Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887
I RICHARD HAMBLY HUGHES, 307 and 309 Mare Street Hackney Middlesex
Furrier do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of an improved means of raising and lowering blinds and
shades for shop fronts and of holding the blinds firmly at any desired position.
Blinds for shop fronts are usually made to wind up on a roller (which is actuated
by a spring) let into or fixed to the Facia of the shop, and the lower edge of the blind
is attached to a bar of wood which is carried by two hinged bars or arms fixed at one
end to the bar of wood, which carries the lower edge of the blind, and provided with
a hinge at the other end, one half of which hinge is fixed to the side posts of the
shop front, the means usually employed for raising or lowering the blind is by drawing
it down from the outside by means of a pole with a hook at the end of it.
My invention is an improved method of keeping the arms at the ends of the blind,
firm and rigid by means of springs preferably one to each arm and attached to the
lower end of the arm, that is the end that is fixed to the post of the shop front; these
springs may be inside the shop and connected by a link or rod or quadrant to the
lower end of the arm, or they may be made in the form of a barrel spring similar to a
clock spring and barrel the end of the arm being attached to the inner end of the
spring, and the other end of the spring being attached to the barrel in the usual
manner the barrel being also made with suitable lugs to fix it on to the front of
the shop.
The roller on to which the blind is rolled has fitted to it at one end a spur wheel
and this is geared into a screw attached to or forming part of a shaft, of a convenient
length and carried by suitable bearings or brackets, preferably fixed to the wall and
inside the shop, the lower end of this shaft is also made in the form of a screw and
has on it a travelling nut formed with a flange or projecting piece (or the nut may be
made with a large flat surface on one side) which projecting piece or surface slides
against a fixed plate (or it may slide against the wall of the shop) to prevent the nut
from turning round, and to cause the nut to travel along the screw when the shaft is
revolved the object of this nut is to stop the shaft from being turned more than a
defined number of times, and so to decide when the roller with the blind on it has

page_text: been revolved a sufficient number of times to fully wind the blind up, it also applies to
letting the blind out, the nut above referred to is stopped at either end of the screw
by coming in contact with one of the brackets or bearings which carry the screw, and
which are placed in suitable positions to effect this object, or the screwed end of the
shaft may have fixed to it nuts or collars to form stops for the travelling nut.
Where side blinds are used I arrange them so that they are drawn up to the main
blind, and the lowest point of the side blind is fastened to about the centre of the
main blind.
As an alternative arrangement for the wood rail used for keeping the lower edge of
the main blind tight; I make a thick seam to the edge of blind and pass the seam
inside a split tube (which may be made of any suitable material) the ends of which
tube are preferably plugged with a metal plug to which the side arms that carry the
blind are attached by screws, or these may be secured in any other convenient
manner.
It will be seen that when the shaft is rotated (by means of a handle fixed to it) the
spur wheel gearing with the screw is caused to revolve and raises or lowers the blinds
according to the direction in which the handle is turned, the travelling nut is at the
same time moving along the shaft until it is stopped by one of the collars or brackets
which decide the distance the blind is to be raised or lowered (the springs, which may
be spiral springs, S springs or barrel springs) fixed to the arms; at the same time
holding these arms down and so always keeping the blind firm and rigid.
Dated this 25th day of November 1886.
ROBERT ABRAM LEE,
76, 77 & 78A, High Holborn, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.
RICHARD HAMBLY HUGHES, 307 & 309 Mare Street, Hackney, Middlesex Furrier, 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 3
statement :-
My invention consists of an improved means of lowering and raising blinds and
shades for shop fronts, and of holding the blinds firmly at any desired position.
Blinds for shop fronts are usually made to wind up on a roller (which is actuated by
a spring) let into or fixed to the Facia of the shop, and the lower edge of the blind 8
is attached to a bar of wood which is carried by two hinged bars or arms fixed at one

