AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR HOLDING ROLLING WINDOW SHADES OR BLINDS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS AS THE SAME ARE WOUND ON OR UNWOUND FROM THEIR ROLLERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR HOLDING
ROLLING WINDOW SHADES OR BLINDS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS AS THE SAME
ARE WOUND ON OR UNWOUND FROM THEIR ROLLERS."-A communication
from abroad by Nathan Thompson, of Brooklyn, in the State of
New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 25th July 1871, and dated the 17th April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th April 1871.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR HOLDING

page_text: ROLLING WINDOW SHADES OR BLINDS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS AS THE SAME ARE
WOUND ON OR UNWOUND FROM THEIR ROLLERS," to be as follows:
The device for holding rolling window shades or blinds in different
positions, which forms the subject of this Invention, consists in a screw
clamp of novel construction which is to be secured to the window casing
in a convenient position for the passage of the blind cord through it, and
by which sufficient friction is produced and tension maintained upon
the cord passing through it to hold the blind in any position, but not
to prevent it from being drawn up or down by a direct pull upon the
cord. The “blind" roller is provided at one end with the usual pulley,
over which passes the operating cord, which hangs down from the front
and back of the pulley, and may have its ends secured together or left
free, as desired. A metal box is secured to the window casing and has
in its top and bottom two holes for the passage of the cord through
the box. Inside the box are two clamping blocks of hard wood or other
hard material, in the faces of which are longitudinal grooves of nearly
semicircular form in their transverse section, and serve to receive the
cord.
These blocks are backed with strips of india-rubber, cork, or
other clastic material, and they are so pressed towards each other by
means of a thumbscrew as to adjust the friction upon the cord and
clamp the roller so as to make it support the shade or blind in any
position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William' Edward Newton in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 16th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in tho
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in tho
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR HOLDING ROLLING WINDOW
SHADES OR BLINDS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS AS THE SAME ARE WOUND OR
UNWOUND FROM THEIR ROLLERS," being a communication to me from abroad
by Nathan Thompson, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is
to say)
The device for holding in different positions rolling window shades or
blinds, which forms the subject of this Invention, consists in a screw
clamp of novel construction which is to be secured to the window casing
in a convenient position for the passage of the blind cord through it, and
by which sufficient friction is produced and tension maintained upon
the cord (passing through it) to hold the blind in any position, but not
to prevent it from being drawn up or down by a direct pull upon the
cord.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a front or face view
of the improved window blind, fixture, or device, and Fig. 2 is a vertical
section of the same taken at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a trans-
verse or horizontal section of the device detached.
The "blind "roller A is provided at one end with the usual pulley P,
over which passes the operating cord B in the usual manner. This cord

page_text: which hangs down from the front and back of the pulley may have its
ends secured together or be left free as may be preferred. A metal
box C, provided with lugs a, a, is secured by screws e, e, to the window
casing, and has two holes made through it for the passage of the cord B.
In the centre of its front there is another hole for the reception of the
shank of a screw S. A follower D of a shape and size to fit within the
box C constitutes the back thereof, and has formed on its inner side a
boss, Fig. 2, in which there is a tapped hole to receive the screw S,
which is provided with a head on its outer end whereby it is operated.
Its inner end is rivetted beyond the follower D so as to prevent it from
being entirely withdrawn from it, but not so as to interfere with its
operation therein. Between the follower D and the front of the box aro
two blocks b, b, of hard wood or other hard material, in the faces or
opposed sides of which are longitudinal grooves of nearly semicircular form
in their transverse section. These grooves are opposite the holes in the
top and bottom of the box, and serve to receive the cord B. The
blocks b, b, are backed with strips of india-rubber, cork, or other elastic
material c, c, and they are so pressed towards each other by means of the
screw S as to adjust the friction upon the cord to make it support the
shado or blind in any position. This holder may be fixed on the window
frame at any convenient distance from the roller. The blind is raised
and lowered by pulling on the front or back portion of the cord B which
hangs below the holder, and in this operation the tension on the cord is
preserved provided a proper degree of compression is produced by the
clamping screw S to make the clamps b, b, give the necessary friction to
the cord. In case (from any accidental cause) the cord B should
become slack between the roller and the holder a pull on either portion
of the cord below the holder will (if the friction of the clamp be
sufficient) give proper tension to the cord, and thereby make it produce
the necessary friction on the pulley to hold the roller. Instead of the
screw $ being made to screw into the follower it might be secured
thereto and made to operate within a nut on the exterior of the front of
the box.

page_text: and described, and constructed to hold upon the cord by which the blind
is raised or lowered, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.