ends as
shown.
While I have not shown it in the drawings, the curtain brackets and the lambre-
quin pole eyes are secured to the end pieces B₁ in the same manner as they are
connected to the other form of cornice piece before described.

page_text: From the foregoing taken in connection with the drawings it will be readily seen
that the improvements can be quickly applied over windows of different widths,
and the curtain brackets also adjusted to suit different width shades. Furthermore
the construction is of such a character that the devices can be produced at a very
small cost.
The same can be placed in position and adjusted by any one, without the employ-
ment of screws, nails or tools of any kind.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,―
1. A combined window cornice and curtain support, comprising a body portion
having clamp members on its rear face laterally adjustable, curtain brackets pro-
jected down from such body, and means for operating the clamp members in unison
all substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a window cornice and curtain support, the combination with the cornice
body, having guideways on its rear face and an operating shaft midway of such
guideways, clamp hook members held to slide in the guide ways, a flexible con-
nection between the inner ends of the clamp members, and secured to the shaft to
wind in opposite directions thereon, and means for turning such shaft, all substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
3. The combination with the cornice piece, having end guides on its rear face,
and a central concave portion, a shaft held for rotation in such concaved portion
and a handle pivotally connected with the shaft, of the clamp members held to
slide on the said guides, a tape connecting the inner ends of the clamps, said tape
being connected with the said shaft to wind in opposite directions thereon, and
stops on the cornice piece adapted to hold the handle to its adjusted position when
turned down, all substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination with the cornice piece A, the adjustable clamp members D
and the tape E connecting the inner ends of the said clamps D, of the shaft F
journaled on the rear face of the cornice piece, said shaft formed of a split member
adapted to embrace the tape, an eye f¹ having flattened inner faces, and the
handle H having a triangular eye h fitting the eye f¹ of the shaft, all substantially
as and for the purpose described.
5. A combined cornice piece and curtain support, comprising a body portion
having laterally adjustable clamping portions, curtain supporting brackets held for
lateral adjustment on the underface of the cornice piece, and cords for connecting
the inner ends of said brackets, extending up to the top of the cornice piece
whereby such brackets can be moved in unison to their adjusted positions, all
substantially as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination with the cornice piece A, of the staples or eyes J adjustably
held on the ends of the said cornice piece, and the screw knobs for holding them to
their adjusted positions, all substantially as and for the purposes described.
7. The combination with the cornice A, the curtain brackets and the spring
curtain roller, of a crank portion on the squared end of the said roller, having an
eye portion, and the hook member R, fitted in such eye, all arranged substantially
as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 17th day of Lule 1902
A. MELVILLE CLARK,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.