Improvements in Window Blind Adjusters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Window Blind Adjusters.
I, HERBERT MARSHALL STURGIS, Gentleman, residing at 4123, Pleasant Street,
in the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, U.S.A., 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: -
My invention relates to improvements in window blind adjusters; and it consists
of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter shown,
described and claimed.
Fig. 9 is a
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved window blind adjuster, the same
being applied to a window. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the window and adjuster.
Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a bracket made use of in affixing the adjuster to
the window casing. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the parts of the adjuster seen
looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 4, Figure 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical
sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5. of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical
cross-sectional view taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a
view in perspective of a clamp made use of in carrying out my invention. Fig. 8 is
a cross-sectional view taken approximately on the line 8-8. of Fig. 1.
cross-sectional view taken approximately on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.
Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the blind, the
same being wound upon an ordinary spring blind roller, 2, which blind roller is
carried by the depending fingers 3, which fingers are adjustably mounted upon the
rod 4. A rod 5 is rotatably mounted in the brackets 6 and 7, said brackets being
secured in horizontal alinement to the top of the window frame. The left-hand
bracket 6 is of any ordinary well known form, while the right-hand bracket 7 is
seen in perspective in Figure 3, said bracket 7 consisting of the base plate 8 which
is seated against the face of the window frame, and projecting outwardly from the
upper end of said plate is an arm 9, in the outer end of which is formed a
rectangular notch 10. An arm 11 projects downwardly from the outer end of the
arm 9, and the lower end of said arm 11 is turned inwardly at right angles to the
body portion of said arm, and a transverse slot 12 is formed in this inwardly turned
end.
Located upon the left-hand end of the rod 5 is a pair of mating semicircular
blocks 13, each being provided on their ends with the retaining lips 14, and passing
through one of said blocks 13 is a set-screw 15.
A pair of disks 16, provided in their centers with the apertures 17 and with the
oppositely arranged notches 18 communicating with said apertures, combine with
the blocks 13 in forming the tape-winding drum at the left-hand end of the
rod 5. To mount said drum upon the rod 5, the mating blocks 13 are positioned
on said rod, after which the disks 16 are passed over the mating blocks, during
which movement the retaining lips 14 pass through the notches 18 in said
disks 16, and after said disks are arranged upon the ends of the mating blocks and
turned so as to bring the notches 18 at points at right angles to the retaining lips 14,
the set-screw 15 is tightened against the rod. This operation tends to press the

page_text: blocks 13 apart and thus exert a pressure against the disks 16, and in this
manner the various parts of the drum so formed are very rigidly held, and said drum
itself is rigidly located at the desired point on the rod 5.
The double tape winding drum at the right-hand end of the rod 5 comprises the
mating semi-circular blocks 19, which are identical in form and construction, said
blocks 19 being provided on their ends with the integral semi-circular flanges 20
and 21, and at their centers with the integral semi-circular flanges 22. When the
blocks 19 are properly located upon the rod 5 and the screws 23 are passed through
said mating blocks and through the end of the rod 5, the pairs of semicircular
flanges 20, 21 and 22 will unite in forming the adjacent tape-winding drum.
Before the semi-circular blocks 19 are locked upon the rod 5, the ends of the tapes
that wind upon the mating drums are inserted between the mating halves of said
drums and held therein when said mating halves are clamped together, this con-
struction being clearly illustrated in Fig. 6. Formed integral with the face of the
mating flanges 21 and extending laterally therefrom are the semi-circular
flanges 24, and a plate 25 is located in the circular recess formed by the mating
flanges 24, said plate being held in position by allowing the ears 26 which are
formed integral with the periphery of said plate to pass through suitable apertures
formed in the meeting edges of the mating flanges 24.
Arranged for rotation upon the end of the rod 5 that projects beyond the double
winding drums is a ratchet 27, the same being composed of a circular block, in
the periphery of which is a pair of oppositely arranged notches 28, and the opposite
faces of the outer end of this block are flattened, as indicated by the numeral 29,
and said block 27 is held to rotate upon the rod 5, for the reason that the end 30 of
said rod is slightly enlarged or riveted out, so as to retain said block.