page_text: end, to the bar of wood which carries the lower edge of the blind, and provided with
a hinge at the other end one half of which hinge is fixed to the side posts of the shop
front, the means usually employed for raising or lowering the blind is by drawing it
down from the outside by means of a pole with a hook at the end of it.
My invention is an improved method of keeping the arms at the ends of the blind
firm and rigid by means of springs preferably one to each arm and attached to the
lower end of the arm, that is the end that is fixed to the post of the shop front; these
springs may be inside the shop and connected by a link or rod or quadrant to the
lower end of the arm, or they may be made in the form of a barrel spring similar to a
clock spring and barrel, the end of the arm being attached to the inner end of the
spring, and the other end of the spring being attached to the barrel in the usual
manner, the barrel being also made with suitable lugs to fix it on to the front of the
shop. The roller on to which the blind is rolled has fitted to it at one end a spur
wheel and this is geared into a screw attached to or forming part of a shaft of a
convenient length and carried by suitable bearings or brackets, preferably fixed to the
wall and inside the shop the lower end of this shaft is also made in the form of a
screw & has on it a travelling nut formed with a flange or projecting piece (or the
nut may be made with a large flat surface on one side) which projecting piece or
surface slides against a fixed plate (or it may slide against the wall of the shop) to
prevent the nut from turning round, and to cause the nut to travel along the screw
when the shaft is revolved, the object of this nut is to stop the shaft from being
turned more than a defined number of times and so to decide when the roller, with
the blind on it, has been revolved a sufficient number of times to fully wind the blind
up, it also applies to letting the blind out; the nut above referred to is stopped at either
end of the screw by coming in contact with one of the brackets or bearings, which
carry the screw, and which are placed in suitable positions to effect this object, or the
screwed end of the shaft may have fixed to it nuts or collars to form stops for
the travelling nut. Where side blinds are used I arrange them so that they are drawn
up to the main blind, and the lowest point of the side blind is fastened to about the
centre of the main blind.
As an alternative arrangement for the wood rail used for keeping the lower edge of
the main blind tight I make a thick seam to the edge of blind and pass the seam inside
a split tube (which may be made of any suitable material) the ends of which tube are
preferably plugged with a metal plug to which the side arms, that carry the blind,
are attached by screws, or these may be secured in any other convenient manner.
It will be seen that when the shaft is rotated (by means of a handle fixed to it) the
spur wheel gearing into the screw is caused to revolve and so raises or lowers the blind
according to the direction in which the handle is turned, the travelling nut at the
same time is moving along the shaft until it is stopped by one of the collars or brackets
which decide the distance the blind is to be raised or lowered, the springs (which may
be spiral springs, "S" springs, or barrel springs) fixed to the arms at the same time
holding these arms down, & so always keeping the blind firm and rigid.
The actuating shaft with its screw which gears into the spur wheel is made of any
required length and I find it convenient to avoid alterations of existing fixtures in
some shops to fit the top end of shaft to an adjustable bearing fitted to a circular
grooved plate so that the position of the shaft at its lower end may be shifted to the
most convenient place for fixing its bearing to the wall or side of shop, or in some
cases the handle end of this shaft may be taken through the ceiling and through the
floor of the room above the shop.
In the blinds fitted with the split tube at the lower edge I make a thick corded or
hem seam to the edge of the blind, through which I pass a rod and I pass the seam or
hem and rod inside the split tube (the ends of this tube) I also fit either of the ends
with movable caps to allow of the tube being removed from the blind if required, and
when fitted with these movable caps I fix the side arms to the tube by screws.
When I use the tube before named in place of a wood rail for keeping the lower
edge of the blind tight, I perforate the tube on its lower side in one or more places
to allow the rain water to drain out.

page_text: In some cases it is necessary to retain the wood rail, as it forms part of the facia of
the shop and when this occurs I either make a groove in the back of the rail to hold
the tube, or I make a groove large enough for the seam of the blind, and screw in one
or two strips or plates of hard wood, or metal, the edges of which touch the canvas of
the blind and prevent the seam from coming out.
Referring to the Drawings Fig. I is a front elevation of a shop. Fig. II is a side
elevation of same showing part of the side wall of shop A is the roller, B the blind
C. C. the side arms hinged at D and connected to a barrel spring carried in the
barrel E. The alternative quadrant F & spiral spring contained in the tube H, and
connected to the quadrant by the rod G. The tube H is hinged at I to allow of the
circular motion of the quadrant F. J. K. are the spur wheel and worm. The worm K
being carried by the bearing L which bearing can be adjusted up or down in the
circular slot M. N is the actuating shaft screwed at N¹ and carried by the bearings O. O.
P is the nut to regulate the number of revolutions that the shaft N. may be turned.
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
claim is.
Claim 1st. In a window blind or shade for shop fronts, fitting, gearing with its
actuating shaft arranged with its bearing at top end, to slide in the circular slot for the
purpose of shifting the actuating shaft substantially as described.
2nd. In a window blind or shade for shops arranging the actuating shaft with a
screw and travelling nut and collars so that the shaft, be stopped at a given number of
revolutions in either direction.
3rd. In a window blind or shade for shops fitting the lower edge with a slotted tube
and hem, cord, or rod, substantially as described.
4th. Attaching springs to the arms of a window blind or shade for shops for the
purpose of keeping the blind firm and rigid at any position, substantially as described.
5th. The general combination forming my improved window blind or shade for
shops, substantially as described.
Dated this 94th day of Anomet 1887
ROBERT ABRAM LEE,.
76, High Holborn, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.