Improvements in Portière or Door Curtain Rods and in Fixing the same in Position.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889 ·
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portière or Door Curtain Rods and in Fixing the
same in Position.
I ROBERT MANSELL of No. 9 Whittall Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Brassfounder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements herein after described in portière or
door curtain rods and in fixing the same whereby the construction of the said door
curtain rods is much simplified and their action made more efficient. Door curtain
rods made and fixed according to my invention are free from the liability of getting
out of order to which door curtain rods of the ordinary kinds are liable.
I will hereinafter refer to the door curtain rod as the rod.
On that side of the door frame to which the door is hinged I fix an arm or bracket
which arm or bracket carries the inner or stationary end of the jointed rod. The end
of the stationary part of the rod carries a vertical pin which constitutes the axis on
which the other or movable part of the rod turns on the opening and closing of the
door the pin on the end of the fixed part of the rod engaging in a hole in the
inner end of the movable part of the rod. The free end of the movable part of
the rod passes through a ring carried by an arm or bracket fixed on the door near the
opening side of the door. As the door is opened and closed the movable part of
the rod turns at its inner end on the pin or axis carried by the end of the fixed
part of the rod the other or outer end of the movable part of the rod having a slight
sliding motion in the ring carried by the arm or bracket on the door. The hole in
the end of the movable part of the rod is of such a size that there is a slight play
in the joint formed by it and the pin on the end of the fixed part of the rod which
engages in the said hole. By means of the said "play "there is no strain upon the
joint on the motion of the door.
*
""
When the door to which the rod is fixed has rising hinges the door has a slight
rising motion as it opens as is well understood. But the said rising motion of the
door produces no strain on the joint of the rod in consequence of the play in the joint.
of the rod hereinbefore referred to the rod taking a slightly inclined position as the
door opens in consequence of the end of the rod supported by the bracket on the door
rising with the rising of the door. Where for any reason it is desired that the rod in
rising shall preserve a strictly horizontal position on the opening and closing of the
door I fix a second arm or bracket on the door near the hinged side of the door the
said arm carrying a horizontal loop through which the rod passes and which while
preserving the horizontal position of the rod permits of the required play. In this
case the inner end of the movable part of the rod rises and falls on its joint pin which
is made of sufficient length to permit of the said motion.
Dated this Ninth dow of Ontahan 1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portière or Door Curtain Rods and in Fixing the
same in Position.
I ROBERT MANSELL of No. 9 Whittall Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Brassfounder do hereby declare the nature of my 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 consists of the improvements hereinafter described in portière or

page_text: door curtain rods and in fixing the same whereby the construction of the said door
curtain rods is much simplified and their action made more efficient. Door curtain
rods made and fixed according to my invention are free from the liability of getting
out of order to which door curtain rods of the ordinary kinds are liable.
I will hereinafter refer to the door curtain rod as the rod.
On that side of the door frame to which the door is hinged I fix an arm or
bracket which arm or bracket carries the inner or stationary end of the jointed rod.
The end of the stationary part of the rod carries a vertical pin which constitutes the
axis on which the other or movable part of the rod turns on the opening and
closing of the door the pin on the end of the fixed part of the rod engaging in
a hole in the inner end of the movable part of the rod. The free end of the movable
part of the rod passes through a ring carried by an arm or bracket fixed on the door
near the opening side of the door. As the door is opened and closed the movable
part of the rod turns at its inner end on the pin or axis carried by the end of the
fixed part of the rod the other or outer end of the movable part of the rod having a
slight sliding motion in the ring carried by the arm or bracket on the door. The hole
in the end of the movable part of the rod is of such a size that there is a slight play
in the joint formed by it and the pin on the end of the fixed part of the rod which
engages in the said hole. By means of the said "play" there is no strain upon the
joint on the motion of the door.