Pivoted to the face of the plate 25 is a pair of pawls 31, the same being positioned
so that their teeth 32 will, at certain points in their rotation, engage in the
notches 28 of the ratchet 27. When the rod 5 is positioned in the brackets 6 and 7,
the outer end of the ratchet 27 which is provided with the flattened faces 29, rests
in the notch 10 in the bracket 7.
A pair of tapes 33 are wound one upon the drum at the left-hand end of the
rod 5, and one upon the left-hand one of the pair of drums at the right-hand end
of the rod 5, in such a manner as that their outer ends depend from the rear sides
of said drums, and said outer ends are looped around the rod 4, and suitable
adjustable clamps 34 connect said free ends with the body portions of the tapes.
A tape or cord 35 is wound upon the right-hand one of the pair of drums at the
right-hand end of the rod 5 in such a manner as that its free outer end extends
downwardly in front of the drum, and said free end, is passed through the slot 12 in
the lower end of the arm 11, and to the end of said tape or cord is affixed a ring
or like device.
The blind of my improved device is manipulated in the usual manner. When
it is desired to adjust said blind up or down, the operator manipulates the cord or
tape 35. Should the blind be at the top of the window, as shown in solid lines in
Figure 1 and it is desired to locate the blind over the lower half of the window, as
indicated by dotted lines in the same figure, the operator engages the tape 35 and
gives the same a quick downward movement, and, by so doing, disengages the
tooth 32 of the pawl 31 that has been resting in the top one of the notches 28 of the
ratchet 27. By their own weight, the blind 1, roller 2, rod 4 and depending
fingers 3 will pass downwardly to the desired position, during which movement
the operator allows the cord or tape 35 to pass freely through the hand. As said
blind descends, the tapes 33 will unwind and the rod 5 will necessarily rotate
rapidly, and as the pawls 31 rotate with said rod 5, they will be held out of
engagement with the notches of the ratchet 27 by the well known action of centri-
fugal force, the tape 35 being wound upon its drum in an opposite direction to the
winding of the tapes 33; said tape 35 will, during this movement, be wound upon
its drum.

page_text: When the blind has been adjusted relative the window, said blind itself may be
manipulated up or down upon its roller 2. When it is desired to again elevate the
blind and roller, the operator only has to pull downwardly upon the tape 35, and,
in so doing, unwinds said tape and rewinds the tapes 33.
A device of my improved construction is simple, inexpensive, may be located
upon any window, and by its use a window blind and roller may be adjusted to any
desired point upon a window.
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. In a window blind adjuster, a drum constructed with a pair of mating semi-
circular blocks, ears formed integral with the ends of said blocks, a set-screw
passing through one of said blocks, and a pair of disks adapted to be located upon
the ends of said mating blocks, which disks are provided with notches through
which the ears pass when locating said disks on the blocks, substantially as
specified.
2. In a window blind adjuster, a double winding drum comprising a pair of
semi-circular blocks adapted to be mounted upon the rod, flanges formed integral
with said blocks that mate to form the continuous flanges between which the tapes
are wound, semi-circular flanges formed integral with the outer pair of the first
mentioned flanges, a plate located in the space formed by the pair of last mentioned
flanges, and pawls pivoted to the face of said plate, substantially as specified.
3. In a window blind adjuster, a rod rotatably mounted, a pair of semi-circular
blocks adjustably located upon one end of said rod, ears formed integral with said
blocks, a set-screw passing through one of said blocks, a pair of disks arranged
upon the ends of the mating blocks and locked thereon by the action of the set-
screw, a pair of winding drums located upon the opposite end of the rod, a ratchet
loosely mounted upon the end of the rod adjacent the double winding drum, a
sustaining bracket engaging said ratchet and holding the same against rotation,
and pawls carried by the double winding drum, the points of which pawls are
adapted to engage the upper notch of the ratchet, substantially as specified.
4. A window blind adjuster, constructed with a shaft adapted to be secured at
the top of a window casing, a shade carrying roller, suitable connections between
the shaft and the shade carrying roller, and means whereby the shade carrying
roller may be adjusted and held at any point beneath the shaft, substantially as
specified.
Datad the 4th dow of Wahm
1000
HIGDON, LONGAN & HIGDON.
Agents for Applicant.