Improvement in connection with Portiere Rods for Holding Curtains and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in connection with Portiere Rods for Holding Curtains
and the like.
JOSEPH WALKER, Brassfounder, of 4 Regent Parade, in the City of
Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to make rods for holding the curtains in front of
doors, that will rise, when the door is being opened, so as to take the curtain off
the floor.
In order to do this:- -I make the jointed end of the rod in the ordinary way
but upon the door at the end which opens I fix preferably a double bracket
carrying a chain or cord from its summit and depending therefrom, and to the base
of this chain I attach the rod itself. The rod then swings between the two sides
of the bracket and is held in suspension by the chain.
The action therefore is as follows:-
On the door being opened, the rod being fixed at its joint end travels through
the bracket and in consequence of being held by the chain it describes a radius
upwards instead of being able to go horizontally and the reverse in falling, this then
raises the curtain sufficiently high to clear it from the carpet.
I also produce the same result in the following way. Instead of fixing a double
bracket from which to suspend the loose end of the portiere rod, I fasten upon the
door underneath the loose end of the rod, an eccentric wheel or quadrant having
a groove round its circumference in which the rod rests. Round the outside of
this eccentric wheel or quadrant I wind a piece of chain, cord, or strip of sheet
metal; one end of which is fixed to the lower part of the wheel or quadrant, and
the other end is attached to the rod near the part which rests upon the wheel or
quadrant. This eccentric wheel is so arranged that when the door is closed the
greatest distance from the centre is at the bottom, and the lesser at the top or
nearest the rod.
The action therefore is as follows:-
On the door being opened the rod being fixed at its joint end, as before described,
travels forward and pulls the chain, cord, or metal strip, which causes the wheel or
quadrant to revolve upon the screw or pin, by which it is attached to the door.
The part which is furthest from the centre thus travels to the top, and raises the
rod sufficiently high to lift the curtain clear of the carpet.
Dated this 5th day of April 1809
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in connection with Portiere Rods for Holding Curtains
and the like.
I, JOSEPH WALKER, of 4 Regent Parade, in the City of Birmingham, Brass-
founder, 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 the manner in which I construct portiere rods for
suspending curtains in front of doors, and has reference to the manner in which I

page_text: cause the rod to move, so as to lift or raise the curtain off the floor or ground when
the door is opened or being opened.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a rod with its fittings in one
manner as shown on Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a view
with the door closed and Figure 2 a view showing the door partly open and the
curtain being raised by the action of the chain, or cord.
Upon the door frame or casing A I fix the bracket B to carry one end of the
rod in the ordinary manner, and upon one side of the door DI fix a bracket E
having a double open or closed end or loop e. To this bracket E I attach a chain
or cord F for supporting and carrying the free end C' of the rod C. The rod is
thus freely suspended between the two sides e of the bracket E which serves to
keep it in correct position against the door.
The action of this arrangement is such that when the door is being opened, the
rod although loosely fixed at its joint end a, travels through the bracket and in
consequence of being held by the chain or cord F, carried ou a curved path in an
upward direction, instead of moving horizontally or in a direction parallel with the
door, thereby causing the curtain upon the rod to be raised with it off the floor, so
as to be clear of the carpet.
And when the door is being closed the rod falls again
to its original level position within the bracket guided and carried by the chain or
cord.
By another arrangement shown on Sheet 2 Figure 4 I obtain the same lifting
motion of the rod. Instead of fixing a bracket from which to suspend the loose
end C¹ of the rod C, I fasten upon the door beneath the rod an eccentric wheel G
Round the outer
having a groove g round its circumference in which the rod rests.
surface of this wheel I wind a piece of chain, cord, or flexible sheet metal H, one
end of which I attach to the lower part of the wheel and the other end I make
fast to the rod near to the part which rests upon the wheel or quadrant. This
eccentric wheel G I arrange so that when the door is closed its largest radius or
the greatest distance from the centre to its circumference is at the bottom and the
lesser radius or shortest distance is at the top nearest the rod.
I sometimes dispense with the complete eccentric wheel and produce the same
action as shown at Figure 3 of Sheet 2. The eccentric wheel action is obtained
by the quadrant or cam G¹ which I mount upon the bracket E, the cord, chain or
band H passing from the end of the quadrant G₁ to attach to the rod as shown;
the quadrant I groove as shown in detail sectional elevation at Figure 3* to permit
of the rod resting upon it and to allow the cord or chain H to lie beneath it as
shown. By this eccentric or quadrant movement when the door is being opened
the rod pulls the rod or chain H and causes the eccentric or quadrant to move or
partly revolve upon its centre or pin K, thus drawing the portion of the eccentric
or quadrant furthest from its centre to travel upwards and thereby to raise the rod
and its connected curtain.
I make my improved brackets and fittings of any suitable metal and I arrange
ordinary curtain rings and eyes upon the rod for permitting of the attachment of
the curtain in the usual ordinary manner.
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. The construction of portiere rods in which a bracket is employed to carry a
chain or cord for suspending the rod whereby a lifting action is produced for
raising the curtain, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated at
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of a portiere rod having an eccentric wheel such as G, or
quadrant such as G¹ connected by means of a cord, chain or band such as H to the
rod, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated
in Figures 3, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. The construction of a portiere or door curtain rod having a bracket attached
to the door, with two fork like open or closed end arms for permitting the rod to
rise within and between them substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 7th day of January 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.