:
When the door to which the rod is fixed has rising hinges the door has a slight
rising motion as it opens as is well understood. But the said rising motion of the
door produces no strain on the joint of the rod in consequence of the play in the
joint of the rod hereinbefore referred to, the rod taking a slightly inclined position
as the door opens in consequence of the end of the rod supported by the bracket
on the door rising with the rising of the door. Where for any reason it is desired
that the rod in rising shall preserve a strictly horizontal position on the opening and
closing of the door I fix a second arm or bracket on the door near the hinged side of
the door the said arm carrying a horizontal loop through which the rod passes and
which while preserving the horizontal position of the rod permits of the required play.
In this case the inner end of the movable part of the rod rises and falls on its joint
pin which is made of sufficient length to permit of the said motion.
Figures 1 and 2 represent front elevations of a portière or door curtain rod
constructed according to my invention applied to a door having rising and falling
hinges, Figure 1 representing the door closed and Figure 2 the same opened.
Figure 3 represents partly in section and partly in elevation the joint of the said
portière rod drawn to a larger scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a,
bare the two parts of the jointed portière rod, a being the inner or stationary
part fixed by the arm or bracket c to the door frame d and being the movable part
of the portière rod turning on the fixed part a on the opening and closing of the door,
the free end of the movable part 6 passing through a ring
carried by the arm or
bracket e fixed on the door near the opening side thereof. The joint of the portière
rod consists of two hemi-spherical knuckle pieces g, h fixed respectively to the inner
ends of the two parts a, b of the portière rod the opposed faces of the two half knuckles
being horizontal as best seen in Figure 3. The knuckle piece g of the stationary
part a of the rod carries a vertical pin which constitutes the axis on which the
movable part of the rod turns and rises and falls on the opening and closing of the
door, the knuckle piece of the movable part having a hole in it which works
upon the said pin. It will be seen by an examination of the drawing that the hole k
in the knuckle end of the movable part of the rod is of such a size that there
is a slight play in the joint formed by it and the pin i on the knuckle end g of the
fixed part of the rod. As the door is opened and closed tho movable part of the rod
turns at its inner end on the pin or axis i carried by the knuckle end of the fixed
part, the other or outer end of the rod having a sliding motion in the ring e² carried
by the arm or bracket e on the door. By constructing the joint of the rod in

page_text: the manner described and represented there is no strain upon it on the motion of
the door.
When the door to which the rod is fixed has rising hinges the door has a short
rising motion as it opens and the rod takes a slightly inclined position in consequence
of the outer end of the said rod b rising with the rising door as represented in Figure 2,
the rising motion of the door producing no strain on the joint in consequence of the
play which the joint of the rod is capable of as before described.
To preserve the parallelism of the rod b when desired a second arm similar to the
arme may be fixed to the hinged side of the door at or about the position indicated
by the letter. This second arın at f' carries at its top a loop on the same level as
the loop e on the arm e. The loop of the second arm at f is not circular but has
sufficient length horizontally to permit of the required horizontal play of the rod in
it. Or instead of the said loop of the second arm the latter may carry a horizontal
bar or support on which the rod rests. By means of the said second arm the rod b
is maintained in a horizontal position on the opening of the door the joint pin i
permitting of the required vertical motion of the joint end of the rod b as will be
understood by an examination of Figure 3.
1 do not limit myself to the form of the joint described and represented as other
forms which will permit of the movable part of the rod turning upon a vertical pin or
axis and having a slight play upon the said pin or axis may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in portièro or door curtain rods and in fixing the same
in position
"
:-
First Jointing the movable part of the rod carried by the door to the fixed part of
the rod carried by the door frame by means of a vertical pin or axis on the joint end
of the fixed part of the rod taking into a hole in the joint end of the movable part of
the rod, the joint pin or axis having some play in the said hole so that the movable
part of the rod can take an inclined position without strain on the said pin or axis and
can also rise and fall vertically on the said pin or axis substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly Preserving the horizontal position of the movable part of the rod when
applied to doors with rising hinges by means of a second or additional arm or bracket
situated near the hinged side of the door as herein before described.
Dated the Nineteenth day of June 1889.
ROBT. MANSELL.