Improvements in Rack-pulleys.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rack-pulleys.
I, HERBERT CAUSER, of the Firm of Pass and Causer, of 15, St. Marys Row,
in the City of Birmingham, Stamper and Piercer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention relates to holders for the cords of window blinds, known in
commerce as rack-pulleys, and has for its object, an automatic grip, whereby a
cord is held and clamped at any adjusted position by simply releasing a button
or part carrying a small runner around which the cord passes.
In carrying out one form of my invention, I take a strip of sheet metal and
turn the same up into a dovetail troughed sectioned carrier, into which a double
and spring armed bracket slides.
The termination of the front spring arm is formed into a dovetail shaped
foot, corresponding to the inside section of the bracket or carrier as aforesaid.
The other spring arm is also terminated by a foot alike unto the first-named,
whilst directed from the first-named foot is a hook-shaped bracket with the
turned-up part forming an axis upon which a cord runner is mounted.
The aforesaid bracket is somewhat of the figure of an arch with a flattened
top, and with the sides which form the arms directed at an obtuse angle to the
said top, and normally the foot of the one arm or of both arms, is or are normally
in frictional contact with the insides of the overhanging dovetail edges of the
carrier, which is attachably connected to a window or like frame by small screws
or otherwise.
The middle part of the bracket may be formed buttonwise, and by the pressing
of the same inwards, the spring arms are slightly straightened out, and the foot
or feet which normally grip the inside dovetail edges of the carrier, are taken
from out of contact with the undercuts or inside walls of the dovetail edges,
hence the releasing of the grip, when the bracket can then be longitudinally
adjusted by a sliding action.
On the releasing of the bracket an instantaneous grip is then made, by the
expanding of the spring arms.
Instead of the edges of the dovetail feet being plain, they may have turned
over flanged edges, so as to increase the gripping contact and instead of the dove-
tail sides of the carrier being plain, it may be crossed corrugated or racked,
into which the foot or feet of the spring arms of the bracket, engage, by the
expanding action of the spring arms as aforesaid.
The axis for the runner may be cut out from the metal of the button, and made
to project inwards.
1
ոու JT..1.. 1908

page_text: I, HERBERT CAUSER, of the Firm of Pass and Causer, of 15, St. Marys Row,
in the City of Birmingham, Stamper and Piercer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to holders for the cords of window blinds, known in
commerce as rack-pulleys, and has for its object, to provide such articles with a
self-acting grip or means whereby a cord is automatically held and clamped.
in any adjusted position and freed or released therefrom by simply pressing
button or equivalent part carrying the small runner or roller around which the
cord passes.
a
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a front elevation
of a *
rack pulley" or blind cord holder provided with self-acting means for
automatically retaining the pulley or roller around whicli the cord is passed, in
any adjusted position in which it may have been placed for tensioning the said
cord.
Figure 2 is an edge view thereof.
Figure 3 is a similar view to that shown in Figure 1, but with a portion of
the sides of the carrier plate broken away.
Figure 4 is a cross section of Figure 1 upon the dotted line.
Figure 5 is another cross section upon the dotted line ¹, whilst Figure 6 is a
further cross section upon the dotted lines x².
1.
Figure 7 represents an end view of the spring armed attachment by which the
pulley or cord roller is carried, and Figure 8 is a side elevation thereof, with one
of its spring arms shown in section.
Figure 9 is a plan of the sheet metal blank from which the carrier plate is
formed and
Figure 10 represents a plan and edge view of the blank from which the spring
armed attachment or mounting for the cord roller is fashioned.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawing.
:
According to this form of my invention, the improved rack pulley consists of
a carrier plate or base a, formed from a sheet metal blank such as represented
in Figure 9 and its opposite longitudinal edges a¹, are turned up and made to
overhang, thereby forming a dovetail sectioned or troughed body part, within
which a bracket or mounting b, having double and spring arms b1, b2, and pro-
vided with the runner or roller c, for the blind cords, slides and is capable of
vertical adjustment therein.
The terminations of the two spring arms b¹, 2, respectively formed into a dove-
tail shaped feet 63, 64, the outline shape of which corresponds or conforms to
the inside section of the carrier body part a, whilst directed from the first-named
foot 63, and coming within the space confined between the arms is a hook-shaped
bearing piece d, with its turned up part d', forming an axis or pivot upon which
a cord runner or roller c, is loosely mounted, and is supported in such a position
that its sides bear upon the outer edges of the opposed dovetail sides a¹.
As will be seen from the drawing, the said bracket b, is somewhat of the figure
of an arch with a flattened top bo, and with the sides which form the arms directed
at an obtuse angle to the said top, and normally the feet or dovetail shaped ends
of the arms b, are, by reason of spring organization of the bracket in frictional

page_text: contact with the insides of the overhanging dovetail edges of the carrier, which
is attachably connected to a window or like frame by small screws or otherwise.
The middle part of the bracket may be extended into a presser piece or button
and by the pressing of the same inwards, the spring arms are slightly straightened
out and the foot which normally grips (by frictional contact) the inside dovetail
sides of the carrier is taken from out of contact with the sides so that the grip
frictional lock is released and the bracket with the roller or runner mounted upon
it can then be longitudinally adjusted by a sliding action, whilst on releasing
the finger pressure, the parts are instantaneously locked in their adjusted posi-
tions by the gripping action exerted against the sides of the carrier by the spring
arms on again resuming their adjusted positions.
Instead of the edges of the dovetail feet being plain, they may have turned
over flanged edges, so as to provide an increased area of frictional surface and
consequently enhance the gripping contact and instead of the dovetail sides of
the carrier being plain they may be crossed corrugated throughout suitable parts
of their lengths forming as it were a series of rack teeth, with which the feet of
the spring arms of the bracket, engage by their expanding action as aforesaid.
Instead of providing a separate piece to form the axis for the runner, such axis
may be cut out from the metal of the button, and made to project inwards.
Instead of both the spring arms of the runner bracket being caused to make
frictional contact with the sides of the body part for locking, only one of such
arms may be operative for this purpose and the other arm may simply slide
upon the bottom of the plate and act as a guide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
:-
First In rack pulleys, mounting the runner or roller around which the
cord passes upon a bracket provided with a yielding foot or yielding feet, of an
outline shape conforming to the inside sectional shape of the troughed body
part having overhanging sides between which the said bracket slides, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Secondly: An improved rack pulley comprising a body part of a dovetail
cross section or with overhanging sides, and a sliding bracket, carrying the cord
runner or roller and having spring arms with dovetail shaped ends adapted to
normally be in frictional contact with the said sides of the body part, but to be
released therefrom when the bracket is pressed inwards substantially as described
and set forth.
Dated this 29th day of March 1800
HERBERT CAUSER,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.