Improved Means for Supporting and Operating Curtains.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1839-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Supporting and Operating Curtains.
I, LUDOVIC JOHNSTON, of Lime Villa, 234, Frederick Road, Aston, Warwickshire,
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to hanging curtains fer windows doors theatres and for
other purposes and it consists of the improved means herein described for supporting
the same and for moving them along as is required in drawing and withdrawing
them.
As an example I will describe my invention as applied to a pair of window curtains.
In carrying out my invention I provide at or near the top of the window for each
curtain a series of equal armed short lovers crossing each other and jointed together
after the manner of a lazy-tongs. These levers are arranged horizontally and are
carried by a suitable guide stretching across the window. The outer pairs of the
levers are fixed to or near the ends of the guide so that each series can be extended
and advanced towards the other along the said guide or folded together and with-
drawn. The curtains are suspended at oqual distances from certain of the points
where the levers cross each other. By means of a suitable cord or cords passing over
guide pulleys each series of levers can be drawn towards the other along the said
guide or withdrawn and as all the points of suspension of the curtains move together
the curtains fold equally along their entire width instead of folding and unfolding
from the front. I prefer to operate the said series of levers by a cord arranged
as follows:-The said cord passes over a guide pulley at each side of the window
and to the horizontal part of the cord the first pair of one of the series of levers
is attached the cord from one side of the window is passed along the top of the
window and attached to the first pair of the other set of levers and then led lown
to the same side of the window as the other end of the cord. Thus by pulling
one end of the cord the two series of levers will be extended and caused to travel
towards each other and the curtains be drawn to or towards the middle of the
window and by pulling the other cord the levers will fold towards each other and
the curtains be withdrawn.
Instead of the said cross levers being arranged horizontally and the curtain
suspended from the points where they cross each other as above described, tho
levers may be arranged vertically and suspended from certain of the points where
their upper ends are jointed together the curtains being suspended from the points
where the lower ends of the lovers are jointed together. The points where the
upper ends of the levers are jointed together are provided with laterally pro-
jecting pins or are otherwise formed so as to engage with the guide along which
they move.
In a modification of my invention instead of employing equal levers jointed
together and crossing each other as above described I employ equal levers jointed
together at their ends so as to form as it were half a set of the levers that are
used in an ordinary lazy-tongs these levers being guided and the curtain suspended
therefrom similarly as above described.
I sometimes dispense with the cords above described for operating the curtains
and instead I draw the curtains by moving the outer ends of the first or fixed
pair of levers towards each other and withdraw the curtains by moving the
said outer ends farther from each other; this can readily be accomplished by a
screw with a right and left hand thread, a nut on the right hand thread being
jointed to the outer end of one of the levers and a nut on the left hand thread being
jointed to the outer end of the other lever so that when the scrow is turned in one
direction the outer ends of the levers will be brought nearer together or by turning
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page_text: the screw in the opposite direction they will be moved farther apart. The screw can
readily be turned by a small pulley fixed thereon over which passes a continuous cord.
My invention as above described can be applied either for moving a curtain or
curtains along a straight line or around a curve as in a bay window.
Dated this 12th day of March 1889.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Supporting and Operating Curtains.
1, LUDOVIC JOHNSTON, of Lime Villa, 234 Frederick Road, Aston, Warwickshire,
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:---
This my invention has reference to hanging curtains for windows, doors, theatres
and for other purposes, and it consists of the improved means herein described for
supporting the same and for moving them along as is required in drawing and with-
drawing them.
I now proceed to describe my said invention, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon: similar
letters indicating like parts throughout.
:
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my invention: Fig. 2. is a cross-
section taken on the line of Fig. 1. Fig. 3. is a sectional elevation taken on the
line, of Fig. 1.: Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of my invention; Fig. 5. is a
sectional clevation taken on the line y y of Fig. 1 and showing also the means
whereby the arrangement is secured to the window-frame etc. Fig. 6 is a detail
sectional elevation and Fig. 7. is likewise a detail elevation.
In the drawings, A represents the guide, which I prefer to make in the form of an
ordinary hollow metal or other curtain-pole, which has upon its underside a siot u.
The guide A is provided at its two ends with a suitable cover B, B', having flanges b
whereby it is secured to the guide A with screws or other means. The covers B3, B¹
bave suitable brackets ' carrying suitable pins & which support small pulloys C, C
and D. The covers B, B', have also suitable brackets e to which is pivoted one lever
respectively of a series of levers E, E, pivoted together at the points e, e¹³, after
the manner of lazy-tongs, and which levers are provided with eyes e to which the
curtains may be attached, and carry at their upper ends small rollers & which support
the levers in the guide A. The innermost lever of each series of levers E, E, has an
extension, to which is pivoted a small sleeve d and d³ respectively. A suitable
cord is passed over the pulley C, (Figs. 1 and 4) carried through the sleeve d²,
around the pulley D, through the sleeve and over the pulley C; the two ends
being secured to two metal or other pendants, f¹. A small set-screw serves to
retain the cord F, tightly in the sleeves d², . If desired, the brackets cas shown in
Figs. 1, 2 and 3, may be secured to the guide A by small screws or rivets g us shown
in Fig. 6, instead of to the covers B and B'. In Fig. 5. I have shown the means by
which the guide A is attached to the window-frame or other woodwork, and the
means consist of brackets G which can be attached to the wood work by ordinary wood
screws. The guide A is secured to the brackets G by screw pins g', having
ornamental knobs or hand-pieces G¹. A suitable ornamental knob is shown in
Fig. 7. which may be screwed into each end cover B, B¹ to complete the finished
appearance.
The operation of this my invention is as follows:-The curtains are suspended pre-
ferably from the eyes e³, but they may also, by any suitable and simple device, such
as small hooks be suspended from the pins at the joints e. By means of the cord
passing over the guide pulleys, each series of levers can be drawn towards the other,
along the guide, or withdrawn, and as all the points of suspension of the curtains
move together the curtains fold equally along their entire width making all the pleats

page_text: even. It is not essential that the cord should be arranged as hereinbefore described,
inasmuch as I may use a cord for each separate series of levers E, E, each of which
cords would have one end secured in the ferrules respectively, the other ends
being passed over a single pulley at each end of the guide and secured to a small
weight. It will be understood, that when either of the two cords are pulled, the
curtains depending from either series of levers E, E', may be drawn back indepen-
dently of the other curtains depending from the other series of levers. I may also
dispense entirely with the cords, and instead, draw the curtains by moving the outer
ends of the first fixed pair of levers J towards each other, and withdraw the curtains
by moving the said outer ends farther from each other; this can be readily accom-
plished by a screw with a right and left hand thread, being jointed to the outer end
of one of the lovers, and a nut on the left hand thread being jointed to the outer end
of the other lever, so that when the screw is turned in one direction, the outer ends of
the levers will be brought nearer together, or by turning the screw in the opposite
direction they will be moved further apart. The screw can readily be turned by a
small pulley fixed thereon, over which passes a continuous cord. If desired however
the curtains may be drawn apart and together in the ordinary way, viz.: by drawing
and withdrawing the curtains themselves.
In a modification of my invention, instead of employing equal levers jointed
together and crossing each other as above described, I employ equal levers jointed
together at the ends so as to form as it were half a set of the levers that are used in
an ordinary lazy tongs:-these levers being guided and the curtain suspended there-
from similarly as described.
My invention as above described can be applied either for moving a curtain or
curtains along a straight guide or around a curved guide as in a bay window; the
mechanical detail remaining the samo.
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 :-
The herein described means for supporting and operating curtains, all substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
TA: 7. of Santamban 1